Infants with colic: A study of maternal stress and anxiety

The purpose of this article is to broaden our understanding of colic and to explore the effects of infant colic both on the mother's stress level and on her anxiety about separation from her infant. A “colic” group of 20 mother-infant dyads was compared with a second, control “noncolic” group of equal size. Significant group differences in the amount of time the infants cried, fussed, and were in a quiet/awake state were found. Although no difference in maternal trait anxiety was found, mothers in the colic group reported higher levels of stress associated with their infants' crying behavior. This stress was inversely related to the amount of time the infants slept during a 24-hour period. Mothers in the colic group also expressed significantly greater anxiety about separating from their infants for short periods of time; but the lack of freedom was significantly less of a problem for them than it was for mothers in the noncolic group. We conclude that mothers of difficult infants are more anxious about being separated from their infants, but do not appear to feel “trapped” by their extra maternal duties.     

Untrained Temporal Differentiation and Equivalence Class Formation

The Psychological Record - The purposes of this study were to assess whether discriminative control over conjunc FR 5 t1 < IRT < t2 responding would transfer to members of stimulus...     

The representational status of pretence: Evidence from typical development and autism

The question of whether understanding pretend play requires meta‐representational skill was examined among typically developing children and individuals with autism. Participants were presented with closely equated true and false pretence trials in which they had to judge a protagonist's pretend reading of a situation, which either matched or differed from their own. Results showed that individuals' theory of mind abilities determined their performance on false, but not true, pretence trials. These findings imply that meta‐representation is involved when an individual has to make sense of a pretend state of mind that differs from their own, but, crucially, they also show that pretend play can often be understood without meta‐representational competence.     

ACCESS DECISIONS BY PERSONNEL DIRECTORS: SUBTLE FORMS OF SEX BIAS IN HIRING

Midwestern personnel and management association members rated bogus job applications which had identical background qualifications but varied by sex of applicant, sex-role related attributes of applicant, and degree of fit of applicant credentials to job demands. The applicants were rated on their qualifications and likelihood of being considered for the position, expected performance, and expected success in the job. A significant triple interaction was found for the variable that measured the likelihood of the applicant being considered for the position (i.e., access to the position). Higher access ratings were given to the sex–stereotypical applicant when the applicant's credentials matched job demands. When the applicant's credentials did not fit the job demands, raters tended to favor non–stereotypical applicants. Practical and research implications are discussed.     

Examining social-cognitive determinants of intention and physical activity among black and white adolescent girls using structural equation modeling.

Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate components within the theories of reasoned action (TRA), planned behavior (TPB), and self-efficacy (SET) for understanding moderate and vigorous physical activity among 1,797 Black and White adolescent girls. Modest to strong support was provided for components of TPB and SET; weak support was provided for components of TRA. Perceived behavioral control was related to vigorous physical activity. Self-efficacy was related to moderate and vigorous physical activity, and it accounted for the effect of intention on physical activity. The observed relationships were similar between Black and White girls. Self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control are independent influences on physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls and warrant study as potential mediators in physical activity interventions.     

Pygmalion in the genes? On the potentially negative impacts of polygenic scores for educational attainment

Social Psychology of Education - Polygenic scores for educational attainment and related variables, such as IQ and “mathematical ability” are now readily available via...     

INTRODUCTION to Special Edition of JAP on the ‘Who is My Jung?’ conference held at the British Library in October 2017 to mark the 40th Anniversary of the foundation of the Association of Jungian Analysts (AJA)

The paper reviews the processes which went into the creation of an exceptionally comprehensive conference on Jungian analysis and psychology. The conference brought together all five of the constituent societies based in London of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP). The personal nature of the conference contributions is highlighted together with observations about the passage from spoken to written modes. The idea of ‘conference space’ is reviewed and this leads to a discussion of the often overlooked benign role of conferences in professional life.