A Linguistic Feature Comparison of the Verbal Protocols of Good and Poor Readers on Standardized Measures of Reading Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavale, Kenneth A.

Sixteen sixth-grade students participated in a study of the reasoning strategies employed by good and poor readers. Students, trained in applying introspective procedures, completed instruments that measured verbal reasoning, determining cause and effect, reading for inference, and determining main idea. Protocols obtained during five consecutive…

Assessment of strategic processing during narrative comprehension in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen; Creamer, Scott

2010-07-01

A think-aloud protocol was used to examine the strategies used by individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) during text comprehension. Twenty-three participants with MCI and 23 cognitively healthy older adults (OA) read narratives, pausing to verbalize their thoughts after each sentence. The verbal protocol analysis developed by Trabasso and Magliano (1996) was then used to code participants' utterances into inferential and non-inferential statements; inferential statements were further coded to identify the memory operation used in their generation. Compared with OA controls, the MCI participants showed poorer story comprehension and produced fewer inferences. The MCI participants were also less skilled at providing explanations of story events and in using prior text information to support inference generation. Poorer text comprehension was associated with poorer verbal memory abilities and poorer use of prior text events when producing inferential statements. The results suggest that the memory difficulties of the MCI group may be an important cognitive factor interfering with their ability to integrate narrative events through the use of inferences and to form a global coherence to support text comprehension.

Regressive Imagery in Creative Problem-Solving: Comparing Verbal Protocols of Expert and Novice Visual Artists and Computer Programmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozbelt, Aaron; Dexter, Scott; Dolese, Melissa; Meredith, Daniel; Ostrofsky, Justin

2015-01-01

We applied computer-based text analyses of regressive imagery to verbal protocols of individuals engaged in creative problem-solving in two domains: visual art (23 experts, 23 novices) and computer programming (14 experts, 14 novices). Percentages of words involving primary process and secondary process thought, plus emotion-related words, were…

Examining Expertise Using Interviews and Verbal Protocols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Wiel, Margje W. J.

2017-01-01

To understand expertise and expertise development, interactions between knowledge, cognitive processing and task characteristics must be examined in people at different levels of training, experience, and performance. Interviewing is widely used in the initial exploration of domain expertise. Work and cognitive task analysis chart the knowledge,…

Comparing Examples: WebAssign versus Textbook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Evan; Polak, Jeff; Hardin, Ashley; Risley, John, , Dr.

2005-11-01

Research shows students can learn from worked examples.^1 This pilot study compared two groups of students' performance (10 each) in solving physics problems. One group had access to interactive examples^2 released in WebAssign^3, while the other group had access to the counterpart textbook examples. Verbal data from students in problem solving sessions was collected using a think aloud protocol^4 and the data was analyzed using Chi's procedures.^5 An explanation of the methodology and results will be presented. Future phases of this pilot study based upon these results will also be discussed. ^1Atkinson, R.K., Derry, S.J., Renkl A., Wortham, D. (2000). ``Learning from Examples: Instructional Principles from the Worked Examples Research'', Review of Educational Research, vol. 70, n. 2, pp. 181-214. ^2Serway, R.A. & Faughn, J.S. (2006). College Physics (7^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. ^3 see www.webassign.net ^4 Ericsson, K.A. & Simon, H.A. (1984). Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ^5 Chi, Michelene T.H. (1997). ``Quantifying Qualitative Analyses of Verbal Data: A Practical Guide,'' The Journal of the Learning Sciences, vol. 6, n. 3, pp. 271-315.

Teachers' Use of a Verbally Governed Algorithm and Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keohane, Dolleen-Day; Greer, R. Douglas

2005-01-01

The effects of instructing teachers in the use of a verbally governed algorithm to solve students' learning problems were measured. The teachers were taught to analyze students' responses to instruction using a strategic protocol, which included a series of verbally governed questions. The study was designed to determine whether the instructional…

A Protocol Analysis of the Influence of Technology on Students' Actions, Verbal Commentary, and Thought Processes During the Performance of Acid-Base Titrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakhleh, Mary B.; Krajcik, Joseph S.

1993-01-01

From an analysis of 14 secondary student's actions and thought processes, it was found that technology's level of information affected the focus of student observations. The microcomputer group focused primarily on the graph while other groups exhibited multiple foci. The discussion data also reveal that students have three main ideas about how…

Against All Odds: Problem-Solving Strategies and Behavioural Characteristics of Novice Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Pei-Fen; Lin, Miao-Chen

2015-01-01

This study investigates problem-solving difficulties of novices in a classroom setting, using a German instructional tool, the Fischertechnik kit of approximately 400 parts. In order to analyse the students' thinking processes as they solved the problems, verbal protocol analysis (VPA) was used to record the students'' thinking processes and…

First- and Second-Order Reactivity to Verbal Protocols: An Example from a Study on Strategy Variability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jay, Tim

2012-01-01

Verbal reports are a common method of data collection in studies of mathematics learning, often in studies with a longitudinal component or those employing microgenetic methods where several observations of problem-solving are made over a short period of time. Whilst there is a fairly substantial literature on reactivity to verbal reports,…

Effects of Dictation-Taking and Match-to-Sample Training on Listing and Spelling Responses in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Souza, Andresa A.; Rehfeldt, Ruth Anne

2013-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated that conditions can be arranged to promote increases in a nontargeted verbal operant following instruction of another verbal operant. In the current study, we used a multiple baseline design to evaluate the effects of 2 instructional protocols on nontargeted verbal repertoires (listing of synonyms and vocal…

Understanding Definitions of Minimally Verbal across Instruments: Evidence for Subgroups within Minimally Verbal Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bal, Vanessa Hus; Katz, Terry; Bishop, Somer L.; Krasileva, Kate

2016-01-01

Background: Minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often assumed to be profoundly cognitively impaired and excluded from analyses due to challenges completing standardized testing protocols. A literature aimed at increasing understanding of this subgroup is emerging; however, the many methods used to define MV…

Text-Processing Differences in Adolescent Adequate and Poor Comprehenders Reading Accessible and Challenging Narrative and Informational Text

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denton, Carolyn A.; Enos, Mischa; York, Mary J.; Francis, David J.; Barnes, Marcia A.; Kulesz, Paulina A.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Carter, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Based on the analysis of 620 think-aloud verbal protocols from students in grades 7, 9, and 11, we examined students' conscious engagement in inference generation, paraphrasing, verbatim text repetition, and monitoring while reading narrative or informational texts that were either at or above the students' current reading levels. Students were…

Epistemic Processing When Adolescents Read Online: A Verbal Protocol Analysis of More And Less Successful Online Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Byeong-Young; Woodward, Lindsay; Li, Dan

2018-01-01

This study examines how the beliefs that adolescent readers hold about knowledge and knowing are activated during online reading. The research questions center on the pattern of these readers' epistemic processes through which more or less productive learning occurs. High school students performed a critical online reading task on a controversial…

On the Temporal Nature of Planning in L1 and L2 Composing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manchon, Rosa M.; de Larios, Julio Roca

2007-01-01

In this article we report on a study in which verbal protocol data were used to explore English as a foreign language writers' planning behavior while engaged in academic writing tasks. The analysis was approached from a temporal perspective (i.e., time spent on planning operations) in relation to three independent variables: (a) the participants'…

Scripture Reading Practices of Methodist Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rackley, Eric

2017-01-01

Framed as the "transaction" between readers and texts, this article examines the scripture reading practices of three Methodist youth. Data were generated through verbal protocols in which youth verbalized their thinking as they read self-selected passages from the Bible. Multiple rounds of inductive thematic analyses identified how the…

A Macro-Level Analysis of SRL Processes and Their Relations to the Acquisition of a Sophisticated Mental Model of a Complex System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Jeffrey Alan; Azevedo, Roger

2009-01-01

In this study, we used think-aloud verbal protocols to examine how various macro-level processes of self-regulated learning (SRL; e.g., planning, monitoring, strategy use, handling of task difficulty and demands) were associated with the acquisition of a sophisticated mental model of a complex biological system. Numerous studies examine how…

Solution Strategies, Modes of Representation and Justifications of Primary Five Pupils in Solving Pre Algebra Problems: An Experience of Using Task-Based Interview and Verbal Protocol Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Gan We; Ghazali, Munirah

2007-01-01

This descriptive study was aimed at looking into how Primary 5 pupils solve pre-algebra problems concerning patterns and unknown quantities. Specifically, objectives of this study were to describe Primary 5 pupils' solution strategies, modes of representations and justifications in: (a) discovering, describing and using numerical and geometrical…

Evaluation of induced and evoked changes in EEG during selective attention to verbal stimuli.

PubMed

Horki, P; Bauernfeind, G; Schippinger, W; Pichler, G; Müller-Putz, G R

2016-09-01

Two challenges need to be addressed before bringing non-motor mental tasks for brain-computer interface (BCI) control to persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS), who can be behaviorally unresponsive even when proven to be consciously aware: first, keeping the cognitive demands as low as possible so that they could be fulfilled by persons with MCS. Second, increasing the control of experimental protocol (i.e. type and timing of the task performance). The goal of this study is twofold: first goal is to develop an experimental paradigm that can facilitate the performance of brain-teasers (e.g. mental subtraction and word generation) on the one hand, and can increase the control of experimental protocol on the other hand. The second goal of this study is to exploit the similar findings for mentally attending to someone else's verbal performance of brain-teaser tasks and self-performing the same tasks to setup an online BCI, and to compare it in healthy participants to the current "state-of-the-art" motor imagery (MI, sports). The response accuracies for the best performing healthy participants indicate that selective attention to verbal performance of mental subtraction (SUB) is a viable alternative to the MI. Time-frequency analysis of the SUB task in one participant with MCS did not reveal any significant (p<0.05) EEG changes, whereas imagined performance of one sport of participants' choice (SPORT) revealed task-related EEG changes over neurophysiological plausible cortical areas. We found that mentally attending to someone else's verbal performance of brain-teaser tasks leads to similar results as in self-performing the same tasks. In this work we demonstrated that a single auditory selective attention task (i.e. mentally attending to someone else's verbal performance of mental subtraction) can modulate both induced and evoked changes in EEG, and be used for yes/no communication in an auditory scanning paradigm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of EMDR in positive verbal material: results from a patient study

PubMed Central

Matthijssen, Suzy Johanna Martina Adriana; van den Hout, Marcel

2016-01-01

Background According to the working memory (WM) theory of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), dual tasks that tax WM during memory recall reduce image vividness and emotionality of memory during future recalls when no dual task is carried out. There is some evidence that WM taxing also reduces vividness and emotionality of auditory or verbal imagery. Objective The present study tests the effect of eye movements (EM) on positive verbal material (verbal imagery), which is used in different parts of the EMDR protocol. In the Dutch version of the standard EMDR protocol, a procedure “Positive Closure” (PC) is performed, which uses verbal imagery under dual task condition (EM). The value of EM in this procedure has not been established and according to the WM account would be counterproductive. Two earlier studies with undergraduates, with a set-up comparable to the present one, showed no additive value of the EM in the procedure, but no counterproductive effect either. Method Thirty-six patients rated the belief in possessing two positive personality traits and emotionality of the traits. They then had an EMDR session targeting a negative memory and recalled and re-rated the belief and emotionality of the traits afterward. Subsequently, they recalled one trait while dual tasking (EM) and the other trait without dual tasking. Afterward, they re-rated the belief and emotionality. Results EM did not affect the belief in possessing the trait or the emotionality. Secondary analysis shows an effective EMDR session itself enhances the belief in the traits, compared to a less or non-effective EMDR session. Conclusions EM are not effective in enhancing the belief in possessing a personality trait or the emotionality. If replicated by other patient studies, this suggests elimination of the PC procedure. Highlights of the article In this study the additive value of EM on verbal material (in the procedure Positive Closure) is not found. No effect of the procedure Positive Closure on the Belief in a personality trait nor the emotional intensity of the trait was found. An effective EMDR session (large reduction of the SUD during the session) was effective in changing the Belief in personality traits. PMID:27387844

Verbal memory and verbal fluency tasks used for language localization and lateralization during magnetoencephalography.

PubMed

Pirmoradi, Mona; Jemel, Boutheina; Gallagher, Anne; Tremblay, Julie; D'Hondt, Fabien; Nguyen, Dang Khoa; Béland, Renée; Lassonde, Maryse

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a presurgical magnetoencephalography (MEG) protocol to localize and lateralize expressive and receptive language function as well as verbal memory in patients with epilepsy. Two simple language tasks and a different analytical procedure were developed. Ten healthy participants and 13 epileptic patients completed two language tasks during MEG recording: a verbal memory task and a verbal fluency task. As a first step, principal component analyses (PCA) were performed on source data from the group of healthy participants to identify spatiotemporal factors that were relevant to these paradigms. Averaged source data were used to localize areas activated during each task and a laterality index (LI) was computed on an individual basis for both groups, healthy participants and patients, using sensor data. PCA revealed activation in the left temporal lobe (300 ms) during the verbal memory task, and from the frontal lobe (210 ms) to the temporal lobe (500 ms) during the verbal fluency task in healthy participants. Averaged source data showed activity in the left hemisphere (250-750 ms), in Wernicke's area, for all participants. Left hemisphere dominance was demonstrated better using the verbal memory task than the verbal fluency task (F1,19=4.41, p=0.049). Cohen's kappa statistic revealed 93% agreement (k=0.67, p=0.002) between LIs obtained from MEG sensor data and fMRI, the IAT, electrical cortical stimulation or handedness with the verbal memory task for all participants. At 74%, agreement results for the verbal fluency task did not reach statistical significance. Analysis procedures yielded interesting findings with both tasks and localized language-related activation. However, based on source localization and laterality indices, the verbal memory task yielded better results in the context of the presurgical evaluation of epileptic patients. The verbal fluency task did not add any further information to the verbal memory task as regards language localization and lateralization for most patients and healthy participants that would facilitate decision making prior to surgery. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ways of Thinking Associated with Mathematics Teachers' Problem Posing in the Context of Division of Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koichu, Boris; Harel, Guershon; Manaster, Alfred

2013-01-01

Twenty-four mathematics teachers were asked to think aloud when posing a word problem whose solution could be found by computing 4/5 divided by 2/3. The data consisted of verbal protocols along with the written notes made by the subjects. The qualitative analysis of the data was focused on identifying the structures of the problems produced and…

Think aloud: acute stress and coping strategies during golf performances.

PubMed

Nicholls, Adam R; Polman, Remco C J

2008-07-01

A limitation of the sport psychology coping literature is the amount of time between a stressful episode and the recall of the coping strategies used in the stressful event (Nicholls & Polman, 2007). The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a technique to measure acute stress and coping during performance. Five high-performance adolescent golfers took part in Level 2 verbalization think aloud trials (Ericsson & Simon, 1993), which involved participants verbalizing their thoughts, over six holes of golf. Verbal reports were audio-recorded during each performance, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using protocol analysis (Ericsson & Simon, 1993). Stressors and coping strategies varied throughout the six holes, which support the proposition that stress and coping is a dynamic process that changes across phases of the same performance (Lazarus, 1999). The results also revealed information regarding the sequential patterning of stress and coping, suggesting that the golfers experienced up to five stressors before reporting a coping strategy. Think aloud appears a suitable method to collect concurrent stress and coping data.

Heart rate variability during acute psychosocial stress: A randomized cross-over trial of verbal and non-verbal laboratory stressors.

PubMed

Brugnera, Agostino; Zarbo, Cristina; Tarvainen, Mika P; Marchettini, Paolo; Adorni, Roberta; Compare, Angelo

2018-05-01

Acute psychosocial stress is typically investigated in laboratory settings using protocols with distinctive characteristics. For example, some tasks involve the action of speaking, which seems to alter Heart Rate Variability (HRV) through acute changes in respiration patterns. However, it is still unknown which task induces the strongest subjective and autonomic stress response. The present cross-over randomized trial sought to investigate the differences in perceived stress and in linear and non-linear analyses of HRV between three different verbal (Speech and Stroop) and non-verbal (Montreal Imaging Stress Task; MIST) stress tasks, in a sample of 60 healthy adults (51.7% females; mean age = 25.6 ± 3.83 years). Analyses were run controlling for respiration rates. Participants reported similar levels of perceived stress across the three tasks. However, MIST induced a stronger cardiovascular response than Speech and Stroop tasks, even after controlling for respiration rates. Finally, women reported higher levels of perceived stress and lower HRV both at rest and in response to acute psychosocial stressors, compared to men. Taken together, our results suggest the presence of gender-related differences during psychophysiological experiments on stress. They also suggest that verbal activity masked the vagal withdrawal through altered respiration patterns imposed by speaking. Therefore, our findings support the use of highly-standardized math task, such as MIST, as a valid and reliable alternative to verbal protocols during laboratory studies on stress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Talking the Test: Using Verbal Report Data in Looking at the Processing of Cloze Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Bob

1997-01-01

The use of verbal report procedures as a research tool for gaining insight into the language learning process is discussed. Specifically, having second language students complete think-aloud protocols when they take cloze tests can provide useful information about what is being measured and how it has been learned. Use of such introspective…

How system designers think: a study of design thinking in human factors engineering.

PubMed

Papantonopoulos, Sotiris

2004-11-01

The paper presents a descriptive study of design thinking in human factors engineering. The objective of the study is to analyse the role of interpretation in design thinking and the role of design practice in guiding interpretation. The study involved 10 system designers undertaking the allocation of cognitive functions in three production planning and control task scenarios. Allocation decisions were recorded and verbal protocols of the design process were collected to elicit the subjects' thought processes. Verbal protocol analysis showed that subjects carried out the design of cognitive task allocation as a problem of applying a selected automation technology from their initial design deliberations. This design strategy stands in contrast to the predominant view of system design that stipulates that user requirements should be thoroughly analysed prior to making any decisions about technology. Theoretical frameworks from design research and ontological design showed that the system design process may be better understood by recognizing the role of design hypotheses in system design, as well as the diverse interactions between interpretation and practice, means and ends, and design practice and the designer's pre-understanding which shape the design process. Ways to balance the bias exerted on the design process were discussed.

Eye Examination Testability in Children with Autism and in Typical Peers

PubMed Central

Coulter, Rachel Anastasia; Bade, Annette; Tea, Yin; Fecho, Gregory; Amster, Deborah; Jenewein, Erin; Rodena, Jacqueline; Lyons, Kara Kelley; Mitchell, G. Lynn; Quint, Nicole; Dunbar, Sandra; Ricamato, Michele; Trocchio, Jennie; Kabat, Bonnie; Garcia, Chantel; Radik, Irina

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To compare testability of vision and eye tests in an examination protocol of 9- to 17-year-old patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to typically developing (TD) peers. Methods In a prospective pilot study, 61 children and adolescents (34 with ASD and 27 who were TD) aged 9 to 17 years completed an eye examination protocol including tests of visual acuity, refraction, convergence (eye teaming), stereoacuity (depth perception), ocular motility, and ocular health. Patients who required new refractive correction were retested after wearing their updated spectacle prescription for 1 month. The specialized protocol incorporated visual, sensory, and communication supports. A psychologist determined group status/eligibility using DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision) criteria by review of previous evaluations and parent responses on the Social Communication Questionnaire. Before the examination, parents provided information regarding patients’ sex, race, ethnicity, and, for ASD patients, verbal communication level (nonverbal, uses short words, verbal). Parents indicated whether the patient wore a refractive correction, whether the patient had ever had an eye examination, and the age at the last examination. Chi-square tests compared testability results for TD and ASD groups. Results Typically developing and ASD groups did not differ by age (p = 0.54), sex (p = 0.53), or ethnicity (p = 0.22). Testability was high on most tests (TD, 100%; ASD, 88 to 100%), except for intraocular pressure (IOP), which was reduced for both the ASD (71%) and the TD (89%) patients. Among ASD patients, IOP testability varied greatly with verbal communication level (p < 0.001). Although IOP measurements were completed on all verbal patients, only 37.5% of nonverbal and 44.4% of ASD patients who used short words were successful. Conclusions Patients with ASD can complete most vision and eye tests within an examination protocol. Testability of IOPs is reduced, particularly for nonverbal patients and patients who use short words to communicate. PMID:25415280

Cognitive factors associated with adherence to oral antiestrogen therapy: results from the cognition in the study of tamoxifen and raloxifene (Co-STAR) study.

PubMed

Klepin, Heidi D; Geiger, Ann M; Bandos, Hanna; Costantino, Joseph P; Rapp, Stephen R; Sink, Kaycee M; Lawrence, Julia A; Atkinson, Hal H; Espeland, Mark A

2014-01-01

Little is known about the cognitive factors associated with adherence to antiestrogen therapy. Our objective was to investigate the association between domain-specific cognitive function and adherence among women in a clinical prevention trial of oral antiestrogen therapies. We performed a secondary analysis of Co-STAR, an ancillary study of the STAR breast cancer prevention trial in which postmenopausal women at increased breast cancer risk were randomized to tamoxifen or raloxifene. Co-STAR enrolled nondemented participants ≥65 years old to compare treatment effects on cognition. The cognitive battery assessed global cognitive function (Modified Mini-Mental State Exam), and specific cognitive domains of verbal knowledge, verbal fluency, figural memory, verbal memory, attention and working memory, spatial ability, and fine motor speed. Adherence was defined by a ratio of actual time taking therapy per protocol ≥80% of expected time. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between cognitive test scores and adherence to therapy. The mean age of the 1,331 Co-STAR participants was 67.2 ± 4.3 years. Mean 3MS score was 95.1 (4.7) and 14% were nonadherent. In adjusted analyses, the odds of nonadherence were lower for those with better scores on verbal memory [OR (95% confidence interval): 0.75 (0.62-0.92)]. Larger relative deficits in verbal memory compared with verbal fluency were also associated with nonadherence [1.28 (1.08-1.51)]. Among nondemented older women, subtle differences in memory performance were associated with medication adherence. Differential performance across cognitive domains may help identify persons at greater risk for poor adherence. ©2013 AACR.

Differences in Writers' Initial Task Representations. Technical Report No. 35.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Linda; And Others

An exploratory study investigated how writers represent their task to themselves before beginning to write. Using data from verbal protocols, the initial plans of 12 writers (5 experts and 7 student writers) who were working on an expository writing task were examined. The protocols were coded for types of planning. Independent measures of the…

The Things We Care to See: The Effects of Rotated Protocol Immersion on the Emergence of Early Observing Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keohane, Dolleen-Day; Luke, Nicole; Greer, R. Douglas

2008-01-01

We tested the effect of a Rotated Protocol Immersion package on the emergence of observing responses as prerequisites for more complex verbal developmental capabilities. Three elementary aged students between the ages of 6 and 7 participated. They were diagnosed with autism spectrum disabilities. The treatment condition consisted of total…

Implementation of a mandatory checklist of protocols and objectives improves compliance with a wide range of evidence-based intensive care unit practices.

PubMed

Byrnes, Matthew C; Schuerer, Douglas J E; Schallom, Marilyn E; Sona, Carrie S; Mazuski, John E; Taylor, Beth E; McKenzie, Wendi; Thomas, James M; Emerson, Jeffrey S; Nemeth, Jennifer L; Bailey, Ruth A; Boyle, Walter A; Buchman, Timothy G; Coopersmith, Craig M

2009-10-01

To determine a) if a checklist covering a diverse group of intensive care unit protocols and objectives would improve clinician consideration of these domains and b) if improved consideration would change practice patterns. Pre- and post observational study. A 24-bed surgical/burn/trauma intensive care unit in a teaching hospital. A total of 1399 patients admitted between June 2006 and May 2007. The first component of the study evaluated whether mandating verbal review of a checklist covering 14 intensive care unit best practices altered verbal consideration of these domains. Evaluation was performed using real-time bedside audits on morning rounds. The second component evaluated whether the checklist altered implementation of these domains by changing practice patterns. Evaluation was performed by analyzing data from the Project IMPACT database after patients left the intensive care unit. Verbal consideration of evaluable domains improved from 90.9% (530/583) to 99.7% (669/671, p < .0001) after verbal review of the checklist was mandated. Bedside consideration improved on the use of deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis (p < .05), stress ulcer prophylaxis (p < .01), oral care for ventilated patients (p < 0.01), electrolyte repletion (p < .01), initiation of physical therapy (p < .05), and documentation of restraint orders (p < .0001). Mandatory verbal review of the checklist resulted in a greater than two-fold increase in transferring patients out of the intensive care unit on telemetry (16% vs. 35%, p < .0001) and initiation of physical therapy (28% vs. 42%, p < .0001) compared with baseline practice. A mandatory verbal review of a checklist covering a wide range of objectives and goals at each patient's bedside is an effective method to improve both consideration and implementation of intensive care unit best practices. A bedside checklist is a simple, cost-effective method to prevent errors of omission in basic domains of intensive care unit management that might otherwise be forgotten in the setting of more urgent care requirements.

Verbal communication skills in typical language development: a case series.

