Effects of visual information and task constraints on intersegmental coordination in playground swinging

The authors investigated how and to what extent visual information and associated task constraints are negotiated in the coordinative structure of playground swinging. Participants (N = 20) were invited to pump a swing from rest to a prescribed maximal amplitude under 4 conditions: normal vision, no vision, and 2 visual conditions involving explicit phasing constraints. In the latter conditions, participants were presented with a flow pattern consisting of a periodically expanding and contracting optical structure. They were instructed to phase the swing motion so that the forward turning point coincided with either the maximal size (enhanced optical flow) or the minimal size (reduced optical flow) of the presented flow pattern. Removal of visual information clearly influenced the swinging behavior, in that intersegmental coordination became more stereotyped, reflecting a general stiffening of the swinger. The conditions involving explicit phasing requirements also affected the coordination, but in an opposite way: The coordination became less stereotyped. The two phasing instructions had differential effects: The intersegmental coordination deviated more from normal swinging (i.e., without phasing constraints) when optical flow was enhanced than when it was reduced. Collectively, those findings show that visual information plays a formative role in the coordinative structure of swinging, in that variations of visual information and task constraints were accompanied by subtle yet noticeable changes in intersegmental coordination.     

Visually perceived eye level with reversible pitch stimuli: implications for the great circle and implicit surface models

Visually perceived eye level (VPEL) and perceived pitch were measured while subjects viewed two sets of stimuli that were either upright or pitched top-toward or top-away from them. The first set of stimuli, a pair of vertical lines viewed at various angles of pitch, caused systematic changes in perceived pitch and upward and downward VPEL shifts for the top-toward and top-away pitches, respectively. Neither the perceived pitch nor the VPEL measures with these stimuli differed between monocular and binocular viewing. The second set of stimuli was constructed so that, when viewed at the appropriate pitch angle, the projected orientations of the lines in the retinal image of each stimulus were similar to those generated by a pair of vertical lines pitched by a lesser amount in the opposite direction. When viewed monocularly, these stimuli appeared pitched in the direction opposite their physical pitch, yet produced VPEL shifts consistent with the direction of their physical pitch. These results clearly demonstrate a dissociation between perceived pitch and VPEL. The same stimuli, when viewed binocularly, appeared pitched in the direction of their physical pitch and caused VPEL shifts indistinguishable from those obtained monocularly. The retinal image orientations of these stimuli, however, corresponded to those of vertical line stimuli pitched in the opposite direction. This finding is therefore consistent with the hypothesis that VPEL and perceived pitch are processed independently, but inconsistent with the specific version of this hypothesis which states that differences in VPEL are determined solely on the basis of the orientation of lines in the retinal image.     

Provider contact with families of adults with severe mental illness: taking a closer look

This exploratory study examined the frequency and nature of providers' contact with families of persons with severe mental illness. Fifty-nine providers in six community mental health programs completed a self-administered survey. A subsample of 8 providers also completed two in-depth interviews. Although most providers had some family contact, the contact was restricted to a small percent of their caseloads. The nature of contact that providers have with families is generally limited by their professional role. Best practice guidelines for the treatment of mental illness and agency administrators responsible for instituting these guidelines will need to clarify the types of providers who are expected to implement various aspects of family involvement.     

Effects of an inquiry-focused school improvement program on the development of pupils’ attitudes towards curiosity,their implicit ability and effort beliefs,and goal orientations

Motivation and Emotion - The present study describes the effects of a 2-year inquiry-focused school improvement intervention on pupils’ attitudes towards epistemic curiosity, their implicit...     

