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Theories are the vehicle of cumulative knowledge acquisition. At this time, however, many (developmental) psychological theories are insufficiently precise to derive testable hypotheses. This limits the advancement of our principled understanding of development. This problem cannot be resolved by improving the way deductive (confirmatory) research is conducted (e.g., through preregistration and replication), because theory formation requires inductive (exploratory) research. This paper argues that machine learning can help advance theory formation in (developmental) psychology, because it enables rigorous exploration of patterns in data. The paper discusses specific advantages of machine learning, explains core methodological concepts, introduces relevant methods, and describes how data‐driven insights are consolidated into theory. Machine learning automates exploration, and incorporates checks and balances to ensure generalizable results. It can assist in phenomenon detection and offers a more holistic understanding of the phenomena associated with an outcome or process of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mobile‐assisted language learning (MALL) has long been advocated to promote students' language study outcomes. However, little is known about how using instant messaging applications (an example of MALL) affect student motivation, language anxiety, and actual achievement. Objectives: To help close this gap, we have conducted a quasi‐experimental study, in which we have used self‐determination theory to test a mediational process model, in an effort to understand the psychological mechanisms that underlie the effect of instant messaging applications on student outcomes. Methods: Two groups of Saudi undergraduate students (N = 447) were recruited to participate in the study. Participants under the experimental condition were invited to engage in language‐related tasks with their teacher outside of class through the WhatsApp application, whereas participants under the control condition received standard teaching. We applied partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) to test our model. Results and Conclusions: The results of the PLS‐SEM showed that the total effects of using instant messaging applications on autonomous motivation and L2 achievement were significant but that language anxiety was influenced only indirectly and negatively through language achievement. Also, the PLS‐SEM showed that our results have strong predcitive power indicating support for external validity. Implications: Our results show that instant messaging applications can be used to facilitate interest and achievement and to decrease anxiety. Furthermore, we are contributing to L2 methodological literature by using applications of PLS‐SEM in experimental designs that can help researchers and practitioners of motivational processes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Using WhatsApp and more broadly instant messaging applications are conceived to be motivating in language teaching contextStudies indicate students are inclined toward using these applications in language learningResearch shows that using WhatsApp is easy to apply for language teaching purposes What this paper adds: The study examined the effect of using WhatsApp on language learners' motivation, achievement, and language anxietyA pre‐ and post‐test approach with experimental and control condition has been used to evaluate the effect more accuratelyThe study employs Self‐determination Theory as a theoretical framework for testing a motivational process modelResults show that using WhatsApp predicted the outcomes directly and indirectly Implications for practice and/or policy: WhatsApp can significantly encourage university students to better learning of the language skills especially in times where face‐to‐face communication is limitedWhatsApp is conditioned by the guidance of instructors, their ongoing formative and summative assessmentWhatsApp appears to allow students enjoy their learning process due to the opportunities for collaborative work and constant exchange of content [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel, temporally sensitive analytical method for qualitative researchers, which is simultaneously timely and necessary given increasing recognition of the fundamental role that time plays in organizational life and scholarship. As a result of this recognition, research designs considering temporality have substantially increased over the past decade. However, while methods for qualitative data collection using longitudinal and 'shortitudinal' designs, in particular qualitative diary methods, have become increasingly common, analytical methods capable of fully exploiting the temporal nature of such data have lagged behind their quantitative counter‐parts, where we see marked progression in analytical methods and procedures. In this paper, we argue that this lack of progression in approaches for analysing qualitative diary data hinders our knowledge and theoretical development when it comes to incorporating temporality, particularly in the exploration of phenomena at individual‐/micro‐levels, arguably most salient to organizational psychology researchers. We respond to these challenges by introducing a novel, step‐by‐step analytical approach that facilitates rigorous incorporation of temporality into the analysis and theorization of micro‐level, qualitative diary data, termed Thematic Trajectory Analysis (TTA). Practitioner points: Existing qualitative analytical methods have limitations when applied to qualitative diary data and have thereby limited the questions that may be explored, and understood, through qualitative data.Offers an alternative, step‐by‐step, analytical approach for researchers and practitioners seeking to understand within‐person changes and dynamism in organizations.Enables the benefits of qualitative diaries to be better exploited by both researchers and practitioners and thereby lead to better understanding of how organizational processes unfold, and in turn, lead to stronger intervention mechanisms.Demonstrates the utility of combing textual and visualized data outputs in understanding complex and dynamic phenomena in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Norwegian public health nurses prevent diseases and promote health in children and young people aged 0–20 and their families. Public health nursing programs prepare students for their practical role and provide relevant theoretical knowledge. Objectives: To gain knowledge of the literature in the Norwegian public health nursing curricula, and to examine further the nursing base in these curricula. Design: An explorative and descriptive design was chosen. Sample: Reading lists based on syllabus documents from the 10 higher educational institutions in Norway offering programs in public health nursing. Measurements: A summative content analysis and a categorization of content from reading lists were performed. Results: Numerical information on the content and categorization of reading lists shows that social science and humanities literature dominates, followed by psychology and medicine. Nursing texts, theories and philosophy comprise only a minor part of the curricula. Conclusion: The paper provides valuable data on the theoretical focus in Norwegian public health nursing and raises important questions about the paucity of nursing texts in the curriculum. The imbalance in reading lists in Norway should be studied further and similar studies conducted in other countries to encourage reflection on the theoretical content of public health nursing education globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary writing is a useful instructional tool for learning. However, summary writing is a challenge to many students. This mixed‐method study examined the potential of the Student Mental Model Analyzer for Research and Teaching (SMART) system to help students produce summaries that reflect key concepts and relations in a text. SMART uses the students' summary to generate a multi‐dimensional 3S (surface, structure, semantic) evaluation of the students' mental model. This model is then used to drive feedback to help students revise their summary. The current study is an initial investigation examining whether writing and revising in SMART improves students' summary quality. Students (n = 38) in a graduate‐level online course used SMART for seven reading assignments. The 38 students submitted a total of 357 summaries in response to the seven readings. In 47 cases, students produced both an initial draft and a modified revision. These 47 cases were selected for analysis. In the quantitative phase, MANOVA results indicated that students' summaries improved along the 3S dimensions from initial draft to revision. In the qualitative phase, inspection of exemplar cases revealed how students' mental models changed towards more robust and cohesive knowledge structure for texts. Lay Description: Lay DescriptionWhat is already known about this topicTexts are the main means of acquiring new information.Writing a summary is frequently used as a tool for learning from text.Even proficient readers often struggle to learn from text due to insufficient support.Automated summary evaluation (ASE) can help students revise their summaries.What this paper addsWe introduce the Student Mental Model