Effectiveness of culturally focused and generic skills training approaches to alcohol and drug abuse prevention among minority youths.

Tested the effectiveness of 2 alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs among 639 inner-city minority 7th-grade students in New York City. Ss were randomly assigned to receive (1) a generic skills training prevention approach, (2) a culturally focused prevention approach, or (3) an information-only control. Results indicate that Ss in both prevention approaches had lower intentions to drink beer or wine in the future relative to Ss in the control group. The generic skills training approach also showed promise in terms of intention to drink hard liquor and use illicit drugs. Both prevention programs influenced several mediating variables in a direction consistent with nondrug use. Results provide preliminary support for the 2 approaches with respect to alcohol and drug use prevention among minority youths in New York City. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy of judging time to arrival: Effects of modality, trajectory, and gender.

Observers' accuracy in using time-to-arrival (Ta) information was examined in 4 experiments. The issues included use of visual vs acoustic Ta information, use of acoustic Ta information by blind Ss, use of Ta information controlling for velocity, and effects of angle of approach and arrival time on judgment accuracy. Visual information was used more efficiently than audiovisual and auditory information. Blind Ss used acoustical approach information as accurately as sighted Ss used visual information. Radial, oblique, and transverse orientations were used to examine effects of approach trajectory. Radial events were underestimated, whereas the more accurate transverse approach was likely to be overestimated. Oblique angle events yielded intermediate accuracies implying a spatiotemporal anisotropy. Women underestimated Ta more than did men. Possible reasons for Ss' judgment accuracy, including linear vs nonlinear optical changes and relation to spatial skills and experience, were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of ordered deletions in genome sequencing

Previous attempts to use the non-random approach for sequencing long DNA fragments have met with little success. As a result, nearly all genomic sequencing is done by the random (shotgun) approach, and the economy promised by the non-random approach has so far not materialized. Here we describe a simple system based on the use of ordered deletions that can be incorporated in the common strategies for genome sequencing. Long genomic fragments are cloned in the pAL-F cosmid and fragmented by digestion with specific restriction endonucleases. The digests are religated to subclone individual restriction fragments. The subclones are then subdivided by overlapping deletions and used for sequencing. We present the nucleotide sequences of two cosmid inserts from chromosome IV of Drosophila (containing the ci gene and the 5' end of the zfh-2 gene) that were determined by this method. This is the first report of successful sequencing of long genomic fragments by the use of overlapping deletions. Our calculations show that, with the present approach, sequence data can be acquired at a rate comparable to the shotgun approach but with significantly reduced numbers (approximately 30%) of sequencing runs. Hence, the use of ordered deletions should allow significant savings in both the amount and cost of sequencing work.     

A comparison of inclusive and restrictive strategies in modern missing data procedures.

Two classes of modem missing data procedures, maximum likelihood (ML) and multiple imputation (MI), tend to yield similar results when implemented in comparable ways. In either approach, it is possible to include auxiliary variables solely for the purpose of improving the missing data procedure. A simulation was presented to assess the potential costs and benefits of a restrictive strategy, which makes minimal use of auxiliary variables, versus an inclusive strategy, which makes liberal use of such variables. The simulation showed that the inclusive strategy is to be greatly preferred. With an inclusive strategy not only is there a reduced chance of inadvertently omitting an important cause of missingness, there is also the possibility of noticeable gains in terms of increased efficiency and reduced bias, with only minor costs. As implemented in currently available software, the MI approach tends to encourage the use of a restrictive strategy, whereas the MI approach makes it relatively simple to use an inclusive strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent-centered family integrated philosophy and treatment.

With adolescents and their families, an important approach to use is a combination of psychodynamic underpinnings when evaluating the individual's inner world and a systemic component of looking at the interrelation between members of the family in a multigenerational manner. Differentiation of the individual and system is demonstrated through the use of individual and family sessions. Two clinical cases are presented to demonstrate this treatment approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual and family therapy in the treatment of children.

