(1998). Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor analytic studies. Gifted and Talented International: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 97-98.

Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor analytic studies

Sixty-six teachers from local public schools (42 womenand 24 men, mean age 42 6 5 years) were asked to sample saliva for cortisol analysis on 3 consecutive days. On eachday, cortisol levels were measured at the time of awakening and 15, 30, and 60 minutes thereafter. On the nightbefore the third day, subjects took 0.5 mg dexamethasone orally for testing glucocorticoid feedback inhibition.Burnout and perceived stress were measured by three different questionnaires.

Burnout, perceived stress, and cortisol responses to awakening.

Staff burnout is increasingly viewed as a concern in the mental health field. In this article we first examine the extent to which burnout is a problem for mental health services in terms of two critical issues: its prevalence and its association with a range of undesirable outcomes for staff, organizations, and consumers. We subsequently provide a comprehensive review of the limited research attempting to remediate burnout among mental health staff. We conclude with recommendations for the development and rigorous testing of intervention approaches to address this critical area.

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Burnout in Mental Health Services: A Review of the Problem and Its Remediation

Gender differences in spatial orientation: A review

Leiter International Performance Scale–Revised

Experimental evidence and meta-analyses offer some support for gender-related differences in visuo-spatial ability. However, few studies addressed this issue in an ecological context and/or in everyday tasks implying spatial abilities, such as geographical orientation. Moreover, the relation of specific strategies and gender is still unclear. In the present investigation, we compared men and women in a newly designed battery of spatial orientation tasks in which landmark, route and survey knowledge were considered. In addition, four visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) tasks were presented. Significant differences favouring men in VSWM tasks were reported, supporting existing evidence. However, men and women did not significantly differ in orientation tasks performance. The patterns of correlation between working memory and spatial orientation tasks indicated that men and women used somewhat different strategies in carrying out the orientation tasks. In particular, active processes seem to play a greater role in females' performance, thus confirming the importance of this variable in interpreting gender effect in VSWM tasks. Altogether, results indicate that gender effects could well result from differences in cognitive strategies and support data indicating that adequate training could reduce or eliminate them. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Gender effects in spatial orientation: cognitive profiles and mental strategies.

Recently, increasing attention has been devoted to the study of the role of visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) in environmental learning and spatial navigation. The present research was aimed at investigating the role of VSWM in map learning using a map drawing paradigm. In the first study, a dual task methodology was used. Results showed that map drawing was selectively impaired by a spatial tapping task that was executed during the map learning phase, hence supporting the hypothesis that VSWM plays an essential role in learning from maps. In the second study, using a correlational methodology, it was shown that performance in simultaneous VSWM tasks, but not in sequential VSWM tasks, predicted map drawing skills. These skills “in turn” correlated with map learning abilities. Finally, in the third study, we replicated the results of the second study, by using a different map. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to find evidence that the simultaneous aspects of VSWM play a fundamental role in learning from maps.

The role of visuo-spatial working memory in map learning: new findings from a map drawing paradigm

Social validation assessment of microswitch-based programs versus interaction/stimulation conditions for persons with multiple disabilities is a practically relevant research issue that was recently addressed (Lancioni et al., 2002, 2005a). The present study extended such validation assessment by involving a new group of students with multiple disabilities and two new groups of raters: one including teacher trainees and the other parents of children with disabilities. One hundred and forty teacher trainees and eighty-four parents watched videotapes showing the use of microswitch-based versus stimulation programs for seven students. All teacher trainees and parents scored the microswitch and the stimulation conditions on a 7-item questionnaire, the same as that used in previous studies. Data showed that both groups of raters rated the microswitch condition as more positive than the stimulation condition. These results strongly support those of the previous studies. Implications for use of microswitches with persons with profound and multiple disabilities seem unequivocal. Even so, caution needs to be used until additional replications across different cultural environments are carried out.

A Social Validation Assessment of Microswitch-Based Programs for Persons with Multiple Disabilities Employing Teacher Trainees and Parents as Raters

Assistive technology for promoting choice behaviors in three children with cerebral palsy and severe communication impairments.

Background: The present study tested the hypothesis that particular personality dispositions act as resistance resources in the encounter with stressful life events. Methods: The sample consisted of 100 student nurses working in critical areas (oncology and AIDS). At the beginning of the 2nd year course subjects were administered the Kobasa Hardiness Scale and at the end of the year the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: Higher hardiness levels at the beginning of the course were associated with lower emotional exhaustion and higher personal achievement scores at the end. As predicted, findings show hardiness scores to be predictive of the risk of burnout. Conclusions: A screening of personality traits could be useful in preventing the risk of burnout in nurses working in critical areas.

Andrea Bosco

Papers

Gender effects in spatial orientation: cognitive profiles and mental strategies.

The role of visuo-spatial working memory in map learning: new findings from a map drawing paradigm

A Social Validation Assessment of Microswitch-Based Programs for Persons with Multiple Disabilities Employing Teacher Trainees and Parents as Raters

Assistive technology for promoting choice behaviors in three children with cerebral palsy and severe communication impairments.

Relationship between Hardiness and Risk of Burnout in a Sample of 92 Nurses Working in Oncology and AIDS Wards