Evaluating the performance of sparse principal component analysis methods in high-dimensional data scenarios

High-dimensional datasets have exploded into many fields of research, challenging our interpretation of the classic dimension reduction technique, Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Recently proposed Sparse PCA methods offer useful insight into understanding complex data structures. This article compares three Sparse PCA methods through extensive simulations, with the aim of providing guidelines as to which method to choose under a variety of data structures, as dictated by the variance-covariance matrix. A real gene expression dataset is used to illustrate an application of Sparse PCA in practice and show how to link simulation results with real-world problems.     

Creativity and the Self: A Self Psychological Approach to Art and Healing

This paper explores the contributions of Heinz Kohut and self psychology to the conceptualization of art and healing on an individual and cultural level. The roles of normative narcissistic development, selfobject experience, and empathy are emphasized in the formation and maintenance of creative expression. Crayton Rowe’s addition of the undifferentiated selfobject is also explored. The lives and work of legendary artists, as well as a case example from the ongoing clinical treatment of a creative professional, provide illustration.     

Current Versus Ideal Skin Tones and Tanning Behaviors in Caucasian College Women

Abstract. Objective: To explore tanning behaviors and whether a discrepancy between current and ideal skin tones exists. Participants: The sample included 78 Caucasian women from a mid-sized midwestern university. Methods: Data were collected in spring 2012 via a paper questionnaire. Results: Sixty-two percent of the sample regularly engaged in salon tanning at least once per week, with an average frequency of 2.5 visits per week. Thirteen percent endorsed regularly tanning 4 or more times per week, and 26% reported visiting a tanning bed more than once in a 24-hour period. Ninety-four percent wished their current skin tone was darker, and ideal tone was significantly darker than current tone. Conclusions: The data suggest that the young Caucasian women in this sample tend to be dissatisfied with their current skin tone to an extent that leads the majority of them to engage in risky, potentially cancer-causing behavior by either salon tanning or considering tanning in the future as time and finances become available.     

Physical and mental health changes in aging foster parents: Do child behavioural problems hasten declines?

This study examined foster parent physical and mental health over time. It was hypothesized that increased severity and frequency of child behavioural problems, whether externalizing or internalizing, would be associated with poorer health over time, especially for foster parents ≥60 years of age. Data from the baseline and Wave 2 interview of the 2010 National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well‐Being were used. The final analytic sample included kin and nonkin foster parents who had custody of a foster child for both waves of data collection (n = 962). Ordinary Least Squares regression models with lagged dependent variables showed that foster parents ≥60 had deteriorating physical health over time, but caregiver age alone had no association with worsening mental health. However, parents ≥60 caring for children with externalizing behavioural problems had significantly improved physical health. Mental health of parents ≥60 significantly diminished if child externalizing or internalizing problems worsened. Findings indicate that for aging foster parents, externalizing child behaviours may stimulate physical activity and improved physical health, yet any type of child behavioural problem can deteriorate mental health functioning.     

Managing organizational change—A strategic approach

Developing the competence, commitment and capacity for change of people is a vital element in the creation and maintenance of competitive advantage and should be an integral part of the strategic equations and business plans of any firm. This theme, examples of ‘good’ practice, and strategies to implement a strategic approach to people have been explained and developed in a brief case ‘action pack’ produce by the authors of this article for the MSC and NEDO. Key factors identified in the development of the three ‘C’s are effective leadership, involvement and good employee communications, stress on performance management, appropriate reward systems and training and development.     

Identifying extraordinary contributors to work and family research: eight modalities of excellence

ABSTRACT

In this study we quantitatively and qualitatively explore two research questions: (1) ‘What qualifies a scholar to be classified as an extraordinary contributor to work and family research?’ and, (2) ‘Who are extraordinary contributors to work and family research?’ We first selected a group of top work and family scholars based on total citation counts and a multi-level nomination process. We then qualitatively explored our research questions via e-mail correspondence and telefocus groups. From these data, we distilled eight core themes, or ‘modalities of excellence,’ to categorize extraordinary contributors: (1) publishing (traditional academic metrics), (2) publishing (reputation among scholars), (3) disseminating work and family research (translational research), (4) funding work and family research, (5) service to the work and family field, (6) mentoring future work and family scholars, (7) landmark work and family contributions, and (8) overall reputation. Using quantitative measures (citation counts) and qualitative exploration (e-mail correspondence, telefocus groups, and surveys of work and family scholars), we identified extraordinary contributors in each modality.     

