Prospective Evaluation of Predictive DNA Testing for Huntington’s Disease in a Large German Center

We present a prospective study of counselees seeking predictive testing for Huntington’s disease at the Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia (Bochum, Germany) between 2010 and 2012. The aim was to observe the decision-making process of at-risk individuals and explore their experiences following the decision as well as the impacts of positive and negative mutation results. Data were collected using two standardized questionnaires as well as via a semi-standardized telephone interview one year after the initial counseling session. Seventy-two  individuals participated in at least one of the three phases of the survey, including 31 individuals in the telephone interview. Sociodemographic data were in accordance with previous reports. The process of predictive testing was generally perceived in a positive manner, with almost all interviewees reporting a balanced emotional state one year after initial counseling, regardless of the decision for or against the test. The most important reasons named in favor of or against testing were assembled as well as different aspects regarding the satisfaction with the reached decision. In line with and expanding previous observations on gender-related differences in decision-making, our results suggest that gender-related aspects should be more strongly taken into account in genetic counseling during the predictive testing and counseling processes.     

Excluded emotions: The role of anger in antisocial responses to ostracism

In this article, we examined the role of anger in the link between social exclusion and antisocial behavior. We compared the effects of anger to another negative emotion, sadness. In Study 1, social exclusion was associated with feelings of anger, and anger was associated with antisocial behavior. In contrast, sadness was not associated with antisocial behavior. In Study 2, feelings of anger were manipulated by excluding participants for either a fair or unfair reason. Unfairly excluded participants were more angry and were more likely to engage in antisocial behavior than fairly excluded participants. Implications for the study of emotions in the context of social exclusion are discussed.     

The construction and validation of a measure of Ethno-cultural Identity Conflict

The research describes the construction and validation of the Ethno-cultural Identity Conflict Scale (EICS) based on 3 independent samples totaling 975 immigrants, international students, and members of ethnic minority groups. The convergent validity of the 20-item scale was supported by its correlations with Self-Concept Clarity (r = -.65), Sense of Coherence (r = -.58), Identity Distress (r = .48), and the Cultural Conflict (r = .62) and Cultural Distance (r = .21) components of the Bicultural Identity Integration Scale. EICS was also linked to contemporary acculturation research with integrated migrants experiencing less conflict than those who were separated, assimilated, or marginalized.     

An attentional learning account of the shape bias: reply to Cimpian and Markman (2005) and Booth, Waxman, and Huang (2005)

Recently, Developmental Psychology published 2 articles on the shape bias; both rejected the authors' previous proposals about the role of attentional learning in the development of a shape bias in object name learning. A. Cimpian and E. Markman (2005) did so by arguing that the shape bias does not exist but is an experimental artifact. A. E. Booth, S. R. Waxman, and Y. T. Huang (2005), in contrast, concluded that the shape bias (and its contextual link to artifact categories) does exist but that the mechanisms that underlie it are conceptual knowledge and not attentional learning. In response, in this article the authors clarify the claims of the Attentional Learning Account (ALA) and interpretations of the data under question. The authors also seek to make explicit the deeper theoretical divide: cognition as sequestered from processes of perceiving and acting versus as embedded in, and inseparable from, those very processes.     

Predictive factors of manual dexterity and cognitive performance at 17 years: a 10-year longitudinal study in a rural area of France

Studies of predictive factors of manual dexterity in adolescents and young adults are lacking. The present longitudinal study reports the relationship between cognitive and behavioural assessments at age 7 years and the schooling, cognitive performance, and manual dexterity at age 17 years. The participants were 65 schoolchildren, 30 boys and 35 girls, from a rural area in France. Assessment at age 7 years included the McCarthy scales and questionnaires measuring the behavior of the child, completed by the mother, the teacher, and the assessing psychologist. Assessment at age 17 years included schooling situation (whether they were in high school or not), cognitive testing (WAIS-R, Trail Making, Verbal Fluency, Cancel H, Stroop, Memory Assessment Scales), and manual dexterity testing (dynamometer, Finger Tapping, Santa Ana Test, Purdue Pegboard). After controlling for effects of parental education and IQ, a negative teachers' rating of children's behaviour and abilities in first-grade (7 years) was correlated with early cessation of schooling, but also, unexpectedly, with higher scores for manual dexterity at 17 years. Manual dexterity was not related to cognitive performance at 17 years. It is suggested that the relationship between manual and cognitive performance varies during development. Although manual exploratory behaviour is an important correlate of early cognitive development, manual dexterity is probably not related to later academic performance.     

Frames of Reference in Self-Reports of Health,Well-Being,Fatigue, and Pain: a Qualitative Examination

Self-reports in survey research can be affected by internal comparison standards, or Frames of Reference (FoRs), that people apply when making their ratings. The goal of this study was to determine which FoRs people naturally use when rating their health, subjective well-being, fatigue, and pain. We further examined whether FoRs varied by content domain and age group. One hundred adults from a community sample of the US general population participated in individual semi-structured qualitative interviews. Participants provided self-report ratings on two of the four content domains and were then systematically queried about FoRs. Interview responses were summarized and coded into broad FoR categories. Four broad FoR categories emerged: References to (1) Other People, (2) an Earlier Time in Life, (3) an Important Event in the Past, and (4) a Hypothetical Situation. FoRs were reported in the majority (80.5%) of responses and multiple FoRs were reported in 34% of responses. The reporting of FoRs was evident for all domains, but was more prevalent for well-being compared to pain. References to a Hypothetical Situation were only mentioned in the well-being and health domains. For health, references to Other People were more frequently reported at older compared to younger ages. Our results extend prior work by demonstrating that participants’ reporting of FoRs is evident in ratings of various content domains. They further suggest that a limited number of FoRs are used and that their identification holds promise for understanding and controlling systematic group differences in FoRs.     

“The Destruction of a Legacy”: Agenda Setting and the Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Allegations

Utilizing agenda setting theory, this study investigates the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegation scandal and how the scandal is framed by the media. In order to examine if and how varied networks reported differently on the Cosby scandal, sixty articles from three, distinct networks (CNN, FOX News, E!) were analyzed and coded under seven different categories. Results demonstrate a significant difference among the analyzed networks and media frames most reported in the sample for this study. Although all networks address Cosby’s rise and fall of an American hero, agendas set and story frames presented varied. Specifically, CNN highlighted victims’/survivors’ powerful voice whereas E! and FOX News highlighted Cosby’s support from the black community, celebrities and co-stars. Additional results, discussion and future directions follow.