PubMed

Abe, Camila Mayumi; Bretanha, Andreza Carolina; Bozza, Amanda; Ferraro, Gyovanna Junya Klinke; Lopes-Herrera, Simone Aparecida

2013-01-01

The aim of the current study was to investigate verbal communication skills in children with typical language development and ages between 6 and 8 years. Participants were 10 children of both genders in this age range without language alterations. A 30-minute video of each child's interaction with an adult (father and/or mother) was recorded, fully transcribed, and analyzed by two trained researchers in order to determine reliability. The recordings were analyzed according to a protocol that categorizes verbal communicative abilities, including dialogic, regulatory, narrative-discursive, and non-interactive skills. The frequency of use of each category of verbal communicative ability was analyzed (in percentage) for each subject. All subjects used more dialogical and regulatory skills, followed by narrative-discursive and non-interactive skills. This suggests that children in this age range are committed to continue dialog, which shows that children with typical language development have more dialogic interactions during spontaneous interactions with a familiar adult.

Usability of a mobile electronic medical record prototype: a verbal protocol analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Robert C; Orr, M Scott; Chignell, Mark; Straus, Sharon E

2008-06-01

Point of care access to electronic medical records may provide clinicians with the information they want when they need it and may in turn improve patient safety. Yet providing an electronic medical record on handheld devices presents many usability challenges, and it is unclear whether clinicians will use them. An iterative design process for the development and evaluation of a prototype of a mobile electronic medical record was performed. Usability sessions were conducted in which physicians were asked to 'think aloud' while working through clinical scenarios using the prototype. Verbal protocol analysis, which consists of coding utterances, was conducted on the transcripts from the sessions and common themes were extracted. Usability sessions were held with five family physicians and four internists with varying levels of computer expertise. Physicians were able to use the device to complete 52 of 54 required tasks. Users commented that it was intuitive (9/9), would increase accessibility (5/9) but for them to use it, it would need the system to be fast and time-saving (5/9). Users had difficulty entering information (5/9) and reading the screen (4/9). In terms of functionality, users had concerns about completeness of information (6/9), details of ordering (5/9) and desired billing functionality (5/9) and integration with other systems (4/9). While physicians can use mobile electronic medical records in realistic scenarios, certain requirements likely need to be met including a fast system with easy data selection, easy data entry and improved display before widespread adoption occurs.

Yoga-teaching protocol adapted for children with visual impairment

PubMed Central

Mohanty, Soubhagyalaxmi; Hankey, Alex; Pradhan, Balaram; Ranjita, Rajashree

2016-01-01

Context: Childhood visual deficiency impairs children's neuro-psychomotor development, considerably affecting physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Yoga's multifaceted approach may help children with visual impairment (VI) to cope with their challenges. Aim: This study aimed to develop a special protocol for teaching yoga to children with VI, and to evaluate their preferred method of learning. Methods: The study was carried out at Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind, Bengaluru, South India. Forty-one students volunteered to learn yoga practices, and classes were held weekly 5 days, 1 hr per session for 16 weeks. The study introduced a new method using a sequence of five teaching steps: verbal instructions, tactile modeling, step-by-step teaching, learning in a group, and physical guidance. A questionnaire concerning the preferred steps of learning was then given to each student, and verbal answers were obtained. Results: A total of 33 (out of 41), aged 11.97 ± 1.94, 15 girls and 18 boys responded. Twenty-six (78.79%) chose physical guidance as their most favored learning mode. Conclusions: Specially designed protocol may pave the way to impart yoga in an exciting and comfortable way to children with VI. More studies are needed to further investigate the effectiveness of this new yoga protocol in similar settings. PMID:27512318

[Assessment of pragmatics from verbal spoken data].

PubMed

Gallardo-Paúls, B

2009-02-27

Pragmatic assessment is usually complex, long and sophisticated, especially for professionals who lack specific linguistic education and interact with impaired speakers. To design a quick method of assessment that will provide a quick general evaluation of the pragmatic effectiveness of neurologically affected speakers. This first filter will allow us to decide whether a detailed analysis of the altered categories should follow. Our starting point was the PerLA (perception, language and aphasia) profile of pragmatic assessment designed for the comprehensive analysis of conversational data in clinical linguistics; this was then converted into a quick questionnaire. A quick protocol of pragmatic assessment is proposed and the results found in a group of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are discussed.

Hearing voices in the resting brain: A review of intrinsic functional connectivity research on auditory verbal hallucinations

PubMed Central

Alderson-Day, Ben; McCarthy-Jones, Simon; Fernyhough, Charles

2018-01-01

Resting state networks (RSNs) are thought to reflect the intrinsic functional connectivity of brain regions. Alterations to RSNs have been proposed to underpin various kinds of psychopathology, including the occurrence of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). This review outlines the main hypotheses linking AVH and the resting state, and assesses the evidence for alterations to intrinsic connectivity provided by studies of resting fMRI in AVH. The influence of hallucinations during data acquisition, medication confounds, and movement are also considered. Despite a large variety of analytic methods and designs being deployed, it is possible to conclude that resting connectivity in the left temporal lobe in general and left superior temporal gyrus in particular are disrupted in AVH. There is also preliminary evidence of atypical connectivity in the default mode network and its interaction with other RSNs. Recommendations for future research include the adoption of a common analysis protocol to allow for more overlapping datasets and replication of intrinsic functional connectivity alterations. PMID:25956256

Authorship Trends in "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior": 1982-2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben, Rodrigo Dal; Goyos, Celso

2017-01-01

"The Analysis of Verbal Behavior" ("TAVB") is the only journal focused on theoretical and empirical research in verbal behavior. An assessment of authorship trends can provide a critical perspective on practices in verbal behavior analysis (e.g., participation by non-US institutions, contributions by female authors). The…

The Importance of Form in Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior and a Further Step

PubMed Central

Vargas, E. A.

2013-01-01

A series of quotes from B. F. Skinner illustrates the importance of form in his analysis of verbal behavior. In that analysis, form plays an important part in contingency control. Form and function complement each other. Function, the array of variables that control a verbal utterance, dictates the meaning of a specified form; form, as stipulated by a verbal community, indicates that meaning. The mediational actions that shape verbal utterances do not necessarily encounter their controlling variables. These are inferred from the form of the verbal utterance. Form carries the burden of implied meaning and underscores the importance of the verbal community in the expression of all the forms of language. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior and the importance of form within that analysis provides the foundation by which to investigate language. But a further step needs to be undertaken to examine and to explain the abstractions of language as an outcome of action at an aggregate level. PMID:23814376

Quantified trends in the history of verbal behavior research

PubMed Central

Eshleman, John W.

1991-01-01

The history of scientific research about verbal behavior research, especially that based on Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957), can be assessed on the basis of a frequency and celeration analysis of the published and presented literature. In order to discover these quantified trends, a comprehensive bibliographical database was developed. Based on several literature searches, the bibliographic database included papers pertaining to verbal behavior that were published in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behaviorism, The Behavior Analyst, and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. A nonbehavioral journal, the Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior was assessed as a nonexample comparison. The bibliographic database also included a listing of verbal behavior papers presented at the meetings of the Association for Behavior Analysis. Papers were added to the database if they (a) were about verbal behavior, (b) referenced B.F. Skinner's (1957) book Verbal Behavior, or (c) did both. Because the references indicated the year of publication or presentation, a count per year of them was measured. These yearly frequencies were plotted on Standard Celeration Charts. Once plotted, various celeration trends in the literature became visible, not the least of which was the greater quantity of verbal behavior research than is generally acknowledged. The data clearly show an acceleration of research across the past decade. The data also question the notion that a “paucity” of research based on Verbal Behavior currently exists. Explanations of the acceleration of verbal behavior research are suggested, and plausible reasons are offered as to why a relative lack of verbal behavior research extended through the mid 1960s to the latter 1970s. PMID:22477630

Assessment of Preschooler's Scientific Reasoning in Adult-Child Interactions: What Is the Optimal Context?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meindertsma, Heidi B.; van Dijk, Marijn W. G.; Steenbeek, Henderien W.; van Geert, Paul L. C.

2014-04-01

In educational settings, continuous assessment of the child's level of understanding is necessary to effectively utilize the principles of scaffolding and to create contexts that can advance the scientific reasoning of the child. In this article, we argue that a child's performance is a dynamic notion that is created by all elements in an interaction, including the task. Therefore, we studied preschoolers' levels of scientific reasoning varying different properties of the assessment context. Young children were interviewed about four scientific tasks using one out of four different protocols (varying in the degree of flexibility and adaptiveness) by an adult. In the first study, different task contents resulted in different performance levels. The second study indicated that the most structured protocol elicited the highest maximum level of reasoning in children and the highest percentage of correct predictions. The third study showed differences between the protocols in the adult's verbal behavior. Adaptation in verbal behavior to different children by the adult did not result in higher scientific understanding by the children, whereas a higher degree of task structure did. Combined, the studies emphasize the importance of context, which has implications for assessment and teaching situations.

Functional MR imaging or Wada test: which is the better predictor of individual postoperative memory outcome?

PubMed

Dupont, Sophie; Duron, Emmanuelle; Samson, Séverine; Denos, Marisa; Volle, Emmanuelle; Delmaire, Christine; Navarro, Vincent; Chiras, Jacques; Lehéricy, Stéphane; Samson, Yves; Baulac, Michel

2010-04-01

To retrospectively determine whether blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can aid prediction of postoperative memory changes in epileptic patients after temporal lobe surgery. This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Data were analyzed from 25 patients (12 women, 13 men; age range, 19-52 years) with refractory epilepsy in whom temporal lobe surgery was performed after they underwent preoperative functional MR imaging, the Wada test, and neuropsychological testing. The functional MR imaging protocol included three different memory tasks (24-hour delayed recognition, encoding, and immediate recognition). Individual activations were measured in medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions of both hemispheres. The prognostic accuracy of functional MR imaging for prediction of postoperative memory changes was compared with the accuracy of the Wada test and preoperative neuropsychological testing by using a backward multiple regression analysis. An equation that was based on left functional MR imaging MTL activation during delayed recognition, side of the epileptic focus, and preoperative global verbal memory score was used to correctly predict worsening of verbal memory in 90% of patients. The right functional MR imaging MTL activation did not substantially correlate with the nonverbal memory outcome, which was only predicted by using the preoperative nonverbal global score. Wada test data were not good predictors of changes in either verbal or nonverbal memory. Findings suggest that functional MR imaging activation during a delayed-recognition task is a better predictor of individual postoperative verbal memory outcome than is the Wada test. RSNA, 2010

Dental care protocol based on visual supports for children with autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Mastroberardino, Stefano; Campus, Guglielmo; Olivari, Benedetta; Faggioli, Raffaella; Lenti, Carlo; Strohmenger, Laura

2015-01-01

Background Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) have often difficulties to accept dental treatments. The aim of this study is to propose a dental care protocol based on visual supports to facilitate children with ASDs to undergo to oral examination and treatments. Material and Methods 83 children (age range 6-12 years) with a signed consent form were enrolled; intellectual level, verbal fluency and cooperation grade were evaluated. Children were introduced into a four stages path in order to undergo: an oral examination (stage 1), a professional oral hygiene session (stage 2), sealants (stage 3), and, if necessary, a restorative treatment (stage 4). Each stage came after a visual training, performed by a psychologist (stage 1) and by parents at home (stages 2, 3 and 4). Association between acceptance rates at each stage and gender, intellectual level, verbal fluency and cooperation grade was tested with chi-square test if appropriate. Results Seventy-seven (92.8%) subjects overcame both stage 1 and 2. Six (7.2%) refused stage 3 and among the 44 subjects who need restorative treatments, only three refused it. The acceptance rate at each stage was statistically significant associated to the verbal fluency (p=0.02; p=0.04; p=0.01, respectively for stage 1, 3 and 4). In stage 2 all subjects accepted to move to the next stage. The verbal/intellectual/cooperation dummy variable was statistically associated to the acceptance rate (p<0.01). Conclusions The use of visual supports has shown to be able to facilitate children with ASDs to undergo dental treatments even in non-verbal children with a low intellectual level, underlining that behavioural approach should be used as the first strategy to treat patients with ASDs in dental setting. Key words:Autism spectrum disorders, behaviour management, paediatric dentistry, visual learning methods. PMID:26241453

Evaluating the prevalence and impact of examiner errors on the Wechsler scales of intelligence: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Styck, Kara M; Walsh, Shana M

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present investigation was to conduct a meta-analysis of the literature on examiner errors for the Wechsler scales of intelligence. Results indicate that a mean of 99.7% of protocols contained at least 1 examiner error when studies that included a failure to record examinee responses as an error were combined and a mean of 41.2% of protocols contained at least 1 examiner error when studies that ignored errors of omission were combined. Furthermore, graduate student examiners were significantly more likely to make at least 1 error on Wechsler intelligence test protocols than psychologists. However, psychologists made significantly more errors per protocol than graduate student examiners regardless of the inclusion or exclusion of failure to record examinee responses as errors. On average, 73.1% of Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores changed as a result of examiner errors, whereas 15.8%-77.3% of scores on the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Working Memory Index (WMI), and Processing Speed Index changed as a result of examiner errors. In addition, results suggest that examiners tend to overestimate FSIQ scores and underestimate VCI scores. However, no strong pattern emerged for the PRI and WMI. It can be concluded that examiner errors occur frequently and impact index and FSIQ scores. Consequently, current estimates for the standard error of measurement of popular IQ tests may not adequately capture the variance due to the examiner. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

WISC-R Examiner Errors: Cause for Concern.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slate, John R.; Chick, David

1989-01-01

Clinical psychology graduate students (N=14) administered Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Found numerous scoring and mechanical errors that influenced full-scale intelligence quotient scores on two-thirds of protocols. Particularly prone to error were Verbal subtests of Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Similarities. Noted specific…

An Annotated Bibliography of Verbal Behavior Articles Published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior: 2016"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lechago, Sarah A.; Jackson, Rachel E.; Oda, Fernanda S.

2017-01-01

An annotated bibliography is provided that summarizes journal articles on verbal behavior published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior" in 2016, the primary journal for scholarship in this area. Thirty-seven such articles were identified and annotated as a resource for practitioners, researchers, and educators.

An Annotated Bibliography of Verbal Behavior Scholarship Published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior": 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, James E.; Nosik, Melissa R.; Lechago, Sarah A.; Phillips, Lauren

2015-01-01

This annotated bibliography summarizes journal articles on verbal behavior published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior," the primary journal for scholarship in this area. Seventeen such articles were published in 2014 and are annotated as a resource for practitioners, researchers, and educators.

An Annotated Bibliography of Verbal Behavior Articles Published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior": 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lechago, Sarah A.; Phillips, Lauren A.

2016-01-01

An annotated bibliography is provided that summarizes journal articles on verbal behavior published outside of "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior" in 2015, the primary journal for scholarship in this area. Thirty such articles were identified and annotated as a resource for practitioners, researchers, and educators.

Feedback Specificity, Information Processing, and Transfer of Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Jodi S.; Wood, Robert E.; Chen, Zheng

2011-01-01

This study examines the effects of feedback specificity on transfer of training and the mechanisms through which feedback can enhance or inhibit transfer. We used concurrent verbal protocol methodology to elicit and operationalize the explicit information processing activities used by 48 trainees performing the Furniture Factory computer…

75 FR 36313 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Arkansas Waterway, Pine Bluff, AR

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... remote drawbridge operator then establishes normal verbal radio communications. This protocol is used to isolate and differentiate these radio communications from the railroad communications that the remote... provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online...

Developing an ACT-R Model of Mental Manipulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

entire test. However, from the verbal protocol and existing literature ( Biederman , 1987 ), it was clear that subjects had a tendency to break images into...Associates. Anderson, J.R. (1993). Rules of the mind. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Biederman , I. ( 1987 ). Recognition by components: A theory of human

The effect of compliance on contact lens case contamination.

PubMed

Tilia, Daniel; Lazon de la Jara, Percy; Zhu, Hua; Naduvilath, Thomas J; Holden, Brien A

2014-03-01

To determine the efficacy of written instructions on contact lens case hygiene and to quantify the effect of noncompliance on contact lens case contamination. Data were retrospectively analyzed from 16 prospective, 3-month daily-wear studies during which six commercially available silicone hydrogel contact lenses and seven lens care solutions (LCS) were tested following a similar protocol. Verbal instructions regarding case hygiene (rinse case with LCS, not tap water) were given in nine studies, while the same instructions were given verbally and in written format in seven studies. A survey on contact lens, LCS, and lens case hygiene was completed at 1- and 3-month visits and compliance with case hygiene instructions was determined. Regular contact lens cases were used for 1 month and collected for microbial analysis at the 1- and 3-month visits. The rate of case contamination and the types of microbes contaminating cases were evaluated. Participants given verbal and written instructions were more likely to be compliant with case hygiene instructions than those just given verbal instructions (odds ratio [OR]: 2.19, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-3.44). The overall case contamination rate was 79%. Use of tap water to rinse contact lens cases was associated with significantly more cases contaminated with Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) (30% vs. 10%, p < 0.001), a greater risk of GNB case contamination (OR: 2.91, p < 0.001. 95% CI: 1.72-4.92), and a higher quantity of GNB in cases (mean colony-forming unit/case ± SD: 28,286 ± 131,935 vs. 6477 ± 60,447, p < 0.001). Lens case hygiene can be improved by effective communication of instructions. Contact lens wearers should be actively discouraged from rinsing contact lens cases with tap water because of the increased risk of GNB contamination.

Voice, Articulation, and Prosody Contribute to Listener Perceptions of Speaker Gender: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Leung, Yeptain; Oates, Jennifer; Chan, Siew Pang

2018-02-15

The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review of the aspects of verbal communication contributing to listener perceptions of speaker gender with a view to providing clinicians with guidance for the selection of the training goals when working with transsexual individuals. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines were adopted in this systematic review. Studies evaluating the contribution of aspects of verbal communication to listener perceptions of speaker gender were rated against a new risk of bias assessment tool. Relevant data were extracted, and narrative synthesis was then conducted. Meta-analyses were conducted when appropriate data were available. Thirty-eight articles met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis showed speaking fundamental frequency contributing to 41.6% of the variance in gender perception. Auditory-perceptual and acoustic measures of pitch, resonance, loudness, articulation, and intonation were found to be associated with listeners' perceptions of speaker gender. Tempo and stress were not significantly associated. Mixed findings were found as to the contribution of a breathy voice quality to gender perception. Nonetheless, there exists significant risk of bias in this body of research. Speech and language clinicians working with transsexual individuals may use the results of this review for goal setting. Further research is required to redress the significant risk of bias.

On the lack of evidence that non-human animals possess anything remotely resembling a 'theory of mind'.

PubMed

Penn, Derek C; Povinelli, Daniel J

2007-04-29

After decades of effort by some of our brightest human and non-human minds, there is still little consensus on whether or not non-human animals understand anything about the unobservable mental states of other animals or even what it would mean for a non-verbal animal to understand the concept of a 'mental state'. In the present paper, we confront four related and contentious questions head-on: (i) What exactly would it mean for a non-verbal organism to have an 'understanding' or a 'representation' of another animal's mental state? (ii) What should (and should not) count as compelling empirical evidence that a non-verbal cognitive agent has a system for understanding or forming representations about mental states in a functionally adaptive manner? (iii) Why have the kind of experimental protocols that are currently in vogue failed to produce compelling evidence that non-human animals possess anything even remotely resembling a theory of mind? (iv) What kind of experiments could, at least in principle, provide compelling evidence for such a system in a non-verbal organism?

Verbal cues effectively orient children's auditory attention in a CV-syllable dichotic listening paradigm.

PubMed

Phélip, Marion; Donnot, Julien; Vauclair, Jacques

2015-12-18

In their groundbreaking work featuring verbal dichotic listening tasks, Mondor and Bryden showed that tone cues do not enhance children's attentional orienting, in contrast to adults. The magnitude of the children's right-ear advantage was not attenuated when their attention was directed to the left ear. Verbal cues did, however, appear to favour the orientation of attention at around 10 years, although stimulus-onset asynchronies (SOAs), which ranged between 450 and 750 ms, were not rigorously controlled. The aim of our study was therefore to investigate the role of both types of cues in a typical CV-syllable dichotic listening task administered to 8- to 10-year-olds, applying a protocol as similar as possible to that used by Mondor and Bryden, but controlling for SOA as well as for cued ear. Results confirmed that verbal cues are more effective than tone cues in orienting children's attention. However, in contrast to adults, no effect of SOA was observed. We discuss the relative difficulty young children have processing CV syllables, as well as the role of top-down processes in attentional orienting abilities.

Zen and Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Roger

2010-01-01

Zen's challenge for behavior analysis is to explain a repertoire that renders analysis itself meaningless--a result following not from scientific or philosophical arguments but rather from a unique verbal history generated by Zen's methods. Untying Zen's verbal knots suggests how meditation's and koans' effects on verbal behavior contribute to…

Photoanthropometric study of dysmorphic features of the face in children with autism and asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Gorczyca, Piotr; Kapinos-Gorczyca, Agnieszka; Ziora, Katarzyna; Oświęcimska, Joanna

2012-01-01

Childhood autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication and by a pattern of stereotypical behaviors and interests. The aim of this study was to estimate the dysmorphic facial features of children with autism and children with Asperger syndrome. The examination was conducted on 60 children (30 with childhood autism and 30 with Asperger syndrome). The photo anthropometric method used in this study followed the protocol established by Stengel-Rutkowski et al. The performed statistical analysis showed that in patients with childhood autism, the anteriorly rotated ears and the long back of the nose appeared more often. In the group of children with autism, there was a connection between the amount of dysmorphies and the presence of some somatic diseases in the first-degree relatives. There was also a connection between the motor coordination and the age the child began to walk. In patients with childhood autism, there were certain dysmorphies (like the anterior rotated ears and the long back of the nose) which appeared more often. Although the connection was not statistically significant, it seemed to concur with data from the literature. Formulation of the other conclusions would require broader studies e.g. dealing with a familial analysis of dysmorphic features.

Constructs and Events in Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryling, Mitch J.

2013-01-01

Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior has been the subject of much controversy in recent years. While criticism has historically come from outside the field of behavior analysis, there are now well-articulated arguments against Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior from within the field as well. Recently, advocates of…

Multiply Controlled Verbal Operants: An Analysis and Extension to the Picture Exchange Communication System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bondy, A.; Tincani, M.; Frost, L.

2004-01-01

This paper presents Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior as a framework for understanding language acquisition in children with autism. We describe Skinner's analysis of pure and impure verbal operants and illustrate how this analysis may be applied to the design of communication training programs. The picture exchange communication system…

The View from Here: Emergence of Graphical Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Kathryn L.; Brugar, Kristy A.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe upper elementary students' understandings of four graphical devices that frequently occur in social studies texts: captioned images, maps, tables, and timelines. Using verbal protocol data collection procedures, we collected information on students' metacognitive processes when they were explicitly asked to…

Conceptual Transformation and Cognitive Processes in Origami Paper Folding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenbrink, Thora; Taylor, Holly A.

2015-01-01

Research on problem solving typically does not address tasks that involve following detailed and/or illustrated step-by-step instructions. Such tasks are not seen as cognitively challenging problems to be solved. In this paper, we challenge this assumption by analyzing verbal protocols collected during an Origami folding task. Participants…

Rural Indonesian health care workers' constructs of infection prevention and control knowledge.

PubMed

Marjadi, Brahmaputra; McLaws, Mary-Louise

2010-06-01

Understanding the constructs of knowledge behind clinical practices in low-resource rural health care settings with limited laboratory facilities and surveillance programs may help in designing resource-appropriate infection prevention and control education. Multiple qualitative methods of direct observations, individual and group focus discussions, and document analysis were used to examine health care workers' knowledge of infection prevention and control practices in intravenous therapy, antibiotic therapy, instrument reprocessing, and hand hygiene in 10 rural Indonesian health care facilities. Awareness of health care-associated infections was low. Protocols were in the main based on verbal instructions handed down through the ranks of health care workers. The evidence-based knowledge gained across professional training was overridden by empiricism, nonscientific modifications, and organizational and societal cultures when resources were restricted or patients demanded inappropriate therapies. This phenomenon remained undetected by accreditation systems and clinical educators. Rural Indonesian health care workers would benefit from a formal introduction to evidence-based practice that would deconstruct individual protocols that include nonscientific knowledge. To achieve levels of acceptable patient safety, protocols would have to be both evidence-based and resource-appropriate. Copyright 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.

VIC: A Computer Analysis of Verbal Interaction Category Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kline, John A.; And Others

VIC is a computer program for the analysis of verbal interaction category systems, especially the Flanders interaction analysis system. The observer codes verbal behavior on coding sheets for later machine scoring. A matrix is produced by the program showing the number and percentages of times that a particular cell describes classroom behavior.…

Verbal Memory Performance and Reduced Cortical Thickness of Brain Regions Along the Uncinate Fasciculus in Young Adult Cannabis Users

PubMed Central

Levar, Nina; Francis, Alan N.; Smith, Matthew J.; Ho, Wilson C.; Gilman, Jodi M.

