Limited research on working memory has centered on ethnically/racially minoritized children, thereby limiting researchers’ abilities to draw conclusions about working memory or to provide additional supports in cultivating working memory for these children. Using the Integrative Theory as a lens, the current study explored the predictive benefit of parent academic socialization strategies on the working memory and subsequent mathematics skills of a nationally representative sample of ethnically/racially minoritized children. Using structural equation modeling techniques, a path model including social position; family structure; leisure activities; parent academic socialization strategies; and their association with kindergarten Asian/Asian-American (N = 1211), Black (N = 1927), and Latine (N = 3671) children’s working memory and first-grade mathematics skills were examined. Furthermore, multigroup moderation was used to test for differences between ethnic/racial groups. Connections to social capital theory, community cultural wealth, and culturally relevant interpretations of the study findings are discussed.

Metacognitive monitoring, recognizing when one is accurate or not, is important because judgments of one’s performance or knowledge often relate to control decisions, such as help seeking. Unfortunately, children and adults struggle to accurately monitor their performance during number-magnitude estimation. People’s accuracy in estimating number magnitudes is related to math achievement and health risk comprehension. Thus, poor monitoring of number-magnitude estimation performance could pose problems when completing math tasks or making health decisions. Here, we evaluated why monitoring accuracy was so poor during number-line estimation, whether it was greater in the presence of a cue that was predictive of performance or when accounting for spatial skills, and the relation between monitoring judgments and control. Monitoring accuracy was greater in a condition in which familiarity, a cue adults commonly rely on to monitor their performance in this task, was predictive of estimation accuracy, compared to a condition in which familiarity was misleading. Although indices of monitoring accuracy did not improve when accounting for spatial skills, reducing variability by dichotomizing estimation performance into accurate or not improved monitoring accuracy metrics. Accurate monitoring was important because adults were more likely to ask for help when they were less confident in their estimate. Taken together, our data on monitoring accuracy suggested that (a) using cues predictive of accuracy is important for monitoring in number-line estimation, (b) adults are poor at detecting small differences in their performance, and (c) prior estimates of monitoring accuracy in number-line estimation may underestimate people's true monitoring ability.

Research has provided evidence that online gaming can both positively and negatively impact players’ physical and mental health. However, few research studies have examined how game addiction, game community, and vitality felt while playing can inform well-being. This study addressed this gap by focusing on game players’ vitality, a construct that addresses both mental and physical health. The research, conducted with 704 online players, specifically examined the association between players’ enduring vitality and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), game community, and state-related vitality (experienced during gaming). The survey instruments included 1) the Internet Gaming Disorder short scale, 2) the Game Community of Inquiry Scale (GCoIS), and 3) the Game Subjective Vitality Scale. Findings highlighted the role of game community receptiveness in informing players’ vitality. In addition, in-game vitality and enduring vitality were found to be intertwined. Implications for future research and practice are provided based on these findings.

Canavan disease is a leukodystrophy caused by ASPA mutations that diminish oligodendroglial aspartoacylase activity, and is characterized by markedly elevated brain concentrations of the aspartoacylase substrate N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) and by astroglial and intramyelinic vacuolation. Astroglia express NaDC3 (encoded by SLC13A3), a sodium-coupled transporter for NAA and other dicarboxylates. Astroglial conditional Slc13a3 deletion in aspartoacylase-deficient Canavan disease model mice (“CD mice”) reversed brain NAA elevation and improved motor function. These results demonstrate that astroglial NaDC3 contributes to brain NAA elevation in CD mice, and suggest that suppressing astroglial NaDC3 activity would ameliorate human Canavan disease.

This study assessed the extent to which associations between perceived and received social support from family and friends and changes in older adults’ cognitive function were moderated by educational attainment. Sibling pairs in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) (N = 4,297) completed a survey about social support in 2011 and a cognitive battery in 2011 and 2020. Participants’ mean age in 2020 was 80.2 years old. Multilevel linear regressions indicated that perceived, but not received, support from friends was associated with better cognitive function 9 years later. Perceived family support was cognitively advantageous for older adults at most levels of educational attainment. However, among postgraduates, perceived family support was unrelated to cognitive function. That the association between perceived support and cognitive function differs based on educational attainment gives interventionists additional information needed to identify groups of older adults most susceptible to cognitive impairment.

Acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy for trichotillomania (AEBT-TTM) is effective in reducing trichotillomania (TTM) symptoms, but the durability of treatment effects remains in question. This study analyzed 6-month follow-up data from a large randomized clinical trial comparing AEBT-TTM to an active psychoeducation and supportive therapy control (PST). Adults with TTM (N=85; 92% women) received 10 sessions of AEBT-TTM or PST across 12 weeks. Independent evaluators assessed participants at baseline, post-treatment, and 6 months follow-up. For both AEBT-TTM and PST, self-reported and evaluator-rated TTM symptom severity decreased from baseline to follow-up. TTM symptoms did not worsen from post-treatment to follow-up. At follow-up, AEBT-TTM and PST did not differ in rates of treatment response, TTM diagnosis, or symptom severity. High baseline TTM symptom severity was a stronger predictor of high follow-up severity for PST than for AEBT-TTM, suggesting AEBT-TTM may be a better option for more severe TTM. Results support the efficacy of AEBT-TTM and show that treatment gains were maintained over time. Although AEBT-TTM yielded lower symptoms at post-treatment, 6-month follow-up outcomes suggest AEBT-TTM and PST may lead to similar symptom levels in the longer term. Future research should examine mechanisms that contribute to long-term gain maintenance.