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Social distance and behavioral attributes of developmentally handicapped and normal children.

20 behavioral attributes predicting social distance were examined among 101 junior high school students in six classrooms. The sample included 8 developmentally handicapped students, of whom at least one of each was mainstreamed into each classroom. Subjects were predominantly white, middle-class, suburban midwesterners. A sociometric nomination measure was used to obtain behavioral attribute profiles of the students which were then used to predict a psychometric measure of social distance. Handicapped students were not more socially distant than their normal peers. Factor analysis of the 20 behavioral attributes yielded four factors, three of which were significant predictors of classroom social distance, accounting for better than half the variance in social distance. These were described as Incompetent/Unassertive, Positive/Active/Assertive, and Passive/Unassertive. Social rejection in mainstreamed classrooms is more a function of perceived behavioral attributes than the label developmentally handicapped.

Adolescent↗

The social behavior of depressed children: an observational study.

Few investigations have examined directly the psychosocial functioning of depressed children. In the present study, 20 depressed and 20 nondepressed fourth- and fifth-grade children were observed in free play during their recess period at school, and their self-perceptions were assessed in subsequent individual sessions. The 10 boys and 10 girls in each group were selected according to their scores on both the Child Depression Inventory and the Peer Nomination Inventory of Depression. Analyses conducted on the eight categories of behavioral observations revealed significant differences between the social behavior of the depressed and the nondepressed children. Although the depressed children made more overtures for social contact than did the nondepressed children and were approached by other children more frequently, they spent more time alone and engaged in a higher frequency of negative interactions with their peers. Consistent with these results, the depressed children's responses to the Self-Perception Profile for Children indicated that they experienced themselves as less socially competent in general, as well as less competent across several specific domains of functioning. These findings are discussed as they relate to developmental processes, theories of adult depression, and recent studies on socially isolated children, and directions for future research in this area are offered.

Child↗

Social-information-processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression in children's peer groups.

We examined social-information-processing mechanisms (e.g., hostile attributional biases and intention-cue detection deficits) in chronic reactive and proactive aggressive behavior in children's peer groups. In Study 1, a teacher-rating instrument was developed to assess these behaviors in elementary school children (N = 259). Reactive and proactive scales were found to be internally consistent, and factor analyses partially supported convergent and discriminant validities. In Study 2, behavioral correlates of these forms of aggression were examined through assessments by peers (N = 339). Both types of aggression related to social rejection, but only proactively aggressive boys were also viewed as leaders and as having a sense of humor. In Study 3, we hypothesized that reactive aggression (but not proactive aggression) would occur as a function of hostile attributional biases and intention-cue detection deficits. Four groups of socially rejected boys (reactive aggressive, proactive aggressive, reactive-proactive aggressive, and nonaggressive) and a group of average boys were presented with a series of hypothetical videorecorded vignettes depicting provocations by peers and were asked to interpret the intentions of the provocateur (N = 117). Only the two reactive-aggressive groups displayed biases and deficits in interpretations. In Study 4, attributional biases and deficits were found to be positively correlated with the rate of reactive aggression (but not proactive aggression) displayed in free play with peers (N = 127). These studies supported the hypothesis that attributional biases and deficits are related to reactive aggression but not to proactive aggression.

Aggression↗

The influence of mortality trials on the evolution of clinical practice.

Clinical practice is complex and is influenced by a number of factors such as time since medical qualification, opportunities for further education and peer review, as well as trial results and marketing. Systematic audit and peer review are powerful tools that are being used increasingly. When aided by the intelligent, but not Draconian, use of financial carrots they are an effective means of changing practice. Positive trials, such as those of thrombolytic therapy, have rapidly resulted in the widespread use of such treatment. Negative trials, for example those involving anti-arrhythmic prophylaxis after myocardial infarction or the use of calcium antagonists in patients with impaired left ventricular function, have also correctly resulted in an appropriate change in practice. Advertising does not always reflect best clinical practice and could lead to under-promotion of older but more useful drugs. Peer review and audit are probably the best available methods for promoting good clinical practice.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

Contributions of the social context to the development of adolescent substance use: a multivariate latent growth modeling approach.

This article demonstrates a latent growth curve methodology for analyzing longitudinal data of adolescent substance use. Hypotheses concerning the form of growth in alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, and covariates influencing the form of growth, were tested. Participants were male and female adolescents (n = 664) assessed at three time points. A common trajectory existed across the developmental period with significant increases in all three substances. Second-order multivariate extensions of the basic latent growth modeling framework suggested that associations among the individual differences parameters, representing growth or change in the various substance use behaviors, could be adequately modeled by a higher-order substance use construct. Inept parental monitoring, parent-child conflict, peer deviance, academic failure, gender, and age, were significant predictors of initial levels and the trajectory of substance use.

