Hand coordination in bimanual circle drawing.

Two right-handed and 2 left-handed participants drew circles in the horizontal plane with both hands simultaneously in either a symmetrical or an asymmetrical mode, at their preferred rate or as fast as possible. During symmetrical movements, the hands showed frequency and phase synchronization at both rates. During fast asymmetrical movements, the hands showed increased phase difference and phase variability, as well as transitions to symmetrical movements, and cases of frequency decoupling. Large distortions of the hand trajectory were also observed under fast asymmetrical movements. Trajectory distortions and movement direction reversals were confined to the nondominant hand. Under the assumption that circular trajectories are generated by properly timed orthogonal oscillations along the y-axis and the x-axis, these findings are accounted for by the characteristics of coupling between homologous functional oscillators of the 2 body sides. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anomalous bimanual coordination among dyslexic boys.

Dyslexia has been associated with left-hemisphere dysfunctions; however, recent studies also suggest interhemispheric difficulties. To test this, we assessed bimanual coordination in dyslexic and nondisabled boys using an Etch-a-Sketch-like task. Group performance was equivalent for parallel hand movements (both clockwise). However, the dyslexics showed significant impairments on mirror movements, particularly in their left hands, and often unknowingly reverted to parallel movements when visual feedback was removed. Although these difficulties generally suggest impaired interhemispheric coordination, specific mirror movement deficits have never before been observed in any population. We propose that deficient interhemispheric collaboration combined with anomalous ipsilateral manual control may account for the dyslexics' performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antecedents of self-regulation: A developmental perspective.

The emerging ability to comply with caregivers' dictates and to monitor one's own behavior accordingly signifies a major growth of early childhood. However, scant attention has been paid to the developmental course of self-initiated regulation of behavior. The literature devoted to early forms of control is summarized, highlighting the different philosophical orientations. Focusing on the period from early infancy to the beginning of the preschool years, an ontogenetic perspective is proposed that traces the kinds of modulation or control of which the child is capable. The developmental sequence of monitoring behaviors that is proposed calls attention to contributions made by the growth of cognitive skills. The role of mediators (e.g., caregivers) is also discussed. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology postdoctoral training: A developmental perspective.

Postdoctoral training for psychologists has increased. This article provides an overview of postdoctoral fellowships, including information regarding training opportunities and requirements for licensure and employment. A developmental perspective on the postdoctoral training experience is offered, focusing on negotiating the tasks of individuation and self-definition. Special attention is paid to personal issues. As the postdoctoral fellow's professional identity solidifies, he/she develops expertise in focused areas of interest, experiences a deepening commitment to the work, develops an increasing sense of self-efficacy and self-acceptance as a psychologist, and gains respect from others as a competent professional. This enables the postdoctoral fellow to develop more collegial relationships with former mentors, teachers, and supervisors and shift toward the practice of professional psychology and the teaching of more junior professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attention and handedness in bimanual coordination dynamics.

Predictions concerning the effects of handedness and attention on bimanual coordination were made from a dynamical model that incorporates the body's lateral asymmetry. Both handedness and the direction of attention (to the left or right) were manipulated in an inphase 1:1 frequency locking task. Left-handed and right-handed participants had to coordinate the planar oscillations of 2 handheld pendulums while 1 pendulum oscillated between spatial targets positioned over either the left or right hand. Predictions from the model were that participants would show a phase lead with the preferred hand, and that, although the phase lead would be greater when attention was directed to the preferred hand, the variability of relative phase would be lower. Confirmation of these predictions suggests that the dynamical perspective offers the possibility of studying handedness and attention without compromising theoretical precision or experimental control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Minors' consent to treatment: A developmental perspective.

Discusses the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of minors in relation to the question of competence to consent to treatment. The legal standard (knowing, intelligent, and voluntary) used to judge the effectiveness of consent is translated into psychological concepts, especially cognitive abilities. A review of developmental psychological research is presented, which examines these concepts as they relate to minors' abilities to satisfy the legal standard. It is suggested that cognitive developmental stages associated with ages below 11–23 yrs might exclude such minors from meaningful consent. In addition to cognitive considerations, certain results suggest that the tendency toward deference in early adolescence is so normative that capacity for voluntary consent is questionable through age 14, but existing evidence provides no psychological grounds for maintaining the general legal assumption that minors at age 15 and above cannot provide competent consent. (63 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confidence in protection: A developmental psychopathology perspective.

S. Goldberg, J. Grusec, and J. M. Jenkins (see record 1999-15264-001) provided a thorough review of J. Bowlby's (1982) work and offered a persuasive argument to consider confidence in protection as the roots of the parent-child attachment system. In an attempt to explore implications of their work, confidence in protection is examined from a developmental psychopathology perspective, with issues highlighted specifically about the role of family functioning, as well as the notion of risk and protection mechanisms. Questions are raised in the spirit of responding to and extending S. Goldberg et al.'s (1999) thought-provoking analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reading skills in hyperlexia: A developmental perspective.

