Field experiences in school psychology programs

A survey was conducted of field experiences in school psychology programs at the doctoral and non-doctoral levels. Three levels of school psychology programs (Masters, Advanced Graduate Status, and Doctoral) were compared in terms of the field-based component of training. The use of the terms practicum, internship and externship is described.     

Children's choices of and value judgments about sex-typed toys and occupations

Boys (N = 97) and girls (N = 96) from kindergarten through sixth grade were asked to select toys and occupations under one of the following three instructional sets: (1) choose for a girl, (2) choose for a boy, (3) choose the best one. Results indicated that children made selections for boys and girls which were in accordance with culturally accepted stereotypes. However, children's selections of the best toys and occupations were more sex-typed in the masculine direction for boys than in the feminine direction for girls. In addition, as children grew older, their choices of occupations, but not of toys, became more sex-typed. These results were discussed in terms of implications for self and career development.     

MATERNAL INTERACTION QUALITY MODERATES EFFECTS OF PRENATAL MATERNAL EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS ON GIRLS’ INTERNALIZING PROBLEMS

The role of mother–infant interaction quality is studied in the relation between prenatal maternal emotional symptoms and child behavioral problems. Healthy pregnant, Dutch women (N = 96, M = 31.6, SD = 3.3) were allocated to the “exposed group” (n = 46), consisting of mothers with high levels of prenatal feelings of anxiety and depression, or the “low‐exposed group” (n = 50), consisting of mothers with normal levels of depressive or anxious symptoms during pregnancy. When the children (49 girls, 47 boys) were 23 to 60 months of age (M = 39.0, SD = 9.6), parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (T.M. Achenbach & L.A. Rescorla, 2000 ), and mother–child interaction quality during a home visit was rated using the Emotional Availability Scales. There were no differences in mother–child interaction quality between the prenatally exposed and low‐exposed groups. Girls exposed to high prenatal emotional symptoms showed more internalizing problems, if maternal interaction quality was less optimal. No significant effects were found for boys.     

Factor analysis of the Dutch-language version of the MCMI-III

We analyzed the factor structure of the Dutch-language version of the MCMI-III (Millon, Millon, Davis, & Grossman, 2006) using exploratory factor analysis on data obtained from a heterogeneous White sample (n = 1,210). We identified 4 factors: General Maladjustment, Aggression/Social Deviance, Paranoid/Delusional Thinking, and Emotional Instability/Detachment. This structure was invariant across scale composition (linear dependent vs. independent scales), factor analytic method (principal factor vs. principal component solutions), and sample characteristics (gender 'male-female' and setting 'clinical-forensic.' Studies that have used previous MCMI (Millon, 1969/1983b) versions have also found 4 similar factors, whereas studies that have used the American version of the MCMI-III have only found 3 factors. However, differences between the Dutch and American version were completely determined by factor analytic decisions. The factor structure of the MCMI-III appeared to be cross-culturally invariant.     

Rapport pitfalls of beginning testers

Based on observations of school psychology students enrolled in a testing practicum, common pitfalls of beginning testers in the area of rapport were delineated. These pitfalls are described and illustrated with verbatim examples taken from observation notes. The authors concluded that trainees in testing often cannot translate guidelines provided in the literature into effective rapport in the testing session and that observation of test administration in a realistic setting is an essential component of supervision in testing.     

Multiple Determinants of Externalizing Behavior in 5-Year-Olds: A Longitudinal Model

In a community sample of 116 children, assessments of parent-child interaction, parent-child attachment, and various parental, child, and contextual characteristics at 15 and 28 months and at age 5 were used to predict externalizing behavior at age 5, as rated by parents and teachers. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and path analysis yielded a significant longitudinal model for the prediction of age 5 externalizing behavior, with independent contributions from the following predictors: child sex, partner support reported by the caregiver, disorganized infant-parent attachment at 15 months, child anger proneness at 28 months, and one of the two parent-child interaction factors observed at 28 months, namely negative parent-child interactions. The other, i.e., a lack of effective guidance, predicted externalizing problems only in highly anger-prone children. Furthermore, mediated pathways of influence were found for the parent-child interaction at 15 months (via disorganized attachment) and parental ego-resiliency (via negative parent-child interaction at 28 months).

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Explaining the better-than-average effect among prisoners

We addressed explanations for why prisoners manifest the Better-Than-Average Effect (perceptions of superiority to the average peer), focusing on three biases: self-enhancing (social as well as temporal) comparisons, denial, and self-serving attributions. We tested the Better-Than-Average Effect in regards to prisoners’ perceptions of their worst trait, and assessed the relationship between the three biases and positive self-evaluations. Prisoners engaged in self-enhancing comparisons, differentiating themselves from other prisoners and their past selves who committed the crime, but also expected self-improvement in the future. Prisoners also demonstrated denial for intentions to commit the crime, planning of it, recidivism, and over-estimation of crime prevalence in the general population. Although prisoners made self-serving attributions by distancing their own character from their criminal behavior and reporting they had experienced more hardship relative to others, they did not attribute the cause of their crime to such hardship. More extensive self-enhancing temporal comparisons and denial predicted more positive self-evaluations of prisoners’ worst trait relative to the average community member. The strength of some of these biases varied with levels of narcissism and psychopathy.