Colour constancy in goldfish and man: influence of surround size and lightness

Colour constancy was investigated by using a series of 10 simultaneously presented surface colours ranging in small steps from green through gray to red-purple. Goldfish were trained to select one medium test field when the entire setup was illuminated with white light. In the tests, either red or green illumination was used. Colour constancy, as inferred from the choice behaviour, was perfect under green illumination when the test fields were presented on a gray or a white background, but imperfect on a black background. Under red illumination and a white background, however, colour constancy was overcompensated. Here, a colour contrast effect was observed. The influence of background lightness was also found when the surround was restricted to a narrow annulus of 4-11 mm width (test field diameter: 14 mm). By applying colour metrics it could be shown that the von Kries coefficient law can describe the overall effect of colour constancy. For an explanation of the effect of surround size and lightness, lateral inhibitory interactions have to be assumed in addition, which are also responsible for simultaneous colour contrast. Very similar results were obtained in experiments with the same colours in human subjects. They had to name the test field appearing 'neutral' under the different illumination and surround conditions, as tested in the goldfish experiment.     

Self-Control and Child Abuse Potential in Mothers with an Abuse History and Their Preschool Children

We examined whether physically and sexually abused mothers display lower levels of self-control, whether this explains their higher tendency to abuse their own children, and if this results in lower levels of self-control among their children. In a cross-sectional study, 40 abused and 47 matched, non-abused mothers completed validated self-control and child abuse potential questionnaires. Their preschool children (2.3–3.7 years) were tested for self-control with the effortful control battery and delay of gratification test. Relationships and mediations were tested using stepwise regression analyses and bootstrap mediation tests, while controlling for potential confounders. Mothers with a history of abuse had a significantly higher potential to abuse their children (p < .001) and lower levels of self-control (p < .05) compared to non-abused mothers. Maternal self-control predicted child abuse potential (p < .001) while controlling for maternal history of abuse, revealing that self-control partially mediated the relation between past abuse and current abuse potential. Next, child abuse potential was found to be a borderline significant predictor of child self-control (p = .05) on the delay of gratification task but not on the effortful control battery. We did not discover a correlation between child self-control and maternal self-control. These findings suggest that self-control may be a potentially important mechanism in the intergenerational cycle of child abuse. Further investigation on the topic is needed to confirm this hypothesis, for example through investigating the impact of parental self-control training on abusive parenting and children’s self-control development. Improved child self-control measures or focusing on older children is expected to address the key limitations of the current study.     

The electronic mood device: Design, construction, and application

The electronic mood device (EMD) is designed to help answer questions about the variability and dynamics of emotions. It is a small, portable instrument used for repeated recording of moods and feelings. Both construction and operation of the EMD are described. The EMD can best be conceived of as an electronic mood adjective checklist. Persons using the EMD are signaled at designated (e.g., hourly) or random intervals to register their mood or feelings. Paper and pencil are not required. An application is given. It shows how feelings vary within and between persons and during the day. It is concluded that the EMD offers several advantages over paper-and-pencil instruments. Retrospective use is impossible. Timing and registration are accurate. Data handling is fast. Potential future applications are suggested.     

A rating measure of ADHD-related neuropsychological impairment in children and adolescents: Data from the Cognition and Motivation in Everyday Life (CAMEL) Scale from population and clinical samples

A new parent-completed questionnaire, the Cognition and Motivation in Everyday Life (CAMEL) scale, was developed to provide a comprehensive assessment of neuropsychological impairment in children related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across diverse cognitive, motivational and energetic domains. Its psychometric properties were investigated. A total of 60 items were generated to cover a wide range of putative ADHD-related neuropsychological processes. A clinical (n = 142) and community (n = 810) sample of parents with children between 6 and 16 years of age completed the questionnaire. Data on ADHD symptoms were also collected with a commonly-used, validated parent rating scale to explore the associations between CAMEL scores and dimensional measures of child ADHD and conduct problems. Factor analysis identified six factors which we labeled (i) Cognition, (ii) Self-Direction and Organization, (iii) Effort Engagement, (iv) Arousal Regulation, (v) Motivational Responsiveness, and (vi) Cautiousness. Self-Direction and Organization and Arousal Regulation were the strongest predictors for ADHD symptomatology. Self-Direction and Organization was strongly associated with inattention and Arousal Regulation with hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. Parents distinguished between broad neuropsychological domains in reliable and plausible ways, making distinctions between key aspects of functioning. However, the boundaries between these domains did not map directly onto the distinctions drawn within traditional models of ADHD deficits. Further research is required to examine the predictive validity and cost-effectiveness of the CAMEL scale compared to direct objective testing using laboratory measures in predicting prognosis and treatment outcome.     

