Do chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and 2-year-old children (Homo sapiens) understand double invisible displacement?

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and young children (Homo sapiens) have difficulty with double invisible displacements in which an object is hidden in two nonadjacent boxes in a linear array. Experiment 1 eliminated the possibility that chimpanzees' previous poor performance was due to the hiding direction of the displacement device. As in Call (2001), subjects failed double nonadjacent displacements, showing a tendency to select adjacent boxes. In Experiments 2 and 3, chimpanzees and 24-month-old children were tested on a new adaptation of the task in which four hiding boxes were presented in a diamond-shaped array on a vertical plane. Both species performed above chance on double invisible displacements using this format, suggesting that previous poor performance was due to a response bias or inhibition problem rather than a fundamental limitation in representational capacity.

Effects of reflex stimulus intensity and stimulus onset asynchrony on prepulse inhibition and perceived intensity of the blink-eliciting stimulus

Prepulse inhibition of the blink reflex is widely applied to investigate information processing deficits in schizophrenia and other psychiatric patient groups. The present experiment investigated the hypothesis that prepulse inhibition reflects a transient process that protects preattentive processing of the prepulse. Participants were presented with pairs of blinkeliciting noises, some preceded by a prepulse at a variable stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA), and were asked to rate the intensity of the second noise relative to the first. Inhibition of blink amplitude was greater for a 110-dB (A) noise than for a 95-dB(A) noise with a 120-ms SOA, whereas there was no difference with a 30-ms SOA. The perceived intensity was also lower for the 110-dB(A) noise than for the 95-dB(A) noise with the 120-ms SOA, but not with the 30-ms SOA. The parallel results support a relationship between prepulse inhibition of response amplitude and perceived intensity. However, the prepulse did not reduce intensity ratings relative to control trials in some conditions, suggesting that prepulse inhibition is not always associated with an attenuation of the perceived impact of the blink-eliciting stimulus.

Examination of emotional priming among children and young adolescents: Developmental issues and its association with anxiety

An affective priming task was used to examine bias in the processing of threat-related material in 25 clinically anxious compared to 25 matched, non-anxious control children and young adolescents. No significant differences were found between anxious and non-anxious children in terms of priming effects. However, age-related differences were found depending upon the valence of the target, independent of anxiety status. Both younger (7-10 years) and older (11-14 years) children showed faster response times to pleasant targets when they were preceded by a congruent compared to incongruent stimulus, consistent with a traditional priming effect. For threat target stimuli, older children showed no difference in response latency according to the congruency of the prime-target valence. Younger children, in contrast, showed a reverse priming effect for threat target stimuli, with slower response times for threat-congruent trials than for threat targets preceded by a pleasant prime. Possible explanations for developmental differences in the processing of threat-related material are discussed.

Investigation of the coping antecedents to positive outcomes and distress in multiple sclerosis (MS)

This study examined relations between stress and coping predictors and distress and positive outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). A total of 502 people with MS completed a questionnaire at Time 1 and, 3 months later, Time 2 (n= 404). Predictors included Time 1 illness (duration, number of symptoms, course), number of problems, appraisal and coping (acceptance, problem solving, emotional release, avoidance, personal health control, energy conservation). Dependent variables were Time 2 distress (anxiety, depression) and positive outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, benefits). Results indicated that as hypothesised, personal health control, emotional release and physical assistance were related to the positive outcomes, whereas avoidance was related to distress, and acceptance was associated with the positive outcomes and distress. Findings highlight the differential relations between coping strategies and positive and negative outcomes and the role of appraisal and coping in regulating distress and promoting positive psychological states while managing a chronic illness.

Media guidelines on the reporting of suicide

There is strong evidence for the existence of the Werther effect, or the phenomenon of an observer copying suicidal behavior he or she has seen modelled in the media. As a consequence, a number of countries have developed guidelines that promote responsible reporting of suicide. Using nine such guidelines as examples, this paper demonstrates that they tend to have similar content (emphasizing, for example, that suicide should not be,glamorized or sensationalized and that explicit descriptions should be avoided, and stressing the importance of providing information about help services), but differ in the way in which they have been developed (e.g., the extent to which media professionals have been involved) and implemented (e.g., whether their roll-out has involved a considered dissemination strategy). The paper also reviews the evidence from evaluations of media guidelines, and concludes that it is too limited to determine whether the guidelines have had an impact on the behavior of media professionals or on completed and attempted suicide rates. It makes recommendations for further evaluative work, and suggests that the lessons from well-designed evaluations should be shared.

Need for systematic synthetic phonics teaching within the early reading curriculum

Both the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Literacy Experts Group and the Australian National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy have recently acknowledged the centrality of systematic instruction in synthetic phonics to early reading instruction, but this conclusion remains contentious in some circles. This paper briefly summarises empirical research in basic psychology and evidence-based evaluation studies supporting the inclusion of systematic synthetic phonics instruction within the early reading curriculum, allowing practising psychologists to develop an informed opinion on this issue.

