The development of the use of long-term knowledge to assist short-term recall

The influence of item familiarity upon memory span was examined in adults and children aged 5, 7, and 10 years by comparing the recall of words and nonwords. Using a probed recall task, both item recall and position recall were tested. The effect of familiarity upon item recall was found to develop with age, from no effects in the 5-year-olds to significant effects in the older children and adults. By contrast, no effect of familiarity was found at any age when recall of position was required. Dissociations between word length effects and familiarity effects supported the conclusion that the familiarity effect does not result from rehearsal. Several explanations for the source of the familiarity effect were examined, and the familiarity effect was attributed to a strategic redintegration or reconstruction process, which is necessary for item recall but not for position recall.     

The role of the regular teacher in a whole school approach to guidance counselling in Ireland

A whole school approach to guidance counselling has been promulgated by Irish policy-makers as a model of good practice in the delivery of guidance counselling in the post-primary sector since the 1998 Education Act (DES, 2005a, 2009, 2012). This approach to guidance counselling provision is viewed as a whole school responsibility where schools are expected to collaboratively develop a school guidance plan to support the needs of their students. The role of the regular teacher in a whole school approach to guidance counselling has received very little attention either in the Irish education system or in empirical research. This article will address this deficit through its discussion of a case study carried out in one school in 2012. It will position the findings from the study in the context of the re-allocation of post-primary guidance counselling provision in the national Budget 2012 that has witnessed the substantive erosion of the guidance counselling service in the last two years.     

Changed Responses Under Cross‐examination: The Role of Anxiety and Individual Differences in Child Witnesses

The present study explored whether levels of anxiety, and a range of individual differences measures (age, IQ and suggestibility), could predict performance during cross‐examination questioning. Eighty‐three children (aged 4–11 years) witnessed a staged event before being interviewed (3–6 days later) and cross‐examined (10 months later). Results demonstrated that cross‐examination induced a significant rise in anxiety levels. Further, recall of unchallenged details (based on children's initial testimony, which they reviewed prior to cross‐examination) and anxiety levels were the only significant predictors of cross‐examination performance. Further research is needed to explore the interrelationship between anxiety and other individual difference measures on cross‐examination performance, and to determine how to alleviate the anxiety of child witnesses (to enable them to achieve their best evidence in court). Preparation to ensure children understand the importance of attending to the recording of their original evidence may improve children's resilience under cross‐examination and reduce anxiety levels. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“Where Does it Come from?” Experiences Among Survivors and Parents of Children with Retinoblastoma in Kenya

Genetic testing and counseling have become integral to the timely control of heritable cancers, like the childhood eye cancer retinoblastoma. This study aimed to determine attitudes, knowledge and experiences related to retinoblastoma genetics, among survivors and parents of children with retinoblastoma in Kenya. This qualitative study used focus groups as the primary data collection method, coupled with a brief demographic questionnaire. Study settings were Kenyatta National Hospital and Presbyterian Church of East Africa Kikuyu Hospital. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. Thirty-one individuals participated in five focus groups. Two main concepts emerged: (1) the origins of retinoblastoma are unclear, and (2) retinoblastoma is associated with significant challenges. The lack of clarity surrounding the origins of retinoblastoma was linked to limited knowledge of retinoblastoma genetics, and limited genetic counseling delivery and uptake. The challenges associated with retinoblastoma were discussed in terms of the impact of the diagnosis on individuals and families, and unmet healthcare needs related to the diagnosis. Next steps will incorporate these findings to develop evidence-informed and accessible cancer genetic services in Kenya.     

Home-Based vs. Clinic-Based Parent–Child Interaction Therapy: Comparative Effectiveness in the Context of Dissemination and Implementation

Disruptive child behavior disorders remain a major public health issue despite the proliferation of several strong Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for these children and their families. This may stem from barriers to treatment facing many families in need, particularly families with low resources. Home-based treatment may be best suited for this population; however, EBPs are not always available or tested as home-based interventions. The current study compares an intensive home-based adaptation of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to the standard clinic-based model in the context of a statewide implementation. As part of the statewide implementation, therapists entered archival data into an online system. Data was gathered for 314 families receiving PCIT, with 181 children in clinic-based PCIT and 133 in intensive home-based PCIT. Consistent with other trials of PCIT, results of the current study indicate that both versions of the therapy were effective in reducing child-behavior problems and increasing parenting skills; however, there were marked differences in attrition. Intensive home-based participants were twice as likely to complete treatment (64.66%) compared to clinic-based participants (33.15%) despite facing more adversity. These results underscore the importance of scientifically-sound adaptations of EBPs, as well as the role of comparative effectiveness studies as a critical tool in the integrative model of intervention science.     

Self-knowledge,belief, ability (and agency?)

Matthew Boyle [(2011). “Transparent Self-Knowledge.” Aristotelian Society Supplementary Volume 85 (1): 223–241. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8349.2011.00204.x] has defended an account of doxastic self-knowledge which he calls “Reflectivism”. I distinguish two claims within Reflectivism: (A) that believing that p and knowing oneself to believe that p are not two distinct cognitive states, but two aspects of the same cognitive state, and (B) that this is because we are in some sense agents in relation to our beliefs. I find claim (A) compelling, but argue that its tenability depends on how we view the metaphysics of knowledge, something Boyle does not consider. I argue that in the context of the standard account of knowledge as a kind of true belief – what I call the Belief Account of knowledge – the claim faces serious problems, and that these simply disappear if we instead adopt an Ability Account of knowledge, along the lines of that defended by John Hyman [(1999). “How knowledge Works.” The Philosophical Quarterly 49 (197): 433–451; John Hyman (2015). Action, Knowledge, and the Will. Oxford: Oxford University Press]. I find claim (B) less compelling, and a secondary aim of the paper is to suggest that once we reject the Belief Account of knowledge, and move over to an Ability Account, there is no explanatory role for (B) left to play.     

Understanding adherence to physiotherapy: Findings from an experimental simulation and an observational clinical study

This article reports two studies assessing the influence of self-efficacy, outcome expectancies and aversive feedback on different aspects of adherence. Study 1 employed a computer simulation of physiotherapy to test experimentally the effects of aversive feedback (i.e., loud noise) experienced during simulated therapy on adherence behaviour in a student population. Study 2 examined whether similar effects of aversive feedback (i.e., pain) experienced during physiotherapy in a clinical setting would be observed in a longitudinal questionnaire study of predictors of adherence. In both studies, self-efficacy and outcome expectancies were assessed at baseline and after experience of the task (performing simulated or actual physiotherapy). Study 1 found that self-efficacy and outcome expectancies predicted persistence with simulated physiotherapy (i.e., completing the experimental session), whereas aversive feedback influenced adherence during sessions (i.e., correct response rate). Study 2 found that self-efficacy and outcome expectancies predicted persistence with actual physiotherapy (i.e., completing the prescribed number of sessions). Aversive feedback and outcome expectancies influenced adherence during sessions. We conclude that different factors predict different aspects of adherence behaviour. It is therefore important to measure both persistence over time and adherence during sessions, and to investigate the predictors of each dimension of adherence.