Theoretical models of affectionate versus affectionless control in anxious families: a critical examination based on observations of parent-child interactions.

Psychosocial theories focused on the intrafamilial transmission of anxiety often concentrate on specific parenting behaviors that increase risk of anxiety disorders in children. Two such theories--affectionate versus affectionless control--both implicate parenting, although differently, in the pathogenesis of childhood anxiety. The present article reviews observational studies that focus on interactions between parents and children in anxious families in order to examine critically each of these two models. We divide these observational studies into two groups: those that seek to characterize the behavior of anxious parents (top-down studies) versus parents of anxious children (bottom-up studies). This approach reveals that there is a consistent relationship between controlling parental behavior in families with anxiety-disordered children as well as a consistent relationship between parental behavior low in warmth and families with anxiety-disordered parents. The present article discusses the implications of the pattern that unfolds from the observational studies of the last decade and provides suggestions for future research in the area.

Can the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale assess perfeccionismo?

Although culture-based measurement bias threatens the validity of intergroup comparison research, measurement invariance is often assumed rather than demonstrated by researchers who draw conclusions about cross-cultural similarities or differences. The current article investigates the cross-cultural invariance of a popular measure of perfectionism, the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS; Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990) for a Hispanic/Latina sample. Perfectionism, which encompasses high goal setting and sensitivity to critical evaluation, is a transdiagnostic risk factor for internalizing psychopathology that especially warrants focus among groups burdened by mental health disparities. Multiple samples were used in a series of analyses to construct a baseline first-order measurement model and test for cross-group equivalence. For model development, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used with 320 female participants (Mage = 19.61 years) who identified primarily (n = 301) as European/European American. Measurement invariance testing was conducted with multigroup CFAs using another sample of female adults (n = 574; Mage = 21.21 years), identifying either as European/European American (n = 217) or Hispanic/Latina/Latin American (n = 357). Evidence was found for invariance across the revised F-MPS factor structure, pattern of factor loadings, and factor variances/covariances. Results indicate that predictive relationships may be compared across these groups, but caution is suggested when interpreting raw mean score differences due to intercept nonequivalence. Further, second-order model testing demonstrated support for the bidimensional model of perfectionism cross-culturally. Future research on perfectionism within the Latino/a population is encouraged using this equivalent item set. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Program Aimed toward Inclusive Excellence for Underrepresented Undergraduate Women in the Sciences.

Created to foster inclusive excellence, Smith College's Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (AEMES) Scholars program provides early faculty-mentored research opportunities and other programming as a way to foster success in academic outcomes for underrepresented women in science. Using academic record data, we compared Scholars' outcomes over time with those of underrepresented students before program launch and to relevant peer comparison groups. Since its launch, AEMES Scholars have achieved significantly higher gateway life sciences course grade point averages (GPAs), rates of persistence in life and natural sciences, and participation in natural sciences advanced research relative to baseline. Gains for Scholars in gateway course GPA eliminated the significant gap that previously existed between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-underrepresented and other students, whereas gains in natural sciences persistence now has Scholars continuing in STEM at significantly higher rates than all other students. Many of the gains for AEMES Scholars were echoed in findings of improved outcomes for our STEM students overall since AEMES' launch. Underrepresented students who were not part of the Scholars program also evidenced increased gateway course GPA over this same period. We discuss potential explanations for these outcomes and ongoing work aimed at achieving further inclusive excellence for women in the sciences.

Who is best at predicting children's anxiety in response to a social evaluative task? A comparison of child, parent, and teacher reports.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the validity of child, parent, and teacher reports of child social anxiety in predicting the child's responses to a social evaluative task. Children, parents, and teachers each completed a measure of social anxiety, as well as a measure that asked them to predict the child's anxiety during a behavioral approach task (BAT) of reading aloud in front of a video camera. Consistent with previous literature, analyses revealed poor agreement across informants. Importantly, children's reports predicted their own anxious feelings and, to some degree, their behaviors during the task, whereas other informants' reports did not. We recommend that further research examine the relative validity of multiple informants' reports in predicting children's real-life behavior.

Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Capstone Institutions.

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes principles of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones represent a range of institutional missions, student profiles, and geographical locations. Each successfully directed activities toward persistence of STEM students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through a set of common elements: mentoring programs to build community; research experiences to strengthen scientific skill/identity; attention to quantitative skills; and outreach/bridge programs to broaden the student pool. This paper grounds these program elements in learning theory, emphasizing their essential principles with examples of how they were implemented within institutional contexts. We also describe common assessment approaches that in many cases informed programming and created traction for stakeholder buy-in. The lessons learned from our shared experiences in pursuit of inclusive excellence, including the resources housed on our companion website, can inform others' efforts to increase access to and persistence in STEM in higher education.

A critical examination of the construct of perfectionism and its relationship to mental health in Asian and African Americans using a cross-cultural framework.

Although the bulk of the research literature on the construct of perfectionism and its relationship to mental health in the last 20 years has focused predominantly on Caucasian American samples, researchers are paying increasing attention to understanding perfectionism's dimensions across ethnicities. Given this momentum, the purpose of this paper is to use a cross-cultural framework to review published studies assessing perfectionism in members of an ethnic minority group living in the United States. Research to date has focused exclusively on Asian and African American samples and we organize our review by separating this literature into those studies that use level and structure-oriented cross-cultural approaches. Structure-oriented approaches empirically explore the phenomenology and/or correlates of perfectionism within each ethnic group whereas level-oriented approaches examine the relative magnitude of perfectionism's levels across groups. The last section of the review critically examines the strength of the evidence in support of researchers' arguments that certain sociocultural factors, such as collectivism and parenting style, influence perfectionism's expression and implications for ethnic minorities. Throughout the review, we offer a series of steps researchers can take to foster our understanding of perfectionism and its impacts using a cross-cultural perspective.

Scoring error of social avoidance and distress scale and its psychometric implications.

An error in the scoring instructions of the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), one of the most popular instruments to measure social anxiety, is discussed.