Self-coded indirect memory associations and

Indirect memory associations for substance use predict both the concurrent and prospective levels of substance use. These methods assess spontaneous, possibly implicit, and easily accessible associations that predict substance use over direct (explicit) methods of assessment (e.g., outcome expectancies). The present study tested and expanded the application of a coding method for alcohol and marijuana associations on the basis of self-coding of indirect responses (Frigon & Krank, 2009). College students generated free associates to (1) ambiguous words (e.g., draft or weed), (2) situations (e.g., at a party, hanging out with friends), and (3) emotions (having fun, feeling dreamy). Later, participants were shown their responses and were asked to code their responses according to both nonrisk and risk activities, such as alcohol and marijuana use. Self-coded scores were higher than researcher-coded scores, captured the same variance, and improved the prediction of substance use. Self-coding of indirect memory associations provides accurate and efficient prediction of the level of alcohol and marijuana. Self-coding is efficient and may be useful for reducing ambiguities in coding of many different kinds of open-ended responses.     

Teaching adolescents about changing bodies: Randomized controlled trial of an Internet puberty education and body dissatisfaction prevention program

This study tested the efficacy of an Internet-based prevention program, Trouble on the Tightrope: In Search of Skateboard Sam, on pubertal knowledge, body esteem, and self-esteem. One hundred and ninety participants (mean age 11.6 years) were randomized to either an intervention or attention placebo control condition and were assessed at baseline, after three Internet-based sessions, and at 3-month follow-up. Although the primary hypotheses were not supported, exploratory moderator analyses indicated that the intervention was beneficial for select students. Specifically, pubertal status moderated the effects on weight-related body esteem and several domains of self-esteem, resulting in positive effects for participants in the intervention group who had begun puberty. Gender differences were found on self-esteem subscales, indicating more robust effects for girls than boys. Tailored Internet programs based on personal characteristics such as gender and pubertal status may be a fruitful area for future research with adolescents.     

The effects of whispers,voice-sample duration,and voice distinctiveness on criminal speaker identification

A total of 156 introductory psychology students heard a taped voice of a mock kidnapper for either 30 seconds or 8 minutes. The kidnapper had either a distinctive voice or a non-distinctive voice, and spoke either in a whisper or in a normal tone of voice. Voice identification from six-person, tape-recorded lineups was tested 2 days later. Participants who initially heard the perpetrator speak in a normal tone were tested with normal tone lineups. Participants who initially heard the perpetrator speak in a whisper were tested either with whispered lineups or normal tone lineups. Results showed that identification performance was superior with longer voice-sample durations. Voice disguise through whispering, distinctiveness of suspect's voice, and changes in tone of voice from initial hearing and lineup test significantly influenced identification performance on both suspect-present and suspect-absent lineups. Small but significant accuracy-confidence correlations were found in both suspect-present and suspect-absent lineups. Duration estimations of the length of the speaker's voice-sample were overestimated, particularly for the short 30-second voice sample.     

The Long-Term Effects of Group-Based Psychological Interventions for Children With Tourette Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial examined the long-term effects of group-based psychological interventions on measures of tic severity, self-reported quality of life (QOL), and school attendance. Children (n = 28) with Tourette syndrome (TS) were assessed 12 months after completing a course of either group-based Habit Reversal Training (HRT) or Education.Both groups demonstrated long-term improvement in tic severity and QOL, which included significant continued improvement during the follow-up (FU) period. Both groups also showed significant posttreatment improvement in school attendance. Further research is required to explore potential therapeutic mechanisms, independent or mutual, which may underlie long-term symptom improvements.     

Functional analysis screening for multiple topographies of problem behavior

The current study evaluated a screening procedure for multiple topographies of problem behavior in the context of an ongoing functional analysis. Experimenters analyzed the function of a topography of primary concern while collecting data on topographies of secondary concern. We used visual analysis to predict the function of secondary topographies and a subsequent functional analysis to test those predictions. Results showed that a general function was accurately predicted for five of six (83%) secondary topographies. A specific function was predicted and supported for a subset of these topographies. The experimenters discuss the implication of these results for clinicians who have limited time for functional assessment.