Le développement de la notion de vitesse relative.

Administered a modified version of a Piagetian test on the concept of relative velocity (including questions on the duration of relative displacements) to 96 children placed in age groups of 7, 9, 11, and 13 yr. It was found that (a) the developmental stages of the concept were comparable to those observed by Piaget except for formal operations which seem to evolve later; (b) the combination of 2 movements of same direction but unequal velocity is more difficult to synthesize than any other; (c) success on the problem of durations is not a prerequisite of at least partial success on the problem of velocities; and (d) complete success on the problem of velocities is not necessarily verbalized in spatio-temporal terms. To explain the difficulty observed in synthesizing velocities, the importance of the instructions (e.g., specifying the speed of each mobile) and of changes in the spatial order of the mobiles was emphasized. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La perception de la vitesse en éclairage intermittent.

Investigated the effects of frequency (flickering light) on the perception of linear velocity. 10 undergraduates adjusted the speed of a continuously illuminated comparison target by reference to an identical target illuminated by flickering light. The experiment was conducted with 2 kinds of targets (vertical bars and textures of random points) and under 5 conditions of intermittency (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 cps) plus a control condition (both targets continuously illuminated). Velocity was overestimated in all conditions of flickering light. This overestimation was found to vary as an inverted U shape function for both targets and was quantitatively higher for texture targets than for bars. Results are discussed with reference to Piaget's theory of the perception of velocity and to electrophysiological data on brightness enhancement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analyse critique de la reponse differee en fonction de la notion d'objet chez Piaget.

Notes that 2 experimental tests are most commonly used in comparative studies of intelligence: delayed response and Piaget's object permanence tasks. A critical analysis of these 2 sets of experiments is presented, and it is suggested that completion of delayed response tasks is indicative of attainment of Stage IV of development of object permanence by an individual or a species. It is proposed that items of Stages V and VI be used so as to get a more complete comparison. Results of most recent studies on object permanence suggest new objectives for research as well as need for more accurate experimental designs. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rendement en lecture et vitesse du traitement de l'information chez les enfants de 6 à 8 ans.

The following study aims at testing information processing rate (IPR) measurements by verifying their potential relationship with the reading performance of children between 6 and 8 years old. One hundred and five children were involved in the study. Rate measurements were done with three tools, namely the Tests de rendement cognitif pour adultes présentant une déficience intellectuelle (Cognitive performance test for mentally retarded adults) (TRCA; Loranger & Pépin, 1997), the Temps de réaction des Tests de rendement cognitif pour enfants (TRCE; Loranger & Pépin, 1998) (Response time of cognitive performance tests for children) and the Rapid automatized naming test (RAN Test; Denckla & Rudel, 1976b). The reading performance as such is evaluated with the Test d'habiletés en lecture (THAL; Pépin & Loranger, 1999) (Reading skills test) and with the Test phonologique (Melan?on, Ziarko & Gagnon, dans Melan?on, 1997) (Phonological Test). The results of the canonical correlations analyses indicate the existence of moderate relations (0.66 and 0.55) between the different rate measurement and reading performance groupings. Results show that the IPR maintains significant relations with reading performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Le développement de la reconnaissance des expressions faciales des émotions chez l'enfant.

Studied the development of the recognition of emotional facial expressions in children and of the factors influencing recognition accuracy. 80 elementary school students (aged 5–8 yrs) were asked to identify the emotions expressed in a series of facial photographs. Recognition performances were analyzed in relation to the type of emotion expressed (i.e., happiness, fear, anger, surprise, sadness, or disgust) and the intensity of the emotional expression. Age differences were determined. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La relation entre l'abus sexuel subi durant l'enfance et la satisfaction conjugale chez l'homme.

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between child sexual abuse and men's dyadic adjustment, using a theoretical model integrating attachment, that is anxiety about abandonment and avoidance of proximity, and psychological distress. Participants were 316 men forming a probabilistic sample of French-Quebecer living in couple. Structural equation analyses showed that sexual abuse predicted dyadic adjustment through anxiety about abandonment and psychological distress. Moreover, there was no relationship between sexual abuse and avoidance of proximity, while this variable was associated to dyadic adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imitation et conflit cognitif dans un contexte d'apprentissage par observation de la notion de conservation.

Contrasted the view that conservation learning requires the initial imitative adoption of modeled conservation with the constructivist view that such learning is based on cognitive conflict. Nonconservers were selected during a pretest; half succeeded and half failed an anticipation task. One-third of the Ss were then exposed to an adult and a child model whose imitation could prove beneficial since, in a conservation task, they agreed over conservation judgments and compensation arguments. One-third were exposed to the same models, whose imitation might not be beneficial since they provided contradictory nonconservation judgments and conflicting justifications. No demonstration took place for the final third of the Ss. Posttesting was conducted immediately after demonstration and 4 wks later. Progress was restricted to those Ss (mainly anticipators) exposed to the correct models, and their achievement improved from immediate to delayed posttesting. This result was accounted for by a sequence of imitation and comprehension processes. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facteurs reliés au choix de la partenaire qui portera l'enfant chez de futures mères lesbiennes.

