Application of a Joint Multivariate Longitudinal-Survival Analysis to Examine the Terminal Decline Hypothesis in the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old

In this work I aim at extending current knowledge on the terminal decline hypothesis by applying a joint multivariate longitudinal-survival analysis to the cognitive data of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old. (In that study, 529 individuals between 79 and 85 years of age at study inception were assessed up to five times on a task of perceptual speed and one of verbal fluency.) I simultaneously estimated a multivariate, multilevel longitudinal model and a Weibull survival model to test whether individual performance and change in speed and fluency predict survival, controlling for retest effects, initial age, gender, overall health, socioeconomic status, and sensory functioning. Results revealed that age and performance level in fluency predicted survival, whereas level in speed and change in both cognitive variables did not. I discuss the relevance of fluency tasks in predicting mortalit

A sociological assessment of conjugal conflict

A explicaçao sociológica do conflito conjugal tem sido muito referida, mas raramente testada empiricamente. Com base num conjunto de dados longitudinais recolhidosemduas fases junto de 1534 mulheresemrelações heterossexuais, usámos o modelo de equações estruturais (SEM) para medir o impacto da divisão do trabalho doméstico, do individualismo e do fechamento do casal sobre a probabilidade de conflitos conjugais. Os resultados indicam que o individualismo conjugal tem um grande impacto, a divisão do trabalho doméstico um impacto menor e o fechamento do casal não tem impacto no conflito conjugal. Os resultados são discutidos à luz dos actuais debates sociológicos sobre conjugalidade.A sociological explanation of conjugal conflict was often stressed but seldom empirically tested. Based on a two-wave longitudinal dataset of 1534 women in heterosexual relationships, we use structural equation modeling (SEM) to measure the impact of the division of household labor, individualism and conjugal closure on the likelihood of conjugal conflicts. Results indicate that conjugal individualism has a major impact, division of household labor a minor impact, and conjugal closure no impact, on conjugal conflict. Results are discussed in the light of current sociological debates on partnerships.L’explication sociologique du conflit conjugal a souvent été avancée mais rarement testée du point de vue empirique. À partir d’un ensemble de données longitudinales recueillies en deux phases auprès de 1534 femmes vivant en couple hétérosexuel, nous avons utilisé le modèle d’équations structurelles pour mesurer l’impact de la répartition des tâches ménagères, de l’individualisme et de l’isolement du couple sur la probabilité des conflits conjugaux. Les résultats indiquent que l’individualisme conjugal a un grand impact, la répartition des tâches ménagères un impact moindre et l’isolement du couple n’a pas d’impact sur le conflit conjugal. Les résultats sont discutés à la lumière des débats sociologiques actuels sur la conjugalité.La explicación sociológica del conflicto conyugal ha sido muy referida, pero raramente probada empíricamente. Con base en un conjunto de datos longitudinales recabados en dos etapas, con 1534 mujeres en relaciones heterosexuales, usamos el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para medir el impacto de la división del trabajo doméstico, del individualismo y del cierre de la pareja sobre la probabilidad de conflictos conyugales. Los resultados indican que el individualismo conyugal tiene un gran impacto, la división del trabajo doméstico un impacto menor y el cierre de la pareja no tiene impacto en el conflicto conyugal. Los resultados son discutidos a la luz de los actuales debates sociológicos sobre la vida en pareja

Does Activity Engagement Protect Against Cognitive Decline in Old Age? Methodological and Analytical Considerations

The literature about relationships between activity engagement and cognitive performance is abundant yet inconclusive. Some studies report that higher activity engagement leads to lower cognitive decline; others report no functional links, or that higher cognitive performance leads to less decline in activity engagement. We first discuss some methodological and analytical features that may contribute to the divergent findings. We then apply a longitudinal dynamic structural equation model to five repeated measurements of the Swiss Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on the Oldest Old. Performance on perceptual speed and verbal fluency tasks was analyzed in relation to six different activity composite scores. Results suggest that increased media and leisure activity engagement may lessen decline in perceptual speed, but not in verbal fluency or performance, whereas cognitive performance does not effect change in activity engagemen

Age Differences in Text Processing: The Role of Working Memory, Inhibition, and Processing Speed

Objectives. Age-related changes in the efficiency of various general cognitive mechanisms have been evoked to account for age-related differences between young and older adults in text comprehension performance. Using structural equation modeling, we investigate the relationship between age, working memory (WM), inhibition-related mechanisms, processing speed, and text comprehension, focusing on surface and text-based levels of processing. Methods. Eighty-nine younger (M = 23.11 years) and 102 older (M = 70.50 years) adults were presented text comprehension, WM, inhibition, and processing speed tasks. In the text comprehension task, the demand on the memory system was manipulated, by allowing (text present) or not (text absent) viewing the text during the answering phase. Results. As expected, age differences were larger when the text was absent. The best fitting model showed that WM mediated the influence of age on both text processing conditions, whereas age-related variance in WM was, in turn, accounted for by processing speed and inhibition. Discussion. These findings confirm the hypothesis that WM capacity explains age differences in text processing, while it is itself accounted for by the efficiency of inhibiting irrelevant information and by speed of processin

