The purpose of this study was to examine the potential moderating effects of CU traits on the relationship between self-reported social intelligence and aggression in a community sample of boys and girls (ages 14-18). Four subtypes of aggression were measured: reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational. Results indicated that there was not a significant association between social intelligence and any of the aggression subtypes. Neither CU traits nor empathy moderated the association between social intelligence and any of the four subtypes of aggression. Supplementary analyses were conducted to investigate whether level and type of aggression was related to levels of social intelligence and CU traits (or an interaction between the two). Results indicated that at high levels of CU traits, youth exhibited significantly higher levels of proactive overt and reactive overt aggression (t(113.06) than at low levels of CU traits.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been shown to designate a particular subgroup of antisocial youth that are particularly violent, recidivistic, and more likely to continue offending in adulthood. Disordered neuroendocrine function may be a mechanism for the development of CU traits. We examined whether altered stress responsivity served as a mechanism linking stress exposure and the expression of CU traits. Participants were 15 incarcerated adolescent girls with CU traits. Measures of CU traits, stress exposure, and salivary cortisol were collected. Results revealed girls with CU traits had higher morning levels of cortisol, an intact cortisol awakening response (CAR), and flatter diurnal rhythms. Results indicated the type of stressor being measured and time since stressor onset are crucial to the interpretation of neuroendocrine function. We also found support for a neurobiological model for the development of CU traits drawing on the Adaptive Calibration Model. Implications of the study and directions for further research are discussed.

The current study aims to examine whether the association between conduct problems and bullying are accounted for by different factors in those with and without callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Participants included 284 students in the 4th through 7th grades. Results indicated that conduct problems and bullying were significantly correlated, and that this association was not moderated by CU traits. Moreover, anger dysregulation, and to some extent, victimization, were more strongly associated with conduct problems in those with lower levels of CU traits. Furthermore, conduct problems were more strongly related to attitudes towards bullying for those lower on CU traits than for those higher on CU traits. Finally, anger dysregulation, victimization, perceived peer support, and attitudes towards bullying did not account for the association between conduct problems and bullying.

Previous research has demonstrated an association between violence exposure and aggression; however, research exploring the association between violence exposure and the forms and functions of aggression is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between trauma exposure with both reactive and proactive functions of aggression by examining two potential mediators (e.g., psychopathic traits and emotional dysregulation). Participants included 132 male juvenile offenders mandated to treatment in a residential facility (M = 16.78 years old; SD = 1.25). Results indicate emotional dysregulation partially mediated the association between trauma exposure and reactive aggression while controlling for proactive aggression. However, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that psychopathic traits mediated the association between trauma exposure and proactive aggression. Results suggest trauma exposure is important in the development of reactive aggression. Thus, treatment approaches for aggressive youth should address issues of trauma exposure.

Secular change has been documented in a number of studies focused on cranial and postcranial morphometrics and nonmetric traits. However, to date, few studies have addressed the potential of temporal change occurring in the expression of cranial nonmetric traits utilized in ancestry estimation. This study examines the effect of secular change on the expression of 23 cranial and mandibular nonmetric traits frequently employed in ancestry estimation; with age-at-death, sex, and year-of-birth of each individual documented for data analysis. Data were collected from European American individuals from the Hamann-Todd Skeletal Collection (n=518) and from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection (n=602). Individuals were divided into birth-year cohorts as follows: Hamann-Todd Skeletal Collection: 1824-1849 (Cohort 1), 1850-1874 (Cohort 2), 1875-1899 (Cohort 3), and 1900-1924 (Cohort 4); William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection: 1900-1924 (Cohort 4), 1925-1949 (Cohort 5), and 1950-1987 (Cohort 6). Pearson’s chi-square analyses produced significant p-values (≤ 0.01) in 19 of the 23 traits between the six birth-year cohorts. Factor maps generated through correspondence analyses were used as visual representations of relative trait expression between the cohorts. Ordinal regression analyses assessed the degree of variation between each cohort in relation to Cohort 1 along with the influence of age-at-death and sex on trait expression. Overall, analyses of the data revealed that secular change has occurred in 11 of the 23 traits, including: anterior nasal spine (ANS), malar tubercle (MT), nasal bone contour (NBC), postbregmatic depression (PBD), supranasal suture (SPS), transverse palatine suture (TPS), zygomaticomaxillary suture (ZS), gonial angle flare (GAF), mandibular tori (MDT), and posterior ramus edge inversion (PREI). Change in trait expression occurred in both males and females in seven traits, including: ANS, MT, TPS, ZS, GAF, MDT, and PREI. Significant change in trait expression occurred predominately between Cohorts 3 and 4 (birth years ranging from 1875 to 1924) and Cohorts 4 and 5 (birth years ranging from 1900 to 1949). This study demonstrates that secular change in nonmetric cranial and mandibular traits has occurred over the last two centuries with the greatest change appearing at the turn of the twentieth century.

