Independent and social play among profoundly mentally retarded adults: training, maintenance, generalization, and long-term follow-up.

Play skills were taught to eight profoundly mentally retarded adults in two interrelated experiments. In Experiment 1, a multiple baseline across subjects design was used to assess the efficacy of verbal and physical prompts on independent play. In Experiment 2, the same subjects and experimental procedures were used to develop social play. Verbal prompting and graduated physical guidance procedures were found to be effective in substantially increasing independent play in Experiment 1 and social play in Experiment 2. Positive changes were also observed in collateral behaviors. Inappropriate play decreased slightly and stereotypy decreased to very low levels. Social interaction increased substantially in Experiment 2 when social play was targeted but little change was observed in Experiment 1 when only independent play was targeted. Treatment gains were maintained for 26 weeks in Experiment 1 and 10 weeks in Experiment 2. In addition, the treatment gains were generalized across subjects and settings in Experiment 2. Finally, regular follow-up checks showed that independent and social play remained in the repertoire of the subjects for 12 months following the termination of programmed maintenance.     

Believing is seeing: how rumors can engender false memories in preschoolers

This study examined how an erroneous rumor circulated among preschoolers can influence their memory. One fourth of the children overheard a rumor from an adult conversation in which it was alleged that an event the children had not experienced themselves had occurred. A second fourth were the classmates of those who overheard the rumor. A third group had no exposure to the rumor. The remaining children actually experienced the event suggested by the rumor. One week later, the children were interviewed in either a neutral or a suggestive manner. Results from a second interview after a 2-week delay revealed that under both interview conditions, children who overheard the rumor, either from the adult conversation or during naturally occurring interactions with classmates, were as likely to report experiencing the rumored but nonexperienced event as were those who actually experienced it. Most reports of the rumored but nonexperienced event were in children's free recall and were accompanied by high levels of fictitious elaboration.     

A cross‐cultural analysis of German,Chinese and Indian consumers' perception of web site adaptation

• The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence, using the theory of planned behavior, as to whether local consumers prefer culturally adapted web sites or standardized web sites The study contributes to the existing literature by showing that consumers from Germany, China, and India prefer web sites adapted to their local culture, and that culture influences consumer beliefs, attitudes, and purchase intention on the web.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A microswitch program to foster simple foot and leg movements in adult wheelchair users with multiple disabilities

This study assessed a microswitch program to foster simple foot and leg movements in 2 adult wheelchair users with multiple disabilities. The participants' mood (indices of happiness) was recorded throughout the study. Data showed that participants rapidly increased the target foot and leg movements and maintained those movements during the course of the study, which lasted about 4.5 months. With regard to indices of happiness, 1 participant showed a fairly modest increase during the intervention while the other participant showed a substantial increase. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Detection of change in shape: an advantage for concavities

Shape representation was studied using a change detection task. Observers viewed two individual shapes in succession, either identical or one a slightly altered version of the other, and reported whether they detected a change. We found a dramatic advantage for concave compared to convex changes of equal magnitude. Observers were more accurate when a concavity along the contour was introduced, or removed, compared to a convexity. This result sheds light on the underlying representation of visual shape, and in particular the central role played by part-boundaries. Moreover, this finding shows how change detection methodology can serve as a useful tool in studying the specific form of visual representations.