Infant withdrawal and behavior problems in urban Chinese toddlers: Roles of maternal sensitivity to infant distress and emerging delay ability

Using a longitudinal design, this study examined the associations between infant temperamental withdrawal and behavior problems during toddlerhood and tested the moderating effects of maternal sensitivity to infant distress (MSID) and toddlers’ ability to delay gratification (ADG) in urban Chinese families. Participants were 84 Chinese children (37 boys, 47 girls) and their mothers. When the infants were 6 months old (T1: infancy), their mothers reported their temperamental withdrawal, and research assistants observed and coded MSID by using a subscale of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort during free-play interaction. When the toddlers were 1 year old (T2: early toddlerhood), their mothers reported their internalizing and externalizing problems. When the toddlers were 2 years old (T3: late toddlerhood), their mothers again reported their internalizing and externalizing problems, and their abilities of delay gratification were assessed through a laboratory-based procedure. Infant temperamental withdrawal was associated with increased internalizing problems in early toddlerhood and increased externalizing problems during middle to late toddlerhood; infants whose mothers were extremely high sensitive or low sensitive to their distress or those with late poor ability of delay gratification were at particular risk. The findings highlight the importance of matching parenting and promotion of self-control for temperamental withdrawn children's optimal development.     

Microaggressions and Sexual Risk Behaviors in Black College Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

The study examined the association between microaggressions and sexual risk behaviors, the mediating role of anxiety, and the moderation of this mediation by bicultural self‐efficacy. One hundred twenty‐six Black college women (mean age = 20.63) completed a survey. A moderated mediation analysis showed that anxiety partially mediated the relationship between microaggressions and sexual risk behaviors and that bicultural self‐efficacy did not significantly moderate the indirect relationship. Findings indicate the importance of microaggressions in psychological and physical health. El estudio examinó la asociación entre microagresiones y comportamientos sexuales de riesgo, el papel mediador de la ansiedad y la moderación de esta mediación la autoeficacia bicultural. Ciento veintiséis mujeres negras universitarias (media de edad = 20.63) completaron una encuesta. Un análisis de mediación moderada mostró que la ansiedad medió parcialmente la relación entre microagresiones y comportamientos sexuales de riesgo, y que la autoeficacia bicultural no moderó la relación indirecta de forma significativa. Los hallazgos indican la importancia de las microagresiones en la salud física y psicológica.     

Differentiation of Self and Dyadic Adjustment in Couple Relationships: A Dyadic Analysis Using the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model

Bowen's multigenerational theory provides an account of how the internalization of experiences within the family of origin promotes development of the ability to maintain a distinct self whilst also making intimate connections with others. Differentiated people can maintain their I‐position in intimate relationships. They can remain calm in conflictual relationships, resolve relational problems effectively, and reach compromises. Fusion with others, emotional cut‐off, and emotional reactivity instead are common reactions to relational stress in undifferentiated people. Emotional reactivity is the tendency to react to stressors with irrational and intense emotional arousal. Fusion with others is an excessive emotional involvement in significant relationships, whilst emotional cut‐off is the tendency to manage relationship anxiety through physical and emotional distance. This study is based on Bowen's theory, starting from the assumption that dyadic adjustment can be affected both by a member's differentiation of self (actor effect) and by his or her partner's differentiation of self (partner effect). We used the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model to study the relationship between differentiation of self and dyadic adjustment in a convenience sample of 137 heterosexual Italian couples (nonindependent, dyadic data). The couples completed the Differentiation of Self Inventory and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Men's dyadic adjustment depended only on their personal I‐position, whereas women's dyadic adjustment was affected by their personal I‐position and emotional cut‐off as well as by their partner's I‐position and emotional cut‐off. The empirical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.     

Home Environment and Self‐Efficacy Beliefs among Native American,African American,and Latino Adolescents

Context helps determine what individuals experience in the settings they inhabit. Context also helps determine the likelihood that those experiences will promote adaptive development. Theory suggests likely interplay between various aspects of home context and development of ideas about self that influence patterns of development for children. This study addressed relations between two aspects of home life (companionship and investment, modeling and encouragement) and three types of self‐efficacy beliefs (enlisting social resources, independent learning, self‐regulatory behavior) considered important for long‐term adaptive functioning. The study focused on three groups of minority adolescents (Native American, African American, Latino). Relations were examined using regression models that also included four aspects of household risk that often hinder the development of self‐efficacy. Although findings varied somewhat across the three groups, significant relations emerged between the two domains of home life examined and self‐efficacy beliefs in all three groups, even controlling for overall household risk. Companionship and investment appeared particularly relevant for African American adolescents, while modeling and encouragement appeared particularly relevant for Native American adolescents. Both were relevant for Latino adolescents.     

