Components of Short-Term Memory and Their Relation to Language Processing

Abstract— Verbal working memory consists of separable capacities for the retention of phonological and semantic information. Within the phonological domain, there are independent capacities for retaining input-phonological codes and output-phonological codes. The input-phonological capacity does not appear to be critical for language comprehension but is involved in verbatim repetition and long-term learning of new words. The semantic capacity is critical for both comprehension and production and for the learning of new semantic information. Different neural structures appear to underlie these capacities, with a left-parietal region involved in input-phonological retention and a left-frontal region involved in semantic retention.     

Emotional Intelligence in Social Phobia and Other Anxiety Disorders

This study examined the associations between clinical anxiety, domains of emotional intelligence (EI), and three clinician-rated indices of maladjustment. Of key interest was whether social phobia (SP) is unique among anxiety disorders in being characterized by lower levels of Interpersonal and, particularly, Intrapersonal EI, and whether these differentially predict maladjustment. Individuals with SP (n = 169) obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 65) and panic disorder (n = 64), and nonclinical controls (n = 169) completed the short form self-report Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i: S). All anxiety disorder groups showed lower total EI than controls, and differed among themselves with the SP group displaying the lowest levels of total EI and lower scores on two EQ-i:S subscales (Interpersonal and, more robustly, Intrapersonal). The Intrapersonal dimension alone predicted all indices of greater maladjustment in the SP group. These findings indicate a negative relationship between anxiety disorders and EI, and reaffirm the foremost link between Intrapersonal EI and SP and its functional outcomes.     

Applying a Behavioral Epidemiology Framework to Research Phases in Child Health Psychology

The purpose of this study was to apply a behavioral epidemiology framework reported in J. F. Sallis, N. Owen, and M. J. Fotheringham (2000) to the field of child health psychology and describe the resulting distribution of research phases. Recent volumes of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology were analyzed and their articles classified as belonging to one of five sequentially-ordered phases of behavioral epidemiology research: Phase 1—relationship between behavior and health; Phase 2—measurement and method; Phase 3—factors influencing behavior; Phase 4—intervention; Phase 5—translation. The results indicate that Phase 3 studies (46%) were the most well-represented in the field, followed by Phase 2 (11%), Phase 1 (9%), Phase 4 (8%), and Phase 5 studies (2%). Compared to the journal Health Psychology, the shape of the research phase distribution of articles published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology was similar. Overall, an encouraging amount of data in the field of child health psychology is being amassed in preparation for behavioral intervention. As research in the field matures, it will likely have a greater impact on public health via chronic disease prevention and control and health promotion interventions.     

A free and simple computerized screening test for visual field defects

About 30–40% of stroke patients suffer from visual field defects following injury. These can interfere with the standard neuropsychological assessment and complicate the interpretation of tests that use visual materials. However, information about the integrity of a patient's central visual field is often unavailable. We, therefore, designed a screening tool, the computerized visual field test (c‐VFT), specifically targeted at providing easily available, but rough, information about patients' central visual field. c‐VFT was tested in two samples of stroke patients. Eleven patients were tested on c‐VFT and on the Esterman test. Five patients were tested on c‐VFT and the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer (HFA), central 10‐2. Criterion validity of the c‐VFT was investigated by calculating quadrantwise intraclass correlation for both comparisons. For the HFA comparison, we also calculated point‐to‐point intraclass correlation, sensitivity, and specificity. Analyses revealed moderately good correspondence between c‐VFT and the Esterman test, and between c‐VFT and HFA 10‐2, respectively. When looking specifically at test points within one degree of visual angle apart in the two tests, intraclass correlation increased. For these points, the sensitivity of c‐VFT was 0.89 and specificity was 0.97. While the c‐VFT is not designed to be diagnostic nor to replace the detailed visual field analysis, this study shows that it provides a reasonable screening of the central visual field. The test can easily be used and will be made freely available to neuropsychological clinicians and researchers.     

Phenotypic variation and FMRP levels in fragile X

Data on the relationships between cognitive and physical phenotypes, and a deficit of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene-specific protein product, FMRP, are presented and discussed in context with earlier findings. The previously unpublished results obtained, using standard procedures of regression and correlations, showed highly significant associations in males between FMRP levels and the Wechsler summary and subtest scores and in females between these levels and the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), verbal and performance IQ, and some Wechsler subtest scores. The published results based on data from 144 extended families with fragile X, recruited from Australia and the United States within a collaborative NIH-supported project, were obtained using robust modification of maximum likelihood in pedigrees. The results indicated that processing speed, short-term memory, and the ability to control attention, especially in the context of regulating goal-directed behavior, may be primarily affected by the FMRP depletion. The effect of this depletion on physical phenotype was also demonstrated, especially on body and head height and extensibility of finger joints. It is recommended that further studies should rely on more accurate measures of FMRP levels, and use of larger samples, to overcome extensive variability in the data.     

