An analysis of modifications to the three-step guided compliance procedure necessary to achieve compliance among preschool children

After a 3‐step guided compliance procedure (vocal prompt, vocal plus model prompt, vocal prompt plus physical guidance) did not increase compliance, we evaluated 2 modifications with 4 preschool children who exhibited noncompliance. The first modification consisted of omission of the model prompt, and the second modification consisted of omitting the model prompt and decreasing the interprompt interval from 10 s to 5 s. Each of the modifications effectively increased compliance for 1 participant. For the remaining 2 participants, neither modification was effective; differential reinforcement in the form of contingent access to a preferred edible item was necessary to increase compliance. Problem behavior varied across participants, but was generally higher during guided compliance conditions and lower during differential reinforcement conditions.     

Does driving experience in video games count? Hazard anticipation and visual exploration of male gamers as function of driving experience

Risk perception and distribution of visual attention while driving are crucial elements for accident prevention and new-driver improvement. This study investigates how racing videogames could shape the visual exploration of virtual and real road in male pre-drivers. The visual performance of players of racing video games with and without driver’s license was tested in virtual vs. real scenarios. Attention to specific elements of different types of road interactions was monitored using an eye-tracking system. Results showed that habitual use of racing video games was not found to foster a positive effect on users’ distribution of visual attention, supporting visual patterns typical of novice drivers. Gamers without driving experience replicated the same patterns in a real road scenario, ignoring road signs and potential areas of interactions with other drivers, while experienced drivers gamers explored video games roads like real roads. The fact that the gamers’ driving performance was not comparable to drivers in the virtual scenario suggests that there are other variables in the gameplay that create a less complex traffic scene, still the visual complexity of different real road interactions is kept in video game interactions, opening new perspectives towards gamers’ visual exploration of the road.     

Media violence and the self: The impact of personalized gaming characters in aggressive video games on aggressive behavior

A recent development in video games is that players can design and personalize their own in-game characters. It was predicted that this innovation could lead to elevations in the intensity of the psychological effects of video games. The present study confirmed this hypothesis, revealing that participants who played an aggressive video game using their own, personalized character exhibited higher levels of aggressive behavior than participants who played an aggressive game with a non-personalized character. The aggressive behavior levels of the own-character players also exceeded those of individuals who played a non-aggressive game, regardless of whether or not they used a personalized character. Process analyses revealed that participants playing a violent video game with a personalized game character experienced more arousal and self-activation than they did when playing with an impersonal, default game character, which in turn increased aggressive responses.     

To watch or not to watch: Infants and toddlers in a brave new electronic world

For some time now, questions have been asked about the impact of television and video materials on the cognitive and social development of preschoolers and older children. More recently, these same questions have been asked in relation to the extensive exposure to these media that infants and toddlers are currently experiencing. To answer these questions, we review current research that explicitly targets these concerns and provide new insights into the role these media play in early development.     

Distinct consolidation outcomes in a visuomotor adaptation task: Off-line leaning and persistent after-effect

Consolidation is a time-dependent process responsible for the storage of information in long-term memory. As such, it plays a crucial role in motor learning. In two experiments, we sought to determine whether one’s performance influences the outcome of the consolidation process. We used a visuomotor adaptation task in which the cursor moved by the participants was rotated 30° clockwise. Thus, participants had to learn a new internal model to compensate for the rotation of the visual feedback. The results indicated that when participants showed good adaptation in the first session, consolidation resulted in a persistent after-effect in a no-rotation transfer test; they had difficulty returning to their normal no-rotation internal model. However, when participants showed poor adaptation in the first session, consolidation led to significant off-line learning (between sessions improvement) but labile after-effects. These observations suggest that distinct consolidation outcomes (off-line learning and persistent after-effect) may occur depending on the learner’s initial performance.     

A Comparison of Constant Time Delay and Simultaneous Prompting Within Embedded Instruction in General Education Classes with Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities

An adapted alternating treatment design was used to measure the effectiveness of constant time delay and simultaneous prompting procedures within an embedded instruction format on the acquisition of academic skills. Four middle school students with moderate to severe disabilities and the paraprofessionals who supported these students in their general education classes participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that both procedures were effective in promoting the acquisition of the target skills. However, the constant time delay procedure was more effective for two of the students and the simultaneous prompting procedure was more effective for the remaining students. Results are discussed in terms of future research and implications for supporting the inclusion of students with moderate and severe disabilities in general education classes.     

Evaluation of cognitive behavior among deaf subjects with video game as intervention

Previous research on video gaming mainly focused on negative impact on users. In this study, the positive impact of action video gaming among congenitally deaf subjects is investigated. Subjects possessed high level of visual information processing capacity. A 96 h of action video game play resulted in the improvement of mean reaction time (mRT) (post = 413.21 ms, pre = 453.39 ms) and certain cognitive functions. Higher heart rate variability (HRV) subjects demonstrated faster and significant improvement in mRT (p < 0.0045) after intervention. The α and β EEG band powers were found increased in parietal (6.33%, 4.28%) and occipital (8.38%, 38%) lobes respectively. The θ band power increased in frontal (32%) and parietal (13%) lobes. These results can reflect enhancement in certain cognitive performances such as visual perception, attention, memory, and motor skills. The ratio index β/(α + θ) increased in frontal and occipital lobes while β/θ increased in frontal and temporal lobes. These results may also suggest improvements in attention processing capacity and neural activity. These results implies improvements in certain aspects of cognition among deaf subjects. However, to validate these results a further study on larger number of samples with advanced computerized cognitive battery testing can be employed.     

The impact of infant-directed videos on parent-child interaction

This study assessed whether infant-directed videos designed to promote parent-child interactions actually support such engagement. Parents watched videos from the Baby Einstein or the Sesame Beginnings series for 2 weeks at home with their 12- or 18-month-old infants. Baby Einstein encourages parents to label objects and actions; Sesame Beginnings models activities in which parents can engage with their children. A control group was not provided videos for home viewing. In laboratory sessions, parent-child interactions were recorded during free play without TV, during the presentation of one of the videos, and immediately after watching. During viewing, interactions decreased in quantity and quality across groups; however, parents used video content as a basis for interaction. Coviewing Sesame Beginnings at home was positively associated with quantity of parent-child interaction during the initial free-play session. Furthermore, the quantity and quality of interactions were greater immediately following viewing of Sesame Beginnings than with Baby Einstein.     

Inexpensive video cameras used by parents to record social communication in epidemiological investigations in early childhood-A feasibility study

We tested the feasibility of parents recording social interactions with their infants using inexpensive camcorders, as a potential method of effective, convenient, and economical large scale data gathering on social communication. Participants were asked to record two short video clips during either play or a mealtime, and return the data. Sixty-five video clips (32 pairs) were returned by 33 families, comprising 8.5% of families contacted, 44.6% of respondents and 51.6% of those sent a camcorder, and the general visual and sound quality of the data was assessed.Audio and video quality were adequate for analysis in 85% of clips and several social behaviours, including social engagement and contingent responsiveness, could be assessed in 97% of clips. We examined two quantifiable social behaviours quantitatively in both adults and infants: gaze direction and duration, and vocalization occurrence and duration. It proved difficult for most observers to obtain a simultaneous clear view of the parents and infant's face.Video clips obtained by parents are informative and usable for analysis. Further work is required to establish the acceptability of this technique in longitudinal studies of child development and to maximize the return of usable data.