Support for a two-factor model of impulsivity and hazardous substance use in British and Australian young adults

Multiple lines of evidence suggest impulsivity comprises two distinct components relevant to substance misuse. Reward drive reflects sensitivity to rewarding stimuli and subsequent approach motivation. Rash impulsiveness reflects the ability to inhibit such approach behavior in light of negative consequences. However, several studies suggest the latter trait to be a more robust predictor. This begs the question as to whether a less parsimonious two-factor model is necessary. This study employed structural equation modeling to compare the fit of one- and two-factor impulsivity models to alcohol and drug use data provided by British (n = 183) and Australian (n = 271) young adults. Results consistently supported the two-factor model and its cross-cultural consistency, with rash impulsiveness being the more robust predictor.     

Factor structure, measurement invariance and structural invariance of the MSCEIT V2.0

This study explored factor structure and measurement and structural invariance of the MSCEIT V2.0 across two age groups: 258 young (18-31 years) and 262 older adults (32-79 years). Results supported a three-factor solution reflecting the Experiential Emotional Intelligence area, and Understanding Emotions and Managing Emotions branches. There was evidence of measurement invariance of factor structure and factor loadings, and partial support for invariance of the intercepts. Comparisons of latent factor means suggested that older adults have significantly higher mean scores on two of the three factors: Understanding and Managing Emotions. Implications of the invariance tests and latent means analyses are discussed.     

Exploring the Role of Religiosity and Spirituality in Amniocentesis Decision-Making Among Latinas

Given the complex array of emotional and medical issues that may arise when making a decision about amniocentesis, women may find that their spiritual and/or religious beliefs can comfort and assist their decision-making process. Prior research has suggested that Latinas’ spiritual and/or religious beliefs directly influence their amniocentesis decision. A more intimate look into whether Latinas utilize their beliefs during amniocentesis decision-making may provide an opportunity to better understand their experience. The overall goal of this study was to describe the role structured religion and spirituality plays in Latinas’ daily lives and to evaluate how religiosity and spirituality influences health care decisions, specifically in prenatal diagnosis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven women who were invited to describe their religious beliefs and thoughts while considering the option of amniocentesis. All participants acknowledged the influence of religious and/or spiritual beliefs in their everyday lives. Although the women sought comfort and found validation in their beliefs and in their faith in God’s will during their amniocentesis decision-making process, results suggest the risk of procedure-related complications played more of a concrete role than their beliefs.     

Coping in Caregivers of Youth with Spinal Cord Injury

This study examined coping among caregivers of youth with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Using a cross-sectional survey study design, 164 caregivers completed a demographics questionnaire and the Brief COPE. Their children, youth with SCI ages 7–18, completed the Kidcope. T-tests were conducted to examine differences in caregiver coping by demographic and injury-related factors. Further, logistic regression models were evaluated to examine predictive relationships between caregiver coping and youth coping. Several demographic and injury-related factors were related to caregiver coping, including caregiver gender, race, and education, as well as youth gender, age at injury, and time since injury. In the logistic regressions, two caregiver coping strategies were related to youth coping: caregiver self-blame coping was related to youth self-criticism, and caregiver behavioral disengagement coping (giving up attempts to cope) was related to youth blaming others coping. The findings suggest that caregiver coping may play a role in the coping of their children, and should be considered when addressing coping among youth with SCI.     

Perception of facial expression depends on prior attention

Attending versus ignoring a stimulus can later determine how it will be affectively evaluated. Here, we asked whether attentional states could also modulate subsequent sensitivity to facial expressions of emotion. In a dual-task procedure, participants first rapidly searched for a gender-defined face among two briefly displayed neutral faces. Then a test face with the previously attended or ignored face’s identity was presented, and participants judged whether it was emotionally expressive (happy, angry, or fearful) or neutral. Intensity of expression in the test face was varied so that an expression detection threshold could be determined. When fearful or angry expressions were judged, expression sensitivity was worse for faces bearing the same identity as a previously ignored versus attended face. When happy expressions were judged, sensitivity was unaffected by prior attention. These data support the notion that the motivational value of stimuli may be reduced by processes associated with selective ignoring.     

Wellness,Professional Quality of Life,and Career‐Sustaining Behaviors: What Keeps Us Well?

A sample of 506 professional counselors who were members of the American Counseling Association completed measures of professional quality of life, career‐sustaining behaviors (CSBs), and wellness. Significant differences were found both within the sample based on caseload characteristics and between the participants and available norm groups. Counselors with high wellness scores engaged in more CSBs and reported higher positive professional quality of life factors (compassion satisfaction). Implications for counselors, counselor training, and research are discussed.     

When does the socio‐cultural context matter? Communal orientation and entrepreneurs’ resource accumulation efforts in Africa

We examined the effect of entrepreneurs’communal orientation and social capital on entrepreneurs’ acquisition of resources, and the cost of raising those resources. Using an errors‐in‐variables estimation in a sample of 242 Ugandan entrepreneurs from Kampala, we find that shared identity is positively associated with the quantity of resources raised by entrepreneurs, whereas shared identity and communal orientation are associated with a higher cost of raising resources. Further, communal orientation positively moderates the relationship between kin composition and the quantity of resources raised; whereas communal orientation negatively moderates the relationship between trust, shared identity, and resources. In contrast, a high communal orientation is associated with increased cost of raising resources when shared identity is high. These findings reveal that entrepreneurs’ socio‐cultural contexts, particularly communal orientation, has a moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurs’ social capital and resource accumulation.     

Rumination is associated with the phenomenal characteristics of autobiographical memories and future scenarios

In the present studies it was investigated whether rumination was associated with the phenomenal characteristics of autobiographical memories and future scenarios. In three studies student participants completed questionnaires on rumination and recalled and rated a positive and a negative memory. In Studies 2 and 3 participants also generated and rated a positive and a negative future scenario. Memories were rated on reliving and emotional valence; future scenarios were rated on reliving, emotional valence, and how probable the scenario was. Generally, the results showed that a higher degree of rumination was related to more reliving of negative memories and future scenarios as well as more negative expectations for the future scenarios. These processes may help explain why rumination predicts depression and other types of negative affect.     

A fugue in four voices: sounding themes and variations on the reflecting team

In this account of an on-going reflecting team, a group of 4 therapists describe how they preserve multiple perspectives, yet join their voices to create coherent, meaningful reflections. This reflecting approach emphasizes developing a theme and creating variations on this theme, in a manner resembling a musical fugue. In addition, the practicalities of creating and sustaining a reflecting team in a private practice context are described.     

Spatial learning in a T-maze by the crayfish Orconectes rusticus

The T-maze has commonly been used to investigate the mechanisms underlying spatial learning in vertebrates and has yielded much information about how animals use response and place cues to orient toward a goal. We designed a T-maze to study the spatial learning abilities of crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), using tactile stimuli as a place cue and escape from warm water for reinforcement. An initial experiment found that most animals did not display a side-turning bias when first placed in the maze, and hence animals were randomly assigned to escape from the left or the right arm, one of which contained a smooth floor and the other a rough floor. We found that, over repeated trials, the latency to escape and the number of turns made prior to escaping significantly decreased indicating that crayfish learned to escape from the maze more rapidly and efficiently. Learning occurred over the course of six trials on a single day, and over 5 days of testing, providing evidence for spatial memory lasting 24 hr. In probe trials, in which experienced animals started the maze in an arm opposite to that used during training trials, crayfish did not display a preference for either response-based learning or place-based learning. Instead they engaged in renewed exploration of the entire maze. These findings suggest that, in addition to remembering the location of the exit, crayfish also remembered the overall configuration of the maze.