School-Based Child-Centered Play Therapy with Hispanic Children: Outcomes and Cultural Consideration.

Hispanic children are the fastest growing segment of the population. Numerous factors place them at-risk for school success. This study examined the effects of Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) compared to a curriculum-based small group intervention with 29 Hispanic children referred for school counseling due to behavior problems. Children were assigned to treatment groups by random drawing within grade levels. Treatment was provided by Hispanic bilingual counselors. Statistical analysis revealed that, according to parent report, children receiving CCPT showed statistically significant decreases in externalizing behavior problems, compared to the curriculum-based treatment group. Effect size calculations revealed that CCPT demonstrated a large treatment effect on externalizing behavior problems and a moderate treatment effect on internalizing behavior problems. Cultural considerations and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining Ethnic, Gender, Language, and Socioeconomic Bias in Oral Reading Fluency Scores among Caucasian and Hispanic Students.

Research has demonstrated that oral reading fluency probes are reliable and valid for indexing reading achievement. If these probes are to be used for decision making, bias must be examined for various factors, including ethnicity, gender, language background, and socioeconomic status. Data from nearly 4,000 Caucasian and Hispanic students in grades one through three were used to examine potential bias in oral reading fluency scores predicting Stanford Achievement Test-Ninth Edition (SAT-9; Harcourt Brace & Co., 1997a, 1997b) Total Reading scores. Using a series of hierarchical multiple regression models, bias was first examined using concurrent SAT-9 scores as the criterion and then examined using subsequent SAT-9 scores as the criterion. The results reveal that it is the combination of factors, not any one in isolation, that significantly contributes to intercept bias findings. Overall, home language emerged as the strongest factor influencing bias in the prediction of SAT-9 scores from oral reading fluency scores. The implications of these findings are discussed as related to current and proposed uses of oral reading fluency probes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fatal red light crashes: the role of race and ethnicity

There is an increasing number of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in the U.S. that occur at intersections. Noncompliance with traffic signals is one of the causes for such increase. In this study, we focused on Hispanic drivers. It has been shown that failing to follow traffic laws and regulations is a major cause of MVCs in Latin America. Does this driving behavior in Latin America correspond to the Hispanic community in the U.S.? Are U.S. Hispanics more likely to die in a red light incident? Are Hispanics more likely to be red light runners than other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.? We answered these questions by taking advantage of a 1990-1996 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) file with additional racial/ethnic information. Overall, we found no differences between African-American, White, and Hispanic drivers regarding red light running. We found that drinking and driving was the most important factor for red light running. However, we found evidence that some Hispanic subgroups may be more vulnerable to red light running. One such subgroup is formed by Hispanics who have no valid driver license and no record of previous driver license suspension. This study is the first to apply national, archival data to document the relevance of race/ethnicity to the red light running problem, and we hope that it might serve as an incentive for more research on this area.     

The intergenerational cycle of teenage motherhood: An ecological approach.

Objective: Daughters of teenage mothers have increased risk for teenage childbearing, perpetuating intergenerational cycles. Using Ecological Systems Theory, this study prospectively examined risk factors for teenage childbearing among a national sample of adolescent girls. Design: Data came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Participants (N = 1,430) were recruited in early adolescence and interviewed yearly for 6 years. Survival analysis was used to examine the rate of childbirth across the teenage years by maternal age at first birth. Hierarchical Cox regression was used to identify multivariate predictors of teenage childbearing and to test whether risk factors differed between daughters of teenage versus older mothers. Primary Outcome Measure: Age at first childbirth was based on cumulative information collected at yearly interviews. Results: Daughters of teenage mothers were 66% more likely to become teenage mothers, after accounting for other risks. Individual (school performance), family (maternal education, marital status, number of children), peer (dating history), and environmental (race, enrichment) factors predicted teenage childbearing. Risks unique to daughters of teenage mothers were deviant peer norms, low parental monitoring, Hispanic race, and poverty. Conclusion: Results support multidimensional approaches to pregnancy prevention, and targeted interventions addressing unique risk factors among daughters of teenage mothers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the CES-D and measurement invariance across gender for low-income Puerto Ricans in a probability sample.

