The effects of review on young children's memory for prose

The present study investigated the effects of review on young children's memory for prose. Prose passages were parsed into three levels of thematic importance. Five groups (128-year-old children each) participated in three experimental sessions, with each session separated by 1 week. During the first session all subjects listened to two passages. One week later, subjects in four of the groups received differing review experiences. During the third session, delayed retention was assessed. The data are interpreted to indicate that the repetition of the original learning experience was the most effective review; however, immediate reproduction following initial exposure also significantly attenuated forgetting. All groups favored the central passage ideas in their delayed recalls, regardless of their review treatment. The potential benefits of an immediate test as a review exercise was suggested.     

Developmental and reading ability differences in accessing information from semantic memory

A categorical judgment task was utilized to investigate the relationships between word recognition skills and reading achievement at several grade levels. In the first experiment skilled and unskilled readers from Grades 2, 4, and 6 made cognitive decisions about pairs of words using either graphemic, lexical, or semantic information. In Experiment 2 skilled, average, and unskilled readers from Grades 1, 3, and 5 made semantic decisions about word or picture pairs. The speed and accuracy of word encoding, lexical access, and semantic memory access processes varied as a function of reading ability. These results suggest that inefficient word recognition skills can contribute to reading deficiencies as can deficiencies in semantic memory organization.     

Mission and Reconciliation in the Orthodox Church

This article examines the Orthodox view on reconciliation as reflected in the famous patriarchal and synodical encyclicals early in the last century and in more recent official documents: the Messages of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches, the approved documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s official statements. These are looked at in reference to (i) the mission statement of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, Together towards Life, and (ii) the papal encyclicals Unitatis redintegratio and Ut unum sint. The article further examines the need for a common Christian witness and the reactions within the Orthodox world from a tiny but vocal anti-ecumenical minority. It underlines the importance of a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities along with the existing Universal Declaration of Human Rights to address the ecological problem and inequities of the current world economic system, based on the interrelatedness of economy and ecology and the consolidation of the interfaith dialogue for a wider reconciliation. The article also underlines the highest priority of the theological dialogues at all levels and by all bodies of the Orthodox ecclesial reality as a necessary step to promote reconciliation. Finally, the article assesses (i) the dialogue aiming to achieve the visible unity of the church; (ii) dialogues generally focusing on Christian unity, or even unity with other faithful; (iii) dialogues aiming as much as possible at common Christian witness; and (iv) dialogues focusing on the church’s responsibility toward society and the integrity of creation.     

Hazardous Alcohol Use among Persons Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in the Eastern Cape,South Africa

The study assessed the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and its correlates with socio-economic characteristics, disease variables and ART adherence in South Africa. The sample included 607 PLHIV (males =475, females =132; age range =18–61), sampled by all districts in the Eastern Cape. Participants were recruited through a health facility in the community through key informants or a support group. Results indicate that male PLHIV were more often than female PLHIV “past month” (18.9% vs. 6.1%) and hazardous alcohol drinkers (6.1% vs. 2.7%); using a cut-off score of 8 and more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Not having a disability grant for HIV/AIDS and the disability grant terminated were both related to past month alcohol use, while having the “disability grant stopped” was also related with hazardous or harmful drinking. Not having an AIDS diagnosis and not being on ART were both associated with past month alcohol use and hazardous or harmful drinking. CD4 counts and non-adherence to ART were both not significantly related with alcohol use status. Brief health provider initiated alcohol interventions for PLHIV should be promoted, with emphasis on targeting men.     

Mission and Theology: Teaching Missiology on the Basis of Together towards Life

Theological education and Christian mission have a history of mutual relations of only a century or so – from the time when missiology as a distinctive course was introduced into the curricula of certain theological schools and seminaries. For almost a generation, I have been involved both in global theological education, through the World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions, and in global Christian mission, through the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, trying to analyze the viability and effectiveness of a missiological formation of future religious leaders.     

Speed of processing within semantic memory following severe closed head injury.

This study investigated the effects of severe closed head injury (CHI) on the speed of information processing within semantic categories. The question of whether subjects were able to benefit from priming was also investigated. Survivors of severe CHI who were less than 1 year postinjury and survivors who were greater than 1 year postinjury were compared with neurologically normal matched controls utilizing a category judgement task. The results demonstrated slower processing within semantic memory for both groups of CHI patients compared to normal controls. Furthermore, individuals with CHI were able to benefit from priming to the same relative degree as control subjects. Overall, the results suggested semantic organization remains intact after severe CHI, but accessing semantic information is slowed.