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Infants form associations between memory representations of stimuli that are absent.

Traditional models of learning assume that an association can be formed only between cues that are physically present. Here, we report that when two objects that had never appeared together were simultaneously activated in memory, young human infants associated the representations of those objects. Neither object was physically present at the time the association was formed. The association remained latent for up to 2 weeks, when the infants used it to perform a deferred imitation task. These findings reveal that what infants merely see "brings to mind" what they saw before and combines it in new ways. In addition to challenging a fundamental tenet of classic learning models, these findings have major theoretical and practical implications for early cognitive development. Every day, in the same manner, young infants probably form numerous associations between activated memories of objects that are physically absent, creating a potential knowledge base of untold dimensions.

Association↗

Neonatal imitation of tongue protrusion and mouth opening: methodological aspects and evidence of early individual differences.

The present work examines imitation of mouth opening and tongue protrusion in 32 full-term infants at three different occasions: When the infants are two to three days, three weeks, and three months old. The analysis focuses (1) on individual differences in imitative behaviour and (2) on how to operationalize the infants' responses. The overall group analysis revealed that imitation of tongue protrusion was statistically significant for both two- to three-day-old and three-week-old infants but not when the children had become three months old. No statistically significant effect was observed for imitation of mouth opening. Two different imitation indexes were constructed in order to assess individual differences in early imitative behaviour. Results show that short-term stability in imitative tendencies exists between the first and second observation. The results further reveal that methodological factors must be seriously considered when studying neonatal imitation: the overall imitation found for tongue protrusion is demonstrated to be dependent on how the infants' responses are coded.

Female↗

Effects of modelling on children's pretend play.

The effects of modelling on pretend play were studied in children between 2.6 and 3.6 years of age by examining changes both in the action and language-based expressions of pretending. Three modelled scenes were demonstrated with the same realistic toys used by the child in the pre-modelling phase. The results gave support to the idea of the effectiveness of modelling. The effects of the modelled scenes were clearest among children whose pre-modelling play consisted of object-centred actions including few of pretending. The post-modelling play of this subgroup showed better quality of action and language categories and integration measures. Among the decentred players no significant action benefit could be achieved. This might have been an outcome of the contextual limits of the toy material and of the drop of play motivation caused by the model interruption. However, these children expressed verbal pretending revealing significant pre-post effects for inventive utterances.

Child, Preschool↗

Facial EMG reactions to facial expressions: a case of facial emotional contagion?

The purpose of this study is to explore whether subjects exposed to stimuli of facial expressions respond with facial electromyographic (EMG) reactions consistent with the hypothesis that facial expressions are contagious. This study further examines whether males and females differ in facial EMG intensity. Two experiments demonstrated that subjects responded with facial EMG activity over the corrugator supercilii, the zygomatic major, the lateral frontalis, the depressor supercilii, and the levator labii muscle regions to stimuli of sad, angry, fearful, surprised, disgusted and happy faces, that, to large extent, were consistent with the hypothesis that facial expressions are contagious. Aspects of gender differences reported in earlier studies were found, indicating a tendency for females to respond with more pronounced facial EMG intensity.

Adult↗

Biological basis of social interactions: implications of research for an understanding of behavioural deviance.

Among the infant's initial risks, interactional failures have recently been identified as potential links of vicious circles leading from inconspicuous deviance to severe clinical syndromes. The knowledge of the origins of interactional failure has been insufficient. In this paper a basic explanatory model is presented and two major determinants of successful parent-infant interactions are analysed: the infant's integrative competence and the initial forms of parenting. Particular attention is paid to pre-term infants and the biological roots of parenting.

Humans↗

Reading gains for underachieving tutors and tutees in a cross-age tutoring programme.

A cross-age peer tutoring programme in reading is described in which three underachieving 10- to 11-year-old students tutored three underachieving 6- to 8-year-old students. The programme, a modification of the 'paired-reading' technique of Morgan and Lyon, involved both concurrent modelling of correct reading and praise for reading independently by peer tutors. When given general instructions to help, tutors did provide some assistance, but specific training was necessary before appropriate tutoring behaviours were used. Both tutees showed marked improvements in oral reading and comprehension on classroom exercises and standardised reading tests.

Achievement↗

Do autistic children differ from retarded and normal children in Piagetian sensorimotor functioning?

Piagetian sensorimotor functioning of 10 autistic, 10 retarded, and 10 normal children, closely matched on mental age, was assessed with the Dunst revision of the Uzgiris and Hunt scales of infant psychological development. The three groups showed no significant differences in overall performance or specific subtest performance as revealed by estimated developmental ages, number of failed items, and Piagetian stage levels. These findings, which are contrary to previous reports of early sensorimotor deficits specific to autism, suggest that the long-term cognitive deficits in autism are more in symbolic thinking, which does not emerge until the end of the sensorimotor period.

