Individual and group perceptions of therapeutic factors and session evaluation: An actor–partner interdependence analysis.

The relationship between a group member's and other group members' perceptions of therapeutic factors and session evaluation were examined using Kenny, Mannetti, Pierro, Livi, and Kashy's (2002) model. In addition, I examined the relative variance in therapeutic factors as a function of sessions, group members, and groups. Thirty-six growth-group participants participating in six 28-session growth groups filled out critical incident (CI) forms and session evaluations. CIs were rated on 10 therapeutic factors dimensions derived from Bloch, Reibstein, Crouch, Holroyd, and Themen (1979). On average, 95% of the variance in the therapeutic factors was at the session level, 4% of the variance was at the person level, and 1% of the variance was at the group level. Contrary to the hypotheses, individual's perception of therapeutic factors was not significantly related to session depth or smoothness. Contrary to the hypothesis, other group members' perceptions of therapeutic factors were not significantly related to session depth, although there was a trend (p = .06). As hypothesized, other group members' perceptions of therapeutic factors were significantly related to session smoothness. The findings support Yalom and Leszcz's (2005) contention that the group leaders' primary function is to create a therapeutically effective group culture and not to focus on individual group member change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The crossover of daily work engagement: Test of an actor–partner interdependence model.

This study of 62 dyads of employees (N = 124) examined the crossover of work engagement—a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. We hypothesized that work engagement crosses over from an employee (the actor) to his or her colleague (the partner) on a daily basis. The frequency of daily communication was expected to moderate the crossover of daily work engagement, which in turn would relate to colleagues’ daily performance. Participants first filled in a general questionnaire and then completed a diary study over 5 consecutive workdays. The hypotheses were tested with multilevel analyses, using an actor–partner interdependence model. Results confirmed the crossover of daily work engagement, but only on days when employees within a dyad interacted more frequently than usual. Moreover, we found that actor’s work engagement (particularly vigor), when frequently communicated, had a positive indirect relationship with partner’s performance through partner’s work engagement. Finally, results showed that actor’s vigor was negatively related to partner’s performance when communication was low. However, this negative effect was counteracted when mediated by the vigor of the partner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exemplar-retrieval model of speeded same–different judgments.

R. M. Nosofsky and T. J. Palmeri's (1997) exemplar-based random-walk (EBRW) model of speeded classification is extended to account for speeded same–different judgments among integral-dimension stimuli. According to the model, an important component process of same–different judgments is that people store individual examples of experienced same and different pairs of objects in memory. These exemplar pairs are retrieved from memory on the basis of how similar they are to a currently presented pair of objects. The retrieved pairs drive a random-walk process for making same–different decisions. The EBRW predicts correctly that same responses are faster for objects lying in isolated than in dense regions of similarity space. The model also predicts correctly effects of same-identity versus same-category instructions and is sensitive to observers' past experiences with specific same and different pairs of objects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Power and conflict resolution in sibling, parent–child, and spousal negotiations.

This study used a within-family observational design to examine conflict strategies (planning, opposition) and resolutions (standoff, win-loss, compromise) across family subsystems, with an emphasis on power differences between parents and children during relatively symmetrical within-generation (spousal, sibling) and relatively asymmetrical between-generation (parent–child) dyadic interactions. Up to six dyads in 67 families (children's ages ranging from 3 to 12 years) discussed an unresolved conflict. Results revealed that within-generation discussions ended more in standoff, whereas between-generation discussions ended with more win-loss resolutions. Multilevel analyses indicated that parents engaged in more planning and opposition than children; however, they opposed more and planned less with their spouses than their children. In general, more planning and less opposition were associated with achieving resolutions rather than failing to resolve differences. Some effects were qualified by within-family differences between mothers versus fathers and older versus younger siblings, as well as between-family differences in younger siblings' age. Implications for theories of power and family relationship dynamics are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental criticism and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents: The role of environment and genotype–environment correlation.

Genetic factors are important for the association between parental negativity and child problem behavior, but it is not clear whether this is due to passive or evocative genotype–environment correlation (rGE). In this study, we applied the extended children-of-twins model to directly examine the presence of passive and evocative rGE as well as direct environmental effects in the association between parental criticism and adolescent externalizing problem behavior. The cross-sectional data come from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden (N = 909 pairs of adult twins) and from the Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (N = 915 pairs of twin children). The results revealed that maternal criticism was primarily due to evocative rGE emanating from their adolescent's externalizing behavior. On the other hand, fathers' critical remarks tended to affect adolescent problem behavior in a direct environmental way. This suggests that previously reported differences in caretaking between mothers and fathers also are reflected in differences in why parenting is associated with externalizing behavior in offspring. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive–behavioral therapy for PTSD and depression symptoms reduces risk for future intimate partner violence among interpersonal trauma survivors.

Objective: Women who develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression subsequent to interpersonal trauma are at heightened risk for future intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms, yet limited research has investigated the effectiveness of CBT in reducing risk for future IPV among interpersonal trauma survivors. Method: This study examined the effect of CBT for PTSD and depressive symptoms on the risk of future IPV victimization in a sample of women survivors of interpersonal violence. The current sample included 150 women diagnosed with PTSD secondary to an array of interpersonal traumatic events; they were participating in a randomized clinical trial of different forms of cognitive processing therapy for the treatment of PTSD. Participants were assessed at 9 time points as part of the larger trial: pretreatment, 6 times during treatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. Results: As hypothesized, reductions in PTSD and in depressive symptoms during treatment were associated with a decreased likelihood of IPV victimization at a 6-month follow-up even after controlling for recent IPV (i.e., IPV from a current partner within the year prior to beginning the study) and prior interpersonal traumas. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of identifying and treating PTSD and depressive symptoms among interpersonal trauma survivors as a method for reducing risk for future IPV. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children’s inferential styles, 5-HTTLPR genotype, and maternal expressed emotion-criticism: An integrated model for the intergenerational transmission of depression.

The authors tested a model for the intergenerational transmission of depression integrating specific genetic (5-HTTLPR), cognitive (inferential style), and environmental (mother depressive symptoms and expressed-emotion criticism [EE-Crit]) risk factors. Supporting the hypothesis that maternal depression is associated with elevated levels of stress in children’s lives, mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibited higher depressive symptoms across a 6-month multiwave follow-up than mothers with no depression history. In addition, partially supporting our hypothesis, levels of maternal criticism during the follow-up were significantly related to mothers’ current depressive symptoms but not to history of MDD. Finally, the authors found support for an integrated Gene × Cognition × Environment model of risk. Specifically, among children with negative inferential styles regarding their self-characteristics, there was a clear dose response of 5-HTTLPR genotype moderating the relation between maternal criticism and children’s depressive symptoms, with the highest depressive symptoms during the follow-up observed among children carrying 2 copies of the 5-HTTLPR lower expressing alleles (short [S] or long [LG]) who also exhibited negative inferential styles for self-characteristics and who experienced high levels of EE-Crit. In contrast, children with positive inferential styles exhibited low depressive symptoms regardless of 5-HTTLPR genotype or level of maternal criticism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biopsychosocial etiology of obsessions and compulsions: An integrated behavioral–genetic and cognitive–behavioral analysis.

Accumulating evidence suggests that particular kinds of dysfunctional beliefs contribute to obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms. Three domains of beliefs have been identified: (a) perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty, (b) overimportance of thoughts and the need to control thoughts, and (c) inflated responsibility and overestimation of threat. These beliefs and OC symptoms are both heritable. Although it is widely acknowledged that OC symptoms probably have a complex biopsychosocial etiology, to our knowledge there has been no previous attempt to integrate dysfunctional beliefs and genetic factors into a unified, empirically supported model. The present study was an initial step in that direction. A community sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins (N = 307 pairs) completed measures of dysfunctional beliefs and OC symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to compare 3 models: (a) the belief causation model, in which genetic and environmental factors influence beliefs and OC symptoms, and beliefs also influence symptoms; (b) the symptom causation model, which is the same as (a) except that symptoms cause beliefs; and (c) the belief coeffect model, in which beliefs and OC symptoms are the product of common genetic and environmental factors, and beliefs have no causal influence on symptoms. The belief causation model was the best fitting model. Beliefs accounted for a mean of 18% of phenotypic variance in OC symptoms. Genetic and environmental factors, respectively, accounted for an additional 36% and 47% of phenotypic variance. The results suggest that further biopsychosocial investigations may be fruitful for unraveling the etiology of obsessions and compulsions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive–behavioral therapy versus usual clinical care for youth depression: An initial test of transportability to community clinics and clinicians.

