Early development of perceptual expertise: Within-basic-level categorization experience facilitates the formation of subordinate-level category representations in 6- to 7-month-old infants

A behavioral manifestation of perceptual expertise is the shift in recognition downward toward the subordinate level. Here, a familiarization-novelty preference procedure was used to determine whether 6- to 7-month-old infants could be induced to form category representations for cats and dogs at the subordinate level. In Experiment 1, the infants succeeded in forming subordinate-level category representations for beagle dogs and Siamese cats, but only when provided with previous experience on a subordinate-level category-formation task from within the same basic-level category (i.e., Saint Bernard dogs or tabby cats). When the prior category-formation task involved a different basic-level category, subsequent subordinate-level category learning was not in evidence. The preferences in Experiment 1 were shown in Experiments 2 and 3 not to be attributable to a priori preference or within-category discrimination failure. The findings suggest that within-basic-level categorization experience can facilitate the formation of subordinate-level category representations in the first half-year of life.     

Effectiveness of a Multiple Family Group Intervention for Juvenile First Offenders in Reducing Parent Stress

Parenting practices are major influences on incidents of juvenile delinquency. Stress experienced by parents of children with behavioral problems is a leading contributor to parenting practices. We investigated the extent to which parental stress was reduced by participation in an established multiple group family intervention, the Family Solutions Program, developed to reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders. We also examined parent stress by gender, ethnicity, dropout rates, intervention benefits at 3-month follow-up, single- versus two-parent households, and across dimensions of family functioning and parent-adolescent communication. Parents reported greater levels of parent stress than non-clinical parents prior to intervention. Parental stress did diminish in response to intervention, but not until follow-up to intervention completion. No differences were found on initial parent stress level between completers and non-completers of the intervention or between parent stress and gender or ethnicity of the parent; however, single-parent household was associated with significantly higher levels of parent stress. Family functioning was significantly negatively correlated with parental stress. Finally, open communication between juvenile first offenders and their parents improved significantly in response to the intervention both at post-intervention and at follow-up.     

How southern New England became magnetic north: the acceptance of animal magnetism

Charles Poyen's lecture tour introducing animal magnetism to America has been described as triumphant (Forrest, 2000), but according to Poyen's own account (1837/1982) the beginning of his tour, devoted to northern New England, was anything but successful. Poyen success did not begin until he partnered with Cynthia Gleason, a talented hypnotic subject, from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The subsequent lectures and demonstrations by Poyen and Gleason generated the interest that Poyen had been seeking. Rhode Island appears to have developed a much more accepting attitude toward animal magnetism than the rest of New England as indicated by the wide use of magnetism in the Providence area even after Poyen had the left the United States. In this article, I examine the roles played by Cynthia Gleason as well as Thomas H. Webb, M.D., the editor of the Providence Daily Journal and Dr. Francis Wayland, the president of Brown University, and George Capron, M.D., in furthering the acceptance of magnetism in America.     

What goes up may come down: perceptual process and knowledge access in the organization of complex visual patterns by young infants

The relationship between perceptual categorization and organization processes in 3‐ to 4‐month‐old infants was explored. The question was whether an invariant part abstracted during category learning could interfere with Gestalt organizational processes. Experiment 1 showed that the infants could parse a circle in accord with good continuation from visual patterns consisting of a circle and a complex polygon. In Experiments 2 and 3, however, this parsing was interfered with by a prior category familiarization experience in which infants were presented with visual patterns consisting of a pacman shape and a complex polygon. Part 1 of Experiments 2 and 3 showed that the infants recognized the pacman as familiar, and Part 2 demonstrated that the representation of the pacman blocked the subsequent parsing of the circle. The results suggest that a cognitive system of flexible feature creation can override organizational principles with which a perceptual system may come pre‐equipped.     

Comparing Cognitive Behavior Therapy,Problem Solving Therapy,and Treatment as Usual in a High Risk Population

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), problem‐solving therapy (PST), or treatment as usual (TAU) were compared in the management of suicide attempters. Participants completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Social Problem‐Solving Inventory, and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire at pre‐ and posttreatment. Both CBT and PST indicated significant improvements over time within the majority of measured variables; when compared to TAU, both groups showed significant differences on satisfaction. When PST was compared to TAU, results indicated significant differences on suicidal ideation, indicating overall efficacy of brief therapies with suicide attempters.