A comparison of working memory profiles in school-aged children with Specific Language Impairment,Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,Comorbid SLI and ADHD and their typically developing peers

The association between specific language impairment (SLI), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and working memory (WM) was examined. WM has been implicated in language acquisition and models of ADHD; however, evidence for WM deficits in SLI and ADHD has been inconsistent. The components of Baddeley's WM model were investigated in 18 children with SLI, 16 children with ADHD, 11 children with comorbid SLI+ADHD, and 24 typically developing (TD) children. The presence of SLI resulted in deficits in more components of WM than the presence of ADHD indicating that children with SLI are more vulnerable to WM deficits than those with ADHD.     

Cue competition effects in the planarian

The learning abilities of planarian worms (Dugesia tigrina) were assessed by using a number of Pavlovian conditioning paradigms. Experiment 1 showed that planaria were susceptible to basic conditioning in that they readily developed a conditioned response to a change in ambient luminance when it was consistently paired with an electric shock over a number of trials. In Experiment 2, the change in luminance was presented in a compound with a vibration stimulus during conditioning. Subsequent tests revealed poor conditioning of the elements compared with control groups in which the animals were conditioned in the presence of the elements alone, an instance of overshadowing. In Experiment 3, pre-training of one of the elements before compound conditioning resulted in blocking of learning about the other element. These results add to other studies that have reported cue competition effects in animal species belonging to different phyla (chordate, mollusk, arthropod), suggesting that learning in these phyla could be ruled by similar principles. The results are discussed adopting an evolutionary-comparative approach.     

Pain-aggression toward inanimate objects

Attack behavior was elicited from squirrel monkeys by externally applied electric shock. The shock elicited attack toward other monkeys, rats, and mice, as well as toward inanimate objects, such as a stuffed doll, and even a round ball. A method of quantifying the attack behavior was devised on the basis of the attack against inanimate objects. This method revealed that the duration and probability of attack was a direct function of the shock intensity.     

Chronic, early exposure to suicidal ideation in a parental figure: a pattern of presuicidal characteristics

This paper explores the possibility that chronic exposure in childhood to parental suicidal ideation and/or behavior places an individual at significant risk of suicide later in life. Two case studies that provide the basis for this formulation are presented. Possible mechanisms that may account for the development of this syndrome are explored. They include (1) the effects of a chronic sense of powerlessness and guilt; (2) imitation by the child of the parent's self-destructive attitudes and behavior; and (3) blocking of early identification with the other, nonsuicidal parent.     

For Better and Worse: Social Influences on Coronary Heart Disease Risk

From the neighborhoods we live in to those we marry, other people are a part of our everyday lives. Mounting evidence suggests that these social factors constitute risk and resilience influences for coronary heart disease (CHD). The current aim is to summarize the literature into four representative categories relating to CHD risk: social environments, social roles, social resources, and close relationships. The argument is made that these factors moderate and mediate stress and associated physiological responses constituting a psychosomatic pathway to disease.     

Finger localization and reading ability in three groups of children ages three through twelve

Developmental norms for eight finger-localization (FL) tasks similar to those used by Lindgren are extended to include 140 children ages 3 through 12. The strength of the relationship between these scores and two specific reading tasks is explored. Regression analyses reveal statistically significant correlations between FL ability and the ability to match spoken with printed words, as well as between FL scores and scores for silent reading and retelling of a paragraph. Three groups of children are used: children with normal language, those with dysphasia, and those with language impairments other than dysphasia. Performance scores of these three groups on other language tasks are compared.     

The effects of family structure on institutionalized children's self-concepts

This study examined the effects of family structure (intact, stepparent, and single parent) on children's self-concepts, using Parish and Taylor's Personal Attribute Inventory for Children. One hundred sixty-six institutionalized children in Grades 5 through 12 participated in the study. Although a trend was noted for students from single-parent families to check fewer positive adjectives, they did not differ significantly (.05 level) from children from intact families or stepfamilies.     

Biting attack by rats in response to aversive shock

Paired rats are known to behave aggressively when given painful electric shocks. The present study developed a procedure whereby individual rats given shocks might bite an inanimate target object. Unavoidable shock was delivered to the rat while it was restrained in a position close to, and facing a target object. Biting of the target was recorded automatically. Shock caused the rat to bite metal, wood, or rubber targets. Biting was most frequent immediately after shock and decreased as a direct function of time since the shock. Almost every shock produced biting and the behavior continued as long as the shocks were delivered. Biting ceased within and between sessions when shocks were discontinued. These results show how the pain-aggression relation can be studied objectively with rats.