The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality is one of the prominent models in contemporary psychology and defines personality in terms of five broad factors, namely, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Recent research, however, questions the applicability of the FFM in non-Western cultures, suggesting that it is not exhaustive enough and that it does not account for some other personality factors, most notably Individualism/Collectivism. Therefore, this study investigated whether the FFM of personality is related to Individualism/Collectivism in a sample of South African students. A total of 176 questionnaires were completed by students from the University of the Witwatersrand. The questionnaire contained the individualism/collectivism (INDCOL) scales and the Basic Traits Inventory (BTI) which is a South African instrument based on the FFM. Results indicate that there were no significant relationships between the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism. In addition no significant difference was found between race and the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism. There were also no significant differences between home language and the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism.

Compared to microarray-based genotyping, next-generation whole genome-sequencing (WGS) studies have the strength to provide greater information for the identification of rare variants, which likely account for a significant portion of missing heritability of common human diseases. In WGS, family-based studies are important because they are likely enriched for rare disease variants that segregate with the disease in relatives. We propose a multilevel model to detect disease variants using family-based WGS data with longitudinal measures. This model incorporates the correlation structure from family pedigrees and that from repeated measures. The iterative generalized least squares (IGLS) algorithm was applied to estimation of parameters and test of associations. The model was applied to the data of Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 and compared with existing linear mixed effect (LME) models. The multilevel model shows higher power at practical p-value levels and a better type I error control than LME model. Both multilevel and LME models, which utilize the longitudinal repeated information, have higher power than the method that only utilize data collected at one time point.

Background: It is posited that attachment difficulties in infancy may result in reduced mentalisation capacity (understanding self and others’ subjective thoughts/mental processes), leading to potentially deleterious psychopathological outcomes such as eating disorders. The exact nature of the relationship between mentalisation and eating disorders/disordered eating is unclear however. Objectives: A systemic review examined whether those with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) experience mentalisation deficits compared to those without EDs. An empirical study, examining the link between mentalisation and disordered eating (DE) in an adolescent sample, was conducted to assess whether borderline trait features mediated the relationship between the two constructs. Method: A systematic search of 6 databases was conducted, and articles were assessed against predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Included articles were assessed against 14 quality criteria and study findings were reported. For the empirical study, 162 participants aged 12-18 completed a questionnaire pack including mentalisation, borderline traits, impulsivity, emotion dysregulation and depression scales, and sociodemographic questions. Results: Results from 10 articles indicated those with AN may experience subtle mentalisation deficits, particularly in recognising negative emotions in others. Mentalisation ability may also vary according to interpersonal context. Mediation analyses found mentalisation ability exerted a significant effect on DE indirectly through borderline trait features, and partially through emotion dysregulation, but not impulsivity. Conclusion: More robust empirical studies are required in order to assess the relationship between mentalisation and AN. Findings regarding the link between mentalisation, borderline traits and DE may further aid psychological assessment/treatment. Therapies where the main focus is improving mentalisation capacity may be useful.

Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2016-09-08T17:55:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MARLON PRADO.pdf: 3843693 bytes, checksum: 7943b6b676b446982baf8e85bd353125 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-08T17:55:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MARLON PRADO.pdf: 3843693 bytes, checksum: 7943b6b676b446982baf8e85bd353125 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-21 / The object of this work is the Araras archaeological site, located in Pará State, municipality of Maraba / PA. Archaeology is an interdisciplinary science requires contributions from other sciences to be able to contribute to the study of prehistoric societies, considering how tiny is the quantity and quality of the materials produced by these people. The health study of pre-Columbian populations is still quite restricted to findings of bones and coprolites, so this work is to provide another means of studying the health of these people, through analysis of trace elements. The objective of this work is to conduct chemical analysis multi element in soil samples, prehistoric pottery and water from the site Araras, pointing to possible diseases in the affected population that lived in this area around 400-500 AP. For the field study, we performed a multistage methodology advocated by Redman (1975). In laboratory tests, we used the Methodology multi acidic by ICP to obtain the amount of the trace elements, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Co, Cr and Mg concentration was found to evaluate and make parallel with dietary intakes of recommended allowance (RDA) for each element. / O objeto de estudo deste trabalho é o sitio arqueológico Araras, situado no Estado do Pará, município de Marabá/PA. A arqueologia sendo uma ciência interdisciplinar necessita de aportes de outras ciências para poder contribuir para os estudos das populações pré-históricas quanto históricas, haja vista o quão é pouca a quantidade de tipos de vestígios dos materiais produzidos por esses povos que restaram nesta área de estudo. O estudo da saúde de populações pré-colombianas, ainda é bastante restrito a achados de sepultamentos ou coprólitos, sendo assim este trabalho vem fornecer mais um meio de estudo a saúde desses povos, por meio de analises dos elementos traço. O objetivo deste trabalho consiste em realizar análise química multielementar em amostras de solo, cerâmica pré-histórica e água do sítio arqueológico Araras, para apontar possíveis doenças acometidas na população que viveu nesta área por volta de 400 a 500 A.P.. Para o estudo de campo, foi realizada a metodologia de multiestágio preconizada por Redman (1975). Nas análises laboratoriais, utilizou-se a metodologia multiácida por ICP, para obter a quantidade dos elementos traço, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Co, Cr e Mg para avaliar a quantidade encontrada e fazer o paralelo com as ingestões Dietéticas de Recomendadas (Recommended Dietary Allowances) para cada elemento.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Literature identified Psychology students to be vulnerable to the stress associated with professional postgraduate studies and the nature of multiple processes. Less research has been conducted on Honours students as a cohort. The present study attempted to examine the associations between personality traits, perceived stress and coping styles in a sample of Honours students and post-Honours interns enrolled at a historically disadvantaged university. The present study was a cross-sectional internet survey including four instruments: the Brief COPE questionnaire (coping styles), the Perceived Stress Scale (subjective stress), the Big 5 Personality Survey (BFI-10) (personality traits) and a demographic questionnaire. All participation was voluntary and general principles of ethics were adhered to. The data was analysed using frequencies, correlation matrices, coefficients of determination and and regression. Findings indicated medium levels of perceived stress in this sample including contextual factors like gender, age and race. The B.Psych students reported reduced ranges on perceived stress compared to Honours students. Personality profiles indicated the four highest ranked traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness and extraversion) closely banded. Neuroticism was ranked substantially lower in this sample. More adaptive coping styles like (planning, religion, active coping, acceptance etc.) were used than maladaptive coping styles. Associative relationships were indicated between demographic variables and coping, personality traits and perceived stress respectively. Race, Gender, relationship status, registration status and Age was found to correlate significantly with the three core constructs (perceived stress, coping and personality traits). Findings indicated predictive relationships between combinations of coping styles which could significantly predict perceived stress. Maladaptive coping significantly predicted perceived stress controlling for adaptive coping (e.g. emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping).