Gender differences on the Five to Fifteen questionnaire in a non‐referred sample with inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity and a clinic‐referred sample with hyperkinetic disorder

Lambek, R., Trillingsgaard, A., Kadesjö, B., Damm, D. & Thomsen, P. H. (2010). Gender differences on the Five to Fifteen questionnaire in a non‐referred sample with inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity and a clinic‐referred sample with hyperkinetic disorder. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51, 540–447. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences in children with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity on the Five to Fifteen (FTF) parent questionnaire. First, non‐referred girls (n = 43) and boys (n = 51) with problems of attention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity and then clinic‐referred girls (n = 35) and boys (n = 66) with hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) were compared on the FTF. Results suggested that non‐referred boys were more hyperactive‐impulsive than non‐referred girls, whereas clinic‐referred boys and girl with HKD were more similar than dissimilar on the FTF questionnaire. Secondly, it was examined whether the application of gender mixed norms versus gender specific norms would result in varying proportions of clinic‐referred children with HKD being identified as impaired on the subdomains of the FTF questionnaire. Based on results it was concluded that the use of a gender mixed normative sample may lead to overestimation of impairment in boys with HKD, but the type of sample applied to define impairment on the FTF should depend on the purpose for applying the questionnaire.     

Preventive interventions among children exposed to trauma of armed conflict: a literature review

Increasing research is available on the preconditions for child mental health and optimal development in traumatic conditions, whereas less is known how to translate the findings into effective interventions to help traumatized children. This literature review analyses the effectiveness of psychosocial preventive interventions and treatments and their theoretical bases among children traumatized in the context of armed conflicts (war, military violence, terrorism and refugee). The first aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions in preventing emotional distress and impairment and promoting optimal emotional‐cognitive and social development. The second task is to analyze the nature of the underlying mechanisms for the success of preventive interventions, and the theoretical premises of the choice of intervention techniques, procedures and tools. We found 16 relevant published studies, but an examination of them revealed that only four of them had experimental designs strong enough that they could be included in the meta‐analysis. While the subjective reports of the researchers suggested that systematic preventive interventions were effective in decreasing PTSD and depressive symptoms among children traumatized due to armed conflict, the more objective results of the meta‐analysis and the weaknesses in designs uncovered during the meta‐analysis undermine such a conclusion. Additionally, a majority of the reported preventive interventions focused only on children's biased cognitive processes and negative emotions, while only a few aimed at influencing multiple domains of child development and improving developmental functioning on emotional, social and psychophysiological levels. It is concluded that substantial additional work needs to be done in developing effective preventive interventions and treatments for children traumatized by exposure to war and violence. Aggr. Behav. 36:95–116, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

幼儿对假装游戏中意图和行为作用的理解

关于儿童如何理解假装存在两种观点:一种观点认为幼儿能够从心理角度理解假装。另一种观点认为,幼儿只能从假装行为角度理解假装。本研究通过自制录像,考查了3～5岁幼儿对假装游戏中意图和行为作用的理解。实验中,给幼儿呈现3种不同类型的录像情境:有意图-有行为、有意图-无行为和无意图-有行为,要求幼儿回答录像中的主人公是否在假装。实验结果表明,随着幼儿年龄的增长,在录像中主人公明确表达其假装意图的情境下,幼儿能够从心理层面理解假装,并且3～4岁幼儿存在一个快速发展期;同时,假装实体的熟悉度可能影响幼儿对假装的理解。     

流动儿童的未来取向及与学业卷入的关系

采用问卷法,选取755名初中生(其中流动儿童562名)作为被试,对未来取向及其与学业卷入的关系进行考察。结果表明:(1)打工子弟学校流动儿童的未来取向与公立学校流动儿童、城市儿童差异较大,具体表现为,打工子弟学校流动儿童的受教育领域未来目标显著较少,未来职业目标较多;未来计划得分显著较低;未来评价方面,打工子弟学校的流动儿童具有较少的内部归因,乐观性也较弱;(2)打工子弟学校的流动儿童未来取向主要表现出了年级差异,初一年级受教育目标显著高于初二年级,而未来职业内部归因显著低于初二年级;公立学校流动儿童则表现出了性别差异,男生在各领域上的外部归因和乐观性均显著高于女生;(3)教育计划和乐观性对流动儿童的行为卷入得分有显著的正向预测作用,教育的外部归因和未来的职业计划有着显著的负向预测作用;流动儿童的未来受教育计划、教育目标和乐观性以及职业的内部归因对其心理卷入有显著的正向预测作用。     

