Cognitive remediation in pediatric traumatic brain injury

Robinson's (1970) elaborative encoding technique (PQRST) was implemented as the active cognitive intervention strategy to address verbal memory deficits in 2 fourth-grade boys following mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). A metacognitive reading comprehension technique (Smith & Dauer, 1984) was also implemented for comparison purposes. Single-case methodology was employed using a counter-balanced crossover of the two intervention strategies controlling for the effects of attention. The performance of both boys was significantly better during strategy training with the PQRST technique and approached the performance level of the normal comparison subject. In contrast, the performance of both subjects with TBI remained at, or returned to, baseline levels during the metacognitive intervention. These findings suggest that Robinson's cognitive remediation intervention holds promise in addressing memory and reading comprehension deficits following pediatrie traumatic brain injury. Future research should focus on enhancing generalization and transfer of training to classroom assignments.     

Factor Structure of a Coping Scale Across Two Samples1

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to assess the structure of a coping with illness scale. Two HIV‐positive samples from different geographical areas were used to verify the underlying factor structure: a sample of 320 young adults (M age = 20.9 years; 72% males) and a second sample of 273 older adults (M= 38.1 years; 81% females). Exploratory results with the young adult sample assuming correlated factors showed 7 reliable factors; CFA results supported these findings in that sample. Confirmation of the 7 derived subscales using the adult sample was found using CFA, although 2 subscale reliabilities were just below .50. Correlations between the 7 sub‐scales and other scales used for construct validation were generally as predicted. Coping similarities and differences between HIV‐infected young adult and adult populations are discussed.     

Kicking over the traces: A note in response to Zurif and Piñango (1999)

Zurif and Pi?ango (1999) claimed that they excluded the four agrammatic patients reported by Druks and Marshall (1991) from their review article because two of the patients were nonnative speakers of Hebrew and because the Hebrew sentences we used in our investigations were ungrammatical. In Druks and Marshall (1991) we have shown that the presence or the absence of a trace in two types of Hebrew passives had no effect on the patients' performance. Two patients, without comprehension deficits, performed equally well on both types of passives and two patients, with comprehension deficits, were equally impaired on both types. We remind Zurif and Pi?ango of our previous response to the claims of ungrammaticality of our materials (Druks & Marshall, 1992) and argue that there were no justifiable reasons for excluding these cases from the review. We also comment on Zurif and Pi?ango's (1999) and Grodzinsky's (2000) new proposal that the association of agrammatic comprehension should be with Broca's aphasia and not with agrammatism.     

Understanding Strengths in Relation to Complex Trauma and Mental Health Symptoms within Child Welfare

Strengths can have a potent effect in mitigating the impact of trauma on mental health needs and functioning. Yet, evidence is limited on the role that strengths may have in ameliorating trauma-related or mental health symptoms over time. Providing a comprehensive assessment that includes strengths, as well as needs, is an important step in making appropriate service recommendations for youth in child welfare. This study assessed 7,483 children and adolescents entering an intensive stabilization program through the Illinois child welfare system. The interaction of individual, child strengths in relation to complex trauma exposure, traumatic stress symptoms, risk behaviors, and other mental health needs were examined. Results indicated strengths are relatively stable over time and inversely associated with several negative outcomes, including risk behaviors (?.32, p?<?.001), emotional/ behavioral needs (?.33, p?<?.001) and overall functioning (?.47, p?<?.001). Traumatic stress symptoms were also related to increases in these negative outcomes. Overall, strengths had a buffering effect on traumatic stress symptoms and outcomes over time. The role of strengths in relation to traumatic stress symptoms, however, was less consistent. Youth with histories of complex trauma exposure had significantly fewer useable strengths than youth without this exposure. However, strengths improved for both youth with and without complex trauma exposure over the course of stabilization services. These findings suggest that early identification and development of child strengths can mitigate risk-taking behaviors, mental health, and functional difficulties among youth in the child welfare system. Implications for more targeted trauma-informed and strengths-based assessment, and treatment/service planning are discussed.     

Losing hope: mental health and religious service non-attendance in Australia

Religious beliefs and practices are related to mental health. Many individuals report a religious affiliation, but do not have specific religious beliefs or practices such as attending religious services. These non-attendees are often assumed to resemble the non-religious, but are poorly studied. This study explored the demographic characteristics and mental health outcomes associated with being a non-attendee using data from a nationally representative Australian sample. Non-attendees were more likely to be non-Christian than attendees at religious services. They had worse mental health than both non-religious individuals and attendees, especially compared to the non-religious. Whether non-attendance is a result of or cause of poor mental health outcomes is not clear and deserves further investigation. Non-attendees clearly differed in our sample from both non-religious individuals and attendees. Our results do not support the hypothesis that individuals who report a religious affiliation, but are not actively religious, are similar to non-religious individuals.     