Impact of Australia's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program on psychologists

The aim of this paper was to consider the impact on psychologists of one component of the Australian Government's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) program, namely the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) component. This supports psychologists and general practitioners (GPs) to work together to provide optimal mental health care, via 102 projects being conducted by Divisions of General Practice. The paper was informed by data from five sources: a project-based minimum dataset; local project evaluation reports; a forum; a survey of projects: and a survey of Australian Psychological Society (APS) members. Taken together, the data from these sources showed that a significant number of psychologists are providing services through the projects, and the majority are finding it a positive and professionally rewarding experience. There is considerable variability regarding models of retaining, locating and referring to psychologists, and there are pros and cons associated with each. The major problem identified by psychologists is the level of remuneration. BOiMHC is currently moving into a new phase of continuation and expansion, and consideration was given to whether the data point to any changes that could be made to the ATAPS projects during this period of transition. In the main, the data suggest that the status quo should be retained, but the issue of remuneration must be addressed.

Number and type of substances in alcohol and drug-related completed suicides in an Australian sample

Background: The association between substance use and suicide is well-established, but evidence is scant regarding the relationship between the number, type, and level of substances and other risk factors in completed suicide across the lifespan. Aims: To examine the relationship between social/demographic characteristics and the number, type, and level of drugs present in an unrestricted age sample of completed suicides in Australia. Method: An analysis was undertaken of 893 substance-related suicides using data from the Government Statistician's Office for the years 1989-1992. Results: The number and type of substances present in suicide victims was related to the individual's gender, age, marital status, employment status, and method of suicide. Blood alcohol level was significantly different between the methods of suicide, but was unrelated to demographic characteristics of the individual. The level of antidepressants and minor tranquilizers in the individuals was also unrelated to demographic characteristics. Conclusion: Examination of the type and number of substances present in completed suicides is an important component in creating profiles of potential suicide victims.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder across developmental trajectory: Cognitive processing of threat in children, adolescents and adults

Background. While the cognitive theory of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most widely accepted accounts of the maintenance of the disorder in adults, no study to date has systematically evaluated the theory across children, adolescence and adults with OCD. Method. This paper investigated developmental differences in the cognitive processing of threat in a sample of children, adolescents and adults with OCD. Using an idiographic assessment approach, as well as self-report questionnaires, this study evaluated cognitive appraisals of responsibility, probability, severity, thought-action fusion (TAF), thought-suppression, self-doubt and cognitive control. It was hypothesised that there would be age related differences in reported responsibility for harm, probability of harm, severity of harm, thought suppression, TAR self-doubt and cognitive control. Results. Results of this study demonstrated that children with OCD reported experiencing fewer intrusive thoughts, which were less distressing and less uncontrollable than those experienced by adolescents and adults with OCD. Furthermore, responsibility attitudes, probability biases and thought suppression strategies were higher in adolescents and adults with OCD. Cognitive processes of TAF, perceived severity of harm, self-doubt and cognitive control were found to be comparable across age groups. Conclusions. These results suggest that the current cognitive theory of OCD needs to address developmental differences in the cognitive processing of threat. Furthermore, for a developmentally sensitive theory of OCD, further investigation is warranted into other possible age related maintenance factors. Implications of this investigation and directions for future research are discussed.

Psychosocial risk factors for pregnancy risk-taking in young women in emerging adulthood: Evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

This study represents the first longitudinal investigation of distal psychosocial predictors of pregnancy risk-taking in young Australian women. Participants were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Two mail-out surveys assessing sociodemographic, education/competence, psychosocial wellbeing, and aspiration/identity factors, were completed at ages 18 and 22 by 1647 young women in emerging adulthood, and a third survey assessing pregnancy risk-taking behaviour was completed by a subsample of 90 young women at age 24. Higher psychosocial distress at age 22 was a risk factor for pregnancy risk-taking at age 24 (beta=0.29-0.38). Post hoc analyses suggested that the strongest component of psychosocial distress when predicting pregnancy risk-taking was higher depressive symptoms (beta=0.44-0.68). Demographic, education, unemployment, and future aspirations factors at age 18 and 22 were unrelated to pregnancy risk-taking at age 24.

