Self-representations and socioemotional competence in young children: A 3-year longitudinal study.

In a longitudinal study, the connections between children's self-representations at age 5 and their self-perceptions, socioemotional competence according to the teacher, and peer acceptance at age 8 were examined. The sample consisted of 60 children (33 boys, 27 girls). Self-representations at age 5 were assessed by the Puppet Interview (J. Cassidy, 1988). Results generally revealed the expected connections between the positiveness of self at age 5 and self-perceptions and socioemotional functioning 3 years later. These findings support the predictive validity of the Puppet Interview. Moreover, they suggest that young children do possess at least a rudimentary sense of being generally worthy and lovable, which can be assessed by using adequate, age-appropriate interviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the mechanisms of plasticity in young and older adults after instruction in the method of loci: Evidence for an amplification model.

A meta-analytic review of the literature points out that young adults benefit more from instruction in mnemonic techniques than do older adults. In a study on memory plasticity after instruction in the method of loci, it was found that the cognitive mechanisms of plasticity in young and older adults are largely identical, with the age-related variables of speed of mental operations, associative memory, and number of list rehearsals as the core influences on plasticity. The data fit an amplification model of plasticity, in which variables positively associated with pretest performance and negatively associated with age are positively related to plasticity. Also, older adults were found to comply less with instructions, and when complying, to apply the method of loci correctly less often. Noncompliance, incorrect strategy use, and amplification might explain the adult age differences in treatment gain after instruction in a mnemonic technique. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Filial maturity. A view of developmental psychology on the relations between adult children and their weak aged parents

With this article we would like to contribute to the elaboration and clarification of the concept of filial maturity. We first roughly outline how the concept has been used during the past 30 years to describe the nature and quality of the adult child-parent relationship. The concept is analysed in more detail. We argue that filial maturity can be placed in a developmental psychological perspective. This means that it has to be conceived as a specific maturity in the filial role and that some arguments can be given to explain the developmental psychological character of the concept. In view of the theoretical and clinical applicability of the construct we prefer to consider filial maturity as a non-age-graded developmental task within the context of filial care of adult children for their aged parents. Within this context of parent care we propose a (new) definition of the concept and differentiate it from other related constructs. Our definition highlights three important dimensions which refer to the way the adult children engage in the relationship with their parents: (a) they behave in an empathetic and responsive way in the intergenerational relationship, without role-reversal, (b) they take care of their aged parents without loosing their own autonomy, and (c) they respect their parents in their autonomy and enduring parental role.     

"Improving memory performance in the aged through mnemonic training: A meta-analytic study": Correction.

Reports editorial errors in the original article by P. Verhaeghen et al (Psychology and Aging, 1992[Jun], Vol 7[2], 242–251). The S groups reported in the unpublished dissertation by T. M. Flynn (1987) and in the article by Flynn and M. Storandt (see record 1990-28066-001) mentioned in the 3rd part of Table 1 on page 244 are in fact the same. The changes in the results are minimal and have no consequences whatsoever for the conclusions drawn from the meta-analysis. Correct versions of Tables 2, 3, 4, and 5 can be obtained from the 1st author. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in PA, Vol 79:34705.) The effectiveness of memory training for the elderly was examined through a meta-analysis of pre- to posttest gains on episodic memory tasks in healthy Ss (aged 60+ yrs). Pre- to posttest gains were found to be significantly larger in training groups (0.73 SD, k?=?49) than in both control (0.38 SD, k?=?10) and placebo (0.37 SD, k?=?8) groups. Treatment gains in training groups were negatively affected by age of participants and duration of training sessions and positively affected by group treatment, pretraining, and memory-related interventions. No differences in treatment gain were obtained as a function of type of mnemonic taught nor the kind of pretraining used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improving memory performance in the aged through mnemonic training: A meta-analytic study.

The effectiveness of memory training for the elderly was examined through a meta-analysis of pre- to posttest gains on episodic memory tasks in healthy Ss (aged 60+ yrs). Pre- to posttest gains were found to be significantly larger in training groups (0.73 SD, k?=?49) than in both control (0.38 SD, k?=?10) and placebo (0.37 SD, k?=?8) groups. Treatment gains in training groups were negatively affected by age of participants and duration of training sessions and positively affected by group treatment, pretraining, and memory-related interventions. No differences in treatment gain were obtained as a function of type of mnemonic taught nor the kind of pretraining used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory aging as a general phenomenon: Episodic recall of older adults is a function of episodic recall of young adults.

The focus of this study was on the relationship between young and older adults' performance on tasks of deliberate recall from episodic memory. A meta-analysis on 91 relevant studies (comprising a total of 154 conditions) was conducted. It was found that 83% of the variance in older adults' recall probability was accounted for by a quadratic function using young adults' recall probabilities as predictors. No significant interaction with age of older adults was found. Interaction with task type was, however, significant, resulting in separate functions for list recall, prose recall, and paired-associate recall. Results point at the importance of the main effect of age in studies on memory aging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness among children and young adolescents.

Investigated differences in loneliness involving parents and peers and the relations between loneliness, choices of a "first comfort figure" (FCF), and social sensitivity as perceived by peers. 60 female and 52 male 5th graders, 97 female and 45 male 7th graders, and 66 female and 73 male 9th graders were given a loneliness scale and a sociometric measure of perceived social sensitivity. Results indicate that age differences in parent-related loneliness were marginally significant. Seventh graders seemed to have fewer loneliness experiences in their relationships with parents than 5th and 9th graders. Boys more frequently reported those feelings than girls. Ss who indicated both parents as their FCFs had the lowest scores for parent-related loneliness, whereas those who indicated friends as their FCFs had the highest scores for parent-related loneliness. With respect to peer-related loneliness, no age or sex differences were found. However, girls who chose both parents as their FCFs were more lonely than boys who did the same, and boys who chose their fathers as their FCFs mentioned more peer-related loneliness feelings than the girls who made this choice. Ss perceived as socially sensitive by their classmates less frequently mentioned peer-related loneliness feelings. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)