Prior research has established positive outcomes of health optimism (appraising one's health as good despite poor objective health (OH)) and negative outcomes of health pessimism (appraising health as poor despite good OH), yet little is known about their contributors. We examined the role of psychosocial factors (life event stress, depression, dispositional optimism, perceived social support) in health realism (appraising health in accordance with OH), optimism and pessimism among 489 older men and women. We then accounted for the psychosocial factors when examining multiple health correlates of health realism, optimism and pessimism. Controlling for age, gender and income, regression results indicate that depression and social support were associated with less health optimism, while dispositional optimism was associated with greater health optimism among those in poor OH. Dispositional optimism was associated with less health pessimism and life event stress was associated with greater pessimism among those in good OH. Beyond the effects of the psychosocial factors, structural equation model results indicate that health optimism was positively associated with healthy behaviours and perceived control over one's health; health pessimism was associated with poorer perceived health care management. Health optimism and pessimism have different psychosocial contributors and health correlates, validating the health congruence approach to later life well-being, health and survival.

Within the psychology supervision literature, most theoretical models and practices pertain to general clinical or counseling psychology. Supervision specific to clinical neuropsychology has garnered little attention. This survey study explores supervision training, practices, and perspectives of neuropsychology supervisors. Practicing neuropsychologists were invited to participate in an online survey via listservs and email lists. Of 451 respondents, 382 provided supervision to students, interns, and/or fellows in settings such as VA medical centers (37%), university medical centers (35%), and private practice (15%). Most supervisors (84%) reported supervision was discussed in graduate school "minimally" or "not at all." Although 67% completed informal didactics or received continuing education in supervision, only 27% reported receiving training specific to neuropsychology supervision. Notably, only 39% were satisfied with their training in providing supervision and 77% indicated they would likely participate in training in providing supervision, if available at professional conferences. Results indicate that clinical neuropsychology as a specialty has paid scant attention to developing supervision models and explicit training in supervision skills. We recommend that the specialty develop models of supervision for neuropsychological practice, supervision standards and competencies, training methods in provision of supervision, and benchmark measures for supervision competencies.

We analyzed data from 74 male collegiate hockey players. Each athlete's season began with a baseline administration of the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) neuropsychology test battery. Fourteen athletes sustained a sport-related head injury and were readministered the test to assess the impact of the injury. A significant decrease in performance (compared to baseline) on immediate and delayed word recall and designs followed the first concussion. Following a second sport-related concussion, the 4 affected athletes showed significant decrease in visual motor speed. Performance improved on 2 response speed measures (Ps < .01). More errors occurred during a visual processing/discrimination task and immediate recall of designs declined (Ps < .05). We discuss the results in light of recent work related to the impact of early-life concussions and head injury on late-life consequences, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and more immediate issues such as returnto-play decisions for athletes.The last decade has seen dramatic increases in research addressing the neuropsychological impacts of sport-related head injuries (especially concussions) in children and young adults. 1-3 It is estimated that concussions represent 9% of all sport-related injuries. 4 Because they are often referred to as ''mild head injury,'' they often go unnoticed by medical professionals despite the fact they often show forces similar to sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, or both. Finally, and often most devastatingly, concussions that are believed to be cumulative in their impact may affect the person for years to come. 3 These impacts include deficits in cognitive, social, and behavioral functioning. 3 Thus, obtaining a concussion (or concussions) in early life may have a cumulative effect over the course of the person's mid-and later life. Indeed, there is now data showing the long-lasting negative effects on healthy retired athletes who sustained a sport-related concussion in early adulthood. 5 Athletes in several intercollegiate sports are impacted by the devastating effects of concussions. Men's ice hockey is consistently near the top of the list, yet the effects of concussions sustained by ice hockey players have only recently garnered substantial interest. 6 A recent summit of neuropsychological professionals interested in finding possible solutions to reduce the risk, incidence, severity, and consequences of concussions in ice hockey players advocated for a ''6-component solution'' to address concussions including (1) databases and metrics, (2) recognizing, diagnosing, management, and return to play, (3) player equipment and facilities, (4) prevention and education, (5) rules and enforcement, and (6) communication of outcomes. Consistent with this ''call to action,'' here we present 6 years' worth of archival data collected on a sample of men's college hockey players. We had several predictions. First, following baseline, we expected deficits in all Immediate PostConcussion Assessment and Co...

Learning effects were assessed for the block design (BD) task, on the basis of variation in 2 stimulus parameters: perceptual cohesiveness (PC) and set size uncertainty (U). Thirty-one nonclinical undergraduate students (19 female) each completed 3 designs for each of 4 varied sets of the stimulus parameters (high-PC/high-U, high-PC/low-U, low-PC/high-U, and low-PC/low-U), ordered randomly within a larger set of designs with mixed stimulus characteristics. Regression analyses revealed significant, although modest, learning effects in all conditions. Negative-logarithmic learning slopes (growth factors) were greatest for high-U/high-PC designs and smallest for low-U/low-PC designs. Comparison of these slopes with known Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (3rd ed.; D. Wechsler, 1997; and 4th ed.; D. Wechsler, 2008) BD subtest gain scores demonstrated that presenting novel test items matched on stimulus parameters in multiple administrations reduced learning effects compared with the repeated use of the same test items. The results suggest that repeated administration of novel test items of the BD subtest, matched for PC and U, would result in more accurate assessments of changes in examinees' abilities over time than would the use of the same items. Difficulties inherent in implementing this method are also discussed.

Objective Marketed as a validity test that detects feigning of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Morel Emotional Numbing Test for PTSD (MENT) instructs examinees that PTSD may negatively affect performance on the measure. This study explored the potential that MENT performance depends on inclusion of “PTSD” in its instructions and the nature of the MENT as a performance validity versus a symptom validity test (PVT/SVT). Method 358 participants completed the MENT as a part of a clinical neuropsychological evaluation. Participants were either administered the MENT with the standard instructions (SIs) that referenced “PTSD” or revised instructions (RIs) that did not. Others were administered instructions that referenced “ADHD” rather than PTSD (AI). Comparisons were conducted on those who presented with concerns for potential traumatic-stress related symptoms (SI vs. RI-1) or attention deficit (AI vs. RI-2). Results Participants in either the SI or AI condition produced more MENT errors than those in their respective RI conditions. The relationship between MENT errors and other S/PVTs was significantly stronger in the SI: RI-1 comparison, such that errors correlated with self-reported trauma-related symptoms in the SI but not RI-1 condition. MENT failure also predicted PVT failure at nearly four times the rate of SVT failure. Conclusions Findings suggest that the MENT relies on overt reference to PTSD in its instructions, which is linked to the growing body of literature on “diagnosis threat” effects. The MENT may be considered a measure of suggestibility. Ethical considerations are discussed, as are the construct(s) measured by PVTs versus SVTs.