Understanding boundary extension: Normalization and extension errors in picture memory among adults and boys with and without Asperger's syndrome

Boundary extension is the tendency for people to “remember” information that fell outside a picture's boundaries. We used a novel test of boundary extension to provide absolute estimates of the magnitude of extension errors and of the degree to which people are influenced by the way a picture is presented at the time of testing. Participants were shown photographs on a computer and subsequently allowed to adjust their magnification to match the size they remembered. The test produced reliable boundary extension of around 11% in adults and large influences of initial test size. In a second experiment we tested boys diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and matched controls. Both groups demonstrated boundary extension comparable to that observed in adults but greater effects of initial test size. High performance IQ in Asperger's was linked with high levels of boundary extension, while for the matched control group the opposite pattern was obtained.     

The role of parenting and dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphisms in children's inhibitory control

Temperamental effortful control has important implications for children's development. Although genetic factors and parenting may influence effortful control, few studies have examined interplay between the two in predicting its development. The current study investigated associations between parenting and a facet of children's effortful control, inhibitory control (IC), and whether these associations were moderated by whether children had a 7‐repeat variant of the DRD4 exon III VNTR. A community sample of 409 3‐year‐olds completed behavioural tasks to assess IC, and observational measures of parenting were also collected. Negative parenting was associated with lower child IC. The association between children's IC and positive parenting was moderated by children's DRD4 7‐repeat status, such that children with at least one 7‐repeat allele displayed lower IC than children without this allele when positive parenting was lower. These effects appeared to be primarily influenced by parent support and engagement. Results extend recent findings suggesting that some genetic polymorphisms may increase vulnerability to contextual influences.     

Individualized Challenge Point Practice as a Method to Aid Motor Sequence Learning

We conducted two studies to investigate if and how: (1) the rate of skill acquisition was related to motor performance at retention of a serial RT task (Study 1); and (2) whether rate of skill acquisition and baseline performance could be used to design schedules of practice related to contextual interference (CI) to enhance motor learning (Study 2). In Study 1, a slower rate of skill acquisition of repeating sequences in practice was related to faster response times at retention. Based on performance in Study 1, three levels of individualized CI were created for Study 2. Compared to low and moderate levels of CI, the higher CI practice condition led to faster response times in retention. We conclude that an individualized ‘challenge point’, which generates high CI enhances motor learning by optimizing challenge.     

Spaced Retrieval Enhances Memory for a Name–Face–Occupation Association in Older Adults With Probable Alzheimer's Disease

The authors trained 4 older adults with probable Alzheimer's disease to recall a name–face–occupation association using the spaced retrieval technique. Six training sessions were administered over a 2-week period. On each trial, participants selected a target photograph and stated the target name and occupation at increasingly longer retention intervals, contingent upon successful recall. Two transfer tasks were included to determine whether the trained association transferred to the person whose picture served as the training stimulus. Results yielded a positive effect of spaced retrieval on memory for the trained association. Analyses of errors revealed that participants remembered the target person's occupation more often than his or her name. There was modest evidence of transfer of the name–face–occupation association to the actual person. Implications of these data for memory remediation and quality of life in cognitively impaired older adults are considered.     

Combating the Suicide Epidemic: The Effects of Leisure Engagement on the Incidence of Depression and Poor Life Satisfaction in Soldiers

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship of leisure engagement to levels of depression and life satisfaction in U.S. Army Soldiers. The relationship between overall time engaging in leisure, as well as categories of physically active and sedentary leisure, on the incidence of depression and poor life satisfaction were examined. Results from self-report survey of 230 soldiers revealed higher amounts of time spent engaged in leisure correlated with reported lower levels of depression and higher life satisfaction. The categories physically active and sedentary leisure did not demonstrate a distinct relationship to levels of depression, but both positively related to life satisfaction.     

Pathogenic Beliefs Mediate the Relationship Between Perceived Negative Parenting and Psychopathology Symptoms

Negative parenting style, such as abuse, neglect, and intrusiveness, is significantly related to subsequent development of psychopathology. Here we sought to examine pathogenic beliefs as a potential mechanism of change. We explored whether pathogenic beliefs help explain the relationship between perceived negative parenting style and common psychopathology symptoms. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the self-report Pathogenic Beliefs Scale and tested its mediating effect on the relationship between negative parenting and psychopathology. A community sample of 732 adults completed an online survey that included measures of perceived negative parenting style (MOPS), pathogenic beliefs (PBS), and a transdiagnostic measure of common indicators of psychopathology (anxiety, low self-esteem, emotional instability, pessimistic attitude, and depression). Results showed that pathogenic beliefs were significantly associated with negative parenting experiences in childhood and adult psychopathology symptoms. Moreover, pathogenic beliefs mediated the relationship between negative parenting style and psychopathology. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.     

Trying on and Trying Out: Participatory Action Research as a Tool for Literacy and Identity Work in Middle Grades Classrooms

This article explores the role of collaborative, ethnographic, participatory action research (PAR) with eighth grade students as a set of possible literacy practices for involving students with issues connected to their lives, resources, language(s), and communities. Findings are based on a year of fieldwork conducted as part of shared inquiry into one public school community’s experiences with gentrification and meeting the complex needs of diverse learners. Findings bring to life the ways in which PAR facilitates the redefining of reading, writing, and research; the reconsideration of languages; the rethinking of literacy practices; and the repositioning of participants within and beyond given research endeavors.