The effect of amplitude modulation on intelligibility of time-varying sinusoidal speech in children and adults

Although researchers are currently studying auditory object formation in adults, little is known about the development of this phenomenon in children. Amplitude modulation has been suggested as one of the characteristics of the speech signal that allows auditory grouping. In this experiment, we evaluated children (4 to 13 years of age) and adults to examine whether children's ability to use amplitude modulation (AM) in perception of time-varying sinusoidal (TVS) sentences is different from that of adults, and whether there are developmental changes. We evaluated performance on recognition of TVS sentences (unmodulated, amplitude-comodulated at 25, 50, 100, and 200 Hz, and amplitude-modulated using conflicting frequencies). Overall, the youngest children performed more poorly than did older children and adults. However, difference scores, defined as the percentage of phonemes correct in a given modulation condition minus the percentage correct for the unmodulated condition, showed no significant effects of age. Unlike the findings of previous studies (Carrell & Opie, 1992), these results support the ability of modulation with conflicting frequencies to improve intelligibility. The present study provides evidence that children and adults receive the same benefits (or decrements) from amplitude modulation.     

When knowledge is not enough: the phenomenon of goal neglect in preschool children

We argue that the concept of goal neglect can be fruitfully applied to understand children's potential problems in experimental tasks and real-world settings. We describe an assessment of goal neglect developed for administration to preschool children and report data on two measures derived from this task alongside the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) and an opposite color response inhibition task. The propensity to neglect initial task cues was uniquely linked to response inhibition, whereas neglect of a later cue was uniquely linked to the DCCS. Additional evidence suggests that recovery from neglect can occur and shows that goal neglect varies with the cognitive transparency of the signifying cue. Data demonstrate the importance of, and place constraints on, current theories of information regulation and foreground the notion of graded representations in working memory and executive functioning.     

The IPIP–HEXACO scales: An alternative, public-domain measure of the personality constructs in the HEXACO model

Recently, Lee and Ashton (2004) described the HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO-PI), a new instrument designed to assess the six dimensions observed in lexical studies of personality structure of various languages. Here, we describe the development of an alternative measure of the HEXACO factors and their facets, using the items of the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP). The scales of the resulting IPIP–HEXACO inventory showed satisfactory psychometric properties, as assessed by internal-consistency reliability, convergent and discriminant correlations with the original HEXACO-PI scales, and factor structure. We discuss the potential usefulness of the new IPIP–HEXACO inventory and its strengths and limitations.     

The effect of rotation on configural encoding in a face-matching task

Inversion disrupts encoding of faces because of the disruption of configural encoding as evident in the Thatcher illusion (Thompson 1980, Perception 9 483-484). Here we consider the effect of rotation on the loss of configural encoding in a same/different matching paradigm. Participants decided whether two faces were of the same type (both normal or both Thatcherised) or not, at five angles of rotation (0 degrees, 45 degrees , 90 degrees, 135 degrees, 180 degrees). When the faces were both of the same person, the disruption due to rotation for 'same-type' judgments was linear and approximately equal for normal and Thatcherised face pairs. In experiment 2, with different-person face pairs, the effect of rotation was much greater for Thatcherised face pairs than for normal face pairs. These findings are in contrast to those reported by Boutsen and Humphreys (2003, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology A 56 955-975), and reasons for these differences, along with implications, are discussed.     

No-harm contracts: a review of what we know

Few events in the practice of a mental health clinician can be as devastating as the suicide of a client. Although suicide is a rare occurrence, clinicians face assessment of clients' risk for harming themselves on a regular basis. One well-accepted and widely practiced intervention for suicidal ideation is the use of no-harm contracts (NHC), although opinions about NHCs range from enthusiasm to apathy. The existing research does not support the use of such contracts as a method for preventing suicide, nor for protecting clinicians from malpractice litigation in the event of a client suicide.     

Group cognition,membership change,and performance: Investigating the benefits and detriments of collective knowledge

This study analyzes the effects of group membership change on group cognition and performance to determine how groups can simultaneously leverage oldtimers’ collective knowledge and a newcomer’s expertise. Our analysis focuses specifically on the interrelated effects of the two components of a transactive memory system (TMS)—TMS structure and TMS processes—to explain the cognitive mechanisms through which membership change affects group performance. Results from a laboratory study show that groups that experience partial membership change tend to rely on the TMS structure that oldtimers developed in their original group, and that doing so is ultimately detrimental to performance because it creates inefficient TMS processes. Results from a supplemental study indicate that these TMS process inefficiencies can be avoided when oldtimers are instructed to reflect upon their collective knowledge prior to task execution. We discuss the implications for managing group cognition in organizations where membership change is prevalent.     

Using cardinality to compare quantities: the role of social-cognitive conflict in early numeracy

A key question in early number development is how 4- and 5-year-olds learn the roles that counting and cardinal numbers play when comparing quantities. Children who wrongly used length to identify numerosity were assigned to five experimental groups and trained to judge whether a puppet--who sometimes miscounted--created equivalent sets. Over three training sessions, children who were asked to compare sets after they were counted learned to base their judgments on cardinal numbers when the puppet counted accurately by being given feedback. However, only the groups who were also asked to explain either their own or the experimenter's reasoning made progress in identifying the puppet's miscounts. This ability to recognize the importance of counting accuracy for quantitative comparisons predicted whether children would spontaneously count to compare sets on a post-test. The importance of asking children to identify miscounts is discussed alongside the social factors that influence children's recognition of the relationship between procedural counting, cardinality and relative number.     

Sleeper effects

Early experience preserves and refines many capabilities that emerge prenatally. Here we describe another role that it plays -- establishing the neural substrate for capabilities that emerge at a much later point in development. The evidence comes from sleeper effects: permanent deficits when early experience was absent in capabilities that normally emerge long after birth. We provide evidence of sleeper effects for three aspects of vision, based on our research with children who were deprived of early visual input by congenital cataracts: contrast sensitivity for mid and high spatial frequencies, holistic face processing, and the ability to recognize the identity of faces based on small differences in the spacing among facial features.