Eye-hand coordination asymmetries in manual aiming

The authors investigated whether movement-planning and feedback-processing abilities associated with the 2 hand-hemisphere systems mediate illusion-induced biases in manual aiming and saccadic eye movements. Although participants' (N = 23) eye movements were biased in the direction expected on the basis of a typical Müller-Lyer configuration, hand movements were unaffected. Most interesting, both left- and right-handers' eye fixation onset and time to hand peak velocity were earlier when they aimed with the left hand than they were when they aimed with the right hand, regardless of the availability of vision for online movement control. They thus adapted their eye-hand coordination pattern to accommodate functional asymmetries. The authors suggest that individuals apply different movement strategies according to the abilities of the hand and the hemisphere system used to produce the same outcome.     

Closure of salient regions determines search for a collinear target configuration

Grouping operations offer an effective mechanism by which to structure complex visual scenes. Among the various principles that support element integration, closure may be regarded as a main factor in shape extraction. In five experiments, we investigated the impact of grouping by closure on search for target configurations made up of collinearly arranged corner junctions. Systematic variations in the configuration of distractor elements were explored to investigate how the figural information of distractors interferes with target detection. The results showed no search interference for distractor configurations that were open forms. By contrast, distractors making up closed forms reduced the efficiency of search performance, indicating closure as a major contributor to form detection in multielement configurations. In conclusion, the effects reported may be considered to arise from mechanisms of unit formation that support the rapid extraction of salient regions to guide search.     

Facial expressions are more easily produced on the upper-lower compared to the right-left hemiface

Clinical research has concentrated on differences in intensity of expression between the right and left hemiface as a means to assess hemispheric differences in motor control. However, observations by social psychologists suggest that control of facial expression may be organized predominantly across the upper-lower hemiface because during social interactions individuals may produce brief facial blends of emotions, in which the upper and lower face display a different emotion. Full facial versus upper/lower and right/left facial blends of emotion were posed by 20 subjects, 10 men and 10 women ranging in age from 20 to 37 years. The subjects rated the difficulty of each pose on a 5-point Likert scale. Digital photographs of the poses were taken and the full and half-facial poses were shown in random order to four judges who indicated what pose was being performed. The results were very robust and confirmed that facial blends of emotion are more easily and accurately posed on the upper-lower than on the right-left hemiface. Our results are consistent with recent anatomical studies showing separate cortical areas for motor control of the upper versus lower face in primates. Based on recent research exploring hemispheric differences in perceiving facial blends of emotion, the left hemisphere may be more involved with modulating lower facial expressions and the right hemisphere more involved with modulating upper facial expressions.     

Age and individual differences in working memory: the size judgment span task

The authors introduced the Size Judgment Span (SJS) task, a working memory measure developed for use with persons of varied educational backgrounds and general intellectual ability. The authors pooled data from 5 published articles where the SJS task and other measures of cognitive performance were administered to create an archival data set with 496 participants. Analyses of these data yielded strong evidence of age and individual ability differences in SJS performance, confirming the sensitivity of this task for empirically distinguishing age and ability groups. The SJS was also significantly correlated with the backward digit span and listening span tasks. Using hierarchical regression analyses, the authors examined the SJS task as a predictor of different forms of episodic memory, including spatial location memory, verbal free recall, and recognition memory. Results confirmed the practical utility and predictive validity of the SJS task. The authors considered implications for current theoretical views of working memory.     

The Self‐System in Integral Counseling

The authors introduce the integral model of the self‐system and, using that model, describe the dynamics of healthy growth and the development of psychogenic pathology. Self‐identification is described as “sliding” in nature, and stage theories for self‐related lines are outlined to help clinicians understand the characteristics of each stage the self may slide into. The authors outline K. Wilber's (2000a) metaphor of ladder, climber, and view to describe both healthy development and the development of pathology. Constructs of translation and transformation are described in the context of ladder, climber, view, and the authors conclude by summarizing clinical approaches to problems in translation.     

Differential evaluation of residential care programmes for minors

In this study, the results achieved by residential care programs for minors were evaluated. Two measurements were taken, nine months apart, from a total of 175 minors using a monthly observation scale of goals from an Individualised Educational Project. It was found that, in the majority of the dimensions analysed, there were improvements, although they were not the same for all the minors or of the same magnitude. The differential analyses show that variables such as reason for admission and duration of stay modify the results obtained. There was no significant relationship with age or sex. These results are discussed in the light of existing literature.     

Within- and between-nervous-system inhibition of return: Observation is as good as performance

Inhibition of return (IOR) has been shown to occur when an individual returns to a target location (within-person IOR) and when an individual moves to a location just engaged by another individual (between-person IOR). Although within- and between-person IOR likely result from the same inhibitory mechanisms, different processes must activate these mechanisms following the performance and observation of action. Consistent with the suggestion that the mirror neuron system may be responsible for activating the inhibitory mechanisms behind IOR on observation trials, between-person IOR was only detected under restricted viewing conditions known to activate mirror neurons. These results indicate that mirror neuron system may be involved in both higher-order and automatic cognitive behavior.     

Nature and nurture: Williams syndrome across cultures

This study is concerned with ways in which children with Williams syndrome (WS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder arising from a hemizygous deletion in chromosome band 7q11.23 including the gene for elastin (ELN) and approximately 20 surrounding genes, are affected by social mores of vastly differing cultures: the United States and Japan. WS presents a compelling model for the investigation because its genetic phenotype is well defined and results in an uneven cognitive profile as well as a social phenotype typical of the syndrome including overt over-friendliness toward strangers. While a number of research groups have been studying the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of individuals with WS in various countries, there have not been studies to date that explore the social phenotype in WS across different cultures. This study examines the ways in which social behavior in WS, stemming from specific genetic underpinnings, might be mediated by cultural expectations. We conducted a cross-cultural study using an instrument that measures aspects of sociability commonly found among people with WS. Quantitative analyses revealed a significant effect of diagnostic category in that in both countries, children with WS were rated as significantly higher in global sociability and more likely to approach strangers than were their normal counterparts. There was also an effect of culture, in that regardless of category, WS and normal children in Japan were rated lower than their counterparts in the US. We suggest that the excessively social phenotype of children with Williams syndrome, although markedly present across cultures, appears to vary in its intensity by culture. This is an intriguing illustration of interactions between nature and nurture.