Mathematical Studies of the Information in the Stimulus-Response Matrix

This paper considers the information transmitted in absolute judgments as encoded in a stimulus-response matrix (e.g., see Garner and Hake, 1951). When transmitted information is plotted against the number of stimulus categories in the matrix, one obtains a curve that increases monotonically toward a plateau, which is the maximum information transmittable per stimulus for the particular range of stimuli employed. We demonstrate that although the maximum information transmitted is an attribute of the stimulus continuum itself, the shape of the curve is an empirical property of the stimulus-response matrix, which is determined, in part, by maintaining a constant stimulus category width. Therefore, in principle, each curve of information transmitted vs number of stimulus categories can be determined by a single point: the rightmost point on the graph. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Design and development of the European American values scale for Asian Americans

Existing instruments for measuring Asian American acculturation emphasize behavior acculturation to the exclusion of value acculturation. Most are based on the assumption that acquisition of European American behavior occurs simultaneously with the loss of Asian behavior. With the advent of the Asian Values Scale (AVS; B.S.K. Kim, D.R. Atkinson, & P.H. Yang, 1999), it is now possible to assess adherence to Asian cultural values. This article describes the development of a scale that can be used to measure Asian American adherence to European American values. The current scale, combined with the AVS, can be used to independently measure Asian American acculturation to European American values and enculturation in Asian values.     

Psychometric properties of the Chinese Metaparenting Profile Questionnaire Short-form

Current Psychology - Research on deliberate and mindful parenting constructs, including metaparenting, has become increasingly popular. However, this topic has not been widely examined in China and...     

Outcome of the Psychological Intervention Program: Internet Use for Youth

The prevalence of problematic Internet use (PIU) is reportedly higher in South East Asian adolescent populations. The exacerbation of problematic adolescent behaviors has been found to associate significantly with PIU and is expected to worsen with age. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-integrated therapy has been shown to significantly reduce in the presence of psychological symptoms such as depression and social anxiety. The Psychological Intervention Program-Internet Use for Youth (PIP-IU-Y) is a CBT-based program designed for adolescents and comprises of a series of interpersonal skills to improve their face-to-face interaction. It focuses on taking preventative measures against Internet addiction before it develops by addressing the participant’s PIU as a negative coping style and incorporating positive psychological techniques. A total of 157 participants between the ages of 13 and 18 completed the program which consisted of eight weekly, 90 min sessions in a group format. Treatment outcomes were measured using mean change at the end of the program and 1 month post-treatment. The majority of the participants showed improvement after the eight weekly sessions of PIP-IU-Y and continued symptom maintenance at the 1 month follow-up. An overwhelming majority of participants were able to manage PIU symptoms after the intervention program, reinforcing the efficacy of the PIP-IU-Y. Not only did it addresses the PIU behaviour but also helped in reducing social anxiety and increasing social interaction. Further research could investigate treatment differences among the various subtypes of PIU (e.g., online gaming and pornography) in order to see if treatment differences exist.     

General and Domain-Specific Effectiveness of Cognitive Remediation after Stroke: Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Cognitive remediation (CR) has been shown to improve cognitive abilities following a stroke. However, an updated quantitative literature review is needed to synthesize recent research and build understanding of factors that may optimize training parameters and treatment effects. Randomized controlled trials of CR were retrieved from seven electronic databases. Studies specific to adult stroke populations were included. Treatment effects were estimated using a random effects model, with immediate and longer-term follow-up outcomes, and moderator effects, examined for both overall and domain-specific functioning. Twenty-two studies were identified yielding 1098 patients (583 in CR groups). CR produced a small overall effect (g?=?0.48, 95% CI 0.35–0.60, p?<?0.01) compared with control conditions. This effect was moderated by recovery stage (p?<?0.01), study quality (p?=?0.04), and dose (p?=?0.04), but not CR approach (p?=?0.63). Significant small to medium (g?=?0.25–0.75) post-intervention gains were evident within each individual outcome domain examined. A small overall effect (g?=?0.27, 95% CI 0.04–0.51, p?=?0.02) of CR persisted at follow-up (range 2–52 weeks). CR is effective and efficient at improving cognitive performance after stroke. The degree of efficacy varies across cognitive domains, and further high-quality research is required to enhance and sustain the immediate effects. Increased emphasis on early intervention approaches, brain-behavior relationships, and evaluation of activity and participation outcomes is also recommended.     

