Serial-position effects on a free-recall task in bilinguals

In this study, we examined mechanisms that underlie free-recall performance in bilinguals' first language (L1) and second language (L2) through the prism of serial-position effects. On free-recall tasks, a typical pattern of performance follows a U-shaped serial-position curve, where items from the beginning of the list (the primacy effect) and items from the end of the list (the recency effect) are recalled with higher accuracy than items from the middle of the list. The present study contrasted serial-position effects on the free-recall task in Korean-English bilinguals' L1 vs. L2 and examined the relationship between an independent working memory (WM) measure and serial-position effects in bilinguals' two languages. Results revealed stronger pre-recency (primacy and middle) effects in L1 than in L2, but similar recency effects in the two languages. A close association was observed between WM and recall performance in the pre-recency region in the L1 but not in the L2. Together, these findings suggest that linguistic knowledge constrains free-recall performance in bilinguals, but only in the pre-recency region.     

History,Current Status,and Future Prospects of Counseling in South Korea

Although the counseling profession was introduced to South Korea in the 1950s by American delegates of education, counseling has been only lately recognized as a specialized field that requires distinctive knowledge and skills. In this article, the authors describe the history and the current status of counseling in South Korea and then discuss challenges and future prospects.     

Phonological memory in bilinguals and monolinguals

In the present study, we examined the effects of lexical-semantic knowledge and of difficulty level on phonological memory performance by monolingual adult English speakers and bilingual adult Korean?CEnglish speakers. The monolingual English speakers were more proficient in English than the bilingual speakers. All participants were tested on a range of phonological memory tasks in English. We manipulated the degree to which the phonological memory tasks involved lexical-semantic knowledge of English (word-span task, digit-span task, and nonword repetition task), as well as the difficulty level of the tasks. Results revealed that on the word-span task (highest level of lexical-semantic knowledge), monolinguals outperformed bilinguals at the easier levels of the task but bilinguals outperformed monolinguals at the more difficult levels of the task. For the digit-span and nonword repetition tasks, monolinguals outperformed bilinguals at the easier levels of the tasks, but the differences between the two groups vanished with the increase in the difficulty levels. Together, these results suggest that proficiency-based differences between monolingual and bilingual phonological memory performance depend on the degree to which the tasks rely on lexical-semantic knowledge and the difficulty level of the task.     

Laboratory Safety and Nanotechnology Workers: an Analysis of Current Guidelines in the USA

Although some regulatory frameworks for the occupational health and safety of nanotechnology workers have been developed, worker safety and health issues in these laboratory environments have received less attention than many other areas of nanotechnology regulation. In addition, workers in nanotechnology labs are likely to face unknown risks and hazards because few of the guidelines and rules for worker safety are mandatory. In this article, we provide an overview of the current health and safety guidelines for nanotechnology laboratory workers by exploring guidelines from different organizations, including the Department of Energy Nanoscale Science Research Centers (DOE-NSRC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Texas A&M University (TAMU), and University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UML). After discussing these current guidelines, we apply an ethical framework to each set of guidelines to explore any gaps that might exist in them. By conducting this gap analysis, we are able to highlight some of the weaknesses that might be important for future policy development in this area. We conclude by outlining how future guidelines might address some of these gaps, specifically the issue of workers’ participation in the process of establishing safety measures and the development and enforcement of more unified (and mandatory) guidelines.     

Psychopharmacologic facilitation of operant conditioning of genetically nervous catahoula and Pointer dogs

Previous work has demonstrated that a genetic factor underlies much of the disturbed behavior in one strain of short haired pointer bird dogs (E line) maintained for several years in our laboratory. In some dogs the behavior is seemingly permanent and is characterized by human avoidance, excessive startle, reduced exploratory activity, and “freezing” or catatonic posturing. Another strain of dogs, catahoulas, with a high incidence of disturbed behavior similar to that above but with much less catatonic posturing, was made available for study also. In both of these strains defensive reaction and gross avoidance behavior often prevents the acquisition and later performance of operant conditioning (bar pressing for food reward) unless supportive tranquilizing chemotherapy is given. The chief interest in this study is, (1) the nearly permanent disharmony in the animal which seems to be an example of Gantt’s concept of schizokinesis, and (2) a comparison of 12 psychoactive compounds widely used in psychiatry for their effectiveness in restoring integrated adaptive functioning even in the most disturbed of the animals in our colony. The results show that: 1. even dogs with the most severe schizokinetic disabilities of many years duration have learned the operant conditioning (bar pressing); 2. however, it was and has remained necessary to facilitate both behavior shaping and nearly all later performances throughout the following year with benzodiazepine tranquilizers and these were far superior to any of the several other drugs tested; 3. neither gradual or rapid withdrawal nor sudden stopping of benzodiazepines allowed the dogs to continue the bar pressing. In fact, during withdrawal of the drug, performance seemed to parallel blood levels as reported in the literature.     

