Habituation in songbirds

Songbirds respond to initial playback of a recorded conspecific song in numerous ways, from changes in gene expression in the brain to changes in overt physical activity. When the same song is presented repeatedly, responses have been observed to habituate at multiple levels: molecular, cellular and organismal. Core criteria of habituation have been established at each level, although in no case have all the formal parameters been rigorously measured. At the level of overt behavior, classical field studies showed that territorial birds respond to the song of a potential challenger with a variety of behaviors, and many (but not all) of these behaviors decline with repeated stimulus presentation. More recent laboratory studies have defined analogous responses to song presentation in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the dominant species in current molecular and neurobiological research and one that does not use song for territorial defense. Studies in the zebra finch have also demonstrated activation followed by habituation of responses measured at both electrophysiological and molecular (gene expression and signal transduction) levels. In all cases, habituation is specific for a very particular stimulus – an individual song presented in a particular context. There are strong correlations between habituation measurements made at these different levels, but some dissociations have also been observed, implying that molecular, electrophysiological and behavioral habituations are not equivalent manifestations of a single core process.     

The mechanism underlying inhibition of saccadic return

Human observers take longer to re-direct gaze to a previously fixated location. Although there has been some exploration of the characteristics of inhibition of saccadic return (ISR), the exact mechanisms by which ISR operates are currently unknown. In the framework of accumulation models of response times, in which evidence is integrated over time to a response threshold, ISR could reflect a reduction in the rate of accumulation for saccades to return locations or an increase in the effective criterion for response. In two experiments, participants generated sequences of three saccades, in response to a peripheral or a central cue. ISR occurred across these manipulations: saccade latency was consistently increased for movements to the immediately previously fixated location. Latency distributions from individual observers were fit with a Linear Ballistic Accumulator model. ISR was best accounted for as a change in the accumulation rate. We suggest this parameter represents the overall desirability of a particular course of action, the evidence for which may be derived from a variety of sensory and non-sensory sources.     

‘Tied together feelings’ Group psychotherapy with latency children: the process of forming a cohesive group

In this paper we describe our experience of running a psychoanalytic psychotherapy group for six children, ranging in age from 4-8 years old. The group ran for a year, with sessions held weekly for an hour. The rationale for group work, selection criteria and the treatment setting are discussed. The paper charts the evolution within the children of the concept of an internal 'work group' (Bion, 1961), as opposed to a 'gang', as their self-awareness and capacity to relate to each other improved. This reflected a corresponding shift in their relationship to the two group leaders, moving from their initial perception of us as neglectful and in conflict with each other, towards recognizing us as a therapist couple who could work together thoughtfully for their benefit. The children's relationship to the group leaders, representing a 'parental couple' in the transference, was the focus of much of the work group. The positive outcomes for most of the children, resulting from this treatment, are reported.     

Attachment representations in school-age children: the development of the child attachment interview (CAI)

This paper introduces a new measure of attachment in middle childhood (8?-?13 years), an interview extensively adapted from the AAI and with a new coding system. We report data from a series of studies with clinical and normal populations, in which the psychometric properties of reliability, stability and validity are tested and found to be satisfactory. Although work remains to be done, we see the Child Attachment Interview as a promising new attachment measure. Ce texte présente un nouvel instrument d'évaluation de l'"attachement" chez les enfants entre 8 et 13 ans. Adaptation considérablement remaniée de l'Entretien d'Attachement chez l'Adulte, cet "Entretien" est doté d'un système de codage entièrement nouveau. Les auteurs rapportent les données de plusieurs études portant sur des échantillons cliniques et normaux, dans lesquelles les propriétés psychométriques de fiabilité, de stabilité et de validité ont été testées et trouvées satisfaisantes. S'il est encore à amèliorer, l'Entretien d'Attachement chez l'Enfant s'avère déjà être un nouvel instrument d'évaluation à perspectives fort intéressantes. Questo articolo presenta un nuovo strumento di misurazione dell'attaccamento per il periodo dell'infanzia dagli 8 ai 13 anni, un metodo di intervista in gran parte preso dal AAI con un nuovo sistema di decodifica. Vengono riportati i dati derivati da una serie di studi su una popolazione normale ed una clinica, nei quali le variabili psicometriche di affidabilita', stabilita' e validita' sono state testate e ritenute soddisfacenti. Sebbene resti del lavoro da fare, gli autori ritengono che lo strumento del Child Attachment Interview sia promettente per misurare l'attaccamento. Dieser Artikel gibt eine Einfährung zu einer neuen Messung von Bindung in der mittleren Kindheit (8?-?13 Jahren), ein Interview, das ausgiebig vom AAI (Erwachsenen Bindungsinterview) angepasst und mit einem neuen Kodierungssystem versehen wurde. Wir berichten von einer Reihe von Studien mit klinischen und normalen Populationen, in denen die psychometrischen Eigenheiten von Verlässlichkeit, Stabilität und Validität getestet wurden und sich als befriedigend erwiesen. Auch wenn noch viel Arbeit geleistet werden muss, sehen wir doch das Kindbindungsinterview als eine vielversprechende neue Messung von Bindung.     

The perils of latency

Latency in Freud's psycho-sexual model is questioned as a somewhat perilous notion, seldom experienced indeed as a latent period as regards sexual and other drives. This appears to be reflected in the literature. Instead, the author suggests following Hartung with regard to a latency mode rather than a latency stage: the latency mode refers to a mind-set into which it is desirable to enter when engaged in learning, at whatever age, and wherever the learning situation. The perils of latency are then also those factors that inhibit that mind-set, and therefore the capacity to learn; six major factors are then considered in relation to difficulties in learning, mainly drawing upon examples in the setting of further and higher education.