The role of processes and contents in human memory: An item response theory approach

This study investigated the specificities and communalities of visuospatial and verbal memory contents, as well as short-term memory and working memory (STM and WM) processes with the use of Rasch models as an alternative to the previous studies based on the classical test theory. A sample of 547 undergraduate students executed four computerised tasks, each consisting of verbal-numeric WM, visuospatial WM, verbal-numeric STM, and visuospatial STM content. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that visuospatial and verbal-numeric memory are distinct, but correlated variables. Findings also support a domain-general view of WM capacity distinct from domain-specific storage. With the use of Rasch models, our results confirm previous experimental, psychometric, and neuropsychological studies, highlighting that memory span tasks can be divided into separate subsystems for content and processes. This study also shows that better results are obtained when models with person parameter estimates (provided from Rasch models) are adopted, rather than summed raw scores.     

MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG MOTHERS OF INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE: THE CONTRIBUTION OF ILLNESS SEVERITY,ATTACHMENT STYLE,AND THE COPING PROCESS

This study examined the contribution of illness severity and attachment style to marital satisfaction among mothers of infants with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) as well as the mediating role of cognitive appraisal and ways of coping with motherhood tasks. Eighty-five mothers of newborns with CHD rated their attachment style 2 weeks after the infant's CHD diagnosis and two physicians rated the severity of the disease. One year later, mothers completed self-reports scales tapping marital satisfaction, appraisal of motherhood tasks, and ways of coping with these tasks. The severity of infant's disease and mothers’ attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were related to less marital satisfaction. Moreover, whereas illness severity and attachment anxiety had direct effects on marital satisfaction, the negative effects of attachment avoidance were mediated by the appraisal of motherhood in threatening terms and the reliance on emotion-focused coping. The interconnections between attachment style, the process of coping with the stress of a chronic illness, and marital satisfaction were discussed.     

Social anxiety and the experience of positive emotion and anger in everyday life: an ecological momentary assessment approach

Abstract

A few recent studies have found evidence showing that social anxiety is associated with diminished positive affect and elevated anger. However, prior work has relied on trait self-report measures of global positive mood or anger. In this preliminary study, we examined how trait social anxiety relates to moment-to-moment positive and angry emotional states as people navigate through their natural environment in a given day. Of additional interest was whether any associations were limited to social situations or were evident more broadly in non-social situations as well. For 14 days, 38 non-clinical community adults carried electronic diaries to assess their experience of positive emotions, anger, and their current social context and activity. Participants were randomly prompted up to four times per day, leading to 1702 observations. Results showed that social anxiety was associated with less time spent feeling happy and relaxed and more time spent feeling angry throughout the day. In general, people felt happier when they were with other people compared to being alone. Interestingly, people with relatively higher levels of social anxiety reported fewer and less intense positive emotions and greater anger episodes across social and non-social situations.     

A multi-modal investigation of the roles of distress tolerance and emotional reactivity in obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Emerging evidence implicates important roles of poor distress tolerance and heightened emotional reactivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder. To date, investigations have relied mostly on self-report measures, and we sought to extend the literature by examining the relationship between OC symptoms and distress tolerance, as well as emotional reactivity, using three laboratory assessments. Nonclinical participants (N=167) viewed emotional films associated with four different negative emotions and also completed mirror tracing and handgrip persistence tasks. Greater obsessions scores were predictive of poorer emotional tolerance for a sad film and shorter persistence on the mirror tracing task. Among men only, obsessions were negatively correlated with persistence on the handgrip task. Associations between increased emotional reactivity and washing symptoms also emerged. These findings provide further evidence for the role of poor distress tolerance in obsessions and suggest heightened emotional reactivity may play a role in compulsive washing.     

Safety Planning Based on Lethality Assessment for Partners of Batterers in Intervention Programs

Summary

This chapter outlines a process of individualized safety planning with the partners of batterers in intervention programs that is based on the principles of empowerment and autonomy, and takes into account the context of the woman's situation. Assessing context is operationalized as considering the potential lethality of the situation from her partner, her relationship and emotional status, available resources, and her children. The safety planning process is described as an opportunity for the abused woman to gain information in order to strategize her responses. It is also a way for the program staff to gain more accurate information about the batterer's level of violence and dan-gerousness, and to work with women to enhance retention of abusers in the program.     