Achievement↗

History and analysis of a leaderless group of professional therapists.

The authors describe the experiences of a group of 11 psychiatrists and psychologists who met for 3 years with the initial purpose of providing peer supervision in group therapy. The group became a basic assumption dependency group in which all members had both realistic and magical expectations for help with their personal lives, and a resulting attempted transformation into a leaderless therapy group was a failure. The authors indicate that the experiences of this group illustrate some of the functions of group-leader interaction in allowing group and individual growth.

Adult↗

Changes in functional health status of older women with heart disease: evaluation of a program based on self-regulation.

OBJECTIVES: This study involving 570 women aged 60 years or older with heart disease, assessed the effects of a disease management program on physical functioning, symptom experience, and psychosocial status. METHODS: Women were randomly assigned to control or program groups. Six to eight women met weekly with a health educator and peer leader over 4 weeks to learn self-regulation skills with physical activity as the focus. Evaluative data were collected through telephone interviews, physical assessments, and medical records at baseline and 4 and 12 months post baseline. RESULTS: At 12 months, compared with controls, program women were less symptomatic (p < .01), scored better on the physical dimension of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP; p < 0.05), had improved ambulation as measured by the 6-minute walk (p < 0.01), and lost more body weight (p < .001). No differences related to psychosocial factors as measured by the SIP were noted. CONCLUSION: A self-regulation-based program that was provided to older women with heart disease and that focused on physical activity and disease management problems salient to them, improved their physical functioning and symptom experience. Psychosocial benefit was not evident and may be a result of measurement error or due to insufficient program time spent on psychosocial aspects of functioning.

Aged↗

Induced natural killer-like cytotoxic function in the TCR delta-1 positive human leukemic T-cell lines.

Four human leukemic T-cell lines with a T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma/delta heterodimer (MOLT-13, MOLT-14, and PEER) or beta/delta-heterodimer (DND-41), as determined by monoclonal antibody (mAb), TCR delta-1, were identified by phenotypic and genotypic analysis. Two similar human leukemic T-cell lines with a TCR alpha/beta heterodimer (CCRF-CEM and MOLT-16) were used in this study. Natural killer (NK)-like activity was investigated in the TCR gamma/delta+ cell lines and TCR alpha/beta+ cell lines induced by exogenous recombinant human IL-2 (rIL-2), or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Three (MOLT-13, MOLT-14, and DND-41 cells) of the four TCR delta-1 positive cell lines, after 48 h treatment with exogenous rIL-2 or PMA (except DND-41), showed NK-like activity to K562, but not to Daudi cells. Furthermore, when MOLT-13, MOLT-14, and DND-41 cells were co-cultured with rIL-2 or PMA, 5-20% of these cells expressed the beta-subunit of IL-2R. Treatment with rIL-2 or PMA induced the expression of the beta-subunit of IL-2R, which in turn induced IL-2R. Subsequently these cells could transmit the signal for the induction of NK-like cytotoxicity. These findings indicate that changes in the beta-subunit of IL-2R expression may be responsible for the target cell specificity of activated effector cells.

CD4 Antigens↗

Adolescent social competence: effectiveness in a group setting.

We used a longitudinal data set to evaluate an observational assessment of adolescent competence within a group context. Participants were 40 (21 males, 19 females) ethnically diverse children who had earlier been observed in summer camp (age 10) and preschool (age 4 1/2), as well as in infancy. A revealed differences task was videotaped as part of an intensive weekend camp reunion at ages 15 to 16. Raters, blind to the adolescents' developmental histories, coded each adolescent on the following behavioral rating scales: enjoyment of the task, involvement, leadership, self-confidence in the task, and global social competence. Both concurrent validity (strong correlations with independent camp reunion counselor ratings and peer sociometric measures) and clear associations with antecedent measures of peer competence in preschool and middle childhood were demonstrated. A pattern of correlations revealed considerable discriminate validity. Neither IQ nor socioeconomic status accounted for these associations. Overall, the results confirm the power of a developmentally appropriate, taxing, behaviorally based assessment of group functioning as a measure of competence in adolescence.

