A free and simple computerized screening test for visual field defects

About 30–40% of stroke patients suffer from visual field defects following injury. These can interfere with the standard neuropsychological assessment and complicate the interpretation of tests that use visual materials. However, information about the integrity of a patient's central visual field is often unavailable. We, therefore, designed a screening tool, the computerized visual field test (c‐VFT), specifically targeted at providing easily available, but rough, information about patients' central visual field. c‐VFT was tested in two samples of stroke patients. Eleven patients were tested on c‐VFT and on the Esterman test. Five patients were tested on c‐VFT and the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HFA), central 10‐2. Criterion validity of the c‐VFT was investigated by calculating quadrantwise intraclass correlation for both comparisons. For the HFA comparison, we also calculated point‐to‐point intraclass correlation, sensitivity, and specificity. Analyses revealed moderately good correspondence between c‐VFT and the Esterman test, and between c‐VFT and HFA 10‐2, respectively. When looking specifically at test points within one degree of visual angle apart in the two tests, intraclass correlation increased. For these points, the sensitivity of c‐VFT was 0.89 and specificity was 0.97. While the c‐VFT is not designed to be diagnostic nor to replace the detailed visual field analysis, this study shows that it provides a reasonable screening of the central visual field. The test can easily be used and will be made freely available to neuropsychological clinicians and researchers.     

Personality,the Theory of Planned Behavior,and Exercise: A Unique Role for Extroversion's Activity Facet1

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if the theory of planned behavior (TPB) mediated the relationship between selected personality traits (i.e., extroversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness) and exercise behavior using structural equation modeling. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that extroversion (E) would have a significant direct effect on exercise behavior while controlling for the TPB. A secondary purpose was to explore whether the facets of these personality domains had significant effects on TPB constructs or exercise behavior while controlling for the general personality domains. Female undergraduate students (N= 301) completed measures of the TPB, the Five‐Factor model of personality, and a 1‐month exercise behavior follow‐up. Model 1 resulted in a direct effect of E on exercise behavior. Model 2 suggested a significantly better fit when direct effects of E's activity facet were freed for estimation. Moreover, freeing these effects rendered the effects of general E nonsignificant. It was concluded that the direct effect of E on exercise behavior found in previous research might be explained entirely by the activity facet of E.     

Genetic Counseling and Screening of Consanguineous Couples and Their Offspring: Recommendations of the National Society of Genetic Counselors

The objective of this document is to provide recommendations for genetic counseling and screening for consanguineous couples (related as second cousins or closer) and their offspring with the goals of1. providing preconception reproductive options2. improving pregnancy outcome and identifying reproductive choices3. reducing morbidity and mortality in the 1st years of life, and4. respecting psychosocial and multicultural issues.The recommendations are the opinions of a multicenter working group (the Consanguinity Working Group (CWG)) with expertise in genetic counseling, medical genetics, biochemical genetics, genetic epidemiology, pediatrics, perinatology, and public health genetics, which was convened by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). The consensus of the CWG and NSGC reviewers is that beyond a thorough medical family history with follow-up of significant findings, no additional preconception screening is recommended for consanguineous couples. Consanguineous couples should be offered similar genetic screening as suggested for any couple of their ethnic group. During pregnancy, consanguineous couples should be offered maternal–fetal serum marker screening and high-resolution fetal ultrasonography. Newborns should be screened for impaired hearing and detection of treatable inborn errors of metabolism. These recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive course of management, nor does use of such recommendations guarantee a particular outcome. The professional judgment of a health care provider, familiar with the facts and circumstances of a specific case, will always supersede these recommendations.     

Mimicry and prosocial behavior

Abstract— Recent studies have shown that mimicry occurs unintentionally and even among strangers. In the present studies, we investigated the consequences of this automatic phenomenon in order to learn more about the adaptive function it serves. In three studies, we consistently found that mimicry increases prosocial behavior. Participants who had been mimicked were more helpful and generous toward other people than were nonmimicked participants. These beneficial consequences of mimicry were not restricted to behavior directed toward the mimicker, but included behavior directed toward people not directly involved in the mimicry situation. These results suggest that the effects of mimicry are not simply due to increased liking for the mimicker, but are due to increased prosocial orientation in general.     

