Alien voices and inner dialogue: towards a developmental account of auditory verbal hallucinations

The phenomenon of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) is one of the most intriguing features of the psychiatric literature. Two alternative models of the development of AVHs in both normal and psychotic populations are proposed. In the disruption to internalisation (DI) model, AVHs result from a disruption to the normal processes of internalisation of inner speech. In the re-expansion (RE) model, AVHs result when normal inner speech is re-expanded into inner dialogue under conditions of stress and cognitive challenge. Both models draw on Vygotsky's (The Collected Works Of L.S. Vygotsky, New York, Plenum Press, 1987) ideas about the development of inner speech. On this view, normal inner speech is considerably abbreviated relative to external speech, and also undergoes some important semantic transformations. In both the DI and RE models, AVHs arise when the subject's inner speech involves inappropriately expanded inner dialogue, leading the subject to experience the voices in the dialogue as alien. The two models may prove useful in explaining some of the social-developmental evidence surrounding the phenomenon, and also make a number of testable predictions which are suggested as priorities for future research.     

Visuo‐spatial play experience: forerunner of visuo‐spatial achievement in preadolescent and adolescent boys and girls?

This cross‐sectional study explored whether participation, from early childhood, in play involving different cognitive abilities predicts visuo‐spatial achievement at ages 9, 12, and 15. Based on parental assessment, prior and present practice of spatial manipulation play was found to be consistently more frequent in boys than in girls; the reverse held true for verbal expression play. Whereas boys did not significantly outperform girls in three visuo‐spatial tasks, girls were superior on a contrastive vocabulary task. In general, with IQ statistically controlled, regression analyses showed that estimated past and present spatial manipulation play predicted both genders' proficiency in the water‐level task and Embedded Figures Test, as did mothers' socioeconomic status for Block Design performance. Contrastingly, a negative relation was established between spatial manipulation play and vocabulary scores. Similar to the activity‐ability association often identified among adults, the relation established here between spatial play experience and visuo‐spatial ability was only modest. Further research should aim at more definitive conclusions through augmenting both diversity in the visuo‐spatial skills measured and sophistication in play behaviour appraisal. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

120名在校孤儿影响学习的心理因素调查研究

本文研究120名在校孤儿影响其学习的儿项心理因素情况．录川问卷测验法和个案调查法,结果表明：孤儿的智力水平、心理健康水平低于同龄正常儿童,提高学习能力较差,问题行为较多,但在校学习方法、与教师关系较好。     

Manipulation of voice onset time during dichotic listening

The manipulation of voice onset time (VOT) during dichotic listening has provided novel insights regarding brain function. To date, the most common design is the utilisation of four VOT conditions: short-long pairs (SL), where a CV syllable with a short VOT is presented to the left ear and a CV syllable with a long VOT is presented to the right ear as well as long-short (LS), short-short (SS) and long-long (LL) pairs. Rimol, Eichele, and Hugdahl (2006) first reported that in healthy adults SL pairs elicit the largest REA while, in fact, LS pairs elicit a significant left ear advantage (LEA). This VOT effect was replicated by Sandmann et al. (2007). A study of children aged 5-8years of age has shown a developmental trajectory whereby long VOTs gradually start to dominate over short VOTs when LS pairs are being presented under dichotic conditions (Westerhausen, Helland, Ofte, & Hugdahl, 2010). Two studies have investigated attentional modulation of the VOT effect in children and adults. The converging evidence from these studies shows that at around 9years of age children lack the adult-like cognitive flexibility required to exert top-down control over stimulus-driven bottom-up processes (Andersson, Llera, Rimol, & Hugdahl, 2008; Arciuli, Rankine, & Monaghan, 2010). Arciuli et al. further demonstrated that this kind of cognitive flexibility is a predictor of proficiency with complex tasks such as reading. A review of each of these studies, the possible mechanisms underlying the VOT effect and directions for future research are discussed.     

中学生社会问题解决能力的特点及其与社会适应的关系

采用问卷法,对2157名中学生社会问题解决能力的特点及其与社会适应的关系进行研究。结果发现:(1)从初中到高中,中学生的社会问题解决能力出现下降的趋势;男生在计划制定上显著高于女生,在人际沟通、支持寻求上显著低于女生;班干部的社会问题解决能力显著高于非班干部;(2)中学生的社会问题解决能力可分为建设型、一般型和不良型,所占比例分别为22.9%、42.8%、34.4%,建设型中学生的社会适应状况显著好于一般型和不良型;(3)社会问题解决能力与社会适应状况显著相关,其对积极的社会适应有显著的正向预测作用,对消极的社会适应有显著的负向预测作用;在社会问题解决能力各维度中,问题趋近和问题回避的预测作用最为突出。     

Comparison of a stimulus equivalence protocol and traditional lecture for teaching single-subject designs

This study compared the effects of a computer-based stimulus equivalence protocol to a traditional lecture format in teaching single-subject experimental design concepts to undergraduate students. Participants were assigned to either an equivalence or a lecture group, and performance on a paper-and-pencil test that targeted relations among the names of experimental designs, design definitions, design graphs, and clinical vignettes was compared. Generalization of responding to novel graphs and novel clinical vignettes, as well as the emergence of a topography-based tact response after selection-based training, were evaluated for the equivalence group. Performance on the paper-and-pencil test following teaching was comparable for participants in the equivalence and lecture groups. All participants in the equivalence group showed generalization to novel graphs, and 6 participants showed generalization to novel clinical vignettes. Three of the 4 participants demonstrated the emergence of a topography-based tact response following training on the stimulus equivalence protocol.     

Parent-implemented mand training: acquisition of framed manding in a young boy with partial hemispherectomy

This study examined the effects of parent-implemented mand training on the acquisition of framed manding in a 4-year-old boy who had undergone partial hemispherectomy. Framed manding became the predominant mand form when and only when the intervention was implemented with each preferred toy, but minimal generalization to untrained toys nevertheless occurred. A pure mand test suggested that manding was controlled by the relevant motivating operation.     

11~14岁超常儿童与普通儿童问题解决能力的发展比较

以北京市某中学和某小学11~14岁之间294名学生为被试, 其中超常儿童131人, 普通儿童163人。采用推箱子任务, 结合横向比较和纵向追踪数据, 从认知能力、元认知能力和认知效率三个维度来考察超常儿童与普通儿童问题解决能力的发展差异。结果发现超常儿童在问题解决能力的三个维度上均优于普通儿童, 两类儿童问题解决能力的发展模式不一致：超常儿童的问题解决能力发展先快后慢, 快速发展期在11~12岁半之间; 普通儿童的问题解决能力发展先慢后快, 快速发展期在12岁半~14岁之间。超常儿童与普通儿童的问题解决能力差异随年龄增大逐渐减小。     

视知觉压力在基本心理能力老化中的作用

信息降格说认为, 感觉功能老化使认知系统难以获得良好的信息输入, 并必须牺牲有限的认知资源获得更好的刺激信息, 使能用于认知加工的资源不足, 造成认知老化。为探讨感觉功能对基本心理能力老化的作用, 该研究采用2(年龄组：年轻、老年组)×4(视知觉压力水平：高、中、低、无噪音)的混合设计, 考察年轻、老年组在相同视知觉压力下基本心理能力的年龄差异。结果发现和无噪音条件相比, 相同视知觉压力下基本心理能力(数字能力、归纳推理能力)的年龄差异减小, 甚至消失, 一定程度上支持信息降格说。视觉功能衰退可能是影响基本心理能力老化的重要因素, 但这种作用受认知资源的调节。