Verbal Communication,Nonverbal Communication,and Private Speech in Lower and Middle Socioeconomic Status Preschool Children

Three types of communication—verbal, nonverbal, and private speech—were investigated in 4- and 5-year-old children. Multiple analyses of variance (MANOVAs) without IQ controlled and multiple analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) with IQ as a covariate were computed and followed by ANOVAs and ANCOVAs to determine the effects of sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) on each of these types of communication. The ANOVAs and the ANCOVAs yielded the same conclusions. Results indicated that age and SES, but not sex, influence the use of the three communication types. From age 4 to age 5, private speech decreased for middle SES children and remained the same for lower SES children. Although lower SES children had more nonverbal communication at both age levels than middle SES children, nonverbal communication decreased for middle SES children and increased for lower SES children between the ages of 4 and 5 years. Both lower and middle SES groups increased in verbal communication between the two ages. The middle SES 4-year-olds used more verbal communication than their lower SES counterparts, and the difference was maintained at age 5. Although IQ is related to verbal communication, statistically controlling for the effects of IQ did not change the conclusions.     

幼儿认知灵活性的发展及其与言语能力的关系

认知灵活性是人类智力的一个重要特征,言语能力也是人类的一个关键能力,无论是个体灵活地使用语言,或者是语言在促进个体认知灵活性发展中的作用,都是不容低估的重要问题,但关于两者关系的研究却极其少见。以认知灵活性研究中经典的演绎范式DCCS任务和经典的归纳范式FIM、FIST任务为基础,从认知灵活性中对言语能力的探究、言语测验中包含的认知灵活性、以及两者共同的基础———表征能力等三个方面来阐明认知灵活性和言语发展之间的关系,最后表明了认知灵活性和言语能力之间的显著关系。     

Comparing the Performance of Native North Americans and Predominantly White Military Recruits on Verbal and Nonverbal Measures of Cognitive Ability

This study compared the cognitive ability of adult Canadian First Nations (American Indian) aboriginals (N=101) living in remote areas to recruits (N=131) undergoing military training in the Canadian Forces. Comparisons involved both verbal and nonverbal measures: The Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT), Wonderlic Personnel Test, (WPT), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) and Mill Hill Vocabulary (MHV) test. All measures were examined for differential test and item functioning; as well, the CFAT was analyzed for adverse impact. Confirming past research, First Nations (FNs) members scored, on average, 18 points lower in IQ estimates based on the WPT, a verbal measure of cognitive ability; however, the differences between the groups were less on the nonverbal tests: SPM (5 points lower) and the MHV (9 points lower). Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis detected a few items from the CFAT, SPM and MHV that displayed DIF, but none from the WPT. The SPM and WPT appear to be unbiased measures with respect to differential test functioning (DTF), once language and education are controlled. Making employment decisions solely on verbal cognitive ability test scores, however, is likely to produce adverse impact against members of FN, unless verbal ability is a bona fide occupational requirement for the positions under consideration. Both the verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability tests assessed the same latent structure suggesting that the nonverbal tests could be used in place of the verbal tests with little loss in predictive ability for occupations involving a high degree of spatial ability.     

The Effects of Nonverbal Immediacy and Verbal Person Centeredness in the Emotional Support Process

This study explores the combined influence of nonverbal immediacy and verbal person centeredness in the emotional support process. Three complementary models were tested in an experiment with 216 participants who disclosed an emotionally upsetting event to a confederate trained to display different levels of nonverbal immediacy and person centeredness. Participants subsequently completed a set of instruments measuring the perceived comforting quality of the confederate. Results suggested that nonverbal immediacy and person centeredness influence perceptions of what makes for good comforting. The data supported 2 of the advanced models but failed to provide support for a nonverbal primacy effect on perceived comforting quality.     

Child Compliance and Congruity between Verbal and Nonverbal Maternal Communication — A Methodological Note

This paper is a report of a study of congruity between verbal and nonverbal maternal communication with sons during two 30-minute sessions. The instructions to the mothers varied for the two sessions by increasing the time the mother was asked to spend on a brain teaser game and by decreasing the number of play materials available for the sons in the second session. The two sessions were videotaped through a one-way mirror and rated independently for maternal verbal and nonverbal communicaiton and child compliance. Mothers differed for the two sessions in their communication with their sons. The study demonstrated that maternal nonverbal communication, as well as verbal communication, can be reliably measured through use of videotape recording.     

The Importance of Written,Verbal, and Nonverbal Communication Factors in Employment Interview Decisions

This study explored dimensions of influential factors in employment interviewing from the recruiter's (N = 423) perspective in hiring new college graduates for an entry-level position. A factor analysis of 28 communication items was conducted. Study results suggest that there are six dimensions of influential communication factors in employment interviews.     

