Training class inclusion responding in typically developing children and individuals with autism

In a class inclusion task, a child must respond to stimuli as being involved in two different though hierarchically related categories. This study used a Relational Frame Theory (RFT) paradigm to assess and train this ability in three typically developing preschoolers and three individuals with autism spectrum disorder, all of whom had failed class inclusion tests. For all subjects, relational training successfully established the target repertoire and subsequent testing demonstrated both maintenance and generalization. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.     

The Use of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale in a Primary Care Setting

Research has indicated that as many as 10% to 15% of primary care patients have symptoms that are not well explained medically. These patients could be labeled as “somatizers.” This study assessed the extent to which underlying psychological characteristics contribute to a person's level of somatization and service utilization. The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS–G; Stein, Hilsenroth, Slavin-Mulford, & Pinsker, 2011; Westen, 1995) was used to rate early memory narratives of 100 patients in a suburban primary care setting. Using principal axis factoring, the SCORS–G was divided into 2 components and these components (cognitive and affective) were used in subsequent analyses. The affective component was significantly negatively correlated with 2 measures of somatization and positively related to physician ratings of global health. The affective component also showed a trend toward significance on overnight hospital stays and patient-rated health. The cognitive component showed a trend toward significance with both measures of somatization, but it was not correlated with other measures of health. This study demonstrates the value of assessing underlying processes (via SCORS–G ratings of early memory narratives) that contribute to increased rates of somatization and health care utilization. Clinical implications for the relationship between affect and physical health are explored.     

Looming Threats and Animacy: Reduced Responsiveness in Youth with Disrupted Behavior Disorders

Theoretical models have implicated amygdala dysfunction in the development of Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs; Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Amygdala dysfunction impacts valence evaluation/response selection and emotion attention in youth with DBDs, particularly in those with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. However, amygdala responsiveness during social cognition and the responsiveness of the acute threat circuitry (amygdala/periaqueductal gray) in youth with DBDs have been less well-examined, particularly with reference to CU traits. 31 youth with DBDs and 27 typically developing youth (IQ, age and gender-matched) completed a threat paradigm during fMRI where animate and inanimate, threatening and neutral stimuli appeared to loom towards or recede from participants. Reduced responsiveness to threat variables, including visual threats and encroaching stimuli, was observed within acute threat circuitry and temporal, lateral frontal and parietal cortices in youth with DBDs. This reduced responsiveness, at least with respect to the looming variable, was modulated by CU traits. Reduced responsiveness to animacy information was also observed within temporal, lateral frontal and parietal cortices, but not within amygdala. Reduced responsiveness to animacy information as a function of CU traits was observed in PCC, though not within the amygdala. Reduced threat responsiveness may contribute to risk taking and impulsivity in youth with DBDs, particularly those with high levels of CU traits. Future work will need to examine the degree to which this reduced response to animacy is independent of amygdala dysfunction in youth with DBDs and what role PCC might play in the dysfunctional social cognition observed in youth with high levels of CU traits.     

Teaching Bioethics to a Large Number of Biology and Pharma Students: Lessons Learned

To be made aware of bioethical issues related to their disciplines, undergraduate students in biology and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Basel are required to enroll in the bioethics course called “Introduction to Bioethics”. This article describes the chances and challenges faced when teaching a large number of undergraduate biology and pharmaceutical sciences students. Attention is drawn to the relevance and specific ethical issues that biology and pharmaceutical sciences students may be confronted with and to how these could be integrated into ethics curricula. Results from a survey addressing the knowledge and opinion of students taking the course in spring semester 2012, 2013, and 2014 are presented and discussed. Finally, we describe the lessons learned and how we have improved the course based on students’ feedback throughout the following years.     

The Network Structure of Childhood Psychopathology in International Adoptees

International adoptees are at an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems, especially those who are adopted at an older age. We took a new approach in our study of the network structure and predictability of emotional and behavioral problems in internationally adopted children in Finland. Our sample was from the on-going adoption study and comprised 778 internationally adopted children (387 boys and 391 girls, mean age 10.5 (SD 3.4) years). Networks were estimated using Gaussian graphical models and lasso regularization for all the children, and separately for those who were adopted at different ages. The results showed that anxiety/depressive symptoms, social problems, and aggressiveness were the most central symptom domains. Somatic symptoms were the least central and had the weakest effect on the other domains. Similarly, aggressiveness, social problems, and attention problems were high in terms of predictability (73–65%), whereas internalizing problems were relatively low (28–56%). There were clear but local age-group differences in network structure, symptom centrality, and predictability. According to our findings, network models provide important additional information about the centrality and predictability of specific symptom domains, and thus may facilitate targeted interventions among international adoptees.     

Parental Problem Drinking and Emerging Adult Problem Behavior: The Moderating Role of Parental Support

This study examined the relationship between parental problem drinking (maternal and paternal) and emerging adult problem behaviors (alcohol use, drug use, and antisocial behavior). In addition, the moderating role of parental support (maternal and paternal) was explored. Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of emerging adults (N?=?600; Mage?=?20.00, SD?=?1.42; 50% women; 62% White). Results from regression analyses of survey data indicated that both maternal problem drinking and maternal support moderated the relationship between paternal problem drinking and emerging adult alcohol use. For drug use, there was a three-way interaction between paternal problem drinking, maternal problem drinking, and maternal support. The relationship between paternal problem drinking and drug use only was significant for those who reported high maternal problem drinking and low maternal support. For antisocial behavior, there were positive relationships between paternal problem drinking and antisocial behavior and between maternal problem drinking and antisocial behavior in contexts of varying levels of parental support. Findings highlight the potential for parental support to both buffer and enhance the adverse influence of parental problem drinking across varied contexts.     

Family Exploration: The Contribution of Stability and Change Processes

Building upon the redefinition of exploration as a family process, this study analyses how the processes of family stability and change may favour exploration by members of multiple family relational contexts. Sixty non-clinical family triads (mother, father, child) participated in an experimental observational study and were video-recorded while playing in different interactive configurations. The children (37 females and 23 males) were 4–5 years old (M?=?55 months). The mothers’ ages ranged from 29 to 45 (M?=?38) and the fathers’ ages ranged from 29 to 46 (M?=?39). All the parents were employed and were living together. All participants were Caucasians of Italian nationality. Using the Triadic Interactions Analytical Procedure (TIAP), the family morphostatic processes and the family morphogenetic processes were analysed in relation to the family members’ exploration. Data analyses showed that family stability continual construction (morphostasis) and family change (morphogenesis) involve different interactive and relational dynamics (χ²(8)?=?13.84, p?>?.05; CFI?=?.97, TLI?=?.94, SRMR?=?.06), even if they are intertwined processes (p?<?.001). Both morphostatic and morphogenetic processes were correlated to the level of exploration showed by family members (respectively r?=?.32, p?<?.05, and r?=?.59, p?<?.001), even if the morphogenetic processes had a stronger relation with family exploration (z?=?1.85, p _one-tailed ?<?.05).     

A comparison of two multicomponent treatment packages for food refusal

Food refusal is a severe feeding problem in which children refuse to eat all or most foods, which can be treated effectively using multicomponent intervention packages. This study compared two multicomponent treatment packages on food and drink consumption, inappropriate mealtime behavior, and total intake in a child with food refusal. Bite and drink consumption was consistently higher; inappropriate mealtime behavior was consistently lower; and total intake was greater when differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and escape extinction treatment were implemented compared to response cost, escape extinction, and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.