Understanding Adolescent Property Crime using a Delinquent Events Perspective

This qualitative research employed an integrated symbolic interactionist/cultural studies framework to guide its focus on 24 male adolescent offenders' perceptions of their involvement in delinquent events characterized by the commission of property crimes. Adolescents were asked to describe the situations within which their crimes were embedded, including what they were thinking and feeling throughout the course of the delinquent event. Results indicated that adolescents committed property crimes for thrills, to cope with stressors, to defend their gang, and for economic gain. In particular, each motive was associated with a certain set of interactions and conditions, which served as cues to guide the adolescents' interpretive process and eventual meaning construction. The relation between this process and the larger culture is discussed.     

Optimism Is Universal: Exploring the Presence and Benefits of Optimism in a Representative Sample of the World

Current theories of optimism suggest that the tendency to maintain positive expectations for the future is an adaptive psychological resource associated with improved well‐being and physical health, but the majority of previous optimism research has been conducted in industrialized nations. The present study examined (a) whether optimism is universal, (b) what demographic factors predict optimism, and (c) whether optimism is consistently associated with improved subjective well‐being and perceived health worldwide. The present study used representative samples of 142 countries that together represent 95% of the world's population. The total sample of 150,048 individuals had a mean age of 38.28 (SD = 16.85) and approximately equal sex distribution (51.2% female). The relationships between optimism, subjective well‐being, and perceived health were examined using hierarchical linear modeling. Results indicated that most individuals and most countries worldwide are optimistic and that higher levels of optimism are associated with improved subjective well‐being and perceived health worldwide. The present study provides compelling evidence that optimism is a universal phenomenon and that the associations between optimism and improved psychological functioning are not limited to industrialized nations.     

Latent relationships of fluid, visual, and simultaneous cognitive tasks

Horn's 1989 fluid intelligence and Luria's 1966 simultaneous processing have been represented in various cognitive assessment batteries. Although related, these concepts are purported to measure distinct cognitive functions; fluid intelligence refers to deductive reasoning whereas simultaneous processing refers to understanding complex relationships among gestalts. The current study explored the factor structure of known fluid and simultaneous tests along with visually complex new tests. A total of 56 children in Grades 1 through 5 were administered tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Elliott's Differential Abilities Scales, and two experimental tasks. Findings suggest that (1) the two experimental subtests were psychometrically viable, (2) when analyzed as a two-factor structure, fluid and visual processing components were pronounced, and (3) when analyzed as a single-factor structure, simultaneous processing emerged. These findings indicate simultaneous processing may be a blend of fluid and visual components.     

Demographic variables and microCog performance: relationships for VA patients under treatment for substance abuse

The associations of demographic variables with cognitive performance, as measured by the MicroCog ability domain scores, were assessed with 222 substance abusers who were patients in a VA medical center. Analysis indicated that age was negatively related to all five outcomes scores, and education was positively related to measures assessing Attention/Mental Control and Reasoning/Calculation. These findings are consistent with past theoretical and applied research. The demographic variables, as a group, accounted for a total of 17% to 37% of the variance in the five domain scores.     

Random responding to the MMPI-2 F scale

Exact probabilities for a variety of F scale cutoffs are presented for detecting examinees who respond randomly to the MMPI-2 items.     

Boston Naming Test: problems with administration and scoring

The poorly written administration and scoring instructions for the Boston Naming Test allow too wide a range of interpretations. Three different, seemingly correct interpretations of the scoring methods were compared. The results show that these methods can produce large differences in the total score.     

Correlations among measures of cognitive ability, creativity, and academic achievement for gifted minority children

This study explored the correlations among nonverbal reasoning ability, creativity, and academic achievement in gifted minority children, 89 girls and 71 boys in Grades 1 through 8 in a program for gifted. A random half of students from all grade levels were tested at the beginning of the year and the remaining half after 7 mo. with Raven Progressive Matrices, Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and the California Achievement Test. Pearson correlations reflected limited relations among these variables except for a significant positive value between creativity and reading achievement. Suggestions for further study and implications for identification procedures and program development were provided.     

Transcortical motor aphasia: One or two aphasias?

The name "transcortical motor aphasia" has been used to refer to two different types of language alterations: damage in the left supplementary motor area and Luria's dynamic aphasia. It is proposed that they represent two types of language disturbances different enough to be considered two different forms of aphasia.