The development of alternatives to self-report measurement may lead to clarification of theoretical models of abuse in ways that lead to improvements in intervention programming; analogs may also provide a useful means to assess intervention programming outcomes.

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Trust plays a critical role in all aspects of social functioning. In attempting to better understand trust cross culturally, a valid tool is essential. We conducted two studies to investigate the cross-cultural validity and utility of the Generalized Trust Scale (Yamagishi and Yamagishi 1994). In Study 1, the structural and convergent validity of the GTS was examined in a large Polish sample (N = 727). Our findings provided important preliminary evidence for the validity of this scale in this sample. Subsequently, Study 2 compared responses to the GTS from two culturally different countries: Poland (N = 203) and the United States (N = 230). The structure of the GTS remained invariant across these two cultures, and the level of trust was comparable. As expected Americans showed higher levels of happiness than Poles, yet the relationship between trust and happiness was positive and similar in strength for both countries. Our data provide preliminary support for the use of the GTS in cross-cultural comparisons; however, consideration of data at the item level may also be relevant and cross culturally useful.

Data from three studies provide new evidence to support the validity of the Analog Parenting Task (APT) as an instrument to assess risk for harsh, physically aggressive parenting. In this series of studies, there was a strong association between APT scores of expected use and escalation of discipline strategies and self-reported disciplinary attitudes. APT scores were also associated with physical abuse potential as assessed by both a well-established measure of child abuse potential (Child Abuse Potential Inventory) and another instrument designed specifically for use in pre-parent populations (e.g., Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory-2). This study provides new psychometric evidence to support the use of the APT to assess harsh parenting. Additionally, these data highlight the connection between acceptance and use of physical disciplinary strategies, propensity for disciplinary escalation, and risk for abuse perpetration. The findings are discussed in the context of Milner's Social Information Processing model [Milner, 2003] of abuse, which suggests that parental selection of disciplinary responding and the monitoring of disciplinary responding are key events in the disciplinary process. The APT may prove a useful adjunct to more commonly used self-report measures to allow for multimethod assessment of risk for punitive parenting.

ArticleAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobiological disorder that is associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors and varying degrees of impairment in communication and social interactions. The "autism spectrum" describes a continuum of symptom severity across core deficit areas. While the cause of ASD remains unknown, multiple factors appear to contribute to the disorder, which would explain ASD variability (DiCicco-Bloom et al., 2006). Having an ASD impacts a person's ability to function in his or her home, school, and community due to challenges in communication, learning, and forming relationships. Individuals with ASD often experience chronic medical conditions, such as seizures, and other disabilities, such as intellectual impairment, are also common (Gillberg, 2009;Silva & Schalock, 2012). Many individuals with ASD require lifelong supports and services. AbstractResearch suggests that families with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience increased stress and challenges compared with families of typically developing children. We highlight the need for family-centered approaches to reduce family stress, and we elaborate on some of the most central universal needs for families with a child with ASD, such as access to quality information and services, parent skills training, coordinated services, and transitional supports. We then present promising models and strategies from the best practice literature to better address family needs, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, parent-educator partnership models, Parent to Parent (PTP), the Medical Home model, and the Family Navigator model. We conclude by providing practice recommendations and highlighting the critical need for further research.Keywords autism spectrum disorder, family support, parent professional collaboration, medical home, positive behavior interventions and supports, ASD evidence based practices

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Although intergenerational patterns of punitive physical punishment garner considerable research attention, the mechanisms by which historical, cognitive, and contextual factors interplay to influence disciplinary responding remains poorly understood. Disciplinary attitudes have been shown to mediate the association between disciplinary history and disciplinary responding. The present study investigated whether frustration influences these mediation effects. Half of a sample of 330 undergraduates was randomly assigned to frustration induction. Structural equation modeling confirmed that, for participants in the frustration condition, the relation between disciplinary history and physical discipline decision-making was fully mediated by attitudes approving physical discipline. In contrast, for respondents in the no-frustration condition, the pathway from disciplinary history to discipline decision-making was only partially mediated by attitudes. Under conditions of frustration, attitudes may become a more central means by which personal disciplinary history is associated with disciplinary decision-making.

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