2018-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Memory impairment is one of the most commonly reported effects of cannabis use, especially among those who initiate use earlier, perhaps due to the effects of delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol on cannabinoid (CB1) receptors in the brain. Studies have increasingly investigated whether cannabis use is associated with impairments in verbal memory, and with alterations in brain structures underlying verbal memory. The uncinate fasciculus (UF), a long-range white matter tract, connects regions with densely localized CB1 receptors that are important in verbal memory. This study investigated the impact of cannabis use on UF structures and its association with memory performance in young adult cannabis users (CU) and non-using controls (CON). Materials and Methods: Nineteen CU and 22 CON completed a verbal memory task and a neuroimaging protocol, in which diffusion tensor imaging and structural scans were collected. We compared memory performance, diffusion and tractography measures of the UF, and cortical thickness of regions connected by the UF, between CU and CON. In regions showing a significant group effect, we also examined associations between verbal memory performance, cortical thickness, and age of onset of cannabis use. Results: Compared to non-users, CU had worse memory performance, decreased fiber bundle length in the UF, and decreased cortical thickness of brain regions along the UF such as the entorhinal cortex and fusiform gyrus. Verbal memory performance was significantly associated with age of onset of cannabis use, indicating that those who initiated cannabis use at an earlier age performed worse. Cortical thickness of the entorhinal cortex was significantly correlated with age of first use and memory performance. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that cannabis use, especially when initiated at a young age, may be associated with worse verbal memory and altered neural development along the UF. Reductions in cortical thickness in regions implicated in memory processes may underlie weaknesses in verbal memory performance. PMID:29607411

Predictors of nurses' experience of verbal abuse by nurse colleagues.

PubMed

Keller, Ronald; Krainovich-Miller, Barbara; Budin, Wendy; Djukic, Maja

Between 45% and 94% of registered nurses (RNs) experience verbal abuse, which is associated with physical and psychological harm. Although several studies examined predictors of RNs' verbal abuse, none examined predictors of RNs' experiences of verbal abuse by RN colleagues. To examine individual, workplace, dispositional, contextual, and interpersonal predictors of RNs' reported experiences of verbal abuse from RN colleagues. In this secondary analysis, a cross-sectional design with multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effect of 23 predictors on verbal abuse by RN colleagues in a sample of 1,208 early career RNs. Selected variables in the empirical intragroup conflict model explained 23.8% of variance in RNs' experiences of verbal abuse by RN colleagues. A number of previously unstudied factors were identified that organizational leaders can monitor and develop or modify policies to prevent early career RNs' experiences of verbal abuse by RN colleagues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Validation of BREV: comparison with reference battery in 173 children with learning disorders].

PubMed

Billard, C; Ducot, B; Pinton, F; Coste-Zeitoun, D; Picard, S; Warszawski, J

2006-01-01

The BREV battery (Battery for rapid evaluation of cognitive functions) is a tool which can be used for the rapid neuropsychological evaluation of children aged between 4 and 9 years. After standardization (700 unaffected children) and validation by comparison with a reference battery (202 children with epilepsy), the aim of this study was further validation in 173 children with learning disorders. The study protocol included administration of the BREV, precise neuropsychological examination and evaluation of oral and written language. Statistical analysis was used to compare the findings of the BREV with those of the reference method, and the recommendations indicated by the BREV with the final diagnoses, and to define the sensitivity and the specificity of the BREV battery. All the correlations between BREV tests and reference tests were significant. Recommendations after the BREV were in agreement with the conclusions of the reference evaluation in 168/172 children for language, 145/173 for the psychometric evaluation. For only 4 chidren, the results of the BREV were false negative. Diagnoses corresponded in 168/173 children for oral language, in 102/110 for written language, 166/173 for praxis disorders and 157/173 for intellectual deficit. The most predictive subtests of the BREV and sensitivity and specificity of verbal and non-verbal scores were calculated. The BREV is a reliable examination, in learning disorders, to determine the most complementary investigations both in terms of language disorders and for non-verbal or global learning disabilities.

A standard methodology for the analysis, recording, and control of verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Drash, Philip W.; Tudor, Roger M.

1991-01-01

Lack of a standard methodology has been one of the major obstacles preventing advancement of behavior analytic research in verbal behavior. This article presents a standard method for the analysis, recording, and control of verbal behavior that overcomes several major methodological problems that have hindered operant research in verbal behavior. The system divides all verbal behavior into four functional response classes, correct, error, no response, and inappropriate behavior, from which all vocal responses of a subject may be classified and consequated. The effects of contingencies of reinforcement on verbal operants within each category are made immediately visible to the researcher as changes in frequency of response. Incorporating frequency of response within each category as the unit of response allows both rate and probability of verbal response to be utilized as basic dependent variables. This method makes it possible to record and consequate verbal behavior in essentially the same way as any other operant response. It may also facilitate an experimental investigation of Skinner's verbal response categories. PMID:22477629

Recent Research on Emergent Verbal Behavior: Clinical Applications and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grow, Laura L.; Kodak, Tiffany

2010-01-01

Previous research on the acquisition of verbal behavior in children with developmental disabilities has focused on teaching four primary verbal operants: (1) "mand"; (2) "tact"; (3) "echoic"; and (4) "intraverbal". In Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior, he stated that each verbal operant is maintained by unique antecedent and consequence…

Adolescents' Use of Self-Regulatory Processes and Their Relation to Qualitative Mental Model Shifts while Using Hypermedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Jeffrey Alan; Azevedo, Roger

2007-01-01

This study examined 148 adolescents' use of self-regulated learning (SRL) processes when learning about the circulatory system using hypermedia. We examined participants' verbal protocols to determine the relationship between SRL processes and qualitative shifts in students' mental models from pretest to posttest. Results indicated that…

Examiner Errors on the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales Committed by Graduate Student Examiners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loe, Scott A.

2014-01-01

Protocols from 108 administrations of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales were evaluated to determine the frequency of examiner errors and their impact on the accuracy of three test composite scores, the Composite Ability Index (CIX), Verbal Ability Index (VIX), and Nonverbal Ability Index (NIX). Students committed at least one…

A New Forensic Picture Polygraph Technique for Terrorist and Crime Deception System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costello, R. H. Brian; Axton, JoAnn; Gold, Karen L.

2006-01-01

The Forensic Terrorist Detection System called Pinocchio Assessment Profile (PAP) employs standard issue polygraphs for a non-verbal picture technique originated as a biofeedback careers interest instrument. The system can be integrated readily into airport screening protocols. However, the method does not rely on questioning or foreign language…

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Clinical Trial of a Dual-Processing Treatment Protocol for Substance-Dependent Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matto, Holly C.; Hadjiyane, Maria C.; Kost, Michelle; Marshall, Jennifer; Wiley, Joseph; Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica; Khatiwada, Manish; VanMeter, John W.

2014-01-01

Objectives: Empirical evidence suggests substance dependence creates stress system dysregulation which, in turn, may limit the efficacy of verbal-based treatment interventions, as the recovering brain may not be functionally capable of executive level processing. Treatment models that target implicit functioning are necessary. Methods: An RCT was…

Learners' Uses of Two Types of Written Feedback on a L2 Writing Revision Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachs, Rebecca; Polio, Charlene

2007-01-01

This study examines the effectiveness of written error corrections versus reformulations of second language learners' writing as two means of improving learners' grammatical accuracy on a three-stage composition-comparison-revision task. Concurrent verbal protocols were employed during the comparison stage in order to study the learners' reported…

Multiply controlled verbal operants: an analysis and extension to the picture exchange communication system.

PubMed

Bondy, Andy; Tincani, Matt; Frost, Lori

2004-01-01

This paper presents Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior as a framework for understanding language acquisition in children with autism. We describe Skinner's analysis of pure and impure verbal operants and illustrate how this analysis may be applied to the design of communication training programs. The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a training program influenced by Skinner's framework. We describe the training sequence associated with PECS and illustrate how this sequence may establish multiply controlled verbal behavior in children with autism. We conclude with an examination of how Skinner's framework may apply to other communication modalities and training strategies.

Effects of working memory load on processing of sounds and meanings of words in aphasia

PubMed Central

Martin, Nadine; Kohen, Francine; Kalinyak-Fliszar, Michelene; Soveri, Anna; Laine, Matti

2011-01-01

Background Language performance in aphasia can vary depending on several variables such as stimulus characteristics and task demands. This study focuses on the degree of verbal working memory (WM) load inherent in the language task and how this variable affects language performance by individuals with aphasia. Aims The first aim was to identify the effects of increased verbal WM load on the performance of judgments of semantic similarity (synonymy) and phonological similarity (rhyming). The second aim was to determine if any of the following abilities could modulate the verbal WM load effect: semantic or phonological access, semantic or phonological short-term memory (STM) and any of the following executive processing abilities: inhibition, verbal WM updating, and set shifting. Method and Procedures Thirty-one individuals with aphasia and 11 controls participated in this study. They were administered a synonymy judgment task and a rhyming judgment task under high and low verbal WM load conditions that were compared to each other. In a second set of analyses, multiple regression was used to identify which factors (as noted above) modulated the verbal WM load effect. Outcome and Results For participants with aphasia, increased verbal WM load significantly reduced accuracy of performance on synonymy and rhyming judgments. Better performance in the low verbal WM load conditions was evident even after correcting for chance. The synonymy task included concrete and abstract word triplets. When these were examined separately, the verbal WM load effect was significant for the abstract words, but not the concrete words. The same pattern was observed in the performance of the control participants. Additionally, the second set of analyses revealed that semantic STM and one executive function, inhibition ability, emerged as the strongest predictors of the verbal WM load effect in these judgment tasks for individuals with aphasia. Conclusions The results of this study have important implications for diagnosis and treatment of aphasia. As the roles of verbal STM capacity, executive functions and verbal WM load in language processing are better understood, measurements of these variables can be incorporated into our diagnostic protocols. Moreover, if cognitive abilities such as STM and executive functions support language processing and their impairment adversely affects language function, treating them directly in the context of language tasks should translate into improved language function. PMID:22544993

Effects of placebos without deception compared with no treatment: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Petkovic, Grace; Charlesworth, James E G; Kelley, John; Miller, Franklin; Roberts, Nia; Howick, Jeremy

2015-11-26

Placebos have long provided a robust control for evaluating active pharmacological preparations, but frequently demonstrate a variable therapeutic effect when delivered in double-blinded placebo-controlled trials. Delivery of placebos as treatment alone has been considered unethical, as it has been thought that deception is essential for their effect. However, recent evidence suggests that clinical benefit can be derived from placebos delivered without deception (unblinded/open-label) manner. Here, we present a protocol for the first systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of the effects of non-deceptive placebos compared with no treatment. This protocol will compare the effect of placebos delivered non-deceptively to no treatment. It will also assess the methods of delivery used for non-deceptive placebos. Studies will be sought through relevant database searches and will include those within disease settings and those among healthy controls. To be included, trials must include both non-deceptive (open-label) placebo and no treatment groups. All data extraction and analysis will be conducted by two independent reviewers. The analysis will evaluate any differences in outcome measures between the non-deceptive placebo and no treatment groups. Outcome measures will be the clinically-relevant outcomes detailed in the primary papers. The delivery methods, such as verbal instructions, which may provide positive expectations and outcomes, of non-deceptive placebos will also be assessed. Each study will be comprehensively assessed for bias. Subgroup analyses will identify any discrepancies among heterogeneous data. This review does not require ethical approval. The completed review will be widely disseminated by publication and social media where appropriate. This protocol has been registered on PROSPERO (2015:CRD42015023347). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Bias in dyslexia screening in a Dutch multicultural population.

PubMed

Verpalen, Anick; Van de Vijver, Fons; Backus, Ad

2018-04-01

We set out to address the adequacy of dyslexia screening in Dutch and non-western immigrant children, using the Dutch Dyslexia Screening Test (DST-NL) and outcomes of the Dutch dyslexia protocol, both of which are susceptible to cultural bias. Using the protocol as standard, we conducted an ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics) analysis in Dutch and immigrant third, fifth, and seventh graders, combining a cross-sectional and longitudinal design. Sensitivity and specificity increased with grade, but were non-significant for various subtests in the lowest grade, suggesting considerable non-convergence between the two measures. Effective subtests in all grades, presumably not strongly influenced by Cultural Background or Word Lexicon, were One-Minute Reading, Non-Word Reading, and Nonsense Passage Reading. In a multilevel analysis, cultural background, dyslexia diagnosis, parental education, and grade of first assessment were predictors of subtest performance. In a second analysis, Word Lexicon was added as a proxy of knowledge of the Dutch language and culture. After controlling for Word Lexicon, cultural background became significant for most subtests, suggesting the presence of cultural bias. Subtests assessing technical literacy, such as One-Minute-Reading, Non-Word-Reading, One-Minute-Writing, or Two-Minutes-Spelling, showed more convergence between the two assessments. Less-effective subtests were Naming Pictures, Backward Digit Span, and Verbal and Semantic Fluency. It is concluded that the DST-NL and the standard protocol do not show complete convergence, notably in the lower grades in the multilingual pupil group of our cohort, mainly because dyslexia and literacy difficulties are hard to disentangle.

The Importance of Form in Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior and a Further Step

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas, E. A.

2013-01-01

A series of quotes from B. F. Skinner illustrates the importance of form in his analysis of verbal behavior. In that analysis, form plays an important part in contingency control. Form and function complement each other. Function, the array of variables that control a verbal utterance, dictates the meaning of a specified form; form, as stipulated…

The dynamic nature of cognition during wayfinding

PubMed Central

Spiers, Hugo J.; Maguire, Eleanor A.

2008-01-01

Much of our day-to-day wayfinding behaviour takes place in familiar large-scale urban environments, yet there is a dearth of studies examining how wayfinding unfolds on a second-by-second basis in this context. Here we used a retrospective verbal report protocol, eye tracking and a highly accurate virtual reality simulation of a real city (London, UK) to examine this issue. Subjects, who were taxi drivers, were able to produce extremely detailed accounts of what they had been thinking during wayfinding, which were validated by independent eye-tracking data. There was a high degree of consistency in the types of thoughts across subjects, permitting classification into a number of distinct categories. Moreover, it was possible to quantify the number of thoughts in each category, their durations and temporal order. Detailed analysis of the verbal reports provided new insights into the processes and strategies involved, and highlighted a greater range of thoughts than has previously been reported in studies of wayfinding. By analysing the temporal order of thoughts it was possible to identify specific relationships between categories. Some of these relationships were predicted by current cognitive models of wayfinding, others were novel, thus shedding new light on how navigation unfolds in a busy city. PMID:19325934

Photoanthropometric Study of Dysmorphic Features of the Face in Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome

PubMed Central

Kapinos- Gorczyca, Agnieszka; Ziora, Katarzyna; Oświęcimska, Joanna

2012-01-01

Objective Childhood autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication and by a pattern of stereotypical behaviors and interests. The aim of this study was to estimate the dysmorphic facial features of children with autism and children with Asperger syndrome. Methods The examination was conducted on 60 children (30 with childhood autism and 30 with Asperger syndrome). The photo anthropometric method used in this study followed the protocol established by Stengel-Rutkowski et al. Results The performed statistical analysis showed that in patients with childhood autism, the anteriorly rotated ears and the long back of the nose appeared more often. In the group of children with autism, there was a connection between the amount of dysmorphies and the presence of some somatic diseases in the first-degree relatives. There was also a connection between the motor coordination and the age the child began to walk. Discussion In patients with childhood autism, there were certain dysmorphies (like the anterior rotated ears and the long back of the nose) which appeared more often. Although the connection was not statistically significant, it seemed to concur with data from the literature. Conclusion Formulation of the other conclusions would require broader studies e.g. dealing with a familial analysis of dysmorphic features. PMID:23056117

Extended Analysis of Empirical Citations with Skinner's "Verbal Behavior": 1984-2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Mark R.; Small, Stacey L.; Rosales, Rocio

2007-01-01

The present paper comments on and extends the citation analysis of verbal operant publications based on Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" (1957) by Dymond, O'Hora, Whelan, and O'Donovan (2006). Variations in population parameters were evaluated for only those studies that Dymond et al. categorized as empirical. Preliminary results indicate that the…

The cognitive profile of myotonic dystrophy type 1: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Okkersen, Kees; Buskes, Melanie; Groenewoud, Johannes; Kessels, Roy P C; Knoop, Hans; van Engelen, Baziel; Raaphorst, Joost

2017-10-01

To examine the cognitive profile of patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) on the basis of a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. Embase, Medline and PsycInfo were searched for studies reporting ≥1 neuropsychological test in both DM1 patients and healthy controls. Search, data extraction and risk of bias analysis were independently performed by two authors to minimize error. Neuropsychological tests were categorized into 12 cognitive domains and effect sizes (Hedges' g) were calculated for each domain and for tests administered in ≥5 studies. DM1 participants demonstrated a significantly worse performance compared to controls in all cognitive domains. Effect sizes ranged from -.33 (small) for verbal memory to -1.01 (large) for visuospatial perception. Except for the domains global cognition, intelligence and social cognition, wide confidence intervals (CIs) were associated with moderate to marked statistical heterogeneity that necessitates careful interpretation of results. Out of the individual tests, the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure-copy (both non-verbal memory and visuoconstruction) showed consistent impairment with acceptable heterogeneity. In DM1 patients, cognitive deficits may include a variable combination of global cognitive impairment with involvement across different domains, including social cognition, memory and visuospatial functioning. Although DM1 is a heterogeneous disorder, our study shows that meta-analysis is feasible, contributes to the understanding of brain involvement and may direct bedside testing. The protocol for this study has been registered in PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) under ID: 42016037415. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Evolution of Children's Mental Addition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashcraft, Mark H.; Hamann, Mary Sue

Students in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10 were tested in a two-part investigation of simple and complex mental addition (with college students as a reference point). One session involved a normal reaction time task in which children made true/false judgments about a series of addition examples. The other session involved a verbal protocol interview, the…

Decisions Made in the Practice Room: A Qualitative Study of Middle School Students' Thought Processes while Practicing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oare, Steve

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the decision-making processes of novice band students while engaged in individual practice. Five seventh- through ninth-grade students were videotaped while practicing and subsequently interviewed using retrospective verbal protocol. Students were asked to discuss the goals they had while practicing, their…

Reading L2 Russian: The Challenges of the Russian-English Dictionary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comer, William J.

2014-01-01

This descriptive study examines when and how students use Russian-English dictionaries while reading informational texts in Russian and what success they have with word lookup. The study uses introspective verbal protocols (i.e., think-alouds) to follow how readers construct meaning from two texts while reading them for a limited time first…

Effect of motor limitations on the expression of aggressiveness among adolescents.

PubMed

Tripković, Mara; Matijević, Valentina; Marković, Hrvoje; Ercegovi, Nela

2015-03-01

This study examined how motor limitations in terms of reduced possibilities to move influence aggression, starting from the fact that motor skills and movement have an important place in the expression of aggression, as well as the tendency of adolescents to "body language". Adolescent with motor deficit is hindered in gaining experience of one's own body, which is reflected in the formation of complete experience of himself, or constitution of the self. In many of the functions of motor skills and movement aggression has a significant place that we wanted to determine without deeper analysis of whether the origin of aggression is instinctive or it is always just the result of frustration. The sample on which testing was performed consisted of 100 randomly selected subjects of both genders aged 16-18 years. Fifty subjects had motor limitations due to illness or injury, and another fifty subjects had intact motor functions. The study used three instruments: 1) A-87 questionnaire for aggressiveness examination; 2) structured interview; and 3) protocol for observation under natural conditions. Results of the analysis of data obtained in total score, as well as in all five subscales of the A-87 questionnaire for aggressiveness examination showed that the two groups were not significantly different. The results obtained by structured interview showed the adolescents with motor limitations to demonstrate greater verbal aggressiveness, then latent physical aggressiveness. A statistically significant between-group difference was obtained on the factor of self-destructiveness, which implies that adolescents with motor limitations are somewhat more self-destructive compared to those in control group. From the results obtained by the protocol for systematic observation in natural conditions, it was evident that there were significant differences on most of perceptual conducts between control and experimental group, whereby adolescents with motor limitations were more aggressive than control group subjects, especially in behaviors that apply to all forms of verbal aggressiveness. All examined adolescents in which some apparent forms of aggressive behavior were noticed in the observation protocol showed comparable expression of aggressiveness according to the results obtained on the subscales of the A-87 aggressiveness questionnaire, which connects these two measuring instruments and justifies their use in the study of aggressiveness regardless of the understanding of the origin of aggression.

Clinical Applicability and Cutoff Values for an Unstructured Neuropsychological Assessment Protocol for Older Adults with Low Formal Education

PubMed Central

de Paula, Jonas Jardim; Bertola, Laiss; Ávila, Rafaela Teixeira; Moreira, Lafaiete; Coutinho, Gabriel; de Moraes, Edgar Nunes; Bicalho, Maria Aparecida Camargos; Nicolato, Rodrigo; Diniz, Breno Satler; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes

2013-01-01

Background and Objectives The neuropsychological exam plays a central role in the assessment of elderly patients with cognitive complaints. It is particularly relevant to differentiate patients with mild dementia from those subjects with mild cognitive impairment. Formal education is a critical factor in neuropsychological performance; however, there are few studies that evaluated the psychometric properties, especially criterion related validity, neuropsychological tests for patients with low formal education. The present study aims to investigate the validity of an unstructured neuropsychological assessment protocol for this population and develop cutoff values for clinical use. Methods and Results A protocol composed by the Rey-Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Frontal Assessment Battery, Category and Letter Fluency, Stick Design Test, Clock Drawing Test, Digit Span, Token Test and TN-LIN was administered to 274 older adults (96 normal aging, 85 mild cognitive impairment and 93 mild Alzheimer`s disease) with predominantly low formal education. Factor analysis showed a four factor structure related to Executive Functions, Language/Semantic Memory, Episodic Memory and Visuospatial Abilities, accounting for 65% of explained variance. Most of the tests showed a good sensitivity and specificity to differentiate the diagnostic groups. The neuropsychological protocol showed a significant ecological validity as 3 of the cognitive factors explained 31% of the variance on Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Conclusion The study presents evidence of the construct, criteria and ecological validity for this protocol. The neuropsychological tests and the proposed cutoff values might be used for the clinical assessment of older adults with low formal education. PMID:24066031

Some verbal behavior about verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Salzinger, Kurt

2003-01-01

Beginning with behavior analysts' tendency to characterize verbal behavior as “mere” verbal behavior, the author reviews his own attempt to employ it to influence both his staff and policies of our government. He then describes its role in psychopathology, its effect on speakers in healing themselves and on engendering creativity. The paper ends by calling to our attention the role of verbal behavior in the construction of behavior analysis. PMID:22478393

Virtual Chironomia: A Multimodal Study of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in a Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verhulsdonck, Gustav

2010-01-01

This mixed methods study examined the various aspects of multimodal use of non-verbal communication in virtual worlds during dyadic negotiations. Quantitative analysis uncovered a treatment effect whereby people with more rhetorical certainty used more neutral non-verbal communication; whereas people that were rhetorically less certain used more…

A Comparative Verbal Analysis of the Two 1988 Bush-Dukakis Presidential Debates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellweg, Susan A.; Verhoye, Anna M.

This study examined the verbal message strategies employed in the two 1988 presidential debates by Vice-President George Bush and Governor Michael Dukakis, independently and comparatively. A number of broad verbal categories were developed to code the messages of each candidate from videotapes and transcripts. Verbal characteristics under…

Improving retention in alcoholic Korsakoff patients.

PubMed

Cermak, L S

1980-01-01

Use of visual images facilitated the storage and retrieval of verbal information, use of verbal cues facilitated the retention of nonverbal materials, and semantic analysis enhanced recognition of verbal material by alcoholic Korsakoff patients.

A response to U. T. Place

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Mark L.; Michael, Jack

1983-01-01

Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior has received an unwarranted amount of criticism over the years, and the recently published reviews of Verbal Behavior by U. T. Place contribute to this body of negative literature. It is argued that Place, like those before him, has failed to appreciate several critical features of behaviorism and Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior. Place's “four major defects in Verbal Behavior” are reviewed and analyzed. The results seem to indicate that Place's dissatisfaction with the book would be greatly reduced by a better understanding of Skinner's work. PMID:22573462

Factors associated with IQ scores in long-term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robison, L.L.; Nesbit, M.E. Jr.; Sather, H.N.

To identify factors which might be associated with intellectual function following treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 50 long-term survivors were studied using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. All patients were diagnosed between 1972 and 1974 and were treated on a single clinical trial protocol with identical induction and maintenance chemotherapy plus central nervous system prophylaxis that included cranial radiation. The mean full scale IQ score for the group was 95 (SEM 2.0), with mean verbal IQ of 94.4 and mean performance IQ of 96.9. Factors which were found to be closely associated with a lower IQ score includedmore » female sex (in both verbal IQ and full-scale IQ), longer duration of chemotherapy (in performance IQ), and younger age at the time of radiation (in both verbal IQ and full-scale IQ). The age at the time of radiation was found to be significantly correlated with discrepancy between verbal and performance IQ, with younger age being associated with verbal IQ scores higher than performance IQ scores. When analyses were performed within specific subgroups of patients defined by sex and age at the time of radiation, dose of cranial radiation, concomitant intrathecal methotrexate therapy, and duration of therapy were all found to be correlated with a lower level of intellectual function. These preliminary findings provide direction for future studies to help identify high-risk patients.« less

Worldviews, Criticisms, and the Peer Circle: A Study of the Experiences of a Student Teacher in an Overseas School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaman, A. Cendel; Tochon, Francois V.

