Impact of fathers' alcoholism and associated risk factors on parent–infant attachment stability from 12 to 18 months

This study examined short‐term attachment stability and sought to identify predictors of stability and change within a sample characterized by fathers' alcoholism. Results suggest moderate stability of attachment classifications (60% for mothers, 53% for fathers) from 12 to 18 months. Higher paternal and maternal alcohol symptoms, maternal depression, and maternal antisocial behavior were found in families with stable insecure mother–infant attachment compared to those who were stable secure. Mother–infant stable insecurity was associated with higher levels of maternal negative affect expression during play. Father–infant stable insecurity was associated with lower levels of paternal positive affect expression and decreased sensitivity during play. Stable insecure children also had higher levels of negative affect during parent–infant interactions and higher negative emotionality during other episodes compared to stable secure children. Results indicate that infants who were insecure at both time points had the highest constellation of family risk characteristics.     

Using logistic regression to estimate delay-discounting functions.

The monetary choice questionnaire (MCQ) and similar computer tasks ask preference questions in order to ascertain indifference, the perceived equivalence of immediate versus larger delayed rewards. Indifference data are then fitted with a hyperbolic function, summarizing the decline in perceived value with delay time. We present a fitting method that estimates the hyperbolic parameter k directly from survey responses. Binary preferences are modeled as a function of time (X2) and a transformed reward ratio (X1), yielding logistic regression coefficients beta 2 and beta 1. The hyperbolic parameter emerges as k = beta 2/beta 1, where the logistic predicted p = .5 (the definition of indifference). The MCQ was administered to 1,073 adolescents and was scored using both standard and logistic methods. The means for In(k) were similar (standard, -4.53; logistic, -4.51), and the results were highly correlated (rho = .973). Simulated MCQ data showed that k was unbiased, except where beta 1 > or = -1, indicating a vague survey response. Jackknife standard errors provided excellent coverage.     

Verbal memory abilities of children with brain tumors.

Several critical neuroanatomical structures and pathways for memory performance are located in the third ventricle region. This led us to predict that verbal memory abilities would be more impaired in children treated for third ventricle tumors compared to those treated for cerebellar tumors. Archival data was obtained from 24 pediatric patients with third ventricle region tumors and 18 pediatric patients with cerebellar tumors. Neuroradiological verifications of tumor involvement and hydrocephalus severity (i.e., Evans Index) on preoperative scans and MRIs proximal to the time of the neuropsychological evaluation were conducted. The potential confounds of hydrocephalus severity, seizure medication, age, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy were addressed. Verbal IQ was comparable between tumor groups and in the Average range. The third ventricle region group performed significantly worse on list learning and delayed list recall compared to the cerebellar group. Their mean performance was in the clinically impaired range on both trials. The third ventricle region tumor group performed better than the cerebellar tumor group on Digit Span, a basic repetition, attention span task. These findings support the hypothesis that pediatric patients with third ventricle region brain tumors are more likely to be impaired on verbal recall tasks compared to pediatric patients with cerebellar brain tumors. In contrast, patients who were treated for cerebellar tumors were more impaired on the basic repetition, attention span task compared to patients who were treated for third ventricle tumors. Future studies should examine the specific neuroanatomical structures and pathways that are damaged and may influence differential cognitive impairments in children.     

Electrophysiological correlates of rapid auditory and linguistic processing in adolescents with specific language impairment

Brief tonal stimuli and spoken sentences were utilized to examine whether adolescents (aged 14;3-18;1) with specific language impairments (SLI) exhibit atypical neural activity for rapid auditory processing of non-linguistic stimuli and linguistic processing of verb-agreement and semantic constraints. Further, we examined whether the behavioral and electrophysiological indices for rapid auditory processing were correlated with those for linguistic processing. Fifteen adolescents with SLI and 15 adolescents with normal language met strict criteria for displaying consistent diagnoses from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The findings provide evidence that auditory processing for non-linguistic stimuli is atypical in a significant number of adolescents with SLI compared to peers with normal language and indicate that reduced efficiency in auditory processing in SLI is more vulnerable to rapid rates (200ms ISI) of stimuli presentation (indexed by reduced accuracy, a tendency for longer RTs, reduced N100 over right anterior sites, and reduced amplitude P300). Many adolescents with SLI displayed reduced behavioral accuracy for detecting verb-agreement violations and semantic anomalies, along with less robust P600s elicited by verb-agreement violations. The results indicate that ERPs elicited by morphosyntactic aspects of language processing are atypical in many adolescents with SLI. Additionally, correlational analyses between behavioral and electrophysiological indices of processing non-linguistic stimuli and verb-agreement violations suggest that the integrity of neural functions for auditory processing may only account for a small proportion of the variance in morphosyntactic processing in some adolescents.     

