Prevention of marital instability and distress. Results of an 11-year longitudinal follow-up study

Divorce and destructive couple conflict are major risk factors for many forms of dysfunction and psychopathology in the family. Couple relationship education has been offered in an attempt to reduce those risks and enhance couple outcomes. The current effectiveness study had two aims: to assess (a) the long-term effects of relationship education and (b) the ability of partners to remember the skills typically taught during the communication skills training. One hundred and one couples from two studies, in which the effectiveness of the EPL (Ein Partnerschaftliches Lernprogramm für Paare [A Learning Program for Married Couples]) was investigated, were followed-up 11 years after the training. In the first study, EPL-takers had a significantly lower divorce and separation rate (27.5%) than non-EPL-takers (52.6%). This finding was replicated in a second study, showing a 20% dissolution rate in EPL-takers. For those couples still together, the rate of happy relationships was 80% at the eleven-year follow-up - thus, there is optimism for longer married couples who are willing to focus on improving their relationships. Only about 55% of the partners could remember at least one speaker skill whereas 70% remembered at least one listening skill taught during EPL. Consequences for prevention programs in the couple domain are discussed.     

COMT and DAT1 polymorphisms moderate the indirect effect of parenting behavior on youth ADHD symptoms through neurocognitive functioning

Although gene × environment interactions contribute to youth attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the pathways mediating these influences are unknown. We tested genetic moderation of indirect effects from parenting behavior to youth ADHD symptoms through multiple neurocognitive factors. Two hundred and twenty-nine youth with and without ADHD were assessed at baseline (Wave 1; ages 5–10) and at a 2-year follow-up (Wave 2; ages 7–13). At Wave 1, youth completed a neurocognitive battery including measures of response inhibition, visuospatial working memory, and fluid reasoning, and a standardized parent–child interaction task yielding observational measures of positive and negative parenting. At Wave 2, youth psychopathology was rated by parents and teachers using multiple methods (i.e., structured interview, rating scale). We employed moderated multiple mediation and compared conditional indirect effects across youth genotypes at two biologically plausible genetic loci. Controlling for parent ADHD symptoms as well as youth demographic factors and co-occurring externalizing symptoms, these genetic factors moderated the indirect effect from Wave 1 parenting to multi-method/informant Wave 2 ADHD symptoms through Wave 1 neurocognitive functioning. This preliminary study is the first to identify genetic moderation of mediated effects underlying ADHD symptoms and suggests that specific gene × parenting interactions may underlie neurocognitive functioning deficits and subsequent ADHD.     

Theosis and Human Enhancement

Recent theological work on the meaning of theosis or deification has largely ignored today’s cultural context in which ordinary Christians are expected to put theosis into practice. The widespread use of various technologies of human enhancement creates expectations that might distort the interpretation of theosis. Human enhancement technologies tend to feed off the desire to expand the self, while theosis is grounded in the idea that true divinization means becoming like God in God’s own kenosis of self-giving love. The theology of theosis is a call to empty the self, not to expand it. If theosis defines the Christian life, the use of human enhancement technology is largely a matter of indifference.     

Imago Dei,DNA, and the Transhuman Way

Might genetic engineering or cyborgization turn mortal humans into immortal gods? How transformable are we? A proleptic model of the imago Dei signifies that a transformation is coming, that who we are as human beings is yet to be determined by our future. Of five theological models of the imago Dei—(1) rationality; (2) morality; (3) relationality; (4) prolepsis; and (5) created co-creator—the proleptic and co-creator models are particularly open to an alliance with technological transformation. However, even biological enhancement or intelligence amplification will not turn sinners into saints. Only divine grace can accomplish redemption; only divine grace can insure that we become who we truly are.     

Neurocognitive development and externalizing problems: the role of inhibitory control deficits from 4 to 6 years

Executive processes have been posited as important regulators of externalizing problems (EP), but there has been little research on the relation between executive dysfunction and EP in early childhood. During the preschool period, maturation of the prefrontostriatal circuitry parallels increases in inhibitory control (IC). Poor IC development could result in elevated levels of aggressive, disruptive, and impulsive behavior. In this investigation, the development of the relation between IC and EP was examined in preschool and early elementary school children using the Day/Night and Tapping tasks. Children with more EP made more incorrect responses on both IC tasks, consistently across age and sex. The associations between EP and response latencies differed across children, however, with longer latencies on the Tapping task being most characteristic for boys with high levels of EP. This association was not apparent for girls. Two prominent aspects of early EP, aggressive and inattentive behavior, showed only weak unique associations with IC performance. These findings imply that diminished IC accompanies elevated EP as early as the preschool years, and that this decrement persists into the elementary school-age years for both girls and boys, and that accuracy and response latency may confer different information about the development of IC.     

Emerging Technologies and the Future of Philosophy

This article examines how a class of emerging technologies—specifically, radical cognitive enhancements and artificial intelligence—has the potential to influence the future of philosophy. The article argues that progress in philosophy has been impeded, in part, by two specific constraints imposed on us by the natural architecture of our cognitive systems. Both of these constraints, though, could in principle be overcome by certain cognitive technologies currently being researched and/or developed. It surveys a number of these technologies, and then looks at a particular metaphilosophical stance (called “inflationism”) that advocates amplifying the abilities of philosophers rather than reducing the ambitions of philosophy, given the apparent “teleological gap” between philosophy's ultimate goal (i.e., “the truth”) and the limited capacities of our evolved mental machinery.     

Cognitive Enhancement and Academic Misconduct: A Study Exploring Their Frequency and Relationship

We investigated the acceptability and use frequency of cognitive enhancement medication and three different types of academic misconduct (plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying/fabricating data). Data collected from a web-based survey of German university students were used in our analysis. Moral acceptability of cognitive enhancers was relatively low and moderate for academic misconduct. The correlation between these measures was moderately weak. The use frequency of cognitive enhancers was lower than for academic misconduct and was (very) lightly correlated with the occurrences of reported plagiarism and fabrication/falsification. A higher acceptability of each act was associated with a higher use frequency of each act.     

Positive Side of the Work-Family Interface: A Theoretical Review

This narrative review considers the positive side of the work-family interface. It surveyed a range of relevant literature (1960–2012) using search terms on the positive work-family interface. From the literature it is evident that various concepts (e.g., work-family enhancement, work-family positive spillover, work-family facilitation and work-family enrichment) are used to conceptualise the positive side of the work-family interface. Further research is needed to explore the positive side of the work-family interface. Findings showed that only a few studies on the positive work-family interface phenomenon have been reported from the South African population, but there is still a huge gap in the South African literature regarding the positive work-family interface.     

Human Becoming: Cognitive and Moral Enhancement Inside the Imago Dei Narrative

Abstract

With advancements in human enhancement technologies and sciences, the reality of moral/cognitive enhancements is close upon us. In light of recent advances in the fields of cognitive science of religion (CSR), neurotheology and philosophy of technology this paper follows the contemporary neuroethics debate on the subject of moral bioenhancement and engages it inside an imago Dei narrative. To explore this possibility we first establish some major points in the contemporary imago Dei debate, especially the substantial and relational aspect and some of its important interpretations. We then move to an exploration of the very possibility of moral/cognitive bioenhancement, as well as some concrete pitfalls and opportunities, inside the imago Dei narrative. Lastly, we try to portray a wider theological picture in which we engage humanity as both sacred and technological being living in a dynamic cosmic environment we are called to sanctify through the election offered to us by the Reedemer. To establish this we contemplate on the relationship between our eschatological fulfillment, the process of theosis, and the being and role of technology itself.