Adolescent↗

Event-related potentials associated with second language learning in children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated learning-related changes in auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) of Finnish-speaking 3-6-year-old children caused by learning French language. METHODS: Using an oddball paradigm, ERPs to sounds of French language were recorded in the two groups of healthy children: those who were learning French (experimental group) and those who were not learning any foreign language (control peers). RESULTS: When the children from the experimental group were exposed to the foreign language, they automatically developed French-specific memory traces that helped them to discriminate, categorize, and pronounce utterances of the new language as indicated by the mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the ERPs in a previous study. We found that the learning process was also reflected by changes in P3a and late difference negativity (LDN) responses. Unlike MMN and P3a, the LDN has been discovered relatively recently and its functional role remains unclear. Similarly, as the MMN magnitude increased during the learning process, an increase of the P3a (known to reflect the involuntary attention switching toward deviant stimuli) and LDN amplitudes was observed. The ERPs of the control peers did not change significantly over the test period. CONCLUSIONS: When phonemes of a foreign language are learned, this process is accompanied with the increase in the MMN, P3a, and LDN amplitudes in children. Though the functional significance of LDN remains to be further investigated, our results support its possible link to reorienting processes following distraction.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Telelearning in ophthalmology.

The virtual ophthalmic clinic has been developed to provide an interactive learning platform within the correspondence courses of the Virtual University of Bavaria. It presents clinical case examples from ophthalmology. Basic concepts are a case-based learning dialogue (didactics), peer reviewing (quality), role-based access (organization) and thin web clients (availability). The following requirements had to be fulfilled: Best possible accessibility for students, authors and reviewers; learning control function; comfortable management. The application architecture is based on a relational data base, a ColdFusion (Allaire, Newton, MA, USA) web application server, a standard web server. So far, the application was used in four terms of the virtual university.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

Interpersonal disabilities: social skill deficits in older children and adolescents. Their description, assessment, and management.

Good social skills are critical for peer acceptance and friendship formation, which are developmental missions for the older child and adolescent. Good social skills can be developed and can favorably influence other domains of function. A sensitive and comprehensive assessment and management plan is essential. Pediatricians have a unique vantage point because of their familiarity with a child, the family, the school and community, and their knowledge of child development and behavior. Pediatricians can therefore play a central role in the assessment, management, and follow-up of social skills problems.

Adolescent↗

Social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: It was hypothesized that children with cancer would have more social problems and difficulties with emotional well-being than case control, same race/gender, similarly aged classmates. STUDY DESIGN: Using a case controlled design, children with any type of cancer requiring chemotherapy except brain tumors (n = 76), currently receiving chemotherapy, ages 8 to 15, were compared with case control classroom peers (n = 76). Peer relationships, emotional well-being, and behavior were evaluated based on peer, teacher, parent, and self-report, and were compared using analysis of variance and structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Relative to case controls, children with cancer were perceived by teachers as being more sociable; by teachers and peers as being less aggressive; and by peers as having greater social acceptance. Measures of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-concept showed no significant differences, except children with cancer reported significantly lower satisfaction with current athletic competence. There were also no significant differences in mother or father perceptions of behavioral problems, emotional well-being, or social functioning. Scores on all standardized measures were in the normal range for both groups. Comparisons of the correlation matrices of children with cancer and to the correlation matrix of the comparison children using structural equation modeling suggested they were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Children with cancer currently receiving chemotherapy were remarkably similar to case controls on measures of emotional well-being and better on several dimensions of social functioning. These findings are not supportive of disability/stress models of childhood chronic illness and suggest considerable psychologic hardiness.

Adolescent↗

Accommodative dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence, nature, and degree of accommodative dysfunction among children with different types and severities of cerebral palsy (CP) in Northern Ireland. METHODS: Ninety subjects with CP (aged 4-15 years) were recruited through the Northern Ireland CP Register (NICPR). Modified Nott dynamic retinoscopy was used to measure lag and lead of accommodation at three test distances: 25 cm (4 D), 16.7 cm (6 D), and 10 cm (10 D) with the distance correction in place. Accommodative function was also assessed in an age-matched control group (n = 125) for comparison. Each subject's neurologic status was derived from the NICPR. RESULTS: Children with CP demonstrate significantly reduced accommodative responses compared with their neurologically normal peers. Of the subjects with CP, 57.6% demonstrated an accommodative lag outside normal limits at one or more distances. Reduced accommodative responses were significantly associated with more severe motor and intellectual impairments (ANOVA P = 0.001, P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Brain injury such as that present in CP has a significant impact on accommodative function. These findings have implications for the optometric care of children with CP and inform our understanding of the impact of early brain injury on visual development.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

Confirmatory and disconfirmatory family communication as predictor of offspring socio-emotional functioning. A 10 to 14 year follow-up of children at risk.

