The effects of visual presentation method on single-trial free recall

In two experiments four different conditions of visual presentation were studied with the purpose of furthering our understanding of the role of temporal and spatial factors underlying modality effects in single-trial free recall. Enriching spatial factors in the visual presentation did not produce a higher performance in the recency part of the serial-position curve, and it was therefore concluded that the modality effect could not be due to any visual handicap. A lag distribution measure was suggested and applied to the data to characterize output order (the order of recall) in single-trial free recall. The two experiments carried out used a within-subjects and a between-subjects design, respectively, and illustrate the importance of the methodological difference between these two designs.     

An Actor–Partner Interdependence Analysis of Associations between Affect and Parenting Behavior among Couples

Prior studies evaluating associations between parental affect and parenting behavior have typically focused on either mothers or fathers despite evidence suggesting that affect and parenting behavior may be interdependent among couples. This study addressed this gap in the literature by evaluating associations between self‐reported affect and parenting behavior using an actor–partner interdependence analysis among a sample of 53 mother‐father dyads of 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children. Results suggested that mothers' and fathers' negative affect, as well as mothers' and fathers' positive affect, were positively associated. Both mothers' and fathers' negative affect were negatively associated with fathers' positive affect. Mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior, and supportive/engaged parenting behavior, were positively associated. Furthermore, mothers' negative affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior while mothers' positive affect was negatively associated with mothers' harsh/negative behavior and positively associated with mothers' supportive/engaged behavior. Fathers' negative affect was positively associated with fathers' supportive/engaged parenting behavior, while fathers' positive affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' supportive/engaged behavior. Results highlight the importance of conceptualizing and measuring characteristics of both mothers and fathers, if applicable, when researching the dynamics of interpersonal relationships within families.     

Loss and the Organization of Affect

The present studies evaluated the association between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) following romantic relationship loss experiences, as well as following less stressful romantic relationship situations, given theoretical evidence that the structure of affect may differ following a relationship loss. Across two studies, evidence suggested that the association between NA and PA was more strongly inverse following romantic relationship loss experiences when compared to less stressful relationship experiences. Such findings provide important implications for the study of romantic relationship loss, as well as the treatment of psychopathology following romantic relationship loss.     

Fostering connections between graduate students and strengthening professional identity through co-mentoring

For counsellors and counsellor educators, developing a sound sense of professional identity is a necessity in preserving and advancing the counselling field. In an effort to promote professional identity development in a group of counsellors in training, a co-mentoring programme was developed that paired master's level and doctoral level counsellors. The participants used letter writing and email to support the development of these mentoring relationships over the course of a semester. This study attempted to measure the effectiveness of the co-mentoring programme using interview data and written artefacts. An open, axial and selective coding process was employed. The participants of the study identified themes of enhanced professional identity development and collegial professional relationships as a result of participating in the co-mentoring relationship. Further research is needed to determine how best to support professional identity development for emerging professionals and the effectiveness of mentoring relationships and letter writing in this developmental process. A co-mentoring programme may offer training settings an opportunity for student self-awareness and growth in an experiential and meaningful manner, as well as providing additional opportunities for students to develop their professional identity. Implications for the use of co-mentoring and mentoring programmes to aid in the identity development of counsellors or other professionals are addressed.     

Stress, Coping, and Differentiation of Self: A Test of Bowen Theory

Differentiation of self from the family of origin is thought to be a significant factor in psychological functioning. Bowen contended that the effects of stress are moderated by differentiation of self, such that high levels of stress would have more impact on individuals lower in differentiation as compared to individuals higher in differentiation in predicting dysfunction. We tested this hypothesis and also assessed the relations among stress, coping, differentiation of self, and dysfunction. Results provided support for Bowen's prediction; differentiation indeed moderated the effects of perceived stress in predicting psychological functioning in expected ways. The interaction of differentiation of self and stress predicted variance in functioning beyond what was accounted for by coping styles, suggesting that although coping and differentiation of self are related, they are not synonymous.     

Developmental, Gender, and Health-Related Variations in Self-Competence and Depressed Mood Among School-Aged Urban Children with Asthma: A Pilot Study

This pilot study examined associations among asthma status, gender, self-competence, and depressed mood across 2 years of middle childhood in a sample of 57 urban children. Results revealed no differences across health status in self-competence and depressed mood. Girls showed a significant increase in levels of self-competence from Year -1 to 2. Higher levels of self-competence were associated with lower levels of depressed mood at Year 1, at Year 2, and from Year 1 to 2. Self-competence accounted for a larger amount of the variance in depressed mood for girls than for boys. Changes in levels of self-competence were significantly associated with changes in depressed mood for girls only. Results suggest meaningful gender-based differences in the socioemotional trajectories of school-aged children, which should be considered when designing preventative interventions in urban environments.     

Item and associative recognition with precuing and postcuing

M. Duncan & B. B. Murdock (2000) compared precued and postcued item recognition and serial recall showing precued-postcued differences for item recognition but not for serial recall. Precuing and postcuing refer to 2 conditions in which the instructions as to the type of recall test following the presentation of short lists of items is given before or after the list presentation. This methodology was extended here to a paired-associate task. In 2 experiments, short lists of paired associates were presented followed by single-item, old-new, or intact-rearranged pair recognition tests; test type was precued or postcued. A fast or slow presentation rate was used to discourage or encourage mediators. TODAM2 (a theory of distributed associative memory) predicts that there should be little or no cuing differences regardless of whether subjects use mediators to remember the pairs. As predicted the recognition data were essentially identical for the precued and postcued conditions.     

Emerging adults’ sleep patterns and attentional capture: the pivotal role of consistency

College students face consistent cognitive demands and often get insufficient and/or irregular sleep. The current study investigated associations of sleep duration and sleep variability with attentional performance. Sleep duration variability was expected to moderate the association between duration and cognitive functioning. College students’ (n = 83) natural sleep patterns were recorded via wristband actigraphy across three consecutive nights during an academic term. The association between sleep duration and attentional capture was strongest for those whose sleep was the most consistent across the three nights preceding the attentional task (i.e., low sleep duration variability). For those with low sleep duration variability, less sleep was associated (B = ?0.25) with reduced ability to ignore irrelevant cues and redirect attention to target locations. In other words, consistently low sleep duration was associated with compromises in attention. Our results indicate the importance of consistent sleep routines as well as sufficient sleep duration in order to optimize attentional performance in college students.