Age and subcultural differences on personal and general beliefs about memory

This study examined age and cultural differences on both personal and general beliefs about memory by comparing three age groups within two subcultures belonging to the same country: Milanese and Sardinian. Two innovative instruments on general and personal beliefs with graphic-rating-scale format (General Beliefs about Memory Instrument and Personal Beliefs about Memory Instrument) and a memory task (recall of 40 words) were administrated to participants. Sardinians held more positive attitudes about the effects of aging on memory reporting a later onset of declining memory ability and control over memory across the life span. They were also more optimistic in rating their global memory efficacy, control, and retrospective change. The two subcultural groups differed in terms of memory performance, with Sardinian individuals outperforming the Milanese. Findings are discussed in relation to the view of aging in different subcultural contexts.     

THE NATURE OF FUTURE MYTHS: ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSE IN SCIENCE FICTION FILM, 1950-1999

Given the need to transform the societal relationship with nature, culture demands analysis for the role it plays in defining nature and the relationship with nature. Important as future myths, the environmental discourse imbedded in popular science fiction films since the 1950s is analyzed toward this end. Cultural studies serves as a theoretical and methodological guide. For the most part, the films resonate with reproductive discourse, degrading nature as less valuable than the civilized and favoring a relationship with nature most beneficial to humanity. Specifically, these films glorify science and technology, portray civilization continuing to fill and dominate the wilderness of space, and devalue nature as hostile and inferior to civilization. Resistant discourse, content which values and demands a more benign relationship with nature, is also present, but is less common and arguably less potent. This finding is interpreted in terms of implications for change in the societal relationship with nature as well as in light of other analyses of culture which find evidence for a shift in culture in an ecological direction.     

Concurrent reductions in psychotropic medication,assault, and physical restraint in two residential treatment programs for youth

Over the past decade, the level of clinical needs of youth in residential treatment has increased significantly. Youth in out-of-home settings typically experience higher levels of psychotropic medication use than their peers living at home, even when controlling for the severity of clinical issues. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of an approach to clinically reassess psychotropic medication utilization for youth residing in residential treatment settings while also observing the impact on the youth's need for physical containment. Medication changes were based on a data-informed process, using input from a multi-disciplinary treatment team. Data for 531 youth who were consecutively admitted to one of two non-affiliated intensive residential treatment programs, one in the Midwest and one in New England, was analyzed. Over half of these youth (n = 292, 55%) had their medications reduced during their stay and only 14% (n = 76) were prescribed more medication at discharge than they had been taking at admission. The remainder either saw no change during their stay (n = 104, 20%) or were never on medication at any time (n = 59, 11%). From admission to discharge there was a 62% decrease in the number of assaultive incidents as well as a 72% decrease in the use of physical restraints. These results support the view that residential treatment can provide a treatment milieu that allows for thoughtful reassessment of the clinical basis for behavioral disorders in children that can achieve the dual goals of medication reduction and behavioral stabilization.     

A team approach to practice teaching

The ideas presented in this paper were originally generated in a workshop at an NSPCC conference on Practice Teaching in March 1996. In this article we wish to develop some of these ideas further and explore the idea of a team approach to practice teaching. This is not some radical new notion, but an acknowledgement of the reality of many placements. Although a student will be allocated a practice teacher (and possibly an off-site practice teacher) he or she will not function by themselves but will be part of an organisation. It is this wider structure and its effects on the student that we feel needs closer scrutiny. Firstly, we believe that not enough attention has been given to the power that organisations can have over an individual (particularly one whose stay is only short-term and possibly part-time). Secondly, we believe students can obtain benefits from the wealth of knowledge existing in any team, drawing on the skills and expertise of all team members. When team learning works well we feel that it provides benefits for all parties - the student, the practice teacher, the team and service users.     

Dyadic Interaction: Greater than the Sum of its Parts?

The study of dyadic interaction plays a major role in infancy research. To advance conceptually informed measurement of dyadic interaction and integration across studies, we examined factor structure of individual parents' and infants' measures and dyadic measures from face‐to‐face interactions in two samples of 6‐month‐old infants and their parents: mothers from a demographically heterogeneous sample (N = 164), and mothers and fathers (N = 156) from a Caucasian middle‐class sample. Results suggested that a) individual and dyadic measures, and parents' and infants' behaviors contribute independent information, b) measures of both valence and process are needed, c) there are context‐general and context‐specific qualities, and d) structure of dyadic interaction is more similar among mother–infant dyads from independent samples than between mother–infant and father–infant dyads within the same sample. Future research should use multiple measures incorporating valence, temporal processes, contextual influences, and behaviors of individual partners along with dyadic measures to adequately assess the quality of dyadic interaction.     

Gender differences in physical activity are partially explained by anxiety sensitivity in post-secondary students

Abstract

Objective: Female post-secondary students typically engage in less physical activity than their male counterparts. Given that women have greater anxiety sensitivity (ie, fear of arousal-based body sensations) and anxiety sensitivity is inversely related to physical activity participation, this study sought to determine if anxiety sensitivity mediates gender differences in self-reported physical activity. Participants and methods: A sample of 802 post-secondary students completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and a Lifestyles Questionnaire in September 2017. Results: Women reported significantly less physical activity and significantly greater anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity was significantly and inversely related to self-reported physical activity. A significant indirect effect of gender on physical activity via anxiety sensitivity was shown (B?=?5.56, SE?=?2.81, p?<?.05, 95% CI [1.31, 12.78], P_M?=?.0843). Conclusions: Results suggest that anxiety sensitivity partially explains gender differences in physical activity. Anxiety sensitivity reduction interventions might increase physical activity participation and reduce the existing gender gap.