Reducing skin picking via competing activities

This study examined the outcomes of a competing activities intervention to decrease skin picking exhibited by a 9-year-old student with comorbid diagnoses. Results of an ABCBAB design revealed that the use of student-selected manipulatives resulted in reduced skin picking.     

Cognitive Dissonance and Post-Decision Attitude Change in Six Presidential Elections

Data from the National Election Studies were examined in an effort to isolate cognitive dissonance of two kinds: dissonance arising from a behavioral commitment in the form of voting, and dissonance arising from inconsistencies associated with having supported the losing candidate. Feeling thermometer ratings of the two principal presidential candidates obtained before and immediately after six elections (1972, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996) were analyzed. Regression estimates supported a dissonance reduction explanation of observed attitude changes. Voters, as compared to nonvoters, tended to increase the evaluative distance between candidates after an election, whereas supporters of the losing candidate were more likely than supporters of the winning candidate to decrease such evaluative distances. An additional examination of voters yielded results consistent with dissonance theory: After the election, respondents reporting favorable evaluations of both candidates (a difficult choice) tended to spread comparative candidate evaluations compared to respondents who were favorable toward only one candidate (an easy choice). The results both support and cast doubt on prior studies.     

比较治疗专家系统在临床诊断中的应用

比较治疗专家系统是比较治疗学在临床应用的一个方向,它也是辅助医生临床诊断的一种智能化的工具。本文比较了现有各种知识表示方法的优缺点,简要介绍了比较治疗专家系统在医疗诊断中的研究现状;通过分析现存问题提出了一个可行性的研究方向。     

European starlings are capable of discriminating subtle size asymmetries in paired stimuli

Small deviations from bilateral symmetry (fluctuating asymmetries) are cues to fitness differences in some animals. Therefore, researchers have considered whether animals use these small asymmetries as visual cues to determine appropriate behavioral responses (e.g., mate preferences). However, there have been few systematic studies of animals' abilities to visually discriminate such minor asymmetries. If the asymmetries cannot be discriminated, fluctuating asymmetry can not be a visual cue. Here, we report an investigation of European starlings' (Sturnus vulgaris) abilities to discriminate small size asymmetries. We trained starlings, through operant conditioning in a free-flight aviary, to discriminate achromatic, symmetric paired stimuli from size-matched asymmetric stimuli. By starting the learning process with a large asymmetry and progressing through sequential trials of decreasing asymmetry, we elucidated a behavioral limit to asymmetry discrimination. We found that starlings are capable of discriminating a 10% size asymmetry. There was weaker evidence for discrimination of 5% asymmetry but no evidence for signal discrimination at 2.5% size asymmetry. This level of asymmetry discrimination suggests that many size asymmetry cues in nature can be discriminated by birds. At each level of asymmetry discrimination, we also tested whether starlings could generalize their learned symmetry preference to unreinforced novel images. Consistent with previous findings, we found that starlings could generalize their symmetry preferences.     

Extensions and Mechanisms of Mindfulness‐based Cognitive Therapy: A Review of the Evidence

Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was originally developed to prevent depressive relapse and recurrence and has also been widely extended to new patient populations and target problems over the last 14 years. We provide a comprehensive review of this literature, examining the strength of the evidence base for specific populations and target problems and identifying questions for future research to address. Specifically, we review studies addressing the use of MBCT for depressive disorders (prevention of depressive relapse and treatment of residual and current depressive symptoms), the use of MBCT in the treatment or management of other mental disorders (bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, mixed anxiety and depression symptoms, disordered eating, personality disorders, and psychosis), and the use of MBCT in behavioural medicine contexts. Additionally, we discuss the extension of MBCT during specific developmental periods, like childhood, pregnancy and post‐partum, and adult caregiving, and, finally, we address the use of MBCT among clinical health‐care providers. In the second section, we review hypothesised mechanisms of change in MBCT and reflect on implications for theories of how MBCT works in the application to various patient populations and target problems. We also consider research addressing active ingredients and what is known about the “dosage” of meditation practice. We conclude with a summary of recommendations for future research.     

Effects of Adlerian Play Therapy on Reducing Students' Disruptive Behaviors

This randomized controlled study examined the effectiveness of Adlerian play therapy (AdPT) with 58 elementary school students (48% Latino, 33% European American, 19% African American) exhibiting disruptive classroom behaviors. Teachers and raters blinded to treatment group assignment reported that children in the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in behavior problems and that AdPT demonstrated moderate to large treatment effects. Teachers also reported a statistically significant reduction in stress in their relationships with students receiving AdPT.     

A Protective Factors Model for Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Prevention Among Alaska Native Youth

This study provides an empirical test of a culturally grounded theoretical model for prevention of alcohol abuse and suicide risk with Alaska Native youth, using a promising set of culturally appropriate measures for the study of the process of change and outcome. This model is derived from qualitative work that generated an heuristic model of protective factors from alcohol (Allen et al. in J Prev Interv Commun 32:41–59, 2006; Mohatt et al. in Am J Commun Psychol 33:263–273, 2004a; Harm Reduct 1, 2004b). Participants included 413 rural Alaska Native youth ages 12–18 who assisted in testing a predictive model of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes about alcohol abuse consequences as co-occurring outcomes. Specific individual, family, peer, and community level protective factor variables predicted these outcomes. Results suggest prominent roles for these predictor variables as intermediate prevention strategy target variables in a theoretical model for a multilevel intervention. The model guides understanding of underlying change processes in an intervention to increase the ultimate outcome variables of Reasons for Life and Reflective Processes regarding the consequences of alcohol abuse.     

肺癌治疗中辨证论治与循证医学的矛盾与统一

肺癌的个体化治疗是依托于循证医学和飞速发展的分子生物学技术开启的西医治疗的新篇章,但同时也面临着很多困境。而中医辨证论治思想在朴素哲学思想的启领下,早已体现了个体化治疗的灵魂。笔者融合辨证论治思想,现代循证医学证据,提出了肺癌中西医治疗新的概念,从个体差异的绝对性出发,论述了辨证思想与循证医学共存的必然性及两者之间的矛盾。循证医学的结论可通过对大量个体化辨证治疗的研究而不断更新,从而更好地指导辨证治疗,这是未来中西医临床肺癌诊疗的必经之路。     

用人单位视角下医学本科毕业生的质量调查与研究——以大连医科大学临床医学专业为例

通过对我校2008届、2009届本科毕业生的质量跟踪调查,客观地分析了用人单位对我校毕业生的具体评价。通过与《柳叶刀》杂志上关于新世纪医学卫生人才培养标准的比较,分析了当前我校医学毕业生尚存的种种问题,进一步提出了加强我校医学教育的建议和对策：强化医学生临床实践技能,开发医学生批判性思维,提高医学生科研能力水平,重视医学生人文素养。