Classical conditioning and socialization—A biosocial interaction

While Eysenck (1977) has argued that socialization is in part determined by classical conditioning, there is little difinitive evidence to support this hypothesis. Close inspection of investigations carried out to date reveal most to contain conceptual or methodological flaws which invalidate their results as a strict test of Eysenck's theory. An attempt was made to circumvent these problems by testing Eysenck's undersocialization-poor conditionability prediction on a sample of 101 15-year-old male schoolchildren using self-report and teacher rating measures of socialization in conjuction with skin conductance measures of classical conditioning. This study also investigated the more specific hypothesis that biological predispositional factors are of particular relevance in determining antisocial conduct in the higher social classes (Mednick et al., 1977).Results of the first analysis provided no support for Eysenck's theory. In a second analysis an undersocialization-poor conditionability relationship was uncovered in the high-class children, a relationship which was reversed in the low classes. This result contradicts Eysenck's general prediction, is not readily interpretable by Mednick's analysis, but is explained by Eysenck's suggestion that in more criminogenic environments, superior conditionability facilities antisocial behaviour. These results suggest that the interaction between conditionability and social milieu needs to play a much more central role in the explanation of antisocial conduct than hitherto.     

The stability of inhibited/uninhibited temperament from ages 3 to 11 years in mauritian children

Stability of inhibited/uninhibited temperament was assessed using 1,795 Mauritian children tested at ages 3, 8, and 11 years. Children were divided into uninhibited, middle, and inhibited groups at each age based on social behavior. Results indicated that, relative to uninhibited children (1) those inhibited at age 3 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 8 (p< .0001), (2) those inhibited at age 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p< .002), and (3) those remaining inhibited from ages 3 to 8 obtained larger inhibition scores at age 11 (p< .002). Relative to children who changed classification from ages 3 to 8, those remaining inhibited obtained larger inhibition scores (p< .05) and those remaining uninhibited obtained smaller inhibition scores (p< .015) at age 11. Inhibition scores tended to be higher in females by age 11. Results remained regardless of ethnicity. The results provide some support that inhibited/uninhibited temperament remains stable from ages 3 to 8 and may continue to age 11. The results suggest cross-cultural generalizability of these findings with implications regarding the development of anxiety disorders in the Mauritian population. The efforts of Cyril Dalais, Brian Bell, Athenea Chiriaca, and all the local members of the longitudinal study, the Mauritius Joint Child Health Project, are gratefully acknowledged. We are also especially thankful to Drs. Michael E. Dawson, David Walsh, and Bill McClure for their helpful comments and suggestions.The data used in this study were collected while the project was supported by the Medical Research Council (UK), the Wellcome Trust (UK), and the Mauritian government. The data were analyzed and findings written as part of the first author's dissertation work under the support of the NIMH Pre-doctoral Individual National Research Service Award and a USC Dissertation Fellowship Award.     

Reaction times to auditory and visual stimulation in schizophrenic and normal subjects

An experiment carried out to determine the relation between auditory and visual reaction times suggested that when the general level of response is slow visual RTs are faster than auditory, and that the reverse is the case when the level of response is fast. Thus most normal subjects have an auditory RT faster than visual, and most schizophrenics the reverse. However, the difference between auditory and visual RTs does not appear to depend directly on schizophrenic pathology except in so far as this is a factor in the general slowness of reaction time.     

Early temperamental and psychophysiological precursors of adult psychopathic personality

Emerging research on psychopathy in children and adolescents raises the question of whether indicators, such as temperament or psychophysiology, exist very early in life in those with a psychopathic-like personality in adulthood. This study tests the hypothesis that individuals who are more psychopathic in adulthood would be less fearful and inhibited and more stimulation seeking/sociable at age 3 and that they would also show reduced age 3 skin-conductance (SC) responsivity. In a community sample of 335 3-year-olds, behavioral measures of temperament were taken and electrodermal activity was recorded in response to both orienting and aversive tones. R. D. Hare's (1985) Self-Report Psychopathy scale (SRP-II) was administered at follow-up at age 28. Individuals scoring higher on the measure were significantly less fearful and inhibited, were more sociable, and displayed longer SC half-recovery times to aversive stimuli compared with controls at age 3. Contrary to predictions, they also showed increased autonomic arousal and SC orienting. Findings appear to be the first to suggest that a prospective link may exist between temperament and psychophysiology in very young children and psychopathic personality in adulthood.     

