The relation between sociopolitical cognition and attitude consistency and stability among young people in Sweden: What does the schema concept add?

Earlier research has suggested cognitive processes to be important in the formation of social attitudes among young people. A question thus raised concerns the nature of these processes. Certain features of sociopolitical sophistication (schema-wise information processing) can be isolated which have an impact on the way sociopolitical attitudes are expressed. The main purpose of this study was to operationalize these features in sociopolitical sophistication, and study their relations to attitude consistency and stability among young people. The sample consisted of 542 children and adolescents from metropolitan Stockholm. Results from factor analyses revealed (a) two factors in sociopolitical cognition, differentiation and integration, and (b) two factors in sociopolitical attitudes, consistency and stability. Correlation analyses displayed only a few relations, i.e. attitude consistency within the most narrow domains (self-defined categories) seemed to decrease with increasing integration. In light of these results it is concluded that these young subjects certainly have cognitive structures for sociopolitical issues, although these structures are not necessarily hierarchically organized.     

Age trends in early behavioral predictors of serious antisocial behaviors

A risk group of disruptive boys (N=65) identified in kindergarten was assessed using the same procedures at ages 6–7, 8–9, and 10–11. Criteria used to define the predictors and criterion variable were the same at all assessment times. Severity was addressed by comparing different forms of behaviors, considering the extent of harmful consequences to others (aggressiveness was considered as most harmful, whereas inattention was considered as least harmful), manifestation in multiple settings, and extreme scores (manipulation of cutoff scores). Different assessment strategies (direct observations, ratings) and different informants (trained observers, mothers and teachers) were used. Aggressiveness as rated by mothers was highly stable from age 6 to age 11. Inattention as rated by teachers was stable only from age 6 to age 9, whereas no stability was found for observations of task inappropriate behaviors. Taskinappropriate behaviors observed in mother-child interactions and in multiple settings at age 6–7 were significant predictors of self-reported antisocial behaviors at age 12, but this prediction was not repeated at ages 8–9 and 10–11. Teacher ratings of inattention at ages 6–7 and 8–9 were also significant predictors of self-reported antisocial behaviors at age 12. The predictive power was much lower when mothers' ratings of aggressiveness were used. Findings from the present study support the hypothesis that some antisocial behavior precursors are age dependent, in that they are more characteristic of certain age groups than of others. Implications for the selection of assessment screening procedures are discussed.     

Stability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory among psychiatric inpatients

This study investigated the stability of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) in a sample of psychiatric inpatients over a longer time period and from different perspectives than previous reliability studies. Test-retest reliability was assessed from three perspectives: correlation/regression, equivalence of dimensional structures across testings upon different admissions, and stability of personality style across testings. Some stability from a correlational perspective was found, with higher stability estimates indicated for the basic personality scales in comparison with the clinical symptom scales which is consistent with Millon's theory. The internal structure of the MCMI was essentially identical across testings. Although source of reinforcement and instrumental or coping style were stable across testings beyond chance, the MCMI profiles of a considerable number of subjects were inconsistent across testings. Correspondingly, clinicians should be cautious in using the MCMI to make categorical decisions regarding personality style with inpatients who are tested at admission and who have had repeated hospitalizations.     

Stability of interests across ethnicity and gender: A longitudinal examination of grades 8 through 12

RIASEC interests were assessed in grades 8, 10, and 12 on a large national sample of 69,987 college bound students. Random samples of 1000 were drawn to represent each of the major US ethnic groups (African, Asian, Native, Mexican, Latino (non Mexican), Anglo, and Multiracial Americans) and interests were examined as they varied across time, ethnicity, and gender with respect to structure, mean changes, stability, clarity, and interest-occupational choice congruence. Results indicate that the structure of interests did not vary as a function of time, gender or ethnicity. The pattern of interests was fairly stable and similar across all ethnic groups and both genders. Congruence and clarity increased in 10th grade but both decreased in 12th grade suggesting a time of re-examination.     

Permanent Housing for Child Welfare‐Involved Families: Impact on Child Maltreatment Overview

A longitudinal randomized controlled trial tested whether access to permanent housing reduces child maltreatment among inadequately housed families under investigation for child abuse and neglect. The study followed homeless and child welfare‐involved families randomly assigned to receive a referral for housing subsidies plus housing case management (n = 75, 196 children) or housing case management alone (n = 75, 186 children). Latent growth models examined change in caregiver‐reported frequencies of psychological aggression, physical abuse, and neglect toward children at five time points across 2.5 years. Intent‐to‐treat analyses suggested treatment differences for minor assault and neglect that approached significance; families randomly assigned to permanent housing plus case management exhibited marginally greater declines compared to families referred for housing case management only. Caregiver psychological aggression remained high over time, regardless of treatment condition. No evidence indicated higher risk families benefitted more from permanent housing. Results show some promise of permanent housing and highlight the complex needs of homeless families under investigation for child maltreatment. Findings emphasize the importance of continued involvement from the child welfare system to connect families with important resources.     

情绪稳定性与情绪关注在情绪一致性效应产生中的作用

本研究以虚假测验反馈、倾听音乐和情景想像为情绪诱发方法,以人物面孔图片为材料,以大学生为被试探究了印象形成过程中的情绪一致性效应及其影响因素.首先检验了情绪关注与否对情绪一致性效应的作用,实验一发现,对情绪的关注消除了一致性效应对被试面孔印象的影响.实验二进一步探讨了情绪稳定性在情绪关注条件下对情绪一致性效应的影响,发现只有高稳定个体在情绪关注后消除了一致性效应的影响,而低稳定个体对面孔的印象仍与其情绪状态相一致,说明关注情绪后对一致性效应的调节,仍受个性因素的制约.此外,发现高稳定性被试的面空印象存在"积极偏向".     

儿童筷子使用技能特性的发展及其与学业成绩的关系

本研究考察了我国儿童筷子使用技能特性的发展特点及其与学业成绩的关系．结果发现：(1)在儿童筷子使用技能的精确性、时效性以及稳定性上,4岁组儿童和其他组都存在显著差异,5岁组和7岁、8岁组儿童存在显著差异,8岁组儿童的发展水平与成人仍有显著差异;(2)学业成绩好和差的儿童在筷子使用技能的稳定性上存在显著差异;(3)儿童筷子使用技能的时效性和稳定性与其语文成绩显著相关,与其数学成绩相关不显著。     

成人依恋的稳定性

基于依恋"内部工作模式"的稳定性,研究者们认为成人依恋具有跨时间的连续性,可以通过不同时间测得的依恋风格的稳定性来考察。采用各种自陈式问卷和半结构访谈方法的研究显示,在成人发展的不同时期,成人依恋风格均具有中等程度的稳定性。这样的结果暗含了成人依恋也有波动和变化的空间,研究者们提出生活压力、社会认知和个体差异三种模型对成人依恋的变化进行了不同角度的解释。成人依恋稳定性方面已经积累了二十多年的研究成果,但在研究对象的范围、解释模型的建构和研究方法的创新等方面仍存在可改进的空间。