Links among imitation, performance on a standardized test of intellectual development, and laboratory‐assessed temperament were explored in 311 24‐month‐old twin pairs. Moderate phenotypic ...associations were found among imitation, mental development, and temperament dimensions of Affect/Extraversion and Task Orientation. Covariance between imitation and mental development reflected genetic and shared environmental influences, whereas associations between imitation and temperament reflected genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental influences. Genetic factors linking imitation and temperament were the same as those linking temperament and mental development. Nonetheless, approximately 62% of total genetic variance on imitation was independent of genetic influences on mental development and temperament, suggesting that young children's imitation is not simply an index of general cognitive ability or dispositional style but has many underlying genetic influences that are unique.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cumulative culture ostensibly arises from a set of sociocognitive processes which includes high-fidelity production imitation, prosociality and group identification. The latter processes are ...facilitated by unconscious imitation or social mimicry. The proximate mechanisms of individual variation in imitation may thus shed light on the evolutionary history of the human capacity for cumulative culture. In humans, a genetic component to variation in the propensity for imitation is likely. A functional length polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene, the short allele at 5HTTLPR, is associated with heightened responsiveness to the social environment as well as anatomical and activational differences in the brain's imitation circuity. Here, we evaluate whether this polymorphism contributes to variation in production imitation and social mimicry. Toddlers with the short allele at 5HTTLPR exhibit increased social mimicry and increased fidelity of demonstrated novel object manipulations. Thus, the short allele is associated with two forms of imitation that may underlie the human capacity for cumulative culture. The short allele spread relatively recently, possibly due to selection, and its frequency varies dramatically on a global scale. Diverse observations can be unified via conceptualization of 5HTTLPR as influencing the propensity to experience others' emotions, actions and sensations, potentially through the mirror mechanism.
The imitative performance of 311 pairs of 24-month old twins (143 MZ, 168 same-sex DZ) was assessed via three multi-step imitative sequences. Composite imitation score correlations suggested the ...presence of genetic influences on imitation, with MZ correlations significantly exceeding DZ correlations. Univariate model-fitting procedures supported this finding. Substantial broad heritability was found for imitative performance, with no evidence for shared environment. However, we are unable to say with certainty to what extent this heritability is represented by additive and nonadditive genetic variance. Estimates of heritability derived from both ACE and ADE model-fitting procedures accounted for approximately 50% of the total variance, with the remaining variance in imitative performance attributable to nonshared environmental factors.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Because early theoretical frameworks such as Piaget’s stage model and social learning theory sought to explain the development and performance of imitation in terms of overall group trends, any ...evidence for individual differences in this behavior was until recently largely overlooked. Results of contemporary imitation studies have not only begun to acknowledge the presence of individual differences in imitative performance, but also challenge early cognitive developmental theories’ proposal of an adherence of the capacity to imitate to a fixed progression of developmental stages. Likewise, such studies support the idea of stable cognitive variables underlying the capacity for imitation. Preliminary investigations of the stability of these variables within the individual have revealed some evidence suggesting that genetic influences may be at work. Additional research in this area will further explore the possibility for genetically influenced individual difference variables contributing to imitative ability.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Calls to increase programming in the area of parent-child functioning for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder have been growing in recent years. This study examined Department of Veterans ...Affairs (VA) provider practices and beliefs regarding the provision of parent training interventions. Although parent training is not currently widespread across VA, many clinicians and facilities have been engaged in this work. An understanding of the experiences of these providers is critical to the success of future intervention development efforts. This study conducted qualitative interviews with 16 providers across the country who have been involved in parent training efforts within VA. The interviews revealed three themes: (1) Potential benefits and content of parent training interventions. (2) Challenges in veteran engagement. (3) Considerations for implementation. The potential benefits and content theme encompassed provider responses regarding the need for parent training at VA in general in addition to specific content domains that should be covered in such an intervention. The challenges for engagement theme encompassed comments regarding challenges to recruitment including identifying target populations for parenting groups. Considerations for implementation included barriers to implementation, positive secondary impacts, leadership support, justice involvement, and children's mental health problems. Results highlight many consistent content areas that providers recommended should be addressed in parent training interventions for veterans, as well common struggles that must be considered in further program development.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PEFLJ, UPUK
An assay for the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs61764370, has recently been commercially marketed as a clinical test to aid ovarian cancer risk evaluation in women with family histories of ...the disease. rs67164370 is in a 3'-UTR miRNA binding site of the KRAS oncogene and is a candidate for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) susceptibility. However, only one published article, analyzing fewer than 1,000 subjects in total, has examined this association.
Risk association was evaluated in 8,669 cases of invasive EOC and 10,012 controls from 19 studies participating in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, and in 683 cases and 2,044 controls carrying BRCA1 mutations from studies in the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2. Prognosis association was also examined in a subset of five studies with progression-free survival (PFS) data and 18 studies with all-cause mortality data.
No evidence of association was observed between genotype and risk of unselected EOC (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.95-1.10), serous EOC (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.98-1.18), familial EOC (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.78-1.54), or among women carrying deleterious mutations in BRCA1 (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.88-1.36). There was little evidence for association with survival time among unselected cases (HR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.99-1.22), among serous cases (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.99-1.28), or with PFS in 540 cases treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.93-1.52).
These data exclude the possibility of an association between rs61764370 and a clinically significant risk of ovarian cancer or of familial ovarian cancer. Use of this SNP for ovarian cancer clinical risk prediction, therefore, seems unwarranted.
The purpose of this study was to describe parents' and school psychologists' perspectives on 33 parent involvement activities aimed at enhancing school success of students. A national sample of 217 ...parents rated the degree to which they believed schools should offer and the degree to which they would use the activities. School psychologists rated the extent to which the activities would be feasible to implement in their schools during the next 5 years. The activity, "Provide information on how schools function," received the highest rating by both parents and school psychologists. The activity rated the lowest by both parents and school psychologists was "Make home visits to teach parents activities they can do at home to promote student learning or to answer parents' questions about their children's school work." Although parents' mean ratings for use were higher than school psychologists' mean ratings of feasibility of implementation on 94% of the activities, there was a high degree of similarity in the rank order of the activities across parents and school psychologists. School psychologists are challenged to develop, implement, and evaluate parent involvement programs to enhance students' success in school.
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BFBNIB, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
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