Community clinic therapists were randomized to (a) brief training and supervision in cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth depression or (b) usual care (UC). The therapists treated 57 youths (56% girls), ages 8–15, of whom 33% were Caucasian, 26% were African American, and 26% were Latino/Latina. Most youths were from low-income families and all had Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) depressive disorders (plus multiple comorbidities). All youths were randomized to CBT or UC and treated until normal termination. Session coding showed more use of CBT by CBT therapists and more psychodynamic and family approaches by UC therapists. At posttreatment, depression symptom measures were at subclinical levels, and 75% of youths had no remaining depressive disorder, but CBT and UC groups did not differ on these outcomes. However, compared with UC, CBT was (a) briefer (24 vs. 39 weeks), (b) superior in parent-rated therapeutic alliance, (c) less likely to require additional services (including all psychotropics combined and depression medication in particular), and (d) less costly. The findings showed advantages for CBT in parent engagement, reduced use of medication and other services, overall cost, and possibly speed of improvement—a hypothesis that warrants testing in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An experimental evaluation of theory-based mother and mother–child programs for children of divorce.

This study evaluated the efficacy of 2 theory-based preventive interventions for divorced families: a program for mothers and a dual component mother–child program. The mother program targeted mother–child relationship quality, discipline, interparental conflict, and the father–child relationship. The child program targeted active coping, avoidant coping, appraisals of divorce stressors, and mother–child relationship quality. Families with a 9- to 12-year-old child (N ?=?240) were randomly assigned to the mother, dual-component, or self-study program. Postintervention comparisons showed significant positive program effects of the mother program versus self-study condition on relationship quality, discipline, attitude toward father–child contact, and adjustment problems. For several outcomes, more positive effects occurred in families with poorer initial functioning. Program effects on externalizing problems were maintained at 6-month follow-up. A few additive effects of the dual-component program occurred for the putative mediators; none occurred for adjustment problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal depression and the heart of parenting: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and affective dynamics during parent–adolescent interactions.

Maternal depression is associated with problematic parenting and the development of emotional and behavior problems in children and adolescents. While emotional regulatory abilities are likely to influence emotional exchanges between parents and teens, surprisingly little is known about the role of emotion regulation during parent–child interactions, particularly in high-risk families. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) has been widely linked to emotion regulatory abilities in recent research, and the current study investigated RSA and maternal depression in relation to dyadic flexibility, as well as mutuality of negative and positive affect displayed during three discussion tasks between 59 mother–adolescent pairs (age 11–17 years). Dyadic flexibility was predicted by the interaction of maternal depression, maternal RSA, and teen RSA, with higher maternal RSA predicting greater dyadic flexibility, particularly in highest risk dyads (i.e., elevated maternal depression and lower teen RSA). Teen RSA interacted with maternal depression to predict mutual negative affect, serving as a protective factor. Finally, maternal and teen RSA interacted to predict mutual positive affect, with maternal RSA buffering against low teen RSA to predict higher mutual positive affect. Results support the role of RSA in affectively laden interactions between parents and adolescents, particularly in the face of maternal depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of the effects of time and involvement in the relationship between stressors and work–family conflict.

Previous researchers have proposed that the time and energy involved in family and paid work should affect the relationship between stressors and conflict in both the work and family domains. Using a sample of 113 registered nurses, the authors hypothesized that the amount of time and involvement in both domains would moderate the stressor–conflict relationships. Results supported many of the interactions in predicting conflict in each domain, and implications for the health of working women with family responsibilities were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy in two-plus-one sessions: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of cognitive–behavioral and psychodynamic–interpersonal therapy for subsyndromal depression.

A total of 116 clients with a range of subsyndromal depression received 3 therapy sessions: 2 sessions 1 week apart followed by a 3rd session 3 months later (the 2?+?1 model). Clients were stratified for severity on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as stressed, subclinical, or low-level clinically depressed. In a 2?×?2 design, they received either cognitive–behavioral (CB) or psychodynamic–interpersonal (PI) therapy, either immediately or after a 4-week delay. An initial advantage for the immediate condition disappeared once the delayed-condition clients received treatment. Improvement rates at the end of treatment were 67% (stressed), 72% (subclinical), and 65% (low-level clinically depressed). There were no significant differences between CB and PI treatment methods, with the exception at 1-year follow-up, when the BDI showed a significant advantage for CB. Implications for designing very brief planned interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making sense of family conflict: Intimate partner violence and preschoolers’ externalizing problems.

This research examines relations among parental intimate partner violence (IPV), preschoolers’ narrative coherence about family conflict situations, and preschoolers’ externalizing problems. Participants were 57 mothers and their 4- to 5-year-old children. Mothers provided data on IPV and children’s externalizing problems. Narrative coherence was coded from children’s play narratives in response to story stems from the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. Results are consistent with theory suggesting that exposure to IPV may adversely affect preschoolers’ ability to understand family conflict situations in an organized manner, which in turn may contribute to their externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An algorithm for determining use of trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy.

