Understanding Gang Joining from a Cross Classified Multi-Level Perspective

The present study seeks to address the gap in our understanding of the role of community- and school-level factors on individual-level gang joining. We assess our research question by bringing together data from a statewide survey of more than 35,000 school youth who were enrolled in more than 250 schools and resided in more than 300 communities. We first use multilevel modeling techniques to examine the independent relationship of community and school on the likelihood of individual youth gang joining. Second, while controlling for individual-level risk and protective factors, we examine the simultaneous relationship of community- and school-level conditions on gang joining. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that both community- and school-level characteristics play a role in gang joining. The results of the cross-classified model suggests that community structural characteristics may serve as protection against gang joining. Individual-level risk and protective factors remain important for understanding gang joining. A variety of factors are related to gang joining. Though individual-level factors are important, community- and school-level factors are meaningful in the understanding of gang joining.     

The cognitive impact of epileptiform EEG-discharges; relationship with type of cognitive task.

In this study we analyzed the effect of differing task dimensions (high vs. low information demand; short vs. long testing duration) on the occurrence of epileptiform EEG-discharges and the cognitive impact of such discharges. We performed this study only in patients with focal discharges as this appears to be the most complicated group to assess any relationship between epileptiform EEG-discharges and cognitive impairment. Seventeen patients with focal discharges in the EEG and an established diagnosis of localization-related (partial) epilepsy were included. The following tasks were used: Low information demand: auditory and visual RT; high information demand: BCRT and CVST. Short testing duration: Arithmetic and Reading; long testing duration: Vocabulary and Block Design. The percentage of patients with epileptiform EEG-discharge and EEG-related cognitive impact were compared using Chi-square testing. The occurrence of epileptiform EEG-discharges was not associated with one of the experimental conditions introduced in our study, that is, high/low information demand or short/long testing period. Also the difference between computerized reaction-time measurement and more traditional 'paper and pencil tasks' such as reading was not statistically significant. The only statistical significant difference was the more frequent occurrence of epileptiform EEG-discharges during tasks that used the visual input mode. In addition, we could identify one test that appeared to be particularly sensitive to direct cognitive effects of epileptiform EEG-discharges. Only for the CVST, the computerized visual searching task, the relationship with epilepsy-related cognitive impact is statistically significant. This test is the most mentally demanding test of the tests presented in our study and measures speed of visual information processing, using complex stimulus patterns and has a long testing duration. Our results do not confirm that any of the investigated task dimensions (high vs. low information demand; short vs. long testing duration) have a dominant effect on the occurrence of epileptiform EEG-discharges and the cognitive impact of such discharges. The effect found for the CVST suggest that three factors combined are necessary to assess the impact of epileptiform EEG-discharges on cognition: visual input mode, longer testing duration and high information processing demand.     

Distributional analyses in auditory lexical decision: Neighborhood density and word-frequency effects

In the present article, the effects of phonological neighborhood density and word frequency in spoken word recognition were examined using distributional analyses of response latencies in auditory lexical decision. A density × frequency interaction was observed in mean latencies; frequency effects were larger for low-density words than for high-density words. Distributional analyses further revealed that for low-density words, frequency effects were reflected in both distributional shifting and skewing, whereas for high-density words, frequency effects were purely mediated by distributional skewing. The results suggest that word frequency plays a role in early auditory word recognition only when there is relatively little competition between similar-sounding words, and that frequency effects in high-density words reflect postlexical checking.     

Trauma and deprivation: The relationship between early object relations and the constitution of a sense of self

Abstract

The paper analyzes the relationship between deprivation and trauma, based on a clinical vignette of a male child, born to a psychotic mother and adopted by a foreign couple when he was seven years old. Based on the importance of maternal care and of a holding environment for the constitution of a sense of self during infancy and childhood, this paper will discuss the factors that facilitated this child's capability to form emotional ties and to constitute a psychical reality even when faced with a very precarious life situation and maternal loss.     

Multiculturalism and acculturation: views of Dutch and Turkish–Dutch

The psychological component of immigration in the Netherlands was studied by comparing views on multiculturalism and acculturation orientation of Turkish migrants between Dutch majority (N=1565) and Turkish–Dutch minority (N=185) members. Multiculturalism was measured with an adaptation of the Multicultural Ideology Scale (Berry & Kalin, 1995); acculturation orientation was investigated in different domains of life. The results revealed that Dutch on average had a neutral attitude towards multiculturalism in the Netherlands while Turkish–Dutch showed a more positive attitude. Regarding the acculturation strategies, Dutch adults preferred assimilation above integration of Turkish migrants in all life domains. Turkish–Dutch adults made a distinction in public and private domains: integration was preferred in public domains, and separation in private domains. In public domains both cultural groups agreed that Turkish migrants should adapt to the Dutch culture. In private domains there was no agreement at all in the views of Dutch and Turkish–Dutch. These results suggest that the views on acculturation and multiculturalism differ substantially for majority and minority group members. Implications are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acculturation Attitudes: A Comparison of Measurement Methods1

Three measurement methods (1, 2, or 4 statements) to assess acculturation attitudes were compared in 2 studies involving Turkish immigrants in The Netherlands. Each measurement method revealed support for differentiation between acculturation in the public and the private domains. The Turkish culture was more valued than the Dutch culture in the private domain, while both cultures were about equally favored in the public domain. A direct comparison of the 3 measurement methods found evidence for a general method factor on which all 3 measurement methods loaded, and an acculturation attitude factor with positive loadings for 2 indicators (private and public domains). The 2‐statement measurement method addressing public and private life domains was found to provide a short, though comprehensive instrument.     

Observing neighborhood effects without neighbors

With a new metric called phonological Levenshtein distance (PLD20), the present study explores the effects of phonological similarity and word frequency on spoken word recognition, using polysyllabic words that have neither phonological nor orthographic neighbors, as defined by neighborhood density (the N-metric). Inhibitory effects of PLD20 were observed for these lexical hermits: Close-PLD20 words were recognized more slowly than distant PLD20 words, indicating lexical competition. Importantly, these inhibitory effects were found only for low- (not high-) frequency words, in line with previous findings that phonetically related primes inhibit recognition of low-frequency words. These results indicate that the properties of PLD20--a continuous measure of word-form similarity--make it a promising new metric for quantifying phonological distinctiveness in spoken word recognition research.