Misreporting signs of child abuse: The role of decision‐making and outcome information

Two studies provided evidence that a decision to report an ambiguous case of child abuse affected subsequent memory of the case information, such that participants falsely recognized details that were not presented in the original information, but that are schematically associated with child abuse. Moreover, post‐decision information that the child had later died from abuse influenced the memory reports of participants who had chosen not to report the case, increasing their reports of false schema‐consistent details. This suggests that false decision‐consistent memories are primarily due to sense‐making, schematic processing rather than the motivation to justify the decision. The present findings points to an important mechanism by which decision information can become distorted in retrospect, and emphasize the difficulties of improving future decision‐making by contemplating past decisions. The results also indicate that decisions may generate false memories in the apparent absence of external suggestion or misleading information. Implications for decision‐making theory, and applied practices are discussed.     

The catechism effect: Child testimonies during a 17th-century witch panic as related to educational achievement

Testimonies from 488 children given to the priests of the parish of Rättvik during a preliminary investigation of a Swedish witch panic in 1670-71 are examined in relation to records from parish catechetical meetings held in 1671. The result implies that children who knew and understood at least parts of Luther's catechism were less liable to have falsely alleged that they had been kidnapped by female satanists during the witch panic of the previous year. It is suggested that these effects were caused by differences in cognitive, social, and emotional resources among these children as compared to those who were unable to learn and understand any parts of Luther's catechism.     

Inhibition of guanylate cyclase and protein kinase G impairs retention for the passive avoidance task in the day-old chick

Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly labile chemical messenger which has previously been implicated in memory processes in a variety of learning paradigms and species. However, there is only limited evidence to suggest which enzymes are acted upon by NO during the formation of memory. The present study investigates the role of guanylate cyclase (GC) and protein kinase G (PKG) in a form of passive avoidance learning known to be dependent on nitric oxide activity. It was determined that in vivo pharmacological inhibition of GC using either 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one or 6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione resulted in two transitory memory retention deficits centred around 40 and 120 min posttraining, respectively. In contrast, inhibition of PKG with N-[2-(methylamino)ehtyl]-5-isoquinoline-sulfornamide hydrochloride (H-8) resulted in a single temporary retention loss centered at 120 min posttraining. These temporary retention losses appear to be specific to memory since they were dose-dependent and could not be explained by nonspecific performance effects. Further, these results suggest that these agents inhibit memory retrieval rather than formation, since memory is subsequently available. The current findings indicate that guanylyl cyclase mediates two memory retrieval processes, the latter of which appears to be PKG-dependent. In contrast, since inhibition of NO results in a permanent retention loss, it is suggested that NO is required for memory formation through GC-independent processes.     

Gender Similarities in Response to Figure-Size Feedback in a Selected Nonclinical Population

In this study we examined the effect of figure-size feedback on the body image, self-esteem, and negative mood states of college men and women who were within normal body weight and did not show symptoms of eating disorders. The feedback was manipulated to represent the opinions of their classmates. Men were expected to show a positive bias in their response to the feedback, whereas women were expected to respond in accordance with the positive and negative valence of the feedback. Multivariate analysis of covariance, controlled for pretest scores, revealed nonsignificant differences between men and women. Those in the negative feedback condition reported fewer instances of negative appearance-related feedback in their past than did those in the no feedback condition and those from a more inclusive population that was the normative sample for the measure. This suggests a compensatory strategy to refute the negative feedback.     

Variations in intensity and frequency moderate the facilitative effects of a complex rhythm stimulus on long-term memory consolidation in the day-old chick (Callus gallus)

The authors have previously shown that exposure to 1 min of a complex, but not an isochronous, rhythm stimulus facilitates long-term memory consolidation in chicks (Gallus gallus) trained on a passive-avoidance task (S. R. Toukhsati & N. S. Rickard, 2001). The acoustic parameters of this stimulus were explored further in the current study. Retention was found to be best facilitated when the complex rhythm stimulus was presented at intensities between 5 and 15 dBA above background laboratory noise levels and at a frequency of 1 kHz. Removal of an accent from the stimulus did not moderate the effect. These findings provide confirmation that memory in an avian species can be facilitated by exposure to a complex rhythm stimulus and suggest that pattern repetition may be an important feature of this effect.     

Intrinsic-extrinsic religious orientation and individual coping style

The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation and the use of specific coping strategies was investigated among 58 volunteers who ranged in age from 17 to 57 years and who reported experiencing either high or low stress. Dependent upon the amount of stress, age interacted with religious orientation to influence the use of two coping strategies, turning against an object and turning against self.     

Practice effects on two memory retrievals from a single cue

The effects of practice on 2 retrievals from a single cue were investigated. In Experiment 1, participants were given extended single-task practice and were then tested on a dual memory retrieval task. Perfomance was consistent with a sequential retrieval model proposed by T. C. Rickard and H. Pashler (2003). In Experiment 2, participants practiced both single- and dual-retrieval tasks extensively. Initially, data from all participants indicated sequential retrieval. However, participants who grouped the 2 response outputs were eventually able to perform the dual task with a latency that approached the prediction of a parallel race model. Models that assume a transition from sequential to parallel retrieval with practice, along with other models that assume an immutable retrieval bottleneck at all practice levels, are considered.