Compositionwork: A Method for Self-Investigation

This article presents compositionwork as a method based on dialogical self theory, according to which the self is understood as a multiplicity of I-positions (different sides of the self) in the landscape of the mind. The person making the composition uses language and stones to represent relevant I-positions of her- or himself self, thus externalizing these and creating a personal landscape of mind. As a result a meta-position is taken to this landscape, which facilitates its overview and understanding and may stimulate its further development. The method relates to the two basic dimensions of the self: verbal/reflexive and nonverbal/sensory, the integration of which forms an optimal condition for the development of the self. The idea of representing I-positions by using stones is inspired by Japanese rock gardens, which often represent the organization or development of the self. By their abstract and sensory quality, stones help to evoke and symbolize nonverbal aspects of the I-positions. First, we present the theoretical concepts relevant for compositionwork, and then we elaborate on the meaning of Japanese gardens as a representation of the mind and the use of stones as symbols. Finally, we present the method itself and examples of its application.     

Meaning in Life in Emerging Adulthood: A Person‐Oriented Approach

The present study investigated naturally occurring profiles based on two dimensions of meaning in life: Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning. Cluster analysis was used to examine meaning‐in‐life profiles, and subsequent analyses identified different patterns in psychosocial functioning for each profile. A sample of 8,492 American emerging adults (72.5% women) from 30 colleges and universities completed measures on meaning in life, and positive and negative psychosocial functioning. Results provided support for five meaningful yet distinguishable profiles. A strong generalizability of the cluster solution was found across age, and partial generalizability was found across gender and ethnicity. Furthermore, the five profiles showed specific patterns in relation to positive and negative psychosocial functioning. Specifically, respondents with profiles high on Presence of Meaning showed the most adaptive psychosocial functioning, whereas respondents with profiles where meaning was largely absent showed maladaptive psychosocial functioning. The present study provided additional evidence for prior research concerning the complex relationship between Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning, and their relation with psychosocial functioning. Our results offer a partial clarification of the nature of the Search for Meaning process by distinguishing between adaptive and maladaptive searching for meaning in life.     

Rehabilitation of reading in older individuals with macular degeneration: a review of effective training programs

Macular degeneration (MD) is the most common cause of visual impairment among older adults. It severely affects reading performance. People with MD have to rely on peripheral vision for reading. In this review, we considered several training programs that aim to improve peripheral reading, with a focus on eccentric viewing, oculomotor control, or perceptual learning. There was no strong support in favor of one particular training method for rehabilitation of reading in MD, but there is evidence that older individuals with MD can be trained to improve reading performance, even within limited time.     

Sequential analysis of the numerical Stroop effect reveals response suppression

Automatic processing of irrelevant stimulus dimensions has been demonstrated in a variety of tasks. Previous studies have shown that conflict between relevant and irrelevant dimensions can be reduced when a feature of the irrelevant dimension is repeated. The specific level at which the automatic process is suppressed (e.g., perceptual repetition, response repetition), however, is less understood. In the current experiment we used the numerical Stroop paradigm, in which the processing of irrelevant numerical values of 2 digits interferes with the processing of their physical size, to pinpoint the precise level of the suppression. Using a sequential analysis, we dissociated perceptual repetition from response repetition of the relevant and irrelevant dimension. Our analyses of reaction times, error rates, and diffusion modeling revealed that the congruity effect is significantly reduced or even absent when the response sequence of the irrelevant dimension, rather than the numerical value or the physical size, is repeated. These results suggest that automatic activation of the irrelevant dimension is suppressed at the response level. The current results shed light on the level of interaction between numerical magnitude and physical size as well as the effect of variability of responses and stimuli on automatic processing.     

The representation of multiplication and division facts in memory

Recently, using a training paradigm, Campbell and Agnew (2009) observed cross-operation response time savings with nonidentical elements (e.g., practice 3 + 2, test 5 - 2) for addition and subtraction, showing that a single memory representation underlies addition and subtraction performance. Evidence for cross-operation savings between multiplication and division have been described frequently (e.g., Campbell, Fuchs-Lacelle, & Phenix, 2006) but they have always been attributed to a mediation strategy (reformulating a division problem as a multiplication problem, e.g., Campbell et al., 2006). Campbell and Agnew (2009) therefore concluded that there exists a fundamental difference between addition and subtraction on the one hand and multiplication and division on the other hand. However, our results suggest that retrieval savings between inverse multiplication and division problems can be observed. Even for small problems (solved by direct retrieval) practicing a division problem facilitated the corresponding multiplication problem and vice versa. These findings indicate that shared memory representations underlie multiplication and division retrieval. Hence, memory and learning processes do not seem to differ fundamentally between addition-subtraction and multiplication-division.     

Numerosities and space; indeed a cognitive illusion! A reply to de Hevia and Spelke (2009)

de Hevia and Spelke (de Hevia and Spelke (2009). Spontaneous mapping of number and space in adults and young children, Cognition, 110, 198–207) investigated the mapping of number onto space. To this end, they introduced a non-symbolic flanker task. Here subjects have to bisect a line that is flanked by a 2-dot and a 9-dot array. Similar to the symbolic line bisection task, a bias towards the larger numerosity was observed. We re-investigated these results both by creating new flanker stimuli that controlled for different (non-numerical) stimulus properties and by developing a new measurement tool. We demonstrate that the bisection bias was caused by the larger area subtended by the 9-dot array compared to the 2-dot array and not numerosity. Our study puts constraints on the results of the study by de Hevia and Spelke. The role of visual cues in numerosity processing in general is discussed.