Maternal and Paternal Parenting Style Patterns and Adolescent Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to extend current research to examine the relationship between parenting style combinations and adolescent emotional/behavioral outcomes to further understand affective functioning in adolescents. Previous research solely analyzed mothers, without including fathers and/or both parents. The roles of temperament and adolescent and parent gender were also examined. Participants were 12- to 18-year-old students (n = 195) in 7th to 11th grade in a rural school district in southeast Michigan. Temperament characteristics (i.e., mood, flexibility-rigidity, and eating rhythmicity) explained nearly half of the variance in adolescent outcomes. Parenting styles contributed a smaller but significant role. When both parents were authoritative, it was associated with more optimal outcomes in adolescents' personal adjustment than any other parenting style combination. Having one authoritative parent, which was expected to be a protective factor, was related to high personal adjustment for girls but higher levels of school maladjustment for boys. Mixed associations were found for parenting style combinations and adolescent outcomes. Overall, when both parents were permissive and neglectful, these parenting styles were associated with poorer adolescent outcomes. Study findings confirm that parenting style patterns are important; however, adolescent temperament plays a much larger role, overall, in adolescent affective functioning.     

Factor Structure of the Adolescent Clinical Sexual Behavior Inventory

ABSTRACT

An inability to identify betrayal may increase risk for victimization. Harm perpetrated by close others early in life may impair the ability to identify betrayal and develop trust. Dissociation may facilitate impaired betrayal awareness. The present study examined the impact of high betrayal trauma on state dissociation and betrayal awareness in a college sample (N = 216). Self-report measures were used to assess trauma history and state dissociation. Awareness for betrayal was measured using a drawing depicting an ambiguous interpersonal interaction between an adult and a child. We hypothesized that high betrayal trauma would be associated with both more state dissociation and lower awareness for betrayal. Participants with histories of high betrayal trauma reported high levels of state dissociation. Contrary to our second hypothesis, high betrayal trauma did not directly predict impaired betrayal awareness. State dissociation contributed significantly to betrayal awareness. Implications of findings for theory and practice are discussed.     

Aboriginal card gamblers and non-card gamblers: do they differ?

Many Indigenous populations engage in traditional gambling games, but little is known about their contemporary usage or the characteristics of people who participate. This paper presents the first quantitative study of traditional Indigenous Australian card gambling. The aim of this research was to compare Indigenous Australian card gamblers with non-card gamblers in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, gambling behaviour and motivations, gambling cognitions, gambling consequences, substance use while gambling and problem gambling severity. A gambling survey was conducted at Indigenous festivals, in several communities and online. Within a sample of 1001 gamblers, 414 people had gambled on traditional card games in the previous 12 months. Many card gamblers commenced gambling while young, were highly involved in both cards and commercial gambling and gambled because most of their family and friends also gamble. An important difference revealed here is that card gamblers gamble on more forms of commercial gambling than non-card gamblers. Gambling appears as a deep-seated habit in some participants' lives and although the proportion classified as problem gamblers is high in this sample the card gamblers held more realistic cognitions about chances of winning than did the non-card gamblers.     

Linguistic and developmental influences on superordinate facial configuration categorization in infancy

Humans perceive emotions in terms of categories, such as “happiness,” “sadness,” and “anger.” To learn these complex conceptual emotion categories, humans must first be able to perceive regularities in expressive behaviors (e.g., facial configurations) across individuals. Recent research suggests that infants spontaneously form “basic-level” categories of facial configurations (e.g., happy vs. fear), but not “superordinate” categories of facial configurations (e.g., positive vs. negative). The current studies further explore how infant age and language impact superordinate categorization of facial configurations associated with different negative emotions. Across all experiments, infants were habituated to one person displaying facial configurations associated with anger and disgust. While 10-month-olds formed a category of person identity (Experiment 1), 14-month-olds formed a category that included negative facial configurations displayed by the same person (Experiment 2). However, neither age formed the hypothesized superordinate category of negative valence. When a verbal label (“toma”) was added to each of the habituation events (Experiment 3), 10-month-olds formed a category similar to 14-month-olds in Experiment 2. These findings intersect a larger conversation about the nature and development of children's emotion categories and highlight the importance of considering developmental processes, such as language learning and attentional/memory development, in the design and interpretation of infant categorization studies.