Parents’ perceptions of children’s executive functions across different cities

Culture is thought to strongly influence the development of executive functions (EF), such that ethnic groups with similar cultural origins are generally assumed to exhibit comparable levels of EF performance. However, other characteristics, such as urbanization and Westernization, may also affect EF performance in societies comprising different ethnic groups, even if the ethnic groups share a similar cultural origin. The present study aimed to compare the perceptions of parents in three cities [China–Shenzhen (ZH group), China–Hong Kong (HK group), and Singapore (SG group)] regarding the EF performances of their children, all of whom share the same genetic and cultural (i.e., Chinese) origin. The study recruited 95 children aged 5–6 years (ZH group = 32; HK group = 32; SG group = 31). Their parents were invited to complete the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The ZH group had significantly lower BRIEF scores compared to both the HK and SG groups. However, the BRIEF scores of the HK and SG groups only differed significantly in terms of the Organization of Materials domain. The results suggest city-related differences in parents’ perceptions of their children’s EF performances, despite their similar genetic and cultural backgrounds. We additionally discuss further interpretations of our results and the limitations of this study.     

Pedagogical issues in the teaching of classroom guidance curriculum—a hybrid Hong Kong case

Unlike many other places in the world, guidance lessons in Hong Kong are taught mainly by class teachers rather than school counsellors. Given the unique educational context of Hong Kong as East meets West and given that guidance is essentially a concept from the West, it is important to investigate what kind of pedagogy is suitable for teaching guidance in Hong Kong. This paper examines what teaching guidance lessons are like in Hong Kong for the researcher and for some primary teachers. A qualitative case study methodology is used. Data are drawn from the author's own experience in a primary school teaching attachment and interviews with guidance professionals, primary school principals, teachers and students in three selected primary schools in Hong Kong. Pedagogical issues for the teaching guidance curriculum are explored and discussed. The researcher argues for a hybrid guidance pedagogy for the teaching of classroom guidance in Hong Kong. Findings are applicable to countries facing similar issues in parallel mixed cultural settings.     

Buffers of peer rejection among girls with and without ADHD: the role of popularity with adults and goal-directed solitary play

We investigated a risk-resilience model in 91 girls with ADHD and 58 age- and ethnicity-equated comparison girls, who participated in all-female naturalistic summer research camps. The hypothesized risk factor was peer rejection (assessed via sociometric nominations), with criterion measures including multiinformant composites of aggressive behavior and anxious/depressed symptoms. The two hypothesized protective factors were the girls' popularity with adult staff (assessed via staff ratings) and objective observations of goal-directed solitary play. Peer rejection was related to higher levels of aggressive behavior and depressed/anxious behavior, confirming its status as a risk factor. Next, for all girls, popularity with adults predicted lower levels of aggression and goal-directed solitary play predicted lower levels of anxiety/depression. Whereas popularity with adults was most protective among the peer-accepted subgroup, solitary play was most protective among the peer-rejected subgroup. Diagnostic status (ADHD versus comparison) moderated the findings such that engaging in meaningful solitary play was a stronger predictor of lower levels of anxious/depressed behavior in girls with ADHD than in comparison girls. We discuss the need for replication in prospective research and implications for research and intervention regarding the social functioning of peer-rejected children, particularly those with behavior disorders.     

Deeper processing at target selection increases the magnitude of negative priming

Do deeper levels of processing produce equivalent priming effects at all stages of task performance? In Experiment 1, we varied the level of processing factorially across two task stages—target selection and response selection. Each stage required perceptual (e.g., color) or conceptual (e.g., friendliness) processing of stimulus items (i.e., animal names). Negative priming was substantially greater when deeper processing was required at thetarget selection stage, but it was unaffected by the level of processing at the response selection stage. In contrast, positive priming was greater when deeper processing was required at theresponse selection stage, but it was unaffected by processing at the target selection stage. In Experiment 2, we generalized this finding using a task in which numeric targets were selected on the basis of their parity. As in Experiment 1, the deeper level of processing at the target selection stage produced a larger negative priming effect. These results illuminate the role of target selection demands in modulating the strength of negative priming.     

Negative and positive health effects of caring for a disabled spouse: longitudinal findings from the caregiver health effects study

Data from the first 2 waves of the Caregiver Health Effects Study (n = 680) were analyzed to examine the effects of changes in caregiving involvement on changes in caregiver health-related outcomes in a population-based sample of elders caring for a disabled spouse. Caregiving involvement was indexed by levels of (a) spouse physical impairment, (b) help provided to the spouse, and (c) strain associated with providing help. Health-related outcomes included perceived health, health-risk behaviors, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms. Increases in spouse impairment and caregiver strain were generally related to poorer outcomes over time (poorer perceived health, increased health-risk behaviors, and increased anxiety and depression), whereas increased helping was related to better outcomes (decreased anxiety and depression). Results suggest that caring for a disabled spouse is a complex phenomenon that can have both deleterious and beneficial consequences.     

Examining the help-seeking intentions of Chinese individuals in the United States

The underutilization of mental health services by Chinese individuals in the United States is concerning. In this study, we examined Chinese individuals’ help-seeking intentions utilizing the theory of planned behavior. Two hundred fifty-one participants were recruited for this study. The results revealed that help-seeking attitudes (β = 0.28, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), and subjective norms (β = 0.13, p < 0.001) were found to be significant predictors of help-seeking intentions. The implications of the results are discussed.     

Tests of a temporal theory of attentional binding

Different features of stimuli present in the field of view appear to be registered in different cortical maps. How, then, are the features that come from the same object bound together rather than mistakenly assembled with features coming from other simultaneously present objects? One theory supposes that an attentional mechanism intercepts input coming from particular retinal locations at a way station prior to parsing of the features from the same object. Any enhancement (or facilitation) at that stage will cause all the features from that object to be modified simultaneously in the downstream registers. The imposed temporal synchronicity serves as the essential binding cue. Five experiments provided no support for the theory. There is no tendency for synchronicity of features to cause binding unless the features come from the same location. Location, rather than temporal synchronicity, appears to be the essential cue for binding.