Some processes in children's comprehension of linguistically and visually depicted relationships

A type of paired-associate task was given to 64 kindergarteners and 64 fifth-graders. In four conditions both linguistic and pictorial stimuli were presented simultaneously. In one condition, both a linguistic and pictorial relationship between two objects was depicted; in a second, only the linguistic aspect of the stimuli depicted a relationship; in the third condition, only the picture was relational; and in the fourth, neither the sentences nor the pictures portrayed a relationship between the objects. The results indicate that a relationship in both modes facilitated recall more than the presentation of a relationship in only one mode. A relationship in either mode enhanced recall more than no relationship at all. There were general significant age and IQ effects. The results are interpreted as favoring a duo-system model, with both representation and comprehension occurring within the context of relatively independent systems.     

An automated swim alley for small animals: II. Training and procedures

Experiments were conducted to establish training procedures and testing conditions that produce uniform and reliable swimming performance of rats in an automated swim alley. Data are given on the effect of water temperature and of platform rest interval on swimming speeds. In this system, rats will swim intermittently for as long as 24 h for a distance of more than 7 km.     

Community member perceptions of influences on teenage pregnancies

This exploratory qualitative study aimed to provide insight into the factors contributing to the high prevalence rate of teenage pregnancy in South African communities. Focus group were conducted with 193 community members (females = 44.6%; adults = 50.8%, teenagers/youth = 44.0%) and followed by thematic content analysis to interpret the data. Several overarching themes regarding the increasingly common occurrence of teenage pregnancy emerged from the data. These included: (1) the increased acceptability of teenage pregnancy to families and communities for economic and material gain; (2) the influence of social pressure; and (3) the lack of sexual knowledge and provision of sex education. Community members perceived teenage pregnancy as an increasingly common occurrence in their communities. Community members perceived teenage pregnancy to be driven by multiple factors and to require holistic interventions at the individual, family and community level.     

Safety Behaviors and Social Anxiety: An Examination of the Social Phobia Safety Behaviours Scale

The Social Phobia Safety Behaviours Scale (SPSBS) is a measure designed to identify and assess safety behavior use. The current study is the first to evaluate the psychometric properties of the English SPSBS. Using four samples (N?=?725), the component structure, validity, and ability of the SPSBS to function as a state measure were examined. The results of the principal component analyses suggest that the SPSBS is a two-component measure, consisting of an inhibitory behavior component and a management of physical symptoms component, and the scale has good internal consistency. The SPSBS also showed good concurrent validity in both clinical and nonclinical samples. Moreover, there was evidence to suggest that the SPSBS is an accurate measure of situational use of safety behaviors as compared to observers’ ratings. The results of this investigation show that the SPSBS is a useful tool for the identification and measurement of safety behaviors.     

Effects of a Peer-Delivered Corrective Reading Program

The effects of a peer-delivered Corrective Reading program (CRP) (Engelmann, Hanner, & Johnson, 1989) with repeated reading on the reading performance of at-risk high school students were examined. High school peer instructors and students in need of reading remediation were randomly assigned to dyads or triads. Peer instructors presented the CRP, conducted repeated reading trials, and took rate and accuracy measures. Pre to post test data were collected on vocabulary and comprehension subtests of the Gates–MacGinitie Reading Tests, oral reading fluency (words read per minute) and accuracy, number of repeated readings on initial and final lessons, and lessons completed. Results indicated that students' performance on the standardized reading assessment increased as did their oral reading fluency. In general, the number of repeated readings decreased from the initial lesson to the final lesson. Implications for further research are discussed.     

Behavioral Genetics, Health, and Aging

A recurring observation from studies of health in the elderly is the pervasiveness of individual differences. For many health-related endpoints, total variation appears to increase across age group; however, few longitudinal studies have reported whether these age differences reflect true age-related changes. There are a growing number of twin studies of aging that provide some insight, at least cross-sectionally, into the nature of individual differences in health. Increases in total variance most often reflect increases in environmental sources of variance. Covariation among traits reflects both genetic and environmental mediation, dependent on the sex of the sample and the measures of interest. Co-twin control approaches have been successful in exploring the role of environmental influences as risk factors for poor health. The most serious limitation to these studies is the lack of longitudinal information to disentangle survival and selection effects from aging.