Predictors of time-based prospective memory in children

This study identified age differences in time-based prospective memory performance in school-aged children and explored possible cognitive correlates of age-related performance. A total of 56 7- to 12-year-olds performed a prospective memory task in which prospective memory accuracy, ongoing task performance, and time monitoring were assessed. Additional tests of time estimation, working memory, task switching, and planning were performed. Results showed a robust relationship between age and prospective memory performance even after controlling for ongoing task performance. Developmental differences in time monitoring were also observed, with older children generally adopting a more strategic monitoring strategy than younger children. The majority of age-related variance in prospective memory task performance could be explained by cognitive resources, in particular planning and task switching. In contrast, no further independent contribution of time estimation was observed. Findings are in line with the development of strategic behavior, as well as executive functioning, in school-aged children.     

Regulatory Fit,Processing Fluency,and Narrative Persuasion

For millennia, people have used narratives to inform and persuade. However, little social psychological research addresses how and when narrative persuasion occurs, perhaps because narratives are complex stimuli that are difficult to vary without significantly changing the plot or characters. Existing research suggests that regulatory fit and/or processing fluency can be varied easily and in ways completely exterior to narrative content but that nonetheless affect how much narratives engage, transport, and persuade. We review research on narrative transportation and persuasion and then discuss regulatory fit and its relationship to processing fluency. Afterward, we discuss how regulatory fit and processing fluency may affect psychological engagement, transportation, and persuasion via narratives.     

Spontaneous emotion regulation to positive and negative stimuli

The ability to regulate one’s emotions is an integral part of human social behavior. One antecedent emotion regulation strategy, known as reappraisal, is characterized by cognitively evaluating an emotional stimulus to alter its emotional impact and one response-focused strategy, suppression, is aimed at reducing behavioral output. People are capable of using these specific emotion regulation strategies when instructed to do so; however, it is equally important to investigate natural and self-selected strategy use. This study was designed to determine to what extent people spontaneously regulate their emotions and the emotion regulation strategies they choose to achieve their regulatory goals. Participants were given no instructions to regulate their emotions before they were shown a negative and a positive film clip, but were instead asked afterwards about the specific strategies that they had used. Participants reported regulating their emotions more to the negative film than to the positive film. Reappraisal was more frequently selected as an emotion regulation strategy than suppression. As expected, participants with high baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) adopted reappraisal strategies more than those with low RSA but, surprisingly, RSA was not associated with facial expressivity. Suggestions for future research in this relatively young field of spontaneous emotion regulation are offered.     

Complex prospective memory in children with ADHD.

The ability to remember intentions (prospective memory) is fundamental to the organization of goal-directed actions in everyday life. Successful prospective remembering involves forming, retaining, initiating, and executing an intention. Although previous research has demonstrated prospective memory impairments in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this has largely focused on the intention initiation and execution stages. In this study, we investigate the performance of 20 children with ADHD and 20 matched controls at each of the four stages of prospective memory, using a computer multitask paradigm. Results suggest that children with ADHD may demonstrate difficulties forming delayed intentions, as indicated by impulsive planning, and that this may have further implications for the retention and implementation of these delayed intentions. While children with ADHD showed comparable multitask switching, this appeared to be at the expense of intention execution as they made more performance errors than controls. Implications for day-to-day functioning are discussed.     

Foundations of Probability

The foundations of probability are viewed through the lens of the subjectivist interpretation. This article surveys conditional probability, arguments for probabilism, probability dynamics, and the evidential and subjective interpretations of probability.     

