Acuity and sighting dominance in children and adults.

Measured the sighting dominance and acuity of 41 2nd-, 57 4th-, and 38 7th-grade children, and of 46 college students. Right vs left sighting dominance occurred in a ratio of approximately 2:1 at each age, in agreement with prior studies. The patterns of acuity dominance also remained constant across grades with about equal proportions of right-eye, left-eye, or no superiority. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age and storage dynamics in continuous recognition memory.

Studied continuous recognition memory for English words in 3 age groups containing 10 Ss each (mean ages = 9.5, 21, and 68 yrs). Words were presented at a rate of 3 sec/word in a 2.6-hr session, with Ss deciding whether or not each word had been presented earlier in the session. Young adults had substantially superior acquisition compared to elderly adults, who were in turn superior in acquisition to the children. However, the form and rate of the retention function was the same for all 3 age groups, suggesting that storage dynamics are invariant with age. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La réputation sociale de l'enfant en milieu scolaire.

Studied the social reputations of elementary school children. Ss were 76 2nd-grade (mean age 7.5 yrs), 71 3rd-grade (mean age 8.5 yrs), and 83 4th-grade students (mean age 9.7 yrs). Using the peer nomination technique, Ss were assessed collectively on 8 dimensions requiring both social and academic judgments. A cluster analysis was performed to identify groups with different sociometric profiles. Correlations between peer evaluations and teacher evaluations of Ss' social reputations were determined. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of semantic context by patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Used semantic-priming procedures to examine limitations in the use of semantic context by 18 patients (mean age 68.9 yrs) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to determine whether any such contextual effects were mediated solely through automatic processes or whether attentional processes were also involved. Three tasks were applied to examine the effect of semantic context on the performance of 18 normal elderly Ss (mean age 67.2 yrs), 18 normal young Ss (mean age 24.1 yrs), and the AD Ss. When normal and AD Ss were asked to decide whether a given item was a member of a certain category, their response times were equally affected by the item's dominance in the category. The time that AD Ss took to recognize a word was actually affected more by the semantic context provided by a priming sentence than was that of normal Ss. When asked to generate the final word of an incomplete sentence, AD Ss performed very poorly unless potential responses were highly constrained by sentence context. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experience-dependent recovery of visuospatial functioning in older alcoholic persons.

Exposed 2 groups of alcoholic males to verbal and visuospatial paired-associate learning tasks known to be sensitive to alcohol dysfunction. Group 1, with 16 Ss (mean age 52.19 yrs), received 4 task administrations 3–4 days apart, beginning 4 days after drinking stopped. Group 2, with 14 Ss (mean age 49.79 yrs), received identical administration beginning 16 days after drinking stopped. An alternate form of the tasks was administered at the final session to assess transfer of training. Two matched nonalcoholic control groups of 12 Ss each (mean age 50.79 yrs) established normative performance on both forms of the tasks. Although the alcoholic Ss' verbal learning was unimpaired, visuospatial functioning was equally impaired initially in both alcoholic groups despite differing periods of abstinence, indicating the lack of time-dependent recovery. However, practice with the visuospatial task resulted in improved visuospatial performance and positive transfer of training not significantly different from normal Ss. It is suggested that since alcoholism treatment outcome is related to neuropsychological status, rehabilitation of cognitive functioning may improve treatment success. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hyperactive and hypoxic children: Signal detection, sustained attention, and behavior.

Two parameters from signal detection theory—perceptual sensitivity and decision criterion cutoff scores—were used in the analysis of vigilance performance of 30 hyperactive (mean age 8.5 yrs), 30 hypoxic (mean age 9 yrs), and 47 normal (mean age 8.8 yrs) children. Signal detection analyses of 3 Continuous Performance Test conditions indicated that with increasing age, Ss obtained significantly more hits, fewer false alarms, higher perceptual sensitivity, and responded with greater caution. Overall deficits in signal discrimination (perceptual sensitivity level) were obtained for both the hyperactive and hypoxic Ss when compared to normal age-mates. Whereas the hypoxic Ss demonstrated additional decrements in sustaining attention (sensitivity decrement over time), the hyperactive Ss were impaired by low-response caution, reflecting difficulty inhibiting impulsive responses. Possible differences in hyperactive sample characteristics across studies and time-related recovery factors following hypoxia are discussed. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recall of pleasant and unpleasant words in depressed subjects.

