SOCIOEMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS IN TODDLERS WITH LANGUAGE DELAY

Toddlers with language delay are at risk for persistent developmental and behavioral difficulties; however, the association between socioemotional/behavior problems and language in young children is not well understood. This study explored socioemotional/behavior problems in a unique sample of toddlers with language delays using a measure developed explicitly for this age group. Toddlers identified by 18 months with receptive and expressive language delay (LD; n = 30) or typical development (TD; n = 61) were evaluated at 18 and 24 months of age using the Infant‐Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Compared to toddlers who had TD, toddlers with LD had significantly more concerning scores at 18 and 24 months on all ITSEA domains. The rate of “clinical concern” on most domains was not high in either group, except that >60% of LD toddlers were in the clinical concern range on the Competence domain. Socioemotional/behavioral problems were dimensionally related to receptive and expressive language, with greater language delay associated with more concerning ITSEA scores. Socioemotional and behavioral problems are related to receptive and expressive language abilities in 18‐ and 24‐month‐olds, indicating the need for screening of both types of concerns in toddlers identified with potential language delays.     

自然联结的概念、功能与促进

自然联结包含个体对人与自然一体化关系的认同,以及与自然之间的情感联结,反映了人与自然之间关系的质量。它与个体的身心健康、认知功能和环保态度及行为显著相关。根据对已有研究结果的分析,自然联结可能通过认知和情感两条路径形成和发展。未来研究需继续探讨自然联结的内涵和结构,深入研究其形成和发展的心理机制,以及在自然影响人过程中的作用。还可与教育实践相结合,进行系统的干预和追踪研究。此外,建议将这一概念引入心理学其他领域的研究,以获得更多理论与应用价值。     

我国环境审计研究回顾与展望

上世纪90年代以来,随着环境问题的日益突出以及环保观念的日益增强,我国涌现出大量环境审计研究成果,其主题既涉及环境审计的概念、目标、对象、理论框架等基本理论,也涉及环境审计技术方法等应用理论。然而,现有研究存在过于偏重基本理论而忽视应用理论、过于偏重规范分析而忽视实证研究、过于偏重合规性政府环境审计而忽视环境绩效审计以及企业环境审计等不足。未来应当在借鉴国外有益经验的基础上,联系我国实际,综合运用多种方法,进一步对环境审计的理论框架、主体等问题展开系统研究,尤其应在进一步研究政府环境审计相关理论和应用问题的同时加大企业环境审计的研究力度。     

Diagnosing,Conceptualizing, and Treating Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified: A Comprehensive Practice Model

This article presents research and evidence‐based practices for identifying, understanding, diagnosing, conceptualizing, and providing a continuum of treatment for the most commonly experienced types of eating‐related counseling concerns—namely, eating disorders not otherwise specified—among the population most likely to present these types of needs: adolescent girls and young adult and adult women.     

Psychosocial correlates of health status among Asians, Caucasians, and multiracial subjects

The present study assessed the relationship between race and physical health in a multicultural sample. When controlling for a variety of health risk factors, the results revealed a significant relationship between race and recent and chronic physical symptoms (i.e., minor health problems) as well as past major health problems. Multiracial individuals reported more health problems than Asians or Caucasians. These findings may reflect the differences in diet and socioeconomic status (SES) as well as conditions associated with low SES such as decreased likelihood of seeking medical services and a variety of psychosocial variables.     

Predicting Early Sexual Activity with Behavior Problems Exhibited at School Entry and in Early Adolescence

Youth who initiate sexual intercourse in early adolescence (age 11–14) experience multiple risks, including concurrent adjustment problems and unsafe sexual practices. The current study tested two models describing the links between childhood precursors, early adolescent risk factors, and adolescent sexual activity: a cumulative model and a meditational model. A longitudinal sample of 694 boys and girls from four geographical locations was utilized, with data collected from kindergarten through high school. Structural equation models revealed that, irrespective of gender or race, high rates of aggressive disruptive behaviors and attention problems at school entry increased risk for a constellation of problem behaviors in middle school (school maladjustment, antisocial activity, and substance use) which, in turn, promoted the early initiation of sexual activity. Implications are discussed for developmental models of early sexual activity and for prevention programming.

Determinants of Multiple Informant Agreement on Child and Adolescent Behavior

This study examined whether characteristics of behavioral items reported by parent and child are related to parent–child agreement. Data were collected from 20 judges rating 59 child behaviors on 11 dimensions hypothesized to affect parent–child agreement. Data from 675 parent–child dyads (85% female caregivers, 62% male children, aged 7–17) reporting on 59 child behaviors were used to examine agreement. Behavior characteristics accounted for 43% of variability in parent–child agreement. Three components, saliency to the parent, saliency to the child, and observability/willingness to report, contributed uniquely to prediction of agreement.     

Children can solve Bayesian problems: the role of representation in mental computation

Can children reason the Bayesian way? We argue that the answer to this question depends on how numbers are represented, because a representation can do part of the computation. We test, for the first time, whether Bayesian reasoning can be elicited in children by means of natural frequencies. We show that when information was presented to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in terms of probabilities, their ability to estimate the Bayesian posterior probability was zero. Yet when the same information was presented in natural frequencies, Bayesian reasoning showed a steady increase from fourth to sixth grade, reaching an average level of 19, 39, and 53%, respectively, in two studies. Sixth graders' performance with natural frequencies matched the performance of adults with probabilities. But this general increase was accompanied by striking individual differences. More than half of the sixth graders solved most or all problems, whereas one third could not solve a single one. An analysis of the children's responses provides evidence for the use of three non-Bayesian strategies. These follow an overlapping wave model of development and continue to be observed in the minds of adults. More so than adults' probabilistic reasoning, children's reasoning depends on a proper representation of information.     

Analysis of response allocation in individuals with multiple forms of stereotyped behavior

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate response allocation of stereotypy during free-operant and restricted-operant conditions. Five children with autism or related developmental disabilities participated in at least one and up to three of the experiments. In Experiment 1, the stereotypic response that emerged as most probable during a free-operant phase was restricted, and response allocation was again evaluated. The results for 3 participants showed that restricting the high-probability response was correlated with covarying reductions in a nontargeted stereotypy. In Experiment 2, the effect of environmental enrichment on response allocation was evaluated. One participant reallocated behavior to appropriate object manipulation, 1 participant showed no change in behavior, and a 3rd participant reallocated behavior to object manipulation only when the putative stimulus products of the object manipulation matched those of stereotypy. In Experiment 3, additional interventions were implemented to promote response reallocation. Results showed that both response restriction and reinforcement for object manipulation decreased stereotypy and increased object manipulation. Collectively, the results of these experiments point to a need for complex evaluations of interventions for stereotypy.