2010-01-01

This article explores international student teaching (IST) within the narratives of a prospective language teacher from the midwestern region of the United States. With a focus on one participant, the case study highlights significant factors that relate to the IST experience in Ecuador. A corpus generated from verbal protocols collected over a…

Characterizing Design Cognition of High School Students: Initial Analyses Comparing Those with and without Pre-Engineering Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, John; Lammi, Matthew; Gero, John; Grubbs, Michael E.; Paretti, Marie; Williams, Christopher

2016-01-01

Reported in this article are initial results from of a longitudinal study to characterize the design cognition and cognitive design styles of high school students with and without pre-engineering course experience over a 2-year period, and to compare them with undergraduate engineering students. The research followed a verbal protocol analysis…

Using Verbal Protocol Data to Reflect the Quality of Problem Representation in Solving Algebra Word Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Elizabeth Kay

The goal of this study was to find a way to quantify three criteria of representational quality, described by Greeno, so that it would be possible to examine statistically the relationship between representational quality and other variables related to problem solution. The sample consisted of 18 college students, 84 percent of whom had…

What Goes through an Examiner's Mind? Using Verbal Protocols to Gain Insights into the GCSE Marking Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suto, W. M. Irenka; Greatorex, Jackie

2008-01-01

The process of examination marking is complex, requiring examiners to engage in a variety of cognitive operations. While consideration has been given to marking practices in a few specific contexts, those of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examiners have yet to receive serious attention. This study's aims, therefore, were: first,…

Long-Term Treatment with Paroxetine Increases Verbal Declarative Memory and Hippocampal Volume in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

PubMed Central

Vermetten, Eric; Vythilingam, Meena; Southwick, Steven M.; Charney, Dennis S.; Bremner, J. Douglas

2011-01-01

Background Animal studies have shown that stress is associated with damage to the hippocampus, inhibition of neurogenesis, and deficits in hippocampal-based memory dysfunction. Studies in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found deficits in hippocampal-based declarative verbal memory and smaller hippocampal volume, as measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recent preclinical evidence has shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors promote neurogenesis and reverse the effects of stress on hippocampal atrophy. This study assessed the effects of long-term treatment with paroxetine on hippocampal volume and declarative memory performance in PTSD. Methods Declarative memory was assessed with the Wechsler Memory Scale–Revised and Selective Reminding Test before and after 9–12 months of treatment with paroxetine in PTSD. Hippocampal volume was measured with MRI. Of the 28 patients who started the protocol, 23 completed the full course of treatment and neuropsychological testing. Twenty patients were able to complete MRI imaging. Results Patients with PTSD showed a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms with treatment. Treatment resulted in significant improvements in verbal declarative memory and a 4.6% increase in mean hippocampal volume. Conclusions These findings suggest that long-term treatment with paroxetine is associated with improvement of verbal declarative memory deficits and an increase in hippocampal volume in PTSD. PMID:14512209

Applying Aspects of the Expert Performance Approach to Better Understand the Structure of Skill and Mechanisms of Skill Acquisition in Video Games.

PubMed

Boot, Walter R; Sumner, Anna; Towne, Tyler J; Rodriguez, Paola; Anders Ericsson, K

2017-04-01

Video games are ideal platforms for the study of skill acquisition for a variety of reasons. However, our understanding of the development of skill and the cognitive representations that support skilled performance can be limited by a focus on game scores. We present an alternative approach to the study of skill acquisition in video games based on the tools of the Expert Performance Approach. Our investigation was motivated by a detailed analysis of the behaviors responsible for the superior performance of one of the highest scoring players of the video game Space Fortress (Towne, Boot, & Ericsson, ). This analysis revealed how certain behaviors contributed to his exceptional performance. In this study, we recruited a participant for a similar training regimen, but we collected concurrent and retrospective verbal protocol data throughout training. Protocol analysis revealed insights into strategies, errors, mental representations, and shifting game priorities. We argue that these insights into the developing representations that guided skilled performance could only easily have been derived from the tools of the Expert Performance Approach. We propose that the described approach could be applied to understand performance and skill acquisition in many different video games (and other short- to medium-term skill acquisition paradigms) and help reveal mechanisms of transfer from gameplay to other measures of laboratory and real-world performance. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Fifty Years Later: Comments on the Further Development of a Science of Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leigland, Sam

2007-01-01

Fifty years after the publication of Skinner's "Verbal Behavior", some possibilities for the future of Skinner's "science of verbal behavior" are considered. Specifically, certain areas of development or advancement are examined which might be of special importance to the expansion and influence of the functional analysis of verbal behavior.…

A coordinate-based ALE functional MRI meta-analysis of brain activation during verbal fluency tasks in healthy control subjects

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The processing of verbal fluency tasks relies on the coordinated activity of a number of brain areas, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes of the left hemisphere. Recent studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural networks subserving verbal fluency functions have yielded divergent results especially with respect to a parcellation of the inferior frontal gyrus for phonemic and semantic verbal fluency. We conducted a coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on brain activation during the processing of phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks involving 28 individual studies with 490 healthy volunteers. Results For phonemic as well as for semantic verbal fluency, the most prominent clusters of brain activation were found in the left inferior/middle frontal gyrus (LIFG/MIFG) and the anterior cingulate gyrus. BA 44 was only involved in the processing of phonemic verbal fluency tasks, BA 45 and 47 in the processing of phonemic and semantic fluency tasks. Conclusions Our comparison of brain activation during the execution of either phonemic or semantic verbal fluency tasks revealed evidence for spatially different activation in BA 44, but not other regions of the LIFG/LMFG (BA 9, 45, 47) during phonemic and semantic verbal fluency processing. PMID:24456150

Automated Analysis of Counselor Style and Effects: The Development and Evaluation of Methods and Materials to Assess the Stylistic Accuracy and Outcome Effectiveness of Counselor Verbal Behavior. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepyne, Edward W.

This project attempts to develop, evaluate and implement methods and materials for the automated analysis of the stylistic characteristics of counselor verbal behavior and its effects on client verbal behavior within the counseling interview. To achieve this purpose, the project designed a system of computer programs, the DISCOURSE ANALYSIS…

Supportive or suggestive: Do human figure drawings help 5- to 7-year-old children to report touch?

PubMed

Brown, Deirdre A; Pipe, Margaret-Ellen; Lewis, Charlie; Lamb, Michael E; Orbach, Yael

2007-02-01

The authors examined the accuracy of information elicited from seventy-nine 5- to 7-year-old children about a staged event that included physical contact-touching. Four to six weeks later, children's recall for the event was assessed using an interview protocol analogous to those used in forensic investigations with children. Following the verbal interview, children were asked about touch when provided with human figure drawings (drawings only), following practice using the human figure drawings (drawings with instruction), or without drawings (verbal questions only). In this touch-inquiry phase of the interview, most children provided new information. Children in the drawings conditions reported more incorrect information than those in the verbal questions condition. Forensically relevant errors were infrequent and were rarely elaborated on. Although asking children to talk about innocuous touch may lead them to report unreliable information, especially when human figure drawings are used as aids, errors are reduced when open-ended prompts are used to elicit further information about reported touches. Copyright 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

[Theory of Mind in a child with autism: how to train her?].

PubMed

Martín García, María J; Gómez Becerra, Inmaculada; Garro Espín, María J

2012-11-01

Theory of Mind is a metacognitive skill that, in many cases, is deficient in autism. In this paper, we present a clinical study conducted with a child diagnosed with autism, which verifies the effectiveness of a training protocol testing false beliefs, which has been considered to measure the Theory of Mind. Basically, the protocol incorporates a number of verbal prompts (such as emphasizing the elements of the narratives that indicate situational or temporary changes), trains many examples, extending the tests incorporating some games with more familiar objects from the child's daily life, applies differential contingencies to discriminate right from wrong in each child's responses and provides descriptive feedback. The results show that the training protocol achieved the highest level of correct trials and the child generalizes the ability to take the perspective of her natural context.

The Bursts and Lulls of Multimodal Interaction: Temporal Distributions of Behavior Reveal Differences Between Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication.

PubMed

Abney, Drew H; Dale, Rick; Louwerse, Max M; Kello, Christopher T

2018-04-06

Recent studies of naturalistic face-to-face communication have demonstrated coordination patterns such as the temporal matching of verbal and non-verbal behavior, which provides evidence for the proposal that verbal and non-verbal communicative control derives from one system. In this study, we argue that the observed relationship between verbal and non-verbal behaviors depends on the level of analysis. In a reanalysis of a corpus of naturalistic multimodal communication (Louwerse, Dale, Bard, & Jeuniaux, ), we focus on measuring the temporal patterns of specific communicative behaviors in terms of their burstiness. We examined burstiness estimates across different roles of the speaker and different communicative modalities. We observed more burstiness for verbal versus non-verbal channels, and for more versus less informative language subchannels. Using this new method for analyzing temporal patterns in communicative behaviors, we show that there is a complex relationship between verbal and non-verbal channels. We propose a "temporal heterogeneity" hypothesis to explain how the language system adapts to the demands of dialog. Copyright © 2018 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Why We Need To Watch, Look, and Listen When Young Children Write: What We Can Learn from Them about Their Language.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Margaret

The intricate quilt pattern of child language development can be pieced together from the numerous swatches of each child's language fabric which have been gathered by watching, looking, and listening when young children write. The necessity of watching, looking, and listening is demonstrated by the example of a preschooler's verbal protocol which…

Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention

PubMed Central

Fisher, Brian; Smith, Jennifer; Pike, Ian

2017-01-01

Background: Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA) methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods: Inspired by the Delphi method, we introduced a novel methodology—group analytics (GA). GA was pilot-tested to evaluate the impact of collaborative visual analytics on facilitating problem solving and supporting decision-making. We conducted two GA sessions. Collected data included stakeholders’ observations, audio and video recordings, questionnaires, and follow up interviews. The GA sessions were analyzed using the Joint Activity Theory protocol analysis methods; Results: The GA methodology triggered the emergence of ‘common ground’ among stakeholders. This common ground evolved throughout the sessions to enhance stakeholders’ verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as coordination of joint activities and ultimately collaboration on problem solving and decision-making; Conclusions: Understanding complex health data is necessary for informed decisions. Equally important, in this case, is the use of the group analytics methodology to achieve ‘common ground’ among diverse stakeholders about health data and their implications. PMID:28895928

The application of the heuristic-systematic processing model to treatment decision making about prostate cancer.

PubMed

Steginga, Suzanne K; Occhipinti, Stefano

2004-01-01

The study investigated the utility of the Heuristic-Systematic Processing Model as a framework for the investigation of patient decision making. A total of 111 men recently diagnosed with localized prostate cancer were assessed using Verbal Protocol Analysis and self-report measures. Study variables included men's use of nonsystematic and systematic information processing, desire for involvement in decision making, and the individual differences of health locus of control, tolerance of ambiguity, and decision-related uncertainty. Most men (68%) preferred that decision making be shared equally between them and their doctor. Men's use of the expert opinion heuristic was related to men's verbal reports of decisional uncertainty and having a positive orientation to their doctor and medical care; a desire for greater involvement in decision making was predicted by a high internal locus of health control. Trends were observed for systematic information processing to increase when the heuristic strategy used was negatively affect laden and when men were uncertain about the probabilities for cure and side effects. There was a trend for decreased systematic processing when the expert opinion heuristic was used. Findings were consistent with the Heuristic-Systematic Processing Model and suggest that this model has utility for future research in applied decision making about health.

Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention.

PubMed

Al-Hajj, Samar; Fisher, Brian; Smith, Jennifer; Pike, Ian

2017-09-12

Background : Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA) methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods : Inspired by the Delphi method, we introduced a novel methodology-group analytics (GA). GA was pilot-tested to evaluate the impact of collaborative visual analytics on facilitating problem solving and supporting decision-making. We conducted two GA sessions. Collected data included stakeholders' observations, audio and video recordings, questionnaires, and follow up interviews. The GA sessions were analyzed using the Joint Activity Theory protocol analysis methods; Results : The GA methodology triggered the emergence of ' common g round ' among stakeholders. This common ground evolved throughout the sessions to enhance stakeholders' verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as coordination of joint activities and ultimately collaboration on problem solving and decision-making; Conclusion s : Understanding complex health data is necessary for informed decisions. Equally important, in this case, is the use of the group analytics methodology to achieve ' common ground' among diverse stakeholders about health data and their implications.

[Factors affecting subjective satisfaction with verbal communication among the disabled elderly and their family caregivers].

PubMed

Miura, Hiroko; Arai, Yumiko; Yamasaki, Kiyoko

2005-05-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate satisfaction with verbal communication among the disabled elderly and their family caregivers; and to find the significantly influential factors of satisfaction with verbal communication. The subjects were 85 disabled elderly and 85 family caregivers. For the disabled elderly, satisfaction with verbal communication, demographic, and physical factors were examined using an interview survey. For the caregivers, satisfaction with verbal communication, demographic factors, and some factors related caregiving were examined using a self-administered questionnaire. In the disabled elderly, 82.4% were satisfied with their verbal communication while 55.3% of family caregivers were satisfied. Satisfaction with verbal communication between the disabled elderly and their caregivers showed low agreement (kappa = 0.17). Bivariate analysis revealed that satisfaction with verbal communication of the disabled elderly was significantly related to ADL (p < 0.01), dysphagia risk (p < 0.05), and ability of comprehension (p < 0.05) while satisfaction with verbal communication of caregivers was significantly related to the gender of the disabled elderly and caregivers' burden. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that the factor most related to satisfaction with verbal communication for the disabled elderly was ability of comprehension (p value = 0.032, odds ratio = 2.960), and the most related factor for their caregivers was the burden evaluated by J-ZBI_8 (p value = 0.004, odds ratio = 0.842). These results suggest that satisfaction with verbal communication of the disabled elderly disagrees with that of the family caregivers, and that some related factors for the disabled elderly are different from those in their family caregivers.

Studying the Therapeutic Process by Observing Clinicians' In-Session Behaviour.

PubMed

Montaño-Fidalgo, Montserrat; Ruiz, Elena M; Calero-Elvira, Ana; Froján-Parga, María Xesús

2015-01-01

This paper presents a further step in the use and validation of a systematic, functional-analytic method of describing psychologists' verbal behaviour during therapy. We observed recordings from 92 clinical sessions of 19 adults (14 women and 5 men of Caucasian origin, with ages ranging from 19 to 51 years) treated by nine cognitive-behavioural therapists (eight women and one man, Caucasian as well, with ages ranging from 25 to 48 years). The therapists' verbal behaviour was codified and then classified according to its possible functionality. A cluster analysis of the data, followed by a discriminant analysis, showed that the therapists' verbal behaviour tended to aggregate around four types of session differentiated by their clinical objective (assessment, explanation, treatment and consolidation). These results confirm the validity of our method and enable us to further describe clinical phenomena by distinguishing psychologists' classes of clinically relevant activities. Specific learning mechanisms may be responsible for clinical change within each class. These issues should be analysed more closely when explaining therapeutic phenomena and when developing more effective forms of clinical intervention. We described therapists' verbal behaviour in a focused fashion so as to develop new research methods that evaluate psychological work moment by moment. We performed a cluster analysis in order to evaluate how the therapists' verbal behaviour was distributed throughout the intervention. A discriminant analysis gave us further information about the statistical significance and possible nature of the clusters we observed. The therapists' verbal behaviour depended on current clinical objectives and could be classified into four classes of clinically relevant activities: evaluation, explanation, treatment and consolidation. Some of the therapist's verbalizations were more important than others when carrying out these clinically relevant activities. The distribution of the therapists' verbal behaviour across classes may provide us with clues regarding the functionality of their in-session verbal behaviour. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Maternal mobile device use during a structured parent-child interaction task.

PubMed

Radesky, Jenny; Miller, Alison L; Rosenblum, Katherine L; Appugliese, Danielle; Kaciroti, Niko; Lumeng, Julie C

2015-01-01

To examine associations of maternal mobile device use with the frequency of mother-child interactions during a structured laboratory task. Participants included 225 low-income mother-child pairs. When children were ∼6 years old, dyads were videotaped during a standardized protocol in order to characterize how mothers and children interacted when asked to try familiar and unfamiliar foods. From videotapes, we dichotomized mothers on the basis of whether or not they spontaneously used a mobile device, and we counted maternal verbal and nonverbal prompts toward the child. We used multivariate Poisson regression to study associations of device use with eating prompt frequency for different foods. Mothers were an average of 31.3 (SD 7.1) years old, and 28.0% were of Hispanic/nonwhite race/ethnicity. During the protocol, 23.1% of mothers spontaneously used a mobile device. Device use was not associated with any maternal characteristics, including age, race/ethnicity, education, depressive symptoms, or parenting style. Mothers with device use initiated fewer verbal (relative rate 0.80; 95% confidence interval 0.63, 1.03) and nonverbal (0.61; 0.39, 0.96) interactions with their children than mothers who did not use a device, when averaged across all foods. This association was strongest during introduction of halva, the most unfamiliar food (0.67; 0.48, 0.93 for verbal and 0.42; 0.20, 0.89 for nonverbal interactions). Mobile device use was common and associated with fewer interactions with children during a structured interaction task, particularly nonverbal interactions and during introduction of an unfamiliar food. More research is needed to understand how device use affects parent-child engagement in naturalistic contexts. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal mobile device use during a structured parent-child interaction task

PubMed Central

Radesky, Jenny; Miller, Alison L.; Rosenblum, Katherine L.; Appugliese, Danielle; Kaciroti, Niko; Lumeng, Julie C.

2014-01-01

Objective Examine associations of maternal mobile device use with the frequency of mother-child interactions during a structured laboratory task. Methods Participants included 225 low-income mother-child pairs. When children were ~6 years old, dyads were videotaped during a standardized protocol in order to characterize how mothers and children interacted when asked to try familiar and unfamiliar foods. From videotapes, we dichotomized mothers based on whether or not they spontaneously used a mobile device, and counted maternal verbal and nonverbal prompts toward the child. We used multivariate Poisson regression to study associations of device use with eating prompt frequency for different foods. Results Mothers were an average of 31.3 (SD 7.1) years old and 28.0% were of Hispanic/non-white race/ethnicity. During the protocol, 23.1% of mothers spontaneously used a mobile device. Device use was not associated with any maternal characteristics, including age, race/ethnicity, education, depressive symptoms, or parenting style. Mothers with device use initiated fewer verbal (RR 0.80 [95% CI: 0.63, 1.03]) and nonverbal (0.61 [0.39, 0.96]) interactions with their children than mothers who did not use a device, when averaged across all foods. This association was strongest during introduction of halva, the most unfamiliar food (0.67 [0.48, 0.93] for verbal and 0.42 [0.20, 0.89] for nonverbal interactions). Conclusions Mobile device use was common and associated with fewer interactions with children during a structured interaction task, particularly nonverbal interactions and during introduction of an unfamiliar food. More research is needed to understand how device use affects parent-child engagement in naturalistic contexts. PMID:25454369

Zen and Behavior Analysis

PubMed Central

Bass, Roger

2010-01-01

Zen's challenge for behavior analysis is to explain a repertoire that renders analysis itself meaningless—a result following not from scientific or philosophical arguments but rather from a unique verbal history generated by Zen's methods. Untying Zen's verbal knots suggests how meditation's and koans' effects on verbal behavior contribute to Enlightenment and Samādhi. The concept of stimulus singularity is introduced to account for why, within Zen's frame of reference, its methods can be studied but its primary outcomes (e.g., Samādhi and Satori) cannot be described in any conventional sense. PMID:22479128

The Hefferline Notes: B. F. Skinner's First Public Exposition of His Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

PubMed

Knapp, Terry J

2009-01-01

B. F. Skinner's first public exposition of his analysis of verbal behavior was the Hefferline Notes (1947a), a written summary of a course Skinner taught at Columbia University during the summer of 1947 just prior to his presentation of the William James Lectures at Harvard University in the fall. The Notes are significant because they display Skinner's analysis as it made the transition from spoken to written form; moreover, they are an effective supplemental source of examples and early approximations for comprehending Skinner's functional verbal operants.

Analysis of poetic literature using B. F. Skinner's theoretical framework from verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Luke, Nicole M.

2003-01-01

This paper examines Skinner's work on verbal behavior in the context of literature as a particular class of written verbal behavior. It looks at contemporary literary theory and analysis and the contributions that Skinner's theoretical framework can make. Two diverse examples of poetic literature are chosen and analyzed following Skinner's framework, examining the dynamic interplay between the writer and reader that take place within the bounds of the work presented. It is concluded that Skinner's hypotheses about verbal behavior and the functional approach to understanding it have much to offer literary theorists in their efforts to understand literary works and should be more carefully examined.

Exposure of Iranian emergency medical technicians to workplace violence: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Rahmani, Azad; Hassankhani, Hadi; Mills, Jane; Dadashzadeh, Abbas

2012-02-01

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Iran experience concerning levels of workplace violence, although until now there has been no investigation of this phenomenon. The objectives of the present study were to describe the exposure of Iranian EMTs to workplace violence and to identify the importance of related factors from their viewpoint. In this descriptive, exploratory study, 160 EMTs agreed to participate in a survey that collected data regarding their exposure to the following forms of workplace violence: verbal abuse, physical assault, cultural harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault. A total of 138 questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of 86%. The majority of participants 75% (n = 103) experienced at least one form of workplace violence in the 12 months before completing the questionnaire. The most frequently reported form of workplace violence was verbal abuse (71%), followed by physical assault (38%) and cultural harassment (9%). Violence resulting in serious injuries was reported by only 4% of participants, with no more than 8% of participants experiencing workplace violence that included the use of weapons. The most reported response to workplace violence was to 'invite the offender to calm down'. Participants took this approach because they believed that 'follow up of workplace violence is ineffectual' (34%), considered the workplace violence as a common in their job (30%), and did not know whom to report workplace violence to (13%). Iranian EMTs experience a considerable amount of workplace violence. The present study highlights the recommendation for formal training programmes and clearer protocols about how to manage workplace violence, especially verbal abuse in the Iranian prehospital setting. © 2011 The Authors. EMA © 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Verbal fluency in bipolar disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Raucher-Chéné, Delphine; Achim, Amélie M; Kaladjian, Arthur; Besche-Richard, Chrystel

2017-01-01

One of the main features of bipolar disorder (BD), besides mood dysregulation, is an alteration of the structure of language. Bipolar patients present changes in semantic contents, impaired verbal associations, abnormal prosody and abnormal speed of language highlighted with various experimental tasks. Verbal fluency tasks are widely used to assess the abilities of bipolar patients to retrieve and produce verbal material from the lexico-semantic memory. Studies using these tasks have however yielded discrepant results. The aim of this study was thus to determine the extent of the verbal fluency impairment in BD patients and to evaluate if the deficits are affected by the type of task or by mood states. A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EBSCOHost and Google Scholar and relevant data were submitted to a meta-analysis. Thirty-nine studies were retained providing data for 52 independent groups of BD patients. The overall meta-analysis revealed a moderate verbal fluency impairment in BD compared to healthy controls (effect size d=0.61). Comparisons between mood states showed significant differences only between euthymic and manic patients and only on category fluency performances. This review is limited by the heterogeneity between studies for the characteristics of BD populations. Also, few of the retained studies examined depressive or mixed episodes. This work confirms that BD patients present with moderate verbal fluency impairments, and underlines the specific effect of mood state on category fluency. This emphasizes the need to distinguish semantic from phonological processes in verbal fluency assessments in BD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A functional analysis of social reinforcement in vicarious verbal conditioning.

PubMed

Donohue, G B; Tryon, W W

1985-01-01

This article reports the results of 629 subjects in three experiments designed to replicate and extend the phenomenon of vicarious verbal conditioning. Experiment I replicated the finding that subjects who responded most to vicarious verbal conditioning were aware of the contingency involved. Experiment II attempted to examine the effects of prior history with the verbal reinforcer on vicarious verbal conditioning by providing seven groups of subjects with varying classic conditioning histories prior to vicarious verbal conditioning. The null results associated with this experiment were hypothesized to be due to the fact that the vicarious verbal conditioning took place in a language laboratory where the subjects could hear but not see the model. Experiment III replicated Experiment II in a live group context as was done in Experiment I. The results showed that vicarious verbal conditioning was again found to take place, that associating the verbal reinforcer with a tone or tone plus money via forward classic conditioning potentiated the effects of the verbal reinforcer, that backward classic conditioning did not potentiate the reinforcer, d) nor did either of two sensitization procedures potentiate the effects of the verbal reinforcer. Both aware and unaware subjects evidenced vicarious verbal conditioning.

A meta-analysis of working memory impairments in survivors of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Dunning, Darren L; Westgate, Briony; Adlam, Anna-Lynne R

2016-10-01

To establish the magnitude of deficits in working memory (WM) and short-term memory (STM) in those with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to age-matched, healthy controls and to explore the moderating effects of time since injury and age at injury on these impairments. Twenty-one studies that compared the WM and/or STM abilities of individuals with at least a moderate TBI relative to healthy controls were included in a random effects meta-analysis. Measures used to examine memory performance were categorized by modality (visuospatial, verbal) and memory system (WM, STM). Individuals with TBI had significant deficits in verbal STM (Cohen's d = .41), visuospatial WM (Cohen's d = .69), and verbal WM (Cohen's d = .37) relative to controls. Greater decrements in verbal STM and verbal WM skills were associated with longer time postinjury. Larger deficits were observed in verbal WM abilities in individuals with older age at injury. Evidence for WM impairments following TBI is consistent with previous research. Larger verbal STM and verbal WM deficits were related to a longer time postinjury, suggesting that these aspects of memory do not "recover" over time and instead, individuals might show increased rates of cognitive decline. Age at injury was associated with the severity of verbal WM impairments, with larger deficits evident for injuries that occurred later in life. Further research needs to chart the long-term effects of TBI on WM and to compare the effects of injury on verbal relative to visuospatial memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Advanced FL Learners Explaining Their Writing Choices: Epistemic Attitude as an Indicator of Problem-Solving and Strategic Knowledge in the On-Line Revision Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutta, Maarit; Johansson, Marjut

2018-01-01

Verbal protocols are usually used to study cognitive processes involved in various activities, as it is argued that they could make implicit processes of thinking visible and thus reportable. Here, it is proposed that verbalisations can also be approached from another angle, namely as a discourse that contains linguistic markers of writers'…

"Achtung" Maybe: A Case Study of the Role of Personal Connection and Art in the Literary Engagement of Students with Attentional Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smagorinsky, Peter; Cameron, Tricia; O'Donnell-Allen, Cindy

2007-01-01

This study examines a collaborative reading of John Keats's poem, "When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be," by two high school seniors with attentional difficulties in a mainstream British Literature class, with a focus on one of the students, Rita. The data consist of a retrospective verbal protocol during which the students recounted their…

Psychobiological responses to critically evaluated multitasking.