Development and Evaluation of a Telephone Communication Protocol for the Delivery of Personalized Melanoma Genomic Risk to the General Population

Communicating personalized genomic risk results for common diseases to the general population as a form of tailored prevention is novel and may require alternative genetic counseling service delivery models. We describe the development and evaluation of a communication protocol for disclosing melanoma genomic risk information to the asymptomatic general population and assess participants’ satisfaction and acceptability. Participants (n?=?117) were aged 22–69 years, living in New South Wales, Australia and unselected for family history. They provided a saliva sample and had genomic testing for melanoma for low to moderate penetrant melanoma susceptibility variants in 21 genes. Participants could choose to receive their results from a genetic counselor via telephone, followed by a mailed booklet or to receive their risk result via mailed booklet only with a follow-up call for those at high risk. A follow-up questionnaire was completed by 85% of participants 3-months later. Most participants (80%) elected to receive their result via telephone. Participants were highly satisfied with the delivery of results (mean 3.4 out of 4, standard deviation 0.5), and this did not differ by delivery mode, risk category, age or sex. On follow-up, 75% accurately recalled their risk category, 6% indicated a preference for a different delivery mode, either electronic or face-to-face. The process of disclosing genomic risk results to the general population over the telephone with accompanying written material was feasible and acceptable, and may be useful for communicating polygenic risk for common diseases in the context of increasing demands for genomic testing.     

Promoting Attachment and Mentalization for Parents and Young Children in the Foster Care System: Implementing a New Training and Treatment Approach in an Agency

The Building Blocks Program is an innovative psychodynamic treatment approach that was designed to fit within a social service agency structure. It is based on concepts of attachment, attunement, and mentalization and builds on the research of Beatrice Beebe (2003), Peter Fonagy and colleagues (2002), Arietta Slade (2005), Howard and Miriam Steele (2008), and Dan Stern (1985). The Building Blocks Program targets birth mothers and their young children under age 5 who have been or are in danger of being removed from their families. In the beginning of the program, the Building Blocks therapists faced many challenges. As noted (Remez, this issue), many of the therapists were unfamiliar with a Reflective Supervision model of learning. They were accustomed to a more traditional pedagogical approach that emphasized critiquing their work, with a focus on their clients’ pathology. The Building Blocks model focuses on therapist and client safety and support, prompting a paradigm shift in the therapists’ thinking about supervision and how to conduct therapy.     

Information Channels and Biomarkers of Disease

Current research in molecular epidemiology uses biomarkers to model the different disease phases from environmental exposure, to early clinical changes, to development of disease. The hope is to get a better understanding of the causal impact of a number of pollutants and chemicals on several diseases, including cancer and allergies. In a recent paper Russo and Williamson (Med Stud, 2012) address the question of what evidential elements enter the conceptualisation and modelling stages of this type of biomarkers research. Recent research in causality has examined Ned Hall’s distinction between two concepts of causality: production and dependence (Hall in Causation and counterfactuals. MIT Press, Cambridge, pp 225–276, 2004). In another recent paper, Illari (Philos Technol, p 20, 2011b) examined the relatively under-explored production approach to causality, arguing that at least one job of an account of causal production is to illuminate our inferential practices concerning causal linking. Illari argued that an informational account solves existing problems with traditional accounts. This paper follows up this previous work by investigating the nature of the causal links established in biomarkers research. We argue that traditional accounts of productive causality are unable to provide a sensible account of the nature of the causal link in biomarkers research, while an informational account is very promising.     

Stress and support as related to postpartum paternal mental health and perceptions of the infant

This study examined the relationship of stress and social support to psychological adjustment, attitudes towards the parental role, and perceptions of infant behavior in two groups of fathers: an index group of 50 men whose wives had a diagnosed postpartum depression, and a control group of 50 men whose wives had no such disorder. Fathers with more stress and less support had higher levels of psychological symptomatology. Index fathers reported more stress, particularly from work and economic pressures. Index fathers were also less likely than controls to report support from in-laws, other relatives, and friends. Stress, but not support, was associated with more negative perceptions of the marriage, the parental role, and infant behavior. Work-related stress was most likely to have an impact on paternal attitudes. These findings suggest the need to adopt a family focus when studying postpartum depression. © 1997 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Healt