A sociological assessment of conjugal conflict

A sociological explanation of conjugal conflict was often stressed but seldom empirically tested. Based on a two-wave longitudinal dataset of 1534 women in heterosexual relationships, we use structural equation modeling (SEM) to measure the impact of the division of household labor, individualism and conjugal closure on the likelihood of conjugal conflicts. Results indicate that conjugal individualism has a major impact, division of household labor a minor impact, and conjugal closure no impact, on conjugal conflict. Results are discussed in the light of current sociological debates on partnerships.A explicaçao sociológica do conflito conjugal tem sido muito referida, mas raramente testada empiricamente. Com base num conjunto de dados longitudinais recolhidos em duas fases junto de 1534 mulheres em relações heterossexuais, usámos o modelo de equações estruturais (SEM) para medir o impacto da divisão do trabalho doméstico, do individualismo e do fechamento do casal sobre a probabilidade de conflitos conjugais. Os resultados indicam que o individualismo conjugal tem um grande impacto, a divisão do trabalho doméstico um impacto menor e o fechamento do casal não tem impacto no conflito conjugal. Os resultados são discutidos à luz dos actuais debates sociológicos sobre conjugalidade.L’explication sociologique du conflit conjugal a souvent été avancée mais rarement testée du point de vue empirique. À partir d’un ensemble de données longitudinales recueillies en deux phases auprès de 1534 femmes vivant en couple hétérosexuel, nous avons utilisé le modèle d’équations structurelles pour mesurer l’impact de la répartition des tâches ménagères, de l’individualisme et de l’isolement du couple sur la probabilité des conflits conjugaux. Les résultats indiquent que l’individualisme conjugal a un grand impact, la répartition des tâches ménagères un impact moindre et l’isolement du couple n’a pas d’impact sur le conflit conjugal. Les résultats sont discutés à la lumière des débats sociologiques actuels sur la conjugalité.La explicación sociológica del conflicto conyugal ha sido muy referida, pero raramente probada empíricamente. Con base en un conjunto de datos longitudinales recabados en dos etapas, con 1534 mujeres en relaciones heterosexuales, usamos el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para medir el impacto de la división del trabajo doméstico, del individualismo y del cierre de la pareja sobre la probabilidad de conflictos conyugales. Los resultados indican que el individualismo conyugal tiene un gran impacto, la división del trabajo doméstico un impacto menor y el cierre de la pareja no tiene impacto en el conflicto conyugal. Los resultados son discutidos  a la luz de los actuales debates sociológicos sobre la vida en pareja

A Longitudinal Study of Parental Depressive Symptoms and Coparenting in the First 18 Months.

Although the negative impact of postpartum depression on parenting behaviors has been well established-albeit separately-for mothers and fathers, the respective and joint impact of both parents' mood on family-group interactive behaviors, such as coparenting support and conflict behaviors between the parents, have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the association between parental depressive symptoms and coparenting behaviors in a low-risk sample of families with infants, exploring reciprocity between the variables, as well as gender differences between mothers and fathers regarding these links. At 3 (T1), 9 (T2), and 18 months postpartum (T3), we assessed both parents' depressive symptoms with a self-report questionnaire and observed coparenting support and conflict during triadic mother-father-child interactions. The results revealed that higher maternal depressive symptoms at T1 were associated with lower support at T1 and T2. Conflict at T3 was associated with higher maternal depressive symptoms at T3 and, more surprisingly, with less depressive symptoms in mothers at T2 and fathers at T3. Cross-lagged associations suggested that parental depressive symptoms were more likely to influence coparenting than the reverse. Moreover, maternal depressive symptoms were more likely to be linked to coparenting behaviors than were paternal depressive symptoms. These results confirm that parental-mostly maternal-depressive symptoms, even of mild intensity, may jeopardize the development of healthy family-level relations, which previous research has shown to be crucial for child development

Adult Age Differences and the Role of Cognitive Resources in Perceptual-Motor Skill Acquisition: Application of a Multilevel Negative Exponential Model

