The mnemonic advantage of processing fitness-relevant information

Nairne, Thompson, and Pandeirada (2007) proposed that our memory systems serve an adaptive function and that they have evolved to help us remember fitness-relevant information. In a series of experiments, they demonstrated that processing words according to their survival relevance resulted in better retention than did rating them for pleasantness, personal relevance, or relevance to moving to a new house. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the advantage of survival processing could be replicated, using a control condition that was designed to match the survival processing task in arousal, novelty, and media exposure--the relevance to planning a bank heist. We found that survival processing nonetheless yielded better retention on both a recall (Experiment 1) and a recognition (Experiment 2) test. This mnemonic advantage of survival processing was also obtained when words were rated for their relevance to a character depicted in a video clip (Experiment 3). Our findings provide additional evidence that the mnemonic benefit of survival processing is a robust phenomenon, and they also support the utility of adopting a functional perspective in investigating memory.     

The development of the Children's Empathic Attitudes Questionnaire using classical and Rasch analyses

Empathic responding is implicated in antisocial behaviors such as bullying, sexual offending, and violent crime. Identifying children and adolescents at risk for antisocial behavior and evaluating interventions designed to address problem behaviors require valid and reliable measures. Definitional controversies and limited measurement models have hindered measurement. This study describes the development and analysis of the Children's Empathic Attitudes Questionnaire (CEAQ) using both classical and modern techniques. Rasch analyses provided probabilistic results over large item and person groups, enabling meaningful inferences from patterns of responses at the construct level. Analyses of fifth through seventh graders' responses to the final version of the CEAQ provide support for its reliability, validity, and functionality. Four meaningful item clusters were identified, each reflecting more cognitively advanced empathic attitudes. These analyses suggest that the CEAQ provides a theoretically sound, hierarchically meaningful measure of empathic attitudes that will be useful in identification and intervention with children and adolescents at risk for antisocial behavior.     

Appraisals of obsessional thoughts in normal samples

Cognitive theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that appraisals about the significance of thoughts are critical in the development and persistence of obsessions. Rachman [(1997). A cognitive theory of obsessions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 793-802.] proposes that appraisals of unwanted thoughts distinguish clinical obsessions from normal intrusive thoughts; thoughts appraised as important and personally significant are expected to be upsetting and recur. Appraisals are also expected to be related to symptoms of OCD. To explore the features of normal appraisals of obsession-like thoughts, nonclinical participants in two studies rated the personal significance of intrusive thoughts portrayed in vignettes containing prototypical themes associated with primary obsessions: aggressive, sexual, and blasphemous thoughts. Unwanted intrusive thoughts that were described as occurring more frequently were appraised as more personally significant, but participants appraised these socially unacceptable thoughts similarly whether they imagined having personally experienced them or a friend confiding about having experienced them. Appraisals in both studies were related to subclinical OC symptoms and OC beliefs.     

Parts and 'holes': gaps in rational number sense among children with vs. without mathematical learning disabilities

Many middle-school students struggle with decimals and fractions, even if they do not have a mathematical learning disability (MLD). In the present longitudinal study, we examined whether children with MLD have weaker rational number knowledge than children whose difficulty with rational numbers occurs in the absence of MLD. We found that children with MLD failed to accurately name decimals, to correctly rank order decimals and/or fractions, and to identify equivalent ratios (e.g. 0.5 = 1/2); they also 'identified' incorrect equivalents (e.g. 0.05 = 0.50). Children with low math achievement but no MLD accurately named decimals and identified equivalent pairs, but failed to correctly rank order decimals and fractions. Thus failure to accurately name decimals was an indicator of MLD; but accurate naming was no guarantee of rational number knowledge - most children who failed to correctly rank order fractions and decimals tests passed the naming task. Most children who failed the ranking tests at 6th grade also failed at 8th grade. Our findings suggest that a simple task involving naming and rank ordering fractions and decimals may be a useful addition to in-class assessments used to determine children's learning of rational numbers.     

