Monitoring a meat-free pledge with smartphones: An experimental study.

Pledges are a popular strategy to encourage meat reduction, though experimental studies of their efficacy are lacking. Three-hundred and twenty-five participants from three different countries (UK, Germany, Australia) were randomly assigned to pledge 28 days meat-free or not, and their behavior was tracked via smartphones. Participants answered daily surveys regarding their eating behavior, meat cravings, and shared photos of their meals.

Psychometric Evaluation of an Australian Version of the Vocational Index for Adults with Autism.

Background: Autistic individuals are underrepresented in employment and postsecondary education. Research is hampered by a lack of psychometrically valid instruments that can be used to assess the vocational activities of autistic people. This study examined the psychometric properties of an Australian modified version of the Vocational Index for Adults with Autism (M-VIAA), an assessment of vocational independence.

Temperament predicts challenging behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder at age 5.

Background: Challenging behaviors during early childhood have a significant impact on cognitive and social development. The present study aimed to identify the developmental predictors of these behaviors in preschool aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at 2-year follow-up. We examined temperament, which has been identified as key to emotion regulation in typical development, as well as developmental level and ASD symptom severity, as potential predictors of parent-reported challenging behavior.

Language profiles in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A community sample using multiple assessment instruments.

This study investigated language profiles in a community-based sample of 104 children aged 1-3 years who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using (5th ed.) diagnostic criteria. Language was assessed with the Mullen scales, Preschool Language Scale, fifth edition, and Vineland-II parent-report.