Hyperlexia is characterized by advanced word-recognition skills in individuals who otherwise have pronounced cognitive, social, and linguistic handicaps. Language, word recognition, and reading-comprehension skills are reviewed to clarify the nature and core deficits associated with the disorder. It is concluded that hyperlexia should be viewed as part of the normal variation in reading skills, which are themselves associated with individual differences in phonological, orthographic, and semantic processing, short-term memory, and print exposure. A compulsive preoccupation with reading may also be crucial to the development of a hyperlexic reading profile. A theoretical framework, based on recent connectionist models of reading development, is described. This perspective provides a satisfactory account for how individual differences in a number of different skills can lead to a variety of manifestations of reading behavior, including hyperlexia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Handedness and the asymmetric dynamics of bimanual rhythmic coordination.

Human handedness was investigated in a 1:1 interlimb rhythmic coordination in which consistent and inconsistent left-handed and right-handed individuals oscillated hand-held pendulums. Mean phase difference (φstable) and its standard deviation (SDφ) were evaluated as functions of mode of coordination (in-phase vs anti-phase) and the symmetry conditions imposed by controlling the natural frequencies of the left and right pendulums. The dependencies of φstable and SDφ on coordination mode and imposed symmetry were found to be systematically affected by handedness. The data were consistent with an elaboration of the established order parameter dynamics of interlimb rhythmic coordination. The elaboration includes additional 27π periodic terms that break the symmetry of those dynamics when the natural frequencies of the component rhythmic units are identical. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior.

A developmental model of antisocial behavior is outlined. Recent findings are reviewed that concern the etiology and course of antisocial behavior from early childhood through adolescence. Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that the route to chronic delinquency is marked by a reliable developmental sequence of experiences. As a first step, ineffective parenting practices are viewed as determinants for childhood conduct disorders. The general model also takes into account the contextual variables that influence the family interaction process. As a second step, the conduct-disordered behaviors lead to academic failure and peer rejection. These dual failures lead, in turn, to increased risk for depressed mood and involvement in a deviant peer group. This third step usually occurs during later childhood and early adolescence. It is assumed that children following this developmental sequence are at high risk for engaging in chronic delinquent behavior. Finally, implications for prevention and intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A developmental psychopathology perspective on adolescence.

Developmental psychopathology offers an integrative framework for conceptualizing the course of development during adolescence, with particular relevance for understanding continuity and the emergence of psychopathology during this and subsequent developmental periods. In this article, the utility of a developmental psychopathology perspective for informing the design of research, prevention, and intervention is highlighted. Interdisciplinary, organizational models of development, emphasizing the dynamic relations between the developing individual and internal and external contexts, are discussed. Examination of boundaries between abnormal and normal development during adolescence offers important vantage points for articulating diversity in the developmental course during this period. Conceptualizing divergence and convergence in developmental pathways, continuity and discontinuity in development, and the transactions of risk and protective processes leading to maladaptation, psychopathology, and resilience are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A developmental perspective and antisocial behavior: Cognitive functioning.

Comments that G. R. Patterson et al (see record 1989-26278-001) failed to sufficiently address the idea that cognitive functioning is a factor which is related to both school failure and antisocial conduct. Findings consistent with the acculturation learning view are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nature-nuture reconceptualized in developmental perspective: A bioecological model.

In response to A. Anastasi's (1958) long-standing challenge, the authors propose an empirically testable theoretical model that (1) goes beyond and qualifies the established behavioral genetics paradigm by allowing for nonadditive synergistic effects, direct measures of the environment, and mechanisms of organism–environment interaction, called proximal processes, through which genotypes are transformed into phenotypes; (2) hypothesizes that estimates of heritability (e.g., h–2) increase markedly with the magnitude of proximal processes; (3) demonstrates that heritability measures the proportion of variation in individual differences attributable only to actualized genetic potential, with the degree of nonactualized potential remaining unknown; and (4) proposes that, by enhancing proximal processes and environments, it is possible to increase the extent of actualized genetic potentials for developmental competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A concept of the primary fantasy bond: A developmental perspective.

