Studies of a Child. I

The authors examined the relationship between newborn neurobehavioral profiles and the characteristics of early mother-infant interaction in Nagasaki, Japan. The authors administered the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS; T. B. Brazelton &; J. K. Nugent, 1995) in the newborn period and the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale at 1 month (NCATS; G. Sumner &; A. Spietz, 1994). They administered the Perceived Stress Scale (S. Cohen, T. Kamarck, &; R. Mermelstein, 1983) as an index of maternal stress experienced over the past month. Lower irritability, higher stability in skin coloration, and lower tremulousness in the neonatal period were correlated with higher levels of maternal nurturing behaviors at 1 month. Birth weight and 2 NBAS range-of-state items (peak of excitement, irritability) predicted 31% of the variance in NCATS caregiver subscale score. The NBAS autonomic stability items (tremulousness, startles, lability of skin color) predicted 31% of the variance in the NCATS child subscale score. Perceived stress and maternal sociodemographic variables (education, income, age, parity) were not associated with child, caregiver, and total scores on the NCATS. The results suggested that lack of autonomic stability in Japanese neonates might serve as an early indicator of infant frailty, negative behavioral cues, and decreased maternal responsiveness.     

Living Well in Later Life: The Influence of Sense of Coherence,and Socio-Demographic,Lifestyle and Health-Related Factors on Older Adults’ Satisfaction with Life

This study aims at exploring a structural model of satisfaction with life’s (SWL) predictors in a cross-national sample of older adults. A quantitative approach was followed with a cross-sectional study design. A community-dwelling sample of 1,234 older adults from four different nationalities residing in Portugal, was assessed regarding SWL, sense of coherence (SOC) and socio-demographic, lifestyle and health-related characteristics. Sampling was performed in lifelong learning centres’ message boards and local community centres’ list-serves in the Lisbon metropolitan area and in the Algarve region. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate a structural model of the self-reported SWL, comprising SOC, socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, marital and professional status, household, adult children, income, living setting and religion), as well as lifestyle and health-related characteristics (physical activity, recent disease and medication). Significant predictors are SOC (β?=?0.733; p?<?0.001), religion (β?=?0.725; p?<?0.001), income (β?=?0.551; p?<?0.001), adult children (β?=?0.546; p?<?0.001), education (β?=??0.403; p?<?0.001), living setting (β?=??0.292; p?<?0.001) and medication (β?=??. 197; p?<?0.001). The variables accounted for 24.8 % of the variability of SWL. Moreover, differences between the four nationality groups (F _{(3, 671)}?=?3.671, p?=?0.066) were not found concerning SWL. Sense of coherence is the strongest predictor of self-reported SWL. Other predictors are religion, income, adult children, education, living setting and medication. The four nationalities did not present significant differences, concerning SWL. This study points out the potential factors that influence older adults’ SWL, in particular SOC, religion and income, as promoters of aging well, within a salutogenic model of health for older populations.     

Early top-down control over saccadic target selection: Evidence from a systematic salience difference manipulation

Previous research on the contribution of top-down control to saccadic target selection has suggested that eye movements, especially short-latency saccades, are primarily salience driven. The present study was designed to systematically examine top-down influences as a function of time and relative salience difference between target and distractor. Observers performed a saccadic selection task, requiring them to make an eye movement to an orientation-defined target, while ignoring a color-defined distractor. The salience of the distractor was varied (five levels), permitting the percentage of target and distractor fixations to be analyzed as a function of the salience difference between the target and distractor. This analysis revealed the same pattern of results for both the overall and the short-latency saccades: When the target and distractor were of comparable salience, the vast majority of saccades went directly to the target; even distractors somewhat more salient than the target led to significantly fewer distractor, as compared with target, fixations. To quantify the amount of top-down control applied, we estimated the point of equal selection probability for the target and distractor. Analyses of these estimates revealed that, to be selected with equal probability to the target, a distractor had to have a considerably greater bottom-up salience, as compared with the target. This difference suggests a strong contribution of top-down control to saccadic target selection—even for the earliest saccades.     

Risk Trajectories of Self-Destructiveness in Adolescence: Family Core Influences

The study of family factors, (namely, parenting, attachment and family functioning) that can either reduce or increase risk factors during adolescent development is crucial to the early identification of adolescents at risk for self-destructive thoughts and behaviors (SDTB). Altough several studies have highlighted the role of family factors, few have analysed the joint impact of parenting styles and attachment in SDT. This study aimed to: (1) to identify the dimensions of parenting styles and parental attachment that predict SDTB; (2) to determine the mediation effect of cohesion on the relation between these predictors and reports of SDTB; and (3) to analyze sex and age differences in the abovementioned process. Participants included 1,266 Portuguese adolescents with a mean age of 15.9 years. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that paternal and maternal rejection and paternal control were the most accurate predictors of SDTB, emphasizing their role as risk factors for maladaptive trajectories with reports of SDTB. Results clearly emphasized the relevancy of the fathers’ role in such maladaptive trajectories. Additionally, a mediation effect of cohesion and a moderation of sex were also found. This study highlights the importance of intervening with the family in preventive and therapeutic contexts regarding adolescents’ well-being and their relationship with parents.     

