Fluency Training in Phoneme Blending: A Preliminary Study of Generalized Effects

We examined the generalized effects of training children to fluently blend phonemes of words containing target vowel teams on their reading of trained and untrained words in lists and passages. Three second-grade students participated. A subset of words containing each of 3 target vowel teams (aw, oi, and au) was trained in lists, and generalization was assessed to untrained words in lists, trained and untrained words in target passages, and novel words in generalization passages. A multiple probe design across vowel teams revealed generalized increases in oral reading accuracy for target words presented in both lists and passages for all 3 students on 2 vowel teams and for 1 student on all 3 vowel teams. Generalized increases in oral reading fluency in both lists and passages were found for all 3 students on the vowel team that was trained to a fluency criterion, with two students showing increases prior to training on the other two vowel teams. Implications of these results for building fluency in prerequisite phonemic awareness skills as an intervention for promoting generalized oral reading fluency are discussed.     

In Memory of P. F. Strawson (1919–2006)

Abstract

This note introduces papers presented at a 2007 conference in memory of Peter Strawson and published in this issue.     

Examining Spouse/Partner Presence as a Moderator in the Relationship Between Mental Health Symptoms and Alcohol Use in OEF/OIF Veterans

Veterans from the conflicts in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom; OEF) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom; OIF) have reported elevated rates of alcohol consumption, and greater depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with increased alcohol use. Presence of a spouse/partner, which has been associated with reduced drinking, may buffer the relationship between mental health symptoms and alcohol consumption. To examine this hypothesis, the current study utilized baseline survey data from OEF/OIF veterans (N = 325) enrolled in a brief alcohol intervention. Spouse/partner presence moderated the relationship between depression symptoms and alcohol consumption such that depression was positively associated with drinking for veterans without a spouse/partner. Exploratory analyses indicated that the relationship between depression and alcohol use may be particularly salient for veterans without a spouse/partner and a lower number of deployments. Spouse/partner presence did not moderate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol consumption. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Functional hemispheric asymmetries of global/local processing mirrored by the steady-state visual evoked potential

While hemispheric differences in global/local processing have been reported by various studies, it is still under dispute at which processing stage they occur. Primarily, it was assumed that these asymmetries originate from an early perceptual stage. Instead, the content-level binding theory (Hübner & Volberg, 2005) suggests that the hemispheres differ at a later stage at which the stimulus information is bound to its respective level. The present study tested this assumption by means of steady-state evoked potentials (SSVEPs). In particular, we presented hierarchical letters flickering at 12 Hz while participants categorised the letters at a pre- cued level (global or local). The information at the two levels could be congruent or incongruent with respect to the required response. Since content-binding is only necessary if there is a response conflict, asymmetric hemispheric processing should be observed only for incongruent stimuli. Indeed, our results show that the cue and congruent stimuli elicited equal SSVEP global/local effects in both hemispheres. In contrast, incongruent stimuli elicited lower SSVEP amplitudes for a local than for a global target level at left posterior electrodes, whereas a reversed pattern was seen at right hemispheric electrodes. These findings provide further evidence for a level-specific hemispheric advantage with respect to content-level binding. Moreover, the fact that the SSVEP is sensitive to these processes offers the possibility to separately track global and local processing by presenting both level contents with different frequencies.     

Influence of win-loss ratio on performance,satisfaction and preference for opponents

Hypotheses about the preference for opponents in competitive situations, about performance under various win-loss ratios, and about task and opponent satisfaction under various win-loss ratios were tested. A 5 × 5 latin square with four replications and a repeated measure factor of trials was the design used with 20 female college students as subjects. The five different win percents were W₁₀, W₃₀, W₅₀, W₇₀, and W₉₀. A manipulative maze task was used with subjects receiving 20 trials against each of five confederate opponents. Results indicated that (a) when a person knows little or nothing about her ability level she initially prefers to compete with opponents of low ability but with each subsequent contest opponents of higher ability levels are preferred; (b) subjects performed better in the W₅₀ condition; (c) task satisfaction is higher when the percent of wins is equal to or greater than the percent of losses; and (d) opponent satisfaction is greater for opponents who perform equal to or better than the subject.     