Fuzzy Logic and Arithmetical Hierarchy III

Fuzzy logic is understood as a logic with a comparative and truth-functional notion of truth. Arithmetical complexity of sets of tautologies (identically true sentences) and satisfiable sentences (sentences true in at least one interpretation) as well of sets of provable formulas of the most important systems of fuzzy predicate logic is determined or at least estimated.     

Therapist Factors Matter: A Systematic Review of Parent Interventions Directed at Children’s Behavior Problems

The present review systematically explored research examining the relationship between therapist‐related factors and the outcomes of parent interventions directed at children’s behavior problems. A systematic search of the literature was conducted with online scientific databases, parenting programs, web sites, and bibliographic references of the selected articles, according to PRISMA guidelines. A total of 24 quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Although some methodological limitations were identified with respect to the measurement of therapist factors, the reviewed research strongly suggests that the therapist plays a critical role in parent interventions directed at behavior problems. In particular, many parent outcomes are found to be related to the parent–therapist alliance, the therapist’s fidelity to the intervention, specific therapist’s in‐session actions, and the therapist’s personal variables. The parent–therapist alliance and therapist fidelity to the intervention consistently relate to changes in parenting practices, and alliance additionally relates to fewer perceived barriers to participation in treatment, more treatment acceptability, and greater parenting satisfaction and self‐efficacy. In addition, specific in‐session therapist interpersonal actions relate to parents’ engagement and satisfaction, while both the therapist’s interpersonal actions and more active skills relate to parent change. Therapist’s personal variables have been scarcely or poorly studied to date, but the results found justify the need to develop further research in this area. In conclusion, more attention should be given to the role of the therapist when implementing parenting programs directed at behavior problems, and more and better research is needed that can overcome the methodological limitations identified.     

A fundamental change in vision: where black lives matter

Using the lens of clinical work, the author, a white supervisor, plots her concerns about unconscious racism in the training of a black supervisee. Years later this supervisee brings a distressed black trainee nurse to supervision who is struggling with relational difficulties while suffering from unconscious racism in her hospital. Supervisor and supervisee grapple to offer the patient treatment on both fronts. The author explores the underlying presence of ‘white privilege’ and ‘unconscious racism’ which finds a global audience as a result of the killing of George Floyd – an event which also had implications for the long-term supervisory partnership. Links to Jessica Benjamin’s concept of ‘doer and done to’ are made, as well as discussion of a gradual change of vision in the supervisor herself. The author also makes use of insights gained from consultancy work in a multi-racial company and two Channel 4 UK television programmes that feature workshops on unconscious racism in a mixed secondary school in the London Borough of Sutton.     

OBSERVATION AND COMPARISON OF MEALTIME BEHAVIORS IN A SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH AVOIDANT/RESTRICTIVE FOOD INTAKE DISORDERS AND A CONTROL SAMPLE OF CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT

Despite widespread use of behavioral observations to evaluate child feeding behaviors in research and clinical practice, few studies have comprehensively characterized mealtimes or identified features that differentiate children with and without disordered feeding; these were the aims of the current study. Mealtime observations were conducted for 18 children with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and 21 typically developing children. Observations were coded inductively, and associations between disorder and observed mealtime actions were examined. Most behaviors were observed across both clinical and nonclinical mealtimes, and many did not differ in frequency between children with and without ARFID. However, significant group differences were observed in the frequencies of behaviors relating to food intake, visual and physical engagement with feeding, and movement during mealtimes. The comparability of behaviors across clinical and nonclinical groups suggests that eating behaviors exist on a continuum from “normal” to “abnormal,” with group differences relating to frequency rather than type of behavior. The behavioral differences observed in this study suggest that identification of children with ARFID should focus on child engagement with food and restlessness during mealtimes. Reliance on emotional and escape‐maintained behaviors will lead to underrecognition of families in need of clinical support.     

Psychometric properties of the Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) in oncology practicePropiedades psicométricas del Questionnaire Shared Decision-Making (SDM-Q-9) en oncología

Background/Objective: This study sought to assess the psychometric properties of the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) in patients with resected, non-metastatic cancer and eligible for adjuvant chemotherapy. Method: A total of 568 patients were recruited from a multi-institutional, prospective, transversal study. Patients answered the SDM-Q-9 after visiting their medical oncologist who, in turn, completed the SDM-Q–Physician version. Reliability, factorial structures [exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)], and convergent validity of the SDM-Q-9 scores were explored. Results: SDM-Q-9 showed a clear factorial structure, compatible with a strong and replicable general factor and a secondary group factor, in patients with resected, non-metastatic cancer. Total sum scores derived from the general factor showed good reliability in terms of omega coefficient: .90. The association between patient and physician perception of SDM was weak and failed to reach statistical significance. Males and patients over 60 years of age displayed the greatest satisfaction with SDM. Conclusions: SDM-Q-9 can aid in evaluating SDM from the cancer patients’ perspective. SDM-Q-9 is helpful in studies examining patient perspectives of SDM and as an indicator of the degree of quality and satisfaction with health care and patient-physician relationship.