The effects of complexity on the perception of vibrotactile patterns presented to separate fingers.

Pairs of vibrotactile patterns were presented to subjects' left middle and index fingerpads (unilateral presentation) or left and right index fingerpads (bilateral presentation), using two Optacon arrays. A set of simple (one-line) patterns and a set of complex (two-line) patterns were constructed so that they were equally identifiable when presented individually. In Experiment 1, discrimination performance was lower for two-line patterns than it was for one-line patterns, and it was lower for unilateral presentation than it was for bilateral presentation. Communality, the number of lines that two patterns share in common, was a major factor in reducing discrimination performance for two-line patterns. Subjects' abilities to identify one member of the pair of patterns were measured in Experiment 2. There were no significant differences in performance between pattern sets or type of presentation when subjects attended to a single pattern. However, when subjects were required to attend to both patterns, identification performance was lower for two-line patterns than it was for one-line patterns, and it was lower for unilateral presentation than it was for bilateral presentation. The results suggest that there are limited attentional resources for processing vibrotactile patterns and that more resources are available bilaterally than are available unilaterally.     

Case study: Examining the relationship between self-initiations of an individual with disabilities and directive behavior of staff persons in a residential setting

This case study examines the relationship between self-initiations of an adult woman with severe disabilities and the directive behavior of staff persons in a community residential setting. Hypotheses generated from functional assessment procedures indicated that (a) Susan's low self-initiations were very likely related to high directive behavior of staff persons, and (b) infrequent problem behaviors during the morning routine were maintained by escape from repeated staff demands. An intervention was implemented to enable Susan to increase self-initiation in choice and sequence of activities and simultaneously decrease staff directives. Results and discussion focus on the need for a contextual approach for addressing problematic situations and an affirmation of the effectiveness of the positive behavioral support technology for increasing adaptive behaviors in individuals with severe disabilities.     

A randomized wait-list controlled analysis of the implementation integrity of team-initiated problem solving processes

Members of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) teams from 34 elementary schools participated in a Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) Workshop and follow-up technical assistance. Within the context of a randomized wait-list controlled trial, team members who were the first recipients of the TIPS intervention demonstrated greater implementation integrity in using the problem-solving processes during their team meetings than did members of PBIS Teams in the Wait-List Control group. The success of TIPS at improving implementation integrity of the problem-solving processes is encouraging and suggests the value of conducting additional research focused on determining whether there is a functional relation between use of these problem-solving processes and actual resolution of targeted student academic and social problems.     

Infant clinical assessment procedure: Its applications for diagnosis and treatment in the second and third year

This article reports on some clinical applications in the 9 to 30 month age range of a new structured paradigm. The Infant Clinical Assessment Procedure (ICAP) is not a test, but an assessment technique. It is particularly aimed at the evaluation and ongoing monitoring of problems in the emotional development of infants. Its eight episodes represent a wide array of effective, social, and cognitive stimuli. The primary focus of these episodes is on the infant, with the exception of the mother-infant task that specifically gauges the mother-infant ralationship. It is suggested through case vignettes that the ICAP may be useful for the documentation of the efficacy of treatment.     

Perceptual processing at adjacent locations on a single finger: masking and response competition

When target patterns and nontarget patterns are presented either to the same or to adjacent locations on the distal pad of the index finger, the amount of interference in identifying targets depends on both the shape and the location of the nontarget (Horner, 1997). In the present study, the question of whether such interference is caused by masking (the masker in some way distorts the initial representation of the target) or by response competition (the observer mistakenly responds with the masker, rather than with the target) was investigated. A 4-to-2 paradigm was used (Craig, 1995), in which four stimuli were mapped to only two responses. Targets and nontargets were randomly selected from the set of four stimuli and presented to the same or adjacent locations on the same fingerpad. Both the distal pad and the medial pad of the index finger were tested, because innervation density varies proximodistally on the distal pad, but not on the medial pad. The results indicated that response competition was an important factor limiting perception. Furthermore, perception was affected by varying location on the distal pad, but not on the medial pad. Finally, varying location on the distal pad affected perception only when responses were based on pattern shape, not when responses were based on direction of motion. The results are discussed in terms of differences in innervation density between adjacent locations and possible resultant differences in the spatial filtering properties of the skin.     

What the HEC-C? An Analysis of the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified Program: One Year in

Abstract

Efforts to professionalize the field of bioethics have led to the development of the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified (HEC-C) Program intended to credential practicing healthcare ethics consultants (HCECs). Our team of professional ethicists participated in the inaugural process to support the professionalization efforts and inform our views on the value of this credential from the perspective of ethics consultants. In this paper, we explore the history that has led to this certification process, and evaluate the ability of the HEC-C Program to meet the goals it has set forth for HCECs. We describe the benefits and weaknesses of the program and offer constructive feedback on how the process might be strengthened, as well as share our team’s experience in preparing for the exam.