Crawling Experience Predicts Avoidance of Real Cliffs and Water Cliffs: Insights from a New Paradigm

This study examined the influence of age, crawling‐onset age, and crawling experience on infants’ adaptive behavior in situations that can lead to dangerous falls. Thirty‐one infants with variable amounts of crawling experience were tested in a new paradigm that used a real cliff and a water cliff, with a harness system to guarantee safety. Consistent with previous findings obtained in studies with real and visual cliffs, infants with more crawling experience were more likely to avoid the real cliff. More importantly, greater crawling experience was associated with a greater likelihood of avoiding the water cliff. The new paradigm offers exciting opportunities to study the development of adaptive behavior in risky environments.     

Child and Interviewer Race in Forensic Interviewing

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effect of child race and interviewer race on forensic interviewing outcomes. The results of the regression analysis indicated that child race and interviewer race had a significant effect on interview outcome category (no findings, inconclusive, or findings consistent with sexual abuse). Furthermore, the results indicate that the interaction of child and interviewer race had predictive value for rates of findings consistent with sexual abuse but not in the direction predicted. Cross-race dyads had significantly higher rates of interview outcomes consistent with sexual abuse. These findings suggest that more research into the effect of race on disclosure of child sexual abuse is needed.     

Business and industrial statistics: the early years

Before his death in July 2002, George Barnard had started writing a sketch of the history of business and industrial statistics in the first 50 years of the twentieth century. The piece was never finished, but it is nonetheless a valuable memoir of the early development of the discipline, from someone who knew those involved.     

The mental health of the never-married

Although the interaction between mental health and marital status has been the object of much social scientific research, little is known about the mental health of never-married people. This article reviews research relevant to mental health and marital status as it pertains to never-marrieds. Methodological problems and current gaps in such research are pointed out. The mental health of never-marrieds is examined from three popular models of mental health—the social protection, social reaction, and social selection models. Each model offers competing explanations for differences in rates between married and unmarried people and between unmarried men and women. Suggestions are offered for improvement in researching the mental health of this neglected group.