Mand acquisition across different teaching methodologies

Many children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder lack functional independent communication. The current study used a combined multiple‐baseline and alternating‐treatments design to evaluate whether the presence or absence of a verbal prompt (asking a question) during teaching affected independent verbal manding. Two teaching procedures were used to teach specific responses (two per teaching condition) and evaluate if the acquired response, once trained, occurred independently (in the absence of stimuli or supplemental prompts). One student learned more rapidly under the mand training condition whereas the other learned at a similar rate under both conditions. The assessment methodology presented may be beneficial in future practice to determine if one teaching procedure is more effective than the other for a learner.     

Evolution of the wealth gap in child development and mediating pathways: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Bogota,Colombia

Large gaps in cognition and language on the Bayley‐III between the top and bottom household wealth quartiles in 1,330 children aged 6–42 months in a representative sample of low‐ and middle‐income families in Bogota were previously shown. Maternal education and the home environment mediated these wealth effects, whereas height‐for‐age mediated a small amount of the language deficit only. At ages 6–8 years, we relocated 72% of the children and assessed their IQ on the WISC‐V, school achievement, and behavior to investigate the evolution of the wealth gaps and potential mediators. The wealth gap in IQ at 6–8 years was significantly larger than that in a factor combining Bayley‐III language and cognition at 6–42 months; whereas the gap in achievement was larger but not significantly. Moreover, in cross‐sectional analysis, the IQ gap increased from 6 to 8 years reaching over 1 SD. In contrast, the gap in behavior was not significant in either childhood stage. Parental education and early home environment remained major mediators of the wealth gap in IQ and achievement at 6–8 years; later home environment and attending private education also had an effect; and early height‐for‐age was no longer significant. The home environment partly mediated the effect of parental education on wealth. All mediators combined explained most of the variance in the wealth gap; the remaining gaps being not significant. Results highlight the importance of the early home environment and suggest that interventions focusing on that should have long‐term benefits. Also, continued intervention through to 8 years may be desirable. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_U53iXNww3I .     

Intergenerational transmission of literacy skills among Filipino families

We examined the joint role of parental word reading skills and conventional home literacy environment measures among 320 Filipino low‐ to middle‐income families in Cebu City, Philippines with children aged 5–8 years old. A ranking of parent‐reported ratings of their frequency of engaging in home literacy activities and adult literacy practices revealed that book‐related behaviors were less frequently practiced relative to other behaviors, and mean ratings on the home literacy resources scale suggested a relatively print‐poor environment. Nevertheless, scale items about book reading and direct literacy instruction at home correlated with child's language and literacy skills. Structural equation modeling showed that parent's education and frequency of engaging in home literacy activities uniquely accounted for variance in child's oral language and print knowledge skills. In a second model, parent's word reading skills were significantly related to child's skills, but did not eliminate or attenuate influences from parent's education and home literacy activities. Results are important in relation to theories on the intergenerational transmission of literacy skills and the generalizability of findings from developed countries to developing country contexts.     

学龄前孤独谱系障碍儿童汉语核心语法的习得

学龄前孤独谱系障碍(Autism Spectrum Disorders; ASD)儿童对语言的习得程度是决定ASD儿童早期科学干预效果和最终预后水平的关键。以往ASD儿童语言研究多局限于英语ASD儿童, 较少有研究探讨不同语种ASD儿童语言习得的普遍机制。本研究拟结合汉语独特的语法属性, 通过多通道优先注视范式眼动实验考察2~5岁ASD儿童汉语核心语法的理解程度, 通过共同注意游戏评估ASD儿童的社会交流能力, 同时分析ASD儿童语言环境中相关语法结构的输入频率。研究旨在通过探讨学龄前ASD儿童的语法习得, 进一步探索人类语言习得的深层机制, 包括探索人类特有的语言机能对包括ASD儿童语言习得在内的人类语言习得的作用, 同时考察社会交流障碍与语言环境对人类语言习得过程的影响。     

Extraversion and positive affect: A day reconstruction study of person–environment transactions

Extraversion is robustly correlated with positive affect, but the reasons for this correlation remain unclear. One possibility is that extraverts and introverts both enjoy interacting with others, but extraverts do so more frequently. Another possibility is that extraverts enjoy social interactions more. Both hypotheses were tested using the Day Reconstruction Method. Subjects reported on interactions with others and positive affect experienced during all of the episodes from a single day. Results were consistent with the first hypothesis: the relation between extraversion and positive affect was partially mediated by extraverts’ greater social participation. The findings support a transactional approach to personality, in which traits like extraversion are seen as styles of actively engaging with the environment.     

西方家庭影响进食障碍的研究述评

家庭是进食障碍发展过程中一个重要的影响因素。已有众多西方学者采用各种方法对进食障碍和家庭之间的关系进行了研究。从时间发展脉络来看, Minuchin等学者首先对此进行了经典临床研究; 随后有众多量化研究出现, 对此可以依据不同的测量水平、研究变量和被试视角进行梳理; 近些年, 有学者采用质化研究方法重新对此进行探讨。进食障碍家庭研究的发展趋势表现出：重视本土化研究、对家庭做多水平的探讨、兼顾家庭结构和家庭变化过程。     

情感事件理论的内容、应用及研究展望

组织中的情绪情感研究逐渐成为了学界关注的热点, 情感事件理论的出现为该领域研究提供了一个整合的框架。情感事件理论认为员工在工作中的情感反应由特定的工作事件引发, 这些情感反应会进一步影响员工的态度与行为。该理论区分了情感反应与工作满意度的差异, 并在对工作满意度解构的基础上提出了情感驱动型和判断驱动型两类不同性质的行为。情感事件理论对研究组织成员情感反应的作用机制具有重要的指导意义, 但另一方面它也需考虑团体层次情感机制及测量方法等因素, 在更加具体的情境中进一步验证和完善。     

Transfer as the productive use of acquired knowledge, skills, and motivations

Historically, the notion of transfer has been very controversial, conceptually as well as empirically. Therefore, there is an obvious need for further inquiry aimed at a better understanding of the processes underlying transfer. Taking into account the recent literature, this article defines transfer as the broad, productive, and supported use of acquired knowledge, skills, and motivations in new contexts and learning tasks. As an illustration, an intervention study is briefly discussed. This study shows the possibility of designing a powerful learning environment that yields transfer effects in accordance with this reconceptualized perspective on transfer.     

Classroom environment influences on aggression, peer relations, and academic focus

Peers serve as reinforcers and models of behavior, and consequently classrooms containing high numbers of students with poor academic skills or behavior problems are likely to promote these behaviors in individual students. This study examined how variations in social and academic classroom composition as well as the larger school context affected behavior in a normative sample of children over a 2-year period. Teachers provided ratings of individual students, which were then aggregated to form teacher-based measures of classroom environment. Concurrent and longitudinal effects of classroom and school environments on individual behaviors were examined for students in 65 classrooms in 17 schools. Poorer classroom environments were associated with poorer levels of student aggression, peer relations, and academic focus. Changes in student behavior over time could be explained by the current classroom environment.