Evaluating clinical significance: Incorporating robust statistics with normative comparison tests

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a modified test of equivalence for conducting normative comparisons when distribution shapes are non‐normal and variances are unequal. A Monte Carlo study was used to compare the empirical Type I error rates and power of the proposed Schuirmann–Yuen test of equivalence, which utilizes trimmed means, with that of the previously recommended Schuirmann and Schuirmann–Welch tests of equivalence when the assumptions of normality and variance homogeneity are satisfied, as well as when they are not satisfied. The empirical Type I error rates of the Schuirmann–Yuen were much closer to the nominal α level than those of the Schuirmann or Schuirmann–Welch tests, and the power of the Schuirmann–Yuen was substantially greater than that of the Schuirmann or Schuirmann–Welch tests when distributions were skewed or outliers were present. The Schuirmann–Yuen test is recommended for assessing clinical significance with normative comparisons.     

Comparing Holographic Reprocessing and Prolonged Exposure for Women Veterans with Sexual Trauma: A Pilot Randomized Trial

This pilot study compares an emerging evidence-based treatment, holographic reprocessing (HR) to prolonged exposure (PE) versus a person-centered (PC) control group to treat symptoms of distress in female Veterans with sexual trauma. In contrast to PE, HR does not include exposure to a target event of trauma. Instead, HR focuses on healing the internal working model or type of attachment style that may form as a result of interpersonal trauma or maltreatment. The model reveals how people perceive themselves and others. These perceptions set in motion emotional, cognitive, and behavioral tendencies wherein people unconsciously replicate similar types of relationships that reinforce their worldview. Fifty-one female Veterans with sexual trauma were randomly assigned to one of three treatments and completed pre- and post-treatment measures of psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, and PTSD) and post-traumatic cognitions. ANOVAs found significant decreases on all variables. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that HR and PE treatments demonstrated significantly greater decreases in symptoms compared to the PC control group. Chi square analyses revealed that HR produced a significantly lower dropout rate 1 (6 %) compared to PE 7 (41 %) and PC 6 (35 %). These initial results are promising and further investigation of HR is warranted.     

Assessing vividness of mental imagery: The Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire

Mental imagery may occur in any sensory modality, although visual imagery has been most studied. A sensitive measure of the vividness of imagery across a range of modalities is needed: the shorter version of Bett's Questionnaire upon Mental Imagery (Sheehan, 1967 , J. Clin. Psychology, 23, 386) uses outdated items and has an unreliable factor structure. We report the development and initial validation of the Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (Psi‐Q) comprising items for each of the following modalities: Vision, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch, Bodily Sensation, and Emotional Feeling. An exploratory factor analysis on a 35‐item form indicated that these modalities formed separate factors, rather than a single imagery factor, and this was replicated by confirmatory factor analysis. The Psi‐Q was validated against the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (Reisberg et al., 2003 , Appl. Cogn. Psychology, 17, 147) and Marks' ( 1995 , J. Mental Imagery, 19, 153) Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire‐2 (VVIQ‐2). A short 21‐item form comprising the best three items from the seven factors correlated with the total score and subscales of the full form, and with the VVIQ‐2. Inspection of the data shows that while visual and sound imagery is most often rated as vivid, individuals who rate one modality as strong and the other as weak are not uncommon. Findings are interpreted within a working memory framework and point to the need for further research to identify the specific cognitive processes underlying the vividness of imagery across sensory modalities.     

Discussing Adolescent Sexual Health in African-American Churches

This study describes the ways in which two African-American churches discuss adolescent sexual health topics. Six focus groups were conducted in two churches in Flint, Michigan, that reported no formal sexual health programming for their congregants. Three themes emerged to highlight the different perspectives about the role of churches in adolescent sexual decision-making and sexual health education: (1) churches as sources of sexual information, (2) churches as complex communities, and (3) recommendations for sexual education in churches. Participant responses suggest that churches can and should serve a resource for sexual health information. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

Race-Related Differences in the Experiences of Family Members of Persons with Mental Illness Participating in the NAMI Family to Family Education Program

Families play an important role in the lives of individuals with mental illness. Coping with the strain of shifting roles and multiple challenges of caregiving can have a huge impact. Limited information exists regarding race-related differences in families’ caregiving experiences, their abilities to cope with the mental illness of a loved one, or their interactions with mental health service systems. This study examined race-related differences in the experiences of adults seeking to participate in the National Alliance on Mental Illness Family-to-Family Education Program due to mental illness of a loved one. Participants were 293 White and 107 African American family members who completed measures of problem- and emotion-focused coping, knowledge about mental illness, subjective illness burden, psychological distress, and family functioning. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine race-related differences. African American caregivers reported higher levels of negative caregiving experiences, less knowledge of mental illness, and higher levels of both problem-solving coping and emotion-focused coping, than White caregivers. Mental health programs serving African American families should consider targeting specific strategies to address caregiving challenges, support their use of existing coping mechanisms and support networks, and increase their knowledge of mental illness.     

