Evaluation of a Congressionally Mandated Wraparound Demonstration

In order to determine whether expenditures for mental health could be reduced and quality improved, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense conduct a demonstration project utilizing a wraparound mental health service system for child and adolescent military dependents. A longitudinal quasiexperimental design was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the demonstration. The results showed that children in the Wraparound Group received more wraparound services than those in the treatment as usual (TAU) Comparison Group. These services included case management, in-home treatment, and other nontraditional services. The Demonstration also provided better continuity of care. Multiple methods were used to investigate the impact of wraparound. Both groups showed some improvement on some measures but there were no differences between the groups in functioning, symptoms, life satisfaction, positive functioning, or sentinel events. Regardless of which statistical model was used to estimate costs, the Demonstration was also more expensive. The higher level of expenditures for the Wraparound group was a result of some expensive traditional care and the addition of nontraditional services. Several possible explanations of these results are provided.     

同伴互评对初中生的TAT中亲和意象的影响研究

本研究以北京市47名初二学生为被试,选用6张图片研究了TAT故事中的亲和意象在同伴互评前后的变化,以及图片线索、性别等因素对亲和意象影响。结果表明：（1）在互评前亲和主题数较少的被试在互评后亲和主题数增多,而在互评前的亲和主题数较多的被试在互评后反而减少。（2）图片线索对亲和主题数有显著影响,引发亲和动机的线索较少的图片在互评后的故事中亲和主题数的增加最为显著。（3）女生的亲和动机高于男生,且性别与其它因素有交互作用。     

结果的接近性对正性结果评价影响的电生理证据

结果的接近性是指对已发生事件的实际结果与在心理上的理想结果或期待结果之间差距的接近程度。实验采用事件相关电位技术和类老虎机赌博任务探讨了结果的接近性对正性结果评价的影响。(1)行为评定结果表明, 结果的接近性不同水平诱发了不同的情绪体验, “差一点输”的赢钱使被试更多感到庆幸, “最理想”的赢钱使被试感到高兴; 结果的接近性也影响了随后trial的反应时, 与“一般”的赢钱和“最理想”的赢钱相比, “差一点输的”赢钱后的下一个trial中被试的反应时明显变长。(2)脑电结果表明, 结果的接近性不同水平诱发了不同的FRN和P300, 与“一般”的赢钱和“最理想”的赢钱相比, “差一点输”的赢钱诱发了波幅更大的FRN和波幅更大潜伏期更长的P300。这说明结果的接近性明显地影响了正性结果的认知评价加工。     

Toddlers’ social evaluations of agents who act on false beliefs

Mature social evaluations privilege agents’ intentions over the outcomes of their actions, but young children often privilege outcomes over intentions in verbal tasks probing their social evaluations. In three experiments (N = 118), we probed the development of intention-based social evaluation and mental state reasoning using nonverbal methods with 15-month-old toddlers. Toddlers viewed scenarios depicting a protagonist who sought to obtain one of two toys, each inside a different box, as two other agents observed. Then, the boxes’ contents were switched in the absence of the protagonist and either in the presence or the absence of the other agents. When the protagonist returned, one agent opened the box containing the protagonist's desired toy (a positive outcome), and the other opened the other box (a neutral outcome). When both agents had observed the toys move to their current locations, the toddlers preferred the agent who opened the box containing the desired toy. In contrast, when the agents had not seen the toys move and therefore should have expected the desired toy's location to be unchanged, the toddlers preferred the agent who opened the box that no longer contained the desired toy. Thus, the toddlers preferred the agent who intended to make the protagonist's desired toy accessible, even when its action, guided by a false belief concerning that toy's location, did not produce a positive outcome. Well before children connect beliefs to social behavior in verbal tasks, toddlers engage in intention-based evaluations of social agents with false beliefs.     

Contagious or prosocial? Perceptions of mask-wearers toward Whites and Asians: A cross-cultural comparison during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide increase in the use of face masks to prevent viral transmission. However, as mask-wearing was a new behavior in many countries, there was a limited understanding of how mask-wearers are perceived and how such perceptions impact one's own mask-wearing behavior. Mask-wearers may be seen as contagious or prosocial, and these perceptions may vary based on the race of the mask-wearer and the country of the observer, particularly given the rise in pandemic-related anti-Asian rhetoric in the U.S. In three experiments (N = 579), we investigated these questions, conducting two studies in the United States (May and July 2020), where mask-wearing was new and anti-Asian rhetoric has been prevalent, and one study in South Korea (November 2020), where mask-wearing was relatively common. Results indicate that masked individuals are perceived as less contagious and more prosocial, regardless of target race or participant nation. These perceptions were more pronounced among American political liberals, Americans who are more sensitive to infection transmission (Study 2), and Koreans who self-perceived a greater vulnerability to infection (Study 3). Especially in the U.S., perceiving the masked target as more prosocial predicted more self-reported mask-wearing, while perceiving the masked target as more contagious and less prosocial predicted less mask-wearing (Study 2). These findings provide insights into social perceptions of masks and race during the pandemic.     

