Association between maternal sensitivity and externalizing behavior from preschool to preadolescence

Using data from the longitudinal NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1364), this study examined the association between mothers' sensitivity and children's externalizing behavior from preschool to preadolescence. Externalizing behavior declined on average across this period with a slowing of this decline around middle childhood. Maternal sensitivity remained relatively stable on average, and there was significant variation across mothers. A decrease in maternal sensitivity from ages 3 to 11 was related to an increase in externalizing behavior from ages 4 to 12. A model-based test of the direction of the effect suggested that the association between changes in maternal sensitivity and externalizing behavior from ages 4 to 11 was driven by child effects on mothers and not vice-versa. Between late preschool age and preadolescence, the behavior problems of children appear to strongly influence the sensitive support of mothers. Practical implications were discussed in light of these findings.     

Interaction Between Visually and Kinesthetically Triggered Voluntary Responses

A voluntary motor response that is prepared in advance of a stimulus may be triggered by any sensory input. This study investigated the combination of visual and kinesthetic inputs in triggering voluntary torque responses. When a visual stimulus was presented alone, subjects produced a fast and accurate increase in elbow flexion torque. When a kinesthetic stimulus was presented instead of the visual stimulus, subjects produced a similar response with a reduced response latency. When a visual stimulus was presented in combination with a kinesthetic stimulus, subjects initiated their responses after either a visual or a kinesthetic response latency, depending on the relative timing of the two stimuli. An analysis of response amplitude suggested that when visual and kinesthetic stimuli were combined, both stimuli triggered a response. The results are more consistent with a simple behavioral model of addition of visual and kinesthetic responses (which predicts that the response to combined stimuli should be the sum of individual responses) than with a model of exclusion of one response (which predicts that the response to combined stimuli should be identical to either the visual or the kinesthetic response). Because addition of visually and kinesthetically triggered responses produced a response with an erroneously large amplitude, it is suggested that visual and kinesthetic inputs are not always efficiently integrated.     

Vocabulary Ability in Later Life

A group of young adults (17 to 20 years) was compared to a group of older adults (62 to 83 years) with respect to their vocabulary test responses scored qualitatively, after having been matched on the basis of their vocabulary test responses scored in the traditional “quantitative” way. The qualitative score analysis was based upon categories of response which differentiated among levels of good performances, levels of poor performances, and types of errors.

The results of this study cast doubt as to the validity of the generalization that vocabulary function is maintained throughout adult life. The best possible response—i.e., superior synonym—was seen to decline with age.

This decline, however, was compensated for by very satisfactory, although less good, performance. This made the overall level of correct response appear similar for the two age groups, which may account for the usual report of stability of function in the course of adult aging. The compensation also made for very high correlations between qualitative and quantitative scores. It may be reasonable to speculate that, if performances on other verbal tasks were analyzed for qualitative differences in response precision, the often reported aging pattern (verbal skills maintained but not perceptual integrative ones) would not be observed.     

Esther bick (1901 – 1983)

Abstract

Pearl King and Richardo Steiner, Eds. The Freud-Klein Controversies 1941-45. London, Routledge, 1991. λ100 (Hardback).

Alessandra Piontelli. From Fetus to Child. An Observational and Pyschoanalytic Study. New Library of Psychoanalysis 15. 1992. λ14.99 paperback.

Antonino Ferro. La tecnica in psicoanalisi infantile. II bambino e l'analista: dalla relatione al campo emotivo.? Milan: Cortina, 1992, 221 pages

Rolene Szur and Sheila Miller, Editors. Extending Horizons. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with Children, Adolescents and Families. Published by Karnac Books, 1991. Paperback λ24.95.     

Evaluating the Effects of Creative Journal Arts Therapy for Survivors of Domestic Violence

The authors implemented a small series (N = 3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of a 9-session creative arts therapy treatment program for adult survivors of domestic violence. Analysis of participants’ scores on the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2) and Brief Resilience Scale using the percentage of nonoverlapping data procedure yielded treatment effects indicating that a creative arts therapy treatment program may be effective for reducing mental health symptoms and improving resiliency. It is recommended that this body of research continue for other educational, work, and health settings.     

Re‐Imagining Theological Education for the Twenty‐First Century: “What Has Theological Ed to do with Higher Ed?”

Abstract : In re‐imagining theological education for the twenty‐first century, Stortz examines two late‐twentieth‐century proposals for seminary education: ecumenical consortia and “clustering,” or merging seminaries within the same communion. Given the relative failure of such proposals, she explores a “back to the future” move—a return of seminaries to the church‐related colleges from which many of them sprung. The move might prove mutually beneficial on three fronts: helping the respective institutions with twin emphases on formation and professionalization, sorting through mission and identity issues, and facilitating a greater awareness of the global context which both theological and higher education serve.