Making sense of sentences in schizophrenia: electrophysiological evidence for abnormal interactions between semantic and syntactic processing

Event-related potentials to critical verbs were measured as patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls read sentences word by word. Relative to their preceding context, critical verbs were (a) congruous, (b) incongruous and semantically unrelated to individual preceding words (pragmatic-semantic violations), (c) incongruous but semantically related to individual preceding words (animacy-semantic violations), or (d) syntactically anomalous. The N400 was modulated normally in patients, suggesting that semantic integration between individual words within sentences was normal in schizophrenia. The amplitude of the P600 to both syntactic and animacy-semantic violations was reduced in patients relative to controls. The authors suggest that, in schizophrenia, an abnormality in combining semantic and syntactic information online to build up propositional meaning leaves sentence processing to be primarily driven by semantic relationships between individual words.     

Comparability, reliability, and practice effects on alternate forms of the Digit Symbol Substitution and Symbol Digit Modalities tests

The present study examined the comparability of 4 alternate forms of the Digit Symbol Substitution test and the Symbol Digit Modalities (written) test, including the original versions. Male contact-sport athletes (N = 112) were assessed on 1 of the 4 forms of each test. Reasonable alternate form comparability was demonstrated through establishing normality of form distributions and conducting pairwise form comparisons of means, variability, and intraclass correlations. Nonetheless, alternate forms are likely an insufficient means of controlling practice in speeded measures at brief (1-2 weeks) retest intervals. Reliable change indices demonstrated that practice must be accounted for in individual retesting.     

Developing a Prevention Synthesis and Translation System to Promote Science‐Based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy,HIV and STI Prevention

The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF) is a multi‐system framework that can guide research‐to‐practice efforts by building and supporting the work of three interacting systems: the Prevention Delivery, Support, and Synthesis and Translation Systems. The Synthesis and Translation system is vital to bridging science and practice, yet how to develop it and train support system partners to use it is under‐researched. This article bridges this gap by offering a case example of the planning, development, and use of a synthesis and translation product called Promoting Science‐based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention using Getting To Outcomes. The case presented documents the process used for developing the synthesis and translation product, reports on efforts to engage the Prevention Support system to use the product, and how we approached building interaction between the Synthesis and Translation System and the Support System partners. Practice‐oriented evaluation data are also presented. Implications for practice, policy and research are discussed. Special Issue: Advances in Bridging Research and Practice Using the Interactive System Framework for Dissemination and Implementation; Guest Editors: Abraham Wandersman, Paul Flaspohler, Catherine A. Lesesne, Richard Puddy; Action Editor: Emilie Phillips Smith     

Probation officers' perceptions of youths' risk of reoffending and use of risk assessment in case management

Juvenile probation officers (JPOs) are required to make numerous decisions about the case management of young offenders on a daily basis. This multi-site study examined JPOs' (N?=?64) perceptions of the typical youth's risk of reoffending before implementation of a risk/needs assessment (RNA) tool, and their self-reported, case management decision-making after implementation of an RNA tool. Results indicated that JPOs tended to overestimate the likely base rates of reoffending while RNA tool estimates were more accurate. Further, most JPOs appeared to be making service referral and placement decisions commensurate with youths' risk levels, regardless of whether they claimed to use the RNA tool in their decisions. Variability in application of risk to case management practices was more a function of the probation office than of the specific JPO. Implications for use of risk assessment in juvenile probation are discussed. Copyright ? 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intelligent diagnosing of intellectual disabilities in offenders: food for thought

Research on offenders with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in the criminal justice arena is on the rise, reflected by a growing number of relevant publications each year. However, there is a long recognized methodological problem that hampers the comparability of empirical studies and that raises doubts about the accuracy of prevalence rates, comorbidities, and various correlates and characteristics. In this paper we will argue that the crux of the problem can, on the one hand, be found in the plurality of assessment methods for intelligence and adaptive functioning, which are not all sufficiently reliable and valid. On the other hand, assessment of IQ in criminal justice and mental health-related areas appears to be informed more by practical aspects and needs rather than grounded in a solid theoretical model. Hence, we suggest that the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model of intelligence has potential value in this regard, and deserves a closer look. Finally, we will discuss its incorporation into, and possible implications for, criminal justice practice and future study designs.     

Exploring Societal and Ethical Views of Nanotechnology REUs

Little previous research has examined attitudes about societal and ethical issues (SEI) among interns participating in research experience for undergraduate programs (REUs) in nanotechnology, thus neglecting an important population for understanding the burgeoning views of the next generation of nanotechnology researchers. This study surveyed a sample of interns (N?=?85) participating in the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network’s (NNIN) REU program during the summer of 2012. Our questions focused on interns’ experiences with education on ethical issues, as well as their attribution of responsibility for considering ethical issues, motivations to talk about ethical issues, and comfort level of discussing ethical issues with faculty, mentors, lab staff, and other REU students. Among key findings was that lab culture related to the extent to which REU interns felt comfortable discussing ethical issues. In addition, those who reported more discussions about ethical issues with their mentors were more likely to consider themselves as responsible for considering ethical issues. We conclude with recommendations and future research directions.     

Integrating Psychopathology and Personality Disorders Conceptualized by the MMPI–2–RF and the MCMI–III: A Structural Validity Study

Twenty Es administered Rorschachs expecting Ss to give high or low total numbers of responses, high or low animal in relation to human percentages, and one or another extreme of select personality characteristics. Additionally, each tested a control S expecting “nothing remarkable.” Results indicated tester-bias and suggested that within each comparison group, one expectancy condition contributed disproportionately more to the bias effect than did the other. Video tapes of 20 sessions were analyzed to see whether a Bandura modeling paradigm could account for the mediation of bias; i.e., whether Es modeled their expectancies for the benefit of their Ss and whether Ss consequently imitated their models. This was not supported.     

Spiritual Disclosure and Ego Resiliency: Validating Spiritual Competencies

Counselor spiritual and religious competency depends primarily on the ability to facilitate client spiritual disclosure. Little is known, however, about the empirical qualities of spiritual disclosure. In a sample of 318 adults (mean age = 44 years), spiritual disclosure independently predicted ego resiliency, a critical quality for stress‐related growth. Spiritual disclosure predicted ego resiliency over the partial mediators of the 5 factors of personality, general global disclosure, and congregational support. Implications for professional counseling ethics are discussed.