Effectiveness of video modeling in teaching earthquake and postearthquake evacuation safety skills for children with autism

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of video modeling to teach safety skills during earthquakes and postearthquake evacuation to children with autism. Three male children with autism, aged 9–10 years, participated in the study. The results indicate that video modeling was effective at promoting the acquisition of “drop, cover, and hold on” and evacuation skills for all three students. Furthermore, the skills generalized to a new setting for all three participants and maintained up to 4 weeks after video modeling for the two participants for whom maintenance was evaluated. Social-validity data were also collected from participants, their parents, and a teacher, and the findings were positive overall. Implications for instruction and future research are discussed based on the results of the study.     

Cognitive control of a simple mental image in patients with obsessive--compulsive disorder

The nature of obsessions has led researchers to try to determine if the main problem in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is impaired inhibitory control. Previous studies report that the effort to suppress is one of the factors that increase the frequency of obsessive thoughts. Based on these results and those of the present study that suggest inferior parietal lobe (IPL) abnormality in OCD and findings of a recent study that reported the importance of the right posterior parietal cortex in cognitive control of a simple mental image, the present cognitive control paradigm study aimed to determine whether there is a difference in brain dynamics between OCD patients and non-obsessive controls while performing tasks that necessitate cognitive control of a simple mental image, and whether the right posterior parietal region is one of the regions in which a difference in activity between the OCD patients and controls would be observed. Functional brain imaging was performed while the participants attempted to suppress, imagine, or manipulate a mental image. The general linear model showed that there was a main effect of group and main effect of task. Accordingly, in all contrasts (suppression minus free-imagination, erasing minus free-imagination, and imagination minus free-imagination), the right IPL, right posterior cingulate cortex, and right superior frontal gyrus activity were lower in the OCD patients than in the healthy controls. These results and the observed correlations between activity levels, and symptom and subjective performance scores are discussed. In conclusion, the results of the present study and those of previous studies suggest that the main problem in OCD might be difficulty activating the right frontoparietal networks during tasks that require cognitive control, which might result in the intrusiveness of obsessive thoughts.     

Beliefs about Memory as a Mediator of Relations between Metacognitive Beliefs and Actual Memory Performance

The goal of the present study was to investigate relationships between personal beliefs about memory, metacognitive beliefs, and actual memory performance. One hundred thirty-seven participants' (aged 20 to 60 years) metacognitive beliefs were measured using the Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), memory beliefs were measured using the Personal Beliefs about Memory Instrument (PBMI), and an episodic memory task was used to measure actual memory performance, memory predictions, and postdictions. Younger adults had lower scores on the positive beliefs subfactor of the MCQ-30, higher scores on retrospective change and control subfactors of the PBMI, and outperformed middle-aged adults on recall and recall postdiction. Path analysis showed that individuals' beliefs about memory mediate the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and actual memory performance. Specifically, low lack of confidence (or less worry) in one's own memory and attentional capabilities was related to higher memory performance and positive personal beliefs regarding specific memory ability mediated relationship.     

Frontal and posterior ERPs related to line bisection

The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic nature of the cortical visuospatial attention processes during the line bisection test, which is sensitive to perceptual asymmetries. EEGs of 26 normal volunteers were recorded during the administration of a computerized line bisection test, which requires participants mark the midline of lines using a mouse. Two event-related potentials subsequent and time locked to the line presentations, namely, P300 and a positive slow wave, were obtained. Findings suggested that both potentials were related to the test performance, and the right hemisphere was more active. Analysis suggested a right parietotemporal and superior parietal locus for the P300 and right prefrontal activity for the positive slow wave. A dynamic asymmetrical activity was identified, such that after primary visual perception, spatial processing is then initiated in the right parietotemporal cortex and then proceeds to the right prefrontal cortex.     

Emotional Support Makes the Difference: Work-Family Conflict and Employment Related Guilt Among Employed Mothers

Sex Roles - In the present study we aimed to investigate the role of social support, particularly emotional support, on work-family conflict (WFC) and employment-related guilt among employed...