PubMed

Wetherell, Mark A; Craw, Olivia; Smith, Kenny; Smith, Michael A

2017-12-01

In order to understand psychobiological responses to stress it is necessary to observe how people react to controlled stressors. A range of stressors exist for this purpose; however, laboratory stressors that are representative of real life situations provide more ecologically valid opportunities for assessing stress responding. The current study assessed psychobiological responses to an ecologically valid laboratory stressor involving multitasking and critical evaluation. The stressor elicited significant increases in psychological and cardiovascular stress reactivity; however, no cortisol reactivity was observed. Other socially evaluative laboratory stressors that lead to cortisol reactivity typically require a participant to perform tasks that involve verbal responses, whilst standing in front of evaluative others. The current protocol contained critical evaluation of cognitive performance; however, this was delivered from behind a seated participant. The salience of social evaluation may therefore be related to the response format of the task and the method of evaluation. That is, the current protocol did not involve the additional vulnerability associated with in person, face-to-face contact, and verbal delivery. Critical evaluation of multitasking provides an ecologically valid technique for inducing laboratory stress and provides an alternative tool for assessing psychological and cardiovascular reactivity. Future studies could additionally use this paradigm to investigate those components of social evaluation necessary for eliciting a cortisol response.

Verbal Neuropsychological Functions in Aphasia: An Integrative Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigliecca, Nora Silvana; Báez, Sandra

2015-01-01

A theoretical framework which considers the verbal functions of the brain under a multivariate and comprehensive cognitive model was statistically analyzed. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to verify whether some recognized aphasia constructs can be hierarchically integrated as latent factors from a homogenously verbal test. The Brief…

Verbal Stimulus Control and the Intraverbal Relation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundberg, Mark L.

2016-01-01

The importance of the intraverbal relation is missed in most theories of language. Skinner (1957) attributes this to traditional semantic theories of meaning that focus on the nonverbal referents of words and neglect verbal stimuli as separate sources of control for linguistic behavior. An analysis of verbal stimulus control is presented, along…

The Multiple Control of Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Jack; Palmer, David C.; Sundberg, Mark L.

2011-01-01

Amid the novel terms and original analyses in Skinner's "Verbal Behavior", the importance of his discussion of multiple control is easily missed, but multiple control of verbal responses is the rule rather than the exception. In this paper we summarize and illustrate Skinner's analysis of multiple control and introduce the terms "convergent…

Further Evaluation of Emerging Speech in Children with Developmental Disabilities: Training Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, M. E.; Shillingsburg, M.A.; Castro, M. J.; Addison, L. R.; LaRue, R. H., Jr.

2007-01-01

The conceptual basis for many effective language-training programs are based on Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. Skinner described several elementary verbal operants including mands, tacts, intraverbals, and echoics. According to Skinner, responses that are the same topography may actually be functionally independent. Previous…

Verbal Regulation of Behavior and IQ in Canadian Indian and White Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schubert, Josef; Cropley, A. J.

1972-01-01

Detailed analysis of the reactions to training and of the verbal regulation of behavior scores of subjects from a remote Indian reserve showed that the low IQ of this group resulted from an underdevelopment of reflective verbal thought, but not from a biologically determined inadequacy. (Authors)

Culture and Social Relationship as Factors of Affecting Communicative Non-verbal Behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhter Lipi, Afia; Nakano, Yukiko; Rehm, Mathias

The goal of this paper is to link a bridge between social relationship and cultural variation to predict conversants' non-verbal behaviors. This idea serves as a basis of establishing a parameter based socio-cultural model, which determines non-verbal expressive parameters that specify the shapes of agent's nonverbal behaviors in HAI. As the first step, a comparative corpus analysis is done for two cultures in two specific social relationships. Next, by integrating the cultural and social parameters factors with the empirical data from corpus analysis, we establish a model that predicts posture. The predictions from our model successfully demonstrate that both cultural background and social relationship moderate communicative non-verbal behaviors.

Linguistic Sources of Skinner's Verbal Behavior

PubMed Central

Matos, Maria Amelia; da F. Passos, Maria de Lourdes R.

2006-01-01

Formal and functional analyses of verbal behavior have been often considered to be divergent and incompatible. Yet, an examination of the history of part of the analytical approach used in Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957/1992) for the identification and conceptualization of verbal operant units discloses that it corresponds well with formal analyses of languages. Formal analyses have been carried out since the invention of writing and fall within the scope of traditional grammar and structural linguistics, particularly in analyses made by the linguist Leonard Bloomfield. The relevance of analytical instruments originated from linguistic studies (which examine and describe the practices of verbal communities) to the analysis of verbal behavior, as proposed by Skinner, relates to the conception of a verbal community as a prerequisite for the acquisition of verbal behavior. A deliberately interdisciplinary approach is advocated in this paper, with the systematic adoption of linguistic analyses and descriptions adding relevant knowledge to the design of experimental research in verbal behavior. PMID:22478454

The heterogeneity of verbal short-term memory impairment in aphasia.

PubMed

Majerus, Steve; Attout, Lucie; Artielle, Marie-Amélie; Van der Kaa, Marie-Anne

2015-10-01

Verbal short-term memory (STM) impairment represents a frequent and long-lasting deficit in aphasia, and it will prevent patients from recovering fully functional language abilities. The aim of this study was to obtain a more precise understanding of the nature of verbal STM impairment in aphasia, by determining whether verbal STM impairment is merely a consequence of underlying language impairment, as suggested by linguistic accounts of verbal STM, or whether verbal STM impairment reflects an additional, specific deficit. We investigated this question by contrasting item-based STM measures, supposed to depend strongly upon language activation, and order-based STM measures, supposed to reflect the operation of specific, serial order maintenance mechanisms, in a sample of patients with single-word processing deficits at the phonological and/or lexical level. A group-level analysis showed robust impairment for both item and serial order STM aspects in the aphasic group relative to an age-matched control group. An analysis of individual profiles revealed an important heterogeneity of verbal STM profiles, with patients presenting either selective item STM deficits, selective order STM deficits, generalized item and serial order STM deficits or no significant STM impairment. Item but not serial order STM impairment correlated with the severity of phonological impairment. These results disconfirm a strong version of the linguistic account of verbal STM impairment in aphasia, by showing variable impairment to both item and serial order processing aspects of verbal STM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication Trends in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior: 1999-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcon-Dawson, Allyne; Vicars, Sara M.; Miguel, Caio F.

2009-01-01

"The Analysis of Verbal Behavior" ("TAVB") publishes experimental and theoretical papers relevant to a behavioral analysis of language. Normand, Fossa, and Poling (2000) reviewed the published studies in "TAVB" across several dimensions and found that despite the growth of the journal, most articles published in "TAVB" from 1982 to 1998 were…

Using Content Analysis to Examine the Verbal or Written Communication of Stakeholders within Early Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Lawrence J.; LaMontagne, M. J.

1993-01-01

This paper describes content analysis as a data analysis technique useful for examining written or verbal communication within early intervention. The article outlines the use of referential or thematic recording units derived from interview data, identifies procedural guidelines, and addresses issues of rigor and validity. (Author/JDD)

DIVERGT screening procedure predicts general cognitive functioning in adult long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A PETALE study.

PubMed

Boulet-Craig, Aubree; Robaey, Philippe; Laniel, Julie; Bertout, Laurence; Drouin, Simon; Krajinovic, Maja; Laverdière, Caroline; Sinnett, Daniel; Sultan, Serge; Lippé, Sarah

2018-05-24

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Because of major improvements in treatment protocols, the survival rate now exceeds 80%. However, ALL treatments can cause long-term neurocognitive sequelae, which negatively impact academic achievement and quality of life. Therefore, cognitive sequelae need to be carefully evaluated. The DIVERGT is a battery of tests proposed as a screening tool, sensitive to executive function impairments in children and adolescent cancer survivors. Our study aimed at verifying the predictive value of the DIVERGT on general cognitive functioning in adult long-term survivors of ALL. ALL survivors completed the DIVERGT 13.4 years, on average, after remission (N = 247). In addition, 49 of these survivors (equally selected amongst those with low, average, and high DIVERGT scores) as well as 29 controls completed a more comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation within a 3-year period from DIVERGT administration. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the predictive value of the DIVERGT on general intelligence, mathematics, verbal memory, and working memory. As a follow-up analysis, three performance groups were created based on the DIVERGT results. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) assessed neuropsychological differences between groups. The DIVERGT accurately predicted General Ability Index (GAI) (P < 0.0001), mathematics (P < 0.0001) and verbal memory (P = 0.045). Moreover, the low-performance group consistently had poorer performance than the high-performance and control groups on the neuropsychological tests. The DIVERGT is a useful, time-effective screening battery for broader neurocognitive impairments identification in long-term adult ALL survivors. It could be implemented as routine examination in cancer follow-up clinics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Midwives' verbal support of nulliparous women in second-stage labor.

PubMed

Borders, Noelle; Wendland, Claire; Haozous, Emily; Leeman, Lawrence; Rogers, Rebecca

2013-01-01

To describe how nurse-midwives verbally support nulliparous women during second-stage labor and document specific details of each second stage. Descriptive qualitative study. A university hospital labor and delivery unit in the southwestern United States. Nulliparous women (n = 14) older than age 18 and their attendant midwives (n = 9). A single research midwife observed the entire second stage of each woman and used a standardized data collection form to record spontaneous or directed pushing, position changes, open and closed glottis pushing. A digital audio recorder was employed to capture verbal communication between the midwife and laboring woman. The research midwife and two qualitative experts employed content analysis to analyze the audio transcripts and identify categories of verbal support. Analysis revealed four categories of verbal support: affirmation, information sharing, direction, and baby talk. The vast majority of verbal communication by nurse-midwives consisted of affirmation and information sharing. Nurse-midwives gave direction for specific reasons. Women pushed spontaneously the majority of the time, regardless of epidural use. Nurse-midwives use a range of verbal support strategies to guide the second stage. Directive support was relatively uncommon. Most verbal support instead affirmed a woman's ability to follow her own body's lead in second-stage labor, with or without epidural. © 2013 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

THE PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW VERBAL BEHAVIOR. FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FERSTER, C.B.

THESE EXPERIMENTS WITH VERBAL BEHAVIOR WERE CARRIED OUT AS AN EXTENSION AND ADAPTATION OF GENERAL LABORATORY PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED WITH ANIMALS. THE EXPERIMENTS COVERED THREE AREAS. THE FIRST WAS AN APPLICATION OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF VERBAL BEHAVIOR, LARGELY BASED ON SKINNER'S ANALYSIS, TO THE PROBLEMS OF TEACHING A SECOND LANGUAGE. ACTUAL…

Using a Verbal Analysis of Lady Gaga's "Applause" as a Classroom Exercise for Teaching Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witts, Benjamin N.; Arief, Icha; Hutter, Emily

2016-01-01

Learning Skinner's (1957) verbal behavior taxonomy requires extensive study and practice. Thus, novel classroom exercises might serve this goal. The present manuscript describes a classroom exercise in which two students analyzed Lady Gaga's song "Applause" in terms of its metaphorical arrangements. Through the exercise, students…

Cultural Practices in Italian Family Conversations: Verbal Conflict between Parents and Preadolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arcidiacono, Francesco; Pontecorvo, Clotilde

2009-01-01

This work studies verbal conflict between parents and preadolescents through analysis of family dinnertime conversations. We move from the assumption that verbal conflict is an educational instrument of interaction and a tool of socialization. The aim of the research is to analyze the participants' strategies in situations of conflict and to…

A Description of Teacher Behavior: Verbal and Nonverbal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Russell L.; Galloway, Charles M.

Because of the need to describe and analyze nonverbal as well as verbal classroom interaction, an attempt has been made to develop an observational system of complete behavioral analysis using the Flanders system as a base. Each of the 10 Flanders verbal categories (based on direct and indirect teacher influence) is combined with relevant…

Auditory Verbal Experience and Agency in Waking, Sleep Onset, REM, and Non-REM Sleep.

PubMed

Speth, Jana; Harley, Trevor A; Speth, Clemens

2017-04-01

We present one of the first quantitative studies on auditory verbal experiences ("hearing voices") and auditory verbal agency (inner speech, and specifically "talking to (imaginary) voices or characters") in healthy participants across states of consciousness. Tools of quantitative linguistic analysis were used to measure participants' implicit knowledge of auditory verbal experiences (VE) and auditory verbal agencies (VA), displayed in mentation reports from four different states. Analysis was conducted on a total of 569 mentation reports from rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, non-REM sleep, sleep onset, and waking. Physiology was controlled with the nightcap sleep-wake mentation monitoring system. Sleep-onset hallucinations, traditionally at the focus of scientific attention on auditory verbal hallucinations, showed the lowest degree of VE and VA, whereas REM sleep showed the highest degrees. Degrees of different linguistic-pragmatic aspects of VE and VA likewise depend on the physiological states. The quantity and pragmatics of VE and VA are a function of the physiologically distinct state of consciousness in which they are conceived. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Verbal communication improves laparoscopic team performance.

PubMed

Shiliang Chang; Waid, Erin; Martinec, Danny V; Bin Zheng; Swanstrom, Lee L

2008-06-01

The impact of verbal communication on laparoscopic team performance was examined. A total of 24 dyad teams, comprised of residents, medical students, and office staff, underwent 2 team tasks using a previously validated bench model. Twelve teams (feedback groups) received instant verbal instruction and feedback on their performance from an instructor which was compared with 12 teams (control groups) with minimal or no verbal feedback. Their performances were both video and audio taped for analysis. Surgical backgrounds were similar between feedback and control groups. Teams with more verbal feedback achieved significantly better task performance (P = .002) compared with the control group with less feedback. Impact of verbal feedback was more pronounced for tasks requiring team cooperation (aiming and navigation) than tasks depending on individual skills (knotting). Verbal communication, especially the instructions and feedback from an experienced instructor, improved team efficiency and performance.

Performance of the Tariff Method: validation of a simple additive algorithm for analysis of verbal autopsies

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Verbal autopsies provide valuable information for studying mortality patterns in populations that lack reliable vital registration data. Methods for transforming verbal autopsy results into meaningful information for health workers and policymakers, however, are often costly or complicated to use. We present a simple additive algorithm, the Tariff Method (termed Tariff), which can be used for assigning individual cause of death and for determining cause-specific mortality fractions (CSMFs) from verbal autopsy data. Methods Tariff calculates a score, or "tariff," for each cause, for each sign/symptom, across a pool of validated verbal autopsy data. The tariffs are summed for a given response pattern in a verbal autopsy, and this sum (score) provides the basis for predicting the cause of death in a dataset. We implemented this algorithm and evaluated the method's predictive ability, both in terms of chance-corrected concordance at the individual cause assignment level and in terms of CSMF accuracy at the population level. The analysis was conducted separately for adult, child, and neonatal verbal autopsies across 500 pairs of train-test validation verbal autopsy data. Results Tariff is capable of outperforming physician-certified verbal autopsy in most cases. In terms of chance-corrected concordance, the method achieves 44.5% in adults, 39% in children, and 23.9% in neonates. CSMF accuracy was 0.745 in adults, 0.709 in children, and 0.679 in neonates. Conclusions Verbal autopsies can be an efficient means of obtaining cause of death data, and Tariff provides an intuitive, reliable method for generating individual cause assignment and CSMFs. The method is transparent and flexible and can be readily implemented by users without training in statistics or computer science. PMID:21816107

Creative musical expression as a catalyst for quality-of-life improvement in inner-city adolescents placed in a court-referred residential treatment program.

PubMed

Bittman, Barry; Dickson, Larry; Coddington, Kim

2009-01-01

Obstacles to effectively rehabilitate inner-city adolescents in staff-secure residential treatment centers should not be underestimated. Effective evidence-based protocols are lacking to help juveniles who are often angry, detached, frustrated, and in direct conflict with their peers. Facing a myriad of issues ranging from youth delinquency offenses to trauma, abuse, drug/alcohol use, peer pressure/gang-related activities, lack of structure in home environments, mental health diagnoses, and cognitive functioning difficulties, these adolescents present extraordinary challenges to an over-stressed juvenile justice system. A randomized controlled crossover study is utilized to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of a novel creative musical expression protocol as a catalyst for nonverbal and verbal disclosure leading to improvements in quality of life for inner-city youth in a court-referred residential treatment program. A total of 52 (30 females and 22 males) African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Puerto Rican subjects ranging in age from 12 to 18 (mean age 14.5) completed the study. Dependent variable measures included the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), the Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (APS), the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (AARS), the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, 2nd edition (RADS 2), and the Adolescent Visual-Analog Recreational Music Making Assessment (A-VARMMA). Statistically significant (experimental vs control) improvements in multiple parameters include school/work role performance, total depression, anhedonia/negative affect, negative self-evaluation, and instrumental anger. In addition, extended impact (experimental vs control) is characterized by statistically significant improvements 6 weeks after completion of the protocol, for school/work role performance, behavior toward others, anhedonia/negative affect, total anger, instrumental anger, anger, and interpersonal problems. The primary limitations of this study include an extended follow-up period of only 6 weeks post completion of the protocol, and the inability to blind the counselors performing standardized assessments. This study is the first of its kind to test a replicable creative musical expression protocol as a catalyst for nonverbal and verbal disclosure leading to improved quality of life for inner-city youth in a court-referred residential treatment program. With substantial potential for widespread dissemination, this innovative protocol for adolescents can be readily utilized by behavioral health professionals without prior musical experience.

Convergences with behavior analysis: Recommendations from the rhetoric of inquiry

PubMed Central

Czubaroff, J.

1993-01-01

This analysis speculates on reasons why behavior analysis has not had the professional impact it desires, and suggests that increased contact with non-behavior-analytic research traditions and increased research in the area of verbal behavior may reverse the profession's fortunes. Behaviorists have accured a number of advantages from constituting themselves as a separate school in psychology. Nonetheless, school status can lead to isolation from other research traditions and can restrict communicative encounters with outside scholars to efforts to attack their research programs and defend one's own. Efforts to counteract these tendencies should help bring behavior analysis into the mainstream of contemporary social science research. In addition, if behavior analysts reconsider some of their assumptions about verbal and nonverbal behaviors and some of their methodological assumptions about how verbal behavior is to be studied, and if they place verbal behavior research on center stage, they may make substantive contributions to the contemporary multidisciplinary study of language. PMID:22478127

Parental verbal affection and verbal aggression in childhood differentially influence psychiatric symptoms and wellbeing in young adulthood.

PubMed

Polcari, Ann; Rabi, Keren; Bolger, Elizabeth; Teicher, Martin H

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown that exposure to parental verbal aggression is common and associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and drug use. A key question that has not been addressed is whether verbal affection from the same or opposite parent can attenuate the effects of verbal aggression. This cross-sectional study examined the effects of parental verbal aggression and affection during childhood on measures of psychopathology and wellbeing in a community sample of 2,518 individuals (18-25 years). Data were analyzed for moderating influences using mixed effect models and for direct and indirect effects using structural equation models. The moderation analysis suggested that high levels of exposure to verbal affection did not mitigate the effects of verbal aggression from the same parent, and high levels of verbal affection from another parent did not generally result in a significant attenuation of the effects of verbal aggression. Structural equation models showed that verbal aggression was predominantly associated with effects on psychiatric symptoms scores, whereas verbal affection was primarily associated with effects on measures of wellbeing. These findings highlight the relatively independent effects of verbal aggression and verbal affection and suggest that the latter may be particularly important in establishing a foundation for emotional and physical wellbeing. These findings also suggest that ridicule, disdain, and humiliation cannot be easily counteracted by praise and warmth from the same or another parent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental Verbal Affection and Verbal Aggression in Childhood Differentially Influence Psychiatric Symptoms and Wellbeing in Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

Polcari, Ann; Rabi, Keren; Bolger, Elizabeth; Teicher, Martin H.

2013-01-01

Previous research has shown that exposure to parental verbal aggression is common and associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, dissociation, and drug use. A key question that has not been addressed is whether verbal affection from the same or opposite parent can attenuate the effects of verbal aggression. This cross-sectional study examined the effects of parental verbal aggression and affection during childhood on measures of psychopathology and wellbeing in a community sample of 2,518 individuals (18–25 years). Data were analyzed for moderating influences using mixed effect models and for direct and indirect effects using structural equation models. The moderation analysis suggested that high levels of exposure to verbal affection did not mitigate the effects of verbal aggression from the same parent, and high levels of verbal affection from another parent did not generally result in a significant attenuation of the effects of verbal aggression. Structural equation models showed that verbal aggression was predominantly associated with effects on psychiatric symptoms scores, whereas verbal affection was primarily associated with effects on measures of wellbeing. These findings highlight the relatively independent effects of verbal aggression and verbal affection and suggest that the latter may be particularly important in establishing a foundation for emotional and physical wellbeing. These findings also suggest that ridicule, disdain, and humiliation cannot be easily counteracted by praise and warmth from the same or another parent. PMID:24268711

Thirty Points About Motivation From Skinner's Book Verbal Behavior

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Mark L.

2013-01-01

Skinner discussed the topic of motivation in every chapter of the book Verbal Behavior (1957), usually with his preferred terminology of “deprivation, satiation, and aversive stimulation.” In the current paper, direct quotations are used to systematically take the reader through 30 separate points made by Skinner in Verbal Behavior that collectively provide a comprehensive analysis of his position regarding the role of motivation in behavior analysis. In addition, various refinements and extensions of Skinner's analysis by Jack Michael and colleagues (Laraway, Snycerski, Michael, & Poling, 2003; Michael, 1982, 1988, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2007) are incorporated, along with suggestions for research and applications for several of the points. PMID:23814363

An Intervention Based on Video Feedback and Questioning to Improve Tactical Knowledge in Expert Female Volleyball Players.

PubMed

Moreno, M Perla; Moreno, Alberto; García-González, Luis; Ureña, Aurelio; Hernández, César; Del Villar, Fernando

2016-06-01

This study applied an intervention program, based on video feedback and questioning, to expert female volleyball players to improve their tactical knowledge. The sample consisted of eight female attackers (26 ± 2.6 years old) from the Spanish National Volleyball Team, who were divided into an experimental group (n = 4) and a control group (n = 4). The video feedback and questioning program applied in the study was developed over eight reflective sessions and consisted of three phases: viewing of the selected actions, self-analysis and reflection by the attacker, and joint player-coach analysis. The attackers were videotaped in an actual game and four clips (situations) of each of the attackers were chosen for each reflective session. Two of the clips showed a correct action by the attacker, and two showed an incorrect decision. Tactical knowledge was measured by problem representation with a verbal protocol. The members of the experimental group showed adaptations in long-term memory, significantly improving their tactical knowledge. With respect to conceptual content, there was an increase in the total number of conditions verbalized by the players; with respect to conceptual sophistication, there was an increase in the indication of appropriate conditions with two or more details; and finally, with respect to conceptual structure, there was an increase in the use of double or triple conceptual structures. The intervention program, based on video feedback and questioning, in addition to on-court training sessions of expert volleyball players, appears to improve the athletes' tactical knowledge. © The Author(s) 2016.

An Assessment of Three Procedures to Teach Echoic Responding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cividini-Motta, Catia; Scharrer, Nicole; Ahearn, William H.

2017-01-01

The research literature has revealed mixed outcomes on various procedures for increasing vocalizations and echoic responding in persons with disabilities (Miguel, Carr, & Michael "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior," 18, 3-13, 2002; Stock, Schulze, & Mirenda "The Analysis of Verbal Behavior," 24, 123-133, 2008). We…

Analisi dell'Interazione Verbale Nella Discussione Matematica: Un Approccio Vygotskiano (A Verbal Analysis of Interaction in Mathematics Discussion: The Vygotskiano Approach).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussi, Maria G. Bartolini; Boni, Mara

1995-01-01

Presents a methodology for analyzing verbal interaction in mathematical discussion which is both a product and an instrument of a research project in grades one through eight. Analyzes an example of discussion from a first-grade classroom about point of view. (Author/MKR)

Semantic Pattern Analysis for Verbal Fluency Based Assessment of Neurological Disorders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sukumar, Sreenivas R; Ainsworth, Keela C; Brown, Tyler C

In this paper, we present preliminary results of semantic pattern analysis of verbal fluency tests used for assessing cognitive psychological and neuropsychological disorders. We posit that recent advances in semantic reasoning and artificial intelligence can be combined to create a standardized computer-aided diagnosis tool to automatically evaluate and interpret verbal fluency tests. Towards that goal, we derive novel semantic similarity (phonetic, phonemic and conceptual) metrics and present the predictive capability of these metrics on a de-identified dataset of participants with and without neurological disorders.