Verbal Learning Strategies of Adolescents and Adults with the Syndrome of Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Although many psychometric studies of individuals with the syndrome of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) have been conducted, one relatively neglected area has been the study of their performance on explicit verbal memory measures. We examined the performance of adolescents and adults with NLD on the California Verbal Learning Test, a measure allowing analysis of self-initiated learning strategies, and compared their performance to age- and Full Scale IQ-matched verbal learning-disabled (VLD) controls. Mean performance of the NLD sample on the semantic clustering index fell one standard deviation below the normative mean, whereas their serial clustering score was within normal limits. Additionally, the serial clustering score for our NLD sample was significantly greater than their semantic clustering score, suggesting that these individuals are more likely to spontaneously employ serial verbal learning strategies as opposed to those that are semantically driven. This difference in serial versus semantic clustering scores was not seen in our VLD controls, who performed equally well, and within normal limits, on both indices.     

Academic Achievement,Ability, and the MMPI Scales

This study investigated the relationship between personality traits and academic achievement at the university level, while holding scholastic ability constant. Although no distinctive traits characterized the achiever, the non-achiever showed pronounced tendencies in the direction of impulsivity, overactivity, and excessive sociability. He also scored significantly lower than the achiever in social responsibility.     

Relationship Between Accuracy and Organizational Approach on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and the Differential Ability Scales: A Pilot Investigation

The present study was designed as an initial exploration of the relationship between global cognitive functioning and organizational and accuracy scores on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) in a sample of children and adolescents. The relationship between ROCF accuracy scores at Copy and Delay as well as Organization and the Differential Ability Scales (DAS) was examined. Results indicate moderate correlations between Copy and Delay ROCF scores and various DAS indicators of nonverbal problem solving and visuospatial processing. Contrary to expectations, organizational scores were not significantly correlated with any of the DAS subscales or composite scales. Although further research is needed to explore the validity of this organizational scoring scheme with younger patients, these findings suggest that organization of the ROCF may be generally unrelated to global measures of cognitive ability or may assess processes associated with executive functioning untapped by the DAS.     

The Relation Between Mechanical Ability Tests and Verbal and Non-Verbal Intelligence Tests

The present study examined the verbal imitative performance of normal and retarded children at four mental ages (MAs 5, 6, 7, and 8 years). Three dependent measures of imitation were taken: total, mimical, and conceptual. The results indicated that both IQ and mental age were significant factors in imitative performance. Retardates primarily demonstrated mimical imitation at the MA 5 level and conceptual imitation at the MA 7 level, while normals emitted primarily mimical responses at MA7. Retardates and normals differed in total imitation only at MA 5.     

Parental Patterns of Cooperation in Parent–Child Interactions: The Relationship Between Nonverbal and Verbal Communication

This study expands the existing research into forms of parent–child cooperation by simultaneously assessing verbal/nonverbal channels of communication and their congruent/incongruent interrelatedness. The study aims to explain parental patterns of cooperation and to analyze the effect of a wide range of social and situational factors, including parents' gender, child's gender, socioeconomic status, and task difficulty. Parent–child interactions (n = 160) in structured joint game sequences were filmed in their homes and analyzed using a mixed multivariant design. The results highlight the importance of integrative congruence/incongruence patterns and the significant effects of background variables in parental inducing/inhibiting‐cooperation patterns. The proposed model expands the theoretical and methodological framework of parental cooperation.     

论医患言语交际的得体性

以医患言语交际为切入点,主要研究医者一方言语表达的得体性.对医患言语交际的得体性作出定义,分析认为医忠言语交际的得体性具有医学伦理学、医学社会学、医学心理学及语义学、语用学等学科基础.进一步描述了医学会话中不得体现象的表现,提出了得体性的实现途径.     

论医患言语交际的得体性

以医患言语交际为切入点,主要研究医者一方言语表达的得体性。对医患言语交际的得体性作出定义,分析认为医患言语交际的得体性具有医学伦理学、医学社会学、医学心理学及语义学、语用学等学科基础。进一步描述了医学会话中不得体现象的表现,提出了得体性的实现途径。     

The Relative Effects of Verbal and Nonverbal Behavior,Appearance, and Social Skills on Evaluations Made in Hiring Interviews1

One hundred and two student volunteers were randomly assigned to either a lecture format interview training session or a no training condition. All subjects also completed a standardized measure of social skills. Each subject was then videotaped in a mock hiring interview. Groups of judges viewed the videotaped interviews and evaluated each subject's interview performance. Subjects were also rated on physical attractiveness and dress. Finally, a significant positive and negative verbal statements and a numbre of nonverbal cues occuring during the interviews were tallied. There were no significant effects for training on interview performance. The judges' evaluations were most strongly influenced by subjects' verbal behavior and appearance. Implications for interview training and interview evaluation processes are discussed.     

