A neural network approach to identifying adolescent adjustment.

This study examined the relationship between the quality of adjustment in adolescents and a set of psychiatric diagnoses, personality traits, parental bonding, and social support variables. One hundred fifty adolescents were administered the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory, the Parental Bonding Questionnaire, the Social Support Questionnaire, and the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. A neural network approach was then utilized, and it was found that several of the variables (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Societal Conformity) had a significant role in classifying adolescents into three groups: maladjusted, nominally adjusted, and well-adjusted.     

Behavioral Complexity: A Review

The theoretical basis of behavioral complexity theory is reviewed. A selection of recent research data are considered under topics of interest to behavioral science and related disciplines.     

Urban Career Women and Stress in Southeast Asia

A theoretical and conceptual review of stressors facing urban career women in southeast Asian countries is presented within a chronological age-bracket framework. Similarities and distinguishing differences from findings in the United States, Europe, and Australia are discussed. Younger attractive women were more likely to encounter sexual harassment and be taken less seriously at work. In the middle years, family demands with young children pose more of a distraction for the women. Southeast Asian career women have an edge compared to their Western counterparts in better access to support for household duties and child-minding from live-in maids and parents. However, they are expected to care for elderly parents and be responsible for efficient home management. In higher management appointments, they face similar stressors in critical perceptions of their authority and leadership by both men and women subordinates. Management initiatives to inculcate attitude change and transparency in addressing convoluted and irrelevant gender-role expectations can yield substantial organizational benefits.     

Factors predicting the use of technology: findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE)

The successful adoption of technology is becoming increasingly important to functional independence. The present article reports findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) on the use of technology among community-dwelling adults. The sample included 1,204 individuals ranging in age from 18-91 years. All participants completed a battery that included measures of demographic characteristics, self-rated health, experience with technology, attitudes toward computers, and component cognitive abilities. Findings indicate that the older adults were less likely than younger adults to use technology in general, computers, and the World Wide Web. The results also indicate that computer anxiety, fluid intelligence, and crystallized intelligence were important predictors of the use of technology. The relationship between age and adoption of technology was mediated by cognitive abilities, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety. These findings are discussed in terms of training strategies to promote technology adoption.     

Developmental outcome of drug-exposed children through 30 months: a comparison of Bayley and Bayley-II

This study examined the effects of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) version on developmental outcomes among drug-exposed children, some of whom received an intervention. Developmental outcome was evaluated with the BSID at 12 and 18 months and with the BSID-II at 24 and 30 months. In the repeated measures analyses, children scored higher on the BSID Mental Developmental Index (MDI; p < .01) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI; p < .01) than on the BSID-II MDI and PDI. Version x Time (p < .01) and Version x Group (p < .01) interactions were also found for the MDI but not the PDI. PDI scores decreased on both the BSID and the BSID-II (p < .01). Over the first 2 years postpartum, mean MDI and PDI scores decreased among these high-risk, drug-exposed children.     

Dichotomous Issues in Psychology: Intransigency or Developmental Phase?

Cet article est une étude de cas de la psychologie en tant que discipline et profession dans un jeune pays asiatique, Singapour. Il y est décrit les aspects les plus importants de sa courte histoire et de son actuel statut. On met en évidence l'apparence dichotomique de la psychologie, vu que les membres de cette discipline adoptent souvent des positions apparemment intransigeantes. Des points communs apparaissent avec le cycle de développement de la psychologie aux Etats-Unis. Il s'agit de la scission entre les approches pratique et scientifique (art ou science?), l'intérêt pour la recherche fondamentale ou appliquée, et une préférence tranchée pour la recherche de laboratoire ou de terrain. On conclut en réfléchissant sur l'avenir de la psychologie internationale et sur les conséquences d'une approche sceptique de cette discipline.
This is a case study of psychology as a discipline and a profession in a young Asian country, Singapore. Salient aspects of its brief history and present status are presented. The paper highlights what appear to be dichotomous issues in psychology, where members of the discipline often adopt seemingly intransigent positions. Parallels are drawn with similarities in the developmental cycle for psychology in the United States. These include divisions with regard to practitioner versus scientist approaches to the discipline (art or science?), commitment to basic versus applied research, and an entrenched preference for laboratory versus field research. The paper concludes by examining the future in international psychology, and the implications of a prevalent skeptical approach within the discipline.     

Initial Development and Validation of a Measure of Intercultural Development Scale

Intercultural development in global employees will aid organizations to function successfully in the current global work scene. However, there is a need for a psychometrically valid and reliable measure, which can be used by practitioners and academics to assess the capabilities of individuals. This vignette based intercultural development scale was conceived on the basis of Bennett’s developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. The content was generated using interviews with international employees and subject matter experts. Psychometric properties were established with both qualitative and quantitative analysis. A sample of 461 international employees was used to test the validity of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and construct validity was established with cosmopolitanism and openness to experience scales. The study confirms the scale’s dimensionality and established convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. The applications of this scale in building capabilities, talent management and strategic decisions in both practical and theoretical assessment are outlined.     

A new method for automated reconstruction of pre-transformation microstructures

A new method, referred to as the cluster method, is proposed and tested for the reconstruction of pre-transformation microstructure in Ti–6Al–4V alloy. The cluster method begins by constructing clusters of daughter grains (room-temperature hcp α-phase) that have a high probability of being transformed from the same parent grain (high-temperature bcc β-phase). These clusters are then grown, and back-transformed to the parent grain orientations using the ‘summation of mutual misorientation angle method’ (SMMA method). The cluster method is validated by comparing the obtained results with the results of the SMMA and triplet methods.     

Self-help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Carers of People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial

Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an established psychological therapy, but its effectiveness for carers of people with multiple...     

Preface

Dr. Siegfried Streufert devoted a considerable part of his career to designing and developing assessment and training technologies based on his theory of Behavioral complexity. The underlying emphasis in the design of his methodology called the Strategic Management Simulations (SMS), was on understanding “real world” productivity in an objective manner. This methodology focuses on the demonstrated decision-making capacity of an individual in various situations and its impact on human productivity and well-being. The SMS methodology compliments other evaluation tools that focus on individual “preferences”, “aspirations” and basic problem-solving skill sets. The following commentary provides a brief overview of well-used methodologies and describes the SMS comprehensive assessment which is focused on real world productivity and is constructed using Behavioral complexity theoretical paradigms.