Hypothesizes that deprived infants form a primary fantasy bond (a delusion of being connected to the mother) that persists as a defense through childhood and into adult life and that deprivation variables are conducive to the formation of subsequent damage, ranging from mildly neurotic behavior to schizophrenic regression. The primary fantasy leads to a posture of pseudo-independence, relieves fears, and allays the anxiety of feeling separate and alone. In adult life, individuals who defend with the primary fantasy cannot tolerate moving in and out of closeness; they avoid real sexuality, physical intimacy, and honest communication. A letter written to her therapy group by a woman who idealized her family and built a defense of self-hatred illustrates the concept. It is suggested that the hypothesis of a primary fantasy bond explains the underlying dynamics of resistance to change. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dynamic process model of forgiveness: A cross-cultural perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss cultural similarities and differences in the processes of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a complex construct without a consensual definition. Generally speaking, forgiveness is the process that involves a change in cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors regarding the transgressor (R. D. Enright & R. P. Fitzgibbons, 2000). Scientific interest in forgiveness has rapidly increased in the recent years, but whether the conceptualizations and underling mechanisms of forgiveness are similar across cultures still remain unclear. A dynamic process model of forgiveness is proposed in this paper, which includes the sociocultural, cognitive, emotional, motivational, and behavioral aspects of forgiveness processes. Particular processes that are likely to differ across Eastern–Western cultures are identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interference effects in bimanual coordination are independent of movement type.

Simultaneously executed limb movements interfere with each other. Whereas the interference between discrete movements is examined mostly from a cognitive perspective, that between rhythmic movements is studied mainly from a dynamical systems perspective. As the tools and concepts developed by both communities are limited in their applicability to the other domain, it remains unclear if a common cause underlies motor interference in both domains. We investigated the interference between simultaneously executed discrete and rhythmic wrist movements. The discrete movements' reaction time and movement time decreased with increasing rhythmic movement frequency. The discrete movements accelerated or decelerated the rhythmic movements in a manner that depended on movement frequency and the discrete movement's initiation phase. The acceleration/deceleration profile was bimodal at low frequencies and unimodal at high frequencies, mimicking the hallmark feature of rhythmic-rhythmic coordination, thus suggesting that interference between movements may be invariant across different movement types. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult romantic attachments: A developmental perspective on individual differences.

Attachment theory has, since its inception, contained the proposition that long-term adult romantic relationships (i.e., relationships described by ethologists as "pair bond") are generally attachments. In this article, the possibility that individual differences in adult romantic attachments may emerge, in part, from individual differences in childhood attachments is discussed. The article begins with an examination of the developmental precursors of individual differences in two of the behavioral systems prominent in adult romantic relationships: the attachment system and the caregiving system. For each of these behavioral systems, theory is discussed and the empirical literature is reviewed. The remainder of the article addresses the mechanisms of both continuity across development (i.e., factors that may account for the influences of early attachments on later romantic relationships) and discontinuity (i.e., factors that may account for change in the quality of attachments from childhood to adulthood). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Noninterpretive interventions in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy: A developmental perspective.

One of the more important issues confronting psychoanalysis and psychotherapy seems to involve the clinical and theoretical aspects of so-called noninterpretive interventions. Advances in infant research, developmental psychology, and clinical theory may aid in shedding new light on the role and mechanisms of action of a variety of noninterpretive interventions and clinical concepts, including validation and confirmation, mirroring, clarification, "holding environment," negative therapeutic reactions, and others. In addition, these advances may enhance the understanding of the nature of change in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reasons for abstaining or limiting drinking: A developmental perspective.

The cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between reasons for abstaining or limiting drinking (RALD) and abstention were examined in a 16-year longitudinal study (N = 489) of college students with and without a family history of alcohol problems. Results indicated that RALD based upon upbringing or religiosity were associated with increased rates of abstention, whereas RALD based upon perceived or experienced negative consequences of drinking were associated with lower rates of abstention and increased alcohol consumption among drinkers. In addition, changes in RALD over time coincided with alcohol consumption transitions. Abstainers who began drinking after turning 21 reported a decrease in the importance of RALD associated with loss of control and upbringing or religiosity compared to abstainers who continued to abstain after turning 21. Conversely, drinkers who began abstaining after leaving college reported an increase in the importance of RALD associated with loss of control and upbringing or religiosity compared to drinkers who continued to drink after leaving college. Examining the reciprocal influences of RALD on drinking outcomes extends previous research and may inform prevention and intervention programs among college drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantifying gender differences in physical performance: A developmental perspective.

The purpose was to quantify the contribution of anthropometric variables to gender differences in performance during childhood and adolescence. Measures of height, percentage body fat, and fat-free body weight were obtained for 2,142 students in Grades 3, 7, and 11 (ages 9, 13, and 17 years), and the subjects were tested on 6 motor tasks. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that performance decrements resulting from greater adiposity affects boys and girls equally. Furthermore, this male–female similarity in the degree that fatness handicaps performance holds constant across grades. Percentage-variance analyses revealed that childhood gender differences are substantially influenced by anthropometric variables, with approximately 50% of between-gender variance being accounted for by fatness alone. Boys exhibited progressively greater performance superiority from Grade 3 to Grade 11. However, for specific tasks, there was an age-related decrease in the degree to which anthropometric variables contributed to these gender differences. This prompted the conclusion that with advancing age gender differences may become increasingly more a function of environmental factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)