This study looks at factors associated to the choice of the surrogate mother in lesbian couples who want to have a child through insemination. Fifty same-sex partners (25 couples) have completed questionnaires evaluating various individual, marital, parental and social aspects associated to parenthood. Variance analysis of theses aspects have shown the effects of two factors that is, the type of mother (biological/non-biological) and the procreation mode (known/unknown genitor). Results show that the future biological mothers are older than their partner, pay less importance to their professional role and intend to ensure a greater number of parental tasks. Also, couples who use a known genitor face higher psychological distress than couples who choose an anonymous genitor. This study suggests that the choice of the partner who will bear the child in lesbian couples could be determined by factors predisposing them to adopt special parental roles and invest themselves differently in a child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Etude de la stabilité de l'attitude scolaire entre la troisième et la cinquième année du niveau élémentaire, chez des sujets masculins.

A longitudinal study of attitude toward school was conducted among 30 elementary school boys. A projective test of attitudes toward school (ATS) and a teacher's questionnaire were employed for the test–retest. According to the ATS measure, there was a significant difference in the attitude toward school between Grades 3 and 5 although there was no significant difference according to the teachers' questionnaire. Analysis showed a large variability in the teachers' aptitude to evaluate their pupils' attitudes toward school, with some teachers confounding attitude with academic performance. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the greater value of the ATS measure and to accept the finding of a significant difference in attitude toward school between the 2 grade levels studied. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sympt?mes comportementaux et psychologiques de la démence: Liens entre la recherche psychosociale et les politiques.

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias represent a major health problem. Although memory loss is the most commonly known consequence of dementia, the majority of patients also present behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD). The contribution of psychosocial research includes the identification of patients' needs and the development of strategies for managing symptoms. This research field and health and education policies influence one another. All those concerned need to be informed and to work together in order to make knowledge about BPSD progress and to improve the care of patients suffering from dementia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Asymétrie fonctionnelle haptique et efficience manuelle motrice chez l'enfant aveugle de 6 à 14 ans.

Studied the effects of age and handedness on the ability of blind children to discriminate Braille characters unimanually and to perform unimanual motor tasks. Human subjects: 48 male and female school-age children and adolescents (aged 6–14 yrs) (blindness). Each S was submitted to 2 series of unimanual tasks designed to measure the ability to (1) discriminate and recognize Braille characters unimanually (haptic efficiency) and (2) perform motor tasks involving tapping ability and grip-strength (motor efficiency). The time spent and number of errors in performing each task were evaluated according to the Ss' age, use of right or left hand, or use of both hands. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and other statistical tests were used. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation entre les satisfactions liées à trois r?les sociaux et la satisfaction de vie chez les femmes au foyer.

Determined the roles of marital satisfaction, parental satisfaction, and satisfaction with housework in the prediction of life satisfaction among housewives. 177 women (aged 22–49 yrs) completed measures including the Life Satisfaction Scale (Blais et al, 1989), and the satisfaction score of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Baillargeon et al, 1986). Ss were divided into 3 groups according to stages of the family life cycle, based on the age of the oldest child in the family. Marital satisfaction was a predictor of life satisfaction for all 3 stages of family life cycle. Parental satisfaction was predictive of life satisfaction at stage 1 (oldest child younger than 5 yrs old), while satisfaction with housework had influence at stage 2 (oldest child 6-12 yrs old). For stage 3 (oldest child in adolescence) satisfaction with housework and parental satisfaction were predictors of life satisfaction. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation entre la stratégie d'intervention de l'aidant en formation et son style d'apprentissage.

Assuming that the counselling process implies an experiential learning process, this study seeks to verify the link between the pattern of intervention of helpers in training, the relative emphasis on the phases of counselling, and their learning style. 24 counsellors interviewed the same person for one-hour session. The results of the profile analysis indicate that the learning profiles and the intervention profiles are parallel and coincident. From these results, it can be concluded that helpers in training try to make the client learn the way they learn. The helpers' pattern of intervention is linked to their own way of learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition de la symbolisation, fonction contenante et identification projective chez des enfants psychotiques et leurs professeurs.

Tested hypotheses derived from the psychoanalytic theory of the containing function which holds that psychotic children have an inhibition of the symbolic function and are therefore obliged to use someone else (e.g., a teacher) as a container to perform this function for them. Human Ss: 11 male Canadian school-aged children (aged 7–12 yrs) (special education students) (mixed psychotic disorders) (frequent psychotic crises) (target group). 11 male Canadian school-aged children (aged 7–22 yrs) (special education students) (mixed psychotic disorders) (infrequent psychotic crises) (control group). The main hypothesis was that failure of the containing function in the student–teacher relationship results in frequent psychotic crises. Target group Ss were paired with same-age control group Ss who had the same diagnosis and the same special education teacher. All Ss completed questionnaires and projective techniques assessing the symbolization function and alexithymia. Ss' teachers completed questionnaires, projective techniques, and interviews assessing their capacity for empathy, personal efficacy in relation to each S, and selected aspects of their relationship with each S (e.g., identification, splitting, projection, and idealization). Results from the target group and the control group were compared. Tests used: Several instruments, including the TAT and the Alexithymia Provoked Response Questionnaire (L. Brunet, 1993). (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Les effets de la contingence lors d'une tache d'habituation visuelle chez les nourrissons de 3 et 6 mois.

