Hand Test characteristics of severely behavior handicapped children

The Hand Test was administered to 98 severely behavior handicapped (SBH) children and a matched control group of public school children. The withdrawal score and associated variables, indicative of severe psychopathology, differentiated the two groups. In addition, a qualitative analysis of the SBH protocols tentatively suggested a preponderance of four behavioral types that could be described as the underproductive, perseverative, psychotic and impulsive child. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

The perceptual onset of musical tones

The perceptual onset of a musical tone can be defined as the moment in time at which the stimulus is first perceived. In the present experiments, a simple threshold model for the perceptual onset was applied. A paradigm was used in which a sequence of tones had to be adjusted in such a way that the onsets were perceived at equally spaced moments in time. In Experiment 1, the threshold model was applied in a design in which the rise times of the tones were varied. We concluded that the perceptual onsets of the tones can, indeed, be defined as the times at which the envelopes pass a relative threshold of 15 dB below the maximum level of the tones (82 dB). In Experiment 2, the maximum levels of the tones were varied from 37 to 77 dB. The results show that there is a shift in the relative threshold, but that this shift is small relative to the shift in the stimulus level. In Experiment 3, the effect of level above masked threshold on the perceptual onset was investigated in more detail by varying the level of a background noise. The results show that the relative threshold decreases with increasing level above masked threshold. The results from our experiments strongly suggest that the relative threshold is linearly dependent on the level above masked or absolute threshold and that a 7-dB increment of this level results in a 1-dB relative threshold decrement. The threshold model is compared with a current temporal integration model for the perceptual onset of tones. It is shown that our data cannot be adequately explained by temporal integration. Our experimental results suggest that adaptation of the hearing mechanism to a certain relative stimulus level is responsible for perceptual onset. The applicability of our threshold model in various realistic musical situations is discussed.     

Samples in applied psychology: over a decade of research in review

This study examines sample characteristics of articles published in Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) from 1995 to 2008. At the individual level, the overall median sample size over the period examined was approximately 173, which is generally adequate for detecting the average magnitude of effects of primary interest to researchers who publish in JAP. Samples using higher units of analyses (e.g., teams, departments/work units, and organizations) had lower median sample sizes (Mdn ≈ 65), yet were arguably robust given typical multilevel design choices of JAP authors despite the practical constraints of collecting data at higher units of analysis. A substantial proportion of studies used student samples (~40%); surprisingly, median sample sizes for student samples were smaller than working adult samples. Samples were more commonly occupationally homogeneous (~70%) than occupationally heterogeneous. U.S. and English-speaking participants made up the vast majority of samples, whereas Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American samples were largely unrepresented. On the basis of study results, recommendations are provided for authors, editors, and readers, which converge on 3 themes: (a) appropriateness and match between sample characteristics and research questions, (b) careful consideration of statistical power, and (c) the increased popularity of quantitative synthesis. Implications are discussed in terms of theory building, generalizability of research findings, and statistical power to detect effects.     

Returning the tables: language affects spatial reasoning

Li and Gleitman (Turning the tables: language and spatial reasoning. Cognition, in press) seek to undermine a large-scale cross-cultural comparison of spatial language and cognition which claims to have demonstrated that language and conceptual coding in the spatial domain covary (see, for example, Space in language and cognition: explorations in linguistic diversity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, in press; Language 74 (1998) 557): the most plausible interpretation is that different languages induce distinct conceptual codings. Arguing against this, Li and Gleitman attempt to show that in an American student population they can obtain any of the relevant conceptual codings just by varying spatial cues, holding language constant. They then argue that our findings are better interpreted in terms of ecologically-induced distinct cognitive styles reflected in language. Linguistic coding, they argue, has no causal effects on non-linguistic thinking--it simply reflects antecedently existing conceptual distinctions. We here show that Li and Gleitman did not make a crucial distinction between frames of spatial reference relevant to our line of research. We report a series of experiments designed to show that they have, as a consequence, misinterpreted the results of their own experiments, which are in fact in line with our hypothesis. Their attempts to reinterpret the large cross-cultural study, and to enlist support from animal and infant studies, fail for the same reasons. We further try to discern exactly what theory drives their presumption that language can have no cognitive efficacy, and conclude that their position is undermined by a wide range of considerations.     

