Using a CBT Approach to Teach Social Skills to Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges: The PEERS® Method

Deficits in social functioning are one of the hallmark features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet very few evidence-based social skills programs exist for adolescents with ASD and other social challenges. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of one of the only empirically supported social skills programs for youth with ASD: The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS ^®). Developed at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, PEERS^® utilizes the principles of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to improve social functioning for youth with ASD and other social difficulties. One of the only empirically-supported social skills programs to disseminate published treatment manuals for mental health professionals and educators, the PEERS^® approach applies CBT methods of instruction including: didactic lessons (psychoeducation), role-play demonstrations, cognitive strategies, behavioral rehearsal exercises, performance feedback, homework assignments and review, and parent involvement within a small group treatment format. Results from four randomized controlled trials and one quasi-experimental study reveal significant improvements in overt social skills, frequency of peer interactions, and social responsiveness following this treatment protocol.     

Meaningful involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda through linkages between network groups and health facilities: an evaluation study

While community-based groups are able to provide vital support to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), their organizational and technical capacities are limited, and they frequently operate in isolation from PLHIV groups. We evaluated a three-year project implemented by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Uganda to increase the involvement of PLHIV in the HIV/AIDS response and to improve access to and utilization of prevention, treatment, care, and support services for households affected by HIV/AIDS. Information sources included project monitoring data, interviews with 113 key informants, and 17 focus group discussions in 11 districts. The evaluation found that PLHIV groups reached large numbers of people with education and awareness activities and made a growing number of referrals to health facilities and community-based services. The project trained individuals living openly with HIV as service providers in the community and at designated health facilities. Their presence helped to reduce the stigma that previously deterred PLHIV from seeking care and encouraged individuals to disclose their HIV status to spouses and family members. The project has put into practice the widely endorsed principles of greater and meaningful involvement of PLHIV in a systematic manner and on a large scale. A wide audience--ranging from grassroots PLHIV networks and AIDS service organizations to national-level non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and international organizations--can benefit from the lessons learned.     

Effect of a nanoporous surface on photoluminescence from nanopatterned GaN thin films fabricated by anodic alumina templates

GaN photonic crystal slabs on InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well light-emitting diodes have been formed by dry etching using nanoporous anodic alumina templates, which have a periodic lattice constant of 105 nm and a hole diameter of 45 nm. The photonic crystal slab shows an enhanced intensity of photoluminescence due to the nanohole pattern array producing Fabry–Perot like interference. A rough surface of nanoholes results in a broad spectrum with a small oscillation, and well-ordered multiple facets of nanoholes results in a relatively sharp spectrum with a large oscillation.     

The effects of behavioral inhibition/approach system as predictors of Internet addiction in adolescents

This study aimed to determine how the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) affect Internet addiction in adolescents. Two hundred and eleven high school students participated in this study and completed the Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), BIS/BAS scales, and several self-administered questionnaires about depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. Hierarchical regressions showed that BIS and BAS × BIS emerged as significant predictors of IAT; however, only BAS-fun seeking subscale predicted IAT among BAS related subscales. In further analyses, the BAS-fun seeking subscale was mediated by impulsivity and anxiety, and BIS was mediated by anxiety and depression. The current findings imply that BIS and BAS interdependently influence vulnerability to Internet addiction through both shared (anxiety) and different (depression and impulsivity, respectively) pathways.     

The role of schizoid personality,peritraumatic dissociation and behavioral activation system in a case of parricide

The goal of this paper is to emphasize several important details through a case study of parricide: a) the schizoid personality structure as a potential basis for brutal offenses, b) the role of dissociation during the commitment of crime; and c) the contribution of non-standard psychological assessment instruments and Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory in illuminating the killer's personality and motivation for the offense. A parricide case was analyzed through psychiatric examination, standard clinical psychological assessment, and Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Scales based on Gray's theory. It was determined that the perpetrator suffered from schizoid personality disorder and that there were visible signs of peritraumatic dissociation at the moment he committed the offense. It was concluded that: a) a schizoid personality sometimes become a perpetrator of a brutal offense in situations where he feels he is in danger of punishment, and his personal space is being threatened, b) dissociation, activated by murder itself, can help the murderer to protect himself from a traumatic situation which overcomes his resources, and c) Gray's theory can serve as a framework for understanding individual cases as this one.     

