The relationship between three auditory inspection time tasks and general intelligence

Three inspection-time tasks measuring the amount of time required to discriminate differences in pitch, loudness and phase were administered alongside the Multidimensional Ability Battery and Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices to 75 undergraduate students. The auditory tasks were administered adaptively, and thresholds were estimated by fitting a logistic function to each set of data. After correcting for restriction of range the three thresholds intercorrelated significantly, and correlated between −0.33 and −0.68 with scores on the ability tests. A composite auditory inspection time score correlated between −0.35 and −0.42 with the ability measures (−0.50 to −0.54 after correction). Although strategy-use enhanced performance on the pitch inspection-time task, strategy use was unrelated to intelligence and did not mediate the correlation between inspection time and intelligence.     

The Effect of Psychological Skills Training (PST) on Self-Regulation Behavior,Self-Efficacy,and Psychological Skill Use in Military Pilot-Trainees

Set within B. J. Zimmerman’s (1989 Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 329–339.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning, Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 81, pp. 329–339; and B. J. Zimmerman, 2000 Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social–cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, &; M. Seidner (Eds.), Self-regulation: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 13–39). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar], Attaining self-regulation: A social-cognitive perspective, in M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, &; M. Seidner, Eds., Self-Regulation: Theory, Research, and Applications, pp. 13–39, Orlando, Florida, Academic Press) cyclical model of self-regulation and social–cognitive theory, this study tested the hypothesis that multi-modal psychological skills training (PST) would increase self-regulation behavior, self-efficacy, and psychological skill use in military pilot-trainees experiencing course-related learning difficulties. From pre- to post-intervention, findings showed that specific self-regulation behavior increased linearly. Likewise, significant increases in self-efficacy and psychological skill use occurred, along with concomitant reductions in anxiety and worry. Changes were generally retained at 2-month follow-up. PST highlights potential in modifying pilot-trainee cognitive and behavioral strategies to underpin learning, improve individual/cohort responsiveness, and importantly, cost effectiveness in training provision.     

Predictors and outcomes of joint trajectories of callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in childhood

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with antisocial and delinquent behaviors in children and represent a potential risk factor for adult psychopathy. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research that explores the development of these traits, their longitudinal association with conduct problems (CP), and their psychosocial predictors and outcomes. Using a large sample of children followed longitudinally from the Twins Early Development Study (N=9,578), we described the joint developmental trajectories of CU traits and CP during childhood (between ages 7 and 12) and examined the child- and family-level predictors (4 years old) and concomitant outcomes (12 years old) associated with the trajectories. The developmental trajectories were characterized with teachers' ratings of CU traits and CP from ages 7 to 12. Using general growth mixture modeling, we identified four trajectories of CU traits (stable high, increasing, decreasing, and stable low) and two trajectories of CP (high and low). Compared with the children who followed a low trajectory of CU traits and CP, those who followed a high trajectory of CU traits and CP had more negative child- and family-level predictors at 4 years (including CP, hyperactivity, negative parental discipline, and chaos in the home). Children with high or increasing levels of CU traits and concomitant high levels of CP presented the most negative outcomes at 12 years (including hyperactivity, peer problems, emotional problems, and negative parental feelings). Children with high CU traits and concomitant high levels of CP in childhood should be prioritized for targeted intervention.     

Neural bases of Theory of Mind in children with autism spectrum disorders and children with conduct problems and callous‐unemotional traits

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty understanding other minds (Theory of Mind; ToM), with atypical processing evident at both behavioural and neural levels. Individuals with conduct problems and high levels of callous‐unemotional (CU) traits (CP/HCU) exhibit reduced responsiveness to others' emotions and difficulties interacting with others, but nonetheless perform normally in experimental tests of ToM. The present study aimed to examine the neural underpinnings of ToM in children (aged 10–16) with ASD (N = 16), CP/HCU (N = 16) and typically developing (TD) controls (N = 16) using a non‐verbal cartoon vignette task. Whilst individuals with ASD were predicted to show reduced fMRI responses across regions involved in ToM processing, CP/HCU individuals were predicted to show no differences compared with TD controls. The analyses indicated that neural responses did not differ between TD and CP/HCU groups during ToM. TD and CP/HCU children exhibited significantly greater medial prefrontal cortex responses during ToM than did the ASD group. Within the ASD group, responses in medial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) correlated with symptom severity as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Findings suggest that although both ASD and CP/HCU are characterized by social difficulties, only children with ASD display atypical neural processing associated with ToM.     

Effects of stressful life events on human brain structure: a longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study

Although stressful life events (SLEs) have been associated with an increased risk of illness and mental disorder, their impact on brain anatomy remains poorly understood. Using a longitudinal design, we tested the hypothesis that SLEs are significantly associated with changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in brain regions previously implicated in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of clinically healthy adults. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to acquire an anatomical scan from 26 subjects (13 males and 13 females; mean age ± SD: 25.2 ± 4.3 years), with no psychiatric diagnosis, at two time points with a 3-month interval. Voxel-based morphometry was used to examine an association between SLEs and gray matter changes during this period. The number of SLEs was associated with a decrease in GMV in the anterior cingulate, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus (p < 0.001). In contrast, there were no areas where the number of SLEs was associated with an increase in GMV. These results provide evidence that, in adults with no formal psychiatric diagnosis, SLEs are associated with GMV decreases in a subset of regions implicated in PTSD, and that these alterations can be observed within a period as short as 3 months.     

Modulation of Amygdala Response by Cognitive Conflict in Adolescents with Conduct Problems and Varying Levels of CU Traits

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Adolescents with conduct problems and low callous-unemotional traits are characterised by high levels of reactive aggression. Prior studies...