In Exp I, 20 clinically depressed inpatients (mean age 39.9 yrs), 20 nondepressed inpatients (mean age 42.65 yrs), and 20 nonpatients (mean age 44 yrs) were shown a word list containing pleasant and unpleasant words. One-half of Ss in each group were given free-recall instructions, the other half were asked to rate each word on a pleasantness scale prior to recall. Results show that only depressed Ss given free-recall instructions recalled more unpleasant words than pleasant words. In Exp II, 30 clinically depressed inpatients (mean age 39.33 yrs) were shown a word list consisting of either (1) pleasant and unpleasant words, (2) unpleasant words, or (3) pleasant words. Results show that only Ss receiving the mixed list recalled more unpleasant than pleasant words. Findings support the hypothesis that depressed Ss selectively process unpleasant words and that this processing is at the expense of attention to pleasant words. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factorial validity of Stephen's Social Behavior Assessment.

Conducted exploratory factor and item analyses of the Social Behavior Assessment (SBA), using teacher ratings of 301 elementary school pupils from regular classes (mean age 9.4 yrs), 39 learning disabled students (mean age 9.1 yrs), and 62 emotionally disturbed children (mean age 10.1 yrs). It was found that a 5-factor oblique solution was the most reasonable. Factors obtained from item analysis explained more of the variance than factors based on subcategory scores. A shorter revised instrument is proposed that consists of 71 items based on 4 underlying factors—Social Participation/Conversation, Academic Responsibility, Self-Control, and Consideration for Others. This revised SBA discriminated between Ss in regular classes and those enrolled in special education programs. Emotionally disturbed Ss had the most deviant scores on each of the 4 factors. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corpus d'extraits musicaux: indices relatifs à la familiarité, à l'age d'acquisition et aux évocations verbales.

Studied the degree of familiarity, the age of acquisition, and verbal associations with regard to 144 musical excerpts drawn from the repertory of tunes that is expected to be shared by all French-speaking Quebec university students. Human Ss: 60 normal male and female Canadian adults (aged 21–45 yrs) (university students) (Group 1). 60 normal male and female Canadian adults (aged 19–43 yrs) (university students) (Group 2). The excerpts were presented to all Ss in synthesized, monophonic recordings. Ss in Group 1 were asked to indicate their degree of familiarity with each excerpt and the age at which they learned the excerpt. Ss in Group 2 were asked to indicate whether the original tune was vocal or instrumental and to provide verbal associations for the excerpts. The degree of familiarity, developmental period of acquisition, frequency of verbal associations, and dominant verbal association were determined for each excerpt. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotions, defenses, coping mechanisms, and symptoms.

Used L. A. Gottschalk and G. C. Gleser's (1969) method of content analysis to examine 5-min samples of speech elicited from 6 different groups of Ss: 30 young normal men (mean age 25.7 yrs), 30 normative adults (aged 20–50 yrs), 30 normative schoolchildren (aged 6–26 yrs), 20 adults with psychoneuroses, 44 emotionally disturbed criminal offenders (mean age 25.6 yrs), and 22 acute schizophrenics (aged 21–55 yrs). Ss were given purposely ambiguous standardized instructions simulating the request to free-associate. Findings indicate that displacements and denials in mentally healthy individuals are more likely to function as coping mechanisms in contrast to their function as defenses or symptoms in mentally disordered people. No significant effects of sex, age, intelligence, or state of consciousness were found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Agressivité et statut auprès des pairs chez les gar?ons du primaire: un examen de la règle de dissimilarité.

