Summation,Variety, and Indeterminate Value

In this paper, I consider two sorts of objections to summative theories of value. The first objection concerns “indeterminate” value. The second concerns the importance of variety. I argue that both objections pose serious problems for the summative approach. I also argue that if we accept certain plausible views about the value of variety, we should reject certain forms of argument concerning what sorts of states have intrinsic value.     

Developmental stimulation in child care centers contributes to young infants’ cognitive development

This study examined whether the quality of caregiver behavior in child care centers contributes to infant cognitive development at 9 months of age. Sixty-four infants (34 boys) were observed with their primary caregivers in child care centers at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Caregiver behavior was rated for sensitivity and for stimulation of infant development during one-to-one caregiving interactions. Infant cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (Mental Development Index). Higher levels of developmental stimulation in the centers predicted higher levels of infant cognitive development at 9 months, beyond infant cognitive development at 3 months (just before entering child care), parental education, and maternal sensitivity. The results suggest that even small increases in developmental stimulation provided in child care centers in the first year of life may foster infants’ cognitive development.     

Temporal preparation,response inhibition and impulsivity

Temporal preparation and impulsivity involve overlapping neural structures (prefrontal cortex) and cognitive functions (response inhibition and time perception), however, their interrelations had not been investigated. We studied such interrelations by comparing the performance of groups with low vs. high non-clinical trait impulsivity during a temporal preparation go no-go task. This task measured, in less than 10 min, how response inhibition was influenced both by temporal orienting of attention (guided by predictive temporal cues) and by sequential effects (produced by repetition/alternation of the duration of preparatory intervals in consecutive trials). The results showed that sequential effects produced dissociable patterns of temporal preparation as a function of impulsivity. Sequential effects facilitated both response speed (reaction times – RTs – to the go condition) and response inhibition (false alarms to the no-go condition) selectively in the low impulsivity group. In the high impulsivity group, in contrast, sequential effects only improved RTs but not response inhibition. We concluded that both excitatory and inhibitory processing may be enhanced concurrently by sequential effects, which enables the temporal preparation of fast and controlled responses. Impulsivity could hence be related to less efficient temporal preparation of that inhibitory processing.     

Does Maternal Prenatal Stress Adversely Affect the Child’s Learning and Memory at Age Six?

Prenatal maternal stress has been shown to affect postnatal development in animals and humans. In animals, the morphology and function of the offspring’s hippocampus is negatively affected by prenatal maternal stress. The present study prospectively investigated the influence of prenatal maternal stress on learning and memory of 112 children (50 boys, 62 girls, Age: M=6.7 years, SD=8.4 months), with the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL). Maternal stress levels were determined three times during pregnancy by self-report questionnaires. Furthermore, maternal saliva cortisol samples were used as a measure of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Results of hierarchical multivariate regression analyses showed that maternal life events measured during the first part of pregnancy were negatively associated with the child’s attention/concentration index, while controlling for overall IQ, gender, and postnatal stress. No associations were found between prenatal maternal cortisol and the offspring’s learning and memory.     

Does maternal prenatal stress adversely affect the child's learning and memory at age six?

Prenatal maternal stress has been shown to affect postnatal development in animals and humans. In animals, the morphology and function of the offspring's hippocampus is negatively affected by prenatal maternal stress. The present study prospectively investigated the influence of prenatal maternal stress on learning and memory of 112 children (50 boys, 62 girls, Age: M=6.7 years, SD=8.4 months), with the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL). Maternal stress levels were determined three times during pregnancy by self-report questionnaires. Furthermore, maternal saliva cortisol samples were used as a measure of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning. Results of hierarchical multivariate regression analyses showed that maternal life events measured during the first part of pregnancy were negatively associated with the child's attention/concentration index, while controlling for overall IQ, gender, and postnatal stress. No associations were found between prenatal maternal cortisol and the offspring's learning and memory.     

Classroom Interactions,Dyadic Teacher–Child Relationships,and Self–Regulation in Socially Disadvantaged Young Children

This study examined the quality of the classroom climate and dyadic teacher–child relationships as predictors of self–regulation in a sample of socially disadvantaged preschool children (N?=?206; 52 % boys). Children’s self–regulation was observed in preschool at the beginning and at the end of the school year. At the middle of the preschool year, classroom observations of interactions were conducted by trained observers and teachers rated the quality of dyadic teacher–child relationships. Results from multilevel analyses revealed that teacher–child closeness predicted improvements in observed self–regulation skills. Children showed larger gains in self–regulation when they experienced closer teacher–child relationships. Moreover, a moderating effect between classroom instructional quality and observed self–regulation was found such that children with low initial self–regulation skills benefit the most from classrooms with higher classroom quality. Findings have implications for understanding the role of classroom social processes on the development of self–regulation.     

Tests of the separate retrieval of item and associative information using a frequency-judgment task

The degree to which item and associative information can be distinguished at retrieval was assessed using a frequency-judgment task. Words were shown various numbers of times individually and as members of word pairs. At test, subjects judged the frequency of the word pairs and a word’s frequency as an individual item, its frequency as a member of word pairs, or the combined frequency of the word. Subjects made all of these judgments with considerable accuracy. The frequency of presentations in the nontarget format had consistent, but small, effects on the judgments for the target frequencies. The results provide further support for the distinction between item and associative information and for the source-monitoring framework of Johnson, Hashtroudi, and Lindsay (1993), and they have important implications for global matching models of memory.     

Long Lasting Marriages in Chile

Reports the Chilean segment of a multicultural, multicountry (Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, USA) study on long-term marriages. This pilot study is seen as a starting point in research focusing on the childhood background and family history of long-term marital partners in Chile. No statistically significant association between marital satisfaction and economic or educational level was found. A positive correlation was found between marital satisfaction and happiness during childhood. Love, trust, and loyalty appear to be the main ingredients of satisfaction for both satisfied and unsatisfied couples. The findings across countries as to the essential ingredients reported here have been remarkably similar.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSERVATION IN ABORIGINAL CHILDREN1

Deux groupes d'enfants aborigènes australiens (âge 8–15 ans) subissent les épreuves mises au point pour L'étude de la conservation de la quantité, du poids, du volume, de la longueur, de la surface et du nombre. Les résultats montrent que les enfants aborigènes réussissent ces problèmes à des âges plus élevés que les enfants européens et que dans certains cas, la notion de conservation n'est pas atteinte. On constate également des différences significatives chez les enfants aborigènes selon qu'ils sont de souche pure ou non. Les résultats confirment dans L'ensemble la théorie des stades de développement, mais on observe que L'ordre des stades dont L'invariance est postulée par Piaget et Inhelder présente quelques variations. L'A. commente ces résultats et évoque les différents facteurs qui peuvent être responsables du retard observé dans le développement des enfants aborigènes.