Free associate norms for 139 European Portuguese words for children from different age groups

In the present study, we present normative ratings of free association for 139 European Portuguese (EP) words among 7- to 8-, 9- to 10-, and 11- to 12-year-old children attending the 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades of elementary and middle school in Portugal. For each word, five indices are presented: (a) the percentage of associates, (b)?the strength of the first associate, (c)?the strength of the second associate, (d) the distance between the first and second associates, and (e)?the percentage of idiosyncratic responses. Additionally, grade-level frequency values for each word from the ESCOLEX database (Soares et al., in press) are also provided. As expected, the results revealed developmental changes in the knowledge organization of the children, which occurred at the ages of 9–10 (5th grade) and remained stable in the 11- to 12-year-old children (7th grade). Specifically, we observed a decrease in the percentages of associates and idiosyncratic responses, as well as an increase in the strengths of the first and second associates from the 3rd to the 5th grade. Moreover, a comparative analysis with the previous work of Carneiro, Albuquerque, Fernandez, and Esteves (2004) on EP and Macizo, Gómez-Ariza, and Bajo (2000) on Spanish, for the subsets of common words (16 and 58, respectively), showed that the present norms fit well with previous EP data, but differ from the Spanish data.     

Does spirituality really matter?: A study on the potential of spirituality for older adult's adjustment to aging

This study intended to analyze the indicators of adjustment to aging (AtA) and to investigate the latent constructs that can work as major determinants in spirituality for a cross‐national older community‐dwelling population. Questionnaires were completed to assess the participants' background information. Interviews were performed, addressing one core area: indicators of AtA. Complete data were available for 154 older adults from two nationalities (German and Portuguese), aged between 75 and 103 years (M = 86.6; SD = 6.98). The data were subjected to content analysis. Representations of the associations and latent constructs were analyzed using a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). The most prevalent response of the interviewed participants for indicators of AtA was spirituality (43.2%). Spiritual activities was the most reported response regarding spirituality (20.0%). A significant moderate association was found between spiritual activities and nationality (V = .365; p < .001). Spirituality for older adults was explained by a three‐dimensional overall model: spiritual and existential meaning, limit‐related awareness and community embeddedness. The findings presented in this paper emphasized the need to explore the potential of spirituality for AtA and the need for improving the spiritual dimension of health care for the older cross‐national population.     

Menopausal Symptoms: Is Spirituality Associated with the Severity of Symptoms?

The aim of this study was to explore whether spirituality was associated with menopausal symptoms. Menopausal symptoms, spirituality, health and menopausal status, and socio-demographic variables were assessed in a community sample of 710 peri- and postmenopausal women. A structural model was explored using structural equation modeling. The results evidence spirituality as a significant contributor regarding the severity of most menopausal symptoms. Among others, spirituality had a significant weight in depressive mood (β = ?.414; p < .001), anxiety (β = ?.308; p < .001), cognitive impairment (β = ?.287; p < .001), aches/pain (β = ?.148; p < .001), vasomotor (β = ?.125; p = .005) and sexual symptoms (β = ?.211; p < .001). Some socio-demographic variables, as well as perceived health, also predicted the menopausal symptoms’ severity. Therefore, spirituality can have a positive impact on the menopausal symptoms’ reporting.     

Is Committed Desire Intentional? A Qualitative Exploration of Sexual Desire and Differentiation of Self in Couples

The question of what heightens or diminishes sexual desire has long been a passionate theme across cultures in literature, arts, media, and medicine. Yet, little research has been conducted to determine what affects level of desire within couples. The degree of differentiation of self has been suggested as an important variable in shaping partners' level of desire. Through a qualitative analysis of dyadic couple interviews, this study provides an account of characteristics, processes, and trajectories of sexual desire and differentiation in 33 heterosexual couples of varying ages and relationship duration. Factors associated with high desire were change and autonomy, whereas conflict and children were reported to be desire‐diminishing factors. Innovation, sharing, autonomy, and effort emerged as desire‐promoting strategies, while fostering personal interests, investing in a positive connection, and enhancing personal integrity were identified as couples' strategies to promote and preserve differentiation of self. The results also shed light on couples' perceptions of whether and how sexual desire changes over the course of the relationship and challenge common cultural assumptions about desire in committed relationships—namely the myth that the only authentic expression of desire is that which occurs spontaneously and without intention and planning. Implications for couple therapy are discussed.