Forty-nine families from the University of Rochester Child and Family Study were followed up 10 to 14 years after initial assessment. Two inclusion criteria were applied: at least one of the parents should have been hospitalized for a functional psychiatric disorder before initial assessment and the male index offspring should be 18 years or older at follow-up. Family communication was observed by the Consensus Rorschach procedure and coded with the Confirmation-Disconfirmation Coding System. Offspring childhood social competence was rated by peers, teachers and parents. Outcome measures included the Denver Community Mental Health Questionnaire, the Global Assessment Scale and hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder. Results showed that the family's level of confirmation and disconfirmation communication during Consensus Rorschach at initial testing predicted offspring interpersonal functioning and hospitalization for psychiatric disorders. These findings were not due to the initial social competence or IQ of the child, the level of functional impairment in parents or their social class.

Adolescent↗

Do right-handers live longer? An updated assessment of baseball player data.

In support of the argument that left-handedness is a marker for decreased survival fitness, in 1991 Coren and Halpern gave considerable weight to the results of their 1988 study in which right-handed baseball players were described as having lived about eight months longer than their left-handed peers. In their 1993 unsuccessful attempt to replicate this study, Fudin and colleagues cited certain difficulties with the sources of these data that led them to recommend a comprehensive third study which included only reliable data from the two current editions of the major sources of information on Major League baseball players, i.e., the 1993 editions of The Baseball Encyclopedia and Total Baseball. Following this suggestion, we measured the life spans of all baseball players, i.e., right-, left-, and mixed-handed players, for whom reliable data were available (N = 5441) and found that the relationship between handedness and longevity was not significant. Unlike Halpern and Coren we noted that right-handed players could be described as having lived about eight months less than their left-handed peers.

Aged↗

The effect of physical abuse on children's social and affective status: a model of cognitive and behavioral processes explaining the association.

This study proposes a model explaining the association between physical abuse of children and children's social and affective status as one in which children's social expectations and behavior, developed within the context of abusive parenting, mediate current functioning in these two outcome domains. Subjects included one hundred 9 to 12-year-old physically abused children recruited from consecutive entries onto the New York State Register for Child Abuse for New York City and 100 case-matched classmate nonabused comparison children. Sociometric assessments were carried out in classrooms, interviews were conducted with the children and their parents, and teachers, parents, and classmates rated the children's behavior. Path analysis was utilized to test the conceptually derived models. Children's social expectations regarding peers, and two social behaviors--aggressive behavior and prosocial behavior--were found to mediate between abuse and positive and negative social status, as well as between abuse and positive and negative reciprocity. Social expectations and withdrawn behavior mediated between abuse and positive social status, but only where withdrawn behavior was a function of social expectations. Social expectations were generally found to mediate between abuse and internalizing problems. Negative social status (peer rejection) added to social expectations in producing internalizing problems. Identification of these mediating pathways can serve to guide secondary preventive intervention efforts so that they best address the problems abused children face in the absence of adequate parental and peer support as the children enter adolescence.

Affective Symptoms↗

Acute effects of ambient ozone on asthmatic, wheezy, and healthy children.

Southern California children (10 to 12 years old) participated in a two-season study to assess the potential acute respiratory effects of ambient ozone (O3). Asthmatic (n = 49), wheezy (n = 53), and healthy (n = 93) children completed a four-day (Friday through Monday) study protocol, once in spring and again in summer, that included the use of daily activity and symptom diaries, heart rate recording devices, personal O3 samplers, and maximal effort spirometry several times per day. Data from regional monitoring stations were used to establish ambient hourly O3 concentrations. Analyses revealed that the children spent more time outdoors and were more physically active in the spring. Girls spent less time outdoors and were less physically active than boys. Personal O3 samplers correlated poorly with, and generally gave lower readings than, outdoor ambient monitors. Higher personal O3 exposures were associated generally with increased inhaler use, more outdoor time, and more physical activity. Children with asthma spent more time outdoors and were more active in the spring on high-O3 days (measured by personal sampler), and had the most trouble breathing, the most wheezing, and the most inhaler use on these days. Activity pattern data suggested that children with asthma protected themselves by being less physically active outdoors during the summer on high-O3 days. Wheezy children had the most trouble breathing during the summer on low-O3 days (measured by personal sampler). Observed relationships between O3 and pulmonary function were erratic and difficult to reconcile with existing knowledge about the acute respiratory effects of air pollution. We conclude that although asthmatic and wheezy children behave differently from their healthy peers with regard to symptoms and patterns of activity when challenged by ambient ozone, the nature of these changes remains inconsistent and ill-defined.

Acute Disease↗