Joan Newman

Analysis of PCB congeners related to cognitive functioning in adolescents.

To investigate the characteristics of PCBs that are linked to cognitive functioning, those congeners that were concurrently found in 271 Mohawk adolescents were grouped according to structure (dioxin-like or non-dioxin-like) and persistence (persistent or low-persistent). After the effects of the congener groups were orthogonalized, regression analyses (controlling for a number of variables found to be related to the cognitive outcomes) examined the relationship of each congener group to scores on three cognitive tests (the non-verbal Ravens Progressive Matrices, the Test of Memory and Learning, and the Woodcock Johnson-Revised). Five subtests from these cognitive tests were found to be associated with one or more PCB congener groups, most often at a moderate level. Two measures of long-term memory (Delayed Recall and Long Term Retrieval) were associated with all four congener groups. Nevertheless, examination of the role of individual congeners in the significantly related congener groups revealed that almost all congeners associated with cognitive outcomes were non-dioxin-like and ortho-substituted. A notable exception was the Ravens test where scores were associated only with dioxin-like congeners. This finding adds to the limited evidence of neurotoxic effects of dioxin-like congeners. Auditory Processing was related only to the persistent congener group. The association of the non-persistent congener group with three cognitive test scores (Delayed Recall, Long Term Retrieval and Comprehension-Knowledge) suggests that the Mohawk adolescents have experienced continuing or recent environmental exposure to PCBs that is sufficient to result in detectable cognitive decrements. Comparison of our findings with those of other human studies was limited by the relative lack of specificity of both PCB measures and cognitive outcome measures in much previous work.

Health Disparities and Toxicant Exposure of Akwesasne Mohawk Young Adults: A Partnership Approach to Research

In this article we describe a research partnership between the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and scientists at the University at Albany, State University of New York, initiated to address community and scientific concerns regarding environmental contamination and its health consequences (thyroid hormone function, social adjustment, and school functioning). The investigation focuses on cultural inputs into health disparities. It employs a risk-focusing model of biocultural interaction: behaviors expressing cultural identity and values allocate or focus risk, in this instance the risk of toxicant exposure, which alters health status through the effects of toxicants. As culturally based behaviors and activities fulfill a key role in the model, accurate assessment of subtle cultural and behavioral variables is required and best accomplished through integration of local expert knowledge from the community. As a partnership project, the investigation recognizes the cultural and socioeconomic impacts of research in small communities beyond the production of scientific knowledge. The components of sustainable partnerships are discussed, including strategies that helped promote equity between the partners such as hiring community members as key personnel, integrating local expertise into research design, and developing a local Community Outreach and Education Program. Although challenges arose during the design and implementation of the research project, a collaborative approach has benefited the community and facilitated research.

What Do They Usually Do After School? A Comparative Analysis of Fourth-Grade Children in Bulgaria, Taiwan, and the United States

The activities and self-direction allowed after school provide children in different countries with distinct developmental opportunities that promote culturally valued orientations and outcomes. Fourth-grade children in Bulgaria, Taiwan, and the United States (countries with contrasting social values and expectations) reported their usual activities during each after-school hour on 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day. The children also reported whether the activities were self-chosen or chosen by an adult. There were considerable differences in the reported activity patterns, with particular contrast between the American and the Taiwanese children. Compared to American children, Taiwanese reported spending more time in academic and extracurricular pursuits and less time in playing, reading for fun, in sports, or in self-chosen activities. There was substantial agreement in the gender-based participation differences across countries. Girls reported less time spent in free play or computer games and more time in reading, extracurricular activities, routines, and adult-chosen activities.

Temperament and adolescent problematic Internet use

Problematic Internet use (PIU) creates psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a persons life. This study examined the unique roles of four dimensions of temperament (effortful control, sensation seeking, anger/frustration, and shyness) on adolescent PIU, as well as the mediating role of deviant peer affiliation (DPA) on these pathways. Participants were 2758 Chinese adolescents (46% male; mean age?=?13.53 years, SD?=?1.06) selected by stratified and random cluster sampling from 10 middle schools in southern China. After covariates were controlled, structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that effortful control negatively predicted PIU, while sensation seeking, anger/frustration and shyness positively predicted PIU. SEM also identified that DPA partially mediated the pathway from all four temperament dimensions to PIU. These findings provide evidence for the relationship between specific temperament dimensions and adolescent PIU, and highlight DPA as one explanation for the prevalence of PIU. We examined intrapersonal (temperament) and interpersonal (DPA) impacts on PIU.Four temperaments have differential direct associations with adolescent PIU.Deviant peer affiliation mediated the associations of four temperaments and PIU.Practitioners should attend to the roles of temperaments and deviant peers in PIU.

Ethical Conflict among Clinical Psychologists and other Mental Health Workers

In a small geographical area a study was undertaken to determine the ethical conflicts experienced by mental health workers related to their clinical interventions. An Ethical Conflict Questionnaire, a 20-item, self-report attitude measure, was sent to all mental health workers in a tri-city area. A multivariate analysis of variance of the 164 returned questionnaires indicated that sex, years of clinical experience, and occupation (psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric social worker, psychiatric nurse, and a combined group of mostly vocational rehabilitation counselors and mental health therapy aides) significantly affect reported ethical conflict.

Autonomy in After-School Activity Choice Among Preadolescents From Taiwan and the United States

The study examined boys’ and girls’ autonomy of choice of activities in the after-school hours with samples of children from two different countries. Preadolescent children from Taiwan (n = 289) and the United States (n = 195) completed a questionnaire on their usual after-school activities indicating who determines the choice of any particular activity and the extent to which the activity engendered positive affect. The two samples of children differed significantly with respect to the proportion of self-chosen time spent in particular activities (educational activities, organized activities, media use, and personal care and household chores) and overall. Patterns for the two genders were largely consistent across the two samples. Girls reported somewhat less choice in activities overall, and hanging out with peers specifically, whereas boys disclosed less choice in academic activities. However, it was found that for both samples and genders, proportion of autonomy in activities was positively related to reported enjoyment and inversely related to anxiety.

PCBs and measures of attention and impulsivity on a continuous performance task of young adults

The present study examines the relationship between current body burden of persistent PCBs and attention and impulsivity in 140 Akwesasne Mohawk young adults aged 17 to 21 whose environment has been contaminated by industrial effluent. Attention and impulsivity were measured by errors of omission, errors of commission, and patterns of reaction time responses on the Conners Continuous Performance Test. The PCB measure was the sum of those persistent PCB congeners detected in 50% of the participants. After adjusting for multiple covariates, regression analyses showed a significant positive relationship between PCB levels and omission scores, but only for males.

“My big sister the town supervisor”: Family leadership training is not just for boys

This study investigates gender similarity in the effects of birth order upon political leadership. Town supervisors were the leaders studied as there are a considerable number of women who attain this level of leadership. Questionnaires about birth order and family size were gained from 66 women who were town supervisors in New York State in 1992, and compared to a randomly selected sample of 57 male town supervisors. It was found that women as well as men town supervisors were more likely to have been first born in their families. However, whereas gender does not apparently influence the relevance of birth order for leadership, it clearly does exert an influence on the level of political leadership attained. Women town supervisors gained their positions in towns that were considerably smaller than the towns led by the male supervisors. Discussion concerned the nature of family experiences that contribute to leadership training, including those that may be different for girls and boys. Further research is needed to clarify barriers to female assertion of political leadership at more senior levels, because as this study shows, female leadership is being trained in families.