The credentialing of counselling in Australia

Counselling is an unregulated activity in Australia. No statutory regulation currently exists. As a result, different counselling organizations are promoting different voluntary standards for the practice of counselling. This has led to a credentialing dilemma in which counsellors and the public are confronted with a number of counselling qualification choices. This dilemma poses a number of questions: Should counselling become more regulated in Australia? At what level should counselling be regulated? Should there be various levels of counsellor regulation? This article provides an overview of the credentialing dilemma facing counselling in Australia, compares and contrasts two main Australian accreditation efforts, and proposes cooperation as a way of navigating said dilemma. The implications for counselling as a profession are discussed along with suggestions for its development as a profession. This includes a discussion regarding the relative advantages and disadvantages of greater regulation of counselling as a professional activity in Australia. Specifically, what is and is not generally considered a profession is reviewed, different forms of credentialing are outlined, and general arguments for and against accreditation efforts are presented. The efforts of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) are compared and are shown to have common ground. Consequently, ways in which the main counselling organizations may best work in conjunction to promote counselling as a profession in Australia are proposed. These suggestions include good communication, collaboration, and the avoidance of turf wars. Specifically, that the ACA and PACFA collaborate on developing a combined independent registration list that is supported by both organizations or, minimally, that both organizations have mutual recognition on each other's register lists.

The MMPI-2 Gender-Masculine and Gender-Feminine scales: Gender roles as predictors of psychological health in clinical patients

Previous research measuring various biosocial factors such as age, sex, and marital status has found them to be essentially unrelated to measures of psychological health. Recent empirical studies have revealed that personality constructs may be more significant than demographic variables in the prediction of psychological well-being. The present study assessed the personality constructs of masculinity and femininity and hypothesized that the Gender-Masculine ( GM) scale of the MMPI-2 would be more effective than the Gender-Feminine (GF) scale in predicting psychological well-being. This hypothesis stems from previous research that has indicated the dominance of the masculinity model. It is suggested that previous research supporting androgyny as a primary indicator of well-being was influenced by the masculinity component of this gender orientation. One hundred and seventy-seven psychiatric patients from Australia (N = 107) and Singapore ( N 5 70) completed the MMPI-2. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed significantly stronger masculinity effects, with significance achieved on measures of ego strength and low self-esteem. No significant relationship between psychological well-being and the GF variable was found. Similarly, androgyny did not add any further variance to the model when masculinity was controlled for. Overall, the results are consistent with an interpretation that GM is a better correlate of psychological well-being as compared to the GF scale.

With friends like these... The role of prejudice and situational norms on discriminatory helping behavior

An experiment was conducted to examine the impact of homophobic attitudes and situational norms for helping on discriminatory behavior against a gay male. In a partial replication of Frey and Gaertner (1986), participants were asked to provide help to a confederate portrayed to be either gay or heterosexual who either requested help for himself (ambiguous situational norm) or for whom a third party requested help (unambiguous situational norm). Participants' levels of homophobia were assessed either before or after the main helping task. The results indicated that when norms for helping were ambiguous those participants higher in homophobia discriminated against the gay male, but only on subtle indicators of discrimination. In the unambiguous norm condition, participants higher in homophobia discriminated against the heterosexual male. Those lower in homophobia did not discriminate under either norm condition. The results show that it may be sufficient for those with prejudiced attitudes just to believe that it is not the wrong thing to do for their attitudes to be translated into some form of discriminatory behavior.

Linkage analyses of event-related potential slow wave phenotypes recorded in a working memory task

Working memory is an essential component of wide-ranging cognitive functions. It is a complex genetic trait probably influenced by numerous genes that individually have only a small influence. These genes may have an amplified influence on phenotypes closer to the gene action. In this study, event-related potential (ERP) phenotypes recorded during a working-memory task were collected from 656 adolescents from 299 families for whom genotypes were available. Univariate linkage analyses using the MERLIN variance-components method were conducted on slow wave phenotypes recorded at multiple sites while participants were required to remember the location of a target. Suggestive linkage (LOD > 2.2) was found on chromosomes 4, 5, 6, 10, 17, and 20. After correcting for multiple testing, suggestive linkage remained on chromosome 10. Empirical thresholds were computed for the most promising phenotypes. Those on chromosome 10 remained suggestive. A number of genes reported to regulate neural differentiation and function (i.e. NRP1, ANK3, and CHAT) were found under these linkage peaks and may influence the levels of neural activity occurring in individuals participating in a spatial working-memory task.

Predictors of emotional well-being following a 'false positive' breast cancer screening result

Using a short-term longitudinal design, and consistent with a stress and coping perspective, this study examined the main and stress-buffering effects of social support and coping on emotional well-being following a 'false positive' breast cancer screening result. Immediately prior to obtaining results of follow-up assessment, 178 women completed measures of emotional well-being, stress appraisal, coping strategies and social support. Six weeks later, 85 women found to be cancer free completed a measure of well-being. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the effects of social support and coping on well-being after controlling for initial well-being and stress appraisal. Consistent with predictions, avoidant coping was associated with higher levels of emotional well-being and social support was found to have a stress buffering effect on well-being. Active-cognitive coping strategies had a stress-buffering effect on well-being. Findings suggest that social support and coping do influence emotional well-being following recall for follow-up assessment of a 'false positive' breast cancer screening result.