Caregivers’ beliefs about dementia: findings from the IDEAL study

Abstract

Objective: Informal caregivers of people with dementia develop their own beliefs about the condition, referred to as Dementia Representations (DRs), as they try to make sense of the changes they are observing. The first aim of this study was to provide a profile of the types of DRs held by caregivers. The second aim was to examine the impact of caregivers’ DRs on their well-being, satisfaction with life (SwL) and caregiving stress.

Methods: Participants were 1264 informal caregivers of people in the mild-to-moderate stages of dementia from time-point 1 of the IDEAL cohort study.

Measures: DRs were measured using questionnaire items covering: Identity, Cause, Control, and Timeline.

Results: Almost half (49.2%) of caregivers used a diagnostic term to describe the person’s condition, although 93.4% of caregivers stated they were aware of the diagnosis. Higher well-being, SwL, and lower caregiving stress were associated with the use of an identity term relating to specific symptoms of dementia, attributing the cause to ageing or not knowing the cause, and believing the condition would stay the same. Lower well-being, SwL, and higher caregiving stress were associated with believing there was little that could be done to control the effects of the condition.

Conclusion: Healthcare professionals should assess and gain an understanding of caregivers’ DRs in order to provide more tailored information and support.     

Competitive Dynamics in Forecasting: The Interaction of Skill and Uncertainty

The outcomes in many competitive tasks depend upon both skill and luck. Behavioral theories on risk taking in tournaments indicate that low‐skilled individuals may have incentives to take more risks than high‐skilled ones. We build on these theories and suggest, in addition, that when luck is more important in determining outcomes, the increase in risk taking is larger for low‐skilled than high‐skilled individuals. We test this hypothesis by analyzing stock analysts' forecasts of companies' earnings per share under market conditions that vary in volatility and thus imply different levels of luck in outcomes. Specifically, noting that forecasts that deviate widely from the consensus—which is observable by the analyst—potentially carry career‐related rewards but also reputational risks, we examine the degree of deviation from consensus exhibited by analysts of different skill levels (measured by both past forecasting accuracy and education) in different market conditions. We find that average deviations from consensus increase as markets become more volatile. At the same time, under conditions of high volatility, low‐skilled analysts exhibit larger increases in deviations from consensus than high‐skilled analysts. These field data results support our hypothesis based on of risk taking in tournaments. We discuss alternative interpretations such as, for example, self‐serving attributions and indicate directions for future research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pure Logical Grammar: Anticipatory Categoriality and Articulated Categoriality

In reworking his Logical Investigations Husserl adopts two positions that were not actually incorporated into later editions of the Investigations but do appear in other writings: (1) a new distinction between signitive and significative intentions, and (2) the claim that even naming and perceiving acts are categorially formed. This paper investigates Husserl's notion of noematic sense and the pure grammatical 'categories' intimated therein in order to shed light on these new positions. The paper argues that the development of the theories of the noema and of pure grammar allows us to recognize how even merely perceived or named things have a certain categoriality belonging to them, but that this development also requires us to distinguish between an anticipatory categoriality and an articulated categoriality.     

Self-Efficacy and Memory Aging: The Impact of a Memory Intervention Based on Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT

A multifactorial training program was developed for older adults, to improve self-efficacy and memory performance. Elements designed to raise self-efficacy were integrated into class discussions, homework readings, and practice exercises, including an emphasis on memory potential at any age, self-set goals, and opportunities for mastery. Strategy training focused on association, organization, attention, imagery, and PQRST. Significant improvements for the training group, as compared to a wait-list control group, were observed for memory self-efficacy, locus of control, name recall and story recall. Trained participants were using effective strategies more so than the control group. Final test scores were predicted by self-efficacy, condition assignment, and baseline ability (with some variation across the three tasks). These findings suggest that an integrated and comprehensive training program that incorporates principles of self-efficacy theory has great potential for improving older adults' memory ability.     