Objective: The authors of this study aimed to evaluate 2-factor structures for the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) reported in the literature to determine which one proves to be a better fit with the data on low-income Puerto Ricans living on the island. Method: The sample consisted of 3,504 civilian noninstitutionalized Puerto Ricans, ranging in age from 18 to 64 who were living in low-income areas of Puerto Rico. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented, and model fit was assessed with the Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI), the comparative fit index (CFI), and the root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA). Results: The CFA results obtained for the Radloff (1977) and Guarnaccia, Angel, and Worobey (1989) models show that neither model obtained adequate fit indexes. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 2-factor structure not only obtained better fit indexes (TLI = .948, CFI = .955, RMSEA = .048) but also reflected a better conceptual organization of the factors (basically divided into 2 components: Negative Affect and Positive Affect). When we assessed the model fit by gender, the model consistently fit the data for the female subsample but not for the male one. Conclusions: Results confirm the need to address the issues related to measurement equivalence for specific cultural and language gaps in assessment of depressive symptoms. Lack of factor invariance across gender also raises the question of the appropriateness of this measure for the male subsample and the need for further research in the manifestation of depression in this group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors predictive of mathematics achievement in White, Black, and Hispanic 12th graders.

In this study, a secondary analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress was conducted to provide insight into ethnic differences in 12th-grade math achievement. Using the 3 conditions model (3C model) of achievement as a guide, regression analyses showed ethnicity accounted for less than 5% of the variance in math performance once indices of socioeconomic status, exposure to learning opportunities, and motivation were controlled. In contrast, variables central to the 3C model accounted for 45%-50% of the variance. The implications of these results for theories of ethnic differences and for reform efforts are discussed. The findings suggest that schools can do a great deal to close achievement discrepancies among White, Black, and Hispanic students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating Culturally Based Approaches With Existing Interventions for Hispanic/Latino Families Coping With Schizophrenia.

Evidence suggests that schizophrenia is highly responsive to the sociocultural and emotional atmosphere of the family. Therapies have shown an improvement in schizophrenia symptoms following family-oriented interventions. However, most programs are developed and offered in English only, and few are culturally informed. Existing programs may fail to meet the needs of minorities, particularly Hispanics/Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States. In this article, a broad literature is reviewed, which strongly supports the integration of culturally based treatment approaches with existing psychoeducational family-focused interventions to enhance treatment programs for Hispanic/Latino patients and families coping with schizophrenia. On the basis of this conceptual integration, an intervention titled "culturally informed therapy for schizophrenia" is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic differences in posttraumatic distress: Hispanics’ symptoms differ in kind and degree.

This longitudinal study of physical injury survivors examined the degree to which Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasians reported similar posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Adult physical trauma survivors (N = 677) provided information regarding posttraumatic distress by completing an interview-administered version of the PTSD Symptom Checklist (Civilian version) at 3 time points: within days of trauma exposure and again at 6 and 12 months posttrauma. Structural equation modeling with propensity weights was used in analyzing data. Results replicated prior research indicating that Hispanics report greater overall PTSD symptom severity. However, the size of this effect varied significantly across the 17 individual PTSD symptoms, and several symptoms were not reported more highly by Hispanics. Relative to non-Hispanic Caucasians, Hispanics tended to report higher levels of symptoms that could be regarded as exaggerated or intensified cognitive and sensory perceptions (e.g., hypervigilance, flashbacks). In contrast, few differences were observed for symptoms characteristic of impaired psychological functioning (e.g., difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance). Findings suggest that the pattern of PTSD symptoms experienced most prominently by Hispanics differs in kind and not merely in degree. Results have implications for theory aimed at explaining this ethnic disparity in posttraumatic psychological distress as well as for clinical intervention with trauma-exposed Hispanics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic group differences in measures of job performance: A new meta-analysis.

The authors conducted a new meta-analysis of ethnic group differences in job performance. Given a substantially increased set of data as compared with earlier analyses, the authors were able to conduct analyses of Black-White differences within more homogeneous categories of job performance and to reexamine findings on objective versus subjective measurement. Contrary to one perspective sometimes adopted in the field, objective measures are associated with very similar, if not somewhat larger, standardized ethnic group differences (ds) than subjective measures across a variety of indicators. This trend was consistent across quality, quantity, and absenteeism measures. Further, work samples and job knowledge tests are associated with larger ds than performance ratings or measures of absenteeism. Analysis of Hispanic-White standardized differences shows that they are generally lower than Black- White differences in several categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptualizing cross-cultural school psychology competencies.

This Delphi study was designed to identify essential cross-cultural competencies for school psychologists. The investigation extends the results of the Rogers and Lopez (in press) Delphi study by using a distinct panel of experts, different instrumentation, and a modified process to identify cross-cultural competencies for school psychologists. The term cross-cultural is defined broadly and refers to racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse clients from African American, Asian American, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander backgrounds in addition to individuals with diverse handicaps, sexual orientations, economic status, religious backgrounds, and gender. In this study, the investigators used the Delphi technique to poll the opinions of 11 experts in cross-cultural school psychology using an open-ended questionnaire. The panelists reached high levels of agreement in identifying 89 essential cross-cultural competencies. The competencies reflect a wide range of knowledge and skills for school psychologists working in broad ranging capacities with students with cross-cultural backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)