The Joy of the Gospel amid the Crisis of Communal Commitment

Chapter Two of Evangelii Gaudium constitutes a major portion of the encyclical in terms of the significant concerns it raises in the area of evangelization. This article summarizes the key teachings of Chapter Two and highlights the dominant themes and salient features together with some personal reflections. In Chapter Two of the encyclical, the pope clearly elaborates on the individual and communal factors that can weaken the spirit of evangelization and warns all to beware of the danger of falling prey to the consumerist, profit‐driven, and individualistic economy and culture. He attacks the exclusive economy, globalized indifference, and the idolatrized attitude to money, and asserts that the church is duty‐bound to show that there is a new and better way of relating to God, others, and the world. This responsibility, first and foremost, rests with evangelizers, who must be witnesses of the good news through their lives of generosity, courage, commitment, and community consciousness. The heart of the second chapter's message is a plea to all pastoral workers to come out of their private spheres, to recognize their place in the larger human family, and to engage in pastoral activities as a community in a revolution of tenderness.     

From dictators to avatars: Furthering social and personality psychology through game methods

From football to the ultimatum game to chess to World of Warcraft, games have been used in social and personality psychology research for decades. Games are a unique and powerful method: They are engaging and have the potential to both manipulate and measure psychological constructs. In fact, researchers have used physical games, board games, behavioral economics games, and digital games to study a range of individual differences, interpersonal processes, and social cognitive processes. Furthermore, researchers have the opportunity to create their own games that can be targeted directly toward their topic of interest. Our review provides a primer for social and personality psychologists interested in using existing games or creating new games for their research as a method for understanding attitudes, behaviors, emotions, cognitions, and perceptions.     

Learning Disabilities and Delinquent Behaviors among Adolescents: A Comparison of Those with and without Comorbidity

Research is inconclusive on whether adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) engage in more delinquency than adolescents without such deficits. Mixed results may result from a failure to account for the effects of co-occurring disabilities. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines delinquency among adolescents without disabilities to youth with LD, Attention Disorder Symptoms (ADS), and comorbid LD/ADS. Results indicate no significant differences in property offenses, or alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use; however, youth with LD reported significantly more violence than non-disabled youth. Findings illustrate the heterogeneous effects various disabilities have on delinquent behavior. Future research and policy implications will be discussed.     

Peer Experiences of Anxious and Socially Withdrawn Youth: An Integrative Review of the Developmental and Clinical Literature

Prior research indicates that both anxious youth and socially withdrawn youth tend to experience challenges and difficulties in various aspects of their peer relationships and social functioning. While clinical psychology researchers have examined how anxiety relates to peer experiences using normative and clinically anxious samples, developmental psychologists have focused primarily on the peer experiences of shy and withdrawn children. Research from these two fields has progressed on related yet separate paths, producing similar results despite using different terminology and assessment techniques. The purpose of this review is to bring together the developmental and clinical bodies of literature on the peer experiences of anxious and socially withdrawn youth by identifying common themes and unique contributions of each discipline. Studies reviewed focus specifically on the peer constructs of acceptance, friendship, peer victimization, social skills, and social-cognitive processes. Limitations including methodological inconsistencies and insufficient examination of age-, gender-, and ethnicity-related issues are identified. Recommendations for future collaborations between developmental and clinical researchers as well as implications for interventions targeting the peer relations of anxious and withdrawn youth are discussed.     

A behaviour modification technique for the hyperactive child

This paper describes a procedure for the conditioning of attending behaviour in a brain-injured hyperactive boy.

Observations of the behaviour of two hyperactive children were made in the classroom setting. These observations were made from an observation bootn adjoining the classroom and provided data on the frequency of occurrence of the following high rate responses: walking, talking, distraction, “wiggling”. Each child was observed for a minimum of ten minutes a day, four days a week. Following several weeks of baseline observation, the conditioning procedure was begun with the expel imental subject. The conditioning trials took place in the classroom setting. During each time interval in which one of the high rate responses did not occur, S received an auditory stimulus (secondary reinforcer). This auditory stimulus had previously been paired with the delivery of candy and pennies. The stimulus was dispensed by a radio device which activated an earphone worn by the subject. At the end of each conditioning trial, S received whatever candy or pennies he had “earned”.

The data show that the control subject showed no significant change in the frequency of occurrence of the high rate responses during the three month period. The experimental subject showed a significant decrease in non-attending behaviour. This reduction in rate was maintained over a four week extinction period.