Analyzer for Research and Teaching (SMART) system.SMART uses a written summary to evaluate the quality of the learner's mental models.SMART analyses a student's mental model in surface, structural and semantic dimensions.SMART helps students improve content‐coverage and overall quality of their summaries.Implications for practiceSMART can be a supplement in classrooms to help students learn from complex texts.Teachers can use SMART to provide real‐time, personalized, formative feedback at a scale.Students can use SMART to comprehend the text to prepare for meaningful class discussion.Scholars can use SMART to investigate expertise development in summary via instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of readymade versus self‐generated graphic organizers (GOs) on learning, comparing the performances of undergraduates (N = 81) tasked with learning a multimedia document. This document was either presented on its own (control group), with a readymade GO, or with a blank GO that students had to fill in either before or during the learning of the document. In line with previous research, adding a readymade GO increased students' memorization and transfer scores, compared with controls. By displaying the main ideas in the text and their hierarchical relations, GOs act as visual aids to learning. Results showed that self‐generating a GO was no more beneficial than viewing a readymade GO when students were placed in a dual‐task situation (generation + learning). However, when the students' information processing was guided by sequencing these tasks (generation then learning), they outperformed the control and readymade groups on memorization and comprehension. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Graphic organizers (GOs) consist in visual displays showing the main ideas of a text and their interrelations.Adding GOs to pedagogical document have been shown to improve students' learning.However, self‐generating GOs has been proven to be detrimental for learning in several studies. What this paper adds: In previous studies, self‐generation of graphic organizers (GOs) have often been carried out while learning, however this task should be separated from the learning task.In the present study, students' learning performances increased when the self‐generated task was separated from the learning task compared to a condition with a readymade GO.These benefits on learning were not observed when the self‐generated activity was not guided. Implications for practitioners: Graphic organizers gathering all the key elements of a multimedia document and highlighting the structure of this document should be used in order to increase students' learning.Students should not be placed in double‐task situation when learning from a pedagogical document.In‐task guidance should be provided when self‐generative tasks are performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airway management is a cornerstone of emergency care. Development of a robust evidence base to support the practice of pre‐hospital emergency anaesthesia is key to the safety and evolution of this common but high‐risk procedure. This paper discusses the benefits, risks, insights, learning and limitations of the use of an airway registry in pre‐hospital and retrieval medicine, for both research and quality improvement purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Longitudinal cohort studies gather large amounts of data over time, often without direct benefit to participants. A positive experience may encourage retention in the study, and participants may benefit in unanticipated ways. Objective: To explore first‐time mothers' experiences of taking part in a longitudinal cohort study and completing self‐administered surveys during pregnancy and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months' postpartum. Design: Content analysis of comments written by participants in the Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland study's five self‐completion surveys, a multisite cohort study exploring women's health and health problems during and after pregnancy. This paper focuses on what women wrote about taking part in the research. Ethical approval was granted by the site hospitals and university. Setting and participants: A total of 2174 women were recruited from two maternity hospitals in Ireland between 2012 and 2015. Findings: A total of 1000 comments were made in the five surveys. Antenatally, barriers related to surveys being long and questions being intimate. Postpartum, barriers related to being busy with life as first‐time mothers. Benefits gained included gaining access to information, taking time to reflect, stopping to think and being prompted to seek help. Survey questions alone were described as valuable sources of information. Discussion and conclusions: Findings suggest that survey research can "give back" to women by being a source of information and a trigger to seek professional help, even while asking sensitive questions. Understanding this can help researchers construct surveys to maximize benefits, real and potential, for participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the long-term course of difficulty in participation of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) without intellectual disability between 16 years and 34 years of age.Method: One hundred and fifty-one individuals with CP aged 16 to 20 years were included (63% male, 37% female; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I-IV; without intellectual disability). The Assessment of Life Habits questionnaire 3.0 general short form was used up to three times biennially and at 13-year follow-up (13-year follow-up: n=98). Scores (range 0-10) reflect difficulty and assistance in participation in housing, education and employment, interpersonal relationships, recreation, community life, and responsibilities. Multilevel models were used to determine the course of difficulty in participation by GMFCS level.Results: Despite high average participation levels, 41% to 95% of adolescents and young adults with CP experienced difficulty. Difficulty in participation in housing and interpersonal relationships increased from age 16 years onwards and in most other life areas in the mid- and late 20s. In adolescents in GMFCS levels III and IV, participation in recreation and community life improved up to age 23 years.Interpretation: Individuals with CP experience increasing difficulties in participation in their mid- and late 20s. Clinicians should systematically check for participation difficulties in young adults with CP and offer timely personalized treatment.What This Paper Adds: Many individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 16 to 34 years experience difficulty in participation. Difficulty in participation increases in the mid- and late 20s for individuals with CP. Participation in recreation/community life improves before age 23 years for those in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels III and IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For parents who experience stillbirth, knowing the cause of their baby's death is important. A post mortem examination is the gold standard investigation, but little is known about what may influence parents' decisions to accept or decline. Aim: We aimed to identify factors influencing maternal decision‐making about post mortem examination after late stillbirth. Methods: In the New Zealand Multicentre Stillbirth Study, 169 women with singleton pregnancies, no known abnormality at recruitment, and late stillbirth (≥28weeks gestation), from seven health regions were interviewed within six weeks of birth. The purpose of this paper was to explore factors related to post mortem examination decision‐making and the reasons for declining. We asked women if they would make the same decision again. Results: Maternal decision to decline a post mortem (70/169, 41.4%) was more common among women of Māori (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.99 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.70–14.64) and Pacific (aOR 3.94 95% CI 1.47–10.54) ethnicity compared to European, and parity two or more (aOR 2.95 95% CI 1.14–7.62) compared to primiparous. The main reason for declining was that women 'did not want baby to be cut'. Ten percent (7/70) who declined said they would not make this decision again. No woman who consented regretted her decision. Conclusion: Ethnic differences observed in women's post mortem decision‐making should be further explored in future studies. Providing information of the effect of post mortem on the baby's body and the possible emotional benefits of a post mortem may assist women faced with this decision in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To disentangle the respective impacts of manual dexterity and cerebral palsy (CP) in cognitive functioning after neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke.Method: The population included 60 children (21 females, 39 males) with neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke but not epilepsy. The presence of CP was assessed clinically at the age of 7 years and 2 months (range 6y 11mo-7y 8mo) using the definition of the Surveillance of CP in Europe network. Standardized tests (Nine-Hole Peg Test and Box and Blocks Test) were used to quantify manual (finger and hand respectively) dexterity. General cognitive functioning was evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition. Simple and multiple linear regression models were performed while controlling for socio-economic status, lesion side, and sex.Results: Fifteen children were diagnosed with CP. In simple regression models, both manual dexterity and CP were associated with cognitive functioning (β=0.41 [p=0.002] and β=0.31 [p=0.019] respectively). However, in multiple regression models, manual dexterity was the only associated variable of cognitive functioning, whether or not a child had CP (β=0.35; p=0.007). This result was reproduced in models with other covariables (β=0.31; p=0.017).Interpretation: As observed in typically developing children, manual dexterity is related to cognitive functioning in children having suffered a focal brain insult during the neonatal period.What This Paper Adds: Manual dexterity predicts cognitive functioning after neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke. Correlations between manual dexterity and cognitive functioning occur irrespective of sex, lesion side, presence of cerebral palsy, and socio-economic status. Residual motor ability may support cognitive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess feeding difficulties and nutritional status among children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Ghana, and whether severity of feeding difficulties and malnutrition are independently associated with caregiver quality of life (QoL).Method: This cross-sectional survey included 76 children with CP (18mo-12y) from four regions of Ghana. Severity of CP was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System and anthropometric measures were taken. Caregivers rated their QoL (using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module) and difficulties with eight aspects of child feeding. Logistic regression analysis explored factors (socio-economic characteristics, severity of CP, and feeding difficulties) associated with being underweight. Linear regression was undertaken to assess the relationship between caregiver QoL and child malnutrition and feeding difficulties.Results: Poor nutritional status was common: 65% of children aged under 5 years were categorized as underweight, 54% as stunted, and 58% as wasted. Reported difficulties with child's feeding were common and were associated with the child being underweight (odds ratio 10.7, 95% confidence interval 2.3-49.6) and poorer caregiver QoL (p<0.001). No association between caregiver QoL and nutritional status was evident.Interpretation: Among rural, low resource populations in Ghana, there is a need for appropriate, accessible caregiver training and support around feeding practices of children with CP, to improve child nutritional status and caregiver well-being.What This Paper Adds: Malnutrition is very common among children with cerebral palsy in this rural population in Ghana. Feeding difficulties in this population were strongly associated with being underweight. Feeding difficulties were associated with poorer caregiver quality of life (QoL). Child nutritional status was not associated with caregiver QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), choline, and uridine-5-monophosphate (UMP) supplementation improves neurodevelopmental outcome in infants with suspected cerebral palsy (CP) versus a comparison group of children.Method: Infants aged 1 to 18 months with suspected CP were recruited from UK child development centres. Participants received daily treatment or control supplementation for 2 years (double-blind randomized control design). Stratification was by age, sex, predominant pattern of motor involvement (four limbs or other), and visual impairment (or not). The primary outcome was the cognitive composite score of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (CCS-Bayley-III). Secondary outcomes included language composite and motor composite scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III).Results: Forty infants were recruited; 35 began supplementation, 29 completed 1 to 2 years' supplementation. The treatment group CCS-Bayley-III was non-significantly higher than the comparison group (mean 77.7 [SD 19.2] and 72.2 [SD 19.8] respectively, mean modelled difference 4.4 [-2.8, 11.6]). The treatment group language scores, but not motor scores, were non-significantly higher than for the comparison group.Interpretation: Most families found supplementation feasible. No statistically significant differences in neurodevelopmental outcome between the treatment and comparison groups were identified. Further investigation of neurodevelopmental outcome after supplementation with DHA, choline, and UMP of infants with suspected CP is warranted.What This Paper Adds: This was the first trial of phosphatidylcholine precursor supplementation in infants with suspected cerebral palsy (CP). Families of infants with suspected CP found 2-year nutritional supplementation feasible. There was no statistically significant neurodevelopmental advantage for the treatment group versus the comparison group. However, treatment group cognitive and language advantage were of clinically meaningful magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is known as a disease of the poor. Despite TB diagnosis and care usually being offered for free, TB patients can still face substantial costs, especially in the context of multi-drug resistance (MDR). The End TB Strategy calls for zero TB-affected families incurring 'catastrophic' costs due to TB by 2025. This paper examines, by MDR status, the level and composition of costs incurred by TB-affected households during care seeking and treatment; assesses the affordability of TB care using catastrophic and impoverishment measures; and describes coping strategies used by TB-affected households to pay for TB care.Methods: A nationally representative survey of TB patients at public health facilities across Ghana.Results: We enrolled 691 patients (66 MDR). The median expenditure for non-MDR TB was US$429.6 during treatment, vs. US$659.0 for MDR patients (P-value = 0.001). Catastrophic costs affected 64.1% of patients. MDR patients were pushed significantly further over the threshold for catastrophic payments than DS patients. Payments for TB care led to a significant increase in the proportion of households in the study sample that live below the poverty line at the time of survey compared to pre-TB diagnosis. Over half of patients undertook coping strategies.Conclusion: TB patients in Ghana incur substantial costs, despite free diagnosis and treatment. High rates of catastrophic costs and coping strategies in both non-MDR and MDR patients show that new policies are urgently needed to ensure TB care is actually affordable for TB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and peer relationships were investigated in adolescents with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Method: Adolescents with DCD (n=9), ADHD (n=9), DCD and ADHD (n=10), and typically developing adolescents (n=16) completed the following questionnaires: KIDSCREEN-52 Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire and Peer Relations Questionnaire for Children. Twenty-five participants took part in semi-structured interviews.Results: Adolescents with DCD and ADHD had lower HRQoL on the mood and emotions, school environment, and financial resources scales of the KIDSCREEN-52 than adolescents in the DCD and typically developing groups (all p<0.05). On the Peer Relations Questionnaire for Children, the DCD and ADHD group reported significantly higher victimization compared with those in the typically developing (p=0.030) and DCD (p=0.010) groups. Qualitative interviews among young people with DCD and ADHD revealed feelings of marginalization and victimization. Descriptors such as 'misfits', 'oddballs', 'weird', and 'the rejects' were used to describe themselves.Interpretation: HRQoL and peer relationships are negatively affected in adolescents with DCD and ADHD. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) do not display poorer overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) versus typically developing controls. Having DCD and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was associated with poorer HRQoL. Adolescents with DCD and ADHD experience significantly higher levels of peer victimization than typically developing adolescents. HRQoL and peer relationships are significantly associated in adolescent respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Suicide among nursing home residents is a growing public health concern, currently lacking in empirical research. This study aims to describe the frequency and nature of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia.Methods: This research comprised a national population-based retrospective analysis of suicide deaths among nursing home residents in Australia reported to the Coroner between July 2000 and December 2013. Cases were identified using the National Coronial Information System, and data collected from paper-based coroners' records on individual, incident, and organizational factors, as well as details of the medico-legal death investigation. Data analysis comprised univariate and bivariate descriptive statistical techniques; ecological analysis of incidence rates using population denominators; and comparison of age and sex of suicide cases to deaths from other causes using logistic regression.Results: The study identified 141 suicides among nursing home residents, occurring at a rate of 0.02 deaths per 100 000 resident bed days. The ratio of deaths from suicide to deaths from any other cause was higher in males than females (OR = 3.56, 95%CI = 2.48-5.12, P = <0.001). Over half of the residents who died from suicide had a diagnosis of depression (n = 93, 66.0%) and had resided in the nursing home for less than 12 months (n = 71, 50.3%). Common major life stressors identified in suicide cases included the following: health deterioration (n = 112, 79.4%); isolation and loneliness (n = 60, 42.6%); and maladjustment to nursing home life (n = 42, 29.8%).Conclusions: This research provides a foundational understanding of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia and contributes important new information to the international knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To describe health-related quality of life of Australian children and adolescents with Down syndrome and compare it with norm-referenced data.