suspicion of sudden infant death syndrome & injuries to infants: the effects of type of death certifier,training, and economics

This paper examines the level of suspicion by death certifiers when ruling infant deaths as accidents. Data were gathered on economic factors, amount of training in death investigation received, and personal characteristics for 1995 from 776 medical examiners or coroners. Findings indicate that personal and social factors such as age, education, and population have negligible or no effects on the level of suspicion held by death certifiers in manner of death rulings for infants. The findings from this study do suggest there is potential for inaccurate rulings of infant death due to lack of training, education, and economic resources depending on the events surrounding an infant's death and whether the death certifier is a coroner or medical examiner.     

Entrevista con Juan D. Delius

RESUMEN

Juan D. Delius es profesor de Psicología Experimental Animal y responsable del laboratorio del mismo nombre en el instituto de Psicología de la universidad del Ruhr y es discípulo de Niko Tinbergen. En esta entrevista, el profesos Delius reflexiona sobre los avances recientes en Psicobiología y su importancia para el desarrollo de la Psicología científica, sobre la necesidad de formación psicobiológica de los psicólogos y las necesidades y posibilidades de organización racional de los estudios de psicología. Se realiza una profunda reflexión importante, en esta etapa de redefinición de la organización académica en España, sobre la organización académica de las enseñanzas de psicología y de la investigación universitaria.     

Body and meaning

Abstract

This paper discusses the very important but disregarded theme of somatization. Somatizers comprise a wide-ranging group of patients, who normally choose to consult doctors rather than psychoanalysts for treatment. We present two clinical reports of somatizing patients in which the psychoanalyst played a considerable role in the study and treatment of their problems. The subjects were not only totally relieved of their physical symptoms, but also dramatically changed their psychic lives.     

From Constraints to Opportunities? Provision of Psychosocial Support in Portuguese Oncogenetic Counseling Services

Although available guidelines for familial cancer risk counseling clearly state the need to provide adequate psychosocial assessments and support, this feature of care is only available in part for individuals and families in oncogenetic counseling protocols in Portugal. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial aspects of oncogenetic counseling provided by a sample of Portuguese genetics professionals. We sought to ascertain perceived need for the provision of psychosocial services and ways to enhance the psychosocial focus in service delivery. A qualitative study was designed; semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews were performed with 30 professionals from Portuguese healthcare institutions where oncogenetic counseling is offered. Findings suggest: current practice is aligned with the teaching model, with a mainly information-based focus; use of psychosocial counseling techniques and psychosocial support is limited throughout the genetic counseling timeline; there is a limited workforce of adequately trained psychosocial professionals, who are disadvantaged by structural and organizational constraints. These factors are considered to be serious barriers for psychosocial delivery. Development of multidisciplinary teams working in oncogenetics, and need for further counselling skills and training for genetics healthcare professionals were identified as priorities. Implications for practice and policy are discussed. Portuguese genetic counselors who have recently completed their training, may therefore contribute to enhanced psychosocial services delivery.     

Turner's Syndrome: A Behavioral and Cytogenetic Study

This study focused on the behavioral and cytogenetic aspects of Turner's syndrome. We evaluated the behavioral scores by ESPQ, HSPQ, and TAMAI tests. In the cytogenetic study, six different variables were defined by a chromosome image analysis computer system (Applied Imagine) that assessed changes in band organization and the measurement of mean optical density (MOD) in six G-bands (Xp21, Xq12, Xq21, Xq23, Xq25, Xq27). We studied 33 females with Turner's syndrome and compared them with 30 females individually matched for normal karyotype, short stature, age, and education. Significant differences were found between the two groups.     

Effects of similarity of life goals,values, and personality on relationship satisfaction and stability: Findings from a two‐wave panel study

Using data from the German Family Panel (pairfam; n = 3,674 heterosexual couples), this study examines the impact of partners’ individual levels and dyadic similarity concerning life goals, values, and personality traits on relationship satisfaction and union dissolution. Controlling for partners’ individual characteristics and for relationship duration, it was found that similarity on specific dimensions and stereotype‐adjusted profile correlations exerted significant yet small positive effects on both partners’ relationship satisfaction. These effects largely translated into beneficial indirect effects on union dissolution 1 year later (Wave 2, n = 2,820). Moderator analyses indicated the existence of some effect heterogeneity across relationship duration and types. Generally, partners’ respective individual characteristics appeared to predict relationship outcomes better than dyadic similarity measures.     

The case for causal influences of action videogame play upon vision and attention

Over the past decade, exciting findings have surfaced suggesting that routine action videogame play improves attentional and perceptual skills. Apparently, performance during multiple-object tracking, useful-field-of-view tests, and task switching improves, contrast sensitivity and spatial-resolution thresholds decrease, and the attentional blink and backward masking are lessened by short-term training on action videogames. These are remarkable findings showing promise for the training of attention and the treatment of disorders of attentional function. While the findings are interesting, evidence of causal influences of videogame play is not as strong as is often claimed. In many studies, observers with game play experience and those without are tested. Such studies do not address causality, since preexisting differences are not controlled for. Other studies investigate the training of videogame play, with some evidence of training benefits. Methodological shortcomings and potential confounds limit their impact, however, and they have not always been replicated. No longitudinal studies on videogame training exist, but these may be required to provide conclusive answers about any benefits of videogame training and any interaction with preexisting differences. Suggestions for methodological improvement are made here, including recommendations for longitudinal studies. Such studies may become crucial for the field of attentional training to reach its full potential.     

Attentional priming releases crowding

Views of natural scenes unfold over time, and objects of interest that were present a moment ago tend to remain present. While visual crowding places a fundamental limit on object recognition in cluttered scenes, most studies of crowding have suffered from the limitation that they typically involved static scenes. The role of temporal continuity in crowding has therefore been unaddressed. We investigated intertrial effects upon crowding in visual scenes, showing that crowding is considerably diminished when objects remain constant on consecutive visual search trials. Repetition of both the target and distractors decreases the critical distance for crowding from flankers. More generally, our results show how object continuity through between-trial priming releases objects that would otherwise be unidentifiable due to crowding. Crowding, although it is a significant bottleneck on object recognition, can be mitigated by statistically likely temporal continuity of the objects. Crowding therefore depends not only on what is momentarily present, but also on what was previously attended.     

Verbal fluency in children with ADHD: Strategy using and temporal properties

Verbal fluency tasks are commonly used in cognitive and developmental neuropsychology in assessing executive functions, language skills as well as divergent thinking. Twenty-two typically developing children and 22 children with ADHD between the ages of 8 and12 years were examined using verbal fluency tasks, prepotent response inhibition, and working memory tests. The clinical group showed impaired inhibitory and spatial working memory processes. We used different qualitative analyses of verbal fluency tasks to explore the lexical and executive strategies (word clustering and switching), and the temporal properties of the responses. Children with ADHD had a leeway in applying relevant lexical or executive strategies related to difficulties in strategy using. The reduced efficiency of children with ADHD in semantic fluency task is based on suboptimal shifting between word clusters and is related to the lack of ability of producing new clusters of items. The group difference appeared at the level of accessing and/or activating common words; however, the executive process of searching the lexicon extensively is intact.