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This book presents and applies cutting-edge time series analysis techniques for analyzing intra-individual change. Editors Peter C. M. Molenaar and Karl M. Newell demonstrate the practical benefits of intra-individual analysis by not only applying the new techniques to various learning or developmental problems, but also discussing implications for future applications. The techniques in this book cover each of Bartholomew's four classes of dynamic latent variable models, and they are presented and applied to a wide range of topics, such as measuring shifts between different psychological states, differences in responses and test scores, and time scales that are present in the growth or decay of learning processes. The editors emphasize innovative frameworks and reveal the limitations of using group between-subject analysis to derive inferences about psychological processes. With more examples and contexts than any other book on the subject, this book is essential reading for students, professors, and researchers interested in the analysis of intraindividual change in learning and development.

Author Deborah Roth Ledley is a mother of two and a clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders and works with new mothers. In this book, she introduces six simple strategies to handle the inevitable stress we all experience during the first year of motherhood. In the'Calm Mom Toolbox'you will find strategies for healthy thinking, behavior, communication, and decision-making, as well as relaxation skills and approaches to nurturing existing and new relationships. Rather than simply giving advice, Becoming a Calm Mom teaches skills to help new moms function better, and gain more enjoyment from this exciting stage of life.

This book explores the issues and draws out implications for clinical practice focusing on how positive life change might be fostered in the context of medical illness. The idea that people experience positive change through their struggles with adversity is very old. However, only recently has this idea generated widespread empirical research attention. People often claim to experience improved relationships with family and friends, a clearer sense of their own strengths and resilience, changed priorities about what is important in life, and various other positive changes after struggling with stressful or traumatic events. What are we to make of these claims? Can we determine whether perceptions of change reflect real, verifiable change—that is, is it possible for someone to believe that he or she has grown while still exhibiting the same old self-defeating thoughts and behaviors? Or, is the perception of change itself an important meaning reconstruction process? What factors influence personal growth, and what effect does growth have on physical and mental health? This book examines these issues in depth and draws out implications for research and clinical practice. Because medical illness has been one of the primary contexts in which researchers have studied the phenomenon of positive life change, this book focuses on how positive life change might be fostered in the context of medical illness.

As recent advances in medicine contribute to people living longer and living with chronic illness in the home, the role of the family caregiver has become more common. Furthermore, due to varying family structures and living situations it is not always the parent or adult child who takes on the caregiver role. The traditional role of the adult caregiver increasingly falls on the shoulders of children, adolescents, and emerging adults. Also, in cases where parents are unable to take care of their children, grandparents take on the role of adult caregiver for their grandchildren. A caregiving role at any point in life may affect a person's development and add stressors, but also may create rewards that influence the caregiver's identity and well-being. How Caregiving Affects Development: Psychological Implications for Child, Adolescent, and Adult Caregivers examines these effects using a lifespan development framework. Each chapter presents theory and empirical research on caregiving from a different phase in the lifespan including childhood; adolescence; emerging adulthood; and young, middle, and older adulthood. Within the context of the caregiver's life the chapter authors examine how the role of caregiver affects their development. The topics include the effects of early caregiving on well-being, school performance, filial responsibility, felt obligation, coping with stresses of multiple roles in middle adulthood, and intergenerational reciprocity. Challenges and rewards specific to each stage in life are examined, and some chapters also provide a comparison with the experiences of noncaregiving peers.This book offers a new and exciting look at often overlooked family caregivers and introduces a set of challenging questions that will guide future research in the field.

Aging and Cognition takes an interdisciplinary look at cognitive aging---how it happens and how to study it. The first part of the book explores methods for measuring cognitive change, including how to study cohort effects. The second part explores the social and psychological factors associated with cognitive aging. And, finally, a brief concluding section explores how to use research findings to improve the everyday functioning of adults---a challenging task because everyday functioning relies on complex cognitive tasks, while most cognitive research measures only basic cognitive tasks. This book is suitable for cognitive psychologists, experimental psychologists, developmental psychologists, geropsychologists, neuropsychologists, and graduate students in cognitive and developmental psychology courses and their professors.

Originally proposed in 1975, the transactional model has become central to our understanding of how nature and nurture interact in the development of positive and negative outcomes for children. Although scientists have long acknowledged that nature and nurture work together in producing particular developmental outcomes, such cooperation has been difficult to demonstrate because of inadequate conceptual models, experimental designs, or statistical methodologies. This book documents the state-of-the-art research in developmental psychology for overcoming these inadequacies, and present new ideas for future work. It is suitable for psychologists in academic and applied programs, including developmental psychology, child clinical psychology, developmental psychopathology, psychiatry, human ecology, and those in schools of education.

This book demonstrates how Action Learning can quickly and effectively be introduced, implemented, and sustained in any type or size of organization. Today's rapidly changing and globally competitive business environment mandates that 21st century leaders develop new models and innovative learning processes of organizational leadership. To meet these shifting needs, Action Learning has emerged as a key training and problem-solving tool for companies as diverse as Nokia, Samsung, Boeing, GE, Motorola, Marriott, General Motors, Deutsche Bank, and British Airways. These and hundreds of other companies around the world now employ Action Learning for strategic planning to develop managers, identify competitive advantages, reduce operating costs, and create high-performing teams. What exactly is Action Learning? Simply described, it is a dynamic process that involves a small group of people solving real organizational problems, while focusing on how their learning can benefit individuals, groups, and the larger organization. The emphasis on learning is what makes this process strategic rather than tactical in equipping leaders to more effectively respond to change. This book demonstrates how Action Learning can quickly and effectively be introduced, implemented, and sustained in any type or size of organization using six key components: a diverse group of 4 to 8 members; an urgent task or problem; a question-driven communication process; implementation of action strategies; a commitment to learning; and an Action Learning team coach. The book features useful business case examples that illustrate the power of Action Learning in successfully developing leaders, solving problems, building teams, and transforming organizations. Recent developments that include skilled coaching and question-based dialogue make it an even more powerful tool in leadership and organizational development.

As many as 70% of primary care visits in the United States are related to behavioral health needs. And many common medical problems seen in primary care involve poor health habits that may have initiated or exacerbated the symptoms, yet medical providers often lack the training or time to help patients manage these behaviors. The authors draw on years of experience to provide practical information for behavioral care practitioners who wish to work effectively in this fast-paced setting. Interwoven through each chapter are practical tips for success and traps to avoid. The book includes a rich array of reproducible assessment questions, patient handouts, and sample scripts. All of these help the clinician condense the traditional 50-minute session into the 30-minute consultations typical of managed care. Each chapter addresses a single clinical topic or content area following the 5A's model of assessment and intervention: Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, and Arrange. Detailed guidance is provided for these common health problems: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, tobacco use, weight issues, sleep problems, diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, cardiovascular disorders, pain disorders, sexual problems, and health anxiety. Special chapters cover cultural competency, special concerns for older adults, women's health, and'health anxiety.'This comprehensive book belongs on the bookshelf of a range of clinicians including psychologists and social workers, as well as family physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and health care educators.