癫痫儿童认知功能障碍诊断中的问题

癫痫是小儿常见的神经系统慢性疾病,相当一部分儿童伴有认知功能损伤,早期诊断是正确干预、改善预后的前提。但在癫痫儿童认知功能障碍诊断中存在许多的问题,给相关研究带来困难。认知理论尚不完善;认知损伤与修复的机理不清;影响因素众多,而且各不相同;更主要的是方法学上的问题。目前研究趋势是分离不同的认知成分,早期诊断某些特定的认知损伤,国内在这方面的研究起步较晚。     

儿童糖尿病血糖管理

儿童糖尿病的治疗目标是达到和维持正常的生长与发育,减少由低血糖或高血糖所引起的临床症状,减少或延缓慢性并发症的发生。要实现这一治疗目标其中心环节就是要保证患者具有良好的血糖控制水平。糖尿病治疗必须在自我监测的基础上选择合适的胰岛素/药物治疗方案和饮食管理等以及糖尿病知识教育和心理支持的综合管理下才能达到满意效果。     

听障儿童外部情绪理解研究

通过自编的外部情绪理解问卷,考察了听障儿童表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解等外部情绪理解三个成分的发展状况。结果表明:(1)听力障碍儿童在外部情绪整体理解、表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解四方面的得分都显著低于普通儿童;(2)不同年级听力障碍儿童的外部情绪理解、表情识别、情绪情景识别和提示物理解四方面得分存在显著差异,不同性别听力障碍儿童外部情绪理解差异不显著;年级和性别的交互作用显著;(3)父母听力状况不同的听障儿童,其外部情绪理解水平差异显著。DD儿童的外部情绪整体理解、表情识别和情绪情景识别得分显著高于DH儿童。     

智力落后儿童听觉注意的稳定性研究

本研究通过对智力落后儿童和正常儿童听觉注意稳定性的比较研究,探索智力落后儿童听觉注意稳定性的特点及影响因素。结果表明:4岁智龄组智力落后儿童听觉注意稳定性较弱,低于或等于同智龄组正常儿童水平。智力落后儿童慢速和快速情境下的注意稳定性高于中速。信噪比也影响注意的稳定性,信噪比越低,注意稳定性越差。频率因素对智力落后儿童的影响不显著。     

Uniforms affect the accuracy of children's eyewitness identification decisions

A substantial proportion of line‐up identifications involving child eyewitnesses in the UK are conducted by police officers wearing uniform. This study examined the possibility that wearing a uniform constitutes an authority cue that adversely affects a child's ability to make accurate eyewitness identifications. Sixty participants aged 9–10 years old witnessed a staged crime and were later asked to identify a ‘burglar’ from a simultaneous line‐up using a 2 (uniform: present vs. absent) × 2 (target: present vs. absent) design. Children in the uniform present conditions made significantly more choices than children in the uniform absent conditions. More importantly, in the presence of a uniform, children made significantly more false identifications in target‐absent line‐ups. Analysis of supplementary, identification‐related variables (identification time and confidence, state anxiety) suggested that (1) the children experienced uncertainty if the target was absent from the line‐up, but (2) this uncertainty was not expressed when the line‐up administrator wore a uniform, leading to an increase in false identifications. Implications for line‐up administration procedures for children are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

眼动分析法在学前儿童认知研究中的应用

眼动分析法是心理学研究的一种重要手段,它对于研究儿童的认知活动有着非常重要的意义。文章介绍了眼动记录的原理、眼动指标,并对该方法在研究学前儿童的图画观看、图文阅读、视觉搜索等领域的应用进行了评介。最后,对眼动分析法在学前儿童认知研究中的应用前景进行了展望。