The effects of working memory resource availability on prospective memory: a formal modeling approach

The PAM theory of event-based prospective memory (Smith, 2003; Smith & Bayen, 2004a) proposes that successful prospective memory performance demands upon the interaction of preparatory attentional processes and retrospective memory processes. The two experiments in the current study represent the first application of a formal model to investigate the sensitivity of these underlying processes to variations in working memory resource availability. Multinomial modeling of data from prospective-memory tasks showed that working memory span influenced preparatory attentional processes and retrospective-memory processes.     

Systems change as an outcome and a process in the work of community collaboratives for health

The widespread development of comprehensive community initiatives that aim to improve community health is driven by the need to change the systems charged with delivering the services and creating the policies related to a variety of health outcomes. Georgia's Family Connection initiative is the nation's largest statewide network of community collaboratives for health, with collaboratives operating in 159 counties. Data on community context, collaborative processes, engagement in systems change, and changes in programs and activities implemented, gathered consistently at the collaborative level over 3 years, will be used to answer the following questions. How do community contexts and the structure and processes of collaboratives affect implementation of systems change? How do systems changes affect intermediate outcomes such as the type of programs offered in a community? Longitudinal change in systems change and program implementation is described and significant predictors of between‐collaborative variation in longitudinal change for each outcome are identified.     

Relationship between clinician assessment and self-assessment of personality disorders using the SWAP-200 and PAI

The relation between self- and peer-informant reports of personality using psychometric instruments has been the focus of considerable research. The quantified judgments of clinically experienced observers such as treating clinicians have also been studied. The focus of the present article is on the measurement of 3 personality disorders (borderline, antisocial, and obsessive-compulsive) using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200), an instrument designed to quantify personality ratings made by clinically experienced informants, and the self-report Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). SWAP-200 personality disorder scales showed small to medium correlations with borderline and antisocial personality disorder scales from the PAI. As predicted, SWAP-200 obsessive-compulsive personality disorder correlated negatively with these scales, suggesting discriminant validity.     

The cost of event-based prospective memory: salient target events

Evidence has begun to accumulate showing that successful performance of event-based prospective memory (PM) comes at a cost to other ongoing activities. The current study builds on previous work by examining the cost associated with PM when the target event is salient. Target salience is among the criteria for automatic retrieval of intentions according to the multiprocess view of PM. An alternative theory, the preparatory attentional and memory processes theory, argues that PM performance, including retrieval of the intent, is never automatic and successful performance always will come at a cost to other ongoing activity. The 4 experiments reported here used a salient PM target event. In addition, Experiments 3 and 4 were designed to meet the stringent criteria proposed for automatic retrieval of intentions by multiprocess theory, and, yet, in all 4 experiments, delayed intentions interfered with ongoing task performance.     

A Protective Factors Model for Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Prevention Among Alaska Native Youth

This study provides an empirical test of a culturally grounded theoretical model for prevention of alcohol abuse and suicide risk with Alaska Native youth, using a promising set of culturally appropriate measures for the study of the process of change and outcome. This model is derived from qualitative work that generated an heuristic model of protective factors from alcohol (Allen et al. in J Prev Interv Commun 32:41–59, 2006; Mohatt et al. in Am J Commun Psychol 33:263–273, 2004a; Harm Reduct 1, 2004b). Participants included 413 rural Alaska Native youth ages 12–18 who assisted in testing a predictive model of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes about alcohol abuse consequences as co-occurring outcomes. Specific individual, family, peer, and community level protective factor variables predicted these outcomes. Results suggest prominent roles for these predictor variables as intermediate prevention strategy target variables in a theoretical model for a multilevel intervention. The model guides understanding of underlying change processes in an intervention to increase the ultimate outcome variables of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes regarding the consequences of alcohol abuse.     

Living With Genetic Vulnerability: a Life Course Perspective

This is the second article of a two part series about utilizing the life course perspective (LCP) in genetic counseling. Secondary data analysis was conducted on a grounded theory, longitudinal study which provided a wide focus on living with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) risk. The aim of this analysis was to explore the longitudinal data for both the temporal and social context of living with BRCA mutation genetic test results. Sixteen women from two previous studies were interviewed on multiple occasions over an 8 year time period. The LCP was used to direct a thematic analysis of the data. Families experience the consequences of knowing they carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation long after the initial diagnosis. These women’s experiences across time reflect the concepts of the LCP and show how life is changed when families know they live with a genetic vulnerability to an adult-onset and potentially life-threatening disease. Different emphases on concepts from the LCP were evident across the different age groups. For example, the group of 40–50 year old women emphasized the concept of linked lives, those in their 30’s focused on human agency and women in their 20’s were more focused on timing of events. This study helps give direction to healthcare providers counseling women living with a BRCA mutation.     

Positive Psychology Factors as Predictors of Latina/o College Students’ Psychological Grit

Latina/o college students (N = 130) provided perceptions of psychological grit, presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, hope, life satisfaction, and mindfulness. Hope and mindfulness were significant predictors of psychological grit. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings and implications for counselors are presented. Un grupo de estudiantes universitarios latinos (N = 130) aportó sus percepciones de perseverancia psicológica, presencia de sentido en la vida, búsqueda de sentido en la vida, esperanza, satisfacción vital y atención plena. Se presenta una discusión sobre la importancia de estos hallazgos y sus implicaciones para los consejeros.     

Prospective memory in young and older adults: The effects of ongoing-task load

ABSTRACT

Prospective memory involves remembering to perform intended actions in the future. Previous work with the multinomial model of event-based prospective memory indicated that adult age-related differences in prospective-memory performance were due to the prospective (not the retrospective) component of the task (Smith & Bayen, 2006 Smith, R. E. and Bayen, U. J. 2006. The source of age differences in event-based prospective memory: A multinomial modeling approach. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 32: 623–635. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 32, 623). However, ongoing-task performance was also lower in older adults in that study. In the current study with young and older adults, the difficulty of the ongoing task was manipulated by varying the number of colors per trial to create easier and harder versions of the ongoing task for each age group. The easier version included 2 colors per trial for older adults and 4 colors for young adults. The harder version included 4 colors for older adults and 6 colors for young adults. By adjusting the ongoing-task difficulty, older adults were able to perform the ongoing task as well or better than the young adults. Analyses with the multinomial model revealed that making the ongoing task easier for older adults (or more difficult for young adults) did not eliminate age-related differences in prospective-memory performance and the underlying prospective component.