The Temporal Relations of PTSD Symptoms Among Treatment-Seeking Victims of Sexual Assault: A Longitudinal Study

This prospective study assessed the temporal relationships between the symptom clusters of PTSD in two nonprobability samples of treatment-seeking victims of sexual abuse: rape victims and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Both groups were assessed at three time periods using self-report measures of PTSD symptomology. Findings from two cross-lagged panel analyses indicated weak temporal relationships between the symptom clusters of PTSD; however, avoidance and emotional numbing symptoms were found to exert the strongest cross-lagged effects. Avoidance and emotional numbing symptoms were also found to be the strongest predictor of subsequently meeting caseness for PTSD in both samples. Results suggest that there are minimal cross-lagged effects between the PTSD symptom clusters after three months from traumatic exposure.     

A Danish version of the Sensation Seeking Scale and its relation to a broad spectrum of behavioral and psychological characteristics

The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the internal consistency and construct validity of the Danish translation of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). The secondary aim was to extend the range of psychological variables and behaviors that have been related to sensation seeking. The sample consisted of 691 subjects (363 males and 328 females) with a mean age of 31.7 years. The internal consistency of the scales was evaluated by coefficient alpha and intercorrelations among the five scales derived from the SSS were computed. Information on other variables was collected through standardized tests as well as questionnaires and interviews developed especially for this study. The results showed that the Danish SSS is a psychometrically sound instrument and revealed the relationship between sensation seeking and a broad spectrum of psychological traits and behaviors: socioeconomic status, academic achievement, intelligence, personality, smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexuality, driving and public transportation violations, and leisure time activities. Thus, this study confirmed and expanded the findings of many previous studies, while the results supported the validity of the Danish SSS and corroborated the usefulness of the concept of sensation seeking.     

Caregiver‐mediated joint attention intervention

Joint attention is a pivotal social communication skill often absent or impaired in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Joint attention is the shared and alternating attention of two individuals on an object or event, and has implications for later communication and social communication skills. This study used a concurrent multiple‐baseline design across 3 caregiver–child dyads to train caregivers to teach response to joint attention behaviors to their 3–6 years old children with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder. Caregivers were trained on strategies including prompting, time delay, and elements of naturalistic teaching and implemented the intervention in brief 10‐min sessions 2–3 times per week. Results indicate parent mastery of intervention and substantial increase in child response to joint attention behaviors both prompted and independent. Implications for practice and areas for future research are discussed.     

“Tell me more about this…”: An examination of the efficacy of follow-up open questions following an initial account

In information gathering interviews, follow-up questions are asked to clarify and extend initial witness accounts. Across two experiments, we examined the efficacy of open-ended questions following an account about a multi-perpetrator event. In Experiment 1, 50 mock-witnesses used the timeline technique or a free recall format to provide an initial account. Although follow-up questions elicited new information (18–22% of the total output) across conditions, the response accuracy (60%) was significantly lower than that of the initial account (83%). In Experiment 2 (N = 60), half of the participants received pre-questioning instructions to monitor accuracy when responding to follow-up questions. New information was reported (21–22% of the total output) across conditions, but despite using pre-questioning instructions, response accuracy (75%) was again lower than the spontaneously reported information (87.5%). Follow-up open-ended questions prompt additional reporting; however, practitioners should be cautious to corroborate the accuracy of new reported details.     

A comparison of song-lyric and prose self-instruction procedures for increasing novel skills in children

We compared the effects of the effects of self-instructions in the form of prose or song lyrics in the acquisition of gross motor tasks in 4 third-grade children. We taught participants 4 pairs of gross motor tasks, with one task in each pair taught with prose self-instructions and the other taught with song lyric self-instructions. Both self-instruction procedures were effective for teaching tasks; however, acquisition was quicker with song lyric self-instruction for 4 task pairs, acquisition was quicker with prose self-instruction for 3 task pairs; and similar for 1 task pair. Participants were then able to select their preferred method of self-instruction for a novel, applied skill. Two participants selected song-lyric self-instructions and 2 participants selected prose self-instructions.     

