Institutional and Individual Research Productivity in Five Nominated Multicultural Psychology Journals

Research productivity was examined across 5 highly nominated multicultural psychology journals. This yielded a ranking of 40 highly productive institutions and individuals between 1994 and 2007. The results are potentially useful in beginning to track trends in the publication of multicultural psychology studies in research journals. Methodological and interpretational limitations are discussed. Se examinó la productividad de las investigaciones publicadas en 5 renombradas revistas de psicología multicultural. Esto dio como resultado un ranking de 40 instituciones e individuos altamente productivos entre 1994 y 2007. Los resultados son potencialmente útiles para empezar a rastrear tendencias en la publicación de estudios de psicología multicultural en revistas de investigación. También se discuten las limitaciones metodológicas y de interpretación.     

Exercise motivation in university community members: a behavioural intervention

The purpose of this study was to examine how exercise level, exercise motives, and barriers changed from the baseline phase to the follow-up phase after a behavioural and cognitive intervention aimed at increasing exercise. Seventy-five members of our university community (43 subjects in the control group and 32 in the experimental group), all of whom received cognitive feedback, agreed to complete the baseline phase. Only the experimental group received behavioural feedback and a free-access gym ticket with personal training in order to facilitate their adherence to exercise. The results suggest that a combination of behavioural and psychological techniques is an efficient strategy for increasing exercise level. In addition, the results showed that extrinsic motivation predominates the early stages of change-of-exercise behaviour, and that intrinsic motivation is important for progression towards maintenance. Subjects who decreased their exercise level increased their extrinsic exercise motivation and subjects who increased their exercise level decreased the barriers related to intrinsic motivation. These findings indicate that, in order to facilitate exercise adherence, feedback about motives for undertaking exercise is needed, combined with advice about how to improve physical condition. This combination could help eliminate certain barriers that hinder engaging in an active and healthy life-style.     

XS-DIF: program for analysis of Differential Item Functioning in Excel

XS-DIF is a program for detection of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) using Item Response Theory (IRT). It calculates Lords Chi-Square, Raju's Signed Area and Unsigned Area, and Kim and Cohen's Closed-interval signed area and Closed-interval unsigned area. XS-DIF was designed to be executed in Excel 2000 and it has a capacity of analysis of up to 100 items. It is useful to support data analysis of research projects and in detection and teaching processes in DIF.     

Does Familism Lead to Increased Parental Monitoring?: Protective factors for Coping with Risky Behaviors

We examined coping with risky behaviors (cigarettes, alcohol/drugs, yelling/ hitting, and anger), familism (family proximity and parental closeness) and parental monitoring (knowledge and discipline) in a sample of 56 adolescents (11–15 years old) predominantly of Mexican descent at two time points. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that more time spent with family (proximity) at Time 1 significantly predicts higher parental monitoring at Time two. Coping with more risky behaviors at Time 1 was significantly associated with less parental monitoring at Time 2. More parental closeness Time 1, more parental monitoring Time 1, and more parental monitoring Time 2 were associated with less coping with risky behaviors at Time 2. The cultural value of familism, particularly spending time with family in positive activities, appears to increase parental monitoring which may lead to less coping with risky behaviors among Mexican descent adolescents. Future studies may investigate gendered mechanisms for how extended family may increase not only parental knowledge of youth activities, but also youth perception of supervision.     

Mapping the MMPI–2–RF Substantive Scales Onto Internalizing,Externalizing, and Thought Dysfunction Dimensions in a Forensic Inpatient Setting