The shift toward dissemination of evidence-based practices has led to many questions about who is appropriate for a particular treatment model, particularly with complex clients, in diverse community settings, and when multiple evidence-based models have overlapping target populations. Few research-based tools exist to facilitate these clinical decisions. The research on trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based treatment for children suffering from posttraumatic stress reactions, is reviewed to inform development of an algorithm to assist clinicians in determining whether a particular client is appropriate for TF-CBT. Recommendations are made for future research that will facilitate matching TF-CBT and other evidence-based practices to particular child clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effective interface model for design and tailoring of WC–Co microstructures

Interface structures are a key feature in developing modern composite material solutions with ever improved performance. We present a nano-microstructural modelling approach for the tungsten carbide (WC)–Co system which can include the interface structures of WC–Co and various other phases present in the microstructure, utilising a methodology which combines imaging-based and synthetically generated nano-microstructures into an effective interface model for predicting the behaviour and properties of the resulting composite material. The effective model comprises of a local model of the WC/Co interface interacting with a larger-scale model of the WC–Co microstructure. The results provide a linkage between the interface character of cemented carbide microstructures and their properties, for example with respect to compressive strength, fracture toughness and wear resistance. The methodology presents a multiscale formalism for carrying out performance and application-driven evaluation and tailoring of composite interfaces and mesostructures, carried out on the basis of the emerging engineering material properties.     

Overview no. 89 Thermoelasticity and plasticity of composites—II. A model system

A theory of the workhardening and Bauschinger effect in two-phase materials, combining dislocation mechanisms with a continuum model, is extended to high volume fraction of the hard phase by using the mean field theory of Paper I [Acta metall.31, 1795 (1983)]. Application of the extended model to available workhardening data for the simple experimental model system of copper with continuous tungsten fibres reveals a novel workhardening contribution: “elastic friction”. The contribution arises from the interaction of gliding dislocations with the complex spatially fluctuating pattern of internal stresses induced by the applied stress as a result of elastic heterogeneity. Elastic friction is taken into account in a simple model of the Bauschinger effect, the “modified Orowan-Wilson model”, which is substantiated by a new set of experiments on copper-tungsten with large tungsten volume fractions.     

Intimate partner violence among female sex workers in two Mexico–U.S. Border cities: Partner characteristics and HIV risk behaviors as correlates of abuse.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been associated with greater vulnerability to HIV infection among women. We examined prevalence and correlates of IPV among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, two large Mexico–U.S. border cities in which HIV prevalence is rising. Participants were 300 FSWs with a current spouse or a steady partner. Participants' mean age was 33 years, and mean number of years as a sex worker was 6. The prevalence of IPV in the past 6 months among participants was 35%. Using multivariate logistic regression, factors independently associated with IPV included having experienced abuse as a child, a partner who had sex with someone else, and lower sexual relationship power. Our findings suggest the need for previous abuse screening and violence prevention services for FSWs in the Mexico–U.S. border region. Careful consideration of relationship dynamics such as infidelity and relationship power is warranted when assessing for IPV risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does distraction reduce the alcohol–aggression relation? A cognitive and behavioral test of the attention-allocation model.

Objective: This study provided the first direct test of the cognitive underpinnings of the attention-allocation model and attempted to replicate and extend past behavioral findings for this model as an explanation for alcohol-related aggression. Method: A diverse community sample (55% African American) of men (N = 159) between 21 and 35 years of age (M = 25.80) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 beverage conditions (i.e., alcohol, no-alcohol control) and 1 of 2 distraction conditions (i.e., distraction, no-distraction). Following beverage consumption, participants were provoked via reception of electric shocks and a verbal insult from a fictitious male opponent. Participants' attention allocation to aggression words (i.e., aggression bias) and physical aggression were measured using a dot probe task and a shock-based aggression task, respectively. Results: Intoxicated men whose attention was distracted displayed significantly lower levels of aggression bias and enacted significantly less physical aggression than intoxicated men whose attention was not distracted. However, aggression bias did not account for the lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in the distraction, relative to the no-distraction, condition. Conclusions: These results replicated and extended past evidence that cognitive distraction is associated with lower levels of alcohol-related aggression in highly provoked males and provide the first known cognitive data to support the attentional processes posited by the attention-allocation model. Discussion focused on how these data inform intervention programming for alcohol-related aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)