Infant state in relation to its environmental context

Two neonatal intensive care units (NICU) were observed every 15 minutes for at least 72 consecutive hours. Although infants on both NICUs were exposed to considerable amounts of stimulation, there were differences between the units for each environmental measure in the amount of stimulation and/or the pattern of circadian periodicity. The two NICUs also differed in the amount of time infants spent in various states and in the pattern of state periodicity. In general, the diurnal rhythms of the infant states were associated with the diurnal rhythms of different environmental events; furthermore, the patterns of association were not the same on the two NICUs. The results point to potential problems in depicting a “typical” NICU. More importantly, they suggest that the environmental of NICUs has a recognizable influence on aspects of their inhabitants' behavior and that the nature of influence is different from NICU to NICU. The effects are potentially significant for physical, social, and cognitive development.     

Effects of visual-field and matching instruction on event-related potentials and reaction time

Vertical letter pairs were presented randomly in the left and right visual hemifields in a physical identity match and name identity match condition. The reaction times showed a right visual field superiority for name matches, and a left visual field superiority for physical matches. Event-related potentials to letter pairs showed a sequence of three waves: a negative wave (N2, around 270 msec), a positive wave (P3, around 500 msec), and a broad positive slow wave (SW, around 600-700 msec), respectively. P3 and SW amplitudes were consistently larger at the left hemisphere than at the right hemisphere, regardless of the field of stimulation. At both hemispheres, N2 waves were always larger to stimuli presented in the visual field contralateral to a hemisphere than stimuli presented in the visual field ipsilateral to a hemisphere. The positive waves (P3, SW) showed the opposite pattern: smaller amplitudes to stimuli that were presented contralaterally than stimuli that were presented ipsilaterally to a given hemisphere. These results were attributed to a shift in sustained negativity on the directly stimulated hemisphere, relative to the indirectly stimulated hemisphere, reflecting either sensory at attentional processes in the posterior cerebral hemispheres.     

The Sound of Grasp Affordances: Influence of Grasp‐Related Size of Categorized Objects on Vocalization

Previous research shows that simultaneously executed grasp and vocalization responses are faster when the precision grip is performed with the vowel [i] and the power grip is performed with the vowel [ɑ]. Research also shows that observing an object that is graspable with a precision or power grip can activate the grip congruent with the object. Given the connection between vowel articulation and grasping, this study explores whether grasp‐related size of observed objects can influence not only grasp responses but also vowel pronunciation. The participants had to categorize small and large objects into natural and manufactured categories by pronouncing the vowel [i] or [ɑ]. As predicted, [i] was produced faster when the object's grasp‐related size was congruent with the precision grip while [ɑ] was produced faster when the size was congruent with the power grip (Experiment 1). The effect was not, however, observed when the participants were presented with large objects that are not typically grasped by the power grip (Experiment 2). This study demonstrates that vowel production is systematically influenced by grasp‐related size of a viewed object, supporting the account that sensory‐motor processes related to grasp planning and representing grasp‐related properties of viewed objects interact with articulation processes. The paper discusses these findings in the context of size–sound symbolism, suggesting that mechanisms that transform size‐grasp affordances into corresponding grasp‐ and articulation‐related motor programs might provide a neural basis for size‐sound phenomena that links small objects with closed‐front vowels and large objects with open‐back vowels.     

Transformative Choice,Practical Reasons and Trust

Abstract

In this article I reflect on the question of whether we can have reason to make transformative choices. In attempting to answer it, I do three things. First, I bring forward an internalist account of practical reasons which entails the idea that agents should deliberate to the best of their ability. Second, I discuss L.A. Paul’s views on transformative choice, arguing that, although they present a real problem, the problem is not as profound as she believes it is. Third, I argue that, given the situation in which we face transformative choices (a situation of principled uncertainty though not cluelessness), trust is an appropriate response to transformative choices, and that when one’s trust that one’s current desires will be fulfilled in making a transformative choice is reasonable, one has a reason to make it. Thus, trust turns out to be a crucial response to a profound problem each of us will face during our lives.     

