Do differences in brain activation challenge universal theories of dyslexia?

It has been commonly agreed that developmental dyslexia in different languages has a common biological origin: a dysfunction of left posterior temporal brain regions dealing with phonological processes. Siok, Perfetti, Jin, and Tan (2004, Nature, 431, 71-76) challenge this biological unity theory of dyslexia: Chinese dyslexics show no deficits in posterior temporal brain regions but a functional disruption of the left middle frontal gyrus. Here, I will argue that these data do not challenge universal cognitive theories of dyslexia according to which weaknesses in the ability to process the phonological features of language are at the origin of dyslexia.     

Self-ambivalence and self-esteem

Self-ambivalence is defined as the co-presence of positive and negative self-evaluations. Using one established and three new measures of this construct, four studies (total N = 810) revealed markedly negative correlations between self-ambivalence and self-esteem (rs between -.37 and -.74). Further, self-ambivalence proved distinct from the related construct of self-concept clarity (Studies 2 and 3) and was fairly stable across a four-week period (r _tt = .53 and .72, Study 4). These results speak to the validity of the new measures and suggest that self-ambivalence is a common concomitant of low self-esteem. Directions for future research are outlined.     

Beyond the two-strategy model of skilled spelling: Effects of consistency, grain size, and orthographic redundancy

Most models of spelling assume that people rely on two procedures when engaging in spelling: a lexical look-up procedure that retrieves spellings in their entirety, and a nonlexical procedure that constructs spellings with a set of phoneme-grapheme rules. In the present research, we investigated whether larger sized subsyllabic relationships also play a role in spelling, and how they compare to small-sized phoneme-grapheme relationships. In addition, we investigated whether purely orthographic units can explain some of the variance typically attributed to the mapping between sound and spelling. To do this, we ran five spelling experiments, two using real words and three using nonwords. Results from the experiments showed that there were independent contributions of both phoneme-grapheme and larger sized subsyllabic sound-spelling relationships, although the effect of phoneme-grapheme-sized relationships was always stronger and more reliable than larger sized subsyllabic sound-spelling relationships. Purely orthographic effects were also shown to affect word spelling, but no significant effects were found with nonword spelling. Together, the results support the hypothesis that a major constraint on spelling comes from phoneme-grapheme-sized relationships.     

Marijuana use from adolescence to young adulthood: multiple developmental trajectories and their associated outcomes.

This study used latent growth mixture modeling to identify discrete developmental patterns of marijuana use from early adolescence (age 13) to young adulthood (age 23) among a sample of 5,833 individuals. After the a priori removal of abstainers, 4 trajectory groups were identified: early high users, who decreased from a relatively high level of use at age 13 to a more moderate level: stable light users, who maintained a low level of use: steady increasers, who consistently increased use; and occasional light users, who began use at age 14 and used at low levels thereafter. Analyses of covariance comparing the trajectory groups on behavioral, socioeconomic, and health outcomes at age 29 revealed that abstainers consistently had the most favorable outcomes, whereas early high users consistently had the least favorable outcomes.     

How Do Geneticists and Genetic Counselors Counsel Women from High-Risk Breast Cancer Families?

This qualitative study asked Australian Genetic Counselors and Clinical Geneticists working in cancer genetics to describe their practice when a woman attends a consultation about her family history and her risk of developing breast cancer. Twenty-nine out of 36 Clinical Geneticists/Genetic Counselors returned the questionnaire (82%). Participants identified the key goals of the consultation as (a) identifying the individual needs and concerns of the woman, (b) providing information on genes and chromosomes, (c) giving an individual risk assessment in the context of supportive interaction, and (d) discussing the pros and cons of genetic testing and putting a surveillance plan into place. Respondents emphasized the dual importance of counseling/support and information provision in this setting, suggesting that one could not be given without the other. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.