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with parents of 75 children and adolescents (43 males, 32 females) with Down syndrome aged 5 to 18 years (mean age 13y 2mo, SD 4y 8mo). The proxy-report KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire was administered and five dimensions of health-related quality of life were measured. Data were analysed descriptively and compared with normative data.Results: Total group mean scores for psychological well-being, autonomy and parent relation, and school environment dimensions were within normal threshold values, whereas mean scores for physical well-being, and social support and peers dimensions, were poorer. For participants with Down syndrome aged 8 to 18 years, the difference with normative data for proxy-reported physical well-being, psychological well-being, and social support and peers dimensions favoured typically developing children. Adolescents (13-18y) with Down syndrome scored poorer on all dimensions than children (5-12y) with Down syndrome.Interpretation: Our findings assist a better understanding of the lived experiences of children and adolescents with Down syndrome, as perceived by their parents, and suggest aspects of health that could be influenced to optimize their quality of life.What This Paper Adds: Proxy-reported psychological well-being and autonomy were within the normal range for children with Down syndrome. Physical well-being and social support scores were significantly lower than normative data. Proxy-reported scores for adolescents with Down syndrome were consistently poorer than for children with Down syndrome and the differences were clinically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine whether intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy improves performance and performance satisfaction in goal areas identified by patients' parents.Method: This study formed part of an ongoing multicentre national audit involving six paediatric ITB pump implant centres across Australia. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was the primary outcome measure utilized at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after pump implants in paediatric patients receiving ITB therapy for the first time between 31st December 2009 and 31st December 2014.Results: Twenty-five children had goals identified (mean age 11y 1mo), 19 had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and 22 were at Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV, V, or equivalent. Strong evidence for an improvement in goal performance (2.33, 95% CI 1.70, 2.96, p<0.001) and performance satisfaction scores (3.08, 95% CI 2.28, 3.88, p<0.001) were demonstrated at 6 months, compared to baseline. The differences were clinically significant and were sustained to 12 months.Interpretation: ITB therapy in paediatric patients with hypertonia results in clinically significant improvements in average performance and performance satisfaction scores.What This Paper Adds: The most commonly identified goals of parents of children treated with intrathecal (ITB) therapy were: improving ease of dressing, positioning, and transfers. ITB therapy is effective in improving performance and performance satisfaction in children with hypertonia. Score improvements are mainly evident within the first 6 months of therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To identify a cohort of children with cerebral palsy (CP) from hospital data; determine the proportion that participated in standardized educational testing and attained a score within the normal range; and describe the relationship between test results and motor symptoms.Method: This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from New South Wales, Australia. We linked hospital data for children younger than 16 years of age admitted between 1st July 2000 and 31st March 2014 to education data from 2009 to 2014. Hospital diagnosis codes were used to identify a cohort of children with CP (n=3944) and describe their motor symptoms. Educational outcomes in the CP cohort were compared with those among children without CP.Results: Of those with educational data (n=1770), 46% were exempt from reading assessment because of intellectual or functional disability, 7% were absent or withdrawn from testing and 47% participated in testing. About 30% of all children with educational data had test scores in the normal range. The proportion was greatest among those with hemiplegia (>40%) and lowest among those with tetraplegia (<10%).Interpretation: One-third of children with CP participated in standardized testing and achieved a result in the normal range. The proportions were lower in children with more severe motor symptoms.What This Paper Adds: From 2009 to 2014, most Australian children with cerebral palsy (CP) attended a mainstream school. The rate of disability-related exemption from standardized educational testing was almost 50%. Thirty per cent of children with CP achieved educational scores in the normal range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of parenting stress, adult anxiety, and depression in mothers of children with profound or severe visual impairment (PVI or SVI) at 1 year and 2 years of age.Method: Mothers of a national longitudinal cohort (OPTIMUM Project) of infants with congenital disorders of the peripheral visual system and PVI (light perception at best) or SVI (basic 'form' vision of non-light reflecting objects) participated. Infant age at baseline (T1 ) was 8 to 16 months. Mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at T1 (n=79) and at follow-up 12 months later (T2 ) (n=73).Results: Mothers of the total group had higher parenting stress levels (34.6% in clinical range) than community normative data at T1 (p=0.017). Mothers of infants in the PVI subgroup had elevated stress at T1 (p=0.014) and T2 (p=0.009). The PVI subgroup was also elevated in the Difficult Child subscale at T2 (p=0.001). Within-sample differences in parenting stress between the visual impairment subgroups were found at T2 only: the PVI subgroup scored higher than the SVI subgroup (p=0.029). Adult anxiety and depression in the total group were not elevated compared with community normative data at T1 and T2 ; however, higher parenting stress was related to raised adult anxiety and depression levels at T1 and T2 (p=0.001). Regression analysis found parenting stress and lower child vision level (T1 ) predicted parenting stress (T2 ) (p=0.001; 42% variance).Interpretation: Mothers of 1-year-old infants with visual impairment showed raised risk for parenting stress, which continued to be elevated for children with PVI and those perceived as 'difficult' at 2 years. This was also a psychological risk, with greater adult anxiety and depression in those mothers with raised parenting stress. The clinical significance is that identification of parenting stress and targeted parenting, and behavioural support of the child in the first years of life is highly indicated.What This Paper Adds: Mothers of infants with visual impairment are at increased risk of parenting stress. Parenting stress was higher in mothers of children with profound visual impairment than those with severe visual impairment. High levels of parenting stress and lower infant vision at 1 year of age predicted higher parenting stress at 2 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are approximately 6,500 people on the UK national transplant waiting list, around 400 of whom die every year. Only 35% of the UK population are currently on the organ donation register. We report two studies examining whether a reciprocity prime, in which participants were asked whether they would accept a donated organ, increased organ donation intentions and behaviour.Design: Between-participants, randomized controlled design.Methods: In two studies, participants who were not currently registered organ donors took part either face-to-face or online and were randomly allocated to a reciprocity prime or control condition. Following the manipulation, they were asked to indicate, on either a paper or online questionnaire, their intention to join the organ donor register. Study 2 was similar to Study 1 but with the addition that after reporting intention, participants were then offered an organ donation information leaflet or the opportunity to click a link for further information (proxy behavioural measure).Results: In both studies, reciprocity primed participants