Aging,Identity, and Women: Constructing the Third Age

The “Third Age” offers a conceptualization of the lives of those who are retired and beyond middle age but not facing any disability stereotypically associated with the “old.” Emphasizing good health, freedom from the responsibilities of younger adulthood, and continuing engagement with the world, it articulates a specific form of positive aging that has received very little attention within psychology. We adopted a feminist and critical discursive approach in exploring how eight women, who fit the Third Age profile, understand their lives and who they are. Audiotaped semi-structured interviews were transcribed and analyzed. The participants drew on four pairs of interpretative repertoires in constructing the meanings of aging. Their identity work involved positioning themselves as “not old” and establishing continuity between who they have been in the past and who they are now. The results highlight the women’s agency as they negotiated between the discursive resources available to them. Drawing on a framework for feminist therapy that incorporates an emphasis on social change, we discuss the implications of these results.     

A process model of buyer responses to salesperson transgressions and recovery efforts: the impact of salesperson orientation

Despite the damaging effects often associated with salesperson transgressions, our understanding of how buyers respond to these transgressions and the recovery efforts that typically follow is limited. The authors address this shortcoming across two studies of professional buyers. In the first, the authors examine buyers’ responses to salesperson ethical and service transgressions as moderated by their perceptions of the salesperson (i.e. whether they perceive the salesperson as being selling-oriented (SO) or customer-oriented (CO)). In the second study, the authors contrast the effects of an apology versus compensation in examining buyers’ responses to the overall transgression and recovery episode. Although study results indicate that a customer orientation amplifies buyers’ responses to the initial transgression, they also indicate that buyers’ responses to the overall episode are primarily a function of whether the recovery effort conforms to their expectations. Hence, while favorable salesperson perceptions (i.e. being perceived as CO) are detrimental in the context of the initial transgression, they are beneficial in the context of the overall transgression and recovery episode.     

A Mindfulness-Based Meditation Pilot Study: Lessons Learned on Acceptability and Feasibility in Adolescents with Cancer

A growing body of research has documented the psychological impact of cancer on adolescents (such as symptoms of depression, anxiety and withdrawal). Findings from the adult literature suggest that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are a promising treatment option for helping individuals manage cancer and alleviate the associated psychological symptoms. The aim of the present pilot study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a MBI for adolescents with cancer and examine its potential positive impact on sleep, mood, and quality of life. Over 9 months of recruitment, 481 youth were screened for participation in this project. Of these, 418 (86.9 %) were excluded because they lived further than 1 h from the intervention site, had no history of cancer, had died or were not reachable by telephone. Of the 63 who were contacted, only 7 (1.4 %) agreed to participate, gave their consent, and provided a complete dataset. A prospective quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with two groups (experimental; n = 7 and no treatment; n = 7) was used to assess the MBI. Only participants from the experimental group completed follow-up measures at 6 months. Repeated-measure ANOVAs were conducted to assess the impact of the intervention. No significant differences between or within groups were found pre to post assessment and at follow-up. A narrow pool of eligible participants, a high refusal rate, school scheduling conflicts and absenteeism had a significant impact on the final sample size. Suggestions to conduct future trials are presented. Larger randomized-controlled trials are necessary to assess whether MBIs have significant beneficial effects in teenagers with cancer.     

Damned if You Do,Damned if You Don’t: The Stigma of Weight Loss Surgery

Willpower, as demonstrated through diet and exercise, is constructed as the only acceptable strategy for losing weight. While weight loss surgery (WLS) is an option for morbidly obese individuals, like obesity itself, WLS carries stigma. Using a 40-item survey, we measured 101 participants’ experiences with WLS stigma. We examined whether WLS is stigmatizing, how that stigma is perceived by patients, and tendencies to hide their surgery status in order to manage stigma. Results indicated evidence of perceived stigma despite support from significant others as well as a tendency to hide surgery status from some people as a stigma management technique.