认知灵活性对非熟练双语者语言转换的影响--一项ERPs研究*

采用 WCST 筛选出高低认知灵活性的非熟练汉英双语者,分别使用图片命名和语义范畴判断任务考察认知灵活性对双语者语言转换的影响。结果发现：(1)高认知灵活性被试的双语转换代价是对称的,其N2成分的平均波幅和峰值显著大于低认知灵活性被试,低认知灵活性被试的转换代价是非对称的;(2)高认知灵活性被试在语言产生任务中, L2重复条件下N2的峰值显著大于L1重复条件,出现L2重复优势效应;(3)在语言理解任务中,高低认知灵活性被试在L1重复条件下的N2峰值显著大于L2重复条件,两组均出现了L1重复优势效应。研究表明,抑制控制能力在语言产生与理解的双语转换中起着重要的作用,语言转换代价源于心理词典的字词识别系统之外。     

Emotion Regulation with Mindful Arts Activities Using a Personalized Self-Soothing Kit

Contrary to the occupational therapy tradition, there is little current research on harmonizing expressive doing with contemporary occupational therapy practice. This phenomenological multiple case study explored an integrated application of mindfulness, creative activity, and sensory modulation for adult mental health services users by making and using personalized self-soothing kits. The results showed significant improvements in arousal regulation, positive changes in emotion regulation and mixed results for mood regulation. Progress in participation in present roles and an increased focus on future productivity goals were also among the outcomes reported. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Shyness as a risk factor for second language acquisition of immigrant preschoolers

The aim of this study was to examine whether shyness is a risk factor for second language acquisition in immigrant preschoolers. Results from studies on first language acquisition indicate that shy children show less favorable language development; however, it remains unclear how shyness affects second language acquisition. As second language skills are often acquired in interactions outside the family where shyness is more evident, we postulate that shyness has a strong negative effect on second language acquisition. This hypothesis was examined using standardized tests and parental ratings in a sample of 330 immigrant preschoolers cross-sectionally and with 130 immigrant preschoolers longitudinally. The analyses revealed lower second language competence as well as slower language development in shy immigrant children compared to their non-shy counterparts. The present study highlights that not only contextual but also personality factors need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of second language acquisition in immigrant children.     

Diagnosis of cognitive impairment onset in older adults based on limitations in language skills / Diagnóstico del inicio del deterioro cognitivo en mayores a partir de limitaciones en las capacidades lingüísticas

Abstract

Progressive decline in language has been described in neuropsychological studies on Alzheimer’s disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). We investigate this decline in its early stages, as well as its manifestations and the linguistic differences between participants at risk of developing MCI and without impairment. Participants were 36 older adults, all aged over 65. They were assessed using 31 subtests grouped into eight areas: fluency, comprehension, oral expression, reading, writing, memory, perceptual organization and processing speed. Our results showed significant differences between participants at risk of developing MCI and without impairment in verbal tests but not in manipulative tests. All participants at risk of developing MCI scored lowest in these eight areas. Our findings illustrate the relevance of investigating language skills in people at risk of developing MCI. Investigating these neuropsychological changes will help design appropriate intervention programmes that affect areas with higher levels of impairment.     

CBT for Children and Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders,edited by A. Scarpa,S. Williams White, & T. Attwood

ABSTRACT

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a manualized behavioral intervention originally developed by Eyberg (1988 Eyberg, S. (1988). Parent-child interaction therapy: Integration of traditional and behavioral concerns. Child &; Family Behavior Therapy, 10(1), 33–46. doi:10.1300/j019v10n01_04[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) to address disruptive behaviors in young children. Although previous research findings support the contention that components of PCIT would positively impact communication, behavior, and adaptive skills (Howard, Sparkman, Cohen, Green, &; Stanislaw, 2005; Lovaas, 1987 Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3–9. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.55.1.3[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Remington et al., 2007 Remington, B., Hastings, R. P., Kovshoff, H., Degli Espinosa, F., Jahr, E., Brown, T., &; Ward, N. (2007). Early intensive behavioral intervention: Outcomes for children with autism and their parents after two years. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 112(6), 418–438. doi:10.1352/0895-8017(2007)112[418:eibiof]2.0.co;2[Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]) in children with developmental disabilities, few studies are shown in the literature. In a modified version of PCIT, caregivers completed two phases of intervention with their child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). During the Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) phase, caregivers were taught to conduct mand training, follow-their child’s lead, provide attention for their child’s positive behaviors, and ignore their child’s negative behaviors. During the Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) phase, caregivers were taught to give effective commands and follow through with demands. The goal of the current study was to determine whether children’s production of vocalizations increased after participation in a modified PCIT program. Data from two participants diagnosed with autism were included in the study. Outcomes of these two case studies show that both children displayed an increase in the total number of vocalizations emitted in the posttreatment observation relative to baseline. Additionally, caregivers of both participants displayed an increased number of positive behaviors in the posttreatment observation relative to baseline.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Parent Language and Child Anxiety

