The memory deficits in alzheimer-type dementia: A review

This review is an account of recent experimental studies of memory deficits at the early stages of Alzheimer-type dementia, evaluating these studies in relation to current theories of memory functioning in humans. Whilst memory deficits are found to be widespread, some aspects are more resilient to impairment than others. For example, the processes associated with articulatory rehearsal in working memory are unimpaired despite a reduction in performance on most tests of primary memory. The “implicit” aspects of secondary memory appear to remain unimpaired, in contrast to a marked decline in “explicit” or “episodic” memory. In addition, there is evidence that the rate of forgetting from secondary memory is normal. Some aspects of episodic and semantic memory are found to be impaired as a consequence of a decline in the efficient organisation and processing of verbal material at encoding or retrieval. It is concluded that the deficits share particular features found in organic amnesia, but with additional deficits which relate to impairments in other domains of functioning.     

Logic’s Tower of Babel

Late in his life, Jung speculated that the natural numbers, the integers, “contain the whole of mathematics and everything yet to be discovered in this field.” This article presents the attempts by mathematicians to address this question in their terms; that is, whether arithmetic (the mathematics of the natural numbers) was complete and consistent.

Early in the twentieth century, mathematicians began to seek a formalism that could provide a solid foundation for mathematics. The first important product of this new formalism was Giuseppe Peano’s Postulates: five axioms from which the full arithmetic of the natural numbers or integers (i.e., 0, 1, 2, 3, …) can be derived. Inspired by Peano’s achievement, philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell began a project to show that mathematics could be reduced to logic. His overweening aim was to eventually show that all science could be reduced to logic.

Logician Kurt Gödel realized that the goal of the formalists and logicians was impossible. He produced a logically impeccable proof that no system at least as complex as arithmetic could be proved both complete and consistent within the system. In essence, he proved that the core of mathematical discovery must be intuitive: direct perception of reality, which then clothes itself in mathematical garb. This accords closely with Jung’s own insight, which was based on the idea that each number is qualitatively different from every other number. To this day, Gödel’s proof stands unchallenged.     

Identity coactivation: Person and situation influences and the mediating role of experienced conflict

This study tests a model of identity coactivation by empirically exploring coactivation experiences. Integrating identity research with the cognitive‐affective personality system, our model proposes the importance of self‐concept clarity (an individual difference), along with identification and level of self‐representation (two situational aspects), in understanding cognitive and emotional responses to identity coactivation. A moderated mediation model was tested on a final sample of 132 undergraduate students. Results show that self‐concept clarity and levels of self‐representation are associated with emotional discomfort, mediated by the described conflict between the coactivated identities. Further, the mediational path from levels of self‐representation to discomfort through conflict is moderated by identification with the coactivated identities. Findings suggest discomfort is reduced by both individual and situational variables.     

A Meta-analysis of the Taped Problems Intervention

Taped problems is an intervention strategy for addressing mathematics fluency that has been evaluated in multiple single-case design studies. Although its efficacy has been supported in individual studies, no comprehensive quantitative synthesis has been conducted on taped problems. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the literature that examined this intervention using parametric and nonparametric effect size computations. We examined (a) the effectiveness of taped problems across effect size comparisons, (b) maintenance over time, (c) the degree to which studies met single-case design research standards, and (d) potential moderating variables. Parametric and nonparametric analyses yielded moderate and large effect sizes and indicated that taped problems appears to be an efficacious intervention.     

Literacy acquisition influences children's rapid automatized naming

Previous research has established that learning to read improves children's performance on reading‐related phonological tasks, including phoneme awareness (PA) and nonword repetition. Few studies have investigated whether literacy acquisition also promotes children's rapid automatized naming (RAN). We tested the hypothesis that literacy acquisition should influence RAN in an international, longitudinal population sample of twins. Cross‐lagged path models evaluated the relationships among literacy, PA, and RAN across four time points from pre‐kindergarten through grade 4. Consistent with previous research, literacy showed bidirectional relationships with reading‐related oral language skills. We found novel evidence for an effect of earlier literacy on later RAN, which was most evident in children at early phases of literacy development. In contrast, the influence of earlier RAN on later literacy was predominant among older children. These findings imply that the association between these two related skills is moderated by development. Implications for models of reading development and for dyslexia research are discussed.     

