Computer administration of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to young children

Computer-controlled administration of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to children between the ages of 4 and 13 years was shown to be feasible without the presence of a live examiner. Test-retest correlation coefficients were obtained in the range from .54 to .74 and were not significantly different from those obtained with manual administration in the PPVT standardization sample. Practice effects and IQ differences between the two forms of the test were nonsignificant.     

Evaluation of a nonintellectual assessment procedure for the early screening of exceptionality

Using a battery of nonintellectual measures with demonstrated validity for the screening of learning disabled and emotionally handicapped pupils, this study evaluated the feasibility of screening for potential educable mentally retarded (EMR) and gifted candidates. The criterion measure used to establish evidence of potential EMR and gifted eligibility was an individually-administered intelligence test. Teacher nominations of pupils they would refer for learning disabled (LD), EMR and gifted evaluation were obtained prior to administration of the screening instruments in a subsample of the participating districts in order to compare IQ criterion groups and screening results with teacher referrals. Results showed that the group of pupils screened by the nonintellectual measures contained 91% of those in the low IQ group (potential EMR) and 86% of those in the high IQ group (potential gifted). By contrast, teacher referrals failed to screen any of those deemed potentially eligible based on IQ criterion scores. The evidence suggests that reliance on conventional methods of teacher referral is inadequate for screening of EMR and gifted pupils, but that screening with the nonintellectual measures demonstrates a promise worthy of wider consideration.     

Differential Induction of Long-Term Synaptic Facilitation by Spaced and Massed Applications of Serotonin at Sensory Neuron Synapses of Aplysia californica

Serotonin (5HT)-induced facilitation of synaptic transmission from tail sensory neurons (SNs) to motor neurons (MNs) in the marine mollusc Aplysia provides a cellular model of short- and long-term memory for behavioral sensitization of the tail withdrawal reflex. Synaptic facilitation at these synapses occurs in three temporal phases: short-term (STF, lasting minutes), intermediate-term (ITF, lasting more than an hour), and long-term (LTF, lasting >24 hr). STF, ITF, and LTF differ in their induction requirements: A single brief exposure of 5HT induces STF, whereas five applications are required for ITF and LTF. Moreover, STF and LTF can be induced independently.     

Conduct Problems and Level of Social Competence in Head Start Children: Prevalence, Pervasiveness, and Associated Risk Factors

The purpose of the current project was to determine the prevalence of conduct problems, low social competence, and associated risk factors in a sample of 4-year-old low-income children (N = 426) from 64 Head Start classrooms in the Seattle area. Conduct problems and social competence were assessed based on a combination of teacher reports, parent reports, and independent observations of children interacting with peers in the classroom and with parents at home. We examined the relative contribution of a variety of risk factors, including maternal history and socioeconomic background, current levels of stress and social support, mothers' emotional state, and parenting competence in relation to pervasive (i.e., at home and school) and nonpervasive conduct problems and low social competence. Findings indicated similar risk factors for conduct problems and for low social competence, with an ordered increase in the number of risk factors from normal to nonpervasive to pervasive groups. Harshness of parenting style (i.e., slapping, hitting, yelling) significantly distinguished between the three groups for low social competence and conduct problems. Positive affect, praise, and physical warmth from mothers were positively related to social competence but unrelated to conduct problems.     

A Comparative Study in the levels of Human Values: People's Republic of China, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States

This study investigates the relative importance of human values at four levels: (a) global, (b) national, (c) family, and (d) individual, among university students from four countries – the United States (137 females, 78 males, one unspecified), the People's Republic of China (66 females, 170 males, one unspecified), Taiwan (156 females, 101 males), and Singapore (148 females, 119 males). Students rated the importance of passing on the 68 items in the Child Socialization Value Survey to their children or to future generations. Principal Components Analysis was performed on the pooled sample of student responses and revealed a five-factor solution described by: universalism, family, nationalism, prestige, and autonomy. This study demonstrates that the values endorsed by samples of Chinese across different geopolitical backgrounds are not consistent.     

Substituting new details for old? Effects of delaying postevent information on infant memory

How that which we remember is selectively distorted by new information was studied in 3-monthold infants who learned to move a particular crib mobile by operant foot kicking. Infants who were passively exposed to a novel mobile 1, 2, or 3 days later subsequently treated the novel mobile as if they had actually been trained with it. Also, after the longest exposure delay, they no longer recognized the original mobile. Likewise, when the novel mobile was exposed after the longest delay, it could prime the forgotten training memory in a reactivation paradigm, but the original mobile no longer could. These data reveal that what we remember about an event is selectively distorted by what we encounter later. Moreover, the later in the retention interval we encounter new postevent information, the greater is its impact on retention.     

Evaluation of job candidates with missing information: Effects of attribute importance and interattribute correlation

How do people make evaluations when important items of information are missing? In the context of personnel evaluations or product evaluations, researchers have proposed that decision makers may predict the missing attribute based on its assumed relationship to attributes that are present. In addition, some researchers have suggested that there is a penalty for missing information. An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of the importance of the missing attribute on the hypothesized inference effect. Hypothetical job candidates were evaluated based on one or two attributes. The correlation between the attributes was varied between groups of subjects as was the importance of one of the attributes. The pattern of ratings of candidates with missing information varied significantly with the correlation condition when the missing attribute was very important, but did not vary as much when the missing attribute was less important. The results were generally consistent with the predictions of the Inferred Information Model (Johnson and Levin, 1985). On average, candidates with missing information were rated lower than comparable candidates with complete information and the missing attribute at an average level.     

Religion and Recovery Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Journal of Religion and Health - Faith-based organizations provide essential recovery services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Research suggests that religion and spirituality aid...     

Trajectories of Response to Treatments in Children with ADHD and Word Reading Difficulties

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - This study investigated patterns of response to intervention in children with co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and...