How verbs can activate things: cross-language activation across word classes

The present study explored whether language-nonselective access in bilinguals occurs across word classes in a sentence context. Dutch–English bilinguals were auditorily presented with English (L2) sentences while looking at a visual world. The sentences contained interlingual homophones from distinct lexical categories (e.g., the English verb spoke, which overlaps phonologically with the Dutch noun for ghost, spook). Eye movement recordings showed that depictions of referents of the Dutch (L1) nouns attracted more visual attention than unrelated distractor pictures in sentences containing homophones. This finding shows that native language objects are activated during second language verb processing despite the structural information provided by the sentence context.     

Hierarchical Diagnostic Classification Models Morphing into Unidimensional ‘Diagnostic’ Classification Models—A Commentary

This commentary addresses the modeling and final analytical path taken, as well as the terminology used, in the paper “Hierarchical diagnostic classification models: a family of models for estimating and testing attribute hierarchies” by Templin and Bradshaw (Psychometrika, doi:10.1007/s11336-013-9362-0, 2013). It raises several issues concerning use of cognitive diagnostic models that either assume attribute hierarchies or assume a certain form of attribute interactions. The issues raised are illustrated with examples, and references are provided for further examination.     

Crime and violence in Brazil: Systematic review of time trends,prevalence rates and risk factors

Between 1980 and 2010 there were 1 million homicides in Brazil. Dramatic increases in homicide rates followed rises in inequality, more young men in the population, greater availability of firearms, and increased drug use. Nevertheless, disarmament legislation may have helped reduce homicide rates in recent years. Despite its very high rate of lethal violence, Brazil appears to have similar levels of general criminal victimization as several other Latin American and North American countries. Brazil has lower rates of drug use compared to other countries such as the United States, but the prevalence of youth drug use in Brazil has increased substantially in recent years. Since 1990, the growth of the Brazilian prison population has been enormous, resulting in the fourth largest prison population in the world. Through a systematic review of the literature, we identified 10 studies assessing the prevalence of self-reported offending in Brazil and 9 studies examining risk factors. Levels of self-reported offending seem quite high among school students in Brazil. Individual and family-level risk factors identified in Brazil are very similar to those found in high-income countries.     

Evaluation of the Self-Report Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in a Sample of Urban Middle School Students: a Multidimensional Rasch Analysis

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment - Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by limited empathy, lack of guilt, and callous use of others. The Inventory of Callous...     

Who can spot a potential problem gambler? Testing “it takes one to know one” and acquaintanceship effects in a university student population

How easy is it for individuals to detect low to moderate levels of problem gambling tendencies in others? Are individuals who have problem gambling tendencies themselves, or are close relationship partners, more accurate judges? We examine these questions in two studies involving a total of 336 interacting dyads drawn largely from a university student population. In Study 1 all pairs were strangers, whereas in Study 2 approximately half of the pairs were close. After the “judge” observed the “target” complete a gambling task, the dyad had a face-to-face discussion, with topics including favorite pastimes and personal weaknesses. Judges estimated the target's problem gambling tendencies, and both judges and targets self-reported their own gambling tendencies. There was evidence of modest, albeit somewhat inconsistent, accuracy in individuals’ judgments of the other person's problem gambling tendencies, but no “it takes one to know one” or acquaintanceship effects were apparent. Results also indicated that judges evidenced a projection bias, whereby they saw the target as similar to themselves, especially within close pairs. These results reveal that even after minimal interaction with a stranger individuals can be able to judge the person's gambling tendencies with some accuracy. At the same time, our findings indicating that close others and those with problem gambling tendencies themselves are not more or less tuned in to the early signs of a problem than anyone else suggest that it would be inappropriate to be especially convinced by—or skeptical of—these individuals’ judgments.     

A Cell Is Not Just a Cell

ABSTRACT

Two brief case reports are utilized to illustrate phenomena that arise as women seek known individuals to donate sperm cells for the purposes of assisted reproductive technology. Intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics arise and, at times, collide. Close scrutiny reveals a number of fantasies on the part of all participants: those seeking a donor, potential donors, and the parents of women seeking a donor. These very human forces play out in the context of highly controlled biomedical procedures. I caution that human beings bring the depths of their very human minds to these procedures, and infuse cells with meaning far beyond the technical procedures involved in ART.     

The Relationship Between Attachment Style and Postformal Thought

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and postformal thought ability and to test the comparability of three methods of testing for postformal thought. In a sample of 119 participants, postformal thought levels and attachment styles were assessed using postformal thought questionnaires and an attachment style scale. It was predicted that individuals with secure attachment styles would exhibit higher levels of postformal thought ability than individuals with anxious–ambivalent or avoidant attachment styles. It was also predicted that the three postformal tests would have equivalent results. Results indicated that attachment and postformal thought were not related and that the three measures of postformal thought were equivalent. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between attachment styles and individuals’ abilities to perform complex problem-solving tasks and/or dilemmas.     

Attachment style,partner communication,and physical well‐being among couples coping with cancer

Attachment styles may influence interpersonal strategies used to cope with stress. We examined links between attachment style, communicative behaviors, and physical well‐being among 166 couples coping with cancer. Results of actor–partner interdependence mediation models indicated that insecure attachment styles were associated with greater self‐report of two different and seemingly contradictory communicative behaviors (disclosure and holding back), which in turn were associated with poorer physical well‐being. These effects were intrapersonal for both patients and spouses, with the exception of anxious attachment and holding back for spouses. They were also interpersonal in that spouse insecure attachment was associated with poorer patient physical well‐being through spouse communication (greater holding back and disclosure). Couple‐based communication interventions to support adjustment should consider attachment style.     

Assessing Item Fit for Unidimensional Item Response Theory Models Using Residuals from Estimated Item Response Functions

Residual analysis (e.g. Hambleton & Swaminathan, Item response theory: principles and applications, Kluwer Academic, Boston, 1985; Hambleton, Swaminathan, & Rogers, Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) is a popular method to assess fit of item response theory (IRT) models. We suggest a form of residual analysis that may be applied to assess item fit for unidimensional IRT models. The residual analysis consists of a comparison of the maximum-likelihood estimate of the item characteristic curve with an alternative ratio estimate of the item characteristic curve. The large sample distribution of the residual is proved to be standardized normal when the IRT model fits the data. We compare the performance of our suggested residual to the standardized residual of Hambleton et al. (Fundamentals of item response theory, Sage, Newbury Park, 1991) in a detailed simulation study. We then calculate our suggested residuals using data from an operational test. The residuals appear to be useful in assessing the item fit for unidimensional IRT models.     

Sexual quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Objectives: Despite improvements in many domains of functioning, sexual quality of life often remains impaired following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. This study examined associations among sexual quality of life, fear of sexual activity and receiving information from providers about sexual activity in CABG patients.

Methods: Participants completed a survey assessing sexual activity, mental health and physical health at baseline (3–5-day post-surgery; n?=?60) and 2-month post-surgery (n?=?42).

Results: Sexual quality of life showed moderate difficulties at baseline and did not improve by follow-up (p values ≥0.09). At follow-up, greater patient fear was associated with lower sexual quality of life in some domains; receiving information was related to lower fear (p values ≤0.03) and greater sexual satisfaction and interest (p values ≤0.04). Suggestive of mediation, there was a significant indirect effect of information on patient fear and of patient fear on sexual interest (p?=?0.05).

Conclusions: Though data were cross-sectional, findings suggest that fears of sexual activity may play a role in lowering CABG patients’ motivation for sexual activity and that receiving information from a medical provider may assist in hastening sexual rehabilitation. Prospective and intervention studies are needed to support findings.