Studied the influence of the value attached to aggression by a peer group on the relationship between aggression and peer status. Human Ss: 171 normal male Canadian school-age children (mean age 8 yrs) (3rd-grade students from 14 classes). 106 normal male Canadian school-age children (mean age 10 yrs) (5th-grade students from 9 classes). Ss completed interviews, questionnaires, and peer nomination inventories to assess their peer status and attitudes toward aggression (ATA). Teachers filled out a behavior problem checklist for each S. Interactions between aggressive behavior and peer status were analyzed, and for each grade level, results from the 3 classes with the highest group ATA scores were compared to results from the 3 classes with the lowest group ATA scores. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accounting for age differences on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: Decreased working memory, not inflexibility.

Two experiments examined the role of cognitive inflexibility and reduced working memory in age-related declines on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Ss for the first experiment were 85 younger adults (mean age 19.7 yrs) and 76 older adults (mean age 70.3 yrs). For the second experiment, Ss were 48 younger and 48 older adults (mean ages 20.3 yrs and 69.8 yrs, respectively). Both standard scoring procedures and newly developed scores were used to measure each construct, and modifications of the test further evaluated the role of working memory. Results indicated that age differences are not due to cognitive inflexibility but that for a subset of older adults errors are associated with a reduction in the amount of information that can be stored or processed in working memory. These age differences disappear, however, when visual cues provide information about the immediately preceding sort. The authors conclude by proposing a decline in updating working memory as the explanation that can best account for the entire pattern of age differences on this test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

De l'ombre à l'objet: R?le de l'age, de l'objet et de l'interaction sociale dans la synthèse de points de vue.

Studied age differences in strategies used to determine the shape of partially hidden objects. Types of strategies were also discussed. Human subjects: 36 male and female Swiss school-age children (aged 7–9 yrs), 36 male and female Swiss adolescents and adults (aged 14–18 yrs), and 36 male and female Swiss adults (aged 24–55 yrs). Ss were asked to determine the shape of 2 geometric objects and 2 objects constructed with Lego blocks hidden in a shadow box. Ss either worked alone, seeing shadows of 2 sides of the object, or in pairs, each pair member seeing the shadow of 1 side of the object. In the 2nd condition, the 2 Ss had to communicate with each other to determine the objects' shapes. The ratio of the number of proposed solutions to the number of possible solutions, types of erroneous solutions, and types of strategies used to determine the shapes were analyzed statistically according to age and type of object using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Three types of strategies were identified: recognition, addition, and multiplication. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of media on picturing by children and adults.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 21(3) of Developmental Psychology (see record 2008-10969-001). The reference to Copple, Cocking, and Waxman on pages 667 and 672 is incorrectly cited as 1968. The correct date is 1980.] Examined the hypothesis that adults and children have media-specific conceptions of picturing and that the functional uses of photography and drawing differ across development. 30 preschoolers (aged 4.0–5.6 yrs), 30 schoolchildren (aged 6.6–10.0 yrs), and 30 adults (aged 17–63 yrs) responded to either a photographic or drawing task. In each task, Ss were asked to talk aloud about what they were doing or thinking as they produced their pictures. The results show a progression with age from viewing photography as only reflecting the real object (preschoolers), to viewing it as a medium that allows for control and alteration of reality (school age children and adults). For drawing, all age groups displayed knowledge of the ability to control aspects of their productions. Symbolic performance is thus as closely linked to the S's experience in the use of a medium as to the age of the S. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of speech motor development in children.

Pulsed ultrasound was used to study tongue movements in the speech of 11 children, aged 3 yrs 3 mo to 11 yrs 6 mo. The stimuli were CV syllables that were produced at a normal speech rate with alternate vowels stressed. In Ss over 6 yrs of age, the pattern of tongue dorsum movement was identical to that observed in adults. For all Ss, the maximum velocity of tongue dorsum raising and lowering was correlated with the extent of the gesture. The slope of the relationship differed for stressed and unstressed vowels, although the differences were not consistent prior to age 6 yrs. For all Ss, the correlation between displacement and peak velocity was accompanied by a relatively constant interval from the initiation of the movement to the point of maximum velocity. The similarity in the tongue dorsum kinematics of children and adults is consistent with the idea that speech motor development involves a refinement of basic modes of motor operation rather than any significant change in the control of the speech apparatus. The speech data obtained are characteristic of systems that can be described by 2nd-order differential equations. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathognomic verbalizations, anxiety and hostility in normal Mexican and United States Anglo-American children's fantasies: A longitudinal study.

