Self-specific priming effect

Priority of the “self” is thought to be evolutionarily advantageous. However, evidence for this priority has been sparse. In this study, subjects performed a gender categorization task on self- and non-self target faces preceded by either congruent (same gender as target) or incongruent (different gender) periliminal (33 ms) or subliminal (17 ms) primes. We found that subliminal primes induced a priming effect only on self target faces. This discovery of a self-specific priming effect suggests that functional specificity for faces may include timing as well as spatial adaptations.     

Developmental Transition of Motherhood: Treating Postpartum Depression Using a Feminist Approach

During the developmental lifeline for women, some individuals are affected by postpartum depression. This article describes the treatment of a Latina woman experiencing postpartum depression. The authors illustrate the feminist approach using counseling interventions that incorporate the client's developmental level, cultural background, and gender. They discuss supporting research for this approach and provide its implications and recommendations.     

Media violence exposure in aggressive and control adolescents: differences in self‐ and parent‐reported exposure to violence on television and in video games

The purpose of present study was to investigate differences in media violence exposure between groups of adolescents with and without Disruptive Behavior Disorders with Aggressive Features, using a case‐controlled design and multimethod assessment. Samples of 27 adolescents aged 13‐17 with Disruptive Behavior Disorder with Aggressive Features and 27 age‐gender‐IQ matched controls completed a semistructured interview about exposure to violence on television and video games; parents completed a corresponding questionnaire measure. Moderate intercorrelations were found between most self‐ and parent‐report television and video game violence exposure measures. Compared to control adolescents, adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorder with Aggressive Features had higher aggregate media violence exposure, higher exposure to video game violence, and higher parent‐reported exposure to television violence. Results show that adolescents and parents agree about the adolescent's level of media violence exposure, that exposure to violence on television tends to be accompanied by exposure to violence in video games, and that the association between media violence exposure and Disruptive Behavior Disorder with Aggressive Features is not due to a spurious effect of gender or IQ. Aggr. Behav. 31:000–000, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Drop-in suicide prevention group decreases suicidal ideation among Veterans

This study examined the effectiveness of a weekly, drop-in therapy support group designed for Veterans identified at increased risk for suicide. Veterans were identified as at risk for suicide and referred to the group following hospitalization on the inpatient psychiatric unit after an increase in suicidal ideation (SI), presentation to a provider with SI with a plan, or having made a suicide attempt. An archival chart review was performed on 359 patients who were referred to the Coping, Understanding, Support, and Prevention Group from 2009 through 2011. Documented risk of suicide was collected from the chart including: frequency of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, visits to the emergency department or mental health walk in clinic for SI, reported SI in clinical notes, consults resulting from calls to the Veteran’s Crisis Line, and assignment or removal of suicide risk behavior flags in the electronic medical record, for a period of 12 months prior to referral to the group and for a period of 12 months after referral to the group. Negative binomial regression models found that Veterans attending the support group showed a significantly greater reduction in frequency of endorsing SI post-referral compared to those who did not attend the group. Results imply that offering Veterans an ongoing therapeutic group format to give and receive support from peers also struggling with suicide risk factors is an effective way to reduce suicide-related thoughts.     

Variety Seeking,Satiation, and Maximizing Enjoyment Over Time

In this article, we examine the different ways in which consumers balance their consumption behavior in order to maximize utility. In particular, we focus on how people balance repeating the same options with the decision to seek variety. While earlier research represented variety seeking as a means of reducing physical satiation (McAlister, 1982), more recent research suggests that the relationship between choosing variety and minimizing satiation is more complex, as these behaviors may be motivated and influenced by exogenous factors. Past reviews have largely looked at the two processes separately. In this article, we discuss the nuanced relationship between these two constructs and point to future research directions that may help us further understand how consumers tackle the everyday challenge of maximizing enjoyment over time.     