Aging affects attunement in perceiving length by dynamic touch

Earlier studies have revealed age-dependent differences in perception by dynamic touch. In the present study, we examined whether the capacity to learn deteriorates with aging. Adopting an ecological approach to learning, the authors examined the process of attunement--that is, the changes in what informational variable is exploited. Young and elderly adults were trained to perceive the lengths of unseen, handheld rods. It was found that the capacity to attune declines with aging: Contrary to the young adults, the elderly proved unsuccessful in learning to detect the specifying informational variables. The fact that aging affects the capacity to attune sets a new line of research in the study of perception and perceptual-motor skills of elderly. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for the ongoing discussions on the ecological approach to learning.     

Attitudinal Approaches to Health Behavior: Integrating Expectancy‐Value and Automaticity Accounts

Attitudes are a key construct in health psychology due to their central role in motivating and changing behavior. An expectancy‐value framework has been the dominant conceptual approach for exploring the impact of attitudes on health behavior, applications of which emphasize volition and rational decision making. More recently, attention has focused on automatic attitudes, which are believed to capture reflexive aspects of motivation. Dual‐process models such as the MODE generally treat expectancy‐value and automaticity accounts as representing separate processing pathways. However, both accounts depend on associative learning. Learning history pairs beliefs or features with evaluations; subsequent activation of beliefs or features activates associated evaluations and drives overall attitude. Therefore, a single information processing architecture may accommodate expectancy‐value and automaticity approaches within a unifying framework, and this is provided by neural network (connectionist) accounts. In this paper, we highlight how a greater emphasis on the information processing mechanics of associative learning can provide a more parsimonious model of attitudes, which may also extend to a wider array of memory‐related phenomena of relevance to health psychology.     

Dancing shapes: a comparison of luminance-induced distortions

We present an illusory display in which a grid of outlined squares is positioned in front of a moving luminance gradient. Observers perceive a strong, illusory, 'wavelike' motion of the superimposed squares. We compared luminance effects on dynamic and static aspects of this illusion. The dynamic aspect was investigated by means of a temporal gradient, which induced an illusory pulsing of the outlined squares. The static aspect was investigated in two different ways. In one experiment, the outlined squares were positioned on a spatial gradient, which caused the squares to look like trapezoid shapes. In another experiment, the squares were positioned on different luminance fields, which affected their apparent size. In all experiments, luminance settings were the same, and observers were asked to indicate the direction and strength of the induced distortions. The overall results show large agreements between the dynamic distortion and the first-mentioned static distortion, whereas different tendencies emerged for the second static distortion. In a second series of experiments, we examined these distortions for various ranges of the luminance gradient and for border gradients as well. On the basis of these data, we explored how the directions of the perceived distortions of the single-gradient displays examined in this paper could be related to each other.     

The developmental course of Personal Authority in the Family System

The present study examined the differences in participants' intergenerational family relationships across the following three age/stage groups based on Williamson's (1991) theory of Personal Authority in the Family System (PAFS) and adult developmental theory (Levinson, 1986): ages 18-23, 24-29, and 30-45. The most noteworthy variables were intergenerational intimacy and intimidation with mothers and fathers, with significant but less contribution by intergenerational triangulation with fathers. Results indicated that each successively older group reported significantly less intimacy and less intimidation with each parent, and less triangulation with fathers than the previous younger group. Small gender differences were also present, but without an interaction with age/stage groups. Females reported slightly healthier intergenerational relationships with parents than did males. Finally, implications for clinical practice are presented.     

Development and psychometric properties of the perceptions of parenting inventory

In the present article, the author discusses the development and validation of a new instrument, the Perceptions of Parenting Inventory (POPI), designed to measure the multidimensional construct of perceptions of parenting. The psychometric properties and construct validity of the POPI, a self-administered questionnaire, were examined with two samples: young childless university students (N = 282) and adults from the general community, the majority of whom were parents (N = 252). Within both samples, the POPI subscales evidenced sound factor structure and adequate internal reliabilities and construct validity as determined by its ability to distinguish between individuals with differing attitudes and intentions toward parenting. The POPI appears to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring the perceptions of parenting, regardless of whether these perceptions are based on expectations or experience.