Evaluation of the London (Ontario) Community Group Treatment Programme for Children Who Have Witnessed Woman Abuse

Summary

Group intervention for children exposed to woman abuse is increasingly used to respond to the psychological needs of children exposed to woman abuse. This article describes a community group model of intervention for children exposed to woman abuse, and an evaluation approach used to assess the impact of such groups. The collaborative development of questionnaire/interview evaluation instruments for this purpose is described, and the set of instruments is presented in its entirety. The main instrument, entitled Child/Teen Witness to Woman Abuse Questionnaire, was tailored to the content of the groups and covers topics such as definitions and understanding of abuse, safety skills, beliefs and attitudes about abuse, perceived responsibility for abuse, alternatives to violence, non-violent conflict resolution strategies, and help seeking skills. Both closed-ended and open-ended questions are employed. Separate questionnaires assess consumer (mother/caregiver and child) satisfaction and feedback. The results of a study evaluating the groups are described, which showed good changes from pre to post intervention, as well as a high degree of satisfaction among children and mothers with regard to the groups. Feedback from children and mothers as to suggested improvements in the group is also described.     

Controversies in Family Preservation Programs

Summary

This paper examines the controversies over the use of family preservation policies to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect. Policies that aim to preserve families in which child maltreatment has occurred are at least a century old. However, there is renewed interest in such policies, given the dramatic rise in child abuse and neglect reports and a large number of children who spend time in out-of-home placements. New intensive family preservation services were advanced as able to assure the safety of children while working toward a lasting preservation of the family unit. The paper summarizes the research on intensive family preservation services and reports that such programs do not reduce placements nor do they appear to enhance child safety. The paper concludes by proposing that risk assessments and assessments of readiness to change could improve decision-making regarding which families might be aided by family preservation and which children should be protected by terminating their parents' rights.     

Patterns in Blame Attributions in Maltreated Youth: Association with Psychopathology and Interpersonal Functioning

This investigation explored patterns of blame attributions in 128 youth, primarily (87%) female, with maltreatment histories. Second, the study also evaluated the relative variance in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, emotional distress, and interpersonal functioning outcomes, accounted for by age, abuse characteristics, and blame attribution patterns. Cluster analyses revealed distinctive blame profiles: high perpetrator blame, moderate perpetrator blame, high self-blame, high perpetrator/high self-blame, and low perpetrator/low self-blame. Regression analyses yielded significant models, accounting for 15% to 34% of the variance of outcomes. Most notably, youth endorsing a high perpetrator/high self-blame (i.e., compounded blame) attribution pattern reported poorer outcomes as compared to youth presenting with other blame profiles. Maltreatment type and age differences were not demonstrated across clusters. Implications and limitations are discussed.     

Electrophysiological evidence for colour effects on the naming of colour diagnostic and noncolour diagnostic objects

In this study, we investigated the level of visual processing at which surface colour information improves the naming of colour diagnostic and noncolour diagnostic objects. Continuous electroencephalograms were recorded while participants performed a visual object naming task in which coloured and black-and-white versions of both types of objects were presented. The black-and-white and the colour presentations were compared in two groups of event-related potentials (ERPs): (1) The P1 and N1 components, indexing early visual processing; and (2) the N300 and N400 components, which index late visual processing. A colour effect was observed in the P1 and N1 components, for both colour and noncolour diagnostic objects. In addition, for colour diagnostic objects, a colour effect was observed in the N400 component. These results suggest that colour information is important for the naming of colour and noncolour diagnostic objects at different levels of visual processing. It thus appears that the visual system uses colour information, during naming of both object types, at early visual stages; however, for the colour diagnostic objects naming, colour information is also recruited during the late visual processing stages.     

Relative Importance and Utility of Positive Worker States: A Review and Empirical Examination

Our purpose was to identity the unique contribution, relative importance, and utility of positive worker states. Using Luthans et al.'s (2007) five positive organizational behavior criteria, a variety of positive worker states were reviewed and then empirically tested to establish if they met these criteria. Data were collected from 724 restaurant employees. Positive worker states included: job involvement, perceived organizational support, engagement, and vigor. Criteria were self-reported performance, customer service, turnover intention, satisfaction, and quality of life. Our review indicated consistency between predictor adequacy of meeting the criteria and their empirical relationship with key outcomes. This research found the positive worker states to be independent constructs that had differential effects depending on the focused outcome. Regression and relative weights analyses showed involvement was a weak predictor of outcomes, while perceived organizational support was the most consistent predictor. Vigor was most useful when predicting job performance. Quality of life was poorly explained.