Child and Family Team Meeting Characteristics and Outcomes in a Statewide System of Care

Systems of care (SOC) have relied on the wraparound care process to individualize community‐based services for children and youth with serious emotional and behavioral difficulties. A core element of wraparound care is Child and Family Team meetings (CFTs), which are designed to give youth and families a leadership role in developing and guiding their plan of care. The National Wraparound Initiative (NWI) has identified Practice Standards regarding CFT implementation. This study examined CFT characteristics and the association between those characteristics and youth and family outcomes in a statewide SOC. Participants were 363 youth (M_age = 10.89, SD = 3.72) and their caregivers. Families completed measures of youth and caregiver functioning and symptoms at enrollment and 6‐month follow‐up. Care coordinators completed a survey assessing CFT implementation and characteristics following each meeting. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between CFT characteristics and youth and caregiver outcomes. Results indicated that a higher number of CFTs was associated with poorer outcomes, while a higher percentage of natural supports at meetings was associated with better youth outcomes. Number of days to the first CFT was associated with greater caregiver strain. Implications for CFT implementation within wraparound are discussed.     

Personality predictors of the time course for lung cancer onset

Numerous findings suggest that personality is linked to the incidence and experience of negative health outcomes. More specifically, trait negative affect is negatively related to a number of health outcomes. The current study expands our understanding of the link between personality and disease by examining the time course for lung cancer onset. In a sample of patients who had recently undergone surgical resection for lung cancer, a variety of negative affect related personality variables were assessed to determine their relationship with age at surgery. After controlling for smoking behavior, it was found that trait negative affect was associated with time course for lung cancer onset, such that those with higher (vs. lower) levels of trait negative affect manifested lung cancer earlier in their lives. Thus, trait negative affect represents an independent risk factor among those prone to lung cancer (i.e., smokers).     

The effectiveness of SpeechEasy during situations of daily living

A multiple single-subject design was used to examine the effects of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency in the laboratory and in longitudinal samples of speech produced in situations of daily living (SDL). Seven adults who stutter participated, all of whom had exhibited at least 30% reduction in stuttering frequency while using SpeechEasy during previous laboratory assessments. For each participant, speech samples recorded in the laboratory and SDL during device use were compared to samples obtained in those settings without the device. In SDL, stuttering frequencies were recorded weekly for 9-16 weeks during face-to-face and phone conversations. Participants also provided data regarding device tolerance and perceived benefits. Laboratory assessments were conducted at the beginning and the end of the longitudinal data collection in SDL. All seven participants exhibited reduced stuttering in self-formulated speech in the Device compared to No-device condition during the first laboratory assessment. In the second laboratory assessment, four participants exhibited less stuttering and three exhibited more stuttering with the device than without. In SDL, five of seven participants exhibited some instances of reduced stuttering when wearing the device and three of these exhibited relatively stable amounts of stuttering reduction during long-term use. Five participants reported positive changes in speaking-related attitudes and perceptions of stuttering. Further investigation into the short- and long-term effectiveness of SpeechEasy in SDL is warranted. Educational objectives: The reader will be able to summarize: (1) issues pertinent to evaluating treatment benefits of wearable fluency aids and evaluate (2) the effect of SpeechEasy on stuttering frequency and the perceived benefits of device use in situations of daily living, as assessed weekly over the course of 9-16 weeks of wear, for seven adults who stutter.     

Gender differences in "social portraits" reflected in MySpace profiles.

The internet has brought about an entirely new method of self-presentation in such online social networking Web sites as MySpace in which individuals create profiles that reflect their identity. This cyber social tool provides a new site of analysis to examine the extent of patterns of gendered identity in which females tend to turn to others for validation in contrast to males, who are more apt to maintain their individuality and whose relationships are more of an extension of their already-complete selves. In this study of 51 female and 49 male MySpace profiles, males were less apt to mention their significant other in the "About Me" section: 43% mentioned their significant other 0 times compared to 16% of females, and 14% of males mentioned their significant other between 2 and 10 times compared to 37% of females (p = 0.003). In the "Interests" section, the majority of males (67%) did not mention their significant other at all compared to 47% of females, and 33% mentioned her between 1 and 5 times compared to 53% of females (p = 0.05). These results reveal that online data sources manifest identity formation consistent with traditional gender roles in which females are dependent on others for their sense of self.