Apathy in schizophrenia as a deficit in the generation of options for action.

PubMed

Hartmann, Matthias N; Kluge, Agne; Kalis, Annemarie; Mojzisch, Andreas; Tobler, Philippe N; Kaiser, Stefan

2015-05-01

Negative symptoms are a core feature of schizophrenia and have been grouped into 2 factors: a motivational factor, which we refer to as apathy, and a diminished expression factor. Recent studies have shown that apathy is closely linked to functional outcome. However, knowledge about its mechanisms and its relation to decision-making is limited. In the current study, we examined whether apathy in schizophrenia is associated with predecisional deficits, that is, deficits in the generation of options for action. We applied verbal protocol analysis to investigate the quantity of options generated in ill-structured real world scenarios in 30 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 21 healthy control participants. Patients generated significantly fewer options than control participants and clinical apathy ratings correlated negatively with the quantity of generated options. We show that the association between measures of psychopathology and option generation is most pronounced in regard to apathy symptoms and that it is only partially mediated by deficits in verbal fluency. This study provides empirical support for dysfunctional option generation as a possible mechanism for apathy in schizophrenia. Our data emphasize the potential importance of predecisional stages in the development and persistence of apathy symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders and might also inform the development of novel treatment options in the realm of cognitive remediation. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Verbal and visual memory in patients with early Parkinson's disease: effect of levodopa.

PubMed

Singh, Sumit; Behari, Madhuri

2006-03-01

The effect of initiation of levodopa therapy on the memory functions in patients with Parkinson's disease remains poorly understood. To evaluate the effect of initiation of levodopa therapy on memory, in patients with early Parkinson's disease. Prospective case control study. Seventeen patients with early Parkinson's disease were evaluated for verbal memory using Rey's auditory verbal learning test, and visual memory using the Benton's visual retention test and Form sequence learning test. UPDRS scores, Hoehn and Yahr's Staging and Schwab and England scores of Activities of daily living. Hamilton's depression rating scale and MMSE were also evaluated. Six controls were also evaluated according to similar study protocol. Levodopa was then prescribed to the cases. Same tests were repeated on all the subjects after 12 weeks. The mean age of the patients was 59.8 (+ 12.9 yrs); mean disease duration of 3.26 (+ 2.06 yrs). The mean UPDRS scores of patients were 36.52 (+ 15.84). Controls were of a similar age and sex distribution. A statistically significant improvement in the scores on the UPDRS, Hamilton's depression scale, Schwab and England scale, and a statistically significant deterioration in the scores of visual memory was observed in patients with PD after starting levodopa, as compared to their baseline scores. There was no correlation between degree of deterioration and the dose of levodopa. Initiation of levodopa therapy in patients with early and stable Parkinson's disease is associated with deterioration in visual memory functions, with relative preservation of the verbal memory.

[Brain Perfusion, Cognitive Functions, and Vascular Age in Middle Aged Patients With Essential Arterial Hypertension].

PubMed

Parfenov, V A; Ostroumova, T M; Pеrepelova, E M; Perepelov, V A; Kochetkov, A I; Ostroumova, O D

2018-05-01

This study aimed to assess the cognitive functions and cerebral blood flow measured with arterial spin labeling (ASL) and their possible correlations with vascular age in untreated middle-aged patients with grade 1-2 essential arterial hypertension (EAH). We examined 73 subjects aged 40-59 years (33 with EAH and 40 healthy volunteers [controls]). Neuropsychological assessment included Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Trail Making test (part A and part B), Stroop Color and Word Test, verbal fluency test (phonemic verbal fluency and semantic verbal fluency), 10‑item word list learning task. All subjects underwent brain MRI. MRI protocol included ASL. Vascular age was calculated by two techniques - using Framingham Heart Study risk tables and SCORE project scales. Patients with EAH had lower performance on phonemic verbal fluency test and lower mean MoCA score (29.2±1.4 vs. 28.1±1.7 points) compared to controls (13.4±3.2, р=0.002; 29.2±1.4, p=0.001, respectively). White matter hyperintensities (WMH) were present in 7.5 % controls and in 51.5 % EAH patients (р=0.0002). Cerebral blood flow (CBF) in EAH patients was lower in both right (39.1±5.6 vs. 45.8±3.2 ml / 100 g / min) and left frontal lobes of the brain (39.2±6.2 и 45.2±3.6 ml / 100 g / min, respectively) compared to controls (р.

Verbal and Nonverbal Classroom Communication: The Development of an Observational Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heger, Herbert K.

This paper reports the development of a classroom observation instrument designed to broaden and extend the power of existing tools to provide a balanced, reciprocal perspective of both verbal and nonverbal communication. An introductory section discusses developments in communication analysis. The Miniaturized Total Interaction Analysis System…

Analyzing Verbal and Nonverbal Classroom Communications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heger, Herbert K.

The Miniaturized Interaction Analysis System (Mini-TIA) was developed to permit improved analysis of classroom communication in conjunction with video taping. Each of seven verbal event categories is subdivided into two categories according to the nature of the nonverbal events paralleling them. Integrated into the system are (1) defined verbal…

Solving Adolescent Verbal Aggressions through Transactional Analysis Counseling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Netrawati; Furqon; Yusuf, Syamsu; Rusmana, Nandang

2016-01-01

This study aimed at helping school counselors in solving issues related to adolescent verbal aggressions through implementing Transactional Analysis (TA) counseling, which was particularly given to the students in public vocational schools (SMKs) in Padang city who were majoring in engineering. Recent phenomena in Padang had revealed that among…

Creativity and Brain-Functioning in Product Development Engineers: A Canonical Correlation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travis, Frederick; Lagrosen, Yvonne

2014-01-01

This study used canonical correlation analysis to explore the relation among scores on the Torrance test of figural and verbal creativity and demographic, psychological and physiological measures in Swedish product-development engineers. The first canonical variate included figural and verbal flexibility and originality as dependent measures and…

Patient Preference for Instructional Reinforcement Regarding Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis.

PubMed

Laszewski, Pamela; Zelko, Cynthia; Andriths, Lena; Vera Cruz, Eva; Bauer, Carole; Magnan, Morris A

2016-04-01

Although patient preference is a core value within the context of patient-centered models of care, little attention has been paid to determining patient preference for instructional media. Nurses have traditionally used verbal face-to-face instruction as the mainstay of patient education, with written materials being used extensively as teaching guides to supplement verbal instruction or for instructional reinforcement. However, advances in technology have made possible the adding of video instruction to nurses' repertoire of instructional media. The purpose of this study was to determine patients' media preferences (verbal, video, written) when receiving instructional reinforcement about self-care needed to prevent radiation dermatitis. The current study was conducted as a secondary analysis of data from a process improvement initiative. In the parent study, patients received multimedia education related to skin care to prevent radiation dermatitis. This secondary analysis examined patient preference for verbal, video, or written education reinforcement at treatment weeks 1 and 3. Results suggest that, when given a choice, verbal and video reinforcement are preferred over written reinforcement.

Long-term memory: A review and meta-analysis of studies of declarative and procedural memory in specific language impairment

PubMed Central

Lum, Jarrad A. G.; Conti-Ramsden, Gina

2014-01-01

This review examined the status of long-term memory systems in specific language impairment (SLI), in particular declarative memory and aspects of procedural memory. Studies included in the review were identified following a systematic search of the literature and findings combined using meta-analysis. This review showed individuals with SLI are poorer than age matched controls in the learning and retrieval of verbal information from the declarative memory. However, there is evidence to suggest that the problems with declarative learning and memory for verbal information in SLI might be due to difficulties with verbal working memory and language. The learning and retrieval of non-verbal information from declarative memory appears relatively intact. In relation to procedural learning and memory, evidence indicates poor implicit learning of verbal information. Findings pertaining to nonverbal information have been mixed. This review of the literature indicates there are now substantial grounds for suspecting that multiple memory systems may be implicated in the impairment. PMID:24748707

Syntactic Dependencies and Verbal Inflection: Complementisers and Verbal Forms in Standard Arabic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saeed, Feras

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the syntactic dependency between complementisers and verbal forms in Standard Arabic and provides a new analysis of this dependency. The imperfective verb in this language surfaces with three different forms, where each form is indicated by a different suffixal marker attached to the end of the verb as (-u), (-a), or (-Ø).…

Recollections of Jack Michael and the Application of Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundberg, Mark L.

2017-01-01

Jack Michael offered a course on verbal behavior almost every year throughout his teaching career. Jack was also interested in the application of Skinner's work and in 1976 began to offer a graduate course at Western Michigan University titled Verbal Behavior Applications. Jack and his students pursued the application of Skinner's work on verbal…

Verbal Behavior Analysis: A Program of Research in the Induction and Expansion of Complex Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greer, R. Douglas; Ross, Denise E.

2004-01-01

Both applied and conceptual experiments based on Skinner's theory of verbal behavior have led to significant benefits for: (a) persons with language disorders and delays, (b) students who need to bridge the achievement gap, (c) professionals who work with students, and (d) individuals who wish to design functional curricula and pedagogy to meet…

Midwives’ Verbal Support of Nulliparous Women in Second Stage Labor

PubMed Central

Borders, Noelle; Wendland, Claire; Haozous, Emily; Leeman, Lawrence; Rogers, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Objective To describe how nurse-midwives verbally support nulliparous women during second stage labor and document specific details of each second stage. Design Descriptive qualitative study. Setting A university hospital labor and delivery unit in the southwestern United States. Participants Nulliparous women (N=14) greater than 18 years of age and their attendant midwives (N=9). Methods A single research midwife observed the entire second stage of each woman and used a standardized data collection form to record spontaneous or directed pushing, position changes, open and closed glottis pushing. A digital audio recorder was employed to capture verbal communication between the midwife and laboring woman. The research midwife and two qualitative experts employed content analysis to analyze the audio transcripts and identify categories of verbal support. Results Analysis revealed four categories of verbal support: affirmation, information sharing, direction, and baby talk. The vast majority of verbal communication by nurse-midwives consisted of affirmation and information sharing. Nurse-midwives gave direction for specific reasons. Women pushed spontaneously the majority of the time, regardless of epidural use. Conclusion Nurse-midwives use a range of verbal support strategies to guide the second stage. Directive support was relatively uncommon. Most verbal support instead affirmed a woman’s ability to follow her own body’s lead in second stage labor, with or without epidural. Callouts Our study provides evidence on how nurse-midwives verbally support nulliparous women while they push. Nurse-midwives utilized mostly affirmation and information sharing in their support of women during second stage, regardless of epidural use. Spontaneous pushing and epidural anesthesia are compatible, especially if the woman labors down and feels the urge to push prior to initiating active pushing. PMID:23600405

Linguistic analysis of verbal and non-verbal communication in the operating room.

PubMed

Moore, Alison; Butt, David; Ellis-Clarke, Jodie; Cartmill, John

2010-12-01

Surgery can be a triumph of co-operation, the procedure evolving as a result of joint action between multiple participants. The communication that mediates the joint action of surgery is conveyed by verbal but particularly by non-verbal signals. Competing priorities superimposed by surgical learning must also be negotiated within this context and this paper draws on techniques of systemic functional linguistics to observe and analyse the flow of information during such a phase of surgery. © 2010 The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2010 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire.

PubMed

Campos, Alfredo; Pérez-Fabello, María José

2011-04-01

The reliability and factor structure of the Spanish version of the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ) were assessed in a sample of 213 Spanish university graduates. The questionnaire measures three types of processing preferences (verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery). Principal components analysis with varimax rotation identified three factors, corresponding to the three scales proposed in the original version, explaining 33.1% of the overall variance. Cronbach's alphas were .72, .77, and .81 for the verbal, object imagery, and spatial imagery scales, respectively.

Imagery enhancements increase the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural group therapy for social anxiety disorder: a benchmarking study.

PubMed

McEvoy, Peter M; Erceg-Hurn, David M; Saulsman, Lisa M; Thibodeau, Michel A

2015-02-01

Emerging evidence suggests that imagery-based techniques may enhance the effectiveness of traditional verbal-linguistic cognitive interventions for emotional disorders. This study extends an earlier pilot study by reporting outcomes from a naturalistic trial of an imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural group therapy (IE-CBGT, n = 53) protocol for social anxiety disorder (SAD), and comparing outcomes to historical controls who completed a predominantly verbally-based group protocol (n = 129). Patients were consecutive referrals from health professionals to a community clinic specialising in anxiety and mood disorders. Both treatments involved 12, two-hour group sessions plus a one-month follow-up. Analyses evaluated treatment adherence, predictors of dropout, treatment effect sizes, reliable and clinically significant change, and whether self-reported tendencies to use imagery in everyday life and imagery ability predicted symptom change. IE-CBGT patients were substantially more likely to complete treatment than controls (91% vs. 65%). Effect sizes were very large for both treatments, but were significantly larger for IE-CBGT. A higher proportion of the IE-CBGT patients achieved reliable change, and better imagery ability was associated with larger symptom change. Outcomes compared very favourably to published group and individual treatments for SAD, suggesting that IE-CBGT may be a particularly effective and efficient mode of treatment delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The value of Retrospective and Concurrent Think Aloud in formative usability testing of a physician data query tool.

PubMed

Peute, Linda W P; de Keizer, Nicolette F; Jaspers, Monique W M

2015-06-01

To compare the performance of the Concurrent (CTA) and Retrospective (RTA) Think Aloud method and to assess their value in a formative usability evaluation of an Intensive Care Registry-physician data query tool designed to support ICU quality improvement processes. Sixteen representative intensive care physicians participated in the usability evaluation study. Subjects were allocated to either the CTA or RTA method by a matched randomized design. Each subject performed six usability-testing tasks of varying complexity in the query tool in a real-working context. Methods were compared with regard to number and type of problems detected. Verbal protocols of CTA and RTA were analyzed in depth to assess differences in verbal output. Standardized measures were applied to assess thoroughness in usability problem detection weighted per problem severity level and method overall effectiveness in detecting usability problems with regard to the time subjects spent per method. The usability evaluation of the data query tool revealed a total of 43 unique usability problems that the intensive care physicians encountered. CTA detected unique usability problems with regard to graphics/symbols, navigation issues, error messages, and the organization of information on the query tool's screens. RTA detected unique issues concerning system match with subjects' language and applied terminology. The in-depth verbal protocol analysis of CTA provided information on intensive care physicians' query design strategies. Overall, CTA performed significantly better than RTA in detecting usability problems. CTA usability problem detection effectiveness was 0.80 vs. 0.62 (p<0.05) respectively, with an average difference of 42% less time spent per subject compared to RTA. In addition, CTA was more thorough in detecting usability problems of a moderate (0.85 vs. 0.7) and severe nature (0.71 vs. 0.57). In this study, the CTA is more effective in usability-problem detection and provided clarification of intensive care physician query design strategies to inform redesign of the query tool. However, CTA does not outperform RTA. The RTA additionally elucidated unique usability problems and new user requirements. Based on the results of this study, we recommend the use of CTA in formative usability evaluation studies of health information technology. However, we recommend further research on the application of RTA in usability studies with regard to user expertise and experience when focusing on user profile customized (re)design. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and predictors of verbal aggression in a secure mental health service: Use of the HCR-20.

PubMed

Gunenc, Cevher; O'Shea, Laura E; Dickens, Geoffrey L

2015-08-01

Despite evidence about the negative effects of verbal aggression in mental health wards there is little research about its prevalence or about the factors that predict the behaviour among inpatients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of verbal aggression in a secure mental health service, and to examine the relationship of verbal aggression with risk factors for aggression in the risk assessment tool HCR-20 in order to establish whether, and with which factors, the behaviour can be predicted. Verbal aggression was measured using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) over a 3-month period across a heterogeneous patient group (n = 613). Over half the patients (n = 341, 56%) engaged in 1594 incidents of verbal aggression. The HCR-20 total, clinical, and risk management subscale scores predicted verbal aggression, though effect sizes were not large. Item-outcome analysis revealed that impulsivity, negative attitudes, and non-compliance with medication were the best predictors of verbal aggression and, therefore, should be targeted for intervention. There are key synergies between factors predicting verbal aggression and the core mental health nursing role. Nurses, therefore, are in a prime position to develop and implement interventions that may reduce verbal aggression in mental health inpatients. © 2015 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Applying Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior to Persons with Dementia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Mark; Baker, Jonathan C.; Sadowski, Katherine Ann

2011-01-01

Skinner's 1957 analysis of verbal behavior has demonstrated a fair amount of utility to teach language to children with autism and other various disorders. However, the learning of language can be forgotten, as is the case for many elderly suffering from dementia or other degenerative diseases. It appears possible that Skinner's operants may…

Structural Analysis of Correlated Factors: Lessons from the Verbal-Performance Dichotomy of the Wechsler Scales.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macmann, Gregg M.; Barnett, David W.

1994-01-01

Describes exploratory and confirmatory analyses of verbal-performance procedures to illustrate concepts and procedures for analysis of correlated factors. Argues that, based on convergent and discriminant validity criteria, factors should have higher correlations with variables that they purport to measure than with other variables. Discusses…

Boosting Cognition: Effects of Multiple-Session Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Working Memory.

PubMed

Talsma, Lotte J; Kroese, Henryk A; Slagter, Heleen A

2017-04-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising tool for neurocognitive enhancement. Several studies have shown that just a single session of tDCS over the left dorsolateral pFC (lDLPFC) can improve the core cognitive function of working memory (WM) in healthy adults. Yet, recent studies combining multiple sessions of anodal tDCS over lDLPFC with verbal WM training did not observe additional benefits of tDCS in subsequent stimulation sessions nor transfer of benefits to novel WM tasks posttraining. Using an enhanced stimulation protocol as well as a design that included a baseline measure each day, the current study aimed to further investigate the effects of multiple sessions of tDCS on WM. Specifically, we investigated the effects of three subsequent days of stimulation with anodal (20 min, 1 mA) versus sham tDCS (1 min, 1 mA) over lDLPFC (with a right supraorbital reference) paired with a challenging verbal WM task. WM performance was measured with a verbal WM updating task (the letter n-back) in the stimulation sessions and several WM transfer tasks (different letter set n-back, spatial n-back, operation span) before and 2 days after stimulation. Anodal tDCS over lDLPFC enhanced WM performance in the first stimulation session, an effect that remained visible 24 hr later. However, no further gains of anodal tDCS were observed in the second and third stimulation sessions, nor did benefits transfer to other WM tasks at the group level. Yet, interestingly, post hoc individual difference analyses revealed that in the anodal stimulation group the extent of change in WM performance on the first day of stimulation predicted pre to post changes on both the verbal and the spatial transfer task. Notably, this relationship was not observed in the sham group. Performance of two individuals worsened during anodal stimulation and on the transfer tasks. Together, these findings suggest that repeated anodal tDCS over lDLPFC combined with a challenging WM task may be an effective method to enhance domain-independent WM functioning in some individuals, but not others, or can even impair WM. They thus call for a thorough investigation into individual differences in tDCS respondence as well as further research into the design of multisession tDCS protocols that may be optimal for boosting cognition across a wide range of individuals.

Clinical decision-making by midwives: managing case complexity.

PubMed

Cioffi, J; Markham, R

1997-02-01

In making clinical judgements, it is argued that midwives use 'shortcuts' or heuristics based on estimated probabilities to simplify the decision-making task. Midwives (n = 30) were given simulated patient assessment situations of high and low complexity and were required to think aloud. Analysis of verbal protocols showed that subjective probability judgements (heuristics) were used more frequently in the high than low complexity case and predominated in the last quarter of the assessment period for the high complexity case. 'Representativeness' was identified more frequently in the high than in the low case, but was the dominant heuristic in both. Reports completed after each simulation suggest that heuristics based on memory for particular conditions affect decisions. It is concluded that midwives use heuristics, derived mainly from their clinical experiences, in an attempt to save cognitive effort and to facilitate reasonably accurate decisions in the decision-making process.

Do procedures for verbal reporting of thinking have to be reactive? A meta-analysis and recommendations for best reporting methods.

PubMed

Fox, Mark C; Ericsson, K Anders; Best, Ryan

2011-03-01

Since its establishment, psychology has struggled to find valid methods for studying thoughts and subjective experiences. Thirty years ago, Ericsson and Simon (1980) proposed that participants can give concurrent verbal expression to their thoughts (think aloud) while completing tasks without changing objectively measurable performance (accuracy). In contrast, directed requests for concurrent verbal reports, such as explanations or directions to describe particular kinds of information, were predicted to change thought processes as a consequence of the need to generate this information, thus altering performance. By comparing performance of concurrent verbal reporting conditions with their matching silent control condition, Ericsson and Simon found several studies demonstrating that directed verbalization was associated with changes in performance. In contrast, the lack of effects of thinking aloud was merely suggested by a handful of experimental studies. In this article, Ericsson and Simon's model is tested by a meta-analysis of 94 studies comparing performance while giving concurrent verbalizations to a matching condition without verbalization. Findings based on nearly 3,500 participants show that the "think-aloud" effect size is indistinguishable from zero (r = -.03) and that this procedure remains nonreactive even after statistically controlling additional factors such as task type (primarily visual or nonvisual). In contrast, procedures that entail describing or explaining thoughts and actions are significantly reactive, leading to higher performance than silent control conditions. All verbal reporting procedures tend to increase times to complete tasks. These results suggest that think-aloud should be distinguished from other methods in future studies. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Comparing topography-based verbal behavior with stimulus selection-based verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Carl T.; Sundberg, Mark L.

1990-01-01

Michael (1985) distinguished between two types of verbal behavior: topography-based and stimulus selection-based verbal behavior. The current research was designed to empirically examine these two types of verbal behavior while addressing the frequently debated question, Which augmentative communication system should be used with the nonverbal developmentally disabled person? Four mentally retarded adults served as subjects. Each subject was taught to tact an object by either pointing to its corresponding symbol (selection-based verbal behavior), or making the corresponding sign (topography-based verbal behavior). They were then taught an intraverbal relation, and were tested for the emergence of stimulus equivalence relations. The results showed that signed responses were acquired more readily than pointing responses as measured by the acquisition of tacts and intraverbals, and the formation of equivalence classes. These results support Michael's (1985) analysis, and have important implications for the design of language intervention programs for the developmentally disabled. ImagesFig. 1Fig. 2 PMID:22477602

A cognitive model for multidigit number reading: Inferences from individuals with selective impairments.

PubMed

Dotan, Dror; Friedmann, Naama

2018-04-01

We propose a detailed cognitive model of multi-digit number reading. The model postulates separate processes for visual analysis of the digit string and for oral production of the verbal number. Within visual analysis, separate sub-processes encode the digit identities and the digit order, and additional sub-processes encode the number's decimal structure: its length, the positions of 0, and the way it is parsed into triplets (e.g., 314987 → 314,987). Verbal production consists of a process that generates the verbal structure of the number, and another process that retrieves the phonological forms of each number word. The verbal number structure is first encoded in a tree-like structure, similarly to syntactic trees of sentences, and then linearized to a sequence of number-word specifiers. This model is based on an investigation of the number processing abilities of seven individuals with different selective deficits in number reading. We report participants with impairment in specific sub-processes of the visual analysis of digit strings - in encoding the digit order, in encoding the number length, or in parsing the digit string to triplets. Other participants were impaired in verbal production, making errors in the number structure (shifts of digits to another decimal position, e.g., 3,040 → 30,004). Their selective deficits yielded several dissociations: first, we found a double dissociation between visual analysis deficits and verbal production deficits. Second, several dissociations were found within visual analysis: a double dissociation between errors in digit order and errors in the number length; a dissociation between order/length errors and errors in parsing the digit string into triplets; and a dissociation between the processing of different digits - impaired order encoding of the digits 2-9, without errors in the 0 position. Third, within verbal production, a dissociation was found between digit shifts and substitutions of number words. A selective deficit in any of the processes described by the model would cause difficulties in number reading, which we propose to term "dysnumeria". Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mathematics in the Making: Mapping Verbal Discourse in Polya's "Let Us Teach Guessing" Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truxaw, Mary P.; DeFranco, Thomas C.

2007-01-01

This paper describes a detailed analysis of verbal discourse within an exemplary mathematics lesson--that is, George Polya teaching in the Mathematics Association of America [MAA] video classic, "Let Us Teach Guessing" (1966). The results of the analysis reveal an inductive model of teaching that represents recursive cycles rather than linear…

Associations of students' self-reports of their teachers' verbal aggression, intrinsic motivation, and perceptions of reasons for discipline in Greek physical education classes.

PubMed

Bekiari, Alexandra; Kokaridas, Dimitrios; Sakellariou, Kimon

2006-04-01

In this study were examined associations among physical education teachers' verbal aggressiveness as perceived by students and students' intrinsic motivation and reasons for discipline. The sample consisted of 265 Greek adolescent students who completed four questionnaires, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, the Lesson Satisfaction Scale, the Reasons for Discipline Scale, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory during physical education classes. Analysis indicated significant positive correlations among students' perceptions of teachers' verbal aggressiveness with pressure/ tension, external reasons, introjected reasons, no reasons, and self-responsibility. Significant negative correlations were noted for students' perceptions of teachers' verbal aggression with lesson satisfaction, enjoyment/interest, competence, effort/importance, intrinsic reasons, and caring. Differences between the two sexes were observed in their perceptions of teachers' verbal aggressiveness, intrinsic motivation, and reasons for discipline. Findings and implications for teachers' type of communication were also discussed and suggestions for research made.