Stability of Majority Attitudes toward Multiculturalism in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2007

The success of multiculturalism as an ideology to deal with cultural differences depends upon the level of support for multiculturalism by majority members. It has been argued that support for multiculturalism in the Netherlands has substantially changed in response to various national and international events, such as the terrorist attacks on New York (2001), Madrid (2004), and London (2005), and the assassinations of popular politician Fortuyn (2002) and controversial movie director Van Gogh (2004). We compared survey data on Dutch majority attitudes in 1999 ( n = 333), 2001 ( n = 1,266), 2004 ( n = 246), 2005 ( n = 170), 2006 ( n = 306), and 2007 ( n = 464). Contrary to popular belief, we found little evidence for enduring attitude changes over the nine-year period. Implications for studies of multiculturalism and for policy-makers are discussed.
Le succès du multiculturalisme en tant qu'idéologie pour appréhender les différences culturelles dépend du soutien dont il bénéficie de la part de la majorité de la population. On a dit que l'approbation du multiculturalisme s'était profondément altérée aux Pays-Bas à la suite de divers évènements nationaux et internationaux, telles que les attaques terroristes sur New York (2001), Madrid (2004) et Londres (2005), et les assassinats du politicien populaire Fortuyn (2002) et du metteur en scène controversé Van Gogh (2004). On a comparé des données d'enquête sur les attitudes majoritaires chez les Néerlandais en 1999 ( n = 333), 2001 ( n = 1,266), 2004 ( n = 246), 2005 ( n = 170), 2006 ( n = 306) et 2007 ( n = 464). A l'encontre de la croyance populaire, un changement d'attitudes durable est loin d'être évident sur cette période de neuf ans. On discute des conséquences pour les études sur le multiculturalisme et les projets politiques.     

Very pre‐term infants' behaviour at 1 and 2 years of age and parental stress following basic developmental care

This study explored the effects of basic developmental care on the behaviour of very pre‐term infants and parental stress at 1 and 2 years of corrected age. A randomized controlled trial was done to compare basic Developmental Care (standardized nests and incubator covers) and controls (standard care). Parents of infants born <32 weeks of gestation completed questionnaires measuring child behaviour and parental stress at 1 year (N = 139) and 2 years (N = 133) of the child's age. Parental stress was measured using the Nijmegen Parenting Stress Index and child behaviour was measured using the Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) and the Child Behaviour Checklist 2–3. At 1 year of age, children in the basic developmental care group had significantly higher behaviour scores on the total competence domain (p = .009) and the competence subscale mastery motivation (p = .002) of the ITSEA questionnaire, meaning that the infants showed more curiosity, persistence, obedience and enjoyment with small accomplishments. No significant effects were found on problem behaviour or parenting stress. We conclude that introducing a basic form of developmental care in the neonatal intensive care unit has a positive influence on the child's competence behaviour at 1 year of age.     

Coherence and specificity of information-processing biases in depression and social phobia

Research has not resolved whether depression is associated with a distinct information-processing bias, whether the content of the information-processing bias in depression is specific to themes of loss and sadness, or whether biases are consistent across the tasks most commonly used to assess attention and memory processing. In the present study, participants diagnosed with major depression, social phobia, or no Axis I disorder, completed several information-processing tasks assessing attention and memory for sad, socially threatening, physically threatening, and positive stimuli. As predicted, depressed participants exhibited specific biases for stimuli connoting sadness; social phobic participants did not evidence such specificity for threat stimuli. It is important to note that the different measures of bias in memory and attention were not systematically intercorrelated. Implications for the study of cognitive bias in depression, and for cognitive theory more broadly, are discussed.     

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness training for children aged 8–12 with ADHD and parallel mindful parenting training for their parents. Parents (N = 22) completed questionnaires on their child’s ADHD and ODD symptoms, their own ADHD symptoms, parenting stress, parental overreactivity, permissiveness and mindful awareness before, immediately after the 8-week training and at 8-week follow-up. Teachers reported on ADHD and ODD behavior of the child. A within-group waitlist was used to control for the effects of time and repeated measurement. Training was delivered in group format. There were no significant changes between wait-list and pre-test, except on the increase of teacher-rated ODD behavior. There was a significant reduction of parent-rated ADHD behavior of themselves and their child from pre-to posttest and from pre- to follow-up test. Further, there was a significant increase of mindful awareness from pre-to posttest and a significant reduction of parental stress and overreactivity from pre-to follow-up test. Teacher-ratings showed non-significant effects. Our study shows preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness for children with ADHD and their parents, as rated by parents. However, in the absence of substantial effects on teacher-ratings, we cannot ascertain effects are due to specific treatment procedures.     

Hot and Cool Aspects of Cognitive Control in Children with ADHD: Decision-Making and Inhibition

This study investigated hot and cool aspects of cognitive control in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study aimed to: (1) replicate the postulated response inhibition deficit of children with ADHD; (2) explore whether children with ADHD choose disadvantageously in a decision-making task and to explore the mechanisms underlying the expected response pattern; and (3) study whether performance on a combination of hot and cool executive control measures has predictive value for an ADHD diagnosis. The sample consisted of 20 children with ADHD and 22 normal developing children (NC, 8 to 12 years) matched on age, FSIQ, and gender. Two paradigms have been applied: (1) the stop signal paradigm, and (2) the adapted children's version of the IOWA Gambling task. There were no group differences for both paradigms. Both groups chose in a reward-oriented manner and seemed to develop the ability to take future consequences into account in making decisions. Moreover, feedback resulted in direct behavioral changes. Children with ADHD did not have a specific response inhibition deficit or a decision-making deficit.