Why Misery Loves Company: The Role of Self-Forgiveness in Reducing Regret Through Media Consumption

ABSTRACT

Building on the existing research on the role of media use in coping with negative emotions, this article seeks, first, to replicate previous findings that media consumption may reduce regret and, second, to extend that work by investigating the regret-related cognitive mechanism through which regret reduction occurs. The possible negative consequences of regret reduction are also explored. Four hundred undergraduate women, 30% of whom had previously had a one-night stand (ONS) with differing degrees of lingering regret, watched one of six versions of a television program representing ONS behavior. Results largely replicated earlier research (Nabi, Finnerty, Domschke, & Hull, 2006) in terms of program enjoyment and regret reduction. Further, self-forgiveness emerged as the single predictor of regret reduction, though it also increased perceived likelihood of a future ONS. Conversely, learning from past mistakes associated with higher post-viewing regret, but lower perceived ONS likelihood. The complicated role of entertainment media as coping devices and the need to explore message features the might promote effective coping are emphasized.     

Kansas Physician Assistants’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Spirituality and Religiosity in Patient Care

Research indicates patients want to discuss spirituality/religious (S/R) beliefs with their healthcare provider. This was a cross-sectional study of Kansas physician assistants (PA) regarding S/R in patient care. Surveys included questions about personal S/R beliefs and attitudes about S/R in patient care. Self-reported religious respondents agreed (92%) they should be aware of patient S/R; 82% agreed they should address it. Agreement with incorporating S/R increased significantly based on patient acuity. This research indicates Kansas PAs’ personal S/R beliefs influence their attitudes toward awareness and addressing patient S/R.     

Seven Paths of the Hero in Lord of the Rings: The Path of Tragic Failure

Gollum's path might be seen as the modern equivalent of the Greek tragic hero: Though fated to fail personally, he yet serves greater needs. Driven by greed and avarice, Gollum loses his identity and is reduced to little more than desire for his “Precious” ring. Yet, even in failure, even while committing evil, Gollum plays an indispensable part in the Quest. Subdued, almost won over by Frodo's kindness, he leads Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom. There, in Frodo's moment of weakness, it is necessary for Gollum to bite off Frodo's finger in order for Frodo's destiny to be fulfilled. We each have a Gollum within us: Who has never experienced greed and avarice? We each have to treat the Gollum inside with the same kindness displayed by Frodo, the same firmness displayed by Sam.     

Effects of age,dysphoria, and emotion‐focusing on autobiographical memory specificity in children

Overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) is strongly associated with depression in adults and appears to reflect a stable cognitive bias. However, it is not known whether this bias exists in children or what factors contribute to its development. We examined the roles of age, dysphoria, and a new variable, emotion‐focusing (EF), on the production of specific autobiographical memory (AM) in children, using the standard Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986 Williams, JMG and Broadbent, K. (1986). Autobiographical memory in suicide attempters. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95: 144–149. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Results show that older children are more specific than younger children, irrespective of cue valence. Dysphoria was linked to less specific retrieval of positive memories in children. A three‐way interaction between age, valence, and dysphoria was also found, such that older dysphoric children demonstrated a difficulty in retrieving specific negative memories. In addition, emotion‐focusing was associated with specific AM recall, especially to negative cues. Results are discussed with reference to the development of depressogenic biases.     

The relationship between blushing propensity,social anxiety and facial blood flow during embarrassment

To investigate blushing in relation to blushing propensity scores and core elements of social anxiety, facial blood flow was monitored in 86 normal volunteers during an embarrassing task (singing a children's song). Increases in facial blood flow were greater in women than men, as were scores on the Blushing Propensity and Fear of Negative Evaluation scales. In addition, high scores on the Blushing Propensity and Social Interaction Anxiety scales were associated with large increases in facial blood flow during singing. However, this appeared to be due primarily to social anxiety because the association between blushing propensity scores and changes in facial blood flow disappeared when social interaction anxiety scores were taken into account. These findings suggest that people generally base their beliefs about blushing on cues other than changes in facial blood flow. Social anxiety may augment increases in facial blood flow during embarrassment, independently of expected or perceived blushing.