Patient Perceptions of Telephone vs. In-Person <Emphasis Type="Italic">BRCA1/BRCA2</Emphasis> Genetic Counseling

Telephone genetic counseling (TC) for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer risk has been associated with positive outcomes in high risk women. However, little is known about how patients perceive TC. As part of a randomized trial of TC versus usual care (UC; in-person genetic counseling), we compared high risk women’s perceptions of: (1) overall satisfaction with genetic counseling; (2) convenience; (3) attentiveness during the session; (4) counselor effectiveness in providing support; and (5) counselor ability to recognize emotional responses during the session. Among the 554 participants (TC, N?=?272; UC, N?=?282), delivery mode was not associated with self-reported satisfaction. However, TC participants found counseling significantly more convenient than UC participants (OR?=?4.78, 95 % CI?=?3.32, 6.89) while also perceiving lower levels of support (OR?=?0.56, 95 % CI?=?0.40–0.80) and emotional recognition (OR?=?0.53, 95 % CI?=?0.37–0.76). In exploratory analyses, we found that non-Hispanic white participants reported higher counselor support in UC than in TC (69.4 % vs. 52.8 %; OR?=?3.06, 95 % CI?=?1.39–6.74), while minority women perceived less support in UC vs. TC (58.3 % vs. 38.7 %; OR?=?0.80, 95 % CI?=?0.39–1.65). We discuss potential research and practice implications of these findings which may further improve the effectiveness and utilization of TC.     

Home‐based intervention after discharge for Latino families of low‐birth‐weight infants

A home‐based intervention designed for impoverished Latino families of low‐birth‐weight infants was implemented, and the efficacy assessed for infants and mothers. Specially trained public health nurses visited the participants' homes for 4 months for the “short” and 12 months for the “extended” intervention groups. Mothers received support and training in infant care. A third group did not receive the intervention. Assessments were at 4‐ to 6‐month intervals from 1 to 24 months. Although the extended visitation group showed no benefits from the intervention, the short visitation group had higher scores on maternal confidence at one month, and on the Bayley Mental Scores at four months than the group receiving no intervention and extended intervention. The nonvisitation group scored significantly higher than both intervention groups on the HOME scores and on the Mother–Infant Interaction and Feeding scores at three different assessment periods. These data suggest that for poor Latino families home intervention is not beneficial across the board. Instead, efforts should be made to identify families that could benefit from intervention and to tailor the program to the specific needs of Latino families. © 2000 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.     

Pluralism in Education: The display of Islamic affiliation in French and British schools

The expression of Islamic affiliation by Muslim students in French and British schools has been perceived as particularly problematic to the extent that it has become a focal point for public and media attention. The controversies over the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in French and British public schools and the state funding of Islamic schools in Britain are case studies representing a range of issues raised by religious pluralism in education, particularly the display of religious affiliation in public schools. In France the prohibition of the Islamic headscarf in public schools provoked a national controversy in 1989. In Britain the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in public schools resulted in a localized and minor debate but the question of state funding of Islamic schools became a major controversial issue in 1990. The press coverage of the case studies is used as an analytical tool with which to examine the exchange of public information and opinion in the press on this type of religious expression. Over 1,500 press articles on the two case studies were published from 1989 to 1998 by selected French and British national daily newspapers, religious papers and education papers. A quantitative analysis of the articles measures the magnitude of each controversy and its prominence in the press. A qualitative content analysis of the articles examines actual press content and compares the primary issues, prevalent opinions and supporting arguments defining the debates in each case study.     

Linking personal values to gender

Two studies were conducted to investigate the relation between personal values and aspects of gender. Study 1 used the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) to examine the nature of stereotypes concerning the values of the “typical man” and the “typical woman”. Results supported the hypothesis that men are viewed as more likely to endorse agentic values, such as freedom and accomplishment, whereas women are viewed as more likely to endorse communal values, such as friendship and equality. Study 2 assessed men and women's possession of stereotypic sets of masculine and feminine values, using the RVS, and examined their relation to gender-related personality traits, gender-related interests and role behaviors, and global self-perceptions of masculinity and femininity. Masculine values were found to be significantly related to socially desirable masculine traits, socially undesirable masculine traits, masculine interests and a global self-concept of masculinity. Feminine values were shown to be significantly related to socially desirable feminine traits, feminine interests, feminine role behaviors, and a global self-concept of femininity. These results suggest that gender-linked personal values merit inclusion with traits, interests, role behaviors, and global self-concepts as part of an emerging multidimensional conception of gender characteristics.     