Développement et validation de l’Inventaire francophone de l’Épuisement Professionnel (IFEP)

IntroductionThe prevention of burnout is a major issue for companies. However, they do not always have access to tools adapted to the implementation of prevention policies.ObjectiveThis study is part of a project to create a questionnaire adapted to employees’ needs in the field of burnout measurement.MethodThe survey was distributed online to French-speakers workers (N = 680).ResultsThe results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated two dimensions (exhaustion and interpersonal stress) with high internal consistency. This factorial structure was confirmed for men and women as well as for French and Belgian workers by means of measurement invariance analyses. Criterion validity was verified regarding the relationships between the scores on the IFEP dimensions and those obtained with the MBI-GS, the measure of the intent to quit, the subjective health scale and the number of days of sick.ConclusionThe overall results of the analyses performed in this study show satisfactory psychometric qualities of the French Burnout Inventory (IFEP), a new measure of burnout that can be used in many French-speakers work contexts.     

Exploring the perceived effectiveness of a life skills development program for high-performance athletes

The purpose of this study was to explore attitudes towards, experiences of, and perceived effectiveness of a life-skills programme for high-performance young athletes from multiple perspectives, including the athletes, coaches, parents, programme facilitators, and sport administrators. Six focus groups were conducted with 54 high-performance athletes from six sports: squash, softball, baseball, netball, triathlon, and surfing. Three focus groups were conducted with parents (n = 8) of athletes and a further eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with coaches (n = 4) and lead facilitators (n = 4) of the life-skills programme. Four semi-structured interviews were also held with representatives from State Sporting Associations (SSAs) from the sports involved. Thematic content analysis revealed seven main themes: achieving balance and managing stress, time management, goal setting, confidence and control, information overload and repetition, credible role-models, coach reinforcement and follow-up. The programme was perceived to be moderately successful in developing adaptive behaviours and motives including better engagement in training and in adopting time management and planning skills in contexts outside of sport such as homework and academic study. The programme also fostered the development of skills, attitudes, and motives important for sport success such as goal setting and having confidence to succeed. To improve the effectiveness of such programmes, more emphasis should be placed on the practice of, and engagement with, applied techniques to develop skills with less emphasis on information giving and theory. Facilitators of programmes should also be more pro-active in involving parents and coaches as a way to improve continuity and provide post-program reinforcement and support.     

Differences in multiple‐target visual search performance between non‐professional and professional searchers due to decision‐making criteria

Professional visual searches, such as those conducted by airport security personnel, often demand highly accurate performance. As many factors can hinder accuracy, it is critical to understand the potential influences. Here, we examined how explicit decision‐making criteria might affect multiple‐target search performance. Non‐professional searchers (college undergraduates) and professional searchers (airport security officers) classified trials as ‘safe’ or ‘dangerous’, in one of two conditions. Those in the ‘one = dangerous’ condition classified trials as dangerous if they found one or two targets, and those in the ‘one = safe’ condition only classified trials as dangerous if they found two targets. The data suggest an important role of context that may be mediated by experience; non‐professional searchers were more likely to miss a second target in the one = dangerous condition (i.e., when finding a second found target did not change the classification), whereas professional searchers were more likely to miss a second in the one = safe condition.     

Understanding the Construct of Maximizing Tendency: A Theoretical and Empirical Evaluation

More attention is being given to the stable, dispositional tendency to maximize when making decisions. Within the growing body of research has been an exchange regarding the appropriate means of measuring maximizing tendency. Guided primarily by psychometric and statistical analyses, these studies have critiqued and revised existing maximizing tendency scales and/or introduced new measures. Importantly, many of these discussions seem to ignore theoretical considerations of the construct of maximizing. In this article, we revisit the original work of Herbert Simon, from where the theory of maximizing tendency was developed, and provide a theoretical account for how maximizers can be distinguished from satisficers and the implications therein for the measurement of maximizing tendency. Across two studies, we provide an updated psychometric, correlational, and behavioral comparison of the two most popular maximizing tendency scales: the Maximization Scale and the Maximizing Tendency Scale. Results demonstrate that the Maximizing Tendency Scale is more theoretically and psychometrically valid than the Maximization Scale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating Ethics Education Programs: A Multilevel Approach

Although education in the responsible conduct of research is considered necessary, evidence bearing on the effectiveness of these programs in improving research ethics has indicated that, although some programs are successful, many fail. Accordingly, there is a need for systematic evaluation of ethics education programs. In the present effort, we examine procedures for evaluation of ethics education programs from a multilevel perspective: examining both within-program evaluation and cross-program evaluation. With regard to within-program evaluation, we note requisite designs and measures for conducting systematic program evaluation have been developed and multiple measures should be applied in program evaluation. With regard to cross-program evaluation, we argue that a meta-analytic framework should be employed where analyses are used to identify best practices in ethics education. The implications of this multilevel approach for improving responsible conduct of research educational programs are discussed.