Surveyed 144 clinicians (mean age 42.7 yrs) who evaluate and treat child referral cases to examine whether Ss who define themselves primarily as individually vs family oriented actually differ significantly in their therapeutic practices. 18 Ss were identified as advocating the individual child-oriented approach over the family-oriented approach, 74 Ss advocated the use of both approaches, and 52 Ss advocated a family-oriented approach. It was found that Ss who preferred the individual and combined approaches showed a preference to approach evaluation by first seeing the parents and then shifting to the identified child. Family-oriented Ss preferred an approach that focused on seeing all family members conjointly throughout treatment. Also, individual-oriented Ss showed a greater use of tools that are more closely associated with psychodynamic theory and allow for individual play: projective testing, doll or puppet play, and craft projects. The family-oriented group used more action-oriented, interpersonally focused tools, such as behavioral contracting and assigning tasks. The individual-oriented group rated psychodynamic models as significantly more useful, while the family-oriented group rated family systems models as significantly more useful. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Thrombosis, antithrombotic agents, and the antithrombotic approach in cardiac disease

To develop a rational approach to antithrombotic therapy, in cardiac disease, a sound understanding is required (1) of the hemostatic processes leading to thrombosis, (2) of the various antithrombotic agents, and (3) of the relative risks of thrombosis and thromboembolism in the various cardiac disease entities. With the understanding of pathogenesis and risk of thrombus formation, a rational approach to the use of antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents can be formulated. Those at high risk of thrombus formation should generally receive a high degree of antithrombotics and, depending on the pathophysiology of the thrombus, may benefit from the concomitant use of antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents. Those with a medium risk of thrombus formation may benefit with the use of an antiplatelet agent alone or anticoagulants alone. Patients at low risk of thrombus formation should not receive antithrombotics. Such rational approach to antithrombotic therapy serves as the basis of this article.     

Improving Measurement Precision of Test Batteries Using Multidimensional Item Response Models.

A conventional way to analyze item responses in multiple tests is to apply unidimensional item response models separately, one test at a time. This unidimensional approach, which ignores the correlations between latent traits, yields imprecise measures when tests are short. To resolve this problem, one can use multidimensional item response models that use correlations between latent traits to improve measurement precision of individual latent traits. The improvements are demonstrated using 2 empirical examples. It appears that the multidimensional approach improves measurement precision substantially, especially when tests are short and the number of tests is large. To achieve the same measurement precision, the multidimensional approach needs less than half of the comparable items required for the unidimensional approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term results after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: experience of 480 cases

We have investigated the use of dU excision by uracil N-glycosylase (UDG) to create cohesive ends on PCR fragments "mimicking" those generated by restriction enzymes. The feasibility of this approach for directional and nondirectional cloning using cohesive ends mimicking SacI or PstI ends is demonstrated by the subcloning of a 383 to 388-bp fragment of bovine basic fibroblast growth factor into restriction enzyme-linearized pT7T318U. UDG-mediated cohesive ends imperfectly matched to PstI-generated vector ends gave reasonable cloning efficiency and accuracy, suggesting that the approach may be extended to mimicry of other restriction enzymes producing 3' overhangs. The rapid and specific excision of dU by UDG (within 30 min at 37 degrees C) has several potential advantages over the use of restriction site-modified primers, including the avoidance of restriction cleavage at internal sites within the PCR product. Also, following ligation, the approach described may be used to prevent subsequent cleavage of the joined DNA segments by the restriction enzyme, that is, by not recreating the restriction enzyme recognition sequence at the junction, which may find application in gene engineering. By adapting the approach to use dU-containing linkers or "vectorettes," the approach may be used for cloning unknown sequences (e.g., by cDNA or genomic library construction) or for mimicking 5' overhang cohesive ends on PCR fragments.     

Analysis implications of the choice of a structural model in the nonequivalent control group design.

Reviews D. A. Kenny's (1975) general model and suggests an approach involving the use of multiple measures as an alternative means of achieving identification. The multiple measures approach has potential advantages where program assignment to the treatment condition is based on group differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reply to Mahrer.

Replies to Mahrer's response (see record 2007-09057-001) to the current author's book review (see record 2007-09053-001). Mahrer raises some important questions and submits that different approaches differ significantly in the categories they use to make sense of what clients do, and that each has its own way of eliciting, listening to and observing what the client says and does. I agree that approaches differ on these features and believe that what we listen for and how we make sense of what we hear is the most fundamental aspect of any therapeutic approach. In fact training in an approach involves not only learning the intervention skills of the approach, which is the easy part, but learning when and how to use the intervention, which is based on listening and process diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on the neglected middle in teaching under-graduate psychology.

It is suggested that the future non-psychologist professionals, those who in their jobs make use of information provided by psychologists, do not sufficiently benefit from our traditional approach to the undergraduate teaching of psychology. A modified approach is recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Accessibility of Motivational Tendencies Toward Alcohol: Approach, Avoidance, and Disinhibited Drinking.

