VITAL faculty, also known as non-tenure-track instructors at colleges and universities in the United States, play critical roles in educating students but are often excluded from professional development and community-building opportunities that support their growth and development as instructors. In this article, we describe how we addressed these inequities as a consortium of institutions with differing missions, strategic goals, and student populations, by facilitating collaborative initiatives for our VITAL faculty. We apply various conceptual frameworks, theories, and research-supported principles to this work, including academic development as community development, social network theory, and professional development as critical to improving student outcomes.

Schools are an attractive setting for implementation of mindfulness-based programs because mindfulness practices, by their very nature, align with a wide range of core educational goals. The present study investigated the effects of an 8-week (16 session) school-based mindfulness program for young children across 8 classrooms (K through 2) using a quasi-experimental delayed-intervention control group design. Results indicated that the mindfulness program was associated with significant improvements in teacher ratings of externalizing and prosocial behaviors. Program outcomes were not associated with child sex or race/ethnicity, but did vary by grade. Descriptive analyses suggest that outcomes tended to be more positive in classrooms with higher levels of teacher and student engagement. Results of the present study add to the growing knowledge base on the positive effects of school-based mindfulness programs and point to a need for more rigorous inquiry into the extent to which students and teachers are engaged with mindfulness programs both during the program itself and in their day to day functioning.

In this paper, we examined the degree to which stigma toward individuals with OCD is influenced by the specific form of obsession and the disclosure of a diagnostic label. Participants (N = 290) viewed a video of a young woman who presented with either "harming" obsessions (HO) or "just right" obsessions (JRO) and was either labeled or not labeled with a diagnosis of OCD. After viewing the video, participants completed a survey measuring stigmatizing attributions (pity, danger, blame) and desired social distance. Results indicated that participants showed greater stigmatizing attitudes when the individual depicted was experiencing HO compared to JRO. However, the effect of obsession type depended on whether or not a diagnosis of OCD was disclosed. In general, the disclosure of a formal diagnosis of OCD mitigated stigma in the HO condition but not in the JRO condition. Implications of this study include a need for anti-stigma efforts to recognize different obsession types as a part of OCD and that the label of OCD may be more important for reducing stigma for some obsession types more than others.

In-class research projects are a valuable way of providing research experience for undergraduate students in psychology. This article evaluates the use of online social networks to supplement sample recruitment for in-class research projects. Specifically, this article presents a systematic analysis of seven student research projects that recruited through social networks and a traditional participant pool. Data from these studies suggest that the social network and participant pool samples were very similar in participant characteristics and overall levels of the dependent measures. Similarly, the magnitude and direction of the effect sizes were very similar across the studies. Results suggest that online recruiting may be a viable way of supplementing sample sizes while also providing additional opportunities to address learning goals related to statistical analyses. However, the pedagogical benefits of increasing sample size through online recruiting must be considered in conjunction with the potential ethical and methodological limitations of recruiting through online social networks.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most prevalent disorders of childhood and adolescence worldwide. Teachers are likely to play an important role in multiple stages of the help-seeking process (e.g., problem recognition) for children with ADHD. This study examined the relationship of prior exposure and ADHD training with teachers’ knowledge and misconceptions of the disorder in a multinational sample. Teachers ( N = 2,307) from 9 countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United States, and Vietnam) completed measures of ADHD knowledge, prior exposure, and education or training related to ADHD. There was considerable variability in overall levels of knowledge and specific misconceptions across the countries sampled. Although the predictors of ADHD knowledge varied considerably across countries, some form of professional training and prior exposure to ADHD was associated with greater knowledge in the majority of countries. Implications for teacher training and the role teachers can play in the help-seeking process are discussed.

Objective: Despite the availability of several effective treatments, many children with ADHD do not receive adequate services. A variety of factors may influence help-seeking behavior among families of children with ADHD. This study explores two factors that may influence help-seeking decisions: knowledge and misconceptions of ADHD and treatment acceptability. Method: A total of 196 participants completed measures of ADHD knowledge and use of information sources prior to rating the acceptability of two interventions: stimulant medication and sugar elimination diets. Results: Higher levels of ADHD misconceptions were associated with lower acceptance of medication and higher acceptance of dietary interventions. However, analysis of individual misconceptions suggests that specific misconceptions are differentially related to perceptions of individual treatments. Conclusion: It may be important for clinicians to assess and deliberately target specific misconceptions as part of treatment for ADHD.

