Linguistic analysis of a bilingual stutterer

The ultimate test of the adequacy of linguistic models of fluency breakdown is the degree to which they may account for patterns of dysfluency in the speech of a stutterer who is fluent in more than one language. We present the case of an adult bilingual stutterer (Spanish-English), whose spontaneous language in both Spanish and English was structurally analyzed to assess the relationships of phonological and syntactic structure to the frequency and location of fluency breakdown. Our findings suggest that syntax is probably a greater determinant of stuttered moments than is phonology. Additionally, similarities and differences between English and Spanish sentence structure were associated with similarities and differences in the loci of dysfluencies across the two languages. The need for crosslinguistic research utilizing monolingual and bilingual speakers of languages other than English is emphasized.     

儿童拒绝敏感性与自我知觉的关系:一项交叉滞后研究

采用儿童拒绝敏感性问卷与儿童自我知觉量表对596名中小学儿童进行了为期一年的追踪调查,通过交叉滞后回归分析考察儿童拒绝敏感性与多种自我知觉间的预测关系。结果发现：（1）自我知觉的年级差异显著,初中儿童的自我知觉水平较低;（2）在两次测量中,拒绝敏感性与多种自我知觉均呈显著的负相关;（3）控制性别、年级以及自身稳定性之后,第一年的多种自我知觉均可以负向预测第二年的拒绝敏感性,而第一年的拒绝敏感性仅可以负向预测第二年的体貌及一般自我知觉;（4）年级调节了拒绝敏感性与一般和行为自我知觉间的纵向关系,并在小学与初中儿童中表现出不同的模式。研究证实自我知觉是儿童拒绝敏感性形成的重要原因之一,为儿童社会认知及心理健康的相关研究提供新的实证依据。     

Maternal Life Stress and Subsequent Chinese Toddlers’ Social Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Inhibitory Control

The current study examined the links between maternal life stress and subsequent toddler behavior problems and social competence, as well as the potential moderating effects of cool and hot inhibitory control (IC) in mainland China. Participants included 89 mothers and their infants (42 boys, 47 girls). Mothers completed self-report measure of maternal life stress when their children were 1 year of age (M?=?1.18, SD?=?.07 at Time 1), and reported on their children’s social adjustment using the Chinese version of Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (CITSEA) at Time 1 and again a year later (M?=?2.06, SD?=?.09 at Time 2). Toddler IC was assessed with laboratory tasks at Time 2. Structural equation modeling with a bootstrap resample of 1000 indicated that cool IC significantly moderated the longitudinal association between maternal life stress (T1) and latent construct of toddler behavior problems (T2), controlling for behavior problems at Time 1, child age and maternal age. Specifically, maternal life stress was associated with subsequent behavior problems only for toddlers who were low in cool IC. In comparison to the results of behavior problems, high levels of maternal life stress predicted subsequent low levels of social competence. Neither cool IC nor hot IC served as the moderator in the association between maternal life stress (T1) and toddler social competence (T2). These findings indicated that toddler cool IC may promote resilient adaptation and modify the links between maternal life stress and toddler behavior problems but not social competence.     

A correlation between sickness or injury within two weeks,chronic diseases and fatigue among adults aged 18–45 years

To investigate the prevalence of fatigue, the relationship between sickness or injury within two weeks, chronic diseases and fatigue among adults aged 18–45 years. Thousand five hundred and seventy nine individuals were included in this cross-sectional study. The Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) was used to assess fatigue defined as CFS score ≥4. The prevalence of fatigue was 25% in this study. Our results showed that only sickness or injury within two weeks (odds ratio [OR]: 2.440) and chronic diseases (OR: 1.727) were significantly related to fatigue. Moreover, their ORs for fatigue remained the same in all models (binary logistic regression models with adjusting for demographic and health-related characteristics one by one). In conclusion, fatigue was prevalent among adults aged 18–45 years. Sickness or injury within two weeks and chronic diseases were the risk factors for fatigue independent of demographic and health-related characteristics.     

The role of attention in eye-movement awareness

People are unable to accurately report on their own eye movements most of the time. Can this be explained as a lack of attention to the objects we fixate? Here, we elicited eye-movement errors using the classic oculomotor capture paradigm, in which people tend to look at sudden onsets even when they are irrelevant. In the first experiment, participants were able to report their own errors on about a quarter of the trials on which they occurred. The aim of the second experiment was to assess what differentiates errors that are detected from those that are not. Specifically, we estimated the relative influence of two possible factors: how long the onset distractor was fixated (dwell time), and a measure of how much attention was allocated to the onset distractor. Longer dwell times were associated with awareness of the error, but the measure of attention was not. The effect of the distractor identity on target discrimination reaction time was similar whether or not the participant was aware they had fixated the distractor. The results suggest that both attentional and oculomotor capture can occur in the absence of awareness, and have important implications for our understanding of the relationship between attention, eye movements, and awareness.     

Effects of diurnal variation and caffeine consumption on Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) performance in healthy young adults

The Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA) is a continuous performance test (CPT) that assesses attention, impulsivity, and processing speed. CPTs are used in the assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but more young adults are being assessed for ADHD as well. The TOVA norms are based on a standardization sample that was tested early in the day, and any TOVA administered after 1:00 p.m. will be flagged as potentially invalid. Whereas the testing time recommendations make sense for pediatric samples, it is unclear whether they are appropriate for young adults in college, who typically show significant phase delay in their diurnal rhythms. In addition, many college students consume large amounts of caffeine, and it is unclear how caffeine consumption affects TOVA performance. The current study examined the impact of time of day, self-reported diurnal preference, and caffeine consumption on TOVA performance in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment with healthy college students. There was evidence of diurnal variation on average response time and impulsivity but not on overall ADHD score, with participants tested in the afternoon responding faster but making more commission errors than did participants tested in the morning. Caffeine consumption led to significantly faster response times, but only for participants who typically consumed relatively little caffeine. We conclude that the TOVA can be administered to young adults outside the recommended time constraints without compromising the validity of test score interpretation but that the caffeine consumption of participants should be closely monitored.     

Working Abroad and Expatriate Adjustment: Three Disciplinary Lenses for Exploring the Psychological Transition Cycle of International Employees

Millions of people are working abroad in countries other than their native ones. Among the largest group are those relocated for temporary assignments by their employers. Expatriate employees go through a psychological transition cycle as they prepare to leave their home country, arrive, adapt, and work in the host country, depart, return and re‐adjust to their home country. Three social science disciplines, psychology, intercultural communications studies, and international management, have examined this progression of cultural transitions, recommended coping solutions and advanced our understanding of the process of working abroad. These literatures on expatriate adjustment are summarized in this article. An interdisciplinary approach is suggested which would pose research questions aimed at pragmatic solutions to the transition crises experienced by international employees.