An instrumented method for assessment and remediation of stuttering: A single-subject case study

A single-subject experimental design was used to investigate the feasibility of applying non-invasive laboratory instrumentation for examining speech physiology to assessment and biofeedback-based remediation of stuttering. Physiologic assessment facilitated the development of behavioral goals directed at changing respiratory and phonatory behaviors for this subject. Visual biofeedback therapy produced reduction in respiratory discontinuities and increased phonatory continuity, concomitant with reduced perceivable molar dysfluency. Methods used in this case illustrate a variety of options and problems related to clinical use of instrumentation. Results suggest that signals which represent respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory physiologic events may be clinically practical for evaluating and altering perceivable dysfluency.     

Scratching as a behavioral index of anxiety in macaque mothers.

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the notion that anxiety influences maternal style in monkeys. To this end, we investigated the correlations between measures of the quality of mother-infant relationship and scratching, a behavior pattern that reflects a state of anxiety. The subjects were seven group-living macaque mothers and their infants observed during the first 12 weeks postpartum. Postpartum scratching by the mothers was positively correlated with both maternal possessiveness and maternal warmth, two composite measures of the quality of mother-infant relationship that reflect a possessive and attentive maternal style. Evaluation of the correlations between maternal rank and scratching before and after parturition indicated that interactions with their infants, not those with other group companions, were the main source of anxiety for the mothers. These results support the notion that anxiety influences maternal style in monkeys and suggest that studies aimed at investigating physiological and social correlates of maternal emotionality in nonhuman primates could use scratching as a useful and simple behavioral measure.     

Aristotelian contraries

The first version of this paper was delivered as part of Problems and Changes in the Concept of Predication, a conference at the UC Humanities Research Institute organized by Karel Lambert and Alan Code. I am indebted to the other participants for helpful discussion, and to HRI for providing a wonderful environment for the conference.     

Fluid noncompliance and symptomatology in end-stage renal disease: cognitive and emotional variables

Fluid noncompliance in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a widespread problem with severe consequences for health. In addition, ESRD patients report considerable stress in relation to their illness and dialysis treatment. The present study examined the role of cognitive and emotional variables in fluid noncompliance, symptomatology, and stress. Fifty hemodialysis patients were assessed (a) on the cognitive variables of locus of control, self-evaluations of their past compliance, and self-efficacy to resist fluid intake and (b) on the emotional variables of depression, anger, and anxiety. Results showed that cognitive variables accounted for fluid noncompliance and predicted future adherence. Patients high in negative emotions complied equally as well as patients low in negative emotions but were found to report substantially more symptomatology and distress associated with their treatment. The implications of these findings for treatment of ESRD patients and future research are discussed.     

Physical symptoms and the interplay of work and family roles

The paradigm underlying research on the relationship between work and physical-health symptoms in men has focused on workplace stressors and has ignored men's family roles. Research on women, work, and health suggests several necessary additions to this paradigm, including (a) a focus on job rewards and job concerns and (b) attention to the impact of family roles on the relationship between job rewards and concerns and physical health. We included these variables in a study of a disproportionate random sample of 403 employed 25- to 55-year-old women. Major findings are that (a) work rewards (e.g., helping others at work) are related to reports of low levels of physical symptoms; (b) work concerns (e.g., overload) are associated with reports of high levels of physical symptoms; (c) particular work rewards, which may be different for women than for men, mitigate the negative health effects of work concerns; (d) among employed mothers, satisfaction with salary is negatively related to physical-health symptoms; and (e) women in positive marriages or partnerships were more likely to reap physical-health benefits from the rewards of helping others at work and from supervisor support.     

Gender differences in tobacco use

Gender differences in overall tobacco use clearly exist. In general, men are more likely to use tobacco products than are women. However, this simple generalization, ignoring type of tobacco products, time, and culture, masks many more interesting gender differences in tobacco use. There are pronounced gender differences in tobacco use of specific tobacco products within some cultures but not others. Yet these differences have changed across time, including narrowing and widening of this gender gap, depending on culture and tobacco product. This article addresses these issues and presents possible psychosocial, biological, and psychobiological explanations for these phenomena. In addition, the implications of these differences and ways to learn more about these important differences are discussed.     

Long-term smoking intervention at the worksite: effects of quit-smoking groups and an "enriched milieu" on smoking cessation in adult white-collar employees

Maximizing the potential of worksites for smoking intervention remains elusive. We hypothesized that long-term effectiveness of group intervention would be enhanced when offered within an "enriched milieu" (full program) compared with relative isolation (group only). The data failed to support the hypothesis. Although sustained abstinence rates were higher at full-program sites (50%) than at group-only sites (44%), the difference did not achieve statistical significance. Initial (35% vs. 47%) and 12-month (18% vs. 22%) quit rates at full-program and group-only sites also failed to demonstrate the "benefit" of the "enriched milieu."     

Maintenance of mother-child aversive relationships: A fresh look at an old controversy

Data were obtained from 46 mother-child pairs from the Child Behavior Institute (CBI) at the University of Tennessee. These mother-child dyads were referred for psychological help because of the child’s aversive behavior. Child-parent interactions were quantified using a multi-code, observational system. Correlational and multiple regression analyses (stepwise) were conducted to find the best predictor of the child’s aversive behavior. Results showed that the child’s aversive behavior was significantly correlated with the mother’s aversive, indiscriminate, and compliance behaviors. The regression analysis showed mother’s aversive behavior to be the best predictor of the child’s aversive behavior. Moreover, our results seem to point out that the compliance hypothesis is more effective in predicting child aversive behavior than the predictability hypotheses. It appears that since the two hypotheses are dealing with similar processes, they are more complementary than oppositional. This study used data collected by the Child Behavior Institute (CBI) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The authors are indebted to Robert Wahler, Michael Smith, and Sue Dunn for their helpful comments on this paper.     

Adult age differences in elaborations produced during prose recall

This study focused on adult age differences in the characteristics and quantity of elaborations produced during a prose recall task. Young (M = 24.3 years) and older (M = 67.9 years) adults were tested in 3 same-age, same-gender group size conditions: individual, dyad, and tetrad. Elaborations, which are statements not contained in the text but not inconsistent with it, were divided into 2 major categories. Denotative elaborations included statements that were closely related to the text and filled in gaps in the stories. These elaborations were equally produced by young and older adults and were significantly correlated with gist recall performance. Annotative elaborations were evaluative and interpretive comments. These statements were more frequently produced by older adults but were not correlated with recall performance. Young and older adults had different patterns of annotative elaboration production across group size conditions.     

Random error in additive decompositions of multiattribute utility

Decomposition is a common strategy for dealing with the complexity of multiattribute decision problems. A cognitively demanding task is broken down into tasks requiring simpler, perhaps easier, judgments which can then be aggregated. But individual judgments can be inconsistent in systematic or random fashion and when aggregated there is the possibility of propagation of this inconsistency. In this paper inconsistency in the form of random error is investigated in the context of additive decomposition of multiattribute utility. The process of aggregation of random error is studied and a comparison made with random error in holistic estimates of multiattribute utility. Conditions under which decomposition improves the consistency of the multiattribute utility estimate are presented and discussed.