Investigated the effects of culture on the development of logical thinking and degree of emotional disturbance in normal children. Mexican and US Anglo-American school children (N = 392), closely paired on sex, age, and socioeconomic status, were employed as Ss in an overlapping, longitudinal design covering a span of 12 yrs in only 6 yrs of repeated testing. Initial testing was done at ages 6.7, 9.7, and 12.7 yrs for each of 3 age groups, respectively. A complex analysis of variance design was constructed with 5 main factors: culture, socioeconomic status, sex, age group, and trial. The main effect as well as interactions involving culture were investigated on 3 dependent variables: Holtzman Inkblot Technique Pathognomic-Verbalization, Anxiety, and Hostility scores. Results showed significantly higher amounts of disturbed thinking and anxious and hostile response content in Anglo-American than in Mexican Ss. Results are interpreted in light of cultural differences in family structure and styles of coping. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Erectile responses among heterosexual child molesters, father-daughter incest offenders, and matched non-offenders: Five distinct age preference profiles.

Studied erectile responses to pictures of nude females ranging in age from 3–24 yrs in 21 incest offenders, 40 nonfamilial child molesters, and 22 non-offender Ss approximately matched on socioeconomic status (SES), intelligence, and age. Profiles of erectile responses, plotting percent of full erection over age of target stimulus, were drawn for each individual S. These profiles were sorted into 5 distinct profile shapes reflecting: (1) a failure to discriminate among the stimuli, or a clear preference for either (2) adults, (3) adults and teens, (4) children, or (5) children and adults. Nonoffenders primarily showed adult profiles, while incest offenders displayed either a nondiscriminating profile or an adult preference pattern. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The feeling of knowing experience in educable retarded children.

Required 50 educable retarded children to predict their recognition accuracy when recall failed. Ss were divided into 3 ability levels: (a) old Ss (mean CA 13.25 yrs, mean MA 10.5 yrs), (b) medium Ss (mean CA 11.25 yrs, mean MA 8.75 yrs), and (c) young Ss (mean CA 9 yrs 5 mo, mean MA 6 yrs 9 mo). Results indicate that old and medium Ss could reliably predict their recognition accuracy, suggesting sensitivity to their own feeling of knowing experience, but that the young Ss showed no evidence of this sensitivity. Even though the young Ss had difficulty predicting their recognition accuracy in advance they were able to estimate the success or failure of their responses after they had occurred. Results are discussed in terms of the complexity of the metamemory judgment required, and the advisability of evaluating metamemorial knowledge across several situations is emphasized. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early cross-cultural commonalities in social explanation.

Cognitive processing and semantic influences on the developmental patterning of everyday social explanation are examined in 30 American and 28 Hindu adults (mean age 41.2 yrs for the US and 38.5 yrs for the Hindu Ss) and 30 American and 20 Hindu children (aged 8, 11, and 15 yrs). Ss were asked to narrate 2 deviant and 2 prosocial behaviors and to explain why each behavior was undertaken. Results demonstrate the existence of both common as well as culture-specific age trends. In both cultures, young children tended to emphasize instance-oriented social concepts and to structure their explanations in schematic terms. Evidence suggests that such attributional tendencies reflect common cognitive processing orientations arising spontaneously early in development, rather than merely the effects of social transmission. Results also indicate that a significant developmental increase in attributional references to the social context occurs among Hindus but not among Americans. Such divergent developmental patterns are interpreted as arising, at least in part, from Americans' and Hindus' acquisition of contrasting cultural meaning systems. Implications for integrating cognitive processing and cultural perspectives on attribution are discussed. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)