Pet dogs (Canis familiaris) re-engage humans after joint activity

Animal Cognition - Joint intentionality, the mutual understanding of shared goals or actions to partake in a common task, is considered an essential building block of theory of mind in humans....     

Longitudinal development of manual motor ability in autism spectrum disorder from childhood to mid‐adulthood relates to adaptive daily living skills

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit motor difficulties, but it is unknown whether manual motor skills improve, plateau, or decline in ASD in the transition from childhood into adulthood. Atypical development of manual motor skills could impact the ability to learn and perform daily activities across the life span. This study examined longitudinal grip strength and finger tapping development in individuals with ASD (n = 90) compared to individuals with typical development (n = 56), ages 5 to 40 years old. We further examined manual motor performance as a possible correlate of current and future daily living skills. The group with ASD demonstrated atypical motor development, characterized by similar performance during childhood but increasingly poorer performance from adolescence into adulthood. Grip strength was correlated with current adaptive daily living skills, and Time 1 grip strength predicted daily living skills eight years into the future. These results suggest that individuals with ASD may experience increasingly more pronounced motor difficulties from adolescence into adulthood and that manual motor performance in ASD is related to adaptive daily living skills.     

Lineup administrator influences on eyewitness identification and eyewitness confidence

Lineup administrators were trained to respond to witnesses in such a way as to redirect them from making non-identifications or foil identification responses toward making identifications of the suspect. Compared to a no-influence control condition, suspect identification rates in the influence condition increased substantially and proportionally for guilty and innocent suspects. Administrators steered witnesses more specifically toward the suspect when the suspect was guilty than when the suspect was innocent. Post-identification confidence for correct identifications of the guilty suspect did not differ significantly across the influence and no-influence groups. However, post-identification confidence for false identifications of the innocent suspect was significantly lower for the influence group than for the no-influence group because witnesses who were influenced to make false identifications tended to be those who were less confident prior to the lineup, and also because those witnesses became less confident from pre- to post-identification.     

Peer Leadership in Sport: Links with Friendship,Peer Acceptance,Psychological Characteristics,and Athletic Ability

The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend the work of Glenn and Horn (1993) Glenn, S. D. and Horn, T. S. 1993. Psychological and personal predictors of leadership behavior in female soccer athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 5: 17–34. [CSA][Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] by examining relationships between peer leadership in sport and social, psychological, and ability characteristics. The sample consisted of 71 female and 67 male high-school soccer players and their coaches. Players completed questionnaires measuring social (peer acceptance and friendship quality) and psychological (perceived competence, instrumentality, and expressiveness) variables, and leadership behavior for self and teammates. Coaches assessed each player on leadership behavior and soccer ability. For female athletes, all psychosocial variables were predictive of self-ratings of leadership, while coach and teammate ratings were related to ability only. For male athletes, all psychosocial variables and ability were related to self-ratings and teammate ratings of peer leadership, while coaches' ratings were related primarily to ability. These results are discussed with regard to social exchange theory and commonalities among peer relationship variables (acceptance, friendship, leadership).     

Incorporating Handheld Computers into a Public Science Center: A Design Research Study

ABSTRACT

The feasibility of using handheld computers to customize learning opportunities was explored using a design research process with 68 visitor groups to a small interactive science museum and aquarium. The authors discuss the iterations of the research process, reasons given for both using and not using the handheld computers, and findings related to participants' prior use of handheld computers and their perception of the effects of using the device on their visit. The authors discuss the findings in light of current research on visitor motivations and identities, as well as models of customization. Recommendations for practitioners interested in implementing similar programs, and suggestions for further research are included.     

Spatial and Temporal Adaptations That Accompany Increasing Catching Performance During Learning

During stance, head extension increases postural sway, possibly due to interference with sensory feedback. The sit-to-stand movement is potentially destabilizing due to the development of momentum as the trunk flexes forward and the body transitions to a smaller base of support. It is unclear what role head orientation plays in the postural and movement characteristics of the sit-to-stand transition. The authors assessed how moving from sitting to standing with head-on-trunk extension compared with moving with the head neutral or flexed, or with moving with the head facing forward in space (which would involve head-on-trunk extension, but not head-in-space extension) in healthy, young participants. Head-on-trunk extension increased center of pressure variability, but decreased movement velocities, movement duration, and trunk flexion compared with flexed and neutral head-on-trunk orientations. Similarities in movement characteristics between head-on-trunk extension and the forward head-in-space orientation suggest that stabilizing the head in space does not fully counteract the postural and movement changes due to head-on-trunk extension. Findings suggest that proprioceptive feedback from the neck muscles contributes to the regulation of posture and movement, and therefore should not be overlooked in research on the role of sensory feedback in postural control.     

Family Consulting: A New Role for Therapists

A new model for psychological practice entitled, "Family Consulting" is proposed. It is defined as a long-term, intermittent approach to working with families based on a developmental/non-pathological perspective. The specific format of intervention is described in detail. A brief review of the life-span perspective of development, the family life-cycle literature, and object relations family therapy, which serve as the building blocks of the model is provided. The role that family consulting can play in today's managed mental health care environment is discussed.     

Can Children with Autism Recover? If So, How?

Although Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are generally assumed to be lifelong, we review evidence that between 3% and 25% of children reportedly lose their ASD diagnosis and enter the normal range of cognitive, adaptive and social skills. Predictors of recovery include relatively high intelligence, receptive language, verbal and motor imitation, and motor development, but not overall symptom severity. Earlier age of diagnosis and treatment, and a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified are also favorable signs. The presence of seizures, mental retardation and genetic syndromes are unfavorable signs, whereas head growth does not predict outcome. Controlled studies that report the most recovery came about after the use of behavioral techniques. Residual vulnerabilities affect higher-order communication and attention. Tics, depression and phobias are frequent residual co-morbidities after recovery. Possible mechanisms of recovery include: normalizing input by forcing attention outward or enriching the environment; promoting the reinforcement value of social stimuli; preventing interfering behaviors; mass practice of weak skills; reducing stress and stabilizing arousal. Improving nutrition and sleep quality is non-specifically beneficial.