Characteristics of Adult Caretakers of Children and Youth Served by an Urban Child Welfare Agency

The child welfare system of the early 1990s was marked by the proliferation of home-based services. Research on the effectiveness of various home-based interventions indicates results have been equivocal. The need to make explicit the specific characteristics of the adults and children targeted for home-based services, particularly families from diverse cultural backgrounds, has been identified as a critically needed contribution to the literature. In this study, the characteristics and service utilization experiences of adults and families served in an urban, home-based, child welfare program was examined. The results are discussed in relation to findings on the characteristics and experiences of adults and families served in other settings. Implications for future research and service delivery are discussed.     

Impact of intuitive theories on feature recruitment throughout the continuum of expertise

Expertise in object domains involves both the perceptual learning of the differentiating and higher order features that are indicative of concepts and the elaboration of intuitive theories. Triad-similarity judgments, feature-salience ratings, and verbal protocols were used to investigate the effects of theories on the recruitment of features across different categorization contexts, as well as the degree to which expert categorization skills transferred to less familiar domains. Whereas novices considered features that indicated overall similarity to be more perceptually salient than were modified parts that indicated taxonomic relations, experts found them equally salient. Experts’ theories were instrumental in directing feature recruitment in contexts involving identification, image generation, and similarity decisions. Experts’ theories also supported the transfer of categorization skills to related, less familiar domains. The relation of mutual dependence between perceptual learning and theory development throughout the continuum of expertise is considered.     

MRI Asymmetries of Broca''s Area: The Pars Triangularis and Pars Opercularis

Broca's area, which includes the pars triangularis (PTR) and pars opercularis (POP), is a neuroanatomic region important in speech-language production. Previous data demonstrated that PTR asymmetries are highly correlated with language dominance determined by selective hemispheric anesthesia or Wada testing, suggesting that asymmetries of the PTR may, in part, predict language dominance. The POP, however, has not been measured on volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and therefore, it is unclear whether morphological asymmetries of the POP exist, and whether these asymmetries differ in right- and left-handers. The purpose of this study was to determine if measurable asymmetries of the POP exist on MRI, and whether the direction of the asymmetries differ in right- and left-handers. The PTR and POP were measured on volumetric MRI scans of 16 right-handers and 16 left-handers matched for age and gender. There was a significant leftward asymmetry of the PTR in right- and left-handers, although the asymmetry was reduced in the left-handers. In contrast, there was a leftward asymmetry of the POP in right-handers, and a rightward asymmetry in the left-handers. Handedness, derived from a handedness inventory, was positively correlated with POP asymmetry.     

Near-death utopias: Now or later?

By viewing near-death experiences (NDEs) in the context of the quest for an ideal society, Kellehear offered hope for positive social change and insight into the social, rather than purely personal, meanings of the NDE. However, his approach raised issues of the interpretive research process generally. As with any research, near-death studies are influenced by investigators' questions, interests, and assumptions. Despite the reasoning behind Kellehear's position, he grounded his analysis not in the data, but rather in his typology of ideal societies. I suggest we look first for indications of ideal social order in near-death narratives and only later compare them with types of utopias.     

A randomized trial comparing the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa delivered via telemedicine versus face-to-face

OBJECTIVE: A major problem in the delivery of mental health services is the lack of availability of empirically supported treatment, particularly in rural areas. To date no studies have evaluated the administration of an empirically supported manual-based psychotherapy for a psychiatric condition via telemedicine. The aim of this study was to compare the relative efficacy and acceptability of a manual-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for bulimia nervosa (BN) delivered in person to a comparable therapy delivered via telemedicine. METHOD: One hundred twenty-eight adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for BN or eating disorder-not otherwise specified with binge eating or purging at least once per week were recruited through referrals from clinicians and media advertisements in the targeted geographical areas. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 sessions of manual-based, CBT for BN over 16 weeks delivered either face-to-face (FTF-CBT) or via telemedicine (TV-CBT) by trained therapists. The primary outcome measures were binge eating and purging frequency as assessed by interview at the end of treatment, and again at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Secondary outcome measures included other bulimic symptoms and changes in mood. RESULTS: Retention in treatment was comparable for TV-CBT and FTF-CBT. Abstinence rates at end-of-treatment were generally slightly higher for FTF-CBT compared with TV-CBT, but differences were not statistically significant. FTF-CBT patients also experienced significantly greater reductions in eating disordered cognitions and interview-assessed depression. However, the differences overall were few in number and of marginal clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS: CBT for BN delivered via telemedicine was both acceptable to participants and roughly equivalent in outcome to therapy delivered in person.     

Update der psychoanalytischen Links im Internet

Das Forum der Psychoanalyse hat zuletzt in Heft 1/2007 nützliche Internetadressen für Psychoanalytikerinnen und Psychoanalytiker publiziert. Hier folgt, zusammengestellt von Parfen Laszig und Kathy Rieg, ein aktuelles Update. Ausführlichere Informationen zu den angeführten und weiteren Adressen finden sich auf der Internetseite www.psychoanalytische-ressourcen.de     

Pedagogy for diversity: mediating between tradition and equality in schools

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence‐based guidance for educational practitioners and, in particular, for those in leadership positions in schools, on good practice in developing and implementing school level strategies and actions to promote an appreciation of diversity in schools and society.     

Consumer decision making in low‐income families: The case of conflict avoidance

• This paper explores consumer decision making in low‐income families. The focus is on the issue of conflict avoidance within the family when making consumption choices. Whereas previous studies have focused on conflict resolution strategies, this paper considers the ways in which families prevent conflict from arising in the first instance. These include individual control in purchasing and budgeting decisions, giving in to the requests of children and ensuring open communication about the family's financial situation. Importantly, the connections between the poverty narrative and the family decision making narrative are considered as the decision making strategies employed are not only aimed at avoiding conflict but also making experiences of poverty more manageable.

Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The production of bimanual percussion in 12- to 24-month-old children

Bimanual coordination represents a complex self-organizing system that is subject to both internal and contextual constraints. Although there has been interest in examining bimanual development throughout the lifespan, few data exist relative to the bimanual activity of children between 1 and 4 years of age. The study reported here represents an initial effort to address this gap. Twenty-seven children who were either 12, 18 or 24 months old were videotaped while drumming with sticks on a plastic drum. Two independent observers recorded bout length as well as number and phase relation of movement cycles within bouts. Kinematic analysis provided more detailed information about the timing and form of children's activity. Results indicate that bimanual drumming becomes preferred over unimanual drumming by 2 years of age, that the proportions of different phase relations exhibited by children change between 1 and 2 years of age, and that the behavior appears to go through periods of stability and variability within this age range. These results are discussed in the context of the child's physical development and interactions with the environment during this period.