Spatial and temporal processing in healthy aging: implications for perceptions of driving skills

Sensitivity to the attributes of a stimulus (form or motion) and accuracy when detecting rapidly presented stimulus information were measured in older (N = 36) and younger (N = 37) groups. Before and after practice, the older group was significantly less sensitive to global motion (but not to form) and less accurate on a rapid sequencing task when detecting the individual elements presented in long but not short sequences. These effect sizes produced power for the different analyses that ranged between 0.5 and 1.00. The reduced sensitivity found among older individuals to temporal but not spatial stimuli, adds support to previous findings of a selective age-related deficit in temporal processing. Older women were significantly less sensitive than older men, younger men and younger women on the global motion task. Gender effects were evident when, in response to global motion stimuli, complex extraction and integration processes needed to be undertaken rapidly. Significant moderate correlations were found between age, global motion sensitivity and reports of perceptions of other vehicles and road signs when driving. These associations suggest that reduced motion sensitivity may produce functional difficulties for the older adults when judging speeds or estimating gaps in traffic while driving.     

Academic Performance of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Served in a Self-Contained Setting

This study describes the academic, social, and behavioral performance of elementary and secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) receiving services in a self-contained school for students with serious behavior problems, with an emphasis on how school adjustment and problem behavior patterns predict academic performance. Results revealed that elementary and secondary group scores were well below the 25th percentile on reading, math, and written expression measures. Further, a seven variable model representing academic, social, and behavioral domains was able to differentiate between age groups explaining 54% of the variance and correctly classifying 78.26% (n = 18) of the elementary students and 84.21% (n = 16) of the secondary students. Findings also suggested that behavioral variables (e.g., school adjustment, externalizing, and internalizing) were predictive of broad reading and broad written expression scores, with school adjustment (a protective factor) accounting for the most variance in the three-variable model. Limitations and recommendations for future research are addressed.     

Convergent Validity with the BERS-2 Teacher Rating Scale and the Achenbach Teacher’s Report Form: A Replication and Extension

In the present study, we sought to extend instrument validation research for a strength-based emotional and behavior rating scale, the Teacher Rating Scale of the Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition (BERS-2; Epstein, M. H. (2004). Behavioral and emotional rating scale (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED) through the use of convergent validation techniques. The associations between the strength-based domains of the BERS-2 were examined in relation to problem syndrome subscales of the Teacher’s Report Form (TRF; Achenbach, T. M. (1991b). Manual for the teacher’s report form and 1991 profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry). Both measures were conducted with 58 students with emotional disturbance in grades 2 through 12. The overall convergent validity of the BERS-2 and the TRF was strong, particularly for TRF externalizing problems and associated syndromes. However, less evidence emerged for the convergence of domain subscales characterized by behaviors of an internalizing nature. These results provide further support for the use of the BERS-2 in the assessment of the social and behavioral functioning of students with emotional disturbance.     

Consumer Motivations for Pursuing Genetic Testing and their Preferences for the Provision of Genetic Services for Hearing Loss

Genetic services for deafness are being increasingly sought due to the introduction of early hearing detection and intervention programs, as well as the rapid progress in the identification of deafness genes. This study aimed to assess the motivations of consumers for pursuing genetic testing as well as their preferences for provision of these services. We conducted 5 focus groups consisting of hearing parents of deaf children, deaf parents, and unmarried deaf adults. Motivations for pursuing genetic testing included determining the etiology, helping to alleviate the guilt associated with the diagnosis of hearing loss in a child, and acquiring information to help them and other family members prepare for the future. Most participants thought that a genetic counselor/geneticist would be the most appropriate professional to provide genetics services. For culturally Deaf individuals, the communication method was seen as more important than the type of professional. Parents preferred that genetic evaluation, including testing, occur either immediately at or a few months after the audiologic diagnosis of hearing loss.