Cognitive and social-emotional development of children in different preschool environments

62 English-speaking preschool children were divided into three groups, a Montessori group (n = 21), a traditional preschool group (n = 21), and a homestaying group (n = 20) to compare their relative cognitive and social-emotional development. Significant differences in favour of the school groups were found for vocabulary, language comprehension, ability to judge the correctness of figural stimuli, visual memory, and perceptual organization. No differences were found for social-emotional development, and no relationship existed between type of preschool and level of development.     

Causal agency and the perception of force

In the Michotte task, a ball (X) moves toward a resting ball (Y). In the moment of contact, X stops und Y starts moving. Previous studies have shown that subjects tend to view X as the causal agent (“X launches Y”) rather than Y (“Y stops X”). Moreover, X tends to be attributed more force than Y (force asymmetry), which contradicts the laws of Newtonian mechanics. Recent theories of force asymmetry try to explain these findings as the result of an asymmetrical identification with either the (stronger) agent or the (weaker) patient of the causal interaction. We directly tested this assumption by manipulating attributions of causal agency while holding the properties of the causal interaction constant across conditions. In contrast to previous accounts, we found that force judgments stayed invariant across conditions in which assignments of causal agency shifted from X to Y and that even those subjects who chose Y as the causal agent gave invariantly higher force ratings to X. These results suggest that causal agency and the perception of force are conceptually independent of each other. Different possible explanations are discussed.     

Interference in Immediate Spatial Memory: Shifts of Spatial Attention or Central executive Involvement?

Interference in serial spatial memory was investigated in six experiments. Experiment 1 replicated Experiment 2 by Smyth and Scholey (1994) in showing that listening to tones that originated from different directions interfered with spatial memory. Experiment 2 showed, however, that the effect of mere listening was not observed when this was the only interference condition experienced by the subject. In Experiment 3, a binary pitch discrimination task performed on spatially separated tones impaired recall performance to the same extent as did left-right decisions. The same disrupting effect was also observed when the tones were presented from the same direction in the pitch discrimination task (Experiment 4) as well as in a binary loudness discrimination task (Experiment 5). Finally, repeating heard words did not interfere, whereas a pitch discrimination performed on these same words disrupted recall (Experiment 6). It is argued that the disrupting effects reflect not a specifically spatial interference, but a central executive involvement in the rehearsal process in serial spatial memory.     

Classification without identification in visual search

Six subjects scanned displays of random consonants for a single target which was (a) another consonant; (b) a given number; or (c) any number. A second group of six subjects took part in three comparable conditions with number displays, and letters or numbers as targets. Scanning time for a number in a letter display or a letter in a number display was more rapid than scanning for a target drawn from the same set as the background. Several unpractised subjects, and all the subjects who practised the task, were able to scan as fast through letters for “any number” as for a specific number, or conversely through digits. The finding of different scanning rates for two precisely physically specified targets, depending on which class they were drawn from, runs counter to an explanation of high-speed scanning in terms of the operation of visual feature analysers. It is suggested that familiar categorization responses may be immediate and may provide the basis for the discrimination of relevant from irrelevant items in rapid visual scanning.     

Learning and retrieval rate of words presented auditorily and visually

Mode of presentation (visual or auditory) of a multitrial free recall test is stressed as an important factor in improving the diagnosis of certain neurological patients. For further use in neuropsychological research, an experiment was carried out using normal subjects, in which the effects of presentation mode and order of modality were investigated. There were no differential effects of these variables on several parameters, such as the number of words recalled and the learning curve. The time needed for the responses in immediate recall was the same in both auditory and visual conditions. In delayed recall, however, the interresponse times were significantly shorter when words had been presented auditorily than when presented visually. The results are discussed in light of further application in the field of neuropsychology.     

Object identification: The mental representation of physical and conceptual attributes

In two experiments, subjects indicated whether two pictures of familiar objects were equivalent. The picture pairs were identical, showed the same object in various perspectives and states, or showed different objects with varying degrees of conceptual relatedness. In Experiment 1, the equivalence criterion for judging the picture pairs was varied between subjects (identity of pictures; conceptual equivalence of objects at subordinate, basic, or superordinate level). The reaction times of the four subject groups suggest that a pictorial stimulus is not always mentally represented in the same way, and that the instructions given determine which attributes of the stimulus are represented. In Experiment 2, the visual similarity of the picture pairs was varied. The results indicate, at least with a basic-level equivalence instruction, that not only perceptual, but also non-perceptual, functional attributes are represented—namely, those that, according to Rosch et al. (1976), are common to the members of a superordinate category.     

Effects of salience of rape on sex role attitudes,trust, and self-esteem in non-raped women

Women who thought about rape prior to answering questions about themselves reported lower self-esteem, stronger belief in traditional sex roles, and lower trust in other persons than women who were not induced to think about rape. Achievement motivation and locus of control, on the other hand, were not affected by the salience of rape. The data suggest that rape has an intimidating effect on non-raped women as previously suspected in feminist literature, although not all variables suspected may be affected.     

Social integration and social support in a life crisis: Effects of macrosocial change in east Germany

The breakdown of the former communist system in East Germany was a major critical life event for those who left that country as well as for those who stayed behind. When the borders were opened, a longitudinal study was launched to examine the psychological readaptation process. Some indicators of social changes of migrants compared to nonmigrants were available. At three points in time over 2 years, both groups reported on their social bonding and social support. Migrants readjusted well by making new friends. In particular, young men were socially active, and more same-sex than opposite-sex friendships were established. The group of young migrants reported having received the most support, in particular when they had a partner. Anticipated support, in contrast, was highest for young single women who did not migrate. Results contribute to the understanding of social dynamics that occur after a stressful relocation.     

Self-efficacy and planning strategies can improve physical activity levels in women with a recent history of gestational diabetes mellitus

Introduction: Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing diabetes in high risk populations including in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study applied the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) to determine the motivational and volitional factors important in increasing physical activity among women with previous GDM.

Methods: Women with GDM receiving obstetric care at a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka were invited to participate in a survey 6–36 months post-delivery. At baseline and 8 weeks later, 152 women completed postal and telephone surveys that collected socio-cognitive and physical activity data. The study hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling.

Results: The modified model fit the data well (CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .057) and explained 11% of the variance in behaviour. Action self-efficacy was the only important predictor of intention to be physically active. Intention as well as maintenance self-efficacy predicted planning, which, in turn, predicted physical activity. Planning mediated the effect of intention and self-efficacy (maintenance and recovery) on physical activity.

Conclusion: This study has identified predictors of physical activity among women with previous GDM that can inform intervention studies. Interventions targeting this population need to include planning strategies and enhance self-efficacy.