Signal-detection analysis of recognition memory of obese subjects

Obese and normal-weight subjects were run on a series of recognition-memory tasks with low and high meaningful CVC trigrams. Subjects received feedback or no feedback regarding the appropriateness of their answers during testing for recognition memory. A signal-detection analysis was used to examine a relatively pure index of memory (d') as compared to response-bias factors [Ln (beta)]. No significant main effect on memory of obese and control subjects was noted although a significant interaction indicated that obese subjects' memory increases over trials in a differential fashion from normal-weight individuals with poorer performance among the obese after 3 trials. Feedback facilitated memory for both groups. Analysis of response criteria [Ln (beta)] showed no significant difference between groups. Highly meaningful trigrams had a significantly lower response criterion than low meaningful trigrams and there was a significant interaction of meaningfulness by trials. An interaction of feedback by meaningfulness was also present. Advantages of using a signal-detection analysis in memory studies comparing obese and normal weight subjects are discussed. Ramifications of the present data for the internality/externality hypothesis of obesity are also discussed.     

Introduction to the Special Section: Toward Implementing Physiological Measures in Clinical Assessments of Adult Mental Health

This article serves as the introduction to the Special Section called “Toward Implementing Physiological Measures in Clinical Assessments of Adult Mental Health.” As such, it provides an overview of the importance of integrating assessments of physiological and subjective processes in mental health assessments and discusses the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. In addition, it summarizes the findings from the four empirical studies published in the Special Section. Collectively, these studies sought to illustrate how physiological assessments can be incorporated in mental health assessments conducted in applied research and clinic settings. In all, we hope that this Special Section will inspire the type of interdisciplinary research spanning basic and applied work that will be critical to advancing the RDoC initiative.     

Linking Informant Discrepancies to Observed Variations in Young Children’s Disruptive Behavior

Prior work has not tested the basic theoretical notion that informant discrepancies in reports of children’s behavior exist, in part, because different informants observe children’s behavior in different settings. We examined patterns of observed preschool disruptive behavior across varying social contexts in the laboratory and whether they related to parent-teacher rating discrepancies of disruptive behavior in a sample of 327 preschoolers. Observed disruptive behavior was assessed with a lab-based developmentally sensitive diagnostic observation paradigm that assesses disruptive behavior across three interactions with the child with parent and examiner. Latent class analysis identified four patterns of disruptive behavior: (a) low across parent and examiner contexts, (b) high with parent only, (c) high with examiner only, and (d) high with parent and examiner. Observed disruptive behavior specific to the parent and examiner contexts were uniquely related to parent-identified and teacher-identified disruptive behavior, respectively. Further, observed disruptive behavior across both parent and examiner contexts was associated with disruptive behavior as identified by both informants. Links between observed behavior and informant discrepancies were not explained by child impairment or observed problematic parenting. Findings provide the first laboratory-based support for the Attribution Bias Context Model (De Los Reyes and Kazdin Psychological Bulletin 131:483–509, 2005), which posits that informant discrepancies are indicative of cross-contextual variability in children’s behavior and informants’ perspectives on this behavior. These findings have important implications for clinical assessment, treatment outcomes, and developmental psychopathology research.

Non-Violent Communication and Marital Relationship: Efficacy of ‘Emotion-Focused Couples’ Communication Program Among Filipino Couples

Non-Violent Communication (NVC), developed by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, fosters intra- and interpersonal relationship through empathetic and compassionate communication. It has been used and proven effective in a variety of settings like schools, health care centers, jails, and in restorative and rehabilitative institutions. However, the use of NVC in the field of marital relationship is found to be relatively few. The present study aimed at investigating the efficacy of the intervention program, Emotion-Focused Couples’ Communication Program (EFCCP) in a Filipino setting. EFCCP which is an intervention program developed by the researchers based on the constructs of NVC has already been proven to be effective in a previous study involving couples in an Indian setting. This present study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of the program’s shortened version in the Filipino setting and to test whether the program is culturally suited for Filipino married couples. Relational Communication Scale and Locke–Wallace Marital Adjustment Test were used to measure the level of communication and marital satisfaction among the couples. The EFCCP-Shortened Version was administered to a group of 12 couples for a period of 3 weeks, and the results revealed a significant difference in the level of couples’ communication and marital satisfaction among the participants. These results provided ample indications to the efficacy of the EFCCP-Shortened Version in enhancing communication and enriching marriage quality among couples across diverse settings.     

Individual and Collective Posttraumatic Growth in Victims of Natural Disasters: A Multidimensional Perspective

This study set out to incorporate the collective dimensions of posttraumatic growth and examined the construct and predictive validity of The Individual and Collective Posttraumatic Growth Scale (ICPTGS). Participants were 332 volunteers who had experienced the earthquake on February 27, 2010, in Chile. Analysis allowed us to confirm a multidimensional structure composed of four dimensions: individual, spiritual, communal growth, and societal growth. Additionally, we identified association among ICPTGS, perceived emotional impact, and social well-being. This study emphasizes that positive changes resulting from the exposure to collective disasters can be perceived also at the collective or community level.     

Prediction and Cross-Situational Consistency of Daily Behavior across Cultures: Testing Trait and Cultural Psychology Perspectives

Trait and cultural psychology perspectives on the cross-situational consistency of behavior, and the predictive validity of traits, were tested in a daily process study in the United States (N = 68), an individualistic culture, and the Philippines (N = 80), a collectivistic culture. Participants completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and a measure of self-monitoring, then reported their daily behaviors and associated situational contexts for approximately 30 days. Consistent with trait perspectives, the Big Five traits predicted daily behaviors in both cultures, and relative (interindividual) consistency was observed across many, although not all, situational contexts. The frequency of various Big Five behaviors varied across relevant situational contexts in both cultures and, consistent with cultural psychology perspectives, there was a tendency for Filipinos to exhibit greater situational variability than Americans. Self-monitoring showed some ability to account for individual differences in situational variability in the American sample, but not the Filipino sample.