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Developing an empirically derived classification system that accounts for the heterogeneity of youth could benefit the court, probation officers, and clinicians in making informed management and treatment decisions. This study used a latent class analysis to examine histories and treatment needs patterns among 561 youths who engaged in problematic sexual behavior (PSB) from five U.S. states. Three classes emerged and included: (a) low treatment need (LTN) youth without dysfunctional histories, (b) high transgressions and treatment needs (HTTN) youth with histories of conduct problems, and (c) abuse reactive (AR) youth with histories of maltreatment. Over one year, the LTN group had the lowest levels of treatment needs, the HTTN group had the highest, and the AR group had lower sexual and socioecological but higher general behavior treatment needs. Findings from this study can assist in allocating resources and help guide the individualization of interventions for youth with PSB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic efforts have been employed to improve the reproducibility of published findings in psychology. To date, little research has been conducted evaluating how well these efforts work. In an effort to bridge this gap, the current study looked at journal submission requirements intended to encourage authors to engage in best practices for facilitating reproducible science and offers preliminary evidence for their potential efficacy. We calculated reproducibility indices (p -curves) for three randomly selected empirical studies published in each of 23 psychology journals in 2019 and correlated quantitative results from those analyzes with the number of submission requirements for each journal that intended to ensure compliance with best reporting practices. Results indicated a greater number of submission requirements at a given outlet was associated with indices indicating greater likelihood of reproducibility of findings. We frame findings as impetus for future, more extensive, research to identify causal links between submission requirements and reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes issues in defining character education (CE) that are relevant to program development and evaluation. No authoritative definition exists for CE, but several features seem prominent. These include a focus on enhancing civic, moral, self-regulatory, and/or intellectual virtues; and (at least implicitly) prioritizing the shaping of participant identity over teaching skills. Within these broad parameters, programs vary widely in their targets and interventions. They can also vary in terms of emphasizing the same or individualized elements of character across students. The discussion finishes with a summary of elements of a CE program, and a call for well-planned evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to investigate redundancy between the character strengths found in the VIA model of character and familiar personality facets. Study 1 used a community sample (N = 606) that completed a measure of character strengths, four personality inventories, and 17 criterion measures. The second study used Mechanical Turk workers (N = 498) who completed measures of the HEXACO and VIA models and 111 criterion variables. Analyses were conducted using both observed scores and true score estimates, evaluating both predictive and conceptual overlap. Eight of 24 VIA scales proved to be largely redundant with one HEXACO personality facet, but only one VIA scale (Appreciation of Beauty) was largely redundant with Five Factor facets. All strength scales except Spirituality overlapped substantially with at least one personality facet. The results suggest the VIA Classification variables are strongly related to commonly measured personality facets, but the two models are not redundant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior literature on the use of character strengths suggests that both deficiencies and excesses in the use of strengths can be problematic. While most school-based training in character strengths tends to focus on the former issue, an example is provided of a school-based program offered by the Mayerson Academy in partnership with the VIA Institute on Character that does not focus on deficiency but rather celebrates enhancing one's own personal key strengths. This program, entitled Thriving Learning Communities, will be implemented in 42 Cincinnati public schools this year. It aims to motivate students, as well as educators, to perform at their highest levels through encouraging increased use of character strengths. We provide an overview of the program and discuss how it may be modified by the teacher to offer a more nuanced perspective on character strengths within a gifted student population. Specifically, within a gifted classroom setting, we discuss ways in which educators can encourage gifted students to understand the importance of balancing their strengths and effectively matching their use of strengths to the situation. In addition to focusing on the use of signature or top strengths, we suggest a program that would aid gifted students in deciphering when it is most and least appropriate to use top strengths, through a dial-up/dial-down framework for targeted strength use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) has emerged as the primary instrument for gauging individual strengths and virtues. Prior studies have generated inconsistent results concerning the latent structure of the VIA-IS.The present study attempted to address some of these inconsistencies.VIA-IS results from a large sample (N = 458,998) of U.S. adults who completed the inventory online were subjected to a series of principal components and factor analyses.The sample was 66.46% female with a mean age of 34.36 years (SD = 14.13 years) and consistent with the general U.S. population in terms of geographic distribution. Information on ethnicity was not available. The size of the sample permitted both scale- and item-level analyses. The scale-level analyses produced findings similar to those of previous studies, but raised concerns about multidimensionality in the scales. Item-level analyses suggested an alternate set of 24 scales, 20 of which overlapped substantially with existing VIA-IS scales. A second-order analysis suggested five factors, including a new one labeled Future Orientation, versus the original six virtues proposed in the development of the VIA-IS.The results were used to speculate about elements of a second-generation model of strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has indicated that random physical practice of a motor skill enhances effects of long-term leaning more than blocked practice. Moreover, the use of mental rehearsal coupled with physical practice has been shown to accelerate motor skill acquisition in many different contexts and is better than no practice at all. Others have found that some mental rehearsal strategies are better than others for maximizing performance. This study examined how combinations of mental and physical practice schedules affected the learning of a coincidence timing task. 30 college students were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups involving combinations of imagery and physical practice. Three tasks were utilized, each involving a particular speed (slow, medium, fast) on the Bassin Anticipation Timer. Conclusions were based on a three-way analysis of variance, using type of mental practice, type of physical practice, and sex as between-group factors, conducted separately for acquisition and retention trials. Type of physical practice was significantly related to performance. On the acquisition trials, random practice was associated with larger mean errors than blocked practice; however, the reverse was true for retention trials. There was no significant effect of type of mental practice in either the acquisition or retention phase. Sex was significantly related to performance for the retention trials only, where the 15 men made smaller errors than the 15 women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The length of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is often considered a barrier to its use, leading to the development of short forms. Two methods of abbreviating the revised MMPI have now been developed. One agrees poorly with the long form in terms of which scales are elevated. The second ensures perfect congruence in which scales are elevated but requires computer administration. This article describes the development of a short form representing a compromise approach. The short form was derived using 800 psychiatric inpatients and cross-validated with samples of 658 inpatients and 266 outpatients. It is briefer than the computerized short form but does not achieve perfect congruence with the full inventory. It is longer than earlier noncomputerized short forms but demonstrates greater scale elevation congruence with the full inventory and allows estimates of more scales. The short form offers a reasonable alternative when the full inventory is impractical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]