Syntactic development in children with hemispherectomy: the I-, D-, and C-systems

This study reports on functional morpheme (I, D, and C) production in the spontaneous speech of five pairs of children who have undergone hemispherectomy, matching each pair for etiology and age at symptom onset, surgery, and testing. Our results show that following left hemispherectomy (LH), children evidence a greater error rate in the use of functional category elements than their right hemispherectomy (RH) counterparts. Nevertheless, error rates are surprisingly low and comparable across groups. We interpret these results as (a) weak empirical evidence for a left hemisphere advantage in acquisition of functional structure, (b) strong support that functional structure is a property of all human grammars, and (c) strong support that each isolated developing hemisphere has the potential to acquire a grammar embodying and constrained by highly specific structural principles defining human language.     

Effect of regulating anger and sadness on decision-making

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of reappraisal, acceptance, and rumination for regulating anger and sadness on decision-making. Participants (N = 165) were asked to recall two autobiographical events in which they felt intense anger and sadness, respectively. Participants were then instructed to reappraise, accept, ruminate, or not use any strategies to regulate their feelings of anger and sadness. Following this manipulation, risk aversion, and decision-making strategies were measured using a computer-based measure of risk-taking and a simulated real-life decision-making task. Participants who were instructed to reappraise their emotions showed the least anger and sadness, the most adaptive decision-making strategies, but the least risk aversion as compared to the participants in the other conditions. These findings suggest that emotion regulation strategies of negative affective states have an immediate effect on decision-making and risk-taking behaviors.     

Factor Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in a Heterogeneous Clinical Sample

This study assesses the facet structure and psychometric properties of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) with a heterogeneous clinical sample of individuals with mood and anxiety disorders. Various factor models of the FFMQ were submitted to confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). A four factor hierarchical solution, consisting of an overall mindfulness construct subsuming at least four factors, was adopted. Both internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity were assessed. Along with demonstrating good internal consistency, the facets of the FFMQ were appropriately associated with other psychological constructs. Many mindfulness facets exhibited inverse relationships with emotion dysregulation, emotional avoidance, and psychological distress. The observe facet appeared to assume a role antagonistic to overall mindfulness within a clinical sample, as it exhibited a positive relationship with anxious arousal and no relationship with two other mindfulness facets. Findings support the notion of mindfulness as a multifaceted construct, the structure of which alters in the context of psychopathology.     

The Structure of Emotion Dialogues: Maternal Reminiscing Factors Differentially Relate to Child Language and Socio-Emotional Outcomes

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Mother–child reminiscing about past emotional experiences is one aspect of emotion socialization that facilitates child socio-emotional and...     

Stability Balls and Student on-Task Behavior

Stability balls have become a common option for alternative seating in classrooms. While the social validity of stability ball classroom seating remains high among students and teachers, findings on the effectiveness of this alternative seating method are mixed. This is particularly true when the intent of the intervention is to increase student on-task behavior. This study examined the effects of stability ball seating on students’ on-task behavior in a general education setting, using a within-subjects repeated measures design. Researchers observed twenty-four third-grade students in a public-school classroom across three conditions: all chairs, all balls, or choice. Across observation days, the study controlled for time of day, teacher, and classroom environment. Results indicate students are on-task less frequently when sitting on a stability ball. Student reports on social validity replicated prior findings; students found the stability ball to be desirable and easy to use.

     

Impact of Handedness Consistency on Bimanual and Unimanual Continuous Movements

Bimanual coordination is an essential human function requiring efficient interhemispheric communication to produce coordinated movements. Previous research suggests a “bimanual advantage” phenomenon, where completing synchronized bimanual tasks results in less variability than unimanual tasks. Additionally, of hand dominance has been shown to influence coordinated performance. The present study examined the bimanual advantage in individuals with consistent and inconsistent handedness. It was predicted that participants with consistent handedness would not display a bimanual advantage unlike those with inconsistent handedness. Fifty-six young adults completed a finger-tapping paradigm in five conditions: unimanual tapping with either left or right hand, in-phase bimanual tapping, and out-of phase bimanual tapping led by either left or right hand. Results were not consistent with the hypothesis that participants with consistent handedness displayed the “bimanual advantage”. However, the “bimanual advantage” was not evident for the inconsistent handers when the temporal consistency was measured with either the left or right hand only. Overall, the “bimanual advantage” may be dependent upon consistency of hand preference, as well as the direction of hand dominance.     

What happened in kindergarten? Mother-child conversations about life story chapters

ABSTRACT

Research indicates that adults form life story chapters, representations of extended time periods that include people, places and activities. Life chapter memories are distinct from episodic memories and have implications for behaviour, self and mental health, yet little is known about their development during childhood. Two exploratory studies examined parent–child conversations about life chapters. In Study 1, mothers recorded naturalistic conversations with their 5–6 year old children about two chapters in the child’s life. In Study 2, mothers recorded conversations with their 6–7 year old children about a particular life chapter—the child’s kindergarten year—and also about a specific episode of their choice. The results indicated that young children are able to recall and discuss information about life chapters and that parents actively scaffold children’s discussion of general information in chapters as well as specific events. Mothers’ conversational style when discussing chapters (e.g., elaborativeness) predicted children’s memory contributions, and was also positively correlated with their style when discussing specific events. The results suggest new avenues for research on the ontogeny of life chapters, the factors that shape them, and their role in development.