Why can't we just get along? Interpersonal biases and interracial distrust

The authors review a series of studies that illustrate how one form of contemporary racial bias of Whites, aversive racism, can shape different perspectives of Blacks and Whites in ways that can undermine race relations. This research demonstrates that contemporary racism among Whites is subtle, often unintentional, and unconscious but that its effects are systematically damaging to race relations by fostering miscommunication and distrust. In particular, the authors examine the effects of aversive racism on outcomes for Blacks (e.g., in selection decisions), on the ways that Whites behave in interracial interactions, in the impressions that Whites and Blacks form of each other in these interactions, and on the task efficiency of interracial dyads.     

Two Systems of Self-Regulation and the Differential Application of Psychoanalytic Technique

Out of our work over the years on child development, clinical technique, and sadomasochism, we have begun to formulate a model of development that describes two possible ways of responding to feelings of helplessness in the face of the challenges of internal and external experience. Any psychoanalytic model has implications for how we think about technique and can be tested on the basis of its utility in generating technical ideas and enhancing our therapeutic repertoire. At this juncture in the history of our field, it is crucial for us to demonstrate that psychoanalytic techniques are effective in helping people enter treatment, change, and finish in a way that consolidates their gains. In this paper we explore the utility of our two-systems model for expanding the discourse about psychoanalytic technique.     

Effect of social category priming on personal attitudes

In four studies, we examined the spontaneous activation of specific attitudes related to social categories. These studies investigated whether priming participants with concepts associated with the elderly and skinheads influenced participants' attitudes. The results consistently demonstrated that priming a social category can influence people's attitudes such that they become more similar to those of people in the primed category. After participants were primed with the elderly category, their attitudes became more conservative; after participants were primed with the skinhead category, their attitudes became more prejudiced. We also found that these effects can occur without awareness and intention and are specific to the participants' own attitudes. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are considered.     

What Young People Want: A Qualitative Study of Adolescents’ Priorities for Engagement Across Psychological Services

This article examined commonalities in adolescents’ priorities for engagement with psychological support in the context of contemporary youth culture in New Zealand. These were explored across a range of different services including a face-to-face hospital-based mental health service, a face-to-face school-based counseling service, a telephone counseling service and a new form of counseling using mobile phone text. Interviews were conducted with 63 young people aged 13–18 who had used at least one of these services. A thematic analysis identified that there were common priorities for participants across the different services including their need to keep control; not to have their parents involved; to have a relationship with a counselor which was more like a friendship than a professional relationship; to talk freely and be listened to; and to have the service be accessible and flexible enough to fit around their lives. Text and telephone counseling were seen to be particularly appropriate for meeting some of these needs. Professionals working with young people should consider offering a suite of options for psychological support, allowing young people to balance their different needs and priorities and thus facilitate their engagement.     

Self‐rated personality and intelligence: a multivariate genetic analysis

The present study investigated the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between personality factors and measured intelligence. Twin pairs (92 monozygotic and 50 same sex dizygotic) completed 20 sets of personality adjectives in self‐report form as well as a group administered intelligence test, measuring general intelligence and verbal and performance composite scales. The personality adjectives were found to fit a five factor model. Personality aggregates were also created based on multiple regression analyses and used to predict each intelligence dimension. Triangular decompositions were computed to estimate the degree to which the phenotypic personality and intelligence relations were attributable to common genetic and/or environmental factors. Results of these analyses found small to moderate genetic and environmental correlations between intelligence and the personality factors, and moderate to high genetic correlations between intelligence and the personality aggregates, suggesting that intelligence is related to some personality traits at both the phenotypic and the genetic level. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Age and redintegration in immediate memory and their relationship to task difficulty

It is commonly assumed that as short-term memory tasks become more difficult, a transient phonological trace that supports recall loses its fidelity. Recall can still be achieved through a process called redintegration, where long-term phonological or lexical knowledge is used to reconstruct the memory trace. In the present research, we explored age-related differences in the redintegration process by having older and younger participants study lists under different levels of task difficulty. As a means of examining the redintegration process, in Experiment 1, semantic similarity was manipulated, and in Experiment 2, phonological similarity was varied. The results show that similarity effects can be accurately predicted from knowledge of task difficulty with item scoring, but not with order scoring. The results support the redintegration perspective and indicate that although there may be differences in the absolute level of recall across age groups, the redintegration process is identical for younger and older participants.