Contribution of somesthetic cues to the perception of body orientation and subjective visual vertical

Without relevant visual cues, the subjective visual vertical (SVV) is biased in roll-tilted subjects toward the body axis (Aubert or A-effect). This study focused on the role of the somatosensory system with respect to the SVV and on whether somesthetic cues act through the estimated body tilt. The body cast technology was used to obtain a diffuse tactile stimulation. An increased A-effect was expected because of a greater underestimation of the body position in the body cast. Sixteen subjects placed in a tilt chair were rolled sideways from 0 degrees to 105 degrees. They were asked to verbally indicate their subjective body position and then to adjust a luminous line to the vertical under strapped and body cast conditions. Results showed a greater A-effect (p < .001) but an overestimation of the body orientation (p < .01) in the body cast condition for the higher tilt values (beyond 60 degrees). Since the otolith organs produced the same gravity response in both conditions, errors were due to a change in somesthetic cues. Visual and postural errors were not directly related (no correlation). However, the angular distance between the apparent body position and the SW remained stable, suggesting that the change in somatosensory pattern inputs has a similar impact on the cognitive processes involved in assessing the perception of external space and the sense of self-position.     

Olfactory discrimination of individual littermates in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Adult male rats (Rattus norvegicus) were trained in a Y-maze to discriminate the presence of a littermate from its absence. Transfer of training in subsequent tests indicated that (a) the animals were capable of distinguishing among individuals when relatedness and familiarity were held constant, (b) this ability was not due to training, and (c) their performance was based solely on odor cues. The results are discussed in relation to social behavior in rats.     

Multicultural perspectives on suicide

Cultural differences exist as to suicide rates, suicide attempts, suicide attitudes such as acceptability, and appropriate treatment of suicide. Although suicide has been studied cross-nationally to highlight cross-cultural differences, the nuances of suicide among racioethnic groups within the United States have been at times been overlooked. The present article discusses suicide among the four (African American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian American) most populous minority sociopolitical groups in the United States, and makes culture-specific recommendations for treatment and research.     

Top Ten Pressing Questions About the Development of Emotion Regulation

The papers in this special issue highlight the diversity of methods used to study the development of emotion regulation, and the substantial progress that has been made in understanding how children learn to manage strong emotions. This commentary poses 10 questions that focus on how developmental psychologists conceptualize emotions and regulation, measure emotions in research, and understand the interplay of individual and contextual variables. The discussion here outlines issues to guide future work; answers to these substantial questions will require much additional research.     

A developmental study of semantic elaboration and interpretation in recognition memory

Two experiments examined semantic elaboration and interpretation in recognition memory of 4-year-olds and college students. Subjects were presented pictures of color-specific and non-color-specific items, and then tested for their recognition of the chroma of the items. In Experiment 1, one-half of the presentation items were black and white and one-half colored, and testing always involved one black and white and one colored choice. In Experiment 2, all of the presentation items were colored, and testing always involved two colored choices. In both studies, the pattern of results of the two age groups was similar. Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that recognition judgments were based on representations that were elaborated with preexperimentally acquired semantic color information, and Experiment 2 also indicated that recognition judgments were based on representations that contained interpretive information about the appropriateness of the colors of the items. The results were considered to support and extend the view that when young children and adults share a common knowledge base, they are likely to engage in similar and extensive semantic processing.     

Effects of methylphenidate alone and in combination with behavior modification procedures on the behavior and academic performance of hyperactive children

Twenty hyperactive 6- to 9-year-old children of normal intelligence were studied in a half-day laboratory classroom in a 2-week period baseline-treatment-reversal design for behavior modification. Under double-blind conditions half the children were placed on .3 mg/kg of Ritalin and half on placebo for the entire program. The classroom program consisted of a group period with immediate reinforcement possible, and an individual time period without immediate reinforcement possible. Behavior modification caused a significant decrease in nonattending, out-of-seat, inappropriate vocalizing and inappropriate peer interaction behavior in the group period. Fidgeting, a nontargeted behavior, was not significantly decreased during this period but did signficantly decrease as a result of medication. No other drug effects occurred during this period. During the individual period, the results were essentially reversed. There were no significant behavior modification effects observed. Significant reductions resulted from medication in all behaviors except out-of-seat and fidgeting. Behavior modification alone significantly affected the two academic measures. No significant effects were seen on the Conners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale. No significant interactions were noted between medication and behavior modification.This study was supported by a grant from the Health Services and Mental Health Administration, Maternal and Child Health Service Project 920. Special thanks are due to Judy Racheleu, Charles Cunningham, Christopher P. S. Williams, Dan Lee, Russell Barkley, Ross Danielson, Sally Gray, Don Slyman, and Linda Shambeck.     

The development of equivalence rules for visual configurations

The use of discrete and relational aspects of visual configurations in making similarity judgments was compared in 3-, 4-, 5-, and 8-year-old children and adults. The subjects were asked to match line drawings, which were similar in color, form, or spatial arrangement of the components, in a forced-choice task. There was a shift, with age, toward increased use of spatial arrangement as the basis for the equivalence judgment and toward greater consistency of choice. An analysis of patterns of response suggested the operation of underlying equivalence rules, which change with age from a limited form rule to more extensive rules, which incorporate a form rule as well as a spatial arrangement rule. We proposed a model of rule development that is hierarchical and involves the subordination of earlier rules to later emerging rules.     

Reality-Testing a Vocational Choice: Congruence Between Self,Ideal, and Occupational Percepts Among Student Nurses

A total of 168 student nurses (24 each at 7 levels of vocational experience and preparation) Q-sorted 50 self-relevant, socially neutral statements to measure self-concept, ideal self-concept, and occupational role percept. Mean r's for congruence between ideal and occupational percepts tended to exceed and to reach higher levels of significance than corresponding r's for congruence between either self and ideal or self and occupational percepts. Congruences between self, ideal, and occupational percepts reach significance at p = .01 for graduate students, who have attained “adult” professional status. However, no significant relationship appears to obtain between either pre-professional or professional nursing experience and congruence between self and ideal, self and occupational role, or ideal and occupational role percepts. Results are interpreted in terms of a self-concept theory of vocational development.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSERVATION IN ABORIGINAL CHILDREN1

Deux groupes d'enfants aborigènes australiens (âge 8–15 ans) subissent les épreuves mises au point pour L'étude de la conservation de la quantité, du poids, du volume, de la longueur, de la surface et du nombre. Les résultats montrent que les enfants aborigènes réussissent ces problèmes à des âges plus élevés que les enfants européens et que dans certains cas, la notion de conservation n'est pas atteinte. On constate également des différences significatives chez les enfants aborigènes selon qu'ils sont de souche pure ou non. Les résultats confirment dans L'ensemble la théorie des stades de développement, mais on observe que L'ordre des stades dont L'invariance est postulée par Piaget et Inhelder présente quelques variations. L'A. commente ces résultats et évoque les différents facteurs qui peuvent être responsables du retard observé dans le développement des enfants aborigènes.