Sociocultural Influences on Body Image Concerns and Body Change Strategies Among Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian Adolescent Girls and Boys

Sociocultural messages about the ideal body build have been studied predominantlyamong White adolescent girls. In the current study we examined the relationships between perceived sociocultural influences, body image concerns, and body change strategies among 47 (22 boys and 25 girls) Indigenous Australian adolescents. These relationships were compared to those from 47 non-Indigenous adolescents (predominantly from an Anglo-Saxon background), who were matched on gender, age, and school grade. Overall, the sociocultural influences were found to be associated with body image concerns and body change strategies among both cultural groups. The only exception was that the sociocultural influences were not associated with the Indigenous girls’ levels of body dissatisfaction or body image importance. These findings are discussed in relation to past studies of White and Black girls.     

Assessing Reflective Parenting in Interaction With School-Aged Children

The aim of this study was to examine whether it was possible to develop a reliable and valid assessment of reflective parenting implicit in interaction with school-aged children using an adaptation of the Squiggle paradigm developed by Winnicott (1968 Winnicott, D. W. (1968). Playing: Its theoretical status in the clinical situation. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 49, 591–599.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and a manualized coding system (Normandin, Leroux, Ensink, Terradas, &; Fonagy, 2015 Normandin, L., Leroux, A., Ensink, K., Terradas, M. M., &; Fonagy, P. (2015). Reflective Parenting Assessment coding manual (Unpublished manual). University Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada. [Google Scholar]). A total of 158 mother–child dyads participated when children were age 5 to 12. Of this group, 89 children had experienced sexual abuse. Interrater reliability using the manualized coding system was excellent. The factor analysis identified a reflective parenting stance factor, in addition to an affectionate support factor and a negative parenting factor. Furthermore, there was a medium strength relationship between the mother's reflective parenting stance evident in her interactions with her child and parental reflective functioning assessed using the Parent Development Interview (Slade, Aber, Bresgi, Berger, &; Kaplan, 2004 Slade, A., Aber, J. L., Bresgi, I., Berger, B., &; Kaplan, M. (2004). The Parent Development Interview–Revised (Unpublished protocol). The City University of New York, New York, NY. [Google Scholar]), suggesting the parental reflective stance is a good indicator of parental reflective functioning in interaction. With regard to parent reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, the reflective parenting stance was the only predictor of internalizing difficulties and a significant predictor of externalizing difficulties in addition to sexual abuse.     

选择性注意机制在情景线索效应中的作用

情景线索效应是指个体在视觉搜索过程中通过学习重复不变的情景信息提高搜索效率的现象。本文从情景线索效应相关行为特征、眼动特征及大脑神经活动等三个方面探讨了情景线索效应与选择性注意机制的交互作用,发现现有研究中存在着许多互相冲突的现象,增加了理解注意机制的难度。未来研究应结合认知神经科学技术寻找更多的实证数据,探索注意机制对情景线索效应的影响,以进一步完善情景线索效应中的注意机制理论。     

事件后信息影响目击证言准确性的实验研究

本研究探讨了不同案件类型、不同性别及给予不同的事件后信息对目击证言的影响,征集了男女大学生被试101名,进行了实验研究,研究结果如下:(1)以主体信息的记忆成绩为因变量,性别、案件类型和事件后信息为白变量,得出案件类型主效应显著,事件后信息的主效应显著,性别主效应以及各因素的交互作用都不显著;(2)以情境信息的记忆成绩为因变量,性别、案件类型和事件后信息为自变量,得出事件后信息主效应显著,案件类型和事件后信息之间交互作用效应显著;(3)不同性别、接受不同案件信息的被试对不同信息记忆的确信程度有所不同.     

Development of an Interactive Decision Aid for Female BRCA1/BRCA2 Carriers

Shared decision making between patients and providers is becoming increasingly common, particularly when there is no clear preferred course of action. As a result, decision aids are being adopted with growing frequency and have been applied to many medical decision-making issues. One such issue where there is uncertainty is breast cancer risk management among BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers. We present the development of a CD-ROM decision aid to facilitate risk management decision making in this population. Our decision aid was developed with the intention of providing it through a randomized clinical trial. The CD-ROM is a multimedia, interactive intervention which provides information about breast cancer, risks associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, risk management options for hereditary breast cancer, and a breast cancer risk management decision aid. The goal of this CD-ROM, offered as an adjunctive intervention, is to reduce decisional conflict and psychological distress and improve comprehension of risk information, decisional satisfaction, medical adherence, and quality of life for this population of women at increased risk for breast cancer.