The Protective Role of Teacher Preference for At‐Risk Children's Social Status

Aggressive behaviors have been associated with social costs (e.g., rejection) and benefits (e.g., popularity) in previous studies. The current study sought to examine the moderating effect of teacher preference on the association between distinct forms of aggressive behavior (i.e., physical aggression and relational aggression) and social status (i.e., rejection and popularity), and to explore whether these associations differed for boys and girls. Fourth and fifth grade students (N = 193) completed peer nomination procedures to assess rejection and aggressive behavior and teachers provided self‐reports of their preferences for their students. Findings indicated that relationally aggressive girls were more likely to be popular with their peers when their teachers also liked them. In addition, both relationally and physically aggressive girls were less likely to be rejected by their peers when their teachers liked them. Although physical aggression was most strongly associated with rejection among boys whose teachers liked them, relational aggression predicted popularity among boys whose teachers disliked them. Results suggest that teacher preferences may be a particularly important factor contributing to both physically and relationally aggressive children's social status (e.g., rejection and popularity), especially for girls. Aggr. Behav. 38:481‐493, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Latent spatial learning in an environment with a distinctive shape

Four experiments were conducted with rats in order to determine whether being placed on a platform in one corner of a rectangular swimming pool results in latent spatial learning. Rats in Experiments 1-3 received four trials a day of being placed on the platform. During a subsequent test trial, in which they were released into the pool without the platform, the rats exhibited a preference for swimming in the correct corners of the pool (those with the same geometric properties as the corner containing the platform during training), than the two remaining, incorrect corners. This effect was seen when the interval between the final placement trial and the test trial was as much as 24 hr (Experiment 2) and after varying numbers of sessions of placement training (Experiment 3). Experiment 4 revealed that when the test took place in a kite-shaped arena, after placement training in a rectangle, a stronger preference was shown for the corner that was geometrically equivalent to the correct rather than the incorrect corners in the rectangle. The placement treatment is said to result in latent spatial learning based on the development of S-S associations.     

Changes in attention to relevant and irrelevant stimuli during spatial learning

Rats were trained in 2 experiments to find a submerged platform that was situated in 1 of 2 of the 4 corners of a rectangular pool with a curved long wall. Different landmarks occupied 2 of the corners on every trial, and the platform was always situated near a landmark. For the place group in each experiment, the location of the platform was indicated by the shape of the pool and stimuli outside the pool (place cues), but not the landmarks within the pool. For the landmark groups, the landmarks, not the place cues, indicated where the platform could be found. During Stage 2, 2 of the place cues were relevant, and 2 of the landmarks were irrelevant, for a new discrimination. The place cues better controlled searching for the platform in the place group than in the landmark group when the place cues had initially been relevant by signaling the presence (Experiment 1) or the absence (Experiment 2) of the platform. The results show that animals pay more attention to relevant than irrelevant cues.     

Empathy,Perspective Taking and Prosocial Behaviour: The Importance of Parenting Practices

The current study analyzed the relationships among maternal empathy (emotional and cognitive), parenting that encourages the child to take the perspective of others, child cognitive empathy and child prosocial behaviour. Participants were 72 typically developing children (66 Caucasian, six Asian) aged between 47 and 76 months (M = 61.5 months, SD = 8.3 months). Results support the facilitative effect of parenting that encourages the child to take the perspective of others. Thus, the role played by parents in the development of prosocial behaviour extends beyond warm/sensitive/responsive parenting in infancy. Together these forms of parenting are key factors that facilitate the development of prosocial behaviour. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Procrastination Automatic Thoughts as a Personality Construct: An Analysis of the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory

The present paper examines the nature of procrastination-related automatic thoughts by examining the correlates of the Procrastinatory Cognitions Inventory (PCI). The PCI was administered along with numerous other measures to three samples of students (two undergraduate samples and one graduate student sample). Analyses confirmed that the PCI is associated with elevated levels of neuroticism and low levels of conscientiousness but is a unique predictor of distress over and above the variance attributable to these broad personality traits. The PCI was associated significantly with negative automatic thoughts in general as well as automatic thoughts reflecting the need to be perfect. Tests of achievement goal orientation showed that students with high scores on the PCI are focused on performance avoidance goals. Elevated levels of procrastinatory cognitions among graduate students were associated with apprehension about writing, graduate student stress, low self-actualization, and feelings of being an impostor. Overall, the findings suggest that the experience of frequent procrastination-related thoughts contributes uniquely to increased levels of psychological distress and stress. Our findings point to the potential utility of incorporating an emphasis on procrastination cognitions when conducting assessments and when implementing cognitive-behavioral interventions focused on procrastination-related themes.     

Effects of Spikes in the Price of Gasoline on Behavioral Intentions: A Mental Accounting Explanation

In recent years, gasoline prices have spiked in response to world events, only to fall again within weeks or months. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these price fluctuations have a substantial impact on consumers' planned spending and their overall perceptions of financial well‐being. We propose that consumers' behavioral intentions in response to these spikes are driven in part by how consumers mentally account for the fluctuations in gasoline prices. Specifically, we contend that people allocate sharp increases in the price per gallon of gasoline to a comprehensive mental account. As a result, such increases affect consumers' perceptions of their overall cost of living and have far‐reaching effects on their planned spending. These predictions are tested in three experiments. The paper concludes with the discussion of a theoretical and applied implications of the results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C): A Review of Molecular and Clinical Literature

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is heritable cardiomyopathy that may result in arrhythmia, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Approximately 50-60% of ARVD/C patient will have an identifiable pathogenic mutation in one of seven genes associated with the cardiac desmosome and other cardiac pathways. Genetic counseling remains complicated, however, because of great variable expressivity and reduced penetrance, even within members of the same family. Diagnosis of ARVD/C is made by meeting a set of major and minor diagnostic criteria, revised in 2010. Despite this, misdiagnosis is a chronic problem. Management of ARVD/C is aimed at reducing risk of sudden death/arrhythmias and preventing progression of disease. Strenuous physical activity is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor in disease presentation and progression and is an important factor in preventative management. Anticipation of the psychosocial implications of this disease is also an important aspect of patient management. This review presents an overview of the clinical diagnosis, management, as well as disease mechanism and genetics of this rare cardiomyopathy.