Aligning affordances of graphics with learning task requirements

Dynamic subject matter can be portrayed to learners in the form of either static or dynamic depictions. Two plausible bases for choosing a depiction format are alignment with the subject matter's dynamics, or the specific affordances a depiction provides for performing a particular learning output task. Experimental participants viewed an ordered set of eight images depicting key stages of a kangaroo hop presented in a dynamic, successive or simultaneous format. Control participants viewed no presentation. The output task required participants to rearrange a random sequence of the eight kangaroo images into the correct order of a kangaroo hop. Those who viewed the successive presentation were most successful in placing the images in their correct order while those in the dynamic condition were least successful. The results contradict the prevailing instructional design orthodoxy that the dynamic properties of a depiction should be aligned with the dynamic nature of the referent content. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reactivation and Consolidation of Memory During Sleep

ABSTRACT— Recent research has shown compellingly that sleep supports the consolidation of declarative memories for events and facts. During consolidation, memories are stabilized against future interference and undergo qualitative changes with regard to their "explicitness" and underlying neural representation. In this article, we argue that declarative memory consolidation during sleep is based on covert reactivations of newly encoded memory traces in the hippocampus. During slow-wave sleep (SWS), the prominent slow oscillations act to synchronize the repeated reactivation of the newly encoded representations in hippocampal networks with the generation of spindle activity in the thalamus, supporting changes in neocortical networks that contribute to long-term memory storage. In this view, sleep plays an active role in the consolidation of memories, in which the neuronal reactivation of newly acquired memories is critical for the redistribution and integration of these memories into the network of pre-existing long-term memories.     

Individual Differences in the Effectiveness of Error Management Training for Developing Negotiation Skills

This study investigated whether the effectiveness of an error management approach to training negotiation knowledge and skill depended on individual differences in conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience. Participants were randomly assigned to two training programs that incorporated key elements of an error management and behavioral modeling approach to training, and were trained in the complex interpersonal skill of negotiation. At the end of training, declarative knowledge acquisition, procedural knowledge acquisition, declarative knowledge retention, and transfer performance were assessed at different points in time. Results suggested that the effectiveness of the error management training program was dependent on individual levels of conscientiousness and extraversion. For several learning outcomes, the performance of highly conscientious and extraverted individuals was superior in the error management condition, while the performance of less conscientious and introverted individuals was superior in the behavioral modeling condition. The implications of these findings, and suggestions for future research, are discussed.     

Exploring Counselor-Client Agreement on Clients’ Work Capacity in Established and Consultative Dyads

Counselor-client agreement on the work capacity of clients living with serious mental illnesses informs the counseling relationship and facilitates accurate assessments of client eligibility for public programs. In this exploratory mixed-methods study, we assessed counselor-client agreement on clients’ work capacity in 61 established therapeutic dyads and compared it with 30 dyads involved in an initial assessment session. Intraclass correlation coefficients and mountain plots were used to examine counselor-client agreement. Results revealed moderate counselor-client agreement of work capacity for both dyads. Counselor interviews illuminated sources of discordance. These results have practical implications for assessing the work capacity of clients.     

Challenging the omnipotence of voices: group cognitive behavior therapy for voices

The present study examines the impact of group based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for drug resistant auditory hallucinations, or voices. In particular it assesses treatment effect on beliefs in a voice's omnipotence and control. Twenty-two participants entered one of five 8-session CBT groups. Measures of omnipotence, control, process measures, and symptoms of anxiety and depression were completed at assessment, and first and last group sessions. The groups achieved a significant reduction in conviction in beliefs about omnipotence (df 2, P = 0.002) and control (df 2, P = 0.001). There were no affective changes. Certain participants showed important spontaneous changes in behavior. Process measures suggested that participants valued the groups and benefited from them. These results are promising and the treatment may prove a useful addition to existing psychological interventions.