Problematic drinking has been proposed to result from an overactivation of approach motivation toward the beneficial effects of alcohol and an underactivation of avoidance motivation away from aversive consequences of heavy alcohol use. The authors of the present study used a sequential priming task (R. H. Fazio, J. R. Jackson, B. C. Dunton, & C. J. Williams, 1995) to examine the extent to which alcohol cues automatically activate approach and avoidance motivational tendencies in college drinkers. Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that number of binge episodes and alcohol problems are correlated with weak associations between alcohol cues and avoidance motivation but not with strong associations between alcohol cues and approach motivation. Implications for understanding the self-regulation of alcohol use in college drinkers are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A practical approach to implementing theraplay for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Theraplay is a counseling approach that uses elements of play therapy to help children build better attachment relationships with others through attachment-based play. This article describes a practical approach for implementing Group Theraplay with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly those that are mainstreamed in a kindergarten classroom setting. The approach uses resources that are already in place in schools today, such as mental health professionals (e.g., school counselor, social worker, etc.) and teachers. Foundational Theraplay assumptions, therapeutic goals, empirical support, and implementation guidelines are provided. Comparative effectiveness research examining the use of Group Theraplay with this population in this setting versus the use of alternative therapeutic approaches is needed. To help guide future research in this needed area of outcomes investigation, several assessment instruments appropriate for clinical research use with this population are suggested. Ethical and cultural implications pertinent to the application of Group Theraplay for children with ASD also are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student directed learning from biographical information systems.

Compared the effect of a student-directed instructional approach to a system-directed approach by studying how 64 high school seniors learned about Freud through an information system. The effect of student conceptual level (CL) was also investigated by use of an extreme group design. The student-directed approach was superior for knowledge acquisition, but no differences due to instructional approach were found for comprehension and synthesis. High CL Ss were superior to low CL Ss at all levels, thus emphasizing the need to consider both the characteristics of the learner and the level of behavioral objective in evaluating instructional approaches. (French summary) (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of culturally focused and generic skills training approaches to alcohol and drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: Two-year follow-up results.

Two-year follow-up data (from inner-city, minority adolescents) were collected to test the effectiveness of 2 skills-based substance abuse prevention programs and were compared both with a control condition and with each other. Students were originally recruited from 6 New York City public schools while in 7th grade. Schools were matched and assigned to receive a generic skills training prevention approach, a culturally focused prevention approach, or an information-only control. Students in both prevention approaches had less current alcohol use and had lower intentions to engage in future alcohol use relative to students in the control group. Students in the culturally focused group also engaged less in current alcohol behavior and had lower intentions to drink beer or wine than those in the generic skills group. Both prevention programs influenced several mediating variables in a direction consistent with nondrug use, and these variables also mediated alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The treatment of insomnia through mass media, the results of a televised behavioral training programme

An important trend in behavioral medicine is a psycho-educational approach to health problems. A training course aimed at the treatment of sleep disorders has been developed using the following basic principles: (1) a symptomatic approach, (2) emphasis on information on sleep and sleep disorders, (3) self-management, and (4) interventions based on behaviour therapeutic principles that are further developed for the treatment of sleep disorders. Because the results of courses used in primary health care were encouraging, a similar training course of eight programmes was broadcasted by the Dutch educational radio and television station Teleac. About 200,000 people viewed the course, 23,000 of whom ordered the course material. The results of the training course were assessed from a sample (N = 325) by means of a sleep diary in a pre-test, post-test and a follow-up condition. In addition, several questionnaires were used to collect information on personality factors and on physical and psychological complaints. The training produced an estimated decrease in sleep latency of 25 minutes. The duration of sleep increased by nearly 40 minutes. Of the people using hypnotic drugs 40% ceased their use after the course. The training course broadcasted by Teleac is found to be an effective means of improving sleeping behaviour. The results of the course are comparable with interventions that use direct therapist-client contact, suggesting that the presence of a therapist in this approach may not be of crucial importance. The decrease in the use of hypnotics makes the approach cost-effective.     

The future of partial correlation as a means to reduce halo in performance ratings.

Examines the practice of statistically controlling for halo effects in performance ratings. It is argued that there are 2 major problems with the partial correlation approach to removing halo from ratings data. First, the correct use of the technique depends on the validity of specific causal assumptions regarding the rating process that have not received empirical evaluation to date. The 2nd problem concerns analytic procedures employed in previous tests of the partialing approach. Reanalysis of data reported by F. Landy et al (see record 1981-00274-001) indicates that previous conclusions regarding the effectiveness of partialing may have been artifacts of the way the data were analyzed. It is felt that criticisms of the partial correlation approach to halo reduction are sufficient to suggest suspension of its use in any nonresearch context until necessary additional research is performed. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)