New-born infants' perception of similarities and differences between two- and three-dimensional stimuli

The new-born baby' ability to detect similarities and differences between three-dimensional stimuli and their two-dimensional representations is investigated in three experiments, using both visual preference and habituation procedures. In Expt 1 new-borns strongly preferred (looked more at) complex objects to their photographs. This preference was found with monocular viewing, and suggests that motion parallax is a salient cue in the detection of the differences between the two- and three-dimensional stimuli. The results from Expt 2 support the view that, for the new-born, the differences between objects and their two-dimensional representations are more detectable or salient than their similarities. These conclusions were further supported by the results from the last experiment, using simpler stimuli, although the preference was for the two- rather than the three-dimensional stimuli. The results suggest that studies which use only two-dimensional stimuli may provide only limited information about the course of perceptual development, at least in the first few months from birth.     

Longitudinal associations between impulsivity and lie-telling in childhood and adolescence

Lie-telling and impulsivity levels peak during late childhood to early adolescence and have been suggested to be related. Heightened impulsivity may lead adolescents to lie in favor of short-term benefits without consideration for the potential consequences of deception. The present study assessed longitudinal relations between self-reported impulsivity and lie-telling frequency. Participants from a large-scale longitudinal study (N = 1148; M_age = 11.55, SD = 1.69, 9–15 years at Time 1) reported on their impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale) and their frequency of lie-telling to parents, to teachers, to friends, and about cheating across two time points 1 year apart. Cross-lagged path analysis revealed greater impulsivity was associated with more frequent lie-telling to parents, friends, and teachers, and about cheating over time. Our findings demonstrate the role of impulsivity in the development of lie-telling behaviors.

Research Highlights

• Impulsivity predicts lying across time in multiple contexts (to parents, friends, teachers, and about cheating).
• Previous research has demonstrated the role of top-down influences on lie-telling, but the current study suggests that bottom-up processes are also influential.

     

The Role of Hope and Optimism in Suicide Risk for American Indians/Alaska Natives

There are some American Indian/Alaska Native communities that exhibit high rates of suicide. The interpersonal theory of suicide (Joiner, 2005) posits that lethal suicidal behavior is likely preceded by the simultaneous presence of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability. Past research has shown that hope and optimism are negatively related to suicidal ideation, some of the constructs in the interpersonal theory of suicide, and suicide risk for the general population. This is the first study to investigate hope and optimism in relation to suicidal ideation, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability for American Indians/Alaska Natives. Results showed that hope and optimism negatively predicted thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation. However, these results were not found for acquired capability. Overall, this study suggests that higher levels of hope and optimism are associated with lower levels of suicidal ideation, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness in this American Indian/Alaska Native sample.     

Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue: Using Story Completion Methods in Qualitative Research

ABSTRACT

What is story completion? How come I’ve never heard of it? Can it be useful for me as a qualitative researcher? A relatively unknown method for qualitative data collection, story completion has a long history of use in psychotherapy practice and (quantitative) developmental psychology research. We believe it has untapped, exciting potential as a qualitative technique in and beyond psychology, offering something quite different to many of the popular methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups). In this article, an introduction to an exciting Special Issue that discusses and demonstrates the potential of story completion, we provide a brief history of the development of story completion as a qualitative technique and an overview of design, sampling, and data analysis in story completion research. We finish by highlighting potential pitfalls of story completion, alongside a discussion of the possibilities it offers, and briefly introduce the empirical papers in the Special Issue.