European American and Chinese parents' responses to children's success and failure: implications for children's responses

The authors examined cultural differences in parents' responses to their children's performance. In Study 1 (N = 421), Chinese 5th graders reported that their parents de-emphasized their academic success and emphasized their academic failure, whereas their American counterparts reported that their parents did the opposite. This partially accounted for Chinese (vs. American) children responding less positively to success and more negatively to failure. In Study 2 (N = 128), Chinese and American mothers' responses to their 4th and 5th graders' performance were observed in the laboratory. The cultural differences in children's reports of parents' responses documented in Study 1 were replicated; mothers' responses were also associated with children's subsequent performance. In addition, Chinese mothers were more involved than were American mothers, but their affect was similar. Taken together, the results suggest that parents' responses to children's performance may be a channel for cultural transmission and perpetuation of responses to performance.     

Effects of perceived criticism on anxiety and depression during behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders

The present study explored the effect of perceived criticism (PC) on levels of anxiety and depression during behavioral treatment among patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). We posited that patients' perceptions of relatives' criticism and the degree to which they were upset by the criticism (UC) would be related to negative affect and discomfort during exposure. The sample included 75 patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD (n=43) or PDA (n=32) and their participating relatives. Measures of patients' weekly ratings of PC and upset about the criticism, anxious and depressed mood, and subjective discomfort during exposure treatment were analyzed using a mixed model regression approach (SAS Proc Mixed). Patients' anxious and depressed mood predicted greater discomfort during exposure. Patients who were more UC also had higher weekly ratings of anxiety and depression, and more discomfort during exposure sessions. Findings suggest that treatment outcome may be improved by attention to patients' reactions to their interpersonal environment.     

What research paradigms have cognitive psychologists used to study "false memory," and what are the implications of these choices?

This research examines the methodologies employed by cognitive psychologists to study "false memory," and assesses if these methodologies are likely to facilitate scientific progress or perhaps constrain the conclusions reached. A PsycINFO search of the empirical publications in cognitive psychology was conducted through January, 2004, using the subject heading, "false memory." The search produced 198 articles. Although there is an apparent false memory research bandwagon in cognitive psychology, with increasing numbers of studies published on this topic over the past decade, few researchers (only 13.1% of the articles) have studied false memory as the term was originally intended--to specifically refer to planting memory for an entirely new event that was never experienced in an individual's lifetime. Cognitive psychologists interested in conducting research relevant to assessing the authenticity of memories for child sexual abuse should consider the generalizability of their research to the planting of entirely new events in memory.     

Common Mental Health Challenges in a University Context in Hong Kong: a Study Based on a Review of Medical Records

Applied Research in Quality of Life - While numerous studies have suggested the rising prevalence of common mental disorders amongst university students, studies examining mental health of Chinese...     

Adherence to antiretroviral medications in HIV: differences in data collected via self-report and electronic monitoring.

Controversy remains regarding the reliability of methods used to determine adherence to antiretroviral medication in HIV. In this study the authors compared adherence rates of 119 HIV-positive participants during a 6-month study, as estimated via electronic monitoring (EM) and self-report (SR). Adherence for both short (4-day) and long (4-week, or intervisit) periods was examined, as well as factors that underlie discrepancies between EM and SR. Results showed that intervisit EM estimates were consistently lower than those of SR. SR estimates based on shorter periods (4 days) were closer to those of EM. Higher discrepancies between EM and SR estimates were associated with lower cognitive functioning and externalized locus of control. These findings lend support for using both EM and SR methods; however, study design (e.g., length) and other factors (e.g., cognitive status, cost) should be considered.     

Evolutionary autonomous agents and the naturalization of phenomenology

The phenomenological goal of grounding the content of conceptual thought in the background understanding of everyday, skillful coping was approached using evolutionary autonomous agent (EAA) methodology. The behavior of an EAA evolved to perform a specified motor task was identified with skillful coping. Changes in the dynamics of the EAA controller occurred when the EAA encountered an unexpected obstacle with loss of longer time scale components in its hierarchical temporal organization. These temporal changes are consistent with the phenomenological changes which we experience with breakdown during equipment use with our adoption of a more immediate, determinate stance. Since this latter experience is the basis of conceptual thought, the EAA paradigm goes some way in providing a naturalized explanation for the grounding of the content of conceptual thought in everyday, skillful coping in a manner that is physiologically plausible and phenomenologically accurate.     

Cognitive demands of error processing associated with preparation and execution of a motor skill

Maxwell et al. [Maxwell, J. P., Masters, R. S. W., Kerr, E., & Weedon, E. (2001). The implicit benefit of learning without errors. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 1049–1068. The implicit benefit of learning without errors. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 54A, 1049–1068] suggested that, following unsuccessful movements, the learner forms hypotheses about the probable causes of the error and the required movement adjustments necessary for its elimination. Hypothesis testing is an explicit process that places demands on cognitive resources. Demands on cognitive resources can be identified by measuring probe reaction times (PRT) and movement times. Lengthened PRT and movement times reflects increased cognitive demands. Thus, PRT and movement times should be longer following errors, relative to successful, movements. This hypothesis was tested using a motor skill (golf putting). Furthermore, the association between error processing and the preparation and execution phases of movement was examined. The data confirmed that cognitive demand is greater for trials following an error, relative to trials without an error. This effect was apparent throughout learning and in both the preparatory and execution phases of the movement. Cognitive effort also appeared to be higher during movement preparation, relative to movement execution.     

A randomized crossover trial to test the effects of positive psychology intervention delivered by text messaging

Positive psychology (PP) interventions delivered through technology have shown encouraging results. In a crossover design, we randomized 60 participants recruited from the community to two weeks of either text messaging-based PP exercises or control exercises, before being crossed over to receive the other condition. Participants were compensated for maintaining high response rates to the texts. Participants reported greater satisfaction and had higher engagement in the program when PP exercises were received first. Overall, PP exercises did not improve moods significantly more than control exercises. However, baseline depressive symptoms significantly moderated the effect of condition on change in depressive symptoms (p < 0.032) and negative affect (p < 0.006), such that regular completion of exercises resulted in better mood outcomes compared to control exercises for those with high depressive symptoms at baseline. Results suggest that completing PP exercises through text messaging can improve moods in those who have elevated depressive symptoms.     

Punishment sensitivity and risk taking in depressed mood

Motivation and Emotion - Individuals with high levels of depressive symptoms find rewards to be less reinforcing and punishment more aversive, which may lead them to avoid risk taking. To examine...