Is conditional reasoning related to mathematical problem solving?

The current study aimed to investigate the relation between conditional reasoning, which is a common type of logical reasoning, and children's mathematical problem solving. A sample of 124 fourth graders was tested for their conditional reasoning skills and their mathematical problem solving skills, as well as a list of control variables (e.g., IQ, working memory, reading) and potential mediators (number sentence construction and computation). The children's ability to make modus ponens (MP) inferences significantly predicted their mathematical problem solving skills, even after controlling for the potential confounding variables. The relation was mediated by the number sentence construction skills. The findings, in addition to supporting the link between conditional reasoning and mathematics, further indicate that the ability to process relations may be the mechanism underlying the relation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The role of vocational identity development and motivational beliefs in undergraduates’ student engagement

The present study examined the role of vocational identity processes and motivational beliefs among 216 undergraduates’ level of student engagement (affective, behavioural and cognitive). Through regression analysis, in-depth career exploration was found to be positively related to the student engagement variables, while career self-doubt emerged as a negative predictor. Identification with commitment was also found to be positively associated with students’ affective and cognitive engagement, but not behavioural engagement. Furthermore, students’ perceived value in academic activities played a critical role in mediating these relationships. Despite the significant associations, other vocational identity processes (in-breadth career exploration, commitment making and career flexibility) and motivational beliefs (competence beliefs and perceived cost) failed to act as predictors and mediators, respectively, as hypothesised. Nonetheless, the current findings demonstrate the importance of vocational identity development in undergraduate students’ learning, and suggest a need for more identity interventions or career counselling services in college and pre-university contexts.     

Anticipatory Processing and Post‐Event Processing in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Update on the Literature

Two repetitive thinking processes that have been proposed in prominent maintenance models of social anxiety disorder (SAD) are anticipatory processing and post‐event processing. Research into these two processes has steadily increased over the last 20 years. This review highlights the main lines of existing research on anticipatory processing and post‐event processing, including studies on the nature of these processes, their association with social anxiety, the predictors, and consequences of these processes, as well as how these processes respond to treatments for SAD. The review also highlights some of the conceptual and methodological issues that have prevented the literature on anticipatory processing and post‐event processing from being more integrated and focused. Finally, the review draws together some new directions in terms of theory and research to further advance the field.     

Towards a theory of mood function

In light of Laura Sizer's and Robert Thayer's models of mood, I propose a functional theory to explain in what sense moods are adaptive. I argue that mood involves a mechanism which monitors our physical and mental energy levels in relation to the perceived energy demands of our environment, and generates corresponding cognitive biases in our reasoning style, attention, memory, thought, and creativity. The function of this mechanism is to engage us in the right task with the right amount of energy by maintaining equilibrium between the energy we possess and the energy our environment demands.     

Suicide Protective Factors in Outpatient Substance Abuse Patients: Religious Faith and Family Support

The purpose of this study was to identify the protective roles of religious faith and family support in buffering against suicidal behavior in a sample of substance abuse outpatients seeking treatment. Data were collected from 112 clinical outpatients seeking treatment for substance abuse. We hypothesized that religious faith would be related to lower levels of suicidal behavior through a negative association with depressive symptoms. We expected this mediation effect would differ across varying levels of family support, providing support for a moderated mediation effect. The results indicate that religious faith exerts stronger direct and indirect effects on suicidal behavior at low levels of family support. Religious faith was significantly and negatively related to suicidal behavior only at low levels of family support. The findings suggest that in the absence of family support, religious faith may play a compensatory role in protecting against suicidal behavior.