Quantitative EEG Assessment During Neuropsychological Task Performance in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study evaluated the neuropsychological performance of adults with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: Computerized Version 3 (WCST), and the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA). Quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) data were also collected during task performance to examine differences in cortical activity between groups and tasks. Results suggest that adults with ADHD demonstrated lower levels of performance on the PASAT and IVA, tasks that involve working memory and processing speed, and sustained attention, respectively. Adults with ADHD also had more upper alpha activity during the IVA. Lastly, for the ADHD group, an increased theta/beta ratio during the IVA was significantly related to poorer attentional performance. The current results support reinforcing specific types of cortical activity though EEG operant conditioning (neurofeedback) as a treatment option in adults with ADHD. This paper is based largely in part on a dissertation by J. Noland White in partial fulfillment of the requirements of his doctoral program at The University of Tennessee. Portions of this study have been presented in summary form at several professional conferences.     

The look of love: gaze shifts and person perception

Gaze direction is a vital communicative channel through which people transmit information to each other. By signaling the locus of social attention, gaze cues convey information about the relative importance of objects, including other people, in the environment. For the most part, this information is communicated via patterns of gaze direction, with gaze shifts signaling changes in the objects of attention. Noting the relevance of gaze cues in social cognition, we speculated that gaze shifts may modulate people's evaluations of others. We investigated this possibility by asking participants to judge the likability (Experiment 1) and physical attractiveness (Experiment 2) of targets displaying gaze shifts indicative of attentional engagement or disengagement with the participants. As expected, person evaluation was moderated by the direction of gaze shifts, but only when the judgment under consideration was relevant to participants. We consider how and when gaze shifts may modulate person perception and its associated behavioral products.     

Detecting silent pauses in speech: a new tool for measuring on-line lexical and semantic processing

In this study, we introduce pause detection (PD) as a new tool for studying the on-line integration of lexical and semantic information during speech comprehension. When listeners were asked to detect 200-ms pauses inserted into the last words of spoken sentences, their detection latencies were influenced by the lexical-semantic information provided by the sentences. Listeners took longer to detect a pause when it was inserted within a word that had multiple potential endings, rather than a unique ending, in the context of the sentence. An event-related potential (ERP) variant of the PD procedure revealed brain correlates of pauses as early as 101 to 125 ms following pause onset and patterns of lexical-semantic integration that mirrored those obtained with PD within 160 ms of pause onset. Thus, both the behavioral and the electrophysiological responses to pauses suggest that lexical and semantic processes are highly interactive and that their integration occurs rapidly during speech comprehension.     

Introduction to the special section: toward a dimensionally based taxonomy of psychopathology

Much current psychopathology research is framed by categorical constructs. Limitations of categorical constructs have been articulated, and dimensional constructs are often proposed as viable alternatives to categories of psychopathology. The purpose of this Special Section is to articulate and discuss diverse issues that arise in contemplating dimensional constructs as targets for psychopathology research.     

Implicit and explicit learning: individual differences and IQ

We explored the degree to which individual differences in performance were observed in a group of subjects who worked with two different tasks: one implicit and one explicit. The implicit task was a standard artificial grammar-learning task; the explicit was a series-completion problem-solving task. Substantial individual differences were found between subjects on the explicit task; relatively small individual differences were found on the implicit task. Moreover, performance on the explicit task correlated strongly with intelligence quotient, but performance on the implicit task did not. Data from previous experiments were also found to be in agreement with these results. The findings are presented in the context of a general theory of implicit learning proposed recently by Reber (1989a, in press) that derives from considerations of the evolution of cognitive processes. This evolutionary model argues that unconscious, implicit induction systems are evolutionarily older and antedate conscious, explicit learning processes, and that this antiquity carries with it particular patterns of function that differentiate implicit processes from explicit processes.     

Development of the infant's hand preference for visually directed reaching: Preliminary report of a longitudinal study

The development of hand preference in infancy was investigated longitudinally by using a visually-directed reaching task. Thirty-two infants, equally divided into groups of familial right- and left-handed boys and girls, were tested every 3 weeks from 24 to 39 weeks of age and once again at 52 weeks. Group trends for the development of hand preference were differentiated by familial handedness and sex of the infant. At all ages, test object position (to the infant's right or left) strongly influenced the hand used for reaching. Marked variability both between and within infants demonstrated an instability of early hand preference, an effect that could be appreciated fully only with a prospective longitudinal design. The results thus suggest that the development of hand preference for reaching is highly variable, discontinuous, and related to the interaction of sex and familial handedness.     

Optimizing treatment of schizophrenia. Enhancing affective/cognitive and depressive functioning

Recognition and treatment of schizophrenia has largely focused on positive symptoms of the disorder, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganization. However, other important symptoms, such as depression, cognition, and social functioning, have not received comparable attention. Fifty percent of schizophrenic patients suffer from comorbid depression, which is a major risk factor for suicide in this population, while 10% to 25% suffer from comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cognitive deficits commonly observed in patients with schizophrenia include problems with concentration, attention, and memory, as well as problem-solving and verbal skills. These deficits are observed at early stages of the illness and can predict deficits in functional capabilities, such as occupational and social skills, educational attainment, and the ability to live independently. The severity of such impairments affects all patient in this population, including up to 10% of patients working full time and up to one third of those working part time. In light of the debilitating effects of depression, cognitive impairment, and other aspects of affective functioning on the quality of life of patients with schizophrenia, physicians need to partner with their patients to address these concerns and determine an appropriate treatment regimen. This can be done with simple functional-based cognitive questioning, the use of evidence-based psychosocial practices, and psychoeducation on the many pharmacotherapeutic options. It is recommended that depressive or suicidal symptoms of schizophrenia be treated with an antidepressant or mood stabilizer only if the symptoms have not subsided after treatment of the psychosis with an atypical antipsychotic. Additionally, relative to older medications, atypicals have demonstrated benefit in improving some of the cognitive impairments.     

Feminism and Feminist Therapy: Lessons From the Past and Hopes for the Future

Feminist therapy incorporates the psychology of women (e.g., J. B. Miller, 1976), developmental research (e.g., C. Gilligan, 1982), cognitive‐behavioral techniques (J. Worell & P. Remer, 1992), multicultural awareness (L. Comas‐Diaz & B. Greene, 1994), and social activism (L. S. Brown, 1994) in a coherent theoretical and therapeutic package. It is an orientation that is effective in various venues and with diverse populations. In this article, the authors trace the relevant historical aspects of the orientation along with implications for practice, critiques, and trends.     

Brand Personality Structures in the United States and Korea: Common and Culture‐Specific Factors

The symbolic meaning of commercial brands (often called brand personality) can represent the values and beliefs of a culture. When a set of global brands were rated on the same personality attributes in the United States and Korea, 6 common dimensions of brand personality and 2 factors unique to each culture were observed. The 2 culture‐specific factors in Korea (Passive Likeableness and Ascendancy) support our general hypothesis that Korean brand personality structure carries cultural meaning, reflecting the importance of Confucian values in Korea's social and economic systems. Although their cultural meaning is less clear, the 2 unique factors (White Collar and Androgyny) that emerged in the U.S. sample suggest changing cultural values associated with occupational status and gender roles.