Domestic Violence Service Providers’ Technology Readiness and Information Needs

Technology-based applications hold promise as effective, efficient means of disseminating research- and practice-based information to professionals whose work relates to domestic violence. Other related uses of technology in the field have grown, including safety planning to address technology-related risks to victims and software programs being integrated into domestic violence agencies. However, to date, the levels of technology readiness and technology-related information needs of these professionals have received minimal research attention. This study involved a national survey of 471 professionals whose work addresses domestic violence. The findings demonstrate differences in professionals’ technology readiness based on key demographic and professional characteristics. They also reveal the most frequently noted information needs within this professional field. Implications for future research and practice are provided.     

Sailing between Scylla and Charybdis1: Incorporating qualitative approaches into child psychotherapy research

Starting from the acknowledged gap between research and practice in child psychotherapy, this paper offers an historical perspective on the relation between these two activities, and suggests that qualitative approaches to research may offer new ways of bringing them together. After introducing the fundamental concepts of qualitative analysis, three areas where qualitative forms of research may be useful to child psychotherapists are explored: relevant but non-psychotherapy research; accounts of therapy research; and therapy process research. Examples of all of these types of research are presented, and some of the challenges to incorporating qualitative approaches into child psychotherapy research are discussed.     

Cross-notational semantic priming between symbolic and nonsymbolic numerosity

Symbolic and nonsymbolic numerosities produce similar behavioural effects and activate the same brain areas. These results have usually been interpreted in terms of a common, notation-independent magnitude representation. However, semantic priming between symbolic and nonsymbolic inputs has been somehow elusive (e.g., Koechlin, Naccache, Block, & Dehaene, 1999 Koechlin, E., Naccache, L., Block, E. and Dehaene, S. 1999. Primed numbers: Exploring the modularity of numerical representations with masked and unmasked semantic priming. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25: 1882–1905. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In Experiment 1, we looked at whether cross-notational semantic priming depends on exact numerical meaning. Dice faces and digits were mixed as prime and target. Semantic priming occurred when prime and target were in the same notation as much as when they were in different notation. In Experiment 2, we found cross-notation semantic priming even when the nonsymbolic numerosity was presented as a set of random dots. Priming, however, occurred only from sets of dots to digit, not vice versa. These data support the computational model recently proposed by Verguts and Fias (2004 Verguts, T. and Fias, W. 2004. Representation of number in animals and humans: A neural model. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16: 1493–1504. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Verguts, Fias, & Stevens, 2005 Verguts, T., Fias, W. and Stevens, M. 2005. A model of exact small-number representation. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 112: 66–80.  [Google Scholar]).     

Advances Toward Evidence-Based Practice: Where to From Here?

Evidence-based practice has a long history; however, attempts to bridge the gap between science and practice have been only partially effective and much work remains to be done. Part of the problem has been the unilateral approach associated with dissemination of research findings to clinical practitioners. In this special series, Goldfried and colleagues (2014--this issue) suggest a two-way bridge, in which practitioners are afforded the opportunity to disseminate their rich clinical experiences to researchers as well. In this manner, a more collaborative working relationship is espoused. Surveys of practitioners on the use of CBT procedures in the treatment of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder are described. The findings are reviewed and limitations associated with the surveys are noted. Finally, future directions are suggested for rapprochement, hopefully resulting in a greater synthesis of research and practice.     

Predicting parental sunscreen use: Disentangling the role of action planning in the intention–behavior relationship

Structural equation modeling was used to examine antecedents of parental sunscreen use (N = 436) in a longitudinal design. The influence of a volitional planning cognition was assessed in several path models, investigating potential mediation and moderation of the intention–behavior relationship. Premotivational and motivational variables accounted for 55.1% of the variance in intention to use sunscreen. Intention emerged as the most powerful predictor of behavior, followed by action planning and self-efficacy expectations, together explaining 35.4% of parental sunscreen use after five months. Strong support was found for both mediating and moderating influences of action planning on the intention–behavior relationship. Action planning also partially mediated the impact of self-efficacy on behavior. The results support theoretical considerations to add postintentional cognitions to current health behavior models. Although action planning is an important component in the transition from intention to behavior, the impact of intention and of other premotivational and motivational variables should not be overlooked when developing health educational interventions.     