Procedure for operant conditioning of the dog

Most reports arising from operant conditioning procedures have little or no emphasis on the actual behavior shaping or acquisition phase of the responses which are the cumulative frequency of the well-practiced act. There is a need for more detail for beginners or those desiring a clearer understanding of procedures leading to the finally reported data. The procedure reported here is typically used to compare animal subjects or conditions, such as drugs, both in the acquisition and final phases of behavior. Beginning with an unconditional response (e.g. feeding) a bridging stimulus is paired in classical conditioning fashion. From that point on the bridging stimulus and UCS (feeding—or shock) are used immediately as reward or reinforcement only for responses “in the direction of the final desired behavior. The number of timed standardized behavior shaping sessions to criterion is the best index of acquisition phase performance and the total number bar presses or the rate of bar pressing (slope) is the usual index of operant responding. With timid animals it is often necessary to administer tranquilizers.     

Sporadic transient atrioventricular block and slow heart rate in nervous pointer dogs

Two behaviorally distinct strains of pointer dogs, one bred for nervousness (pronounced freezing behavior, withdrawal behavior), the other bred for normal behavior, exhibit prominent differences in their heart rates and incidence of sporadic occurrences of atrioventricular heart block. Of 67 nervous-line dogs, 70 per cent showed second degree AV-block on at least one occasion, and their heart rates averaged 65 beats/min. Only 15 per cent of 52 normal-line dogs displayed AV-block (generally fewer instances per dog) and their heart rates averaged 110 beats/min. Fifth generation nervous-line puppies, two to six weeks old, exhibited occasional AV-block even at heart rates averaging 183 beats/min. The incidence and “severity” increased as the puppies aged. Dogs crossbred from second and third generation parents of the two main lines show intermediate incidences of AV-block and intermediate heart rates. The incidence of AV-block is predominant in females. This is interpreted as a sex-influenced, agedependent, polygenic mode of inheritance. Humoral factors probably account for the sex-influence, and psychological stress probably also plays a role. No sex difference is noted in heart rates.     

Interplay between Attachment to Peers and Parents in Korean Adolescents’ Behavior Problems

The present study investigated the relative contribution of style of peer attachment (secure, anxious, avoidant) and quality of attachment to parents on behavior problems in Korean adolescents. In addition, we examined the role of paternal and maternal attachment separately as a potential moderator in the relationship between style of peer attachment and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Middle school students (245 males, 209 females) completed the Korean version of the Adolescent Friendship Attachment Scale, Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment-Revised, and Youth Self-Report. Attachment to peers and parents as predictors of behavior problems were tested via hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results revealed that anxious peer attachment remained the strongest predictor of behavior problems among adolescents (internalizing behavior problems β?=?.18, p?<?.01; externalizing behavior problems β?=?.21, p? <?.001), indicating the relative importance of peer relationship compared to attachment to parents. Paternal attachment significantly moderated the relationship between avoidant peer attachment and externalizing behavior problems (β?=?.15, p?<?.05), even when the main effect of avoidant peer attachment on externalizing behavior problems was not significant. Results highlight the role of both attachments to peers and parents on adolescents’ psychological adjustment.     

The psychology of diaspora experiences: intergroup contact, perceived discrimination, and the ethnic identity of Koreans in China

The moderating role of intergroup contact on the relationship between perceived discrimination and ethnic identity was examined in a diaspora community of Koreans living in China. It was hypothesized that Koreans with higher intergroup contact would have a lower ethnic identity under higher discrimination, whereas Koreans with lower intergroup contact would have a higher ethnic identity. Across two separate college samples, Koreans who were more willing to interact with Han Chinese had a lower ethnic identity when discrimination was higher, but this finding was not replicated within one college setting. These findings challenge the linear rejection-identification model and suggest displaced people may minimize ingroup-outgroup differences, depending on their willingness to seek intergroup contact.