Accuracy of retrospective memory and covariation estimation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Assessment methods relying on biased or inaccurate retrospective recall may distort knowledge about the nature of disorders and lead to faulty clinical inferences. Despite concerns about the accuracy of retrospective recall in general and in particular with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) patients, the accuracy of retrospective recall for one's own symptoms assessed in vivo is unknown in this population. This study used a prospective ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology to create a criterion against which to assess recall accuracy in OCD patients. Although results indicated that patients’ retrospective recall of OCD symptoms was fairly accurate, they consistently overestimated the magnitude of OCD symptom covariation with non-OCD facets (e.g., sleep duration, contemporaneous stress level, etc.). Findings suggest that even when recall of OCD symptoms is accurate, patients may be inaccurate in estimating symptom covariation. The findings have implications for the research, case conceptualization, and assessment of OCD, and may extend to other disorders.     

A practical variation of a multiple-schedule procedure: brief schedule-correlated stimuli

Multiple schedules using continuous discriminative stimuli have been used to minimize children's disruptive requesting for teacher attention (e.g., colored floral leis; Tiger & Hanley, 2004; Tiger, Hanley, & Heal, 2006). The present study evaluated the effectiveness of, and children's preferences for, two multiple-schedule arrangements in which brief experimenter vocalizations served as discriminative stimuli. Results showed that brief signals were highly effective discriminative stimuli for 3 of the 4 children, and that all children preferred one or both variations of the multiple schedule to a control arrangement. For 1 child, highly discriminated responding was achieved only when continuous signals were introduced.     

Children with Autism and Their Friends: A Multidimensional Study of Friendship in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study of Israeli and American preadolescent children examined characteristics of friendship in 44 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) compared to 38 typically developing children (TYP), as they interacted with a close friend Participants were 8-12 years of age (HFASD: Israel, n = 24; USA, n = 20; TYP: Israel, n = 23; USA, n = 15), and were matched on SES, receptive language vocabulary, child age, and gender (each study group included one girl). Multidimensional assessments included: individual behaviors of target children and observed child-friend interactions during construction and drawing scenarios; target child's and friend's self-perceived mutual friendship qualities; and mother-reported characteristics (friendship's duration/frequency; friend's age/gender/disability status). Overall, children with HFASD displayed a number of differences on individual and dyadic friendship measures. Both age and verbal abilities affected friendship behaviors. Children with HFASD and their friends perceived friendship qualities similarly, suggesting that preadolescents with HFASD have capacities for interpersonal awareness. Between-group similarities also emerged on several complex social behaviors, suggesting that friendship follows a developmental trajectory in autism and may enhance social interaction skills in autism.     

“Mindful helpers”: Experiential avoidance,meta-emotions,and emotion regulation in paramedics

Three facets of the mindfulness/acceptance spectrum have been investigated in 134 experienced paramedics exposed to a number of potentially traumatic events. The contribution of (1) experiential avoidance, (2) mindful awareness and (3) meta-emotions in psychological well-being and satisfaction with life was analysed. Changes in these variables due to experiencing highly stressful incidents were explored by comparing experts with 105 novices. With accumulating experience, experiential avoidance remained stable, mindful awareness markedly increased at first and declined thereafter. Both positive and negative meta-emotions decreased with the number of stressful incidents. Experiential avoidance and meta-emotions explained 62% of the variance in psychological well-being, and patterns indicate that non-acceptance of thoughts and emotions might not be generally detrimental in this sample. Being stern and contemptuous about one’s own feelings and having little self-compassion has been found to be beneficial for psychological well-being in these experts. Although this is contrary to contemporary theorizing it might perfectly reflect the role of paramedics and their need for control.     

Emotional Problems Suppress Disorder/Performance Associations in Adult ADHD Assessment

Issues related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are commonly assessed using a combination of indicators, including patient report and performance on cognitive tasks. The current study investigates the potential that emotional problems may suppress the relationship between objective continuous performance test (CPT) results and ADHD symptoms in a sample of 53 young adults referred to an outpatient clinic for cognitive evaluations, 26 of whom met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Data indicate that emotional problems and continuous performance represent unique elements of adult ADHD, whether assessed via interview or self-report. Results also indicate that emotional problems do suppress CPT–ADHD relations, suggesting that failure to control for emotional problems may account, in part, for modest associations in the literature between CPT performance and other indicators of ADHD.     

Une approche de l’évolution des relations entre conseil (en orientation,en insertion, à l’emploi) et sélection professionnelle

An approach to the evolution of the relations between school and career counselling activities and those of personnel selection during the 20th century in France leads to distinguish between three periods. During the first one, these activities (organised around the notion of aptitudes) were close. The second period was marked by the birth of procedures for selecting and distributing the students within the school organisation: vocational counselling activities grew apart from those in the domains of employment counselling and selection. In the last period (characterized by a high unemployment rate and a growth of very flexible forms of work and employment) these different activities – organised around the notion of competence – came closer. In short, these activities appear to find their meaning only through their reciprocal links, in connection with the kind of work and school organizations where they take place.     

脑损伤语言认知障碍研究 ——认知神经心理学研究途径

20世纪90年代以来,从认知神经科学的角度揭示语言及其它认知的脑机制成为科学研究的前沿与热点。研究各种脑损伤导致的特异性语言障碍,为探索语言和其它认知的结构、加工,及大脑不同部位在语言和其它认知活动中的功能增添了一条新的途径。同时也对临床失语症的诊断与康复起了很多积极的作用。汉语在世界语言体系中具有其独特性,对汉语的语言障碍及其脑机制的研究将为完善人类语义知识理论、语言的表征与加工模型有重要贡献,也为发展汉语失语症针对性的康复方案提供理论和实践基础     

调节模式理论：自我调节领域的新进展

作为Higgins自我调节理论体系的重要组成部分,调节模式理论认为自我调节包括运动和评估两种模式,两者分别关注状态的改变和最佳方案的获得。本文分析了两种调节模式的特点并介绍了其测量及诱导方法,概括了调节模式对基本心理现象的影响以及调节匹配效应有关的研究,并对新近进展进行了介绍。未来研究尚可针对调节模式的形成、多元化测量工具及诱发范式的开发、及其对反事实思维等特定心理现象的影响等问题作更深入探讨。     

编制中国人个性测量表(CPAI)的意义与程序

从1990年开始中国科学院心理研究所与香港中文大学心理系合作,编制“中国人个性测量表”(CPAI)。编制方法严格按照个性测验编制程序进行。共分四个步骤,一、建立正常与病态个性量表的框架。二、构成量表的项目。三、测量表的最后确定。四、量表的标准化工作。编制出的测量表共包括22个正常个性量表,12个病态个性量表及2个效度量表,共510个项目。经实践检验与统计分析,证明该测量表具有一定的信度与效度。     

应聘者的选拔标准识别能力对人事选拔效果的影响

应聘者对选拔标准的识别能力(ability to identify criteria, 简写为ATIC)是指个体在参与测评的过程中, 正确识别评价标准的能力, 现有测量选拔标准识别能力变量的主要方式有被试自评和研究者评分两种。众多研究发现, 选拔标准识别能力对应聘者的表现有促进作用, 它可以解释选拔的预测效度并影响其结构效度。当公开选拔标准, 提高透明度, 消除选拔标准识别能力个体差异的影响之后, 选拔的预测效度会降低, 而且对应聘者的成绩和选拔的结构效度也有影响, 但目前有关研究的结果并不统一。未来研究应关注选拔标准识别能力与其他构念的关系、完善测量方法、探索它在其他人事选拔手段中的作用, 并继续考察改变选拔标准识别能力对人事选拔的影响。