The development of spatial and class relations in four young children with right-cerebral-hemisphere damage: Evidence for an early spatial constructive deficit

This study followed the development of four children with right-hemisphere injury on a series of manipulative classification tasks to determine whether and how early brain injury affects the development of spatial and class relations. The children were first tested at about 2 years of age. Their data were compared with previously collected data from 18- to 42-month-old normal children, and with data from four young children with left-hemisphere injury. The results showed the children with right-hemisphere injury do not generate a particular spatial relation (next to) in their spatial groupings with the same frequency as normal or left-hemisphere damaged children, although they do generate in and on relations with normal frequency. An apparent deficit in the development of class relations is shown to be secondary to the spatial deficit, in that it is evident only in tasks that require spatial grouping.     

Tacting and manding in correspondence training: effects of child selection of verbalization.

We investigated correspondence between verbal and nonverbal behavior in preschool children in a play setting. Four children (4 years old) participated in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Children were asked what toy(s) they were going to play with during an immediately upcoming play period. When no contingencies were placed on either verbal or nonverbal behavior, children showed high rates of correspondence. When children were required to verbalize about a toy from a restricted range of infrequently used toys, but no contingencies were placed on correspondence, low rates of correspondence were observed. High rates of correspondence were noted when reinforcement was contingent on it. Results are discussed in terms of tacting and manding.     

Saying and doing: A commentary on a contingency-space analysis

This article addresses the contingency-space analysis (Matthews, Shimoff, & Catania, 1987) of the verbal regulation of behavior. From an applied perspective, the conceptualization of the relationship between saying and doing Matthews et al. present may be more complex than is necessary. The central issue in correspondence investigations is a simple one: does correspondence between what people say and what they do occur? The focus of this paper is on the applied and clinical importance of the relationship between verbalizations and relevant behavior and the implications for future research.     

Effects of massed practice and cue-controlled relaxation on tic frequency in Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome

The effects of massed practice (MP) and cue-controlled relaxation on tic frequency were assessed in three single-case studies. Measures of tic frequency, subjective tension and fatigue, and physiological arousal were obtained throughout treatment.MP failed to produce any reduction in tic frequency in the three Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome patients studied. Cue-controlled relaxation resulted in a moderate decrease in tic frequency in only one patient.Tic frequency was related to physiological arousal, as assessed by skin conductance response frequency. No evidence was obtained in support of the suggestion that ticquers demonstrate a deficit in their habituation to sensory stimulation.     

Musical performance anxiety: The three-systems model and self-efficacy theory

Two major developments in behavioural formulations of fear and anxiety, the three-systems model and self-efficacy theory, were contrasted for differential predictions in anxious and nonanxious pianists playing under stressful and nonstressful conditions. Forty competent pianists were assigned to Relatively Anxious and Nonanxious groups using a median split and played alone and before an evaluative audience. Self-report, behavioural and physiological measures were recorded throughout the session using videotaping and telemetry systems. The audience condition elicited intense emotional responses in the Anxious pianists, while the Nonanxious pianists were somewhat less reactive. In the audience condition, the Relatively Anxious group exhibited increased levels of anxiety in each of the response systems (i.e. synchrony), while desynchrony was observed in the Relatively Nonaxious group. Correlations among the dependent measures were generally weak, but concordance was most often observed when intense emotional responses were elicited. The results were consistent with formulations of anxiety which emphasize the relative independence of the different measures, thereby lending more support to the three-systems model.     

Cues, consequences and therapeutic talk: effects of social context and coping statements on pain

The present study examined the effects of two types of coping statements on tolerance of experimentally-induced pain when the Ss either thought the experimenter knew or did not know their statements. When Ss thought no one knew their statements, no therapeutic effects were shown. When Ss knew the experimenter knew the statements, the Ss tolerated the pain longer and showed specific effects depending on the specific type of coping statement used. The implications of this study for distinguishing informational, self-instructional and social-motivation effects in therapy are discussed.     

The psycho-social stressors associated with survival by dialysis

The psychological condition of people surviving by dialysis has been investigated using the Dialysis Problem Check-list together with appropriate ratings. Although there may have been some underestimation owing to a denial effect, many stressing difficulties were revealed amongst a sample of dialysis patients and their partners. Some difficulties were associated with hardships directly caused by renal failure and the dialysis techniques, but others had their origin in the practices of the staff, particularly in relation to training and communications. The implications in terms of psychological intervention within a kidney unit are discussed.     

The different types of limb apraxia errors made by patients with left vs. right hemisphere damage

Limb apraxia errors were compared among normal controls and right- or left-hemisphere-damaged patients as they imitated gestures with the ipsilateral hand. Both brain-damaged groups made similar errors on nonrepresentative and representative/intransitive movements. In contrast for pretended object use movements (transitive), the left-hemisphere-damaged group made more arm position and classical body-part-as-object errors while the right hemisphere group made as many partial errors and more less-primitive, body-part-as-object errors than the left-hemisphere-damaged group. These results help explain why a certain percentage of right-hemisphere-damaged patients are labeled apraxic, but also suggest that the left hemisphere is more important for integrating intrapersonal space and the “representation” of extrapersonal space.