Impression Management Use in Resumes and Cover Letters

Purpose

This study contributes to the ecological validity of resume research by systematically examining the impression management (IM) content of actual resumes and cover letters and empirically testing the effect on applicant evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of the frequency and intensity of IM tactic use in 60 resumes and cover letters was completed (Study 1). Next, an experiment was conducted in which IM tactic use was manipulated and the effect on applicant evaluation examined, using a sample of MTurk workers as evaluators (Study 2).

Findings

In Study 1, four self-promotion categories, three ingratiation categories, and one hybrid category were delineated. In Study 2, ingratiation and lower intensity self-promotion were found to increase perceptions of job and organization fit.

Implications

Employers should be aware that resumes and cover letters contain IM tactics that may influence applicant evaluation. In addition, employment training programs might communicate the benefits of using ingratiation and lower intensity self-promotion, while emphasizing the importance of accurately conveying one’s qualifications. Furthermore, the present taxonomy of IM resume content might be applied to resume database search engines to identify and index IM tactic use.

Originality/value

This research is the first to develop a taxonomy of IM tactics based on actual resumes and cover letters and may facilitate more comprehensive manipulations of IM tactic use and better integration of IM research across the selection process.

     

Highlighting the Challenges When Conducting Cross‐National Studies: Use of Transcultural Theory

Insufficient exploration of multicultural social justice competence in research methodology and procedures may contribute to lingering clinical problems for diverse populations. Using transcultural theory to evaluate the effectiveness of cross‐national research, the authors examined the various cross‐national methodological challenges during the research design, analysis, and interpretation stages. Recommendations focus on expanding the Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies (Ratts, Singh, Nassar‐McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015 ) to prepare researchers with enhanced skills to explore issues involving diverse populations.     

基于选择反应的学习迁移效应：从个人情境到社会情境

先前习得的空间不相容联结可以减少、消除甚至反转Simon效应, 这种现象被称为学习迁移效应。研究者已经在个人情境和社会情境中发现一些影响学习迁移效应的因素, 并提出短时记忆联结解释、自下而上的启动机制和反应对立策略等相关解释。未来研究需要澄清刺激-反应迁移的双向性以及学习迁移效应的认知神经机制和发展路径。     

Lorsque la logique rencontre l'argumentation

It is well known that classical logics are able to represent only some aspects of ordinary reasoning. In particular, by accepting the law of obversion, they remove the possibility of defining any but a propositional negation; certain natural uses of negation thus elude them. Logical theories do exist, however, that are exempt from such limitations. Among these theories are those of S. Leniewski, which differ profoundly from classical formal systems. Unlike the latter, they do not have a determined list of functors of syntactical-semantical categories. Due to formalized directives for definitions, the logics of Leniewski are constructed progressively, making new theses and consequently functors of new syntactical-semantical categories accessible. In this article we use some of these theses-definitions to define a principle of appropriateness. With this principle it is possible to represent certain logical subtleties that are used quite naturally but are neglected due to the law of obversion.

---

Lorsque la logique rencontre l'argumentation

     

Degree of extraversion and physiological responses to physical pain and sadness

Extraversion is a personality frequently discussed as one of the strongest and most consistent factors that relates to individual subjective wellbeing. The goal of this study was to better understand how people with varying degrees of extraversion psychologically and physiologically respond differently to unpleasant circumstances. Emotional responses (e.g., levels of intensity, valence, and arousal) were assessed in determining the sensitivity level to negative stimuli that were specifically designed to provoke physical pain and sadness emotion. Physiological changes (e.g., heart rate (HR), blood volume pulse (BVP), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)) were also measured during pain and sadness to observe sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. Our results showed that the degree of extraversion was associated with less unpleasant responses to sadness, less HR responses to both pain and sadness, and greater RSA responses to sadness. The findings suggest that the lower HR reactivity to painful and sad situations and greater RSA reactivity to sad situations in extraversion could be possibly due to increased parasympathetic activity. Additionally, enhanced parasympathetic activity to negative situations may explain an important mechanism underlying the positive connection between extraversion and subjective wellbeing.