United Kingdom Mission Training Through Distributed Simulation

This paper presents the findings of a United Kingdom (UK) research program carried out over the last decade. This research has explored the benefits of using networks of simulators for collective training known in the UK as mission training through distributed simulation (MTDS). The paper provides an overview of trials carried out to date, identifies the research issues addressed, and discusses the key findings. The conclusion is that MTDS provides an immersive training environment that has the potential to support not only single service collective training, but also joint and coalition training requirements.     

Stereotypes and stereotyping: What's the brain got to do with it?

Influential social-psychological models suggest that perceivers frequently use information-processing strategies that result in the stereotype-based construal and treatment of other people. To elucidate in greater detail when, why, and how social encounters elicit stereotyping, researchers have begun to incorporate neuroscientific tools into their repertoire of investigative methods. The current article reviews these studies and considers their significance in light of existing theories of person perception, knowledge representation, and impression formation. Finally, using the concrete example of stereotyping, benefits and pitfalls of adopting a social neuroscience approach are discussed.     

Perfectionistic self-presentation, body image, and eating disorder symptoms

A specific model for eating disorder symptoms involving perfectionistic self-presentation and two different moderators (i.e., body image evaluation and body image investment) was tested. Participants completed measures of perfectionistic self-presentation, body image dysfunction, and eating disorder symptoms. Findings indicated that all three dimensions of perfectionistic self-presentation were associated with eating disorder symptoms. Results also showed that perfectionistic self-presentation predicted eating disorder symptoms in women who were dissatisfied with their bodies, but that it did not predict eating problems in women who liked their bodies and felt there was little or no discrepancy between their actual and ideal appearances. Body image investment did not moderate the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and eating disorder symptoms, suggesting that ego-involvement alone is insufficient to promote eating disturbance in the context of perfectionism. The importance of self-presentation components of perfectionism and specific body image difficulties in predicting eating disorder symptoms are discussed.     

Discovering the Inner Life of a Child

Abstract

Using Winnicott's concept of transitional space, joint attention, theory of mind, and a case vignette, the author describes techniques in elucidating and elaborating a child's play space, hence, psychic life. Explicating the child's theory of mind uncovers the dynamics, motives, conflicts, and unconscious material used by the analyst to form interpretations and encourage the child's self-reflective function (Fonagy & Target, 1996). Finally, a case vignette illustrates the enhancement of play space by elucidating the child's theory of mind.     

School-Linked Services in Context

Summary

This paper describes a formative evaluation of a school-linked service delivery system for immigrant and low income families in a large suburban county in Maryland. Initially we discuss local needs that prompted the development of the program and we place problems with services for children and families with multiple needs in a broad context. Next we discuss the methods and results of the evaluation. Findings indicate the program provides a range of appropriate services to intended beneficiaries but that lack of infrastructure and articulated understandings among participating organizations present potential problems.     

Evaluating Addictions Counseling Programs: Promoting Best Practices,Accountability, and Advocacy

Program evaluation offers several benefits to addictions counselors, including identifying best practices, providing accountability to stakeholders, and advocating for minority client populations. This article reviews the benefits of addictions counseling program evaluation and outlines main steps in the evaluation process.     

A School-Based,Primary Violence Prevention Program

Summary

This article presents findings from an evaluative study of a multidisciplinary violence prevention project jointly administered by a family practice clinic and junior high school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The project team hypothesized that an intervention established on a public health model and aimed at enhancing adolescent self-esteem through cognitive and behavioral strategies would reduce the tendency to engage in violence of participating students. The project united health care personnel, social workers and legal profession-als in an effort to teach students specific cognitive tools for the reduction and avoidance of violent encounters. The experimental results do not reveal Project effectiveness in boosting self-esteem indicators among students, although the Project docs seem to have contributed to the control of students' behavioral aggression. Although a clear relationship between self-esteem and violent behavior is not demonstrated by the experimental results, the project study suggests that school-based, anti-violence programs based on a public health model can have a positive effect in the reduction of physical and verbal aggression among adolescents.     

The Effects of Child Abuse on the Self-System

Abstract

Normal development of aspects of the self-system in terms of the I- and Me-self are discussed. These concepts are then applied to research findings from abused children and youth where damage to the self is noted in terms of its negativity, fractionation, and lack of coherence, natural consequences of dealing with severe and prolonged maltreatment. Comments are also made concerning the nature of parenting in maltreating homes that enhances this damage.     

Childhood Cruelty to Animals: Psychiatric and Demographic Correlates

This retrospective study compared frequencies of aggressive behaviors and abuse histories noted during a psychiatric intake assessment for children where animal cruelty was endorsed and a control sample of youth for whom animal cruelty was not endorsed to determine if rates of concerning behaviors differed significantly. Relative to the control group, the cruelty group was significantly more likely to have had problems with peers, perpetrated bullying, experienced sexual abuse, and have a history of sexually acting out. Recommendations for childhood animal cruelty screening in mental health settings are discussed.     

Approaches to evaluation

This paper offers some informal thoughts about audit and research studies in a psychotherapy or counselling context, drawing on the author's background in a difficult area of evaluation: the outcomes of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Reasons for therapists' difficulties with the idea of evaluation studies are considered, and possible designs for feasible research projects are briefly discussed. Examples of different strategies within one area are given, to illustrate the way in which different approaches can be patched together to yield important findings, and to overcome the limitations of any one approach. the place of audit in relation to research is also briefly discussed.