Effects of aging on action-intentional programming

Background: Action-intentional programs control “when” we initiate, inhibit, continue, and stop motor actions. The purpose of this study was to learn if there are changes in the action-intentional system with healthy aging, and if these changes are asymmetrical (right versus left upper limb) or related to impaired interhemispheric communication. Methods: We administered tests of action-intention to 41 middle-aged and older adults (61.9 ± 12.3 years). Results: Regression analyses revealed that older age predicted a decrement in performance for tests of crossed motor response inhibition as well as slower motor initiation with the left hand. Conclusion: Changes in action-intention with aging appear to be related to alterations of interhemispheric communication and/or age-related right hemisphere dysfunction; however, further research is needed to identify the mechanisms for age-related changes in the brain networks that mediate action-intention.     

Termination of parental rights: A neglected side effect of infant intervention programs

A significant proportion of infants receiving treatment in programs designed to prevent abuse and psychosocial disorders may be removed from the custody of their parents by social service agencies. In an effort to help distinguish those cases at risk for termination of parental rights (TPR), seven such cases were analyzed and compared to seven similar cases where TPR did not occur. All 14 cases were referred because of abuse/neglect, and were at risk for continued abuse. Results showed that TPR was most likely in families where the parents were viewed as being unpleasant, as having a poor relationship with their child, were seen as retarded by the social service agency, and whose infants showed large gains in developmental level, especially during foster placement. These findings were interpreted as indicating a mixture of actual lack of progress in treatment and a negative attitudinal set about these clients.     

Genetic Influence on the Variance in Coincidence Timing and its Covariance with IQ: A Twin Study

Performance measures on a coincidence timing task have previously been associated with psychometric IQ suggesting that the ability of an individual to devote processing resources at the required time may account for some of intelligence test variance. Using the twin design, this study investigates whether genetic variability explains some of the variance in coincidence timing and whether common genetic factors account for the association with intellectual functioning. Fifty-five 16-year old twin pairs (28 MZ, 27 DZ) were tested. Individual differences in number of hits (HITS), mean absolute error (MAE), and intra-individual trial-to-trial consistency (SD) were significantly influenced by genetic factors, accounting for approximately 50 percent of the variance. The correlation between coincidence timing and psychometric IQ was confirmed and ranged from 0.11 to 0.53 with a mean correlation of 0.33. In the limited sample, the correlation between IQ and the coincidence timing measures appeared to be mediated largely by a unique environmental factor, with only a small loading of SD on the genetic factor influencing IQ. However, as the confidence intervals in the other genetic cross loadings are large, we cannot exclude the possibility of a much stronger genetic influence.     

POTENTIAL SPACE AND REFLECTIVE FUNCTIONING: TOWARDS CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION AND PRELIMINARY CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The authors propose that although the psychoanalytic constructs 'reflective functioning' and 'potential space' overlap and are sometimes used interchangeably, a knowledge of their distinctions and the ways in which they interface have important clinical implications. These concepts are similar in that both are capacities considered (1) to originate in the caregiver-child relationship, (2) to involve playing with ideas and symbolic thought, (3) to facilitate the therapeutic process and (4) to represent a desirable treatment outcome. The terms diverge in three important ways. First, potential space is a broader concept that can be applied not only to thinking about internal states but to aspects of human experience (e.g. art, religion) involving a sense of aliveness. Reflective functioning is more circumscribed to representations of mental states and their implications for interpersonal functioning. Second, potential space has more of a conscious introspective element, whereas reflective functioning is based in procedural memory. Third, reflective functioning operates intrapsychically, whereas potential space tends to be thought of as occurring in an interpersonal field. The authors hypothesise and illustrate a possible bi-directional, dialectic relationship between the two constructs. It is suggested that this new understanding might, in some cases, facilitate productive reformulations of clinical formulations, such as working with a perceived resistance.     

Characteristics of life events during adolescence

Two studies of the characteristics of life events during adolescence are reported. In the first, open-ended reports of major life events and daily events were obtained from early, middle, and late adolescents. Analyses of the frequency of past events perceived as positive versus negative revealed effects for type of event (major vs. daily), age, and gender. In contrast, anticipated events were perceived similarly across age and gender. The second study examined judgments by older adolescents of the valence, type, and domain of life events. Consensus regarding these characteristics was achieved on only a small portion of events. The implications of these findings for the measurement of life events during adolescence are highlighted.     

The development of a family forgiveness scale

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure forgiveness in the intergenerational family. In the final scale the contructs were defined as: (1) realization, (2) recognition, (3) reparation, (4), restitution, and (5) resolution. A detailed four-step procedure was used to provide the scale with construct, content and predictive validity. This paper describes a four-stage process to develop the scale, data supporting the validity and reliability of the scale, and the final version of the instrument.     

Clocking g: Relating intelligence and measures of timed performance

The relationships between intelligence test scores and measures derived from reaction time (RT) and perceptual speed procedures were investigated in 137 twelve-year-old students with IQs ranging from 59 to 142. A range of intelligence tests were used and the scores factor analyzed to produce general, spatial and verbal factors. Test and factor scores were correlated with perceptual speed and with measures taken from 2, 4, and 8 choice RT tasks using a response keyboard upon which the subject's fingers directly rested, thus avoiding interpretive problems associated with a “home key.” Inspection time correlated poorly with intelligence. Only three of the RT measures produced correlations greater than .25 with the general factor. These were the slope of Hick's law, B, (correlation −.28), the 8 choice mean RT, RT8, (−.33) and the 8 choice standard deviation, SD8 (−.41), compared with the average intercorrelation between the intelligence measures of .40. Test-retest correlations of the RT measures, taken over a year for half the subjects, were low as reliability measures, with .35 for B, .52 for RT8, and .48 for SD8. Correlations of RT measures with spatial scores were not significantly greater than with verbal scores, suggesting that whatever relationship exists is with a general factor rather than only a spatial one.     

An evaluation of the effectiveness of a telephone counseling center

Three-thousand questionnaires were distributed to students on campus to identify a sample of actual telephone counseling center users and their ratings of the effectiveness of the help received and of the counselor. Ratings of help received and impact of counseling on life as it is today were considered for sex of caller and counselor across type of problem. A sample of 66 actual callers was identified who had used the service for personal problems at least once. Of male callers, 67% reported that telephone counseling helped at least somewhat, while 80% of female callers reported favorable results of telephone counseling. Female callers who talked with male counselors reported a significantly greater impact on their life than did the callers in any other caller/counselor sex interaction. Only one average rating of counseling effectiveness by problem type fell below the neutral rating. Results are presented as evidence for the effectiveness of paraprofessional counselors.