The relationship of social support to depressive symptoms during the transition to high school

The transition to high school is studied as a time when students may experience disruptions in their social support systems. Peer support, family support, and school belonging were hypothesized to be associated with adolescent adjustment, specifically depressive symptoms. Participants included 104 eighth graders and 101 ninth graders from a middle- to high-income, predominantly white community in southern Rhode Island. In year 2, 60 of the original 8th graders were surveyed as 9th graders. Three hypotheses were examined: Social support declines from 8th to 9th grade; depressive symptoms increase from 8th to 9th grade; and social support is significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The hypotheses were tested using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Results indicated that 9th graders experienced more depressive symptoms and lower levels of school belonging as compared to the 8th graders. Changes in parent support and peer support were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the transition to high school. Implications for increasing school belonging in the 9th grade are discussed.     

Primary or "specific" language impairment and children learning a second language

We review empirical findings from children with primary or "specific" language impairment (PLI) and children who learn a single language from birth (L1) and a second language (L2) beginning in childhood. The PLI profile is presented in terms of both language and nonlinguistic features. The discussion of L2 learners emphasizes variable patterns of growth and skill distribution in L1 and L2 which complicate the identification of PLI in linguistically diverse learners. We then introduce our research program, designed to map out common ground and potential fault lines between typically developing children learning one or two languages, as compared to children with PLI.     

How Does It Feel to Be a Star?

Over the past three decades, research on the social dimensions of emotions has grown exponentially, particularly in the area of “emotion management.” In this project, we will attempt to add to this body of research by studying the social aspects of labeling or “instantiating” feelings. The data for the project come from televised red-carpet interviews conducted with celebrities immediately prior to awards ceremonies. By focusing on the generic aspects of the emotional claims-making put forth by interviewers and interviewees, we demonstrate how the labeling of emotions is an interpretive, interactive task.

Body image and explicit and implicit anti-fat attitudes: the mediating role of physical appearance comparisons

Prejudice against overweight people is rife. However, there is a paucity of research on the underlying reasons for it. In two studies the relationship between body image, the tendency to make physical appearance-related comparisons (PACS), and both explicit and implicit anti-fat attitudes was examined. In Study 1 (n = 227) people with a high tendency to make physical appearance-related comparisons (high PACS scorers) reported lower self-appearance evaluation, but higher appearance orientation and explicit anti-fat attitudes. The PACS fully mediated the relationship between appearance orientation and explicit anti-fat attitudes. Study 2 (n = 134) found that the PACS also mediated the relationship between appearance orientation and implicit anti-fat attitudes. Thus, individual differences in factors such as body image and the tendency to make appearance-related comparisons, appear to play a central role in both explicit and implicit anti-fat attitudes.     

Spectral discontinuities and the vowel length effect

Perception of voicing for stop consonants in consonant-vowel syllables can be affected by the duration of the following vowel so that longer vowels lead to more “voiced” responses. On the basis of several experiments, Green, Stevens, and Kuhl (1994) concluded that continuity of fundamental frequency (f0), but not continuity of formant structure, determined the effective length of the following vowel. In an extension of those efforts, we found here that both effects were critically dependent on particular f 0s and formant values. First, discontinuity inf0 does not necessarily preclude the vowel length effect because the effect maintains whenf0 changes from 200 to 100 Hz, and 200-Hz partials extend continuously through test syllables. Second, spectral discontinuity does preclude the vowel length effect when formant changes result in a spectral peak shifting to another harmonic. The results indicate that the effectiveness of stimulus changes for sustaining or diminishing the vowel length effect depends critically on particulars of spectral composition.     

Suicidal behavior among youth with severe emotional disturbance

The purpose of this study was to replicate an investigation of risk behaviors associated with suicidal behavior in public high school students, in a population of high school age youth with severe emotional disturbance (SED). Subjects for the study were clients of the South Carolina Continuum of Care (COC) (N=83). Information on suicidal thoughts and acts, aggressive behaviors, substance use and physical recklessness was gathered using a modified version of the self-report National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Four percent of the youth reported seriously considering suicide, 8% reported planning how they would attempt suicide, 10% reported actually attempting suicide at least once, and 6% reported attempts requiring medical treatment Of the 13 youth who reported attempting suicide, four (31%) did not report planning an attempt. All suicidal behaviors except thoughts occurred more in girls than boys with SED. Alcohol and illicit drug use were associated with suicidal behavior, with larger odds ratios for attempts than for thoughts/plans. Youth with SED who use alcohol and illicit substances are particularly at risk of suicidal behavior. A high index of suspicion is appropriate when evaluating suicidal risk in girls with SED, especially in the presence of known alcohol or substance use.Continuum of Care for Emotionally Disturbed Children Division, S. C. Office of the Governor.     

Reports of bodily change in anxiety,sadness, and anger

In a series of studies, retrospective reports were used to assess differences in physiological symptoms associated with three emotions: Anxious, Angry, Sad. Symptom awareness, as measured by scores on the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire and the Somatic Perception Questionnaire, was significantly greater for Anxious than for the other emotions; reports for Angry and Sad were quantitatively similar. Qualitative analysis showed a different pattern. Sad was characterized as involving a low arousal state, while Anxious and Angry shared several distinguishing symptoms, most notably cardiac symptoms and general restlessness. Predicted gender differences were also observed. Males and females did not differ in overall reported level of awareness, but did differ in their reports of the specific symptoms constituting that awareness.