Measuring motor speed through typing: a surrogate for the finger tapping test

Motor speed is an important indicator and predictor of both cognitive and physical function. One common assessment of motor speed is the finger-tapping test (FTT), which is typically administered as part of a neurological or neuropsychological assessment. However, the FTT suffers from several limitations, including infrequent in-person administration, the need for a trained assessor and dedicated equipment, and potential short-term sensory–motor fatigue. In this article, we propose an alternative method of measuring motor speed, with face validity to the FTT, that addresses these limitations by measuring the interkeystroke intervals (IKI) of familiar and repeated login data collected in the home during a subject’s regular computer use. We show significant correlations between the mean tapping speeds from the FTT and the median IKIs of the nondominant (r = .77) and dominant (r = .70) hands, respectively, in an elderly cohort of subjects living independently. Finally, we discuss how the proposed method for measuring motor speed fits well into the framework of unobtrusive and continuous in-home assessment.     

Predicting Marital Adjustment from Young Adults’ Initial Levels and Changes in Emotional Intimacy over Time: A 25-Year Longitudinal Study

Emotional intimacy has long been known to influence marital adjustment. However, little is known about whether emotional intimacy experienced and developed during early adulthood predicts marital adjustment at a later time. Using longitudinal data from a sample of recent university graduates (N = 144) at five data points over a period of 25 years, it was found that higher levels of earlier emotional intimacy with a closest other and change in emotional intimacy over the first 8 years predicted Wave 5 marital adjustment. On average, women reported greater emotional intimacy than men at Wave 1. Neither change in marital status nor gender moderated the associations between emotional intimacy intercept and slope with marital adjustment at Wave 5. These as well as cluster analytic findings are discussed in light of Erikson’s developmental theory and applied to the idea that emotional intimacy may be a skill that can be developed and potentially modified.     

“Testing Times,Challenging Choices”: An Australian Study of Prenatal Genetic Counseling

In many countries pregnant women deemed to be at increased risk for fetal anomaly following a screening test may attend a genetic counseling session to receive information and support in decision-making about subsequent diagnostic testing. This paper presents findings from an Australian study that explored 21 prenatal genetic counseling sessions conducted by five different genetic counselors. All were attended by pregnant women who had received an increased risk result from a maternal serum screening (MSS) test and who were offered a diagnostic test. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the content and structure of sessions and explore the counseling interactions. Findings from this cohort demonstrate that, within these prenatal genetic counseling sessions, counselor dialogue predominated. Overall the sessions were characterized by: a) an emphasis on information-giving b) a lack of dialogue about relevant sensitive topics such as disability and abortion. Arguably, this resulted in missed opportunities for client deliberation and informed decision-making. These findings have implications for the training and practice of genetic counselors and all healthcare professionals who communicate with women about prenatal testing.     

Early infant cognitive assessment:

The present study represents a contribution to the assessment of infant cognitive development by presenting a valid instrument for observing the development of logical reasoning and executive function during the second year of life—key processes in the construction of human knowledge. The instrument constructed, called ELEDA (Early Logical and Executive Development Assessment), was a combined or mixed observation instrument composed of field formats and category systems. Its validity was calculated using generalizability theory, which enables different sources of error affecting a behavioral measurement to be analyzed jointly. The need for valid early cognitive assessment instruments such as the one in the present article is evident, since the sooner assessment is performed, the sooner action can be taken, thus optimizing the results.     

Two languages, two personalities? Examining language effects on the expression of personality in a bilingual context

The issue of whether personality changes as a function of language is controversial. The present research tested the cultural accommodation hypothesis by examining the impact of language use on personality as perceived by the self and by others. In Study 1, Hong Kong Chinese-English bilinguals responded to personality inventories in Chinese or English on perceived traits for themselves, typical native speakers of Chinese, and typical native speakers of English. Study 2 adopted a repeated measures design and collected data at three time points from written measures and actual conversations to examine whether bilinguals exhibited different patterns of personality, each associated with one of their two languages and the ethnicity of their interlocutors. Self-reports and behavioral observations confirmed the effects of perceived cultural norms, language priming, and interlocutor ethnicity on various personality dimensions. It is suggested that use of a second language accesses the perceived cultural norms of the group most associated with that language, especially its prototypic trait profiles, thus activating behavioral expressions of personality that are appropriate in the corresponding linguistic-social context.     

