Alienation Among the Visually Impaired: Some Important Predictors

We evaluated the effectiveness of a nondiet approach designed to reduce restrained eating behaviors and improve self-acceptance and self-esteem. This approach also encourages participants to address eating and exercise behavior separately. Subjects were Conoco employees who participated in the Wellness Department's Eat For L.I.F.E. (Long-term change; Image of self; Fun; Enjoyment of eating) program and completed pre-participation and 3-year follow-up questionnaires (N = 79). Pre- and postsurvey data were used to assess participants eating behavior, dieting behavior, self-acceptance, self-esteem, level of physical activity, and demographic information. Mastery of the internally directed eating style was assessed during the program at 3 months, at the conclusion of the 6-month program, and at the 3-year follow-up. Analysis of variance indicated that Eat For L.I.F.E. participants were able to significantly decrease their restrained eating behavior and increase self-acceptance, self-esteem, and level of physical activity. Participants also were able to adopt many aspects of the nonrestrained, internally directed eating style and decrease their frequency of weighing-in behavior. These results indicate that strategies fostering internally directed eating behaviors may be more centrally related to an individual's well-being than programs supporting externally directed eating behaviors.     

The Relationship between Trauma and Financial and Physical Well-Being Among Cambodians in the United States

This study focused on the relationship between trauma and financial and physical well-being of Cambodian refugees in the United Sates. Trauma was defined by three variables: whether or not trauma had been experienced in Cambodia, the number of traumas experienced, and the number of years spent in refugee camps. It was hypothesized that these trauma variables would predict financial and physical health among Cambodians in the United States. A discriminant analysis showed significant relationships between the trauma variables and current employment status, and multiple regression analyses showed that trauma predicted income and physical health.     

Counsellors' perceptions of client progression when working with clients who intentionally self‐harm and the impact such work has on the therapist

Introduction: This paper describes a qualitative study focusing on counsellors' perceptions of client progression when working with clients who intentionally self‐harm and the impact this has on the therapist. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were employed and the constant comparative method utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Findings indicate that counsellors experience intense emotions in response to self‐harm including: shock; sadness; anxiety; anger; and frustration. Counsellors also struggled to manage the tension between multiple dualities, corresponding to professional opinions of a seemingly polar opposite nature. Although participants indicated a requirement to work in a client‐led way, they all had either an explicit or implicit agenda for change. These two conflicting states create a tension for a counsellor that is difficult to resolve. In addition there were various views of client progression, yet all participants agreed that progression was not simply about stopping self‐harm. Conclusion: There is a significant impact on the counsellor when working with clients who intentionally self‐harm and the complexity of the phenomenon appears to exacerbate their anxiety. Implications: Further research within the counselling field focusing on the ambiguous nature of the subject may increase understanding, which in turn may contribute to greater therapist efficacy when working with this client group.     

A stop-signal task for sheep: introduction and validation of a direct measure for the stop-signal reaction time

Huntington’s disease (HD) patients show reduced flexibility in inhibiting an already-started response. This can be quantified by the stop-signal task. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a sheep version of the stop-signal task that would be suitable for monitoring the progression of cognitive decline in a transgenic sheep model of HD. Using a semi-automated operant system, sheep were trained to perform in a two-choice discrimination task. In 22% of the trials, a stop-signal was presented. Upon the stop-signal presentation, the sheep had to inhibit their already-started response. The stopping behaviour was captured using an accelerometer mounted on the back of the sheep. This set-up provided a direct read-out of the individual stop-signal reaction time (SSRT). We also estimated the SSRT using the conventional approach of subtracting the stop-signal delay (i.e., time after which the stop-signal is presented) from the ranked reaction time during a trial without a stop-signal. We found that all sheep could inhibit an already-started response in 91% of the stop-trials. The directly measured SSRT (0.974 ± 0.04 s) was not significantly different from the estimated SSRT (0.938 ± 0.04 s). The sheep version of the stop-signal task adds to the repertoire of tests suitable for investigating both cognitive dysfunction and efficacy of therapeutic agents in sheep models of neurodegenerative disease such as HD, as well as neurological conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.     

Wisdom in a complex world: A situated account of wise reasoning and its development

Social issues (e.g., partisan politics, economic decisions, and interpersonal conflicts) often involve trade‐offs, necessitating the consideration of multiple interests. Such issues do not have simple answers and benefit from wise reasoning—a set of metacognitive strategies that guide people toward managing complexity and balancing different interests. We review recent advances in research on wise reasoning, including evidence pertinent to the question of wisdom's trait‐like and state‐specific features, how it varies across situations, and how one can develop it. Overall, empirical studies suggest that researchers can understand wisdom better by paying attention to its situated nature across time and contexts.     

ICTs and Family Functioning: A Study on Portuguese Families with Adolescents and Emerging Adults

Nowadays, information and communication technologies (ICTs) represent an integral part of contemporary family life, introducing changes in families’ functioning. Positive, negative, and mixed aspects of this influence were identified. The present study intends to understand the relationship between ICTs and family functioning among participants from two different family life cycle stages. A total of 157 Portuguese families (307 participants from 97 families with emerging adult children and 169 from 60 families with adolescents) completed measures about the use of ICTs (an adaptation of SEFT/ETEF©) and family functioning (SCORE-15). The number of ICTs and problems related to their use were higher in families with adolescent children. The use of a higher number of ICTs was related to a better level of family functioning in both family groups. However, according to the multiple regression model, the problematic situations related to ICTs use only seem to predict a worse level of family functioning in families with adolescent children. Also, parents and children of each group differed in the number of ICTs used. Some limitations, implications for family therapy, and future research directions are discussed.     

Effectiveness of follow‐up reminiscence therapy on autobiographical memory in pathological ageing

The objective is to examine the effects of reminiscence therapy (RT) on total, episodic and semantic autobiographical memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) groups, testing the effects of RT on different stages of autobiographical memory, and its effectiveness at follow‐up. A sample composed of 43 aMCI (27 treatments, 16 controls) and 30 AD (15 treatments, 15 controls) subjects were evaluated with the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) test. The RT consisted of 10 sessions lasting 60 minutes each. Both groups, aMCI and AD, showed significant effects on overall autobiographical memory; aMCI showed significant main effects on episodic and semantic autobiographical memory in the treatment group, increasing scores in both cases. For AD, significant effects were observed on autobiographical episodic memory, showing an increase in the treatment group from Time 1 to follow‐up; semantic memory showed a decrease in the control group from Time 1 to follow‐up. Results show that RT implementation and follow‐up are effective in increasing autobiographical memory in subjects with aMCI and AD.     

Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Virtual Reality Training on Balance in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized,Controlled, Double-Blind,Clinical Trial

The authors' aim was to investigate the effects of continuous transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with virtual reality training on static and functional balance in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Twenty children with CP (6 girls and 14 boys; M age = 7 years 6 months ± 2 years) were randomly allocated to two groups. The experimental group received active tDCS and the control group received sham stimulation during the 10 sessions of virtual reality mobility training protocols. The children were evaluated on 3 occasions (preintervention, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up). Static balance was evaluated using a force plate under 4 conditions: feet on force plate with (a) eyes open and (b) with eyes closed, and feet on foam mat with (c) eyes open and (d) with eyes closed. Functional balance was evaluated using the Pediatric Balance Scale and the Timed Up and Go Test. The analyses demonstrated statistically significant postintervention and follow-up effects favoring the experimental group over the control group with regard to the Pediatric Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and area of oscillation of the center of pressure when standing on the force plate with eyes open. The present findings suggest that tDCS can potentiate the effects of virtual reality training on static and functional balance among children with CP.