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InPsych 2019 | Vol 41

June | Issue 3

InPsych 2019 | Vol 41

Education and research : Research snapshot

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Aggression risk factors for children

Early family predictors tracked for development of physical aggression problems in boys and girls.

This research aimed to explore the early family predictors of children on the high physical aggression pathway. Using multitrajectory modelling to identify distinct patterns of physical aggression from 1.5–13 years of age, the researchers examined longitudinal data from a sample of 2223 infants. Seven interviews were undertaken (at ages 1.5–8 years) with the person most knowledgeable about the child (mothers in 99.6% of cases). Teachers assessed the child’s behaviour at ages 6–13 years. Self-reports of any behavioural problems were also taken from the child between ages 10–13 years. Three developmental trajectories of physical aggression were noted for girls, and five for boys. Most family characteristics observed five months after a child’s birth were associated with a high physical aggression trajectory for both boys and girls. Family characteristics at five months after birth could be used to target preschool interventions to prevent the development of chronic physical aggression issues.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6364

Death risk higher for people with autism

People with autism and additional mental and physical health conditions more than twice as likely to die early.

Australian researchers examined the rates and risk factors for mortality and cause of death for 35,929 people on the autism spectrum (age range 5–64). Using linked datasets spanning 2001–2015, they found rates of death for people on the spectrum were 2.06 times that of the general population. Concurrent intellectual disability, epilepsy, mental health conditions and chronic physical health conditions were all associated with the increased risk of death. The leading causes of death were nervous system and sense disorders, including epilepsy, and injury and poisoning including self-harm and suicide. The findings suggest a need for greater health promotion and management of concurrent physical and mental health conditions for people with autism.

doi.org/10.1002/aur.2086

Native language advantage?

The language you speak may influence the way you consciously perceive.

A new German study outlines a connection between language structure and consciousness. Using electroencephalography and the attentional-blink paradigm, 28 native Greek speakers, who distinguish categorically between light and dark shades of blue, showed increased perception for that contrast compared with a verbally unmarked green contrast. Electrophysiological signatures of early-visual processing for the task also predicted this advantage. In addition, 29 native German speakers, who have only one category for light and dark shades of blue, displayed no differences in perception between blue and green targets. This was replicated using 46 native Russian speakers. The results suggest that linguistic enhancement of colour contrasts provides an advantage to accessing visual consciousness. Given this, native language may be seen as one of the factors determining the way people consciously perceive.

doi.org/10.1177/0956797618782181

Predicting rising stars

Psychological constellations assessed at the age of 13 indicate eminence decades later.

A team from the USA wanted to understand whether particular math/scientific and verbal/humanistic ability and preferences, modelled using gifted 13-year-olds, could predict their educational achievements at 23. In addition, they examined whether these same people would go on to attain distinct forms of ‘eminence’ 35 years later. Eminence was defined as having accomplished something rare by the age of 50, such as having a high-impact career as a professor, Fortune 500 executive, a judge, leader in biomedicine, award-winning writer etc. The first study consisted of 677 intellectually gifted youth assessed at age 13. Their accomplishments were assessed again 35 years later. The second study was an analysis of 605 top science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduate students, assessed on the same predictor constructs early in graduate school and again after 25 years. In both samples, the same ability and preference parameter values identified those who ultimately distinguished themselves from their peers in terms of life pursuits.

doi.org/10.1177/0956797618822524

Quick thinking

We use less information than we think we do to make up our minds.

While we may have access to a wide range of information to make judgments such as good or bad, we use less information than expected. This was supported in seven studies which tested whether people can correctly anticipate how much information they and others use when making varied judgments. The researchers consistently found that people were surprised by how quickly they made judgments and how little information they use doing so. They suggested that minds are less curious and less open to information than we assume, which can lead to costly misunderstandings, such as overworking to impress others and overpaying for decision aids. While we may believe that exchanging more information will lead to better informed decisions some of this may be lost on decisions already made.

doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1805327115

Trivial trigger warnings

Despite an increasing trend toward issuing trigger warnings, they may be largely irrelevant.

Researchers from New Zealand and the USA conducted six experiments to examine the way trigger warnings play out in real-world contexts. Increasingly, students are requesting that university staff issue prior warnings to the class if course material may cause distress. The participants were exposed to negative content, with only some receiving a trigger warning beforehand. The symptoms and perception of distress in all participants were then measured. To assess the impact of the trigger warnings’ effects, a metaanalysis of this data was also undertaken. The results showed that trigger warnings had nominal effects, with people reporting similar levels of negative affect, intrusions, and avoidance regardless of whether they received a trigger warning or not. In addition, this pattern was the same even among participants with a history of trauma. These findings indicate trigger warnings may be neither damaging nor helpful in a meaningful way.

doi.org/10.1177/2167702619827018

References

Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on June 2019. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.

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