Effects of priming goal pursuit on implicit sequence learning.

Implicit learning, the type of learning that occurs without intent to learn or awareness of what has been learned, has been thought to be insensitive to the effects of priming, but recent studies suggest this is not the case. One study found that learning in the serial reaction time (SRT) task was improved by nonconscious goal pursuit, primed via a word search task (Eitam et al. in Psychol Sci 19:261-267, 2008). In two studies, we used the goal priming word search task from Eitam et al., but with a different version of the SRT, the alternating serial reaction time task (ASRT). Unlike the SRT, which often results in explicit knowledge and assesses sequence learning at one point in time, the ASRT has been shown to be implicit through sensitive measures of judgment, and it enables sequence learning to be measured continuously. In both studies, we found that implicit learning was superior in the groups that were primed for goal achievement compared to control groups, but the effect was transient. We discuss possible reasons for the observed time course of the positive effects of goal priming, as well as some future areas of investigation to better understand the mechanisms that underlie this effect, which could lead to methods to prolong the positive effects.

Revisiting the impact of part-time work on adolescent adjustment: distinguishing between selection and socialization using propensity score matching.

The impact of part-time employment on adolescent functioning remains unclear because most studies fail to adequately control for differential selection into the workplace. The present study reanalyzes data from L. Steinberg, S. Fegley, and S. M. Dornbusch (1993) using multiple imputation, which minimizes bias in effect size estimation, and 2 types of propensity score matching, to account for selection effects. In this sample (N = 1,792; Grades 10-11, M = 16.26), youth who begin working more than 20 hr per week evince declines in school engagement and increases in substance use and delinquency compared with youth who remain unemployed. Conversely, working 20 hr or less a week has negligible effects, positive or negative, on academic, psychological, or behavioral outcomes.

Identity-linked perceptions of the police among African American juvenile offenders: a developmental perspective.

Ethnic identity development can play a role in youths' perceptions and attitudes concerning police, but this process has not been explored in delinquent samples. In this article, we examine how youths' perceptions of police legitimacy and levels of legal cynicism are related to processes of ethnic identity development. Participants were 561 black youth ages 14-18 (12% female) who were adjudicated of a felony or serious misdemeanor. Data were taken from semi-annual interviews conducted over 3 years. Increased ethnic identity exploration was related to positive perceptions of police legitimacy and lower legal cynicism. Higher ethnic identity affirmation predicted higher perceived legitimacy over time, but affirmation was not related to legal cynicism after accounting for psychosocial maturity. This study provides evidence that ethnic identity development operates similarly among high risk youth as in non-delinquent samples, and that it is connected to beliefs that can have implications for juvenile offenders' future compliance with the law.

What matters to people with Parkinson's disease living in Australia?

Patient-centred care is increasingly being recognised as an integral aspect of improving the quality of health care services. There has been a recent interest in taking a patient-centred approach to Parkinson's disease (PD) care by involving patients in shared decision making, as well as providing access to multidisciplinary teams of medical practitioners, PD nurse specialists, and allied health professionals. However, to our knowledge there are no data regarding patient preferences for interventions in PD management. The present study examined the relative importance of issues regarding quality of life for people living with PD in Australia using a self-administered survey. Overall, respondents ranked more research funding in PD (mean rank, 340.42) as the most important issue, access to PD nurses (285.50) in second place, followed by access to multidisciplinary facilities/clinics with allied health professionals (283.39) in third place, subsidised PD treatments (233.50) in fourth place, and better general practitioner education (184.69) as the least important issue of the options offered. There was a statistically significant difference between the five issues (H[4] = 65.38, p < 0.001). Within the framework of patient-centred care, public funding allocations perhaps should be based on what patients want. As such, these findings suggest that for people living with a chronic, progressive, incurable illness, research is highly valued.

Acculturation and Enculturation Trajectories Among Mexican-American Adolescent Offenders.

This study examines changes over time in ethnic affirmation/belonging and ethnic identity achievement, Spanish language use, English language use, Mexican/Mexican-American affiliation/identification and Anglo affiliation/identification in a sample of Mexican-American adolescents participating in a longitudinal study of juvenile offenders. The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II were completed by the Mexican-American adolescents 7 times over a 3-year period. The findings from longitudinal growth modeling analyses and growth mixture modeling analyses indicate that there is heterogeneity in the initial scores and changes over time on these variables that are related to markers for the cultural qualities of the home environment (i.e., generational status and mother's most frequent language use). In contrast to expectations, marginalized or assimilated acculturation trajectories/types were not overrepresented in this sample of adolescent offenders. Implications for our understanding of the nature of acculturation and enculturation processes and the way these processes are studied are discussed.