Sensitization and habituation of motivated behavior in overweight and non-overweight children

The rate of habituation to food is inversely related to energy intake, and overweight children may habituate slower to food and consume more energy. This study compared patterns of sensitization, as defined by an initial increase in operant or motivated responding for food, and habituation, defined by gradual reduction in responding, for macaroni and cheese and pizza in overweight and non-overweight 8- to 12-year-old children. Non-overweight children habituated faster to both foods than overweight children (p = .03). All children recovered motivated responding for a new food (chocolate). Overweight children consumed more energy than non-overweight children (p = .0004). Children who showed a sensitization in responding consumed more food (p = .001), and sensitization moderated the effect of overweight on habituation, with slower habituation for overweight children who sensitized (p < .001). This study replicates previous data on overweight/non-overweight differences in habituation of food and energy intake, and provides new information that individual differences in sensitization and habituation of motivated responding to obtain food may be associated with a sustained motivation to eat, resulting in greater energy intake.     

Globalization, state transformation, and educational re-structuring: why postmodern diversity will prevail over standardization

Over the past two decades the educational policies of neo-liberal nation states have exhibited contradictory tendencies, promoting both bureaucratic standardization of curriculum and standardized evaluation on the one hand, and postmodern diversification on the other. Despite recent increases in bureaucratic standardization, I argue that the economic, social and cultural effects of globalization will pressure these states towards postmodern diversification of educational arrangements to strengthen their perceived legitimacy.     

论无产阶级的反讽

这个专栏的意图在于,通过几位作者、译者的努力,提醒人们对马克思与浪漫主义关系的重思,对古典反讽、浪漫反讽和马克思的反讽异同关系的重思。这个问题在国内学界很不受重视,或者被当作马克思不成熟的表现,把浪漫主义视为负面的、招致马克思思想不成熟的东西。维塞尔在《马克思、浪漫派的反讽、无产阶级》一书中力图纠正这种不符合历史事实的传统看法,陈开华特意节译了该书第五章,以凸现“反讽”在马克思思想中的重要地位。我也提供了小文一篇,力图阐明马克思试图扼制虚无主义时从浪漫主义处寻求的思想资源,并在告别了意识内在性之后仍保留和改造了另一种内在性:价值内在性;而它与浪漫派的反讽存在密切关系。罗晓颖的论文则针对马克思的博士论文为了理解哲学与现实的关系而对苏格拉底反讽广泛涉猎的事实,以《游叙弗伦》篇为例对苏格拉底的反讽作出自己的分析,这对理解马克思的反讽,理解古典反讽与现代反讽的关系与区别,会提供一个很好的基础,很值得阅读。     

Recognizing the role of parents in developmental outcomes: a systems approach to evaluating the child with developmental disabilities

When developmental concerns arise in children, a clinical assessment focuses on the child's developmental profile to achieve three goals (1) determine diagnosis, (2) develop interventions, and (3) evaluate progress. Parents often have needs during this time that are not addressed by professionals because of the exclusive focus on the child during the evaluation. In this article, we suggest that clinicians take a "systems" approach to the assessment process by recognizing how the well being of family members can impact a child with a developmental disability. We review systems theory and its conceptualization of individual functioning and discuss how parental well-being differs according to child diagnosis. Finally we suggest a systems-based model to use during the assessment process.     

QUINTUPLE EXTENSION: MIND, BODY, HUMANISM, RELIGION, SECULARISM

Extension of the system that includes the key substrates for sensation, perception, emotion, volition, and cognition, and all representational sources for cognition, supports the view that there is an extended mind and an extended body. These intellectual views can be made practical in a humanist system based on extensions and in religious systems based on extensions. Independently, there is also an institutional extension of secularism. Hence, I maintain, there are five principal forms of extension.     

Phenomenology of Early Childhood Onset Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This paper describes the phenomenological features of early childhood onset obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD; defined as children meeting DSM-IV criteria for OCD with age of onset <8 years). Fifty-eight children (ages 4–8) were included in the sample. OCD and comorbid diagnoses were determined by structured interview, and OCD severity was measured using the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). Mean age of OCD onset was almost five, and mean age of presentation was between 6 and 7. Mean symptom severity was in the moderately severe range. Comorbidity and family history of OCD were common. Contamination and aggressive/catastrophic obsessions and washing and checking compulsions were endorsed most frequently. Results indicate that early childhood onset OCD may have a lower boy to girl ratio and lower rates of depressive disorders, but may be similar to later childhood onset OCD in terms of OCD symptom presentation and severity.     

Mnemic neglect is not an artifact of expectancy: The moderating role of defensive pessimism

Research supporting the mnemic neglect model finds that people more easily recall positive than negative personality feedback, even when only asked to imagine that the feedback is real. The same bias is not found when people are asked to recall information about other people. Despite evidence that these findings reflect self‐enhancement motives, more research is needed to rule out the possibility that they instead simply reflect expectancies. Results supported the mnemic neglect model, and revealed that expectancies predicted recall only for a subgroup of participants who did not demonstrate the self–other recall bias characteristic of mnemic neglect: defensive pessimists, who are more likely than other people to process social information by comparing it to their expectancies. These findings suggest that mnemic neglect is not an artifact of expectancies, and is not driven by other self‐evaluation motives (such as self‐verification or self‐assessment). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Engaged Lifestyle, Personality, and Mental Status Among Centenarians

This study assessed engaged lifestyle activities (e.g., volunteering, traveling, and public speaking) for centenarians of the Georgia Centenarian Study. A total of 285 centenarians and near-centenarians (i.e., 98 years and older) and their proxy informants participated in this study. The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was assessed for all centenarians, and proxy informants reported on lifestyle activities and personality traits of the centenarians. Results suggested that participants who had volunteered, traveled, and those who had given public talks and balanced their checkbooks were more likely to show relatively high mental status scores (i.e., MMSE > 17). Personality traits were found to be moderators in the relationship between engaged lifestyle and mental status: Participants with high levels of Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness and with high levels of engaged lifestyle were more likely to show relatively high mental status scores (i.e., MMSE > 17), whereas participants with low levels of Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness and with low levels of engaged lifestyle were more likely to show relatively low mental status scores (i.e., MMSE < 18). The results suggest that engaged lifestyle, particularly in combination with personality traits, plays an important role in the level of cognitive functioning among oldest old adults.