In 2011, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology commissioned a presidential task force to document teaching criteria for model psychology teachers in undergraduate education. The resulting list of criteria reflects activities related to face-to-face course interaction and online teaching, training, and education; course design; implementation of learning experiences; and the assessment process. Specifically, the model encompasses six broad areas, namely training, instructional methods, assessment process, syllabi, content, and student evaluations of teaching. As a developmental tool, the model can serve as a self-guided course for self-assessment of educational practices and can help identify areas of potential development. It can prompt reflection about teaching strengths and weaknesses. The model can also be useful as a guiding structure for tenure and promotion.

In this study, adults with Asperger syndrome (AS) and caregivers of children with AS provided firsthand accounts of school-related challenges and influential instructional practices. A total of 94 participants (59 parents, 27 adults with AS, and 8 unspecified) completed an online survey containing open-ended questions about their (or their children’s) school-related experiences. Participants identified specific areas of need (e.g., bullying, misunderstood intentions) related to understanding children with AS. In addition, participants described teacher qualities and instructional practices (e.g., strategies for communicating that the child is an asset, methods of structuring the environment for success) that had a positive impact on their (or their children’s) school experiences. Implications for teacher training and school-based interventions are highlighted.

In this study, measures of irrational beliefs based on the principles of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) were reviewed and contrasted based on psychometric characteristics and quality of guidelines for interpretation. The use of measures of irrational beliefs is an important component of the assessment of presenting problems in psychotherapy and may inform clinical decision making. Additionally, these measures are a helpful way to identify change in irrational beliefs and to measure the effectiveness of specific interventions to facilitate such change. While there are a number of measures of beliefs, there is considerable variability in their psychometric properties and utility for assessment. The majority of the tests are not produced by a publishing company, nor do they provide test manuals. The reliability and validity evidence presented in the publications varies considerably as do the size and quality of standardization samples, which impacts upon the ability to draw normative conclusions. Analyses demonstrated that most measures of irrational beliefs do not provide the evidence needed to adequately address the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (Standards; American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME] 1999 ). Discussion of the implications of this review for the development of future measures of irrational thinking by researchers as well as recommendations in the test selection process for an REBT practitioner is offered.

Objective: According to the DSM-IV TR, approximately 3 to 7% of school-age children meet the criteria for ADHD. However, there is a common conception that ADHD is overdiagnosed. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the evidence for and against overdiagnosis. Method: Recent prevalence studies and research on factors affecting diagnostic accuracy were reviewed. For ADHD to be overdiagnosed, the rate of false positives (i.e., children inappropriately diagnosed with ADHD) must substantially exceed the number of false negatives (children with ADHD who are not identified or diagnosed). Results and Conclusion: Based on the review of prevalence studies and research on the diagnostic process, there does not appear to be sufficient justification for the conclusion that ADHD is systematically overdiagnosed. Yet, this conclusion is generally not reflected in public perceptions or media coverage of ADHD. Potential explanations for the persistence of the belief in the overdiagnosis of ADHD are offered. ( J. of Att. Dis. 2007; 11(2) 106-113)

We examined the influence of a child's IQ level, presence of a language delay, and his desire to engage others in social interaction on clinicians' diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder. Seventy-four clinicians read an excerpt from a fictional psychological report and recommended a primary diagnosis for the child described in the report. Results indicated that presence of a delay in language milestones decreased likelihood but did not rule out an Asperger's diagnosis. In addition, a higher IQ and a desire to engage others in social interaction when combined with an absence of a language delay significantly increased the likelihood of an Asperger's diagnosis. Results of this study suggest that, when presented with a high-functioning child exhibiting symptoms within the autistic spectrum, clinicians do attend to elements of the DSM-IV criteria when considering differential diagnosis, but do so in conjunction with other factors.

In this study, the authors investigated the effects of child gender and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom type on elementary school teachers' referral decisions. Participants (N = 199) read a profile of a fictional child's academic record and rated the likelihood of referring the child for an evaluation. The profiles varied by the child's gender and the type of symptoms the child was exhibiting (inattention, hyperactivity, or hyperactivity plus aggression). Results indicated that teachers were more likely to refer boys than girls, regardless of symptom type, but that the largest gender difference in referrals was for children who exhibited hyperactivity without inattention or aggression. These results suggest that differences in teacher perceptions of boys' and girls' behaviors may contribute to gender differences in ADHD referrals.

In this article, I describe how I used a portfolio assignment to facilitate learning and provide a useful resource for future research experiences. Forty-eight students from 2 introductory methods and statistics courses compiled a portfolio that reflected their individual approach to understanding the major topics of the class. The portfolio assignment required students to integrate material from the text, class lectures, and laboratory assignments into a resource that was both personally relevant and accessible. Student feedback, performance data, and thesis advisor ratings supported the utility of this assignment.