A self-determination theory approach to predicting daily prosocial behavior

Motivation and Emotion - We examine reports of typical daily helping (Study 1a-b, Ns?=?402 and 217) and daily helping reported over seven days (Study 2, n?=?2380 daily diary...     

Countering Deficits: A Grounded Theory of Success From Graduate Students of Color

The existing research on students of color in counselor education focuses on the barriers they experience, providing a deficit perspective. Using grounded theory and a critical race theory framework, we studied the racialized experiences of 19 graduate students of color in counselor education. Grounded in participants' voices, we propose a liberatory theory of academic success. Implications for promoting the success of students of color in counselor education and for future critical race theory research are discussed. Las investigaciones hasta la fecha sobre estudiantes de color en programas educativos de consejería se centran en las barreras que afrontan, lo cual ofrece un déficit de perspectiva. Usando un muestreo teórico y un marco de teoría crítica de la raza, estudiamos las experiencias racializadas de 19 estudiantes de posgrado de color en programas educativos de consejería. Basándonos en las voces de los participantes, proponemos una teoría liberatoria de éxito académico. Se discuten las implicaciones para fomentar el éxito de estudiantes de color en programas educativos de consejería y para investigaciones futuras de teoría crítica de la raza.     

Psychometric properties of Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale

Background/ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC) in a large sample of patients with non-metastatic, resected cancer.MethodsProspective, observational, multicenter study for which 914 patients were recruited from 15 Spanish hospitals. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, validity and reliability analyses were conducted.ResultsFactor-analytic results indicated a 4-factor structure of the Spanish version of the Mini-MAC. Three subscales have psychometric properties similar to those of Helplessness, Anxious preoccupation, and Cognitive avoidance of the original the Mini-MAC. The Fighting spirit and the Fatalism subscales were combined on the Positive attitude scale. The four factor-derived scale scores exhibited acceptable accuracy for individual measurement purposes, as well as stability over time in test-retest assessments at 6 months. Validity assessments found meaningful relations between the derived scale scores, and Brief Symptom Inventory depression and anxiety scores and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy spiritual well-being scores.ConclusionsThe Spanish version of the Mini-MAC provides reliable and valid measures for patients with non-metastatic, resected cancer, and results corroborate the instrument’s cross-cultural validity.     

Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS). A Psychometric Study of the Italian Version

The Frustration Discomfort Scale (FDS, Harrington 2005a) was developed as a multidimensional measure of frustration intolerance. Frustration intolerance plays an important role in behavioral and cognitive model of emotional problems (Harrington 2006). The aim of this study is to translate the original English version of FDS into Italian and to assess the validity and reliability of the Italian version for application among Italian population. The Italian version of FDS-R, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered on-line to 497 subjects aged from 18 to 66 years old. The exploratory factor analysis suggested a solution with four factors, plus a general factor. The factor analysis supports a multidimensional model of frustration intolerance but the distribution of the items is different. The internal consistency appears optimal for all four factors (range .637–.866). Despite encouraging evidence, the factor structure and other features of the FDS-R are yet to be firmly established.     

Explaining variance in long-term recall in 3- and 4-year-old children: The importance of post-encoding processes

Long-term recall is influenced by what originally was encoded as well as by the efficacy of retrieval processes. The possible explanatory role of post-encoding processes by which initially labile memory traces are stabilized and integrated into long-term memory (i.e., consolidated) has received relatively less research attention. In the current research, we examined 3- and 4-year-old children's recall of multi-step event sequences immediately after seeing them modeled as a measure of encoding, 1week later as a measure of the status of the memory trace post-encoding, and 1month later as an assessment of long-term recall. We tested recall of events with three different levels of internal structure and with three different levels of support for retrieval. Measures of the post-encoding status of the memory trace explained significant variance in long-term recall when they were the sole predictors of performance, and they contributed unique variance in long-term recall even after accounting for the variance associated with encoding. The results imply that a complete explanation of forgetting during childhood must include not only roles for encoding and retrieval processes but also roles for post-encoding processes.     

The Role of Family Affect in Juvenile Drug Court Offenders’ Substance Use and HIV Risk

Family-based interventions targeting parenting factors, such as parental monitoring and parent–child communication, have been successful in reducing adolescent offenders’ substance use and delinquency. This pilot, exploratory study focuses on family and parenting factors that may be relevant in reducing juvenile offenders’ substance use and sexual risk taking behavior, and in particular examines the role of family emotional involvement and responsiveness in young offenders’ risk-taking behaviors. Participants included 53 juvenile drug court offenders and their parents. Results indicate that poor parent–child communication is associated with marijuana use and unprotected sexual activity for young offenders; however, family affective responsiveness is also a significant unique predictor of unprotected sexual activity for these youth. Findings suggest that interventions focused on improving parent–child communication may reduce both marijuana use and risky sexual behavior among court-involved youth, but a specific intervention focused on improving parents and young offenders’ ability to connect with and respond to one another emotionally may provide a novel means of reducing unprotected sexual risk behaviors.     

Measurement Skills in Low-Income Elementary School Students: Exploring the Nature of Gender Differences

In this research, we examined overall performance and gender differences in measurement skills in elementary-school students from low-income families. In Study 1, accuracy and error patterns were analyzed in a large sample of fourth-graders; in Study 2 error patterns and strategy usage were examined with a smaller sample of fourth-graders. Study 1 showed no main effect of gender on students’ performance. Instead, as predicted, the direction of gender difference varied as a function of problem type: boys outperformed girls on spatial/conceptual measurement, whereas girls outperformed boys on formula-based measurement, as well as on a test of computation skills. Study 2 revealed both similarities and differences in the way boys and girls approached measurement problems. Girls appeared to have specific difficulty with spatial/conceptual problems where objects and measurement units were not pictorially presented. When recording their solutions, girls generally wrote down calculations while boys made drawings. Overall, the students performed poorly in measurement; strategy analysis allowed for examination of common weaknesses, indicating possible ways of improving performance of underserved groups.     

Computer game associating self-concept to images of acceptance can reduce adolescents' aggressiveness in response to social rejection

The experience of social rejection can lead to an aggressive response. However, the ability to maintain a sense of social connection may reduce the likelihood of this type of response. We tested a computer-based intervention designed to use simple learning principles to boost the sense of social connection and acceptance. Adolescents aged 9–15 (n=138) first completed a conditioning game on computer that repeatedly paired their own name with images of social acceptance (versus a control condition with no systematic pairing), and subsequently reported how aggressively they would behave in response to being rejected by a peer. Those completing the self-acceptance conditioning (particularly those low in self-esteem) reported less aggressive feelings and intentions.