Electrical properties of thin films of a-Ga x Te100− x composed of nanoparticles

Thin films of Ga _x Te_{100? x} (x?=?3, 6, 9 and 12) have been synthesized by thermal evaporation. From SEM images, it is observed that all the films contain nanoparticles of sizes varying from 100 to 200?nm. The dc electrical conductivity of the as-deposited films of Ga _x Te_100?x nanoparticles is measured as a function of temperature range from 298 to 383?K, and increases exponentially with temperature. The value of the activation energy, calculated from the slope of ln?σ _dc versus 1000/T plots, is found to decrease with increase in the Ga content. On the basis of the value of the pre-exponential factor σ _o, it is suggested that the conduction is due to thermally assisted tunneling of carriers in localized states near the band edges. The optical measurements suggest an indirect optical band gap in this system. The value of the optical band gap decreases on increasing the Ga concentration.     

The crystal structure of Al20.6Ta22.4 and its relation to Frank–Kasper phases

The monoclinic phase in the Al–Ta system has been identified by means of X-ray single-crystal structure analysis as Al_{19+ x} Ta_{24? x} (x?=?1.6), Pearson symbol mP86. Al_20.58Ta_22.42 crystallizes in the space group P2₁/n, with a?=?987.86?pm, b?=?990.12?pm, c?=?1489.45?pm and β?=?99.958°. Twinned crystals of the title compound can be obtained by iodine-promoted reactions of the elements. In the experiments described here, the reactions took place in sealed tantalum ampoules at 1400°C. Single-phase samples were obtained by a metallurgical powder method, which minimizes aluminium loss by incongruent vapourization. The composition was found to span the range 0.51?≤?x _Ta?≤?0.53. Al_{19+ x} Ta_{24? x} decomposes in the solid state at 1450°C into Al₆₉Ta₃₉ and σ-AlTa₂. The crystal structure is analyzed in relation to tetrahedral close-packed structures. The kinship with Cr₃Si-type and H-type structures is accentuated.     

Another Look at the Role of Empty Categories in Sentence Processing (and Grammar)

The gap/gapless processing debate in the psycholinguistics literature contrasts two processing models: one that assumes the trace-based Government and Binding (or Principles and Parameters) Grammar and the (augmented) Active Filler Strategy and one that assumes the traceless Dependency Categorial Grammar and the Principle of Dependency Formation. This paper reports on an experiment that found new evidence against the gapless/traceless model, considers why such evidence was not found in previous studies, and explores whether a parser that combines a (partially) traceless grammar and the augmented Active Filler Strategy can explain the current finding.     

Attraction toward physical activity as a moderator of socio-cognitive predictors of physical activity

Previous research highlighted gaps between socio-cognitive factors (e.g., intentions, social norms) and physical activity (PA) participation. Recently, researchers have asserted that considering affective processes may help bridge this gap. Leveraging the affective-reflective theory of physical inactivity and exercise, this study examined whether individuals’ attraction toward PA moderated the relationship between PA intentions and behaviors, and the relationship between social norms and PA intentions. Analysis of online survey data (N_T1 = 582; N_T2 = 327) provided evidence that social norms more strongly predicted PA intentions under conditions of lower attraction to PA. However, the results differed depending on how intentions were measured: Moderation was found for intention strength as the outcome, but no moderation was found for decisional intention as the outcome. The intentions-behavior relationship, despite nonsignificant interaction terms, showed patterns of positive moderation based on changes in simple slopes: Intentions more strongly predicted PA behavior at time 2 under conditions of higher attraction to PA. The findings align with recent theorizing that emphasizes the role of affect-related determinants when understanding and promoting PA. Practically, these results suggest that intervention strategies should differ according to the individuals’ current levels of attraction toward PA.     

How mask gap impacts discrimination and anxiety during COVID-19: A study on overseas Chinese during the first outbreak in 2020

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unrelenting waves of xenophobia against people representing vulnerable populations, among them those identified as Asians or more specifically as Chinese. Although previous studies have found that some discriminatory actions against overseas Chinese were closely related to mask use during the pandemic, there is not much evidence that explicates what might be the social-cultural triggers or impact of self-other mask discrepancy. The current study aims to examine how a mask use gap impacts perceived discrimination and anxiety during the first outbreak of COVID-19, and how perceived discrimination mediates the mask gap–anxiety relationship. This was operationalized by developing a new “mask gap” variable to capture the incongruent mask use norms between Chines and others around them in the host country. Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of Chinese (n = 745) residing in 21 countries from March to May 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic. Results showed the newly explicated “mask gap” variable was associated with a higher level of anxiety. In addition, perceived discrimination mediated the mask gap-anxiety relationship. These findings advance both theoretical and practical understandings of how incongruent social norms impact discrimination and mental health during health threat events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also suggest important implications for both societal responses and the mental health of sojourners or immigrants during pandemics.