Parenting stress among dual-earner mothers and fathers: Are there gender differences?

Stress in the parenting role has been found to be related to family functioning and parenting behavior. However, most research in this area has been conducted with clinical samples and has not compared parenting stress of mothers and fathers. In this study, 589 married couples with young children (12 to 60 months old) completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (Abidin, 1990) and measures of child-rearing behaviors and attitudes, social support, and child behavior. The validity of Abidin's measure and theoretical model was tested, and results were mixed. Small effects were found for mothers and fathers, and these were moderated by child age and marital happiness. Stress as a normal consequence of parenting is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

香港馆--零与一之间

高交会是国内每年最重要的国家级高科技盛事之一,在新落成的深圳会展中心举行。创新科技署及生产力局再度在高交会内联合主办“香港馆”,展示香港业界的高新科技成果及创意产品和服务。而借着此次香港馆设计比赛,也可以同时在这个国际舞台上展示香港的设计实力。“香港馆设计比     

Age-related variation in the influences of aging stereotypes on memory in adulthood.

Adults 24-86 years of age read positive or negative information about aging and memory prior to a memory test. The impact of this information on recall performance varied with age. Performance in the youngest and oldest participants was minimally affected by stereotype activation. Adults in their 60s exhibited weak effects consistent with the operation of stereotype threat, whereas middle-age adults exhibited a contrast effect in memory performance, suggestive of stereotype lift. Beliefs about aging and memory were also affected by stereotypic information, and older adults' changed beliefs were more important in predicting performance than was exposure to stereotype-based information alone. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of task strain, social conflict, and emotional activation on ambulatory cardiovascular activity: Daily life consequences of recurring stress in a multiethnic adult sample.

Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) may be an independent predictor of cardiovascular endpoints, but little is known about its psychosocial determinants. The acute effects of psychosocial processes on cardiovascular activity during daily life were examined by random-effects regression. Healthy adults (N?=?120) were monitored over a 6-day period with ABP monitors and computer-assisted self-report assessments. Task strain, social conflict, and emotional activation were rated following each ABP measurement, as were activity, posture, and other covariates. Results show that blood pressure) (BP) and heart rate (HR) were elevated during periods of emotional activation (high negative affect or high arousal). Diastolic BP was lower during periods involving high decisional control, and HR was lower during high-control, low-demand activities. There were substantial individual differences in the effects of psychosocial influences on ambulatory cardiovascular activity. Psychological factors are reliable determinants of ABP, which may account for the unique predictive value of ABP. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing for children: Assessment and the many determinants of intellectual competence.

Schools have a responsibility to each child and to society to match curricula to each child's needs and talents. While cognitive functioning is usually assessed to determine this match, the author presents arguments that motivation and adjustment are equally important determinants of what is termed "intellectual competence." It is felt that the poor learning histories of children labeled disadvantaged are probably due more to motivational insufficiencies and adjustment difficulties than to cognitive insufficiencies. By taking into account the interactive contributions of environments and genotypes to motivation and adjustment, a more accurate, less biased assessment of each child can be directed explicitly to the child's needs. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of display method,text display rate and observation angle on comprehension performance and subjective preferences for reading Chinese on an LED display

This study examined the effects of display method, text display rate, and observation angle on comprehension performance and subjective preferences for Chinese characters presented on an LED display. The factors and levels studied were as follows: four text display methods (rapid serial visual presentation ‘RSVP’, leading, paged view scrolling, and continuous scrolling), three text display rates (160 characters per min ‘cpm’, 240 cpm, and 320 cpm), and seven observation angles (−75°, −60°, −30°, 0°, 30°, 60°, and 75°). The results indicated that a display rate of 160 cpm was in general superior to 240 and 320 cpm for comprehension scores and subjective evaluations. The effects of display method and observation angle were found to be non significant. However, there was a significant interaction between display method and display rate. The results of this study were used to make ergonomics recommendations applicable to LED displays for determining optimum dynamic text display methods for Chinese characters.     

The early childhood enterprise: Care and education of the young.

Reviews the historical development of early education and childcare in the US and suggests that young children and their families have many unmet needs. Psychology's contributions to the development of early education programs and its role in understanding the influence of these programs on later intellectual and social development are described. It is posited that the changing roles of women and the changing structure of family life have fostered new attitudes toward childcare. Given the fact that single-parent and dual-career families are the majority family forms in the 1980's, it is argued that there needs to be improved coordination among professionals concerned with childcare and education and that there is a need to develop a national policy for young children. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Segmenting images using localized histograms and region merging

A working system for segmenting images of complex scenes is presented. The system integrates techniques that have evolved out of many years of research in low-level image segmentation at the University of Massachusetts and elsewhere. This paper documents the result of this historical evolution. Segmentations produced by the system are used extensively in related image interpretation research.The system first produces segmentations based upon an analysis of spatially localized feature histograms. These initial segmentations are then simplified using a region merging algorithm. Parameter selection for the local histogram segmentation algorithm is facilitated by mapping the multidimensional parameter space to a one-dimensional parameter which regulates region fragmentation. An extension of this algorithm to multiple features is also presented. Experience with roughly 100 images from different domains has shown the system to be robust and effective. Samples of these results are included.     

Child-care quality and children's social development.

This study examined the influence on children's social development of variation in the quality of their child-care environments. The sample consisted of 166 children attending representative child-care centers that varied widely in quality. Possible relations associated with age, child-care experience, and family background were controlled using hierarchical multiple regression. Both global estimates of child-care quality and specific program features, such as director experience, ratios, and verbal interactions, were obtained from observational measures and staff questionnaires. Measures of social development were derived from parent and caregiver ratings of the children. Of greatest importance is the finding that overall quality, caregiver–child verbal interactions, and director experience were each highly predictive of the children's social development in child care. Family background measures were also significantly predictive of several of the social outcomes, whereas child-care experience showed few significant effects. The implications for social policies and future research in child care are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)