Thirty-six 3-month old infants and the same number of 6-month old infants underwent three visual habituation procedures differentiated by degree of behavioural contingency. Results showed significant differences between conditions only for the six-month olds: the lower the contingency, the higher the visual fixation scores. Results support some of the propositions that Gergely and Watson (1996, 1999) have put forth regarding the developmental model for detecting contingencies. The results also challenge the traditional model for visual habituation which suggests that varied durations of visual fixation should basically be determined by the visual characteristics of the stimulus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Le décalage dans le développement de la notion d'objet: Mobilité et immobilité de l'objet.

Studied the development of object–person divergence in infants and the association of this divergence or decalage with the physical properties of the objects. Human subjects: 15 male and female Canadian infants (mean age 9 mo). Ss were given 5 identification tasks using mobile and immobile objects: (1) reorientation; (2) disappearance in place; (3) substitution; (4) disappearance in movement of dissimilar objects; and (5) disappearance in movement of similar objects. Ss were asked to indicate if the object was the same after a spatial-temporal transformation. Responses of the subjects to the identification task were recorded and classified by observers into 6 categories: disinterest, looking at object without moving, picking up the transformed object, picking up the nontransformed object, picking up 2 objects, and reproducing the transformation. The results were analyzed statistically and compared with those of another group of 16 infants performing a permanence test. (English abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vulnérabilité à la dépression chez les femmes victimes de violence conjugale: Contribution de la dépendance et l'autocritique.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the moderating effect of conjugal violence on the relationship between Dependency, Self-Criticism and depression. It investigates whether the contribution of personality to the severity of depressive symptoms diminishes as conjugal violence reported by women increases. Participants (N = 151) completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, the Conflict Tactics Scales - II and two measures of depressive symptoms. The results of hierarchical hierarchical regression analyses, including quadratic interactions, indicate different patterns for each of the two personality dimensions. The main hypothesis is confirmed for Dependency: Dependency is related to the severity of depressive symptoms when violence is "moderate." However, the strength of this relationship diminishes as violence increases, the severity of the traumatic situation taking precedence over personal dispositions. On the other hand, results indicate that Self-Criticism adds up to the impact of conjugal violence on depressive symptoms. The discussion underlines the importance of integrating individual factors in the study of depression in women with a history of conjugal violence. It also underlines implications for the operationalisation of negative events likely to generate depressive affect in Dependent and Self-Critical individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Elaboration d'un instrument de mesure des habiletés socio-cognitives chez l'enfant de cinq à dix ans.

To assess social cognitive skills in children, a special test was constructed with cognitive and linguistic demands adapted to young children. The test consisted of 4 tasks that were submitted to 200 children, aged 5–10 yrs. Three tasks were devised to measure cognitive role-taking and the 4th to measure referential communication. Results show a significant increase in performance with age for each task and a significant increasing order of difficulty in the tasks. Thus, each task corresponded to specific levels in the development of role-taking skills. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effet des stimuli écologiques et des programmes de renforcement sur les comportements exploratoires et ludiques de l'enfant.

Analyzed functional relationships between children's exploratory and play behaviors, and stimuli elicited by a novel object in a familiar setting. In Exp I, a wooden duck was presented to 4 groups of 3–5 yr olds. Manipulation of the duck's tail elicited, according to groups, tactile–visual, tactile–auditory, or tactile–visual–auditory stimulations. In Exp II, an intermittent schedule of reinforcement was implemented to examine variations of responses in the tactile–auditory condition. Results indicate variations in the manipulatory response and in the 3 classes of observed behaviors. Tactile–visual–auditory stimulations elicited a maximum of behaviors associated with the novel object and an exponential decrease of manipulatory responses after 2 sessions. The intermittent schedule, in the tactile–auditory condition, elicited behaviors relatively similar to those observed in the tactile–visual–auditory condition. Ecological stimuli affected differently the operant response, as well as other classes of behaviors. The difficulty, and probably the uselessness, of a differentiation between exploration and play is underlined in the discussion. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation entre l'ajustement marital et des mesures subjectives et objectives de soutien conjugal.

20 maritally adjusted and 20 unadjusted participants performed a videotaped social support interaction with their spouses in a laboratory setting. After completing the interaction, the participants watched their videotapes to assess the helpfulness of their spouses' behaviors. Trained independent observers also assessed the spouses' helpfulness. As compared to the adjusted, the unadjusted participants perceived lower degrees of helpful behaviors than in the adjusted spouses. Observers also found higher listening quality and less intrusion from the spouses of the adjusted than from the spouses of the unadjusted. The hypothesis of lower participants-observers convergence of perceptions in the unadjusted group was not verified. The findings are discussed in the light of cognitive theories of marital adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)