Sex differences in children's response to training on a visual-spatial test.

In a study with 133 children in Grades 1, 3, and 5, a brief training procedure designed to improve performance on the Children's Embedded Figures Test, a test of visual ability, resulted in significant improvement for girls but not for boys. No sex difference was observed among children receiving this training. The implications for theories of sex differences in visual–spatial ability are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strengthening mental health services in Head Start: A challenge for the 1990s.

Steps must be taken to strengthen mental health services by building on Head Start's philosophy and by translating innovations in mental health services for older children and adolescents into improved services for young children and their families. Recommendations for strengthening Head Start's mental health program include creating a unified vision that reaffirms a holistic, family-focused, and comprehensive services approach; ensuring that mental health services are responsive to the diversity in families served; increasing coordination of mental health services and linkages with new initiatives; increasing resources and providing assistance in gaining access to new sources of funding; supporting innovation; and integrating the new paradigm for children's mental health services into more traditional approaches to intervention within Head Start. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coder gender and potential for hostility ratings.

This study examined the effects of coder gender on Potential for Hostility ratings. Six trained coders (3 men and 3 women) who were unaware of the coder gender effect hypothesis coded 30 male and 30 female undergraduates for Potential for Hostility. Although reliability estimates as calculated by Cronbach's alpha suggested that all coders were consistent, an analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for coder gender, wherein female coders rated participants as displaying significantly less Potential for Hostility than did male coders. This significant difference was also meaningful, as coder gender accounted for 32% of the variance in Potential for Hostility scores. Thus, future Potential for Hostility investigations need to consider the gender of those coding, as this factor both significantly and substantially influences reported Potential for Hostility ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prolonged rewarding stimulation of the rat medial forebrain bundle: Neurochemical and behavioral consequences.

Extracellular dopamine levels were measured in the rat nucleus accumbens by means of in vivo microdialysis. Delivery of rewarding medial forebrain bundle stimulation at a low rate (5 trains/min) produced a sustained elevation of dopamine levels, regardless of whether train onset was predictable. When the rate of train delivery was increased to 40 trains/min, dopamine levels rose rapidly during the first 40 min but then declined toward the baseline range. The rewarding impact of the stimulation was reduced following prior delivery of stimulation at the high, but not the low, rate. These results support the idea that dopamine tone plays an enabling role in brain stimulation reward and is elevated similarly by predictable and unpredictable stimulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and C-reactive protein: A moderated-mediation analysis.

Objective: We sought to understand the link between low socioeconomic position (SEP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) by examining the association between SEP, health-related coping behaviors, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker and independent risk factor for CVD, in a U.S. sample of adults. Design: We used a multiple mediation model to evaluate how these behaviors work in concert to influence CRP levels and whether these relationships were moderated by gender and race/ethnicity. Main outcome measures: CRP levels were divided into two categories: elevated CRP (3.1–10.0 mg/L) and normal CRP (≤3.0 mg/L). Results: Both poverty and low educational attainment were associated with elevated CRP, and these associations were primarily explained through higher levels of smoking and lower levels of exercise. In the education model, poor diet also emerged as a significant mediator. These behaviors accounted for 87.9% of the total effect of education on CRP and 55.8% the total effect of poverty on CRP. We also found significant moderation of these mediated effects by gender and race/ethnicity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the influence of socioeconomically patterned environmental constraints on individual-level health behaviors. Specifically, reducing socioeconomic inequalities may have positive effects on CVD disparities through reducing cigarette smoking and increasing vigorous exercise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addiction to altruism? Opponent-process theory and habitual blood donation.

Explores the possibility that one of undoubtedly several interacting motives behind commitment to regular blood donation is the development of an affective "addiction" to the behavior, based on initial anxiety, through the mechanisms postulated by opponent-process theory. Pre- and post-donation responses to 1,846 blood donation experiences were subjected to correlational and regression analyses. Support was found for the relevance of opponent-process theory to the development of positive affective responses to donation. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges to engaging Black male victims of community violence in healthcare research: Lessons learned from two studies.

A dearth of literature exists on barriers to conducting research with Black male victims of community violence, despite the need for evidence-based postinjury interventions. This study used qualitative data from a cross-sectional interview study (n = 16) and a pilot intervention study (n = 11) conducted in Boston, MA to identify challenges and facilitators to conducting research with Black male victims of community violence, particularly with regard to recruitment and maintenance of a study sample. Qualitative methods, including Grounded Theory and ethnography, were used to analyze the data. Challenges included a fear of police involvement, an impression of “snitching” when disclosing personal information, mistrust of research motives, suspicion of the informed consent process, the emotional impact of the trauma itself, and logistical issues. Facilitators to research included monetary incentives and motivation to help oneself and others. Participant recommendations on recruitment methods relating to approach and timing are provided. Findings from this study may assist in the planning of research studies for Black male victims of community violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)