The use of extreme groups in assessing relationships

The relationship between variables in applied and experimental research is often investigated by the use of extreme (i.e., upper and lower) groups. Earlier analytical work has demonstrated that the extreme groups procedure is more powerful than the standard correlational approach for some values of the correlation and extreme group size. The present article provides methods for using the covariance information that is usually discarded in the classical extreme groups approach. Essentially, then, the new procedure combines the extreme groups approach and the correlational approach. Consequently, it includes the advantages of each and is shown to be more powerful than either approach used alone.     

Acquiescing to the Script: A Panel Study of College Students’ Sexual Media Habits,Endorsement of Heteronormative Scripts,and Their Hesitance Toward Resisting Unwanted Hookups

Sex Roles - The present study set out to better understand how sexual entertainment media may be related to college students’ heteronormative beliefs about sexuality and how these beliefs may...     

Group therapy for school-aged children who stutter: a survey of current practices

Although group therapy is recommended for school-aged children who stutter (CWS), it is not widely researched. This study aimed to explore this provision, using a postal survey which investigated the current practices of Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs) in the UK. Seventy percent of SLT services provided some group therapy, but the level of provision was variable. There was a lack of consensus on what the main aims of group therapy should be. Important barriers to group therapy provision were identified, including a perceived lack of clients' interest in group therapy, and insufficient numbers of clients able to travel to group venues. This study enhances the profession's understanding of the provision of group therapy for CWS by identifying patterns of service delivery and highlighting areas of need. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: Readers should be able to: (1) Provide a rationale for the provision of group therapy for school-aged CWS; (2) Summarize the factors affecting group therapy provision for school-aged CWS; (3) Summarize the aims of therapy identified by the respondents to this survey.     

Personality and risk for Alzheimer's disease in adults 72 years of age and older: a 6-year follow-up

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 26(2) of Psychology and Aging (see record 2011-05802-001). This article contains an error in the Discussion, under the Implications, Caveats, Future Directions heading. The third paragraph includes the sentences that should have been removed. The corrected paragraph appears in the correction.] We conducted secondary analyses to determine the relationship between longstanding personality traits and risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) among 767 participants 72 years of age or older who were followed for more than 6 years. Personality was assessed with the NEO-FFI. We hypothesized that elevated Neuroticism, lower Openness, and lower Conscientiousness would be independently associated with risk of AD. Hypotheses were supported. The finding that AD risk is associated with elevated Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness can be added to the accumulating literature documenting the pathogenic effects of these two traits. The link between lower Openness and AD risk is consistent with recent findings on cognitive activity and AD risk. Findings have implications for prevention research and for the conceptualization of the etiology of AD.     

Canada’s Same-Sex Marriage Law: Exception to or Exemplar of Canada’s Family Policy?

Family policy in Canada is primarily concerned with assisting parents raise their children. This fairly singular approach to family policy is ironic given that Canada does not have a nationally-coordinated family policy. The development of a national family policy has been hampered by Canada’s decentralized governmental structure (i.e., federal and provincial, as well as territorial, governments) and other factors such as diverse geography and different traditions (e.g., a tradition of common law in English Canada, and civil law in Quebec). A recent addition to Canada’s family policy is Bill C-38, The Civil Marriage Act (2005), the law legalizing same-sex marriage. To put Canada’s same-sex marriage law into context, this article presents some preliminary statistics about same-sex marriage in Canada, and considers whether same-sex marriage legislation is a good example of Canadian family policy, or an exception to the rule that Canadian family policy focuses primarily on helping parents socialize their children.     

The 2 × 2 Model of Goal Orientation and Burnout: The Role of Approach–Avoidance Dimensions in Predicting Burnout

Burnout is typically viewed as resulting from situational factors (e.g., workload). However, as burnout is partly a reaction to frustrated goal striving, dispositional goal orientation may also be important. We used Hobfoll's ( 1989 ) conservation of resources model to develop hypotheses for relationships between goal orientation and 3 dimensions of burnout. Self‐report questionnaire measures of the 2 × 2 model of goal orientation (Elliot & McGregor, 2001 ) and burnout were administered to undergraduate students. Structural equation modeling revealed that all 4 dimensions of goal orientation were related to burnout. Avoidance‐related dimensions were positively associated and approach‐related dimensions were negatively associated with burnout. The findings suggest the importance of considering the role of motivational dispositions in development, prediction, and prevention of burnout.     

Methods Used to Document Procedural Fidelity in School-Based Intervention Research

There has been a paucity of guidance on the methodological details needed for measuring and sampling the independent variable or actual intervention occurrences in research and practice. Furthermore, the planning and support necessary to document the independent variable in both circumstances may be considerable. The current study extends prior research by reviewing the methods used to document procedural fidelity in school-based intervention research with student participants published between 2005 and 2012 in journals known for publishing school-related intervention studies. Two hundred sixty-six articles met the inclusion criteria and the majority (70 %) used fidelity data in the analysis of intervention effectiveness. By systematically examining contributions of school-based intervention researchers across targeted variables as well as qualities of interventions and settings, suggestions can be made for (a) planning measurement of fidelity across phases of the intervention, (b) sampling fidelity occurrences, (c) preventing intervention failure by providing needed supports, and (d) responding to patterns of fidelity required for intervention and outcome measurement in both research and practice.     

Use and Results of MOHO Global Assessments in Community Mental Health: A Practice Analysis

This practice analysis reports an evaluation of occupational therapists' utilization of assessments derived from the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) within adult community mental health settings. An audit of all documented assessments recorded details of (1) the number of assessments completed by each of the occupational therapists, and (2) the specific occupational difficulties identified across all assessments. Thirty-eight assessments had been completed, with a total of 35 service users. Results show variation in practice among occupational therapists in their application of MOHO assessments and, further, that the range of occupational difficulties identified for the client cohort is diverse.