Response to instruction, English language learners and disproportionate representation: the role of assessment

Response to Intervention (RtI), a cyclical process that incorporates assessment and instruction, is both an approach to prevent learning difficulties and to establish student eligibility for special education. Assessment results are used to determine students' initial knowledge and skill, their need for successively more intensive levels of instruction, and to gauge their response to the intervention provided. Although this process is preferable to the IQ/achievement discrepancy model for determining the presence of specific learning disabilities, there are still a number of unresolved issues related to the assessment procedures in use. A pressing issue is the identification of measures and procedures that identify students with the greatest precision thus reducing inappropriate identification.     

Sinistrals’ upper hand: Evidence for handedness differences in the representation of body space

A difference in the perception of extrapersonal space has been shown to exist between dextrals and sinistrals. On the classical line bisection task, this difference is evident in a greater left bias for dextrals compared to sinistrals. Different modalities and regions of space can be affected. However, it has not yet been investigated whether a systematic bias also exists for the perception of personal or body space. We investigated this by using three tasks which assess different aspects of personal space in an implicit and explicit way. These tasks were performed by strongly right-handed (dextrals), strongly left-handed (sinistrals) and mixed-handed participants. First, a task of pointing to three areas of one’s own body without the use of visual information showed dextrals to have an asymmetric estimation of their body. In right hemispace, dextrals’ pointing was at a greater distance from the midsagittal plane compared to pointing in left hemispace. No such asymmetry was present for sinistrals, while mixed-handers’ performance was intermediate to that of strong right- and strong left-handers. Second, a task of recovering circular patches from their body surface whilst blindfolded also showed superior performance of sinistrals compared to dextrals. On these two tasks, there was also a moderate relationship between handedness scores and performance measures. Third, a computer-based task of adjusting scaled body-outline-halves showed no handedness differences. Overall, these findings suggest handedness differences in the implicit but not explicit representation of one’s own body space. Possible mechanisms underlying the handedness differences shown for the implicit tasks are a stronger lateralization or a greater activation imbalance for dextrals and/or greater access to right hemispheric functions, such as an “up-to-date body” representation, by sinistrals. In contrast, explicit measures of how body space is represented may not be affected due to their relying on a different processing pathway.     

Attempted suicide, self-harm, and violent victimization among regular illicit drug users

Relationships among attempted suicide, nonsuicidal self-harm, and physical assault were examined in 400 regular users of heroin and/or psychostimulants. Twenty-eight percent had episodes of nonsuicidal self-harm, 32% had attempted suicide, and 95% had been violently assaulted. The number of suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-harm incidents were correlated (ρ = 0.44). There were also significant correlations between the number of assaults and nonsuicidal self-harm incidents (ρ = 0.17), and suicide attempts (ρ = 0.27). The mean age onset for non-suicidal self-harm (18.9 yrs) was significantly younger than that of initial suicide (22.3 yrs). The age at initial physical assault (16.0yrs) was significantly younger than that of nonsuicidal self-harm and initial suicide attempt. Screening for all forms of violence appears warranted when determining suicide risk for this population.     

The validity of psychomotor vigilance tasks of less than 10-minute duration.

The 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) has often been used to assess the impact of sleep loss on performance. Due to time constraints, however, regular testing may not be practical in field studies. The aim of the present study was to examine the suitability of tests shorter than 10 min. in duration. Changes in performance across a night of sustained wakefulness were compared during a standard 10-min PVT, the first 5 min of the PVT, and the first 2 min of the PVT. Four performance metrics were assessed: (1) mean reaction time (RT), (2) fastest 10% of RT, (3) lapse percentage, and (4) slowest 10% of RT. Performance during the 10-min PVT significantly deteriorated with increasing wakefulness for all metrics. Performance during the first 5 min and the first 2 min of the PVT deteriorated in a manner similar to that observed for the whole 10-min task, with all metrics except lapse percentage displaying significant impairment across the night. However, the shorter the task sampling time, the less sensitive the test is to sleepiness. Nevertheless, the 5-min PVT may provide a viable alternative to the 10-min PVT for some performance metrics.     

Unflinching Empathy: Counselors and Tortured Refugees

In the article “Refugee Survivors of Torture: Trauma and Treatment,” W. Gorman (2001) consolidates liberation theory, multiculturalism, and traumatology into a treatment framework that draws from P. Freire (1973); A. J. Marsella, M. J. Friedman, E. T. Gerrity, and R. Scurfield (1996); and J. L. Herman (1992). This article focuses on several questions addressed by Gorman: What is the impact of torture on refugees; what multicultural principles are relevant to treatment; and what can sequenced models of trauma treatment offer to the torture survivor? It concludes with suggestions for counselors to consider regarding acculturation, resilience, and the role of mind and body in the treatment of tortured refugees.