The use of modeling to increase independent behavior

Three experiments were conducted aimed at increasing independence via use of modeling procedures in, respectively, two samples of neurotic outpatients and a sample of psychiatric inpatients. Significant gains in independence emerged in all three investigations. Subsidiary findings are reported regarding the operation in clinical contexts of ‘modeling-enhancers’ of demonstrated effectiveness in laboratory settings.     

Psychische Faktoren gastrointestinaler Erkrankungen

The list of potential or proven associations between psychological and intestinal functions in healthy subjects and in patients with functional and organic bowel disorders demonstrates that although these associations are manifold they are to a large extent incompletely understood, primarily of academic interest and not yet ready to be integrated into everyday clinical practice. However, of immediate practical relevance are psychotherapeutic as well as psychopharmacological approaches. It is, however, required that clinicians, both medical and psychological, are aware of the mechanisms of regulation of intestinal functions through central (CNS) and peripheral (ENS) neural circuits.     

Programming for the Generalization of Oral Reading Fluency: Repeated Readings of Entire Text versus Multiple Exemplars

This study compared a multiple exemplar approach involving the training of key words and sentence structures to a typical repeated readings procedure for their effects on students’ generalized oral reading fluency. The two training approaches were also compared in terms of their relative learning rates (i.e., fluency gain per minute of instruction time). Participants were 111 first- and second-grade students from three public schools in a large urban school district. This study utilized an across students pre-test/post-test experimental design and one-way analyses of variance on the gain scores from pre-test to post-test to assess the effectiveness of multiple exemplar instruction, listening passage preview/repeated readings, and a time and attention control condition. Results showed significantly higher gain scores for students in both the multiple exemplar and listening passage preview/repeated readings groups versus controls on the trained and generalization passages. Multiple exemplar instruction also resulted in significantly larger learning rates than listening passage preview/repeated readings. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Angry facial expressions hamper subsequent target identification

There is considerable evidence indicating that people are primed to monitor social signals of disapproval. Thus far, studies on selective attention have concentrated predominantly on the spatial domain, whereas the temporal consequences of identifying socially threatening information have received only scant attention. Therefore, this study focused on temporal attention costs and examined how the presentation of emotional expressions affects subsequent identification of task-relevant information. High (n = 30) and low (n = 31) socially anxious women were exposed to a dual-target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Emotional faces (neutral, happy, angry) were presented as the first target (T1) and neutral letter stimuli (p, q, d, b) as the second target (T2). Irrespective of social anxiety, the attentional blink was relatively large when angry faces were presented as T1. This apparent prioritized processing of angry faces is consistent with evolutionary models, stressing the importance of being especially attentive to potential signals of social threat.     

Targeting Performance Dimensions in Sequence According to the Instructional Hierarchy: Effects on Children’s Math Work Within a Self-Monitoring Program

Four fifth-grade students were presented with frustration-level math probes while three performance dimensions were measured (i.e., percent intervals on-task, percent correct digits, and digits correct per minute (DCM)). Using a multiple baseline design across participants, students were trained to self-monitor time on-task, accuracy, and productivity in sequence and were given their choice of preferred rewards for increases in each performance dimension. The effects of self-monitoring productivity plus rewards prior to and after reaching on-task and accuracy criteria were also evaluated on a probe basis using an embedded multielement design. Results showed that three of the four students increased DCM when self-monitoring productivity plus rewards, but only after meeting on-task and accuracy criteria. Effects of self monitoring accuracy were mixed, and all students showed high levels of on-task behavior throughout the study. The implications of these results for increasing the effectiveness of self-monitoring through a sequenced approach to academic skill training are discussed.