reported greater intentions to register than controls. However, in Study 2, no effect on donation behaviour was found.Conclusions: Reciprocal altruism may be a useful tool in increasing intentions to join the organ donor register. Further evaluation is required to determine whether this increase in intention can be translated into organ donation behaviour. Statement of contribution What was already known? Demand for organs in the United Kingdom far outstrips supply, so finding strategies to increase registration on the organ donor register could save hundreds of lives per year. Despite the majority of people in the United Kingdom agreeing that organ donation is a good thing, most people do not register as donors. A limited amount of evidence of the impact of perceived reciprocity suggests that encouraging people to consider themselves as recipients and priming ideas of shared responsibility may increase the likelihood of their subsequent willingness to register. What does this study add? Novel evidence that employing a simple reciprocity prime increases organ donor registration intentions. Replication of findings across two separate studies. Novel examination of the impact of mode of delivery of messages to encourage organ donation. A basis for further research into the translation of intentions into organ donor registration behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Demand-Control (DC) and Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models predict health in a work context. Self-report measures of the four key constructs (demand, control, effort, and reward) have been developed and it is important that these measures have good content validity uncontaminated by content from other constructs. We assessed relevance (whether items reflect the constructs) and representativeness (whether all aspects of the construct are assessed, and all items contribute to that assessment) across the instruments and items.Methods: Two studies examined fourteen demand/control items from the Job Content Questionnaire and seventeen effort/reward items from the Effort-Reward Imbalance measure using discriminant content validation and a third study developed new methods to assess instrument representativeness. Both methods use judges' ratings and construct definitions to get transparent quantitative estimates of construct validity. Study 1 used dictionary definitions while studies 2 and 3 used published phrases to define constructs.Results: Overall, 3/5 demand items, 4/9 control items, 1/6 effort items, and 7/11 reward items were uniquely classified to the appropriate theoretical construct and were therefore 'pure' items with discriminant content validity (DCV). All pure items measured a defining phrase. However, both the DC and ERI assessment instruments failed to assess all defining aspects.Conclusions: Finding good discriminant content validity for demand and reward measures means these measures are usable and our quantitative results can guide item selection. By contrast, effort and control measures had limitations (in relevance and representativeness) presenting a challenge to the implementation of the theories. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? While the reliability and construct validity of Demand-Control and Effort-Reward-Imbalance (DC and ERI) work stress measures are routinely reported, there has not been adequate investigation of their content validity. This paper investigates their content validity in terms of both relevance and representativeness and provides a model for the investigation of content validity of measures in health psychology more generally. What does this study add? A new application of an existing method, discriminant content validity, and a new method of assessing instrument representativeness. 'Pure' DC and ERI items are identified, as are constructs that are not fully represented by their assessment instruments. The findings are important for studies attempting to distinguish between the main DC and ERI work stress constructs. The quantitative results can be used to guide item selection for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport science is a relatively recent domain of research born from the interactions of different disciplines related to sport. According to the European College of sport science (http://sport-science.org): “scientific excellence in sport science is based on disciplinary competence embedded in the understanding that its essence lies in its multi- and interdisciplinary character”. In this respect, the scientific domain of neuroscience has been developed within such a framework. Influenced by the apparent homogeneity of this scientific domain, the present paper reviews three important research topics in sport from a neuroscientific perspective. These topics concern the relationship between mind and motor action, the effects of cognition on motor performance, and the study of certain mental states (such as the “flow” effect, see below) and motor control issues to understand, for example, the neural substrates of the vertical squat jump. Based on the few extensive examples shown in this review, we argue that by adopting an interdisciplinary paradigm, sport science can emulate neuroscience in becoming a mono-discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores some challenges of supervising clinical work of trainees, known as 'routers', who live in countries with diverse cultural, social and political traditions, and the analysts who travel to supervise them. It is written as an evolving dialogue between the authors, who explore together the effects of their own culture of origin, and in particular the legacy and values of their own training institutes on the styles and models of analytic supervision. Their dialogue is framed around the meaning of home and experiences of homesickness for analysts working away from home in an interactive field of strangeness in countries where analytical psychology is a relatively new discipline. The authors outline the findings from their own qualitative survey, where other supervisors working abroad, and those they have supervised, describe their experiences and their encounters with difference. The dialogue ends with both authors discussing what they have learned about teaching and supervising abroad, the implications for more flexible use of Jungian concepts, and how such visits have changed their clinical practice in their home countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, aims & objective Tools for the assessment of the quality of research studies tend to be specific to a particular research design (e.g. randomized controlled trials, or qualitative interviews). This makes it difficult to assess the quality of a body of research that addresses the same or a similar research question but using different approaches. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and preliminary evaluation of a quality assessment tool that can be applied to a methodologically diverse set of research articles. Methods The 16-item quality assessment tool (QATSDD) was assessed to determine its reliability and validity when used by health services researchers in the disciplines of psychology, sociology and nursing. Qualitative feedback was also gathered from mixed-methods health researchers regarding the comprehension, content, perceived value and usability of the tool. Results Reference to existing widely used quality assessment tools and experts in systematic review confirmed that the components of the tool represented the construct of 'good research technique' being assessed. Face validity was subsequently established through feedback from a sample of nine health researchers. Inter-rater reliability was established through substantial agreement between three reviewers when applying the tool to a set of three research papers (κ = 71.5%), and good to substantial agreement between their scores at time 1 and after a 6-week interval at time 2 confirmed test-retest reliability. Conclusions The QATSDD shows good reliability and validity for use in the quality assessment of a diversity of studies, and may be an extremely useful tool for reviewers to standardize and increase the rigour of their assessments in reviews of the published papers which include qualitative and quantitative work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how the psychodynamic perspective can contribute to the study of organizing processes. Research from this perspective provides a complementary insight in what actually happens in an unfolding collaborative process, both on the manifest and latent level, and how subjectivity is expressed in the organizing process. First, the paper addresses the specific nature and challenges of 'multiparty collaboration'. Then it describes how the psychodynamic approach can be used in organizational research and the kind of theory it generates. The author presents a case study in the domain of foster care, where five independent organizations tried to develop a scenario for future collaboration. The case analysis focuses on three critical issues with which the participants and consultants were struggling. It discusses how the dynamics that emerged around those issues set the direction of the process. The paper concludes with the benefits of using a psychodynamic perspective in organizational research. Its main contribution is a better understanding of the paradox between the intention and societal