Examining Direct and Indirect Mechanisms of Parental Influences on Youth Physical Activity and Body Mass Index

Journal of Child and Family Studies - This study used social cognitive theory to compare the direct versus indirect effects of parent physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body mass index...     

The Impact of Integrated Behavioral Healthcare on Glycemic Control

Integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH) is the “standard of care” to address psychosocial factors impacting diabetes outcomes; it is not standard in practice. This longitudinal, retrospective, chart-review examines IBH impact on glycemic control in an adult diabetes clinic. Adults (n?=?374) with?≥?1 behavioral health encounter,?≥?2 hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values, and HbA1c value?>?8% at initial IBH visit were included. Mixed effects linear piecewise models examined differences in slope trajectories for 365 days pre- and post-IBH intervention. Pre-intervention slope was not significant (z?=?? 1.09, p?=?0.28). The post-intervention slope was significant (z?=?? 6.44, p?<?0.001), indicating a significant linear decrease in HbA1c values. Results demonstrated that prior to engaging with behavioral health, there was no change in HbA1c. After initial IBH visit, there was a predicted reduction of?>?1% in HbA1c over the following year. These results suggest that IBH significantly improves patients’ metabolic status. Next steps for IBH research are offered.

     

A Lot of Warmth and a Bit of Control? How Parenting Mediates the Relationship Between Parental Personality and Their Children’s Mental Health Problems

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Research has identified parental personality and parenting behaviour as important contributors to healthy child development. However, indirect associations are...     

Science meets practice in determining effectiveness of sexual orientation change efforts

Comments on the original article, "Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients," by the American Psychological Association (see record 2011-19419-001). Guideline 3 of the acknowledges the diversity of human sexual orientation and that "efforts to change sexual orientation have not been shown to be effective or safe" (p. 14). As noted in the Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation (APA, 2009), "Current criteria for effective treatments and interventions are specific in stating that to be considered effective, an intervention has consistent positive effects without serious harmful side effects [emphasis added]" (p. 26). The present authors note that half a century of scientific research on a variety of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) has not demonstrated their effectiveness according to the criteria of consistent positive effects and absence of serious harmful effects. Guideline 3 (APA, 2012) therefore urges psychologists to closely assess the motivations of clients who seek SOCE in the context of stigma and internalized prejudice about their non-heterosexual orientation. In addition, the guideline also recommends that psychologists obtain truthful, thorough, and thoughtful informed consent and that they focus on personal integration instead of sexual orientation change. The burden of proof has been on advocates of SOCE, and the present authors assert that it has not been met. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Perceptions and use of empirically-supported psychotherapies among eating disorder professionals

Despite growing support for the dissemination of empirically-supported treatments (ESTs), treatment providers have been slow to take up using ESTs. This study explored eating disorders (EDs) professionals' views of empirical support for psychotherapies for EDs and the role of empirical evidence in ED treatment selection. We distributed a web-based survey to members of two international organizations of ED practitioners and researchers; 402 members (32.7%) were eligible and participated. Most providers reported they used ESTs in treating EDs, but these ESTs were often folded into eclectic approaches rather than used in forms that had been evaluated in research trials. Use of ESTs and perceptions of empirical support for psychotherapies differed between participants who were and were not recently involved in research. We conclude that perceptions of available research evidence may be important to target in efforts to increase the uptake of ESTs in clinical practice and to help close the research-practice gap.     

Luminance affects age-related deficits in object detection: implications for computerized psychological assessments

As psychological instruments are converted for administration on computers, differences in luminance and contrast of these displays may affect performance. Specifically, high-luminance assessments may mask age-group differences that are apparent under lower luminance conditions. We examined the effects of luminance and contrast on object detection using computerized and naturalistic assessments. Younger and older adults displayed more differences in performance across differing contrast levels in conditions that were matched for luminance, despite the conditions appearing perceptually different. These findings indicate that computerized assessments should be created with luminance levels that are similar to those of the tasks they purport to simulate in order to enhance their validity.     

Predicting Feminist Identity: Associations Between Gender-Traditional Attitudes, Feminist Stereotyping, and Ethnicity

The connection between holding gender-traditional attitudes and the reluctance to identify as a feminist is well established, yet little is known about factors that might underlie this association. One factor that may serve this function is the tendency to hold negative stereotypes about feminists. Indeed, the constructs of ambivalent sexism (Glick and Fiske 1996) and ambivalence toward men (Glick and Fiske 1999) provide a strong theoretical basis for the prediction that traditional attitudes toward women and men are related to the derogation of women who do not conform to the feminine-stereotyped gender role. Therefore, the present study utilized path analysis to test a mediational model in which traditional attitudes toward women and men predict the tendency to stereotype feminists, which in turn predicts feminist identity. The present study also examined whether the relations between the variables in the model differed for African American, European American, and Latina women. Participants consisted of 544 women from the southern United States who, despite being undergraduates, were in their mid-to-late twenties on average. As expected, participant ethnicity moderated the paths in the model. Among African American and Latina women, hostility toward men and hostile sexism predicted the tendency to stereotype feminists, which then predicted feminist identity. Support for the mediational model was not obtained among European American women; instead, the model for European American women was characterized by direct paths from traditional attitudes toward women and men to feminist identity. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering participants’ ethnic background when assessing predictors of feminist identity.     

First-time parents' expectations about the division of childcare and play

The current study examines violated expectations regarding the division of childcare and play in first-time parents during the initial transition to parenthood. The study's goal was threefold: (a) to compare prenatal expectations with the reported postpartum division of childcare and play, (b) to compare the influence of the reported division versus violated expectations on postpartum relationship satisfaction and depression, and (c) to examine the role of persistent violations of expectations on these outcomes. Couples expecting their first child were interviewed during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 1 and 4 months postpartum. Results indicated both mothers and fathers have unrealistic expectations during pregnancy; interestingly, the direction violation was opposite but converging for mothers and fathers. As found in prior research, mothers experienced unmet expectations with fathers doing less than mothers expected. Fathers, on the other hand, experienced overmet expectations with mothers doing more than fathers expected. Violated expectations were also a stronger predictor of depression and relationship satisfaction than the reported division, although again in opposite directions for mothers and fathers. Unmet expectations were negative for mothers, while overmet expectations with regard to childcare tasks were beneficial for fathers. The one caveat was for fathers' overmet expectations with play; in this case, a mother playing with the baby more than a father expected was related to less relationship satisfaction. A similar pattern of results was found for mothers and fathers with persistent violations. This study highlights the importance of understanding violated expectations in both mothers and fathers, as well as examining play separately from childcare.