Inequities in Under-Five Mortality in Nigeria: Differentials by Religious Affiliation of the Mother

Observations in Nigeria have indicated polio vaccination refusal related to religion that ultimately affected child morbidity and mortality. This study assessed the role of religion in under-five (0–59 months) mortality using a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of 7,620 women aged 15–49 years from the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey and included 6,029 children. Results show that mother’s affiliation to Traditional indigenous religion is significantly associated with increased under-five mortality. Multivariable modelling demonstrated that this association is explained by differential use of maternal and child health services, specifically attendance to prenatal care. To reduce child health inequity, these results need to be incorporated in the formulation of child health policies geared towards achieving a high degree of attendance to prenatal care, irrespective of religious affiliation.     

The Aspect‐Perception Passages: A Critical Investigation of Köhler's Isomorphism Principle1

In this paper I argue that Wittgenstein's aim in the aspect‐perception passages is to critically evaluate a specific hypothesis. The target hypothesis in these passages is the Gestalt psychologist Köhler's “isomorphism principle.” According to this principle, there are neural correlates of conscious perceptual experience, and these neural correlates determine the content of our perceptual experiences. Wittgenstein's argument against the isomorphism principle comprises two steps. First, he diffuses the substantiveness of the principle by undermining an important assumption that underpins this principle, namely, that there is a unitary concept of seeing. Next, Wittgenstein argues that some forms of aspect‐perception involve recognitional capacities, the exercise of which is normatively constrained. The normative nature of aspect‐perceiving plays a pivotal role in Wittgenstein's rejection of the isomorphism principle. Aside from the clear exegetical benefits gained from identifying the target hypothesis in the aspect‐perception passages as the isomorphism principle, construing the remarks in the way suggested here is also philosophically interesting in its own right: it shows Wittgenstein engaging directly in the mind–body problem, construed as the problem of intentionality.     

Codependency and gender-stereotyped traits

Sex Roles - This study examined the relationship between gender, positive and negative gender stereotyped traits, and eight codependency scales among 339 female and 115 male college students. The...     

Working Memory and On-Line Sentence Comprehension in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

We examined the ability of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and normal controls to perform a sentence acceptability judgment task that required determining the referent for a reflexive pronoun. Performance on three different sentence types that differed in terms of syntactic complexity was assessed. Subjects performed the task alone and under two different dual-task conditions which required continuous, externally paced responses. DAT patients were more affected than controls by the dual-task conditions, but were not disproportionately impaired on the more complex sentence types. The failure of DAT patients to he disproportionately affected on the most complex sentence types in the dual-task conditions provides evidence for the separation of the processing resources that are used in sentence comprehension from those involved in other tasks.     

Communication Differences Between Physicians and Their Patients in an Oncology Setting

The physician-patient relationship has critical importance in the quality of medical care, especially in the oncology setting. Of particular interest over the past two decades has been the communication between physicians and their patients. It is understood that communication is related to patient and physician satisfaction as well as other medical outcomes. However, despite this interest and attention, investigators have only recently begun to assess the communication between physicians and patients from the patient's point of view. Additionally, previous investigations have primarily relied upon retrospective reports of the interaction from patients or physicians. The current investigation assessed physician–patient communication in an oncology setting, both as it was occurring and following the interaction. The units of analysis included participant ratings as well as those of trained observers. Findings revealed that physicians and patients disagree as to the valence of the messages which transpired. Additionally, results suggest that it is the patients who distort the messages in the positive direction. Research and clinical implications of this disagreement and positivity bias are discussed.     

A comparison of same- and cross-age interactions in mixed-age groups

This study investigated the types of interactions occurring within and between age groups in mixed-age preschool classes. Using point-time sampling procedures, the peer interactions of 30 3- to 5-year-old preschool children enrolled in two preschool classes were recorded. Interactions were coded according to six categories and according to the role of the target child in the interaction. Contrary to popular assumptions about interactions in mixed-age groups, results indicated that for both the older and younger children the types of interactions occurring across age groups did not differ significantly from interactions within same-age groups. Symmetrical rather than asymmetrical relationships across age groups were found in the exchange of nurturance, direction and information.     

Children’s and adults’ use of spelling-sound information in three reading tasks

This research examined the effects of irregular spelling and irregular spelling-sound correspondences on word recognition in children and adults. Previous research has established that, among skilled readers, these irregularities influence the reading of only lower frequency words. However, this research involved the lexical decision and naming tasks, which differ from the demands of normal reading in important ways. In the present experiments, we compared performance on these tasks with that on a task requiring words to be recognized in sentence contexts. Results indicated that adults showed effects of spelling and spelling-sound irregularities in reading lower frequency words on all three tasks, whereas younger and poorer readers also showed effects on higher frequency words. The fact that irregular spelling-sound correspondences affected performance on the sentence task indicates that access of phonological information is not an artifact of having to read a word aloud or perform a lexical decision. Two other developmental trends were observed: As children became more skilled in reading, the effects of irregular spelling were overcome before the effects of irregular spelling-sound correspondences; the latter effects were eliminated on silent reading tasks earlier than on the naming task.     

Personality and spirituality: comparative TATs of high-achieving Rajneeshees

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was administered to followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in their commune in central Oregon. The Rajneeshee subjects had been high achievers (with advanced degrees and/or previous incomes greater than 30,000 dollars in 1984 dollars). Later, TATs were administered to persons matched for gender, age, education, and occupation but not involved in new religions. The final matched sample included 24 men and 20 women, half of whom were Rajneeshees. TATs were coded for a variety of formal variables as well as personality ratings. Though the analysis showed no between-group differences on most variables, significant mean differences occurred on ratings of unusual conditions, quest, and narcissism, with Rajneeshees higher than comparison subjects. Gender differences in personality variables were not conspicuous. Factor analysis established a strong productivity element. Card 16 (the blank card) provided the greatest number of differences.     

Cortical alpha rhythm, biofeedback, and the determinants of subjective state

A critical assumption in the rationale for the clinical application of voluntary control over central nervous system (CNS) activity is that there exists a direct relationship between specific CNS activities and specific subjective mood states. The experiment reported here was based on the idea that a joint manipulation of both cognitive and physiological (i.e., alpha electroencephalographic [EEG]) variables would provide information required for an explication of the processes involved in subjective mood change. Three main variables were considered in the present experiment. First, the instructions were designed to induce a "set" or expectations for either positive or negative changes in subjective mood. Second, the type of feedback (alpha or not alpha) was varied. Those in the not-alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the absence of alpha activity, whereas those in the alpha feedback condition received feedback contingent on the presence of alpha activity. Third, an estimate of each individual's baseline alpha density was obtained, and on this basis subjects were classified as high-baseline or low-baseline subjects. Baseline alpha density, alpha density during training, and subjective mood were all considered as continuous variables. The results of the present study indicate that biofeedback of the cortical alpha rhythm is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for changes in subjective mood. In addition, the type of instructions designed to set subjects for positive or negative alterations in subjective states is predictive of changes in subjective state reported during alpha biofeedback training as well as of success at controlling and changing EEG during feedback training. The data presented here permit a direct examination of the actual relationship of EEG changes to changes in subjective mood state. Similar shifts in subjective mood state can be obtained with either increases or decreases in alpha activity. Further, both positive and negative subjective experiences can be associated with increases in alpha activity.