necessity for creative collaboration, and the emotional and defensive responses when participants are confronted with the tensions of collaborative work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine aspects of the permeability of time, with a view to exploring our perceptions of ourselves as present–focused distinct individuals. Permeability of time is defined as time’s fluidity, its ability to move across boundaries of past, present and future. Fluidity, in this sense, is our capacity to experience past, present and future simultaneously. Time will be examined from both psychoanalytic and systemic viewpoints. Issues of time and timelessness, consciousness and memory will be raised and the usefulness of working from an affective base discussed. The case cited in the paper is one in which the family was in the stage of having an adolescent child. Adolescence will therefore be discussed as it relates to the issue of time. The clinical discussion will be based on an integration of the two theoretical perspectives as they relate to time and affect. In conclusion I will revisit the question of our perception of ourselves as present–focused distinct individuals within a family context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports on a 5-year follow-up of a randomized reading intervention in grade 3 in Sweden. An intervention group (n = 57) received daily training for 12 weeks in phoneme/grapheme mapping, reading comprehension and reading speed, whereas a control group (n = 55) participated in ordinary classroom activities. The main aim was to investigate if there were remaining effects of the intervention on reading-related skills. Previous analyses showed that the intervention group performed significantly better than the control group on spelling, reading speed, reading comprehension and phoneme awareness at the immediate post-test with sustained effects 1 year later. Results from the 5-year follow-up show that the only significant difference between the intervention (n = 47) and the control group (n = 37) was on word decoding. There was also a significant interaction effect of group assignment and initial word decoding, in the way that the lowest-performing students benefitted the most from the intervention. Another aim was to examine if the children identified in a screening (n = 2212) as poor readers in grade 2 still performed worse than typical readers. The analyses showed that the typically developing students (n = 66) outperformed the students identified as poor readers in grade 2 on working memory, spelling, reading comprehension and word decoding. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores findings from an exploratory study on sibling relationships following adoption reunion in adulthood. The qualitative data was gathered through in‐depth interviews with 33 adopted adults who were reunited with their birth sibling(s) through an adoption agency in the Republic of Ireland. The findings throw light upon the development of the emotional, often complex, relationships which may emerge when siblings meet for the first time in adult life. Factors influential in facilitating or hindering these post‐reunion relationships are discussed. The important insights are then considered in the context of the wider international literature on adoption, search and reunion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the efficacy of process-based cognitive training (pb-CT) combined with reminiscence therapy (RT) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (mAD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy elderly (HE) subjects. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involved 348 participants with mAD, MCI, and HE from four European countries. Participants were randomly assigned to two arms of a crossover design: those in arm A underwent 3 months of computerized pb-CT for memory and executive functions combined with RT and 3 months of rest; those in arm B underwent the reverse. The primary outcome was the effect of the training on memory and executive functions performance. The secondary outcome was the effect of the training on functional abilities in mAD assessed with the instrumental activities of daily living. Results: We found a significant effect of the training for memory in all three groups on delayed recall of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and for executive functions in HE on the phonological fluency test. MCI and HE participants maintained these effects at follow-up. MCI and mAD participants also showed a significant effect of the training on the Mini-mental state examination scale. Participants with mAD showed more stable instrumental activities of daily living during the training versus the rest period. Conclusions: Our results corroborate the positive effect of pb-CT and its maintenance primarily on memory in HE and MCI participants that did not seem to be potentiated by RT. Moreover, our results are very promising for the mAD participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of primary midwife-led care ('caseload midwifery') on women's experiences of childbirth.Design: Randomised controlled trial.Setting: Tertiary care women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.Population: A total of 2314 low-risk pregnant women.Methods: Women randomised to caseload care received antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care from a primary midwife, with some care provided by a 'back-up' midwife. Women in standard care received midwifery-led care with varying levels of continuity, junior obstetric care or community-based medical care.Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome of the study was caesarean section. This paper presents a secondary outcome, women's experience of childbirth. Women's views and experiences were sought using seven-point rating scales via postal questionnaires 2 months after the birth.Results: A total of 2314 women were randomised between September 2007 and June 2010; 1156 to caseload and 1158 to standard care. Response rates to the follow-up questionnaire were 88 and 74%, respectively. Women in the caseload group were more positive about their overall birth experience than women in the standard care group (adjusted odds ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.22-1.84). They also felt more in control during labour, were more proud of themselves, less anxious, and more likely to have a positive experience of pain.Conclusions: Compared with standard maternity care, caseload midwifery may improve women's experiences of childbirth.Tweetable Abstract: Primary midwife-led care ('caseload midwifery') improves women's experiences of childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and practices of Australian general practitioners (GPs) regarding infant gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) diagnosis and management.Methods: A national cross-sectional survey, involving a random sample of currently practising Australian GPs (n = 2319) was undertaken between July and September 2011. GPs attitudes and management of infant GORD were surveyed via an online and paper-based 41-item questionnaire.Results: In total, 400 responses were analysed (17.24% response rate). The majority of GPs employed empirical trials of acid-suppression medication and/or lifestyle modifications to diagnose infant GORD. GPs frequently recommended dietary modification despite the belief that they were only moderately effective at best. In addition, GPs frequently prescribed acid-suppression medication, despite concerns regarding their safety in the infant population. Other GP concerns included the lack of clinical guidelines and education for GPs about infant GORD, as well as the level of evidence available for the safety and efficacy of diagnostic tests and treatments.Conclusion: Despite the important role Australian GPs play in the diagnosis and management of infant GORD, high-level evidence-based guidelines for GPs are lacking. Consequently, GPs engage in diagnostic and management practices despite their concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Melanoma is on the rise, especially in Caucasian populations exposed to high ultraviolet radiation such as in Australia. This paper examined the psychological components facilitating change in skin cancer prevention or early detection behaviours following a text message intervention.Methods: The Queensland-based participants were 18 to 42 years old, from the Healthy Text study (N = 546). Overall, 512 (94%) participants completed the 12-month follow-up questionnaires. Following the social cognitive model, potential mediators of skin self-examination (SSE) and sun protection behaviour change were examined using stepwise logistic regression models.Results: At 12-month follow-up, odds of performing an SSE in the past 12 months were mediated by baseline confidence in finding time to check skin (an outcome expectation), with a change in odds ratio of 11.9% in the SSE group versus the control group when including the mediator. Odds of greater than average sun protective habits index at 12-month follow-up were mediated by (a) an attempt to get a suntan at baseline (an outcome expectation) and (b) baseline sun protective habits index, with a change in odds ratio of 10.0% and 11.8%, respectively in the SSE group versus the control group.Conclusions: Few of the suspected mediation pathways were confirmed with the exception of outcome expectations and past behaviours. Future intervention programmes could use alternative theoretical models to elucidate how improvements in health behaviours can optimally be facilitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of consumer-related risk is paramount in a secure forensic mental health facility. However, the consequent risk aversion presents a major barrier to consumers forming sexual relationships in a manner that is open and accepted. Investigation of the views of nurses working in forensic mental health settings on this topic is limited, and even more so for consumers of services. This qualitative exploratory study was undertaken to elicit the views of consumers and nurses about forming sexual relationships within this long-term and secure setting. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 nurses and 10 consumers. The benefits of, and barriers to, sexual relationships was identified as a major theme, and these findings are the focus of this paper. Nurse responses included the subthemes 'supportive factors' and 'potential dangers', reflecting their qualified support. Consumer responses included the subthemes 'therapeutic', 'feeling normal', 'restrictions and barriers', and 'lack of support and secrecy'. The importance of sexual relationships was clearly articulated, as was the difficulties in forming and maintaining them within the forensic setting. More open discussion about this commonly-avoided issue and the education of nurses and other health professionals is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Retrospective and cross-sectional studies have suggested a bidirectional relationship between migraine and mood disturbance. Objective The present prospective daily diary study examined the prevalence and temporal associations between migraine and daily mood, mood and next-day headache, and headache and next-day mood. Methods Sixty-nine children (50 females, 19 males) between the ages of 7 and 12 years and their parents attending neurology clinic appointments and having a diagnosis of migraine as defined by International Headache Classification 2nd edition criteria completed measures on the quality of life, headache disability, child emotions, and child behaviors. Children and parents then recorded children's headache occurrence, headache duration, headache severity, mood, daily hassles, and medication use on paper diaries once a day for 2 consecutive weeks. 'Mood' was defined using the Facial Affective Scale, which is a visual representation of negative and positive affect. Data were analyzed using multilevel models. Results Controlling for age, sex, quality of life, headache disability, and medication use, worse mood was associated with same-day occurrence, longer duration, and more severe headache in both child and parent report. Today's mood was not consistently associated with next-day headache, and today's headache was not associated with next-day mood in either child or parent report. Conclusions Results of this study lend support to a complex relationship between mood and headache in children with migraine. More research is needed to further elucidate the temporal nature of this relationship within a given day and over an extended period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between affect and retrospective duration estimation has hardly been examined. In this paper, we contribute to filling this gap by studying the influence of arousal on the remembered duration of positive events. On the basis of the contextual change model, we expected that high-arousal positive events would be remembered as longer compared with low-arousal positive events. To test this hypothesis, we set up a naturalistic study in which participants were asked at the end of a pleasant amusement park ride at the local fair to rate how pleasant and aroused they felt during the ride as well as to estimate the ride's duration. Feeling more aroused during a ride was associated with longer estimates of the ride's duration. Results are discussed within the framework of retrospective time estimation models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the ageing of populations and expected increase in prevalence of dementia, the necessity of research involving persons with dementia is widely agreed upon. Autonomy is key to nursing home residents' well-being and quality of life, but this phenomenon has not been thoroughly assessed from the residents' perspective. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate perceived autonomy of nursing home residents. Data on 560 randomly selected residents in 40 nursing homes in two German federal states were generated by face-to-face interviews, psychological and physical assessments, analysis of nursing records, and acquisition of institutional parameters. This paper reports on a subsample ( n = 179) that met screening requirements, including subjects with and without mild cognitive impairment ( Mini Mental Status Examination score 30-18), who completed the Hertz Perceived Enactment of Autonomy Scale ( HPEAS). The mean score of HPEAS was 101.1 ± 14.5 (range 54-122). In our population, Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. Scores in HPEAS were not related to demographical factors but positively associated with increasing self-efficacy and absence of pain. The novel findings contribute to an understanding of autonomy from the residents' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper describes a qualitative study focusing on counsellors' perceptions of client progression when working with clients who intentionally self‐harm and the impact this has on the therapist. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were employed and the constant comparative method utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Findings indicate that counsellors experience intense emotions in response to self‐harm including: shock; sadness; anxiety; anger; and frustration. Counsellors also struggled to manage the tension between multiple dualities, corresponding to professional opinions of a seemingly polar opposite nature. Although participants indicated a requirement to work in a client‐led way, they all had either an explicit or implicit agenda for change. These two conflicting states create a tension for a counsellor that is difficult to resolve. In addition there were various views of client progression, yet all participants agreed that progression was not simply about stopping self‐harm. Conclusion: There is a significant impact on the counsellor when working with clients who intentionally self‐harm and the complexity of the phenomenon appears to exacerbate their anxiety. Implications: Further research within the counselling field focusing on the ambiguous nature of the subject may increase understanding, which in turn may contribute to greater therapist efficacy when working with this client group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has introduced the threat of publication bias to meta-analytic reviews in management and industrial/organizational ( I/ O) psychology research. However, a comprehensive review of top-tier journals demonstrates that more than two thirds of meta-analytic studies in management and I/ O psychology ignore the issue. Of the studies that do empirically evaluate publication bias, almost all use methods that are based on problematic assumptions (e.g., the Failsafe N and subgroup comparisons by source of data). The current paper reviews the issue of publication bias and introduces to management and I/ O psychology new methodological techniques to assess this bias. To illustrate the methods, multiple publication bias methods are demonstrated in a meta-analytic review of conditional reasoning tests for aggression. We offer specific recommendations that address both design and analysis issues to mitigate the existence and influence of publication bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment integrity has cogent implications for intervention effectiveness. Understanding these implications is an important, but often neglected, undertaking in behavior analysis. This paper reviews current research on treatment integrity in applied behavior analysis. Specifically, we review research evaluating the relation between integrity failures and the efficacy of behavioral interventions. Avenues for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UJUJU C., ANYANTI J., ADEBAYO S.B., MUHAMMAD F., OLUIGBO O. & GOFWAN A. (2011) Religion, culture and male involvement in the use of the Standard Days Method: evidence from Enugu and Katsina states of Nigeria. International Nursing Review 58, 484-490 Aim: This paper presents findings from an exploratory study on the use of the Standard Days Method® (SDM) of family planning (FP) in Katsina and Enugu states of Nigeria. Background: Potential users of FP often do not use modern methods if its practice is in dissonance with cultural and religious values. Increasing FP options through the introduction of effective natural methods is important, as it will ensure that FP providers, particularly nurses, can provide appropriate non-hormonal methods to women who are interested in their use. This will bring about an increased contraceptive prevalence in countries with strong religious barriers to modern FP methods. Methods: A qualitative study using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews was conducted with nurses, community FP providers