Fuzzy Logic and Arithmetical Hierarchy,II

A very simple many-valued predicate calculus is presented; a completeness theorem is proved and the arithmetical complexity of some notions concerning provability is determined.     

Reading performance and general cognitive ability in twins with reading difficulties and control pairs

The etiology of the observed relationship between general cognitive ability and reading performance was investigated by analyzing data from samples of twin pairs tested in the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center. Bivariate phenotypic and genetic structural equation models were fitted to data from 486 twin pairs selected for reading deficits (276 identical and 210 same-sex fraternal) and 314 control pairs (195 identical and 119 same-sex fraternal). Subtests of the Peabody Individual Achievement test (Reading Recognition, Reading Comprehension, and Spelling) were used as measures of reading performance, and verbal and performance IQ scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) were used as indices of general cognitive ability. The results of these confirmatory factor analyses indicate that shared environmental influences do not contribute significantly to covariation between general cognitive ability and reading performance. In contrast, genetic influences contribute substantially to the relationship between the two latent factors. Moreover, the genetic and phenotypic variances of reading performance in the proband group are larger than those in controls, whereas both the genetic and phenotypic correlations between reading performance and general cognitive ability are lower in probands. These results are consistent with recent reports that reading disability may be caused by one or more genes with major effects.     

Food-deprivation effects on punished schedule-induced drinking in rats.

Food-deprived rats (at 80% of their free-feeding weights) were exposed to a fixed-time 60-s schedule of food-pellet presentation and developed schedule-induced drinking. Lick-dependent signaled delays (10 s) to food presentation led to decreased drinking, which recovered when the signaled delays were discontinued. A major effect of this punishment contingency was to increase the proportion of interpellet intervals without any licks. The drinking of yoked control rats, which received food at the same times as those exposed to the signaled delay contingency (masters), was not consistently reduced. When food-deprivation level was changed to 90%, all master and yoked control rats showed decreases in punished or unpunished schedule-induced drinking. When the body weights were reduced to 70%, most master rats increased punished behavior to levels similar to those of unpunished drinking. This effect was not observed for yoked controls. Therefore, body-weight loss increased the resistance of schedule-induced drinking to reductions by punishment. Food-deprivation effects on punished schedule-induced drinking are similar to their effects on food-maintained lever pressing. This dependency of punishment on food-deprivation level supports the view that schedule-induced drinking can be modified by the same variables that affect operant behavior in general.     

Controlling the Ground Reaction Force During Lifting

The control of the ground reaction force vector relative to the center of gravity (CoG) was examined while subjects performed a back-lifting task. Six male subjects (aged 24.0 +/- 2.5 years) repeatedly lifted a barbell. A biomechanical analysis that used a linked segment model revealed that the summed rotations of body segments during lifting yielded a specific rate of change of the angular momentum of the entire body. This equaled the external moment provided by Fsubg; relative to CoG. This implies that multisegment movements involve control of the angular momentum of the entire body through an appropriately directed Fsubg;. Thus, in dynamic tasks Fsubg; is pointed away from rather than lined up with the CoG, as is the case in static tasks.     

The self-narrative and acute psychosis

The aim of this study was to apply the narrative approach in analyzing family therapy meetings in cases of acute psychosis. The self-narrative is essential in acute psychosis since it is either collapsed or not coherent enough. The results indicate that it is important to create concrete practices that produce stories concerning the patient in relation to others. The self-narrative must be re-authored by the patient even though it is socially constructed. This is achieved by creating multiple perspectives of self-narratives in so-called therapy meetings with the patient, family members, and staff members representing different professionals.     

The role of theory in treating adolescent substance abuse

The adolescent substance abuser, like adult addicts, is most commonly considered from the perspective of the disease model. The usefulness of the disease model in conceptualizing adolescent substance abuse is questioned, and an alternative view of the topic is set forth. Substance abuse, is regarded as an adaptive aspect of the ongoing interactive processes within the family. The developmental process of the adolescent substance abuser is seen as a functional dynamic in the family's preservation. Three characteristic elements of parental interaction common to the development of adolescent substance abuse are highlighted.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy annual conference on January 28, 1993 in Houston Texas.a research associate and director of the Don D. Jackson Archive at the Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA. Authors are listed alphabetically.     

Marriage and family therapy with people from China

On the basis of personal experience and understanding of the Chinese culture as a native of the People's Republic of China, the author gives some of the reasons why Chinese-Americans under-utilize mental health facilities and addresses issues that might arise in marriage and family therapy with people from China. Subcultural differences and variables such as the place of origin, intraracial or inter-racial marriage, that need to be considered in the assessment phase are stressed, along with treatment interventions that are or are not culturally compatible. Behavioral, structural, and brief therapy models are recommended. The experiential model should be used with caution with Chinese clients.     

Long term marriages in Sweden: And some comparisons with similar couples in the United States

This international, five-country long term marriages study of couples who have been married, or unmarried and cohabiting, for 20 years or longer is designed to study, among other things, marital satisfaction. This first report of the Swedish part of the study reports on a Swedish version of the self-rating Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) used to investigate self-rated marital satisfaction. The couples describe high marital satisfaction and a high sense of coherence (SOC) compared to other groups. Contrary to other studies, no differences were found between men and women regarding SOC. The differences between them, that describe high relative to low marital satisfaction, pertain to matters of recreation, sex, life philosophy, time spent together, and frequency of quarrels. The men reported greater marital satisfaction than the women.