A functional analysis of mentalistic terms in human observers

PubMed Central

Leigland, Sam

1989-01-01

This paper, and the following paper by M.J. Dougher (1989), were originally given as part of a symposium presented at the 1984 meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis (R. Schnaitter, Chair). The symposium included two other papers on the same theme by Diane Spooner and Diane Mercier, and the discussant was Willard Day. The concept of the symposium was to use the following paper (Leigland) as a basis for a demonstration of what has been termed the “Reno methodology,” a method for the interpretation of verbal behavior developed by Willard Day and his students at the University of Nevada, Reno. Essentially, the project may be described in the following way: the controlled environment-behavior interactions of a pigeon in an operant chamber gave rise to explanatory verbal behavior on the part of observing human subjects, and the controlling relations with respect to the latter gave rise to the verbal behavior contained in Leigland's report. The controlling relations to be discriminated with respect to Leigland's verbal behavior were then the subject of Dougher's analysis in the report that follows. Dougher's report, then, uses Leigland's report as a source of verbal behavior to be interpreted, using the practices developed by the Reno group as a method. PMID:22477580

The effects of music therapy incorporated with applied behavior analysis verbal behavior approach for children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Lim, Hayoung A; Draper, Ellary

2011-01-01

This study compared a common form of Applied Behavior Analysis Verbal Behavior (ABA VB) approach and music incorporated with ABA VB method as part of developmental speech-language training in the speech production of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study explored how the perception of musical patterns incorporated in ABA VB operants impacted the production of speech in children with ASD. Participants were 22 children with ASD, age range 3 to 5 years, who were verbal or pre verbal with presence of immediate echolalia. They were randomly assigned a set of target words for each of the 3 training conditions: (a) music incorporated ABA VB, (b) speech (ABA VB) and (c) no-training. Results showed both music and speech trainings were effective for production of the four ABA verbal operants; however, the difference between music and speech training was not statistically different. Results also indicated that music incorporated ABA VB training was most effective in echoic production, and speech training was most effective in tact production. Music can be incorporated into the ABA VB training method, and musical stimuli can be used as successfully as ABA VB speech training to enhance the functional verbal production in children with ASD.

Principal component analysis study of visual and verbal metaphoric comprehension in children with autism and learning disabilities.

PubMed

Mashal, Nira; Kasirer, Anat

2012-01-01

This research extends previous studies regarding the metaphoric competence of autistic and learning disable children on different measures of visual and verbal non-literal language comprehension, as well as cognitive abilities that include semantic knowledge, executive functions, similarities, and reading fluency. Thirty seven children with autism (ASD), 20 children with learning disabilities (LD), and 21 typically developed (TD) children participated in the study. Principal components analysis was used to examine the interrelationship among the various tests in each group. Results showed different patterns in the data according to group. In particular, the results revealed that there is no dichotomy between visual and verbal metaphors in TD children but rather metaphor are classified according to their familiarity level. In the LD group visual metaphors were classified independently of the verbal metaphors. Verbal metaphoric understanding in the ASD group resembled the LD group. In addition, our results revealed the relative weakness of the ASD and LD children in suppressing irrelevant information. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dyslexia and reasoning: the importance of visual processes.

PubMed

Bacon, Alison M; Handley, Simon J

2010-08-01

Recent research has suggested that individuals with dyslexia rely on explicit visuospatial representations for syllogistic reasoning while most non-dyslexics opt for an abstract verbal strategy. This paper investigates the role of visual processes in relational reasoning amongst dyslexic reasoners. Expt 1 presents written and verbal protocol evidence to suggest that reasoners with dyslexia generate detailed representations of relational properties and use these to make a visual comparison of objects. Non-dyslexics use a linear array of objects to make a simple transitive inference. Expt 2 examined evidence for the visual-impedance effect which suggests that visual information detracts from reasoning leading to longer latencies and reduced accuracy. While non-dyslexics showed the impedance effects predicted, dyslexics showed only reduced accuracy on problems designed specifically to elicit imagery. Expt 3 presented problems with less semantically and visually rich content. The non-dyslexic group again showed impedance effects, but dyslexics did not. Furthermore, in both studies, visual memory predicted reasoning accuracy for dyslexic participants, but not for non-dyslexics, particularly on problems with highly visual content. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of visual and semantic processes in reasoning for individuals with dyslexia, and we argue that these processes play a compensatory role, offsetting phonological and verbal memory deficits.

Cognitive correlates of verbal memory and verbal fluency in schizophrenia, and differential effects of various clinical symptoms between male and female patients.

PubMed

Brébion, Gildas; Villalta-Gil, Victoria; Autonell, Jaume; Cervilla, Jorge; Dolz, Montserrat; Foix, Alexandrina; Haro, Josep Maria; Usall, Judith; Vilaplana, Miriam; Ochoa, Susana

2013-06-01

Impairment of higher cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia might stem from perturbation of more basic functions, such as processing speed. Various clinical symptoms might affect cognitive efficiency as well. Notably, previous research has revealed the role of affective symptoms on memory performance in this population, and suggested sex-specific effects. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of an extensive neuropsychological study of 88 patients with schizophrenia. Regression analyses were conducted on verbal memory and verbal fluency data to investigate the contribution of semantic organisation and processing speed to performance. The role of negative and affective symptoms and of attention disorders in verbal memory and verbal fluency was investigated separately in male and female patients. Semantic clustering contributed to verbal recall, and a measure of reading speed contributed to verbal recall as well as to phonological and semantic fluency. Negative symptoms affected verbal recall and verbal fluency in the male patients, whereas attention disorders affected these abilities in the female patients. Furthermore, depression affected verbal recall in women, whereas anxiety affected it in men. These results confirm the association of processing speed with cognitive efficiency in patients with schizophrenia. They also confirm the previously observed sex-specific associations of depression and anxiety with memory performance in these patients, and suggest that negative symptoms and attention disorders likewise are related to cognitive efficiency differently in men and women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visual cues to geographical orientation during low-level flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Battiste, Vernol; Delzell, Suzanne

1991-01-01

A field study of an operational Emergency Medical Service (EMS) unit was conducted to investigate the relationships among geographical orientation, pilot decision making, and workload in EMS flights. The map data collected during this study were compared to protocols gathered in the laboratory, where pilots viewed a simulated flight over different types of unfamiliar terrain and verbally identified the features utilized to maintain geographical orientation. The EMS pilot's questionnaire data were compared with data from non-EMS helicopter pilots with comparable flight experience.

An Assessment of the Ability of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Services to Measure and Track Language and Culture Training and Capabilities Among General Purpose Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

1) • respecting cultural differences (2) • applying appropriate social etiquette (3) • changing behavior to fit the cultural context (5) • verbal...and applying appropriate social etiquette , which are general capabilities that can benefit service members across different job types. In contrast...interview protocols to discuss tracking of LREC training and to solicit informa- tion on how interviewees felt about the relationship between training and

The impact of sex and language dominance on material-specific memory before and after left temporal lobe surgery.

PubMed

Helmstaedter, C; Brosch, T; Kurthen, M; Elger, C E

2004-07-01

Recent findings raised evidence that in early-onset left temporal lobe epilepsy, women show greater functional plasticity for verbal memory than men. In particular, women with lesion- or epilepsy-driven atypical language dominance show an advantage over men. The question asked in this study was whether there is evidence of sex- and language dominance-dependent late, i.e. adult age, plasticity for verbal memory when epilepsy surgery is performed in these patients. Pre- and 1-year postoperative memory performance was evaluated in 169 patients (94 males and 75 females) who underwent left temporal lobe surgery and who had WADA testing of hemispheric language dominance prior to surgery. Verbal memory and figural memory were assessed by list-learning paradigms. According to the Bonn intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) protocol, patients were categorized into left dominant or atypically dominant (right, incomplete left or right, and bilateral dominant) groups. Results were controlled for the hypothesized sex differences. Thirty-four percent of men and 47% of women displayed patterns of atypical language dominance. Atypical dominance was related to an early onset of epilepsy. Men showed a larger time window for development of atypical dominance but, differently from women, the pattern of atypical dominance was more strictly determined by the age at onset of epilepsy. Atypically dominant women showed better verbal memory than typically dominant women or men. After surgery, right dominant patients had better verbal memory outcome than patients with bilateral or left language dominance who showed significant memory loss. No effect of sex on verbal memory change was found. Figural memory deteriorated in men and improved in women, when they were not left dominant. Seizure outcome had no effect on performance changes. It was concluded that better preserved verbal memory in atypically dominant women before surgery indicates greater benefit from atypical dominance in women than men with regard to the initial damage associated with left hemisphere epilepsy. Later in life, when epilepsy surgery causes additional damage, no such sex difference is observed, indicating that the women's advantage over men is fixed to an early time window in life. Postoperative changes in figural memory suggest dynamics in crowding and suppression patterns. Whether this reflects late plasticity and compensation needs further demonstration. For clinical practice, it is important to note that incomplete right hemisphere and bilateral language dominance do not protect against verbal memory loss after left-sided temporal lobe surgery. Copyright 2004 Guarantors of Brain

Neurocognitive Models of Medical Decision-Making Capacity in Traumatic Brain Injury Across Injury Severity.

PubMed

Triebel, Kristen L; Novack, Thomas A; Kennedy, Richard; Martin, Roy C; Dreer, Laura E; Raman, Rema; Marson, Daniel C

2016-01-01

To identify neurocognitive predictors of medical decision-making capacity (MDC) in participants with mild and moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Academic medical center. Sixty adult controls and 104 adults with TBI (49 mild, 55 moderate/severe) evaluated within 6 weeks of injury. Prospective cross-sectional study. Participants completed the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument to assess MDC and a neuropsychological test battery. We used factor analysis to reduce the battery test measures into 4 cognitive composite scores (verbal memory, verbal fluency, academic skills, and processing speed/executive function). We identified cognitive predictors of the 3 most clinically relevant Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument consent standards (appreciation, reasoning, and understanding). In controls, academic skills (word reading, arithmetic) and verbal memory predicted understanding; verbal fluency predicted reasoning; and no predictors emerged for appreciation. In the mild TBI group, verbal memory predicted understanding and reasoning, whereas academic skills predicted appreciation. In the moderate/severe TBI group, verbal memory and academic skills predicted understanding; academic skills predicted reasoning; and academic skills and verbal fluency predicted appreciation. Verbal memory was a predictor of MDC in controls and persons with mild and moderate/severe TBI. In clinical practice, impaired verbal memory could serve as a "red flag" for diminished consent capacity in persons with recent TBI.

Memory outcome 2 years after anterior temporal lobectomy in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

PubMed

Grammaldo, Liliana G; Di Gennaro, Giancarlo; Giampà, Teresa; De Risi, Marco; Meldolesi, Giulio N; Mascia, Addolorata; Sparano, Antonio; Esposito, Vincenzo; Quarato, Pier Paolo; Picardi, Angelo

2009-03-01

Memory decline is often observed after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), particularly in patients with dominant hemisphere resections. However, the follow-up length has been 1 year or less in most studies. Our aims were to examine postoperative memory changes over a longer period and to identify baseline demographic and clinical predictors of memory outcome. We administered material-specific memory tests at baseline, and 1 and 2 years after surgery to 82 consecutive right-handed patients (52% males) who underwent ATL for drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) (35 left, 47 right) after a non-invasive presurgical protocol. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA) was used to examine the relationship between changes in memory tests scores over time and side of TLE and pathology. Also, standardized residual change scores were calculated for each memory test and entered in multiple linear regression models aimed at identifying baseline predictors of better memory outcome. RM-MANOVA revealed a significant change in memory test scores over time, with an interaction between time and side of surgery, as 2 years after surgery patients with RTLE were improved while patients with LTLE were not worse as compared with baseline. Pathology was not associated with changes in memory scores. In multiple regression analysis, significant associations were found between right TLE and greater improvement in verbal memory, younger age and greater improvement in visuospatial memory, and male gender and greater improvement in both verbal and visuospatial memory. Our results suggest that the long-term memory outcome of TLE patients undergoing ATL without invasive presurgical assessment may be good in most cases not only for right-sided but also for left-sided resections.

Analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of epidural analgesia and its relationship with eutocic or dystocic delivery.

PubMed

Sánchez-Migallón, V; Sánchez, E; Raynard, M; Miranda, A; Borràs, R M

Numerous studies have demonstrated the difference in the verbal rating scale with regard to obstructed labour and induced labour, so that obstructed labour and foetal macrosomia have been related to a greater sensation of pain during labour, particularly in the first stage. Even the epidural analgesia is linked to the need for instrumented or caesarean section due to foetal obstruction. The goal of the study is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of epidural analgesia in normal versus obstructed labour. One hundred and eighty pregnant women were included in an observational, analytical, longitudinal and prospective study, that was performed in the Obstetrics Department of the Hospital Universitario Dexeus. All the nulliparous or multiparous over 36 weeks of pregnancy, after 3cm of cervical dilatation in spontaneous or induced labor were included. All the patients were given epidural analgesia according to protocol. The basic descriptive methods were used for the univariate statistical analysis of the sample and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of means between both groups. The correlations between variables were studied by means of the Spearman coefficient of correlation. The differences regarded as statistically significant are those whose P<.05. In our population there were no statistically significant differences in the effectiveness of epidural analgesia in normal versus obstructed labour. Patients who got epidural analgesia and had obstructed labors have the same degree of verbal rating scale as patients that do not had obstructed labors (P>.05). Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Facilitator control as automatic behavior: A verbal behavior analysis

PubMed Central

Hall, Genae A.

1993-01-01

Several studies of facilitated communication have demonstrated that the facilitators were controlling and directing the typing, although they appeared to be unaware of doing so. Such results shift the focus of analysis to the facilitator's behavior and raise questions regarding the controlling variables for that behavior. This paper analyzes facilitator behavior as an instance of automatic verbal behavior, from the perspective of Skinner's (1957) book Verbal Behavior. Verbal behavior is automatic when the speaker or writer is not stimulated by the behavior at the time of emission, the behavior is not edited, the products of behavior differ from what the person would produce normally, and the behavior is attributed to an outside source. All of these characteristics appear to be present in facilitator behavior. Other variables seem to account for the thematic content of the typed messages. These variables also are discussed. PMID:22477083

Quantitative Analysis of Verbal Expressions in Comments from Evaluation Committee Reviewers in AIST between Fiscal Years 2001 and 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamamoto, Tetsuya

2010-01-01

This article discusses the quantitative analysis of verbal expressions of comments from the evaluation committee reviewers for 8 years (FY2001-FY2008) at the Japanese Public Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). First, the terms often appearing in the comment sheets were observed. Moreover,…

Functional analysis and intervention for perseverative verbal behaviour of an older adult with traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Quearry, Amy Garcia; Lundervold, Duane A

2016-01-01

A functional analysis of behaviour was conducted to determine the controlling variables related to the perseverative verbal behaviour (PBV) of a 60-year-old female with a long-standing traumatic brain injury receiving educational assistance. Functional analyses (FA) of antecedent and consequent conditions related to PCB were conducted to determine controlling influence of: (a) content of verbal interaction and, (b) social reinforcement. After isolating the controlling variables, the functioned-based intervention was implemented in 60 minute tutoring sessions. A reversal condition was used to demonstrate experimental control of the behavior during tutoring sessions. PVB which occurred in the context of tutoring for an undergraduate course significantly interfered with the delivery of instruction. Multiple replications of the functional relation between social reinforcement and PVB duration was demonstrated using an A-B-A-B reversal design during functional analysis and tutoring conditions. PVB markedly declined, but did not extinguish over the course of weekly tutoring (extinction) sessions, most likely due to 'bootleg reinforcement' occurring in other situations. Results indicate that perseverative verbal behaviour following closed head injury may be strongly influenced by the social contingencies operating in various contexts and is amenable to applied behaviour analysis interventions.

Assessing Neurophysiologic Markers for Training and Simulation to Develop Expertise in Complex Cognitive Tasks

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

analysis process is to categorize the goal according to (Gagné, 2005) domains of learning . These domains are: verbal information, intellectual...to terrain features. The ability to provide a clear verbal description of a unique feature is a learned task that may be separate from the...and experts differently. The process of verbally encoding information on location and providing this description may detract from the primary task of

Some Implications of a Behavioral Analysis of Verbal Behavior for Logic and Mathematics

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The evident power and utility of the formal models of logic and mathematics pose a puzzle: Although such models are instances of verbal behavior, they are also essentialistic. But behavioral terms, and indeed all products of selection contingencies, are intrinsically variable and in this respect appear to be incommensurate with essentialism. A distinctive feature of verbal contingencies resolves this puzzle: The control of behavior by the nonverbal environment is often mediated by the verbal behavior of others, and behavior under control of verbal stimuli is blind to the intrinsic variability of the stimulating environment. Thus, words and sentences serve as filters of variability and thereby facilitate essentialistic model building and the formal structures of logic, mathematics, and science. Autoclitic frames, verbal chains interrupted by interchangeable variable terms, are ubiquitous in verbal behavior. Variable terms can be substituted in such frames almost without limit, a feature fundamental to formal models. Consequently, our fluency with autoclitic frames fosters generalization to formal models, which in turn permit deduction and other kinds of logical and mathematical inference. PMID:28018038

Adults with reading disabilities: converting a meta-analysis to practice.

PubMed

Swanson, H Lee

2012-01-01

This article reviews the results of a meta-analysis of the experimental published literature that compares the academic, cognitive, and behavioral performance of adults with reading disabilities (RD) with average achieving adult readers. The meta-analysis shows that deficits independent of the classification measures emerged for adults with RD on measures of vocabulary, math, spelling, and specific cognitive process related to naming speed, phonological processing, and verbal memory. The results also showed that adults with high verbal IQs (scores > 100) but low word recognition standard scores (< 90) yielded greater deficits related to their average reading counterparts when compared to studies that included adults with RD with verbal IQ and reading scores in the same low range. Implications of the findings related to assessment and intervention are discussed.

A qualitative study on non-verbal sensitivity in nursing students.

PubMed

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-07-01

To explore nursing students' perception of the meanings and roles of non-verbal communication and sensitivity. It also attempts to understand how different factors influence their non-verbal communication style. The importance of non-verbal communication in the health arena lies in the need for good communication for efficient healthcare delivery. Understanding nursing students' non-verbal communication with patients and the influential factors is essential to prepare them for field work in the future. Qualitative approach based on 16 in-depth interviews. Sixteen nursing students from the Master of Nursing and the Year 3 Bachelor of Nursing program were interviewed. Major points in the recorded interviews were marked down for content analysis. Three main themes were developed: (1) understanding students' non-verbal communication, which shows how nursing students value and experience non-verbal communication in the nursing context; (2) factors that influence the expression of non-verbal cues, which reveals the effect of patients' demographic background (gender, age, social status and educational level) and participants' characteristics (character, age, voice and appearance); and (3) metaphors of non-verbal communication, which is further divided into four subthemes: providing assistance, individualisation, dropping hints and promoting interaction. Learning about students' non-verbal communication experiences in the clinical setting allowed us to understand their use of non-verbal communication and sensitivity, as well as to understand areas that may need further improvement. The experiences and perceptions revealed by the nursing students could provoke nurses to reconsider the effects of the different factors suggested in this study. The results might also help students and nurses to learn and ponder their missing gap, leading them to rethink, train and pay more attention to their non-verbal communication style and sensitivity. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving the readability and processability of a pediatric informed consent document: effects on parents' understanding.

PubMed

Tait, Alan R; Voepel-Lewis, Terri; Malviya, Shobha; Philipson, Sandra J

2005-04-01

To examine whether a consent document modified to conform with the federal guidelines for readability and processability would result in greater parental understanding compared with a standard form. Randomized clinical study. The preoperative waiting area of a larger tertiary care children's hospital. A total of 305 parents of children scheduled for minor elective surgical procedures. Parents were randomized to receive information about a clinical study in 1 of 4 ways: (1) standard consent form alone, (2) standard consent form with verbal disclosure, (3) modified form alone (standard form modified to meet the federal guidelines for readability and processability), and (4) modified form with verbal disclosure. Parents were interviewed to determine their understanding of 11 elements of consent, including study purpose, protocol, risks, benefits to child (direct), benefit to others (indirect), freedom to withdraw, alternatives, duration of study, voluntariness, confidentiality, and whom to contact. Their responses were scored by 2 independent assessors. Understanding of the protocol, study duration, risks, and direct benefits, together with overall understanding, was greater among parents who received the modified form (P<.001). Additionally, parents reported that the modified form had greater clarity (P = .009) and improved layout compared with the standard form (P<.001). When parents were shown both forms, 81.2% preferred the modified version. Results suggest that a consent form written according to federal guidelines for readability and processability can improve parent understanding and thus will be important in enhancing the informed consent process.

The "Hefferline Notes": B. F. Skinner's First Public Exposition of His Analysis of Verbal Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Terry J.

2009-01-01

B. F. Skinner's first public exposition of his analysis of verbal behavior was the "Hefferline Notes" (1947a), a written summary of a course Skinner taught at Columbia University during the summer of 1947 just prior to his presentation of the William James Lectures at Harvard University in the fall. The Notes are significant because they display…

Descriptive study of the Socratic method: evidence for verbal shaping.

PubMed

Calero-Elvira, Ana; Froján-Parga, María Xesús; Ruiz-Sancho, Elena María; Alpañés-Freitag, Manuel

2013-12-01

In this study we analyzed 65 fragments of session recordings in which a cognitive behavioral therapist employed the Socratic method with her patients. Specialized coding instruments were used to categorize the verbal behavior of the psychologist and the patients. First the fragments were classified as more or less successful depending on the overall degree of concordance between the patient's verbal behavior and the therapeutic objectives. Then the fragments were submitted to sequential analysis so as to discover regularities linking the patient's verbal behavior and the therapist's responses to it. Important differences between the more and the less successful fragments involved the therapist's approval or disapproval of verbalizations that approximated therapeutic goals. These approvals and disapprovals were associated with increases and decreases, respectively, in the patient's behavior. These results are consistent with the existence, in this particular case, of a process of shaping through which the therapist modifies the patient's verbal behavior in the overall direction of his or her chosen therapeutic objectives. © 2013.

Cross-national comparisons of complex problem-solving strategies in two microworlds.

PubMed

Güss, C Dominik; Tuason, Ma Teresa; Gerhard, Christiane

2010-04-01

Research in the fields of complex problem solving (CPS) and dynamic decision making using microworlds has been mainly conducted in Western industrialized countries. This study analyzes the CPS process by investigating thinking-aloud protocols in five countries. Participants were 511 students from Brazil, Germany, India, the Philippines, and the United States who worked on two microworlds. On the basis of cultural-psychological theories, specific cross-national differences in CPS strategies were hypothesized. Following theories of situatedness of cognition, hypotheses about the specific frequency of problem-solving strategies in the two microworlds were developed. Results of the verbal protocols showed (a) modification of the theoretical CPS model, (b) task dependence of CPS strategies, and (c) cross-national differences in CPS strategies. Participants' CPS processes were particularly influenced by country-specific problem-solving strategies. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in schizophrenia during verbal memory activation: a 99mTc-HMPAO single photon emission tomography (SPET) study.

PubMed

Busatto, G F; Costa, D C; Ell, P J; Pilowsky, L S; David, A S; Kerwin, R W

1994-05-01

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was investigated in a group of medicated DSM-III-R schizophrenic patients and age, sex and handedness matched normal volunteers using a split-dose 99mTc-HMPAO Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPET) protocol. Measures were taken during the performance of a verbal memory task aimed at activating the left medial temporal lobe, a region repeatedly suggested to be structurally abnormal in schizophrenia. In normal subjects, the performance of the task was associated with significant rCBF increases in the left medial temporal, left inferior frontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and right cerebellum. Despite their significantly poorer performance on the memory task, the degree of medial temporal activation measured in the schizophrenic patients was not significantly different from that found in the control group. This finding suggests that memory deficits in schizophrenia do not necessarily imply failure to activate the left medial temporal lobe as assessed by 99mTc-HMPAO SPET.

Effect of metaphorical verbal instruction on modeling of sequential dance skills by young children.

PubMed

Sawada, Misako; Mori, Shiro; Ishii, Motonobu

2002-12-01

Metaphorical verbal instruction was compared to specific verbal instruction about movement in the modeling of sequential dance skills by young children. Two groups of participants (Younger, mean age 5:3 yr., n = 30: Older, mean age 6:2 yr., n = 30) were randomly assigned to conditions in a 2 (sex) x 2 (age [Younger and Older]) x 3 (verbal instruction [Metaphorical, Movement-relevant, and None]) factorial design. Order scores were calculated for both performance and recognition tests, comprising five acquisition trials and two retention trials after 24 hr., respectively. Analysis of variance indicated that the group given metaphorical instruction performed better than the other two instructions for both younger and older children. The results suggest that metaphorical verbal instruction aids the recognition and performance of sequential dance skills in young children.

Non-verbal mother-child communication in conditions of maternal HIV in an experimental environment.