Primary and Secondary Caregiver Reports of Quality of Life in Pediatric Asthma: Are they Comparable?

This study aimed to compare primary and secondary caregiver QOL within families of children with asthma and determine the potential importance of including secondary caregiver QOL in clinical and research settings. Participants included 118 families of children with asthma that had primary and secondary caregivers. Families completed measures in a single research session. Caregivers reported on QOL, psychological functioning, and family burden; children completed a measure of QOL. Child lung function was determined from objective spirometry. Adherence to prescribed controller medication was measured for 6 weeks following the research visit. Primary caregiver QOL was significantly lower than secondary caregiver QOL (Mean overall QOL of 5.85 versus 6.17, p < .05). Better medication adherence was associated with higher primary caregiver QOL (ρ = .22, p = .02); secondary caregiver QOL, not primary caregiver QOL, was positively associated with child QOL (ρ = .20, p = .03). Families with discrepant QOL scores between caregivers (difference in scores of at least .50) were characterized by more family burden and primary caregiver psychological symptoms. Differences in QOL scores between caregivers may be a reflection of primary caregivers’ greater investment in daily asthma management. In families reporting low burden and few psychological difficulties in the primary caregiver, QOL assessments from either caregiver may may be informative and representative of how parents are adapting to child asthma. In families experiencing high levels of burden or more primary caregiver psychological difficulties, QOL reports from secondary caregivers may not be as clinically meaningful.     

Skills of Cognitive Therapy (SoCT): a new measure of patients' comprehension and use

The authors describe the development and psychometric properties of a new measure called the Skills of Cognitive Therapy (SoCT) in depressed adults and their cognitive therapists. The 8-item SoCT assesses patients' understanding and use of basic cognitive therapy (CT) skills rated from the perspectives of both observers (SoCT-O; therapists in this report) and patients (SoCT-P). Ratings of patients' skill usage are made on 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always or when needed). Higher scores reflect greater patient skill in applying cognitive therapy principles and coping strategies. To develop this scale, a 33-item pool was used, rated by both patients and their therapists at the middle and end of CT (Ns = 359-416), and evaluated the reliability and concurrent and predictive validity of both versions of the scale. The SoCT has excellent internal consistency reliability and moderate correlations between the observer and patient versions. It is important to note that the SoCT showed good predictive validity for response when collected at the midpoint of acute phase CT. Considering both patients' self-ratings and clinicians' SoCT ratings, the odds ratio for responding to CT was 2.6. The practical utility of the SoCT is discussed, as well as its theoretical importance in research of patient CT skills (e.g., acquisition, comprehension, and generalization) as putative moderators or mechanisms of symptom change in the therapy.     

The role of religion in human values: a case study

By helping social norms to be internalized, values are indirectly sources of relationship behaviour. Likewise, cultural traditions, religion and language have different meanings that shape beliefs and influence social life. Thus, it seems important to revaluate the role of values in social life in a society which is extremely distinguishable in religious terms. An adaptation of Schwartz’s (1994a Schwartz, S. H. 1994a. “Studying human values”. In Journeys Into Cross‐Cultural Psychology, Edited by: Bouvy, A., Vijver, F., Boski, P. and Schmitz, P. 239–254. Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger.  [Google Scholar]) value survey was used. MANOVA analysis revealed significant differences between groups in four value types and in three higher dimensions. Overall, results indicate that a combination of Schwartz’ values with insights from individualism/collectivism can be useful in contexts like Mozambique, a nation characterized by divergent religious groups, which can lead to a collision between religious viewpoints and values. Altogether, it seems most important to investigate further the historical and social influences that shape individual and communal identities with regard to questions of religion and values.