Early Institutionalization: Neurobiological Consequences and Genetic Modifiers

Children raised in the profound deprivation associated with institutionalization are at elevated risk for negative outcomes across a host of social and cognitive domains. This risk appears to be mitigated by early foster care or adoption into a family setting. Although pervasive developmental problems have been noted in a substantial proportion of previously institutionalized children, marked variation exists in the nature and severity of these deficits. Increasing evidence suggests that institutional deprivation impacts the developing brain, potentially underlying the wide range of outcomes with which it is associated. In the current review we examine the neural consequences of institutionalization and genetic factors associated with differences in outcome in an effort to characterize the consequences of early deprivation at a neurobiological level. Although the effects of institutional deprivation have been studied for more than 50 years much remains unanswered regarding the pathways through which institutionalization impacts child development. Through a more complete and nuanced assessment of the neural correlates of exposure and recovery as well as a better understanding of the individual factors involved we will be better able to delineate the impact of early adversity in the setting of severe social deprivation.     

A Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Humor in Sport Psychology Practice

“Creative efforts,” such as the use of humor, have been found to be beneficial to the nurse–patient, teacher–student, and psychologist–patient alliance. Potentially humor use might benefit the working alliance in applied sport psychology, yet to date there is limited research. Sport psychology consultants (n?=?55) completed an online survey that explored humor use within their practice. Statistical analyses revealed that most participants used humor for adaptive purposes such as to facilitate the working alliance, reinforce knowledge, and create healthy learning environments. Therefore, possible client change is likely to be facilitated by practitioners’ personal qualities and skills such as humor use and humor style. Recommendations are made for sport psychology practitioners in relation to humor use and further research. Increasing recognition has been given to the importance of the professional relationship between the client and practitioner within sport psychology consultancy as a means of facilitating client change. The present study demonstrated that use of humor by practitioners is an important part of enhancing the professional relationship and therefore potentially client change.

Lay Summary: Increasing recognition has been given to the importance of the professional relationship between the client and practitioner within sport psychology consultancy as a means of facilitating client change. The present study demonstrated that use of humor by practitioners is an important part of enhancing the professional relationship, and therefore potentially client change.     

Subjective well-being in urban adolescents of color

Relationships among predictors and criteria of subjective well-being were examined in a sample of 151 urban adolescents of color, ages 12-15. The relative strengths of family, peer, and school-related support and esteem in predicting three measures of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect) were explored. Results suggested that sense of worth in one's family explained a significant amount of variance in subjective well-being variables, above and beyond the contributions of individual, school, and peer-related variables. Implications for prevention and mental health promotion with urban adolescents of color are discussed based on these findings.     

Determining individual preschoolers' preferences in a group arrangement

This study sought to determine the accuracy of an assessment format in which selection outcomes were delayed and probabilistic; these are unavoidable features of an assessment designed to determine preferences of multiple children simultaneously. During the single arrangement, preference hierarchies were established by having a child repeatedly select from among several foods and by sequentially restricting preferred items from the array. After being taught the associations between colored cards and the same food items, group assessments were conducted with 3 children simultaneously, in which each child chose a card and all children received the food correlated with a randomly selected card from those that had just been selected. The group assessment appeared to be accurate and perhaps more efficient for determining preferences; thus, we posit that this arrangement is suitable for determining context preferences of multiple children simultaneously.     

How Do Master's Level Marriage and Family Therapy Students View Their Basic Therapy Skills? An Examination of Generic and Theory Specific Clinical Approaches to Family Therapy

This study examined the similarities and differences between marital and family therapy (MFT) students' beliefs about the importance of specific MFT skills, and the perceptions of experienced therapists in practice about the same skills. The data suggest overlap but not complete agreement between the perceptions of novice and experienced therapists regarding both generic and theory specific skills. Similarities and differences between these findings and earlier research about common factors in family therapy are addressed. Recommendations about clinical training that is not organized around traditional family therapy theories, but rather based on two trans-theoretical approaches to therapy labeled expert and collaborative are explored.     

Religious Coping and Substance Use: The Moderating Role of Sex

The objectives of this study were to ascertain whether positive and negative religious coping are associated with substance use and to determine whether sex moderates this association. This study utilized a cross-sectional design and examined 349 undergraduate students (103 males and 246 females) at a midsize southeastern university. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Brief RCOPE, and the Drinking and Drug Habits Questionnaire. Results revealed a positive association between negative religious coping and substance use only for males. While positive religious coping was significantly negatively associated with substance use, sex did not moderate this association. These results suggest that males may be especially vulnerable to engaging in substance use when utilizing negative religious coping. It may be important for university counseling centers to be cognizant of the types of religious coping used by students, as well as sex differences regarding the association between negative religious coping and substance use.     

Maternal speech to infants at 1 and 3 months of age

The goal of this study was to assess maternal speech and in relation to changes in infant social behavior occurring around the second month post birth. Sixty infants interacted with their mother at 1 and 3 months of age in a face-to-face context. At 3 months, infants gazed, smiled, and positively vocalized significantly more than at 1 month. These findings point to a transition in infant social behavior at around the second month post birth. In addition, maternal speech to infants increased between these times in both amount and complexity, possibly in response to an increase in infant social behavior. Maternal speech was related to infant positive vocalizing at 3 months, suggesting mothers especially monitored infant vocalizing at 3 months. Individual differences in maternal speech were stable across visits.