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Theory of mind (ToM) has been argued to be a multidimensional construct, with ToM inferences depending on distinct processes across affective and cognitive ToM tasks and across first-order cognitive and second-order cognitive ToM tasks. Behavioural evidence for a multidimensional account has primarily depended on dissociations identified via analysis of variance, a statistical approach insufficient for assessing dimensionality. Instead, state-trace analysis (STA) is a more appropriate statistical technique to uncover dimensionality. The current study first applied STA to two summary datasets that had previously identified key dissociations between cognitive and affective ToM; these reanalyses did not support a multidimensional account of ToM. Next, STA was applied to a more detailed dataset to reveal whether ToM is based on multiple processes in a sample of 115 older adults aged 60–85 years (M = 68.5, SD = 5.92, 61.7% female) with higher or lower emotion perception ability. Participants made ToM judgements about different social exchanges (e.g., sarcasm or lying). STA results supported a multidimensional account of ToM across first-order cognitive, second-order cognitive, and affective ToM subdomains. These results lay a more rigorous foundation for subsequent studies to further examine the dimensionality of ToM and to apply formal modelling, progressing the field's understanding and measurement of the cognitive processes driving ToM judgements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive media coverage and potential controversy about COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic may have affected people's general attitudes towards vaccination. We sought to describe key psychological antecedents related to vaccination and assess how these vary temporally in relationship to the pandemic and availability of COVID-19 vaccination. As part of an ongoing online study, we recruited a national (U.S.) sample of young gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (N = 1,227) between October 2019 and June 2021, and assessed the "4Cs" (antecedents of vaccination; range = 1–5). Overall, men had high levels of confidence (trust in vaccines; M = 4.13), calculation (deliberation; M = 3.97) and collective responsibility (protecting others; M = 4.05) and low levels of complacency (not perceiving disease risk; M = 1.72). In multivariable analyses, confidence and collective responsibility varied relative to the pandemic phase/vaccine availability, reflecting greater hesitancy during later stages of the pandemic. Antecedents also varied by demographic characteristics. Findings suggest negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on key antecedents of general vaccination and identify potential targets for interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aimed to determine which steps in the newborn screening collection and delivery processes contribute to delays and identify strategies to improve timeliness. Methods Data was analyzed from infants (N = 94,770) who underwent newborn screening at 83 hospitals in Michigan between April 2014 and March 2015. Linear mixed effects models estimated effects of hospital and newborn characteristics on times between steps in the process, whereas simulation explored how to improve timeliness through adjustments to schedules for the state laboratory and for specimen pickup from hospitals. Results Time from collection to receipt of arrival to the state laboratory varied greatly with collection timing (P < 0.001), with specimens collected on Friday or Saturday delayed an average of 9-12 h compared to other specimens. Simulation estimates shifting specimen pickup from 6 p.m. Sunday-Friday to 9 p.m. Sunday-Friday could lead to an additional 12.6% of specimens received by the Michigan laboratory within 60 h of birth. Conclusions for Practice The time between when a specimen is collected and received by the laboratory can be a significant bottleneck in the newborn screening process. Modifying hospital pickup schedules appears to be a simple way to improve timeliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disease which causes premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, less than 10% of individuals with FH have been identified. Objective: To assess parental perspectives for inclusion of FH on routine newborn screening (NBS) and to highlight potential benefits, harms, and ethical concerns. Methods: Telephone interviews of two groups were conducted: 1) parents of children diagnosed with FH, and 2) parents of children diagnosed with a genetic condition through NBS. Stratified purposive sampling was used to ensure adequate representation. The 11 telephone interviews were conducted in 30-min sessions guided by a semi-structured interview script. At the beginning of the interview, participants were educated on the NBS process and FH. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a thematic analysis was performed in multiple steps. Results: All interviewees indicated that they would be interested in having their child be screened for FH on the newborn screen. Reasons supporting screening during the newborn period included knowing their child's diagnosis, the ability to screen family members for FH, incorporation of lifestyle changes, and access to preventive care. Negatives surrounding screening during the newborn period included increased stress or anxiety, knowledge, stigma, and the delay from diagnosis to initiation of pharmacotherapy for FH. Conclusion: While these interviewees were in favor of NBS for FH, further education of parents and clinicians is needed to ensure proper implementation. The results of this study may be useful to formulate family notification and care protocols for newborns diagnosed with FH and other diseases. Significance: What is already known on this subject? Familial hypercholesterolemia is a common inherited disorder that predisposes to early cardiovascular disease, but most affected individuals are not diagnosed. Childhood cholesterol screening is an effective but underutilized diagnostic tool. Previous studies report parents find childhood cholesterol screening acceptable, but it is not known if screening newborns would also be acceptable. What does this study add? Interviewees found screening newborns for familial hypercholesterolemia acceptable and would agree to screen their own newborn. The ability to screen other family members and access to early treatment were important factors in their decision to screen. Education of clinicians about familial hypercholesterolemia was an important concern raised by interviewees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As screens become even more embedded in the everyday lives of young children, understanding the predictors of screen time becomes increasingly important. Our study investigated the predictors of total screen time on a weekday for children at two years of age using data from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal (GUiNZ) study. Our selection of variables was informed by previous research into the predictors of screen time for children aged up to three years, as well as the wider literature on parenting and children's media exposure. We hypothesised that parenting behaviours related to the home media environment would be the most important variables overall. These included coviewing, exposure of children to adult-directed content, TV environment and rules restricting the amount of time that children can spend watching TV, DVD or video. A model including mother, partner and child variables (N = 3081) was tested using GLM Poisson regression in SPSS. Results demonstrated that children's higher use of screen media on a weekday was significantly associated with exposure to a moderate to high or heavy TV environment compared to a low TV environment, exposure to adult-directed TV or DVDs, having no rules about how much time the child can spend viewing TV or videos or DVDs, the child being of Asian ethnicity compared to European ethnicity, and the child not attending childcare regularly. Higher coviewing with the child was significantly negatively, or inversely, associated with screen time. We consider practice implications for children's screen time, study limitations, and recommendations for future research. Highlights: Multiple modifiable screen media parenting practices predicted two-year-olds' weekday screen time. TV environment and viewing adult-directed content were particularly strong predictors of two-year-olds' screen time. Our findings are based on a comprehensive measure of screen time, not only TV viewing. Data provided by fathers as well as mothers were utilised in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study compared parents’ emotion regulation (ER) in clinical (those with a child with externalizing behavioral problems) and low-risk comparison families. Additionally, mediation models were explored with parent ER predicting child behavior problems through child ER. Participants were 60 families with children (71.7% boys; 73% Caucasian) ages 2 through 8 years (M = 4.62; SD = 1.69) from a rural population in the United States: 34 clinical families referred for parent training and 26 nonclinical families. A blocking design was used to balance the two groups on key demographic characteristics. Parents’ and children’s ER was assessed using parent-report surveys and structured behavioral observations. Analyses indicated higher rates of parental emotion dysregulation (specifically, more difficulty when upset with achieving goal-directed behaviors, p = .01, d = 0.67; controlling impulses, p = .01, d = 0.64; limited use of ER strategies, p = .02, d = 0.62; and more negative verbalizations to their child during the observed task, p < .01, d = 0.73) and child emotion dysregulation (specifically, more difficulty as reported by parents, p < .01, d = −2.42) in the clinical group. Mediational analyses indicated there were indirect paths from parental ER to children’s behavioral problems through child ER. Findings from this research suggest a need to measure and target ER in both parents and their children when working with families who are referred for treatment of child behavior problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]