Perception time measured with the slope-transition paradigm (STP): category, set size, and task manipulations

A perception time measure was obtained with the 'slope-transition paradigm' (STP), which is described in detail. In two experiments with the paradigm, participants viewed two sequential data frames, each presented for a wide range of durations. They made a binary response based on combined information from the two frames. The results showed piecewise linear response-time versus frame-duration functions with a slope-0 branch at short durations, followed by a slope-1 branch. The duration where the two branches met (the slope transition) was interpreted as the end of the perception of frame 1. For longer durations, the participant had completed the perception of frame 1 and was forced to waste time waiting for data from frame 2. In experiment 1, an odd-digit enumeration task was used, and set size and distractor category (even digits versus consonants) were varied. In experiment 2, a same/different task with digits was used and the type of judgment (literal versus parity) was varied. Perception time increased with set size. Distractor category and judgment type affected post-perceptual processes. The perception time measure of the STP is considered in relation to the attentional blink, repetition blindness, and object files.     

Stimulation seeking and intelligence: a prospective longitudinal study

The prediction that high stimulation seeking 3-year-olds would have higher IQs by 11 years old was tested in 1,795 children on whom behavioral measures of stimulation seeking were taken at 3 years, together with cognitive ability at 11 years. High 3-year-old stimulation seekers scored 12 points higher on total IQ at age 11 compared with low stimulation seekers and also had superior scholastic and reading ability. Results replicated across independent samples and were found for all gender and ethnic groups. Effect sizes for the relationship between age 3 stimulation seeking and age 11 IQ ranged from 0.52 to 0.87. Findings appear to be the first to show a prospective link between stimulation seeking and intelligence. It is hypothesized that young stimulation seekers create for themselves an enriched environment that stimulates cognitive development.     

A UK pilot study: The specificity of the Word Memory Test effort sub‐tests in acute minimal to mild head injury

The specificity of the Word Memory Test (WMT) effort indices was examined in 48 individuals with minimal to mild head injury (MHI) in the acute stages post‐injury. None of the individuals was involved in litigation or disability claims. At the established cut‐offs, the WMT had an unacceptable false‐positive rate (18%). T test analysis was also carried out for WMT passers and failures on a battery of neuropsychometric measures and across a range of demographic variables. The WMT was performed at a significantly lower level on the Wechsler Memory Scale – III word list sub‐tests and verbal fluency tests (p < .05). This suggests that WMT failure may be indicative of a specific deficit in verbal processing in the acute phase of MHI.     

Religion and the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Among Cardiac Patients

This study investigates the prevalence and predictors of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among middle-aged and older patients prior to cardiac surgery. Additionally, it addresses the correlates of using 10 commonly used CAM therapies. The influence of religion on itemized CAM usage is also explored. Comprehensive data were collected from adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery through a preoperative survey 2 weeks prior to surgery, followed by a telephone interview the day before surgery. More than two-thirds of participants (80.9 %) indicated at least one CAM use. Income, religiosity, education, BMI, employment, and congestive heart failure predicted greater CAM utility. After multiple controls, major cardiac indicators were significantly positively associated with greater utility of CAM. There was also a significant positive association between religiosity and CAM use. Findings suggest considerable CAM use in this cardiac sample and certain associations among cardiac conditions, religiosity, and itemized CAM utilization. Future research is needed to investigate the potential joint therapeutic and adverse effects of drug and herbal remedies in cardiac patients.