PubMed

de Sousa Paiva, Simone; Galvão, Marli Teresinha Gimeniz; Pagliuca, Lorita Marlena Freitag; de Almeida, Paulo César

2010-01-01

Non-verbal communication is predominant in the mother-child relation. This study aimed to analyze non-verbal mother-child communication in conditions of maternal HIV. In an experimental environment, five HIV-positive mothers were evaluated during care delivery to their babies of up to six months old. Recordings of the care were analyzed by experts, observing aspects of non-verbal communication, such as: paralanguage, kinesics, distance, visual contact, tone of voice, maternal and infant tactile behavior. In total, 344 scenes were obtained. After statistical analysis, these permitted inferring that mothers use non-verbal communication to demonstrate their close attachment to their children and to perceive possible abnormalities. It is suggested that the mothers infection can be a determining factor for the formation of mothers strong attachment to their children after birth.

Profiles of verbal working memory growth predict speech and language development in children with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Kronenberger, William G; Pisoni, David B; Harris, Michael S; Hoen, Helena M; Xu, Huiping; Miyamoto, Richard T

2013-06-01

Verbal short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) skills predict speech and language outcomes in children with cochlear implants (CIs) even after conventional demographic, device, and medical factors are taken into account. However, prior research has focused on single end point outcomes as opposed to the longitudinal process of development of verbal STM/WM and speech-language skills. In this study, the authors investigated relations between profiles of verbal STM/WM development and speech-language development over time. Profiles of verbal STM/WM development were identified through the use of group-based trajectory analysis of repeated digit span measures over at least a 2-year time period in a sample of 66 children (ages 6-16 years) with CIs. Subjects also completed repeated assessments of speech and language skills during the same time period. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal STM (digit span forward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and language comprehension skills over time. Clusters representing different patterns of development of verbal WM (digit span backward scores) were related to the growth rate of vocabulary and spoken word recognition skills over time. Different patterns of development of verbal STM/WM capacity predict the dynamic process of development of speech and language skills in this clinical population.

Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Functioning in Breast Cancer Survivors Previously Treated With Standard-Dose Chemotherapy

PubMed Central

Jim, Heather S.L.; Phillips, Kristin M.; Chait, Sari; Anne Faul, Leigh; Popa, Mihaela A.; Lee, Yun-Hsiang; Hussin, Mallory G.; Jacobsen, Paul B.; Small, Brent J.

2012-01-01

Purpose Evidence is mixed regarding long-term cognitive deficits in patients treated with chemotherapy. Previous meta-analyses have not focused specifically on the postchemotherapy period and have not incorporated several recent studies. The goal of the current study was to conduct a meta-analysis of cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors who were treated with chemotherapy ≥ 6 months previously. Methods A search of PubMed, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library yielded 2,751 abstracts, which were independently evaluated by pairs of raters. Meta-analysis was conducted on 17 studies of 807 patients previously treated with standard-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer. Neuropsychological tests were categorized according to eight cognitive domains: attention, executive functioning, information processing, motor speed, verbal ability, verbal memory, visual memory, and visuospatial ability. Results Deficits in cognitive functioning were observed in patients treated with chemotherapy relative to controls or prechemotherapy baseline in the domains of verbal ability (g = −0.19; P < .01) and visuospatial ability (g = −0.27; P < .01). Patients treated with chemotherapy performed worse than noncancer controls in verbal ability and worse than patients treated without chemotherapy in visuospatial ability (both P < .01). Age, education, time since treatment, and endocrine therapy did not moderate observed cognitive deficits in verbal ability or visuospatial ability (all P ≥ .51). Conclusion Results indicate that, on average, observed cognitive deficits in patients with breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy are small in magnitude and limited to the domains of verbal ability and visuospatial ability. This information can be used to inform interventions to educate patients with breast cancer regarding the long-term impact of chemotherapy on cognitive functioning. PMID:22927526

Verbal Play as an Interactional Discourse Resource in Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Shune, Samantha; Duff, Melissa C.

2012-01-01

Background Verbal play, the creative and playful use of language to make puns, rhyme words, and tease, is a pervasive and enjoyable component of social communication and serves important interpersonal functions. The current study examines the use of verbal play in the communicative interactions of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease as part of a broader program of research on language-and-memory-in-use. Aims To document the frequency of verbal play in the communicative interactions of individuals with very mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their familiar communication partners. To characterize the interactional forms, resources, and functions of playful episodes. Methods Using quantitative group comparisons and detailed discourse analysis, we analyzed verbal play in the interactional discourse of five participants with very mild AD and five healthy (demographically matched) comparison participants. Each participant interacted with a familiar partner while completing a collaborative referencing task, and with a researcher between task trials. Results A total of 1,098 verbal play episodes were coded. Despite being in the early stages of AD, all the AD participants used verbal play. There were no significant group differences in the frequency of verbal play episodes or in the interactional forms, resources, or functions of those playful episodes between AD and healthy comparison pair sessions. Conclusions The successful use of verbal play in the interactions of individuals with very mild AD and their partners highlights an area of preserved social communication. These findings represent an important step, both clinically and for research, in documenting the rich ways that individuals with early stage AD orchestrate interactionally meaningful communication with their partners through the use of interactional discourse resources like verbal play. This work also offers a promising clinical tool for tracking and targeting verbal play across disease progression. PMID:23129879

How to Analyze Verbal and Nonverbal Classroom Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heger, Herbert K.

Based upon the communications process model of teaching and learning, the Miniaturized Total Interaction Analysis System (Mini-TIA) establishes a conceptual framework for observing symptomatic classroom behaviors. It provides a means for the evaluation of classroom communication. Interpersonal communication is defined as either verbal (using…

Sperry Univac speech communications technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medress, Mark F.

1977-01-01

Technology and systems for effective verbal communication with computers were developed. A continuous speech recognition system for verbal input, a word spotting system to locate key words in conversational speech, prosodic tools to aid speech analysis, and a prerecorded voice response system for speech output are described.

Deciphering Rashomon: an approach to verbal autopsies of maternal deaths.

PubMed

Iyer, Aditi; Sen, Gita; Sreevathsa, Anuradha

2013-01-01

The paper discusses an approach to verbal autopsies that engages with the Rashomon phenomenon affecting ex post facto constructions of death and responds to the call for maternal safety. This method differs from other verbal autopsies in its approach to data collection and its framework of analysis. In our approach, data collection entails working with and triangulating multiple narratives, and minimising power inequalities in the investigation process. The framework of analysis focuses on the missed opportunities for death prevention as an alternative to (or deepening of) the Three Delays Model. This framework assesses the behavioural responses of health providers, as well as community and family members at each opportunity for death prevention and categorises them into four groups: non-actions, inadequate actions, inappropriate actions and unavoidably delayed actions. We demonstrate the application of this approach to show how verbal autopsies can delve beneath multiple narratives and rigorously identify health system, behavioural and cultural factors that contribute to avoidable maternal mortality.

[Language observation protocol for teachers in pre-school education. Effectiveness in the detection of semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties].

PubMed

Ygual-Fernández, Amparo; Cervera-Merida, José F; Baixauli-Fortea, Inmaculada; Meliá-De Alba, Amanda

2011-03-01

A number of studies have shown that teachers are capable of recognising pupils with language difficulties if they have suitable guidelines or guidance. To determine the effectiveness of an observation-based protocol for pre-school education teachers in the detection of phonetic-phonological, semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties. The sample consisted of 175 children from public and state-subsidised schools in Valencia and its surrounding province, together with their teachers. The children were aged between 3 years and 6 months and 5 years and 11 months. The protocol that was used asks for information about pronunciation skills (intelligibility, articulation), conversational skills (with adults, with peers), literal understanding of sentences, grammatical precision, expression through discourse, lexical knowledge and semantics. There was a significant correlation between the teachers' observations and the criterion scores on intelligibility, literal understanding of sentences, grammatical expression and lexical richness, but not in the observations concerning articulation and verbal reasoning, which were more difficult for the teachers to judge. In general, the observation protocol proved to be effective, it guided the teachers in their observations and it asked them suitable questions about linguistic data that were relevant to the determination of difficulties in language development. The use of this protocol can be an effective strategy for collecting information for use by speech therapists and school psychologists in the early detection of children with language development problems.

Increasing verbal interaction among elderly socially isolated mentally retarded adults: a group language training procedure.

PubMed Central

Kleitsch, E C; Whitman, T L; Santos, J

1983-01-01

The present study examined the effectiveness of a group language training procedure for directly increasing and generalizing the rate of verbal interaction among four elderly, socially isolated, moderately mentally retarded men. A withdrawal of treatment design was used to examine the effect of the procedure that used verbal prompts. behavioral rehearsal, and contingent social praise. Changes in behavior were examined in two generalization settings, one similar to the training environment (Generalization I) and the other arranged as part of the subjects' daily routine (Generalization II). Baseline data indicated no verbal interaction among the subjects. During treatment the training procedure increased the rate of subjects' verbal interactions not only in the training situation, but also in the two generalization settings. An analysis of the data obtained during the Generalization II situation indicated that subjects' verbal interaction increased not only among themselves, but with nonsubject peers present in this setting. Follow-up data showed that increases in rates of verbal interaction were maintained four months after the cessation of training. The implications of the results for program generalization and work with the language deficient individual is discussed. PMID:6885671

Cognitive consequences of coexisting temporal lobe developmental malformations and hippocampal sclerosis.

PubMed

Martin, R; Dowler, R; Gilliam, F; Faught, E; Morawetz, R; Kuzniecky, R

1999-09-11

To characterize patterns of cognitive functioning in a well-defined group of patients with MRI-identified coexisting left temporal lobe developmental malformations (TLDM) and mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS), and to examine neuropsychological outcome in this dual-pathology group following epilepsy surgery. Cognitive functioning in patients with left TLDM and MTS (n = 15) was compared with patients with isolated left MTS (n = 40). TLDM and MTS were identified by high-quality MRI protocol. Patients were administered a battery of neuropsychology tests as part of their presurgical workup for possible epilepsy surgery. Unilateral temporal lobe resection was performed on 10 of the dual-pathology patients and 34 of the isolated MTS patients. Postoperative cognitive performance was also assessed. Both groups displayed impairments in verbal and visual memory, language, and academic achievement. Performance on measures of psychometric intelligence, executive function, and attention were not impaired and were similar between groups. Presence of dual pathology was associated with a significantly less efficient verbal encoding strategy on the word list learning task. Postoperatively, declines were noted for both groups across tasks of verbal memory and language. Groups were not different significantly in terms of neuropsychological outcome after surgery. Patients with coexisting TLDM and MTS have impaired cognitive functioning similar to MTS patients-in particular, with regard to episodic memory and language deficits. Temporal lobe resection produces similar cognitive changes in both groups.

Evidence for Skill Level Differences in the Thought Processes of Golfers During High and Low Pressure Situations.

PubMed

Whitehead, Amy E; Taylor, Jamie A; Polman, Remco C J

2015-01-01

Two studies examined differences in the cognition of golfers with differing levels of expertise in high and low pressure situations. In study 1, six high skill and six low skill golfers performed six holes of golf, while verbalizing their thoughts using Think Aloud (TA) protocol. Higher skilled golfers' cognitive processes centered more on planning in comparison to lower skilled golfers. Study 2 investigated whether thought processes of golfers changed in response to competitive pressure. Eight high skill and eight moderate skilled golfers, completed a practice round and a competition round whilst verbalizing thoughts using TA. To create pressure in the competition condition, participants were instructed that monetary prizes would be awarded to the top three performers and scores of all golfers would be published in a league table in the club house. When performing under competitive pressure, it was found that higher skilled golfers were more likely to verbalize technical rules compared to practice conditions, especially during putting performance. This shift in cognition toward more technical aspects of motor performance was strongly related to scores on the Decision Specific Reinvestment Scale, suggesting individuals with a higher propensity for reinvestment show the largest changes in cognition under pressure. From a practical perspective, TA can aid a player, coach or sport psychologist by allowing thought processes to be identified and investigate a performer's thoughts when faced with the pressure of a competition.

Physiological and Emotional Responses of Disabled Children to Therapeutic Clowns: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Kingsnorth, Shauna; Blain, Stefanie; McKeever, Patricia

2011-01-01

This pilot study examined the effects of Therapeutic Clowning on inpatients in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Ten disabled children with varied physical and verbal expressive abilities participated in all or portions of the data collection protocol. Employing a mixed-method, single-subject ABAB study design, measures of physiological arousal, emotion and behavior were obtained from eight children under two conditions—television exposure and therapeutic clown interventions. Four peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS) signals were recorded as measures of physiological arousal; these signals were analyzed with respect to measures of emotion (verbal self reports of mood) and behavior (facial expressions and vocalizations). Semistructured interviews were completed with verbally expressive children (n = 7) and nurses of participating children (n = 13). Significant differences among children were found in response to the clown intervention relative to television exposure. Physiologically, changes in ANS signals occurred either more frequently or in different patterns. Emotionally, children's (self) and nurses' (observed) reports of mood were elevated positively. Behaviorally, children exhibited more positive and fewer negative facial expressions and vocalizations of emotion during the clown intervention. Content and themes extracted from the interviews corroborated these findings. The results suggest that this popular psychosocial intervention has a direct and positive impact on hospitalized children. This pilot study contributes to the current understanding of the importance of alternative approaches in promoting well-being within healthcare settings. PMID:21799690

How Experts Solve a Novel Problem within Their Domain of Expertise (Hoe Experts een Nieuw Probleem Binnen hun Expertisegebied Oplossen)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-02

between neighboring goals in verbal protocols. 18 2.2 Materials All subjects received the following problem: The manufacturer of Coca Cola wants to improve...his product. Recently, he has received complaints that Coca Cola does not taste as good any more as it used to. Therefore, he wants to investigate...what it is exactly that people taste when they drink Coca Cola . In order to be able to make a comparison with the competitors, Pepsi Cola and a house

Verbal working memory and reading abilities among students with visual impairment.

PubMed

Argyropoulos, Vassilios; Masoura, Elvira; Tsiakali, Thomai K; Nikolaraizi, Magda; Lappa, Christina

2017-05-01

This study investigated the relationship between working memory (WM) and reading abilities among students with visual impairment (VI). Seventy-five students with VI (visually impairment and blindness), aged 10-15 years old participated in the study, of whom 44 were visually impaired and 31 were blind. The participants' reading ability was assessed with the standardized reading ability battery Test-A (Padeliadu & Antoniou, 2008) and their verbal working memory ability was assessed with the listening recall task from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children (Pickering et al., 2001). Data analysis indicated a strong correlation between verbal WM and decoding, reading comprehension and overall reading ability among the participants with VI, while no correlation was found between reading fluency and verbal WM. The present study points out the important role of verbal WM in reading among students who are VI and carries implications for the education of those individuals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An assessment of WISC-IIIUK on children with HIV infection.

PubMed

James, Anu Nikitha; Ittyerah, Miriam

2016-10-01

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Third Edition UK test was administered to groups of children between the ages of 6 and 12 years with vertically transmitted HIV infection (n = 70) and a control group who were not infected by the virus (n = 70). The study was conducted in India. The two groups were matched for general verbal abilities, age and gender. The children were assessed for Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full-Scale IQ. The Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Organization Index and Freedom from Distractibility Index were also obtained. A three-factor analysis of variance disclosed that school-age children with vertically transmitted HIV infection notched below in the areas of Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, Full-Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Organization Index and Freedom from Distractibility Index when collated with normal uninfected cohorts. Findings are discussed in the light of both theoretical and clinical implications. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effects of visual and verbal interaction on unintentional interpersonal coordination.

PubMed

Richardson, Michael J; Marsh, Kerry L; Schmidt, R C

2005-02-01

Previous research has demonstrated that people's movements can become unintentionally coordinated during interpersonal interaction. The current study sought to uncover the degree to which visual and verbal (conversation) interaction constrains and organizes the rhythmic limb movements of coactors. Two experiments were conducted in which pairs of participants completed an interpersonal puzzle task while swinging handheld pendulums with instructions that minimized intentional coordination but facilitated either visual or verbal interaction. Cross-spectral analysis revealed a higher degree of coordination for conditions in which the pairs were visually coupled. In contrast, verbal interaction alone was not found to provide a sufficient medium for unintentional coordination to occur, nor did it enhance the unintentional coordination that emerged during visual interaction. The results raise questions concerning differences between visual and verbal informational linkages during interaction and how these differences may affect interpersonal movement production and its coordination.

[Non-verbal communication of patients submitted to heart surgery: from awaking after anesthesia to extubation].

PubMed

Werlang, Sueli da Cruz; Azzolin, Karina; Moraes, Maria Antonieta; de Souza, Emiliane Nogueira

2008-12-01

Preoperative orientation is an essential tool for patient's communication after surgery. This study had the objective of evaluating non-verbal communication of patients submitted to cardiac surgery from the time of awaking from anesthesia until extubation, after having received preoperative orientation by nurses. A quantitative cross-sectional study was developed in a reference hospital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from March to July 2006. Data were collected in the pre and post operative periods. A questionnaire to evaluate non-verbal communication on awaking from sedation was applied to a sample of 100 patients. Statistical analysis included Student, Wilcoxon, and Mann Whittney tests. Most of the patients responded satisfactorily to non-verbal communication strategies as instructed on the preoperative orientation. Thus, non-verbal communication based on preoperative orientation was helpful during the awaking period.

Reduced verbal fluency for proper names in nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Fine, Eric M; Delis, Dean C; Paul, Brianna M; Filoteo, J Vincent

2011-02-01

There has been an increasing interest within neuropsychology in comparing verbal fluency for different grammatical classes (e.g., verb generation vs. noun generation) in neurological populations, including Parkinson's disease (PD). However, to our knowledge, few studies have compared verbal fluency for common nouns and proper names in PD. Common nouns and proper names differ in terms of their semantic characteristics, as categories of common nouns are organized hierarchically based on semantics, while categories of proper nouns lack a well-defined semantic organization. In addition, there is accumulating evidence that the retrieval of these distinct grammatical classes are subserved by somewhat distinct neural systems. Given that verbal fluency deficits are among the first impairments to emerge in PD, and that such deficits are predictors of future cognitive decline, it is important to examine all aspects of verbal fluency in this population. For the current study, we compared the performance of a group of 32 nondemented PD patients with 32 healthy participants (HP) on verbal fluency tasks for common nouns (animals) and proper names (boys' first names). A significant interaction between verbal fluency task and diagnostic status emerged, as the PD group performed significantly worse on only the proper name fluency task. This finding may reflect the absence of well-defined semantic organization that structures the verbal search for first names, thus placing a greater onus on strategic or "executive" verbal retrieval processes.

Promoting the behaviorological analysis of verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Eshleman, John W.; Vargas, Ernest A.

1988-01-01

An important contribution of radical behavioral science is its analysis of verbal behavior. Slowly but surely an increasing number of efforts verify the propositions explicit or inherent in Skinner's theory of verbal behavior, or apply his analysis to clinical or educational practice. But both the theory and the effort to apply it are met with silence. Such silent neglect simply varies the calumnious attention usually given to behavioristic science. In recent years several papers have called attention to how non-behaviorists have habitually misrepresented the science of behavior and its underlying philosophy of radical behaviorism (Cooke, 1984; DellaLana, 1982; Morris, 1985; Todd, 1987a; Todd & Morris, 1981; Todd & Morris, 1983). These authors offer various solutions. Their preferred strategy stresses an increased effort to disseminate accurate information about behavioristic science to the press and to the world at large. They generally address, however, errors of commission, not omission. Further, their solutions tend to dwell on “processes” instead of “products.” This paper first reviews the problem of misrepresentation of the science. It then addresses the principal error of omission in the psychological literature, and offers a solution based on achieving new products resulting from new verbal behavior technology. PMID:22477561

Verbal and physical client aggression - A longitudinal analysis of professional caregivers' psychophysiological stress response and burnout.

PubMed

Kind, Nina; Eckert, Anne; Steinlin, Célia; Fegert, Jörg M; Schmid, Marc

2018-08-01

We investigated the impact of verbal and physical client aggression on risk of developing high hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as an indicator of chronic stress exposure and burnout in a Swiss population of professional caregivers working in youth residential care. Participants (n = 121; 62.0% women) reported on client aggression and burnout symptoms and provided hair samples at four annual sampling points. HCC was determined in the first 1.5 cm hair segment. Sociodemographic variables, private stressors, burnout symptoms, and HCC were compared between participants reporting either 'no aggression', 'verbal' aggression, or 'verbal + physical' aggression. Cox proportional hazards regressions were calculated to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between client aggression and risk of high HCC or burnout over the course of three years. Professional caregivers reporting 'verbal + physical' aggression had higher HCC, more cognitive burnout symptoms, and greater burden in interpersonal domains. Both 'verbal' and 'verbal + physical' aggression were positively associated with burnout risk (verbal: HR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.27-2.65; verbal + physical: HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.56-3.84). 'Verbal + physical' aggression was positively associated with risk of high HCC (HR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.07-2.36). This longitudinal analysis suggested that psychophysiological stress response is primarily associated with combined verbal and physical aggression. The emotional wearing-down associated with verbal aggression should however not be disregarded. Our exploratory findings could have implications for youth welfare policy, clinical child psychiatry, and future research. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Refined carbohydrate intake in relation to non-verbal intelligence among Tehrani schoolchildren.

PubMed

Abargouei, Amin Salehi; Kalantari, Naser; Omidvar, Nasrin; Rashidkhani, Bahram; Rad, Anahita Houshiar; Ebrahimi, Azizeh Afkham; Khosravi-Boroujeni, Hossein; Esmaillzadeh, Ahmad

2012-10-01

Nutrition has long been considered one of the most important environmental factors affecting human intelligence. Although carbohydrates are the most widely studied nutrient for their possible effects on cognition, limited data are available linking usual refined carbohydrate intake and intelligence. The present study was conducted to examine the relationship between long-term refined carbohydrate intake and non-verbal intelligence among schoolchildren. Cross-sectional study. Tehran, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 245 students aged 6-7 years were selected from 129 elementary schools in two western regions of Tehran. Anthropometric measurements were carried out. Non-verbal intelligence and refined carbohydrate consumption were determined using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices test and a modified sixty-seven-item FFQ, respectively. Data about potential confounding variables were collected. Linear regression analysis was applied to examine the relationship between non-verbal intelligence scores and refined carbohydrate consumption. Individuals in top tertile of refined carbohydrate intake had lower mean non-verbal intelligence scores in the crude model (P < 0.038). This association remained significant after controlling for age, gender, birth date, birth order and breast-feeding pattern (P = 0.045). However, further adjustments for mother's age, mother's education, father's education, parental occupation and BMI made the association statistically non-significant. We found a significant inverse association between refined carbohydrate consumption and non-verbal intelligence scores in regression models (β = -11.359, P < 0.001). This relationship remained significant in multivariate analysis after controlling for potential confounders (β = -8.495, P = 0.038). The study provides evidence indicating an inverse relationship between refined carbohydrate consumption and non-verbal intelligence among Tehrani children aged 6-7 years. Prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Analysis of verbal communication during teaching in the operating room and the potentials for surgical training.

PubMed

Blom, E M; Verdaasdonk, E G G; Stassen, L P S; Stassen, H G; Wieringa, P A; Dankelman, J

2007-09-01

Verbal communication in the operating room during surgical procedures affects team performance, reflects individual skills, and is related to the complexity of the operation process. During the procedural training of surgeons (residents), feedback and guidance is given through verbal communication. A classification method based on structural analysis of the contents was developed to analyze verbal communication. This study aimed to evaluate whether a classification method for the contents of verbal communication in the operating room could provide insight into the teaching processes. Eight laparoscopic cholecystectomies were videotaped. Two entire cholecystectomies and the dissection phase of six additional procedures were analyzed by categorization of the communication in terms of type (4 categories: commanding, explaining, questioning, and miscellaneous) and content (9 categories: operation method, location, direction, instrument handling, visualization, anatomy and pathology, general, private, undefinable). The operation was divided into six phases: start, dissection, clipping, separating, control, closing. Classification of the communication during two entire procedures showed that each phase of the operation was dominated by different kinds of communication. A high percentage of explaining anatomy and pathology was found throughout the whole procedure except for the control and closing phases. In the dissection phases, 60% of verbal communication concerned explaining. These explaining communication events were divided as follows: 27% operation method, 19% anatomy and pathology, 25% location (positioning of the instrument-tissue interaction), 15% direction (direction of tissue manipulation), 11% instrument handling, and 3% other nonclassified instructions. The proposed classification method is feasible for analyzing verbal communication during surgical procedures. Communication content objectively reflects the interaction between surgeon and resident. This information can potentially be used to specify training needs, and may contribute to the evaluation of different training methods.

Derived Transformation of Children's Pregambling Game Playing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dymond, Simon; Bateman, Helena; Dixon, Mark R.

2010-01-01

Contemporary behavior-analytic perspectives on gambling emphasize the impact of verbal relations, or derived relational responding and the transformation of stimulus functions, on the initiation and maintenance of gambling. Approached in this way, it is possible to undertake experimental analysis of the role of verbal/mediational variables in…

Analysis of Speech Fluency in Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Natalia Freitas; Sampaio, Adriana; Goncalves, Oscar F.; Giacheti, Celia Maria

2011-01-01

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder, often referred as being characterized by dissociation between verbal and non-verbal abilities, although the number of studies disputing