Research suggests that parents of anxious children behave differently when interacting with their children than do parents of nonanxious children. However, the relationship between parent language use in this context and child anxiety remains unclear. The present study investigates how parent language use relates to child anxiety during parent–child interactions using a community sample recruited to participate in a study of familial anxiety. Results indicate that parent language use varies in relation to child anxiety. Further, this idiosyncratic pattern of parent linguistic activity uniquely predicts child anxiety diagnostic status. Implications of this study and future directions for research are discussed.     

Shyness–anxiousness and receptive language skills development in Spanish- and English-speaking preschoolers

The present study utilized a short-term longitudinal research design to model the relationship between shyness–anxiousness and receptive language skills. Hypotheses regarding the direction of the causal relationship, mediation, and moderation were evaluated. Subjects included 340 Head Start attendees from primarily English- and Spanish-speaking homes. Results suggest that a unidirectional relationship between shyness–anxiousness and receptive language skills emerges in preschool. Shyness–anxiousness impacted receptive language skills and this relationship was mediated by communication competence. Neither gender nor native language moderated the indirect relationship from shyness–anxiousness to receptive language through communication competence. These results are discussed with respect to elucidating the nature of the bidirectional relationship between shyness–anxiousness and language skills and identifying intervention targets to improve language outcomes for shy–anxious preschoolers.     

Hemispheric asymmetries in processing L1 and L2 idioms: effects of salience and context

This study investigates the contribution of the left and right hemispheres to the comprehension of bilingual figurative language and the joint effects of salience and context on the differential cerebral involvement in idiom processing. The divided visual field and the lexical decision priming paradigms were employed to examine the activation of salient and nonsalient ambiguous idiom interpretations (i.e., literal vs. non-literal) in the two hemispheres. Literally plausible ambiguous idioms, L1 (Polish) and L2 (English), were embedded in unconstraining ambiguous (e.g., I knew he kept an ace up his sleeve) or constraining unambiguous context clearly favoring their conventional idiomatic interpretation (e.g., The debating president kept an ace up his sleeve). Idioms were presented centrally, followed by laterally presented targets related to the figurative (e.g., GAIN) or literal (e.g., SHIRT) meaning of the idiom and displayed at Interstimulus Intervals (ISIs) of 0 ms (Experiment 1), 300 ms (Experiment 2), and 800 ms (Experiment 3). Results indicate that context and salience effects are significantly modulated by the language (native vs. nonnative) of the stimulus materials being presented to each hemisphere. Literal facilitation was found for L2 idioms in all three ISI conditions, which supports the notion of the special status that literal meanings of L2 idioms enjoy in the course of their processing by nonnative language users. No significant differences were found between the right and left hemispheres in regards to their sensitivity to contextual constraints. Results are discussed in terms of the Graded Salience Hypothesis and the Fine/Coarse Coding Theory.     

Neural responses to meaningless pseudosigns: evidence for sign-based phonetic processing in superior temporal cortex

To identify neural regions that automatically respond to linguistically structured, but meaningless manual gestures, 14 deaf native users of American Sign Language (ASL) and 14 hearing non-signers passively viewed pseudosigns (possible but non-existent ASL signs) and non-iconic ASL signs, in addition to a fixation baseline. For the contrast between pseudosigns and baseline, greater activation was observed in left posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), but not in left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44/45), for deaf signers compared to hearing non-signers, based on VOI analyses. We hypothesize that left STS is more engaged for signers because this region becomes tuned to human body movements that conform the phonological constraints of sign language. For deaf signers, the contrast between pseudosigns and known ASL signs revealed increased activation for pseudosigns in left posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) and in left inferior frontal cortex, but no regions were found to be more engaged for known signs than for pseudosigns. This contrast revealed no significant differences in activation for hearing non-signers. We hypothesize that left STG is involved in recognizing linguistic phonetic units within a dynamic visual or auditory signal, such that less familiar structural combinations produce increased neural activation in this region for both pseudosigns and pseudowords.