Autobiographical memory specificity and the persistence of depressive symptoms in HIV-positive patients: Rumination and social problem-solving skills as mediators

Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at elevated risk for depressive conditions, which in turn can negatively impact health-related behaviours and the course of illness. The present study tested the role of autobiographical memory specificity and its interaction with perceived stress in the persistence of depressive symptoms among dysphoric HIV-positive individuals. Additionally, we examined whether rumination and social problem solving mediated these effects. Results indicated that memory specificity moderated the impact of perceived stress, such that perceived stress was more strongly associated with follow-up depressive symptoms among those with greater memory specificity. Rumination, but not social problem solving, mediated this effect. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Character Strengths: Stability and change from a military college education

A service academy military education seeks to develop character. Twenty-four character strengths measured by the Values in Action – Individual Strengths instrument are examined longitudinally to determine effects on character from a service academy education. Significant growth equations were obtained for Citizenship-Teamwork, Hope-Optimism, Fairness, Capacity to Love and be Loved, Appreciation of Beauty, Industry-Perseverance, Zest-Enthusiasm, Spirituality, Creativity, Leadership, Humor-Playfulness, Judgment, and Love of Learning from a mixed models analysis (overall Type 1 error set at .05). Based upon differences expected from a cross-sectional national sample it was inferred that the military college education differentially affected all character strengths except Gratitude, Citizenship-Teamwork, Creativity, Hope-Optimism, Capacity to Love and be Loved, Humor-Playfulness, Perspective, Modesty-Humility, Appreciation of Beauty, and Judgment.     

Factors of Empowerment for Women in Recovery from Substance Use

Empowerment is an interdisciplinary construct heavily grounded in the theories of community psychology. Although empowerment has a strong theoretical foundation, few context-specific quantitative measures have been designed to evaluate empowerment for specific populations. The present study explored the factor structure of a modified empowerment scale with a cross-sectional sample of 296 women in recovery from substance use who lived in recovery homes located throughout the United States. Results from an exploratory factor analysis identified three factors of psychological empowerment which were closely related to previous conceptualizations of psychological empowerment: self-perception, resource knowledge and participation. Further analyses demonstrated a hierarchical relationship among the three factors, with resource knowledge predicting participation when controlling for self-perception. Finally, a correlational analysis demonstrated the initial construct validity of each factor, as each factor of empowerment was significantly and positively related to self-esteem. Implications for the application of psychological empowerment theory and research are discussed.     

A Measurement Framework to Determine the Construct Validity of ADHD/ODD Rating Scales: Additional Evaluations of the Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Inventory

A multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the invariance of an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattention, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder toward adults, academic and social competence five-factor model across of independent groups of Thai adolescents with the Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Inventory (CADBI). Mothers and fathers’ ratings on 872 adolescents were compared to mothers and fathers’ ratings on a different group of 983 adolescents. The design allowed four invariance analyses (i.e., mothers’ ratings of the first group compared to mothers’ ratings of the second group; fathers’ ratings of first group compared to fathers’ ratings of the second group; mothers’ ratings of first group compared to fathers’ ratings of the second group; and fathers’ ratings of first group compared to mothers’ ratings of second group). Support was found for the invariance of like-symptom loadings and symptom intercepts as well as like-factor variances, covariances, and factor means across the four invariance analyses. The findings further expand the construct validity of the CADBI. The paper also introduces a multiple indicators by multiple traits by multiple methods by multiple sources by multiple occasions by multiple groups’ measurement matrix to guide the evaluation of the construct validity of ADHD/ODD rating scales.     

The role of attitudes towards the targets of behaviour in predicting and informing prenatal testing choices

Research considering the role of attitudes in prenatal testing choices has commonly focused on the relationship between the attitude towards undergoing testing and actual testing behaviour. In contrast, this study focused on the relationship between testing behaviour and attitudes towards the targets of the behaviour (in this case people with Down syndrome (DS) and having a baby with DS). A cross-sectional, prospective survey of 197 pregnant women measured attitudes towards the targets of prenatal testing along with intentions to use screening and diagnostic testing, and the termination of an affected pregnancy. Screening uptake was established via patient records. Although attitudes towards DS and having a baby with DS were significantly associated with screening uptake and testing and termination intentions, unfavourable attitudes were better than favourable ones at predicting these outcomes. For example, in the quartile of women with the ‘most favourable’ attitude towards people with DS 67% used screening although only 8% said they would terminate an affected pregnancy. Qualitative data suggested that not all women considered personal attitudes towards DS to be relevant to their screening decisions. This finding has implications for the way in which informed choice is currently understood and measured in the prenatal testing context.     

Noncompliance in hemodialysis patients as measured with the MBHI

Abstract

Fifteen patients beginning maintenance hemodialysis due to renal failure were administered the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory, the Family Environment Scale and Beck Depression Inventory at the outset of treatment. They were then followed regarding their compliance with fluid, diet and medication, using weight change and serum potassium and phosphorus levels. Statistically significant differences were found on independence/dependence conflicts and between patients showing at least moderate noncompliance with weight and/or phosphorus limitations. Significantly higher levels of depression were associated with consistently poorer compliance patterns.     

Word Memory Test Performance in Children

One-hundred and thirty-five children between the ages of 7 and 18 years were evaluated clinically. Their diagnoses included Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Effects, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Mood Disorder, various neurological diseases, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder and learning disabilities. As part of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, the children were given the Word Memory Test (WMT; Green, Allen, & Astner, 1996; Green & Astner, 1995), containing various subtests which measure, respectively, effort and verbal memory. Although age and verbal intelligence are known to affect scores on most ability tests, they were not found to be significant determinants of WMT effort scores. Younger children did not score any lower on the effort subtests than older children. The children scored as well as a group of parents seeking custody of their children and they scored higher than adult patients with mild head injuries. The computerized WMT requires some basic reading skills and some children with lower than a grade 3 reading level scored at a relatively low level on the effort subtests. The current data suggest that most children with at least a grade 3 reading level can pass the WMT using the adult criteria. It is concluded that the WMT is potentially useful in the evaluation of effort during pediatric neuropsychological evaluations. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and to develop child norms for the memory subtests.     

Val Plumwood

Miller's reply to Nelson misses the point because it does not attend to the difference between identifying the truth conditions for a proposition and explaining why those conditions are the ones in which the proposition is true.     

Distracted by Details: Narrative Influence Following Conflicting Stories

Work on narrative influence has demonstrated that stories can have a strong effect on people's thoughts and attitudes. However, existing research has not addressed how people respond to multiple stories endorsing different conclusions. The current studies examined how reading two conflicting narratives influences people's decisions about a subsequent situation, with particular emphasis on how resemblances between the narratives and the situation moderate the effects. Across two studies, participants read two testimonials that described the successful use of different treatments for a medical disorder. Participants subsequently made treatment recommendations for a patient who resembled one of the testimonials in treatment-relevant ways. The key manipulation was whether the patient also resembled the other testimonial in treatment-irrelevant ways. Both studies found that these distracting, irrelevant similarities led to less appropriate treatment recommendations. The effect on decision confidence, however, was less clear, with some suggestion of both an increase (Study 1) and a decrease (Study 2) in confidence.