Autistic Disorder↗

Art and accuracy: the drawing ability of idiot-savants.

The accuracy and the artistic merit of drawings produced by graphically gifted idiot-savants and by artistically able normal children were investigated in various conditions. Drawings had to be executed when a three- or two-dimensional model of the scene to be drawn was in view, or when it had to be remembered or drawn from another viewpoint. It was found that overall accuracy was better for the normal than for the mentally handicapped subjects. In contrast, ratings for artistic merit did not differentiate the groups. It is concluded that while the accuracy of drawings may be related to intelligence, the artistic quality of the graphic production is not.

Adolescent↗

Control of action and thought: normal development and dysfunction in autism: a research note.

Thirty-six children with autism, 24 children with learning difficulties (matched with the autistic group for sentence comprehension), and 41 normally-developing preschoolers were given two simple tasks: a hand-game requiring inhibitory control, and a delayed-reward situation tapping metacognitive awareness of strategies for coping with the delay period. For both clinical groups, performance on the two tasks was correlated, even when the effect of comprehension level was partialled out. However, no such correlation was observed for the preschoolers, once age was taken into account. The results are discussed in terms of potential links between executive-function and mental-state awareness.

Adolescent↗

Elicited imitation: its effectiveness for speech and language screening.

The authors explored the clinical usefulness of a brief sentence-repetition screening task (SRST), by screening 382 kindergarten children and performing follow-up tests on a stratified sample of 78. Results indicate that an elicited-imitation task can predict the combined outcome of receptive and expressive language problems, as well as articulation problems. Replication, cross-validation and assessment of children with selective receptive impairments are recommended. Nevertheless, the present study demonstrates that the use of sentence-repetition screening tasks could be a very efficient strategy for screening for both language and articulation problems in kindergarten children.

Articulation Disorders↗

Teratogenic effects of alcohol on infant development.

Results of previous studies of effects of drinking during pregnancy on standardized tests of infant development have varied, depending on level of exposure. This study of 382 Black, inner city infants confirmed effects of moderate-to-heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on Bayley Scale performance originally observed in a White, middle class cohort. Effects of second and third trimester drinking were as strong or stronger than those of drinking at the time of conception. New methods for reducing the Bayley Scale data suggested specific deficits relating to emergence of the ability to imitate modeled behavior and the development of standing and walking. The incidence of very poor performance (bottom 10th percentile) on the Bayley Mental Development Index more than doubled in children whose mothers averaged at least 0.5 oz absolute alcohol per day during pregnancy, indicating that this exposure has a clinically meaningful impact at markedly lower levels than those associated with full fetal alcohol syndrome. Clinically meaningful effects on the Psychomotor Development Index, by contrast, were seen only in the infants of heavy drinking mothers with overt symptomatology of alcohol abuse. Adverse effects on Bayley Scale performance were more prevalent in the infants of women more than 30 years of age.

Adult↗

Multiple family group therapy: a review of the literature.

This review focuses upon multiple family group therapy, its origin in the intersection of family and group therapies, its use in a variety of settings, its specific techniques and group development in individual and ongoing meetings, its goals and dominant themes, its parallels in family and group work. Also discussed are evaluation of outcome of this therapy modality and those dynamics thought to contribute to family change. Areas for further investigation are outlined.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Challenges and promises of training women as family systems therapists.

The structural/strategic family therapy model has drawn increasing numbers of women practitioners attracted not only by its effectiveness but by the opportunity to function in an active, orchestrative, flexible role. Traditional sex-role training, family and supervisor expectations, and patriarchal institutional structures pose particular challenges to the female family therapist and trainee. This paper explores several critical problem areas for women learning to function in this role, including the expression of authority, countertransference, sexual politics of supervision, and boundary issues. Particular content areas of focus for didactic training and common sex-role difficulties in the supervision process are delineated. The discussion underscores the need for assessment and intervention skills not only in small family systems but in larger institutional structures as well in order to enhance the professional development and effectiveness of women in the family therapy field at all levels.

Countertransference↗

Ideomotor apraxia: a study of initial severity.

This study investigated whether there are predictors for initial severity of ideomotor apraxia (IMA) in focal left-hemisphere vascular patients. One hundred and twenty-nine subjects were examined between 15 and 30 days post-onset. Twenty-five patients with bilateral lesions were also studied in order to delineate the role of the right hemisphere. Other neuropsychological variables (i.e., token test, progressive matrices and oral apraxia scores) and size of the lesion were included in the experimental design. The main results were that a) token test, progressive matrices, oral apraxia scores, and lesion size correlate significantly with IMA, and b) that the presence of a second lesion in the right hemisphere is not found to have any significant effect on initial severity of IMA.

Aged↗