Children by choice or by chance: The perceived effects of parity

In a study examining inferences made about couples based on their choice whether or not to have children, college undergraduates projected 1-year and 25-year life situations for a hypothetical couple who either (1) neither had nor wished to have children, (2) were presented without any reference to children, or (3) already had two children. This manipulation notwithstanding, most couples were projected as becoming parents. Female subjects saw having children as enhancing the quality of life of both partners, while males took the opposite view.     

An intrahemispheric integration deficit in dyslexia

In order to investigate the hypothesis that dyslexia may result from a failure of intrahemispheric integration between auditory-verbal and visual-verbal processing, a dichotic listening task and a parallel divided visual field task were administered to a group of dyslexic boys between the ages of 8 and 11 years, and a group of normal control subjects individually matched for age and WISC intelligence. The dyslexics were on average over two years retarded in reading and spelling. Dyslexics exhibited a normal right ear advantage on dichotic listening for digits although lesser right ear advantage was related to reading retardation. In the divided visual field task, the normal controls showed a left visual field advantage for digits which it is argued resulted from a failure in fixation linked to reading habits. Within the dyslexic group greater reading deficiency was associated with relative bilateralization for visual verbal processing. The results therefore support the hypothesis.     

Microcomputer-aided assessment using standard psychometric procedures

This paper describes the opportunities offered by the application of commercially available, inexpensive microcomputers to computer-assisted administration of standard psychometric procedures. The rationale underlying this application and the requirements of software design are discussed. A project based upon the APPLE microcomputer is described, together with an example of the software being developed. Preliminary work and planned development and evaluation are reported.     

An advocacy intervention program for women with abusive partners: Initial evaluation

Experimentally tested the hypotheses that (1) battered women are in need of numerous community resources upon exit from a domestic violence shelter, (2) working with advocates increases women's effectiveness in obtaining needed resources and social support, and (3) success in obtaining resources and social support increases women's levels of life satisfaction and decreases their risk of further abuse. The initial findings of a short-term intervention project designed to provide postshelter advocacy services to women with abusive partners are presented. One-hundred forty-one battered women were interviewed immediately upon their exit from a domestic violence shelter as well as 10 weeks thereafter. Half the sample was randomly assigned to receive the services of trained advocates who assisted them in accessing needed community resources. Women who worked with advocates reported being more effective in accessing resources and had higher levels of social support and overall quality of life postintervention. Although all women reported some decrease in postshelter abuse, there were no differences between those with and those without advocates, and abuse continued to be a problem for many women.     

Effect of sulpiride on amphetamine-induced activity and stereotyped locomotion

To investigate the hypothesis that sulpiride potentiates stereotyped locomotion at an intermediate dose of amphetamine, rats were assigned to one of four treatment groups (n=7 per group): vehicle + saline; 20 mg/kg sulpiride + saline; vehicle + 3.5mg/kg amphetamine; 20 mg/kg sulpiride + 3.5 mg/kg amphetamine. An automated tracking system was used to record distance moved and sequences of movements between quadrants in a circular open-field. The results showed that amphetamine increased horizontal distance moved, and increased the number and proportion of thigmotaxic trips around the perimeter of the apparatus. Sulpiride reduced amphetamine-induced hyperactivity and the number of perimeter trips, but had no effect on the proportion and maximum run length of perimeter trips. Thus sulpiride reduces the hyperactivity produced by an intermediate dose of amphetamine, but does not appear to affect the stereotyped nature of locomotion under the drug.     

Relating a Social Influence Model to the Role of Acculturation in Substance Use Among Latino Adolescents1

This study examined determinants of substance use derived from the theory of planned behavior as influenced by acculturation. Latino adolescents (n= 448) completed measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions toward substance use, and 2 acculturation components. The degree to which Latino adolescents were exposed to as well as use Spanish was unrelated to determinants of future substance use, whereas the degree to which they interact with non-Latino peers exerted a protective effect regarding future substance use. However, both acculturation components influenced the extent social influence determinants predicted future substance use. Intervention strategies may need to consider acculturation in order to effectively direct resources toward those psychosocial determinants of substance use of greatest relevance to Latino populations.     

Activating Basic Category Exemplars in Sentence Contexts: A Dynamical Account

This paper examines the influence of context on the processing of category names embedded in sentences. The investigation focuses on the nature of information available immediately after such a word is heard as well as on the dynamics of adaptation to context. An on-line method (Cross Modal Lexical Priming) was used to trace how this process unfolds in time. We found that the information available immediately after a category word is presented is not altered by the sentence context in which the word is immersed. Rather, the structure of availability of particular exemplars of the category resembles the typicality structure of a conceptual representation. The adaptation to context occurs later (between 300 and 450 ms after the category word) and takes the form of a rapid reorganization of the structure rather than a gradual activation of a contextually relevant exemplar. We claim that such data is best accounted for in a dynamical framework, where a coherent global structure emerges through locally guided self-organization.