The effects of advanced age and cognitive resources on the course of skill acquisition are unclear, and discrepancies among studies may reflect limitations of data analytic approaches. We applied a multilevel negative exponential model to skill acquisition data from 80 trials (four 20-trial blocks) of a pursuit rotor task administered to healthy adults (19-80 years old). The analyses conducted at the single-trial level indicated that the negative exponential function described performance well. Learning parameters correlated with measures of task-relevant cognitive resources on all blocks except the last and with age on all blocks after the second. Thus, age differences in motor skill acquisition may evolve in 2 phases: In the first, age differences are collinear with individual differences in task-relevant cognitive resources; in the second, age differences orthogonal to these resources emerg

Validation of the French Version of the Experiences in Close Relationships– Revised (ECR-R) Adult Romantic Attachment Questionnaire

This study aimed to validate the French version of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) adult attachment questionnaire by investigating its internal structure and construct validity. The sample (N = 600) consisted of an equal number of male and female participants aged 25-45 years. Variables linked to adult romantic attachment (marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and fears associated with sexual activities, and self-esteem) were assessed using a set of questionnaires. The reliability of the two attachment dimensions (viz., avoidance and anxiety) was satisfactory. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the original two-factor model explained the data collected with the French ECR-R most satisfactorily. The assessment of measurement invariance showed that the structure is the same across the original U. S. sample and our sample, across men and women, and across single individuals and those in a couple relationship. Our evaluation of construct validity showed that the higher avoidance and anxiety, the lower self-esteem and sexual satisfaction and the higher the fears associated with sexuality. These results are theoretically coherent and consistent with those of previous studies of the English version of the scale. We conclude that the French version is valid

Longitudinal Relationships Between Reflective Functioning, Empathy, and Externalizing Behaviors During Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Reflective functioning (RF) refers to the understanding of one’s own and others’ behaviors in terms of mental states, whereas empathy entails the abilities to understand (cognitive empathy) and to share (affective empathy) the emotions of others. Low RF and low empathy have been previously related to externalizing behaviors, such as aggression and rule breaking. However, few longitudinal studies have simultaneously examined the relationships between these variables during adolescence. The aim of the present study is to investigate the longitudinal effects of both RF and empathy on potential changes in externalizing behaviors over time, in a group of 103 adolescents and young adults from the general population assessed repeatedly up to four times. We conducted multilevel analysis in order to examine the effects of RF and empathy on the initial levels and the trajectories of externalizing behaviors over time, while accounting for other variables previously associated with externalizing behaviors, such as age, gender, internalizing problems, and cognitive abilities. The results suggest that the ability to reflect on behaviors in terms of mental states predicted a sharper decrease in externalizing behaviors over time. Moreover, externalizing behaviors at the first assessment were associated with RF impairments and low affective empathy. Age, gender, cognitive abilities, and cognitive empathy were not associated with externalizing behaviors. We discuss how our results, based on a typically developing population, might inform primary or indicated prevention strategies for externalizing behaviors by focusing on socio-cognitive processes such as RF and affective empathy

Pulmonary function testing after operative stabilisation of the chest wall for flail chest

Objective: This is a prospective evaluation of chest wall integrity and pulmonary function in patients with operative stabilisation for flail chest injuries. Methods: From 1990 to 1999, 66 patients (56 men, 10 women; mean age 52.6 years) with antero-lateral flail chest (≧4 ribs fractured at ≧2 sites) underwent surgical stabilisation using reconstruction plates. Clinical assessment and pulmonary function testing were performed at 6 months following surgery. Results: Fifty-five (83%) patients had various combinations of injuries of the thorax, head, abdomen and extremities. Sixty-three (95.5%) patients underwent unilateral and 3 (4.5%) patients bilateral stabilisation with a median delay of 2.8 days (range 0-21 days) from admission. The 30-day mortality was 11% (seven of 66 patients). Immediate postoperative extubation was feasible in 31 of 66 patients (47%) and extubation within 7 days following stabilisation in 56 of 66 patients (85%). No plate dislocation was observed during the follow-up. The shoulder girdle function was intact in 51 of 57 patients (90%). Chest wall complaints were noted in 6 of 57 (11%) patients, requiring removal of implants in three cases. All patients returned to work within a mean period of 8 (range 3-16) weeks following discharge. Pulmonary function testing (n=50) at 6 months after the operation revealed a significant difference of predicted vs. recorded vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) (P=0.04 and P=0.0001, respectively; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The median ratio of the recorded and predicted total lung capacity (TLC) was shown to be significantly higher than 0.85 (P=0.0002; Wilcoxon signed-rank test), indicating prevention of pulmonary restriction. Conclusion: Antero-lateral flail chest injuries accompanied by respiratory insufficiency can be effectively stabilised using reconstruction plates. Early restoration of the chest wall integrity and respiratory pump function may be cost effective through the prevention of prolonged mechanical ventilation and restriction-related working incapacit