Doing what the mob do: priming effects on conformity

This study considered whether participants' tendency to conform to a group norm could be influenced by priming them with categories associated with either conformity or anarchy. Participants were primed with one of two categories: ‘accountant prime’, ‘punk prime’ (plus a baseline ‘no prime’). They then participated in a variant of the Asch ( 1951 ) conformity paradigm. Results indicated that ‘punk’-primed participants conformed significantly less than did ‘accountant’-primed participants, with the mean for the ‘no-prime’ condition lying in between the two. ‘Accountant’-primed participants conformed to the group norm more than did the ‘no-prime’ participants. In addition, the performance of ‘punk’-primed participants was comparable to that of participants who performed the judgment task in isolation (‘solo’ condition). This indicates that conformity pressures did not affect estimates for ‘punk’-primed participants. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Person‐centred counsellors' experiences of working with clients in crisis: A qualitative interview study

Aims: This study aims to explore and understand person‐centred therapists’ experiences and work with clients at the pivotal point of crisis. Specifically: how do person‐centred therapists experience working with clients in crisis? Do they identify differences in crisis intervention compared to non‐crisis work? What do they perceive as helpful to crisis clients? How relevant are therapists' own experiences of crisis? Method: Participants were all experienced person‐centred therapists. Qualitative, semi‐structured interviews were conducted and the data were analysed qualitatively using person‐centred/phenomenological methodology. Results: Respondents identified differences in their experiences. Typically, therapists described polarity in their experience of danger and opportunity, also heightened energy levels within themselves, perceived higher levels of engagement, faster pace of work, experiences of reaching ‘relational depth’ earlier, and the importance of assisting symbolisation of clients' experience in awareness. Clients were experienced as vulnerable, unable to access previous coping mechanisms, in a state of breakdown and disintegration, but also as wide open, having dropped their usual defences, and more available to engage in therapy and enter the process of change and potential post‐crisis growth. Discussion: The findings are discussed in relation to prevailing models of crisis intervention, person‐centred theory and theoretical developments in post‐traumatic growth in the aftermath of crisis.     

The Utilization and Choices of Aneuploidy Screening in a Midwestern Population

The types, interpretation, and use of first- and second-trimester aneuploidy screening are often unclear for many women. This impairs appropriate decision making and understanding of the implications of prenatal genetic testing options. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of Stepwise Sequential screening in our Midwestern population, demographic factors associated with choice of screening and method of risk reporting and it’s potential impact on women’s choices. First trimester screening was performed for 2,634 women during the study period. Results were not reported or “framed” as “positive” or “negative”. Rather, the specific age-risk and screen-risk for T21 were relayed, along with options for follow-up Stepwise Sequential screening and invasive testing. Nearly 80 % of women declined Stepwise Sequential screening. Minorities and women of lower education were least likely to pursue further screening. Less than 4 % of the study population elected invasive testing. First trimester screening was associated with a 53 % reduction in amniocenteses and 20 % fewer CVS’s compared to pre-first trimester screening availability. Reporting age-and screen-risks for T21, rather than classifying results as “positive” or “negative” based on a pre-determined threshold, was associated with a low uptake of further testing.     

The Role of Attitudes Toward White Privilege and Religious Beliefs in Predicting Social Justice Interest and Commitment

The current study examines links among attitudes toward White privilege, religious beliefs, and social justice interest and commitment for White Christian students. Two distinct patterns of results emerged from a path analysis of 500 White Christian students. First, a willingness to confront White privilege was positively associated with the sanctification of social justice (i.e., attributing spiritual significance to working for social justice) and both were positively associated with social justice interest and commitment. Second, awareness of White privilege was negatively associated with religious conservatism, and religious conservatism was negatively associated with social justice interest. These patterns show that White privilege attitudes directly (i.e., willingness to confront White privilege) and indirectly (i.e., awareness of White privilege through religious conservatism) predicted social justice interest and commitment. Moreover, religious beliefs demonstrated opposite patterns of association with social justice interest and commitment such that the sanctification of social justice positively predicted social justice interest and commitment whereas religious conservatism negatively predicted social justice interest. Overall, findings demonstrate direct and indirect links between White privilege attitudes, religious beliefs, and social justice interest and commitment. Limitations and implications for future community psychology research and collaboration also are discussed.