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS)

Carriers of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) premutation alleles (55 to 200 CGG repeats) are generally spared the more serious neurodevelopmental problems associated with the full-mutation carriers (>200 repeats) of fragile X syndrome. However, some adult male premutation carriers (55-200 repeats) develop a neurological syndrome involving intention tremor, ataxia, dementia, parkinsonism, and autonomic dysfunction. In excess of one-third of male premutation carriers over 50 years of age develop the fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). FXTAS also represents a new form of inclusion disease, with eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions found throughout the brain in both neurons and astrocytes. Because FXTAS appears to be relatively specific to male premutation carriers, who are known to possess elevated levels of FMR1 mRNA, the neuropathology may arise as a consequence of a toxic gain-of-function of the mRNA itself, although this proposal requires additional direct testing. One of the critical needs at present is a better estimate for the prevalence of this disorder, because FXTAS is likely to be underdiagnosed in the adult movement disorders clinics.     

Preliminary examination of the relationship between anxiety disorders in adults and self-reported history of teasing or bullying experiences

This preliminary study examined the relationship between anxiety disorders and self-reported history of teasing or bullying experiences, comparing individuals with social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Given that aversive conditioning experiences, such as severe teasing, have been proposed to play a role in the development of social phobia and that the core feature of social phobia is a fear of social situations in which a person may be embarrassed or humiliated, we hypothesized that the social phobia group would have a higher rate of self-reported teasing history than would the obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder groups. Consistent with this hypothesis, a relationship between reported history of teasing and diagnosis was found. A significantly greater percentage of participants in the social phobia group (92%) reported a history of severe teasing experiences compared with the obsessive compulsive disorder (50%) and panic disorder (35%) groups. History of teasing experiences was also significantly related to an earlier age of onset for all 3 anxiety disorders, and to a greater number of self-reported additional problems in childhood. These findings suggest further directions for research in this area and highlight the significant link between perceptions of teasing in childhood and social phobia.     

The role of working memory capacity and interference resolution mechanisms in task switching

Theories of task switching have emphasized a number of control mechanisms that may support the ability to flexibly switch between tasks. The present study examined the extent to which individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity and two measures of interference resolution, response–distractor inhibition and resistance to proactive interference (PI), account for variability in task switching, including global costs, local costs, and N-2 repetition costs. A total of 102 young and 60 older adults were tested on a battery of tasks. Composite scores were created for WM capacity, response–distractor inhibition, and resistance to PI; shifting was indexed by rate residual scores, which combine response time and accuracy and account for individual differences in processing speed. Composite scores served as predictors of task switching. WM was significantly related to global switch costs. While resistance to PI and WM explained some variance in local costs, these effects did not reach significance. In contrast, none of the control measures explained variance in N-2 repetition costs. Furthermore, age effects were only evident for N-2 repetition costs, with older adults demonstrating larger costs than young adults. Results are discussed within the context of theoretical models of task switching.     

A discipline-mediated model of excessively punitive parenting

This study developed and compared several mediated and direct-effects models proposed to link well-established correlates of physical child abuse to excessively punitive parenting in a population-based sample of 206 families recruited from high-risk areas of a medium-sized metropolitan area. Parents were classified as exhibiting excessively punitive parenting based on home observations and parent reports of the use of physical punishment strategies other than spanking. We hypothesized that the levels of child coerciveness, parent irritability, and family stress would be mediated by disruptions in parent discipline in predicting excessively punitive parenting toward the child. Structural equation methodology was employed to test the hypothesized and alternative models. Results consistently supported the powerful mediational role of discipline in the hypothesized model over alternative models that posited separate, direct effects of child coerciveness, parent irritability, and parent stress on excessively punitive parenting behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the need for further examination of parenting behavior, as well as parents' perceptions of and affective reactions to parent-child interactions in the occurrence of physical abuse. Aggr. Behav. 23:259–280, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Psychometric properties of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA): comparison to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

The State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA; M. J. Ree, C. MacLeod, D. French, & V. Locke, 2000) was designed to assess cognitive and somatic symptoms of anxiety as they pertain to one's mood in the moment (state) and in general (trait). This study extended the previous psychometric findings to a clinical sample and validated the STICSA against a well-published measure of anxiety, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; C. D. Spielberger, 1983). Patients (N=567) at an anxiety disorders clinic were administered a battery of questionnaires. The results of confirmatory factor analyses (Bentler-Bonnett nonnormed fit index, comparative fit index, and Bollen fit index>.90; root-mean-square error of approximation<.05); convergent and discriminant validity analyses; and group comparisons supported the reliability and validity of the STICSA as a measure of state and trait cognitive and somatic anxiety. In addition, compared with the STAI (anxiety: rs/=.64), the STICSA was more strongly correlated with another measure of anxiety (rs>/=.67) and was less strongly correlated with a measure of depression (rs相似文献