Human kinship, from conceptual structure to grammar

Research in anthropology has shown that kin terminologies have a complex combinatorial structure and vary systematically across cultures. This article argues that universals and variation in kin terminology result from the interaction of (1) an innate conceptual structure of kinship, homologous with conceptual structure in other domains, and (2) principles of optimal, "grammatical" communication active in language in general. Kin terms from two languages, English and Seneca, show how terminologies that look very different on the surface may result from variation in the rankings of a universal set of constraints. Constraints on kin terms form a system: some are concerned with absolute features of kin (sex), others with the position (distance and direction) of kin in "kinship space", others with groups and group boundaries (matrilines, patrilines, generations, etc.). Also, kin terms sometimes extend indefinitely via recursion, and recursion in kin terminology has parallels with recursion in other areas of language. Thus the study of kinship sheds light on two areas of cognition, and their phylogeny. The conceptual structure of kinship seems to borrow its organization from the conceptual structure of space, while being specialized for representing genealogy. And the grammar of kinship looks like the product of an evolved grammar faculty, opportunistically active across traditional domains of semantics, syntax, and phonology. Grammar is best understood as an offshoot of a uniquely human capacity for playing coordination games.     

The role of fluid and emotional intelligence in malingering

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of fluid (gf), social (SI) and emotional intelligence (EI) in faking the Beck Depression Inventory (2nd ed., BDI‐II). Twenty‐two students and 26 non‐students completed Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM), a social insight test, the Schutte et al. self‐report EI scale, and the BDI‐II under honest and faking instructions. Results were consistent with a new model of successful faking, in which a participant's original response must be manipulated into a strategic response, which must match diagnostic criteria. As hypothesised, the BDI‐II could be faked, and gf was not related to faking ability. Counter to expectations, however, SI and EI were not related to faking ability. A second study explored why EI failed to facilitate faking. Forty‐nine students and 50 non‐students completed the EI measure, the Marlowe‐Crown Scale and the Levenson et al. Psychopathy Scale. As hypothesised, EI was negatively correlated with psychopathy, but EI showed no relationship with socially desirable responding. It was concluded that in the first experiment, high‐EI people did fake effectively, but high‐psychopathy people (who had low EI) were also faking effectively, resulting in a distribution that showed no advantage to high EI individuals.     

The effects of overlearning and distributed practise on the retention of mathematics knowledge

In two experiments, 216 college students learned to solve one kind of mathematics problem before completing one of various practise schedules. In Experiment 1, students either massed 10 problems in a single session or distributed these 10 problems across two sessions separated by 1 week. The benefit of distributed practise was nil among students who were tested 1 week later but extremely large among students tested 4 weeks later. In Experiment 2, students completed three or nine practise problems in one session. The additional six problems constituted a strategy known as overlearning, but this extra effort had no effect on test scores 1 or 4 weeks later. Thus, long‐term retention was boosted by distributed practise and unaffected by overlearning. Unfortunately, most mathematics textbooks rely on a format that emphasises overlearning and minimises distributed practise. An easily adopted alternative format is advocated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Construct validity of Wechsler factor scores.

The construct validity of the Verbal Comprehension. Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility factor scores was examined in a sample of school-aged referred children. Examination of correlations between factor scores and neuropsychological and achievement tests generally supported the construct validity of the factors. The Verbal Comprehension factor was associated with verbal, quantitative, and concept-formation abilities. The Perceptual Organization factor was related to nonverbal concept formation, tactual performance, and visual attention. The Freedom from Distractibility factor demonstrated a complex pattern of correlations and appeared to reflect a range of abilities including quantitative, language, attentional, and concept formation.     

Using the Tenets of the Problem‐Centered Systems Therapy of the Family (PCSTF) to Teach the McMaster Approach to Family Therapists

This article describes the videoconferencing training of a group of family therapists in the McMaster Approach to evaluating and treating families. A discussion of the key tenets of the McMaster Approach lays the groundwork for how these tenets were applied to training in a residential treatment agency for adolescents. The article serves as an example of how videoconference technology can facilitate extended training, even from a distance.     

Participants’ Preferences for Interpretive Programs and Social Interactions at a Japanese Natural Park

ABSTRACT

A case study at Okutama-Kohan Park in Japan was designed to explore adult participants’ preferences for interpretive programs. The study included adults who participated in an interpreter-led program in the park. A questionnaire survey with 492 participants examined their preferences for interpretive program types, topics, timing, and types of social interaction during a program. The associations between participants’ preferences and their age, gender, or group composition were also explored. Designing programs that are consistent with these preferences should help to enhance free-choice adult learning environments.     

Effects of Concurrent Verbalization on a Time-Critical,Dynamic Decision-Making Task

The authors investigated the effects of concurrent verbalization on students' performance on a time-critical, dynamic decision-making task. After training on Fire Chief (a computer microworld that simulates fighting a forest fire; M. M. Omodei & A. J. Wearing, 1993a), 60 research participants were allocated randomly to 1 of 3 experimental conditions: silence, associative verbalization, or procedural verbalization. Participants who verbalized the bases of their decisions (procedural verbalization) performed significantly worse on average than participants in the silence condition. There was a small but nonsignificant decrement in the performance of participants who verbalized thoughts other than the bases of their decisions while performing the task (associative verbalization). Their average level was between the levels of participants in the silence and procedural-verbalization conditions.