The cost of question concealment: eye-tracking and MEG evidence

Although natural language appears to be largely compositional, the meanings of certain expressions cannot be straightforwardly recovered from the meanings of their parts. This study examined the online processing of one such class of expressions: concealed questions, in which the meaning of a complex noun phrase (the proof of the theorem) shifts to a covert question (what the proof of the theorem is) when mandated by a sub-class of question-selecting verbs (e.g., guess). Previous behavioral and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) studies have reported a cost associated with converting an entity denotation to an event. Our study tested whether both types of meaning-shift affect the same computational resources by examining the effects elicited by concealed questions in eye-tracking and MEG. Experiment 1 found evidence from eye-movements that verbs requiring the concealed question interpretation require more processing time than verbs that do not support a shift in meaning. Experiment 2 localized the cost of the concealed question interpretation in the left posterior temporal region, an area distinct from that affected by complement coercion. Experiment 3 presented the critical verbs in isolation and found no posterior temporal effect, confirming that the effect of Experiment 2 reflected sentential, and not lexical-level, processing.     

Correlates of suicidality among patients with psychotic depression

The independent association of age and other factors with suicidality in patients with major depression with psychotic features was examined. Of the 183 study participants, 21% had a suicide attempt during the current episode. Male gender, Hispanic background, past suicide attempt, higher depression scores, and higher cognitive scores were each independently associated with greater intensity of current suicidality. Older age was independently associated with a lower risk of a lifetime suicide attempt. These findings reinforce the evidence that patients with psychotic depression are at high risk for suicide and underscore the importance of examining correlates of suicidality specific to patients with psychotic depression.     

A Comparison of Constant Time Delay and Simultaneous Prompting Within Embedded Instruction in General Education Classes with Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities

An adapted alternating treatment design was used to measure the effectiveness of constant time delay and simultaneous prompting procedures within an embedded instruction format on the acquisition of academic skills. Four middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities and the paraprofessionals who supported these students in their general education classes participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that both procedures were effective in promoting the acquisition of the target skills. However, the constant time delay procedure was more effective for two of the students and the simultaneous prompting procedure was more effective for the remaining students. Results are discussed in terms of future research and implications for supporting the inclusion of students with moderate and severe disabilities in general education classes.     

Classroom applications of the disequilibrium model of reinforcement

The present study investigated applications of the disequilibrium model of reinforcement in typical classroom contexts with students perceived by their teachers as being difficult to motivate. The disequilibrium model states that reinforcing effects are produced when access to any response (task) is constrained so that an individual cannot meet an (unconstrained) baseline level for that response (task). The implication of the model is that low‐probability (low‐preference) responses can be constrained and used as reinforcers, a seeming contradiction to the common practice of using a high‐probability response to reinforce increases in a low‐probability response. The present study investigated the effects of disequilibrium schedules of reinforcement with six students with several disabilities in classroom contexts. The specific research questions were (i) whether disequilibrium schedules would produce reinforcing effects if both the instrumental and contingent tasks were of moderate to low preference for the student; (ii) how effects of disequilibrium schedules would compare with those of a teacher‐generated contingency; and (iii) what effects disequilibrium schedules would have with students who engage in non‐task responding during the baseline period. Results suggest that disequilibrium schedules are effective when used with moderate to low‐preference tasks. Results of the comparison with teacher‐generated contingencies were mixed. Results do suggest that the presence of higher levels of non‐task responding during the baseline period may affect subsequent effectiveness of disequilibrium schedules calculated from the baseline. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic category structure in spatial memory

This study examines bias (constant error) in spatial memory in an effort to determine whether this bias is defined by a dynamic egocentric reference frame that moves with the observer or by an environmentally fixed reference frame. Participants learned the locations of six target objects around them in a room, were blindfolded, and then rotated themselves to face particular response headings. From each response heading, participants used a pointer to indicate the remembered azimuthal locations of the objects. Analyses of the angular pointing errors showed a previously observed pattern of bias. More importantly, it appeared that this pattern of bias was defined relative to and moved with the observer—that is, was egocentric and dynamic. These results were interpreted in the framework of a modified category adjustment model as suggesting the existence of dynamic categorical (nonmetric) spatial codes.     

Integrating Wraparound into a Schoolwide System of Positive Behavior Supports

We describe the structure for implementation of the wraparound process within a multi-tiered system of school wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) to address the needs of the 1–5% of students with complex emotional/behavioral challenges. The installation of prerequisite system features that, based on a 3 year demonstration process, we consider critical to full operation of the Tier 3 wraparound intervention within a system of SWPBS is also described. We include examples of system implementation benchmarks that occur concurrently with student outcome data and are logically linked to full operation and sustainability of wraparound implementation. Challenges surrounding implementation and proposed advancements are also discussed.     

Magnitude judgments of loudness change for discrete, dynamic, and hybrid stimuli

Recent investigations of loudness change within stimuli have identified differences as a function of direction of change and power range (e.g., Canévet, Acustica, 62, 2136–2142, 1986; Neuhoff, Nature, 395, 123–124, 1998), with claims of differences between dynamic and static stimuli. Experiment 1 provides the needed direct empirical evaluation of loudness change across static, dynamic, and hybrid stimuli. Consistent with recent findings for dynamic stimuli, quantitative and qualitative differences in pattern of loudness change were found as a function of power change direction. With identical patterns of loudness change, only quantitative differences were found across stimulus type. In Experiment 2, Points of Subjective loudness Equality (PSE) provided additional information about loudness judgments for the static and dynamic stimuli. Because the quantitative differences across stimulus type exceed the magnitude that could be expected based upon temporal integration by the auditory system, other factors need to be, and are, considered.