Redundancy: A Similar Principle in Independent Adaptation Techniques

The present study examined the similarities between four auditory adaptation techniques to determine whether the effects were correlated. The four adaptation techniques compared were: Simultaneous Dichotic Loudness Balance technique (SDLB; Hood, 1950), Magnitude Estimated Binaural technique (MEB; Botté, Canévet, & Scharf, 1982), Magnitude Estimated Monaural technique, (MEM; Weiler, Sandman, & Pederson, 1981), and the Monaural Reaction Time technique (RT; Davis & Weiler, 1976). Results did not show significant correlations between the four techniques, except (r = 0.39) between MEB and MEM procedures. This correlation was much less than the reliability of the measures would allow (r = 0.98 and r = 0.99, respectively). Thus, it appears that the different methods either produced different adaptation effects or measured different aspects of auditory adaptation. The normal ear apparently shows several forms of adaptation, which reduces the perceptual strength of a continuing stimulus, in favor of an intermittent, less redundant one.     

Developmental Functioning of Young Indian Children with Malnutrition

The paper examines the effect of malnutrition on the developmental functioning of young Indian children. A total of 117 children between the ages 0 to 6 years attending the anganwadis of Chandigarh city were recruited. The Indian Developmental Inventory was used to assess developmental functioning. Anthropometric evaluations were done by a pediatrician and these included height and weight. Nearly 30 % of children of the study population were found to be stunted and 22 % were wasted. There were significant differences between the 3 groups of children on developmental functioning: Social DQ (F?=?3.46, P?=?.036); Communication DQ (F?=?3.16, P?=?.047); and Total DQ (F?=?5.17, P?=?.007). Children with chronic malnutrition had the most impaired developmental scores. The problem of poor child development urgently needs to be tackled with child nutrition, early stimulation, and development programmes.