Contemporary models of psychopathology—encompassing internalizing, externalizing, and thought dysfunction factors—have gained significant support. Although research indicates the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF; Ben-Porath &; Tellegen, 2008 Tellegen, A., &; Waller, N. G. (2008). Exploring personality through test construction: Development of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. In G. J. Boyle, G. Matthews, &; D. H. Saklofske (Eds.), Handbook of personality theory and testing: Vol. II. Personality measurement and assessment (pp. 261–292). Greenwich, CT: JAI.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]/2011) measures these domains of psychopathology, this study addresses extant limitations in MMPI–2–RF diagnostic validity research by examining associations between all MMPI–2–RF substantive scales and broad dichotomous indicators of internalizing, externalizing, and thought dysfunction diagnoses in a sample of 1,110 forensic inpatients. Comparing those with and without internalizing diagnoses, notable effects were observed for Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism–Revised (NEGE-r), Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction (EID), Dysfunctional Negative Emotions (RC7), Demoralization (RCd), and several other internalizing and somatic/cognitive scales. Comparing those with and without thought dysfunction diagnoses, the largest hypothesized differences occurred for Thought Dysfunction (THD), Aberrant Experiences (RC8), and Psychoticism–Revised (PSYC-r), although unanticipated differences were observed on internalizing and interpersonal scales, likely reflecting the high prevalence of internalizing dysfunction in forensic inpatients not experiencing thought dysfunction. Comparing those with and without externalizing diagnoses, the largest effects were for Substance Abuse (SUB), Antisocial Behavior (RC4), Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction (BXD), Juvenile Conduct Problems (JCP), and Disconstraint–Revised (DISC-r). Multivariate models evidenced similar results. Findings support the construct validity of MMPI–2–RF scales as measures of internalizing, thought, and externalizing dysfunction.     

Neuromodulation can reduce aggressive behavior elicited by violent video games

Research has shown that exposure to violent media increases aggression. However, the neural underpinnings of violent-media-related aggression are poorly understood. Additionally, few experiments have tested hypotheses concerning how to reduce violent-media-related aggression. In this experiment, we focused on a brain area involved in the regulation of aggressive impulses—the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC). We tested the hypothesis that brain polarization through anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over rVLPFC reduces aggression related to violent video games. Participants (N = 79) were randomly assigned to play a violent or a nonviolent video game while receiving anodal or sham stimulation. Afterward, participants aggressed against an ostensible partner using the Taylor aggression paradigm (Taylor Journal of Personality, 35, 297–310, 1967), which measures both unprovoked and provoked aggression. Among those who received sham stimulation, unprovoked aggression was significantly higher for violent-game players than for nonviolent-game players. Among those who received anodal stimulation, unprovoked aggression did not differ for violent- and nonviolent-game players. Thus, anodal stimulation reduced unprovoked aggression in violent-game players. No significant effects were found for provoked aggression, suggesting tit-for-tat responding. This experiment sheds light on one possible neural underpinning of violent-media-related aggression—the rVLPFC, a brain area involved in regulating negative feelings and aggressive impulses.     

Paternal absence and international migration: stressors and compensators associated with the mental health of Mexican teenagers of rural origin

Mexico-U.S. migration creates situations that may cause psychological distress. The purpose of this research project was to study the impact of father's physical absence due to international migration (FPAIM) on adolescent offspring of rural immigrants from Zacatecas, Mexico. Stressors and compensators were studied from the adolescent's perspective and were analyzed using a stress-mediator-consequences theoretical framework. Qualitative (n = 24) and quantitative (n = 310) methodologies were used with a nonrandom sample of adolescents. Results show that the FPAIM is an ambivalent experience for adolescents that has positive and negative elements. Though migrants' children seem to be more vulnerable to psychosocial stress than are the offspring of nonmigrants, gender, not father's absence, appears to be the most important risk factor for psychological distress.     

Validation of the cognitive structure of the test of signs by structural equation modeling

Validation of the cognitive structure of the test of signs by structural equation modeling. The present work is aimed to carry out a validation study of the cognitive operations required for the correct solution of items of a math test which includes basic arithmetic operations between integer numbers. The validation of the hypothesized cognitive structure is made by means of structural equation modeling and triangulation methods. Results show strong and positive cognitive subordination relationships between some items but the structural equation model fit only provides a partial support for the proposed structure. However, the triangulation procedure provides further evidence of validity.