Otto Rank: Pioneering Ideas for Social Work Theory and Practice

This article examines Otto Rank's psychology and its profound implications for social work knowledge-building and practice. The paper begins with a brief biographical portrait, highlighting the significance of Rank's relationship and eventual break with Freud, and contextualizing the ideas that became the basis for the Functional Approach. We discuss Rank's conception of human functioning in the social environment, his influence on later theories, and a contemporary critique of Rank's ideas. The paper concludes with a discussion of Rank's contributions to the Functional Approach and to social work practice in general.     

Day Persons,Night Persons,and Time of Birth: Preliminary Findings

Abstract

The authors conducted 2 surveys to determine the relationship between time of birth and being a day person or a night person. Day persons are most alert during daylight hours; night persons are most alert during hours of darkness. In Survey 1, the authors asked U.S. high school students to complete the Alertness Questionnaire (B. Wallace, 1993) and to respond to other items related to daytime or nighttime activity. In Survey 2, the authors administered the same items to a U.S. college population. In both surveys, time of birth was significantly related to being a day person or a night person. The results suggest that a critical period for setting the biological clock for alertness may be the moment of birth.     

Interrelations between maternal smoking during pregnancy,birth weight and sociodemographic factors in the prediction of early cognitive abilities

Maternal prenatal smoking, birth weight and sociodemographic factors were investigated in relation to cognitive abilities of 1544 children (aged 3.5 years) participating in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Children's Development. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to assess verbal ability, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence‐Revised (WPPSI‐R) block design test to assess visuospatial ability, and the Visually Cued Recall (VCR) task to assess short‐term memory. Prenatal smoking was related to performance on the WPPSI‐R, the PPVT, and the VCR, although it did not independently predict any cognitive ability after maternal education was taken into account. Birth weight was a more robust predictor of all outcome measures and independently predicted VCR‐performance. Birth weight interacted significantly with family income and maternal education in predicting visuospatial ability, indicating a greater influence of birth weight under relatively poor socio‐economic conditions. Parenting and family functioning mediated associations between maternal education/family income and cognitive task performance under different birth weight conditions, although there were indications for stronger effects under relatively low birth weight. We conclude that investigations of moderating and mediating effects can provide insights into which children are most at risk of cognitive impairment and might benefit most from interventions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of geographic region on the seasonality of early motor development

This investigation was conducted to determine whether the strong seasonality effect on infant motor development that has been noted in moderate climates would be replicated with infants born in a geographic region with more extreme conditions. One hundred and forty-five full-term infants (72 males, 73 females) born in Edmonton, alberta were assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) at 7 months of age. No seasonality effects on the AIMS total scores or the prone, supine, sitting, or standing subsection scores were detected. A weak and statistically non-significant correlation was obtained between the average monthly AIMS scores and the average monthly temperatures 7 months after birth. These results suggest that extreme climatic conditions in urban geographic regions may dampen effects of season of birth on infant motor development.     

Birth Order Effects and Rebelliousness: Political Activism and Involvement with Marijuana

Frank Sulloway (1996) has claimed that later-borns are more likely to rebel against the status quo than are firstborns. The two studies reported here attempt to examine more fully Sulloway's claims about rebelliousness. The studies draw on archival data from studies of high school and college students in a midwestern state between 1969 and 1982. The current studies compare the effects of birth order, gender, family size, and father's education on two self-report measures: participation in protests and demonstrations, and involvement with marijuana. The data on involvement with marijuana provided support for Sulloway's thesis that later-borns are more rebellious than firstborns, but the data on participation in protests and demonstrations did not. These mixed findings, which contribute to the ongoing debate about Sulloway's theory, are discussed.     

早期经验对儿童心理发展的影响

儿童早期经验包括产前环境、出生时身体状况、出生后家庭养育和学前教育经历等,这些方面对儿童心理能力发展有重要而长期的影响。该文基于国外新近开展的大型纵向研究,对胎儿期母亲的情绪行为特征,出生状况,出生后母亲工作状况,父亲教养行为,学前教育状况等对儿童认知能力、学业成就、社会行为等的预测作用,以及种族、性别、家庭经济地位等背景因素在两者之间的调节作用进行了介绍,最后对我国设计和开展相关研究提出了建议。     

产前诊断中的伦理学问题

探讨我国产前诊断技术开展的现状,阐述产前诊断面临的伦理道德问题及其相应的伦理学处理原则,建议开创一个伦理学评价体系,使产前诊断向着合理、完善的方向发展,从而达到提高人口出生质量、确保母婴健康的社会共同目标。     

What can make the difference? Premature birth and maternal sensitivity at 3 months of age: the role of attachment organization, traumatic reaction and baby's medical risk

The influence of prematurity and maternal attachment organization on sensitivity was investigated in 40 mother–infant dyads. Results show a main effect of attachment and an interaction between attachment and prematurity. Sensitivity was differently associated with medical risk and mothers’ traumatic reaction, depending on the quality of attachment.     

Disenfranchised Grief Following a Traumatic Birth

Following a “failed” birth plan, some women experience trauma. Because most of these women do end up with a healthy baby, their support system does not necessarily support the sadness felt at the loss of the dream birth experience, leading to disenfranchised grief. Comments on a Facebook post linked to an essay from the Scary Mommy website were examined. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching categories of comments: (a) grief is disenfranchised by others through nonlosses and one-upping; (b) other posters expressed camaraderie for the loss of a dream birth, expressing empathy; and, (c) conditional support.