Altering the timing of academic prompts to treat destructive behavior maintained by escape

Following a functional analysis showing that destructive behavior was reinforced by escape, we altered the aversiveness of task demands by interspersing easy and difficult tasks and by presenting a corrective prompt as an antecedent event the next time a previously failed item was presented; this procedure was compared with one in which the corrective prompt was provided as an immediate consequence. Results of a reversal design showed that the antecedent prompt acted as an establishing operation and reduced destructive behavior to zero.     

Factor structure and measurement invariance of the Wisconsin Schizotypy scales across gender and age

The Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales are among the most widely used instruments for the assessment of psychosis proneness. The main goal of the present work was to study the dimensional structure underlying the Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPhA), the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS), the Magical Ideation Scale (MIS) and the Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS). It was also explored whether the dimensions underlying these scales were invariant across gender and age. The sample was made up of 710 university students with a mean age of 19.8 years (SD = 1.9). The results showed that the dimensional structure of the Wisconsin scales was similar to that found in previous studies, displaying a Positive dimension and a Negative dimension, the Social Anhedonia Scale being related to both dimensions. Moreover, the factor structure of the schizotypy scales was found to be invariant across participants' gender and age.     

The apostolate of psychology in action

Pastoral Psychology -     

Understanding the architecture of language: the possible role of neurology

Culicover and Jackendoff have recently described an approach to language representation where semantic structure works, alongside syntax, as a generative system with its own structure and principles of composition. Well-known neurological observations support this view. They show that in the presence of a syntactic impairment, comprehension can take place but only if the sentence's semantic structure is rich enough. This would suggest the existence of syntax-independent semantic combinatorial mechanisms, as Culicover and Jackendoff's model proposes.     

Quality of Life in Women Following Various Surgeries of Body Manipulation: Organ Transplantation, Mastectomy, and Breast Reconstruction

This study aimed to determine biopsychosocial differences (anxious-depressive symptomatology and quality of life) among three groups of patients who underwent surgical interventions related to body manipulation, as well as to assess the clinical significance of these results versus reference values. Four groups were compared: women who underwent organ transplant (n = 26), mastectomy for breast cancer (n = 36), breast reconstruction (n = 36), and general population (n = 608). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the EORTC QLQ-C30 were used. Women who underwent mastectomy showed the highest anxious-depressive symptomatology and quality-of-life impairment in comparison to the remaining groups, and they also displayed the most clinically significant deterioration in the majority of dimensions (large effect sizes). In contrast, the group with implantation of a healthy organ (transplantation) only showed higher biopsychosocial impairment than the group with reconstruction of an organ (breast reconstruction) in gastrointestinal dysfunctions and in the global self-perception of health.     

Gender differences in applying social cognitive career theory in engineering students

This study tested Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) in predicting engineering interest and major choice goals among male and female college students. Participants were 579 sophomore engineering students who completed measures of self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, interests, goals and social supports and barriers. Findings confirmed that the SCCT model produced a good fit to the data across gender. The findings also corroborated that women have less self-efficacy beliefs and interest than men. However, there are no statistically significant differences in measures relating to outcome expectations and goals. Moreover, women are more likely to perceive support, especially from peers and family, while men are more likely to perceive family barriers than women. For other supports and barriers there are no gender differences. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

MCMI-II borderline personality disorder in anorexia and bulimia nervosa

The aim of the present study is to explore the MCMI-II personality style and MCMI-II possible disorder of borderline personality (BPD) in various groups of women. 93 patients-31 anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (ANr), 31 anorexia nervosa binge-eating/purging subtype (ANp), and 31 bulimia nervosa purging subtype (BNp); 31 women at high risk for eating disorder or symptomatic control group (S-CG) and 31 without known pathology or not symptomatic control group (NS-CG)-completed the Spanish version of the MCMI-II. The results revealed: (1) clinically significant borderline personality traits [74>Base Rate (BR) <85]: 16.1% ANr, 12.9% ANp, and 45.2% BNp versus 3.2% of the S-CG and none of the NS-CG; (2) possible disorder (BR>84): 29% ANr, 41.9% ANp and 29% BNp. According to the MCM-II, women with BNp displayed more BPD traits than possible disorder (though these were more severe). However, the probability of a possible disorder was higher in ANp (more disorders than traits).     

Maladaptive personality traits in adolescence: Psychometric properties of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+

The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) is a self-report used for the assessment of personality disorder traits, however, its psychometric characteristics have yet to be tested in community samples of adolescents. The main goal was to analyze the psychometric properties of the PDQ-4+ scores in a large sample of non-clinical adolescents (N = 1,443; M = 15.9 years; SD = 1.2). The PDQ-4+ scores showed adequate psychometric properties. Reliability of the subscales, incorporating a Likert-type 5-point response format, ranged from .62 to .85. The study of the internal structure at item level revealed that the PDQ-4+ subscales were essentially one-dimensional. Analysis of the internal structure at the subscale level by means of exploratory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling yielded a possible three-dimensional solution. The PDQ-4+ subscales correlated moderately with emotional and behavioural variables measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results have clear implications for the understanding of maladaptive personality traits in adolescents.     

The impact of cortisol reactivity to acute stress on memory: sex differences in middle-aged people

Stress has been identified as a main factor involved in the cognitive changes that occur during the aging process. This study investigated sex differences in the relationship between the magnitude of the acute stress-induced salivary cortisol response and memory performance among middle-aged people. To this end, 16 men and 16 women (aged 54-72 years) were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test and a control condition in a crossover design. Afterwards their memory performance was measured using a standardized memory test (Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Only among women, there was an acute impact of stress on memory performance and a significant relationship between a higher cortisol response to the stressor and poorer memory performance in both the stress and control conditions. Additionally, a poorer memory performance was related to earlier timing of sexual maturation (age at menarche), which was also marginally related to higher cortisol reactivity to stress. These results confirm that sex is a critical factor in the relationship between cortisol and poor memory performance. Furthermore, the findings emphasize a strong link between the individual cortisol response to stress and memory functioning among postmenopausal women.     

Why don't girls choose technological studies? Adolescents' stereotypes and attitudes towards studies related to medicine or engineering

Gender differences in choice of studies emerge already in adolescence. Two studies with adolescents are presented, the goal of which is to explore the influence of gender by assessing males and females who choose studies related to Medicine or Engineering. Study 1, correlational (N = 330, mean age 15.9, 56.7% girls), shows that girls who choose technology are more poorly appraised than girls who choose other studies. Study 2 (N = 130; mean age 16.77, 56.2% girls), experimental, measures implicit attitudes (using the IAT) towards males and females from Medicine and Engineering. Implicit attitudes are more favorable towards women if they are studying Medicine and towards men if they study Engineering. The results are analyzed with relation to the percentages of boys and girls in the different fields of study.