The Neglected Variable of Physiology in Domestic Violence

Summary

In the early stages of research concerning domestic violence and its effects on children, scholars have focused almost exclusively on isolated psychological variables. Little attention has been paid to events that might inform the research community about the effects of physiological factors surrounding such exposure on children's subsequent development. In order to go beyond a narrow disciplinary perspective that would exclude such important variables, a broader research agenda that includes multiple partners must be forged. The understanding of multiple etiologies and sequelae of domestic violence requires the use of comprehensive conceptual models that can bring together multiple theoretical perspectives under a broad umbrella. This article presents a developmental ecological perspective that allows for a more thorough and accurate examination of the influences of domestic violence on child development by simultaneously addressing child and environmental characteristics.     

Preface

Abstract

Child victimization is a serious and on-going problem in the United States and throughout the world. In 2000, an estimated 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States. New and different responses to child maltreatment will have to be developed and implemented in response to the increasingly diverse contexts and situations within which maltreatment occurs. Emerging trends in adult-child boundary violations are explored within this volume from a cross-section of disciplines, including law, sociology, criminal justice, psychology, and health services. The selections analyze issues critical to child maltreatment and offer intriguingly different perspectives of present and future issues related to child abuse.     

Experimental and Self-Reported Indices of Childhood Abuse Using the Binghamton Childhood Abuse Screen

This study describes the validation of the Binghamton Childhood Abuse Screen (BCAS) using response latencies on an emotional Stroop task as a criterion measure. Sixty-four male undergraduate participants were selected based on their responses to the BCAS and a brief screen of their abuse history. Participants completed an emotional Stroop task in which they named the colors of neutral, positive, and abuse words. Participants scoring high on the BCAS exhibited greater response latencies to abuse words than participants scoring low on the BCAS. No group differences were found for positive words. The results provide support for the validity of the BCAS.     

The paradox of power sharing: Participative charismatic leaders have subordinates with more instead of less need for leadership

Although charismatic and participative leaders have been noted for their positive effects on criteria such as performance, job satisfaction, and commitment, few studies have looked at the relations with subordinates' leadership needs. In this study, the relations between charismatic and participative leadership, team outcomes, and a team's need for leadership were investigated. The sample consisted of South Pacific CEOs and their top-level management teams from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Results showed that charismatic leadership was related to both group-level need for leadership and positive team outcomes. However, team outcomes did not mediate the relations between leadership and a team's need for leadership. Additionally, a moderator effect was found between participative leadership and charismatic leadership in explaining a team's need for leadership, implying that teams of subordinates with participative charismatic leaders need more instead of less leadership from their CEOs.     

The role of motives in exercise participation†

The aim was to better understand the role of motives in exercise participation. It was hypothesised that motives influence exercise participation by influencing behavioural regulation, and that motives are themselves influenced by personality traits. Data were from a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 252 office workers, mean age 40 years. Analysis was by structural equation modelling. According to the final model, appearance/weight motive increased external regulation, thereby reducing participation, and also increased introjected regulation. Health/fitness motive increased identified regulation, thereby increasing participation. Social engagement motive increased intrinsic regulation. Neuroticism increased appearance/weight motive, openness increased health/fitness motive, and conscientiousness, without affecting motives, reduced external and introjected regulation. It is inferred that exercise promotion programmes, without denigrating appearance/weight motive, should encourage other motives more conducive to autonomous motivation.     

Effects of Comt Genotype on Behavioral Symptomatology in the 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

The 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (DiGeorge/velocardiofacial syndrome) is associated with elevated rates of psychosis, and is also characterized by severe attentional difficulties and executive dysfunction. Behavioral manifestations of this syndrome could result from haploinsufficiency of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, located within the 22q11 region. The goal of the present study was to examine COMT genotype in relation to behavioral symptomatology in this syndrome. Val^158/108Met was genotyped in 38 patients (16 Met/-, 22 Val/-) with confirmed 22q11.2 deletions who had received the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Results indicated that the Val genotype was associated with significantly greater internalizing and externalizing behavioral symptomatology in children with 22q11.2 deletions. Val allele status was associated with a greater-than-four-fold increase in risk for clinically significant behavior problems in children with this syndrome. These data are consistent with previous findings of increased psychopathology associated with the Val genotype in normal individuals and suggest that a functional genetic polymorphism in the 22q11 region may influence behavior in individuals with COMT haploinsufficiency.     

