Word Production and the Picture-Word Interference Paradigm: The Role of Learning

Psycholinguistic experiments conducted with the picture-word interference paradigm are typically preceded by a phase during which participants learn the words they will have to produce in the experiment. In Experiment 1, the pictures (e.g., a frog) were to be named and were presented with a categorically related (e.g., cat) or unrelated distracter (e.g., pen). In the related condition responses were slower relative to the unrelated condition for the participants who had gone through the learning phase. In contrast, participants who had not been previously familiarized with the materials showed facilitation. In Experiment 2 one group of participants, as usual, learned to produce the targets upon presentation of the corresponding pictures (e.g., a frog). The other group learned to produce the same targets upon presentation of unrelated pictures (e.g., a clock). They showed very similar semantic effects. The implications of the findings in the study of word production are discussed.     

Studying cross-cultural differences in temperament in toddlerhood: United States of America (US) and Italy

Cross-cultural differences between matched samples (N = 306) of Italian and US toddlers were evaluated. Italian toddlers received higher scores on cuddliness, impulsivity, low intensity pleasure, perceptual sensitivity and positive anticipation, whereas US toddlers were higher on frustration, high-intensity pleasure, inhibitory control, shyness, and soothability.     

Adolescents’ regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs and daily affect intensity

Self-efficacy beliefs in emotion regulation were shown to foster well-being and psychosocial adaptation over time. In this study, we investigated their relationship with daily affect intensity among 199 adolescents aged 15–19. Participants completed the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale measuring perceived capability to manage the experience and expression of negative emotions (SE-NE) and positive emotions (SE-PO). Through Experience Sampling Method, for 1 week they also repeatedly rated their positive affect (happiness and contentment) and negative affect (anger, anxiety, sadness). Multilevel regression models revealed an additive intensifying predictive effect of SE-PO and SE-NE on happiness and contentment, and a single direct negative effect of SE-NE on sadness. Models also highlighted an interactive effect of SE-PO and SE-NE on all negative affect variables, such that only at low SE-PO levels did high SE-NE predict lower negative affect. Findings support the relation between adolescents’ regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs and their daily affect intensity, bringing forward suggestions for intervention.     

Accessing lexical ambiguity: Effects of context and dominance

Summary The paper examines the effects of sentential context and frequency of meaning (dominance) on the lexical access of ambiguous words. Two experiments were carried out using Swinney's (1979) cross-modal paradigm. The sentential contexts were constructed in such a way as to make salient the most characteristic features of either the dominant (Experiment 1) or the secondary (Experiment 2) meaning of the ambiguous word. The claim was that if context is sufficiently constraining selective access of the congruent meaning can be obtained. Consistent with this prediction, context biasing the dominant meaning facilitated lexical decision only on target words related to the dominant meaning. When context biased the secondary meaning, both context and dominance produced a facilitation effect.The research reported here was supported by grants from the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione (fondi 40%) and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche     

The contribution of self-efficacy beliefs to dispositional shyness: on social-cognitive systems and the development of personality dispositions

This longitudinal research explored the impact of self-efficacy beliefs on self-reported tendencies to experience shyness in interpersonal encounters among a population of adolescents studied over a two-year period. Self-efficacy measures, taken at the initial measurement period, included indices of perceived self-efficacy for forming and maintaining social relationships, dealing effectively with parents, managing negative emotions, and expressing positive emotions towards others. Levels of self-reported shyness as well as emotional stability were assessed also at time 1, with shyness measured again at the follow-up assessment two years later. Structural equation modeling indicated that two of the four self-efficacy measures uniquely contributed to levels of shyness reported at time 1, and that perceptions of social self-efficacy uniquely contributed to shyness at time 2 even when considering the effects of time 1 shyness levels. Emotional stability did not uniquely contributed to time 2 shyness after considering the relation between shyness at the first and second measurement points. The broad implications of social-cognitive analyses for the study of personality development are discussed.     

Semantic access processing in a supra-modal deficit: a single case study

The case is presented of a semantic dementia patient, who shows a deficit selective for (i) conceptual class (living things), (ii) attribute processing (visual features) and affecting (iii) input-output modalities at the same processing stage (matching stored representation to attributes). The first experimental part aims at exploring the specific stage/process at which semantic knowledge breaks down through multi-modality tasks, devised to tap different levels within the semantic elaboration flow. The second focuses on the differences between category vs. attribute knowledge across various modalities. The core nature of the patient's deficit is investigated through a close comparison of her damage to a specific processing stage across modalities in the light of her class and attribute-specific impairment. The complex pattern of findings is discussed according to current theoretical accounts of semantic memory organization. Finally, the relevance of the adoption of a broad perspective when dealing with semantic memory impairments is highlighted.     

Rethinking Advaita Within the Colonial Predicament: the ‘Confrontative’ Philosophy of K. C. Bhattacharyya (1875–1949)

I shall examine in this paper the distinctive way in which the prominent Indian philosopher Krishnachandra Bhattacharyya (1875–1949) engaged with Advaita Vedānta during the terminal phase of the colonial period. I propose to do this by looking, first, at ways in which Krishnachandra understood the role of his own philosophizing within the colonial predicament. I will call this his agenda in ‘confrontative’ philosophy. I shall proceed, then, by sketching out the unique manner in which this agenda was successfully enacted through his engagement with the Advaitic notion of self-knowledge. Finally, I will suggest that putting K. C. Bhattacharyya’s thought into the historical perspective of cross-cultural philosophy will reveal a number of shortcomings that need to be revised in a postcolonial setup.     

Spontaneous spatial constructions by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes,Pan paniscus)

We investigated chimpanzees’ spontaneous spatial constructions with objects. Two were common chimpanzees ages 6 and 18 years and one was an 11‐year‐old bonobo raised in a very enriched human environment from very early in life. Chimpanzees’ products and procedures were quite advanced when constructing functional spatial relations by placing objects in or on each other, but not when constructing nonfunctional spatial relations by placing objects next to each other. This difference was found in all their constructions, including their spatial correspondences and spatial symmetries. Compared to those of younger nonencultured chimpanzees all their spatial constructions were more advanced. Compared to human infants, their functional spatial constructions were also more advanced but their nonfunctional spatial constructions were less advanced.