and users of the SDM following the introduction of the method in two Nigerian states. Discussion: Both users and providers perceive the SDM to be religiously and culturally acceptable. They found it useful particularly among women who could not use hormonal methods for medical reasons. Conclusion: There was no religious/cultural opposition to the use of SDM. Spousal involvement in use within localities where hormonal methods are not accepted was perceived as an important factor in making the method acceptable. It is imperative to scale up the intervention to other areas both in Nigeria and in other countries that have similar religious and cultural resistance to modern FP methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recurring question of successful group work is how to maintain high task motivation of the individual members. This paper reviews research on one well documented group motivation gain phenomenon, where group members are more highly motivated than comparable individual performers - the Köhler motivation gain effect. The basic effect is attributed to two psychological mechanisms, one involving upward social comparisons and a second involving the indispensability of group members' efforts. In addition to summarizing research on the discovery and causes of the basic effect, this review identifies probable moderators of each contributing causal mechanism. Moreover, promising topics for future research as well as implications for the application of the Köhler effect in real group work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 38-45 The objectives of this article are to present a measurement instrument for virtues, and to examine the link between virtues and health. The instrument was tested by the occupational health care at a large Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer and was shown to be consistent, valid and reliable. In developing the scale, we had two samples of employees and used factor analysis and partial least squares modelling (PLS) on both samples. Factor analysis showed that pride is the most important virtue, followed by love and generosity. In the PLS analysis, we found virtues to significantly reduce the number of sick days. In addition, we found significant relationships between virtues and fatigue, depression and happiness. Virtuous behaviour decreased sick leave and depression. The virtues had a positive influence on happiness and on improvement in one's health. The results show that by taking into account virtues in working life, companies can significantly improve their employees' well-being. The measurement instrument helps broaden the traditional view on health and is meant to be used by health care professionals in their daily practice. By addressing a person's physical, mental and virtual well-being, health care practitioners can take care of employees on a broader level than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

abstract The paper addresses aspects of the difficult relationship scientific research has had with psychoanalytically-informed institutions. These difficulties stem from a position of rejectionism long held by institutional psychoanalysis with regard to the role scientific research may play in the development of psychoanalysis. It is argued that the development of a solid integration between scientific research and clinical psychoanalysis can help psychoanalysis grow and contribute to resolving the theoretical fragmentation present in today's psychoanalysis. Institutional reactions to results coming from scientific studies that do not confirm assumptions, expectations, beliefs or current practices are described and discussed. Two examples of research studies carried out at the Psychotherapy Department of St Bernard's Hospital and at the Cassel Hospital, during Bob Hinshelwood's time there, that did not meet the institutional blueprint are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality relationships form the backbone of social work with children and their families. They are particularly relevant in the close, intimate work with looked-after children who have identified how important it is to them that their relationship with their social worker is positive, warm and meaningful. It is accepted that in order to achieve and maintain successful and meaningful relationships, practitioners need to engage at an emotional as well as a professional level. All too often this requires a trade-off between organizational efficiency and the emotional work of caring for looked-after children. Therefore, it would appear the role of corporate parent is increasingly difficult, involving complex decisions about how practitioners might best spend their time, where their loyalties lie and the quality and direction of the final output. Using data from a series of interviews with practitioners, this paper explores the difficulties of maintaining active emotional engagement with children using the sociological concept of emotional labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This paper presents a model of a group-based intervention for the treatment of clients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) referred to secondary mental health care services, which has been developed by the authors over the last five years. Method: Groups are not a common form of treatment design for this client group, however the available literature is briefly reviewed and the common issues that informed the design are identified. Following this additional technique of neuropsychological theories, Mindfulness, and socialisation are presented and a brief rationale for their inclusion provided. Quantitative and Qualitative outcome measures of the most recent group are discussed with respect to the utility and validity of the model. Conclusion and implications for practice: It is concluded that the group has good ecological as well as outcome validity and provided a method of linking together evidence-based practice (EBP) and practice-based evidence (PBE) movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional history of the predominant, research-based model of business education (RBM) traces its origins to programs initiated by the Ford Foundation after World War II. This paper maps the elite network responsible for developing behavioral science and the Ford Foundation agenda. Archival records of the actions taken by central nodes in the network permit identification of the original vision statement for the model. Analysis also permits tracking progress toward realizing that vision over several decades. Behavioral science was married to business education from the earliest stages of development. The RBM was a fundamental promise made by advocates for social science funding. Appraisals of the model and recommendations for reform must address its full history, not the partial, distorted view that is the conventional account. Implications of this more complete history for business education and for behavioral theory are considered. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is usually taken for granted that the necessary and sufficient conditions for refraining are with respect to mental or behavioral states of agents. Let us call such accounts internalist conceptions of refraining. In this paper, I argue that internalist conditions are insufficient for refraining; and so internalist conceptions of refraining are inadequate. I conclude that a proper account of refraining must contain an externalist condition – i.e., a condition that makes reference to an agent's environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study seeks to explore the effect of an academic course on sense of coherence (SOC) and transitory mood states. Moreover, the causal relationships between SOC and transitory mood states was evaluated. Second-year pharmacology students completed pencil-and-paper questionnaires at the beginning of the semester and 3-1/2 months later. The study group ( n = 37) participated in an academic course developed to teach cognitive behavior concept and practice, whereas the control group ( n = 43) had additional sessions of laboratory work. SOC increased significantly after the course while tension–anxiety and confusion decreased significantly. Structural equation analyses in the study group suggested that SOC was modified by confusion and perceived stress. No such pattern was observed in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental aspect of Hans Eysenck's research was his emphasis upon using all the tools available to the researcher to study personality. This included correlational, experimental, physiological, and genetic approaches. Fifty years after Cronbach's call for the reunification of the two disciplines of psychology ( Cronbach, 1957 ) and 40 years after Eysenck's plea for experimental approaches to personality research ( H. J. Eysenck, 1966 ), what is the status of the unification? Should personality researchers use experimental techniques? Do experimental techniques allow us to tease out causality, and are we communicating the advantages of combining experimental with multivariate correlational techniques? We review the progress made since Cronbach's and Eysenck's original papers and suggest that although it is still uncommon to find experimental studies of personality, psychology would benefit from the joint use of correlational and experimental approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]