Math Weaknesses in Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Compared to Healthy Children

Difficulties in math are the most frequently reported area of academic deficit in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the most frequent academic complaint among parents of ALL survivors. However, previous studies that included measures of math skills have been limited by the use of only a single measure of math skills, most often a measure of written calculations, without any assessment of math reasoning or math application skills. Further, the nature of these math difficulties has not been adequately investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of ALL survivors using multiple measures of math skills. Performance was compared to a group of healthy controls matched for age and sex as well as to normative levels. Other measures of neuropsychological function were also administered, and the relationships between these measures and the math measures were explored. Converging evidence for math difficulties in ALL survivors compared to healthy controls and normative levels was found. While ALL survivors generally performed within the average range on measures of math skills, math performance was mostly related to memory function and dominant-hand psychomotor speed. By contrast, math performance of healthy children was mostly related to basic reading skills and visual-motor integration. These findings shed light on the nature of math difficulties in ALL survivors and have implications for intervention.     

Concurrent Validity of the Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener for Children with ADHD

The present study examined the concurrent validity of a new computer-assisted ADHD screening system, the Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener (PADDS; Pedigo, Pedigo, &; Scott, 2006 Pedigo, T., Pedigo, K. and Scott, V. B. Jr. 2006. PADDS Pediatric ADHD Screener: An evidence-based assessment system for screening attention and executive disorders, clinical and users guide, Okeechobee, FL: Targeted Testing, Inc.  [Google Scholar]) in relation to the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA; Greenberg, 1999 Greenberg, L. M. 1999. Test of Variables of Attention, Los Alamitos, CA: The Tova Company.  [Google Scholar]), the Conner's Continuous Performance Test- II (CPT-II; Conners &; MHS Staff, 2000 Conners, C. K. and MHS Staff. 2000. Conner's continuous performance test II, Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.  [Google Scholar]), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, &; Kenworthy, 2000 Gioia, G. A., Isquith, P. K., Guy, S. C. and Kenworthy, L. 2000. Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function: Professional Manual, Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.  [Google Scholar]) in three clinically referred samples of children 6 to 12 years of age. The PADDS is a recently published multidimensional screening measure that incrementally merges computer-administered executive tasks with parent and teacher behavior ratings to aid in the diagnostic decision-making process for youth with attention disorders. To date, no published study has examined the concurrent validity of the PADDS. In a clinic-referred sample of 217 subjects diagnosed with ADHD concurrent validity was assessed through correlation coefficients, paired t-tests (p < .001), and Cohen's d effect sizes. In comparison to the TOVA, the CPT-II, and the BRIEF scales, the PADDS demonstrated strong concurrent validity between conceptually similar scales, providing initial evidence for the concurrent validity of the PADDS. Relative to other measures, the PADDS appears to have some unique scales designed to assess attention and various aspects of executive functioning.     

The Influence of Mothers' and Fathers' Parenting Stress and Depressive Symptoms on Own and Partner's Parent‐Child Communication

This study examines how parenting stress and depressive symptoms experienced by mothers and fathers influence their own (actor effects) and the partner's (partner effects) parent–child communication. Based on the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model, data from 196 families were analyzed, with both parents rating their parenting stress and depressive feelings, and parents as well as children rating the open parent–child communication. Actor effects were found between parenting stress and open parent–child communication, whereas partner effects were prominent between depressive symptoms and open parent–child communication. The results provide no evidence for gender differences in the strength of the pathways to open parent–child communication. Our findings demonstrate the need to include both parents in studies on parent–child communication to enhance our understanding of the mutual influence among family members.