Long-Term Patterns and Predictors of Successful Stressor Resolution in Later Life

At 1 year, 4 years, and 10 years after baseline, late-middle-aged adults reported whether they had successfully resolved their most important stressor of the past year. Compared to individuals who never resolved focal stressors over the 10-year interval, those who always did consistently showed less negative stressor appraisal, less reliance on avoidance coping, and less use of exploratory relative to directed coping responses, independent of type and severity of focal stressor. Less use of exploratory relative to directed coping and having more social resources, fewer health problems, and fewer depressive symptoms at baseline predicted more stressor resolution over the next 10 years. These predictors are promising foci for prospective efforts to optimize ways in which aging adults manage late-life stressors.     

“Being Religious” or “Being Spiritual” in America: A Zero‐Sum Proposition?

Recent discussions of religious attitudes and behavior tend to suggest—and in a few cases, provide evidence—that Americans are becoming “more spiritual” and “less religious.” What do people mean, however, when they say they are “spiritual” or “religious”? Do Americans see these concepts as definitionally or operationally different? If so, does that difference result in a zero‐sum dynamic between them? In this article, we explore the relationship between “being religious” and “being spiritual” in a national sample of American Protestants and compare our findings to other studies, including Wade Clark Roof’s baby‐boomer research (1993, 2000), 1999 Gallup and 2000 Spirituality and Health polls, and the Zinnbauer et al. (1997) study of religious definitions. In addition to presenting quantitative and qualitative evidence about the way people think about their religious/spiritual identity, the article draws implications about modernity, the distinctiveness of religious change in the recent past, and the deinstitutionalization of religion.     

Ambiguity and synonymy effects in lexical decision,naming, and semantic categorization tasks: interactions between orthography,phonology, and semantics

In this article, ambiguity and synonymy effects were examined in lexical decision, naming, and semantic categorization tasks. Whereas the typical ambiguity advantage was observed in lexical decision and naming, an ambiguity disadvantage was observed in semantic categorization. In addition, a synonymy effect (slower latencies for words with many synonyms than for words with few synonyms) was observed in lexical decision and naming but not in semantic categorization. These results suggest that (a) an ambiguity disadvantage arises only when a task requires semantic processing, (b) the ambiguity advantage and the synonymy disadvantage in lexical decision and naming are due to semantic feedback, and (c) these effects are determined by the nature of the feedback relationships from semantics to orthography and phonology.     

Phonological effects in visual word recognition: investigating the impact of feedback activation

P. M. Pexman, S. J. Lupker, and D. Jared (2001) reported longer response latencies in lexical decision tasks (LDTs) for homophones (e.g., maid) than for nonhomophones, and attributed this homophone effect to orthographic competition created by feedback activation from phonology. In the current study, two predictions of this feedback account were tested: (a) In LDT, observe homophone effects should be observed but not regularity or homograph effects because most exception words (e.g., pint) and homographs (e.g., wind) have different feedback characteristics than homophones do, and (b) in a phonological LDT ("does it sound like a word?"), regularity and homograph effects should be observed but not homophone effects. Both predictions were confirmed. These results support the claim that feedback activation from phonology plays a significant role in visual word recognition.     

Working memory, inhibitory control, and reading disability

The relationships among working memory, inhibitory control, and reading skills were studied in 966 individuals, 6—49 years old. In addition to a standardized measure of word recognition, they received a working memory (listening span) task in the standard, blocked format (three sets containing two-, three-, or four-item trials) or in a mixed format (three sets each containing two-, three-, and four-item trials) to determine whether scores derived from the standard format are influenced by proactive interference. Intrusion errors were investigated in order to determine whether deficits in working memory were associated with the access, deletion, or restraint functions of inhibitory control. The results indicated that deficits in working memory were characteristic of individuals with reading disabilities at all ages. These deficits may be associated with the access and restraint functions of inhibition. Working memory skills increased until the age of 19. The blocked format showed a gradual decline in adulthood whereas the mixed format did not. The different patterns suggest that the decline in working memory skills associated with aging may result from growing inefficiencies in inhibitory control, and not diminished capacity.     

Attitudes in the social context: the impact of social network composition on individual-level attitude strength

Four studies, using both experimental and correlational designs, explored the implications of being embedded within attitudinally congruent versus attitudinally heterogeneous social networks for individual-level attitude strength. Individuals embedded within congruent social networks (i.e., made up of others with similar views) were more resistant to attitude change than were individuals embedded within heterogeneous social networks (i.e., made up of others with a range of views). Mediational evidence suggests that attitudinally congruous social networks may increase attitude strength by decreasing attitudinal ambivalence and perhaps by increasing the certainty with which people hold their attitudes. These results suggest that features of the social context in which an attitude is held have important implications for individual-level attitude strength.     

Psychiatric diagnoses of infants and toddlers referred to a community mental health system

There has been increased interest in improving mental health assessment and treatment of young children. However, there are limited data regarding the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among infants and toddlers. The recent development of measures and classification systems that are specific to this age group has enabled researchers to begin to investigate the social, emotional, and behavioral problems of young children. The present study reviews the major research that has been conducted in this area and examines the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses of infants and toddlers referred to a public community mental health system. The current investigation also compares the frequency of diagnoses of children who have been evaluated based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (4th edition) with another group of children who were diagnosed based on the Diagnostic Classification: 0-3 system. Although there were some differences between the two samples and classification systems, analysis indicated that parent-child relational problems, adjustment difficulties, regulatory problems, and developmental disorders are some of the more common diagnoses prevalent among young children referred for outpatient treatment. As diagnostic measures and classification systems continue to improve, clinicians will have a better understanding of the mental health problems and treatment needs of young children.     

Parenting among Settled Migrants from Southern Africa: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis

Journal of Child and Family Studies - The Global North has over the years been a popular destination for migrants from the Global South. Most of the migrants are in their reproductive ages who go...     

Distance-Delivered Parent Training for Childhood Disruptive Behavior (Strongest Families™): a Randomized Controlled Trial and Economic Analysis

Disruptive behavior disorders are prevalent in youth, yet most children with disruptive behavior do not have access to timely, effective treatment. Distance-delivered service (e.g., via telephone, Internet) can overcome several barriers to care. This study tested the effectiveness of a 12-week parent training program, Strongest Families? Parenting the Active Child, delivered via written material, skill-based videos, and telephone coaching sessions, as compared to usual care in reducing child externalizing behavior. Participants were 172 primary caregivers of a 6- to 12-year-old (29% girls; M age?=?8.5 years) recruited from community children’s mental health clinics. Participants were randomized to either Strongest Families? or usual care and completed measures of child externalizing behavior, parenting practices, parent distress, and intervention services consumed at baseline and 5-, 10-, 16-, and 22-months post-baseline. Growth curve analysis showed significant reductions in externalizing behavior in both conditions over time. Improvements were significantly greater at 10 months in the Strongest Families? condition (d =?0.43). At 22 months, however, the differences were not significant and small in magnitude (d =??0.05). The intervention decreased inconsistent discipline significantly more than usual care. Parents in both conditions showed significant reductions in distress. We also conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis to assess the value for money of the Strongest Families? program versus usual care. Distance parent training is a promising way to increase access to, and reduce costs associated with, mental health care for families with a child with disruptive behavior.