The relationship of MMPI and Sensation Seeking Scales to adolescent drug use

This study examined the relationship of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) measures, including the MacAndrew alcoholism (MAC) scale, and the Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS) to adolescents' drug use across nine drug categories. Subjects were 51 male and 72 female high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 (mean age = 16 years, 5 months). The drug use/abuse measure consisted of adolescents' self-reports on the Segal (1973) Alcohol-Drug Use Research Survey. Drug categories included for investigation were alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, caffeine, cocaine, hallucinogens, marijuana, narcotics, and tobacco. Scores from standard MMPI scales, the MAC scale, and the SSS were examined in relation to individual drug use outcomes, and multivariate procedures were used to predict polydrug versus single drug use patterns. Results demonstrated significant and meaningful relationships between personality measures and drug use among adolescents, with consistently strong findings for the SSS.     

Classroom Behavior and the Ability to Decode Nonverbal Cues in Boys With Severe Emotional Disturbance

Abstract

Nonverbal decoding skills are important for successful social functioning, particularly for emotionally disturbed children. Boys with severe emotional disturbance (n = 25) and a control group of boys (n = 22) were compared regarding the relationship between ratings of classroom social behaviors and nonverbal decoding skills. Participants were predominantly African American. The Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (Nowicki, 2001; Nowicki & Duke, 1994) was administered individually to the boys while teachers completed ratings of their social behavior in the classroom. The 2 groups of boys did not differ in nonverbal skills. However, aggressive classroom behaviors were associated with specific nonverbal skills only for the boys with severe emotional disturbance. These findings suggest that nonverbal abilities may have a greater impact on the social behavior of emotionally disturbed boys. Future research is needed to better understand the social difficulties of boys with severe emotional disturbance.     

The Role of Maternal Verbal, Affective, and Behavioral Support in Preschool Children's Independent and Collaborative Autobiographical Memory Reports

The authors investigated the individual and relative contributions of different aspects of maternal support (i.e., verbal, affective, and behavioral) in relation to children's collaborative and independent reminiscing. Four-year-old children discussed personal past experiences with their mothers and with a researcher. In collaborative recall with their mothers, children's narrative behavior was regulated best by maternal use of specific elaborative components, such as affirmations. In contrast, in children's independent recall, affective and behavioral qualities of maternal support were related to children's memory performance. Specifically, during free-recall, the dimensions of quality of instruction and respect for autonomy were significant predictors of children's narratives. In the context of prompted recall (supported by wh-questions), respect for autonomy was the only significant predictor of children's involvement in the conversations and of the amount of unique content they provided. The findings suggest that different aspects of maternal behavior facilitate different components of children's reminiscing skills, which children might apply depending on demands of the autobiographical memory conversation.     

Differential Decline of Verbal and Visuospatial Processing Speed Across the Adult Life Span

The present study compared the age-related decline in verbal and visuospatial processing speed in 131 participants aged 18 to 90 years. Participants performed four verbal and four visuospatial tasks. Age differences in processing speed were compared at the group and individual levels. For the group-level analyses, participants were divided into a young adult group and six older groups subdivided by decade. The mean verbal and visuospatial response times (RTs) for each group were regressed on the corresponding RTs of the young adult group. The slope of the visuospatial regression was greater than that for the verbal regression at all ages, and the difference between the visuospatial and verbal slopes increased with each decade. For the individual-level analyses, a verbal and a visuospatial processing-time coefficient (Hale & Jansen, 1994) was obtained for each individual, and these values were then regressed on age. Verbal processing time increased linearly by approximately 50% while visuospatial processing time increased exponentially by approximately 500% from 18 to 90 years. Taken together, the results at both the group and the individual level demonstrate that aging affects visuospatial processing to a much greater extent than verbal processing.     

Comparison of Hispanic children with and without limited English proficiency on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test

Hispanic children with (n=148) and without (n=148) limited English proficiency were given the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT; J. A. Naglieri. 1997a) and the Stanford Achievement Test-9th edition (SAT-9: 1995). The groups were selected from the NNAT standardization sample (N=22.620) and matched on geographic region, gender, socioeconomic status, urbanicity. and ethnicity. There was a very small difference (d ratio=0.1) between the NNAT standard scores for the children with limited English proficiency (M - 98.0) and those without limited English proficiency (M=96.7). The NNAT correlated moderately and similarly with achievement for the 2 groups. The sample of children with limited English proficiency earned considerably lower scores on SAT-9 Reading and Verbal subtests. Results suggest that the NNAT may be useful for the assessment of Hispanic children with and without limited English proficiency.