Examining the Meaning of Training Animals: A Photovoice Study With At-Risk Youth

Using the photovoice method, we explored the benefits of engaging in a rescue-animal training program for at-risk youth. While participating in the community-based program, five adolescent males in residential care took pictures and shared their experiences through interview and focus groups. Six themes emerged: Gaining patience, forming an attachment to the dog, wanting to better themselves or make better choices, helping others or volunteering, teaching, and relating to the dog. Individually and collectively, the themes suggest that training rescue animals may be a meaningful occupation for at-risk youth and may provide therapeutic benefits.     

Effect of inequality on cooperation: Heterogeneity and hegemony in public goods dilemma

We conducted two studies to explain inconsistent findings on the effect of resource inequality based on two properties of heterogeneity: (a) level of inequality and (b) asymmetry of resource distribution. We confirmed that symmetrically heterogeneous groups cooperated less than homogeneous groups did. We also found that larger resource inequality led to less cooperation. More importantly, the effect of inequality was different among groups with different distributions of resources – cooperation declined in groups with a symmetrical distribution of resources but did not decline in groups with a hegemonic distribution. Hegemonic distribution also affected psychological states as resource inequality changed. High endowment members reported higher self-efficacy when distribution was hegemonic than symmetric. However, they also reported more fear of being a sucker in hegemonic groups.     

Infant imitation and the self—A response to Welsh

Talia Welsh (2006 Welsh, T. 2006. Do neonates display innate self-awareness? Why neonatal imitation fails to provide sufficient grounds for innate self and other awareness. Philosophical Psychology, 19: 221–238. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) argues that Shaun Gallagher and Andrew Meltzoff's (1996) application of neonatal imitation research is insufficient grounds for their claim that neonates are born with a primitive body image and thus an innate self-awareness. Drawing upon an understanding of the self that is founded upon a “theory of mind,” Welsh challenges the notion that neonates have the capacity for self-awareness and charges the supposition with an essentialism which threatens to disrupt more social constructionist understandings of the self. In this paper, I initially defend Gallagher and Meltzoff's (1996) application of infant imitation to understandings of neonatal self-awareness by explaining how body image schemas can be understood as non-representational embodied cognitive phenomena that challenge “theory of mind” theory. I then further develop the claim that neonates are born self-aware with reference to my own work in fetal development. I conclude that Welsh's political concerns are unfounded by showing how the conclusion that a neonate is self-aware does not signal a return to an essentialist understanding of self-awareness, but rather introduces into philosophical and psychological discourse possible alternate understandings of an embodied sense of self that are embedded within intersubjective contexts.     

The Effects of Social and Physical Functioning and Self-Management Abilities on Well-Being Among Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases,Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,and Diabetes

To increase our understanding of relationships between well-being and social/physical functioning and self-management abilities (SMAs) among chronically ill patients. The cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 1,254 patients with cardiovascular diseases, 725 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 253 with diabetes (total, 2232/4200; 53 % response rate). Social and physical functioning correlated significantly with SMAs and well-being (all p?≤?0.001). After controlling for background characteristics, multiple regression showed that social and physical functioning were still related to SMAs (β?=?0.32–0.12; both p?≤?0.001) and well-being (β?=?0.39–0.14; both p?≤?0.001). The strengths of relationships between well-being and social (β?=?0.39 vs. 0.20) and physical (β?=?0.14 vs. 0.07) functioning declined significantly (both p?≤?0.001) when the SMA mediator was included in the equation. SMAs of chronically ill are related to their social and physical functioning. We found indications that chronically ill patients reporting lower levels of social and physical functioning are worse self-managers than are those with higher levels of functioning. Furthermore, SMAs may mediate the relationships between social and physical functioning and well-being. Self-management interventions aiming to enhance SMAs more broadly than traditional interventions aiming only to prevent functional decline are expected to improve SMAs and enhance well-being among chronically ill patients.