A meta-analytic investigation of the structure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms

Converging lines of evidence have called into question the validity of conceptualizations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and suggested alternative structural models of PTSD symptomatology. We conducted a meta-analysis of 40 PTSD studies (N = 14,827 participants across studies) that used a DSM-based measure to assess PTSD severity. We aggregated correlation matrices across studies and then applied confirmatory factor analysis to the aggregated matrices to test the fit of competing models of PTSD symptomatology that have gained support in the literature. Results indicated that both prominent 4-factor models of PTSD symptomatology yielded good model fit across subsamples of studies; however, the model comprising Intrusions, Avoidance, Hyperarousal, and Dysphoria factors appeared to fit better across studies. Results also indicated that the best fitting models were not moderated by measure or sample type. Results are discussed in the context of structural models of PTSD and implications for the diagnostic nosology.     

The importance of physicalism in the philosophy of religion

First, some say that core physicalism is not anti-religion. I argue that this seems to be incorrect. Physical completeness is a core element of contemporary physicalism; (the evidence for physical completeness is strong); and physical completeness both logically and not strictly logically rejects many central religious views. Consequently, there is a sense in which core physicalism is, in an important way, anti-religion. Second, physical completeness positively supports one significant religious view; and physical completeness permits one to hold two others. The view that physical completeness supports states that there is no natural grounding of the ordinarily taken boundary of the human body. The two views that physical completeness permits one to hold state that a person can be contrastlessly blissful in an ongoing way, and that a person can experience something like light circulating through the ordinary body in an ongoing way. It is further maintained that physicalism allows religious systems to develop in new forms.     

Does Exposure and Response Prevention Behaviorally Activate Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? A Preliminary Test

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) and behavioral activation (BA) are effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression, respectively. Patients with OCD often exhibit depression; furthermore, ERP for OCD is associated with reduced depressive symptoms. To our knowledge, no study has examined whether ERP itself functions to behaviorally activate patients with concurrent OCD and depressive symptoms. This prospective study was designed to test the hypotheses that (a) OCD exposure hierarchy completion, increased BA, and depressive symptom reduction would all be related, and (b) pre- to posttreatment changes in BA would mediate the direct effect of OCD hierarchy completion on posttreatment depressive symptoms, even after controlling for pretreatment depressive symptoms, pretreatment BA, pre- to posttreatment reductions in OCD symptoms, treatment duration, and antidepressant medication use. Patients (N = 90) with a primary diagnosis of OCD who received residential ERP for OCD completed a self-report battery at pre- and posttreatment. Exposure hierarchy completion, increases in BA, and decreases in depression were all significantly correlated (rs ranged .33 to .44). The effect of hierarchy completion on posttreatment depressive symptoms was fully mediated by pre- to posttreatment changes in BA. Findings highlight the potential for ERP to exert antidepressant effects by behaviorally activating patients. Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions are discussed.     

Peer pressure and poverty: exploring fashion brands and consumption symbolism among children of the ‘British poor’

Attitudes towards fashion brands (trainers/athletic shoes) and their symbolic meanings are explored among a sample of 30 children aged 8–12 years from poor homes in the UK, in an interpretive study using projective methods. The children form stereotypes about the owners of trainers: if the trainers are obviously branded and expensive the children believe the owner to be rich and young, if the trainer is unbranded and inexpensive looking the children believe the owner to be poor and old. If a child is wearing branded trainers they are seen as popular and able to fit in with their peers. These opinions are so strongly held that the children would prefer to talk to someone wearing branded trainers than unbranded trainers. The children also feel pressure to wear the trainers that their friends wear, partly to make friends and fit in and partly because of the teasing experienced if they are wearing unbranded clothes or are clearly from a poor home. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications.     

Evaluation of a Congressionally Mandated Wraparound Demonstration

In order to determine whether expenditures for mental health could be reduced and quality improved, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense conduct a demonstration project utilizing a wraparound mental health service system for child and adolescent military dependents. A longitudinal quasiexperimental design was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the demonstration. The results showed that children in the Wraparound Group received more wraparound services than those in the treatment as usual (TAU) Comparison Group. These services included case management, in-home treatment, and other nontraditional services. The Demonstration also provided better continuity of care. Multiple methods were used to investigate the impact of wraparound. Both groups showed some improvement on some measures but there were no differences between the groups in functioning, symptoms, life satisfaction, positive functioning, or sentinel events. Regardless of which statistical model was used to estimate costs, the Demonstration was also more expensive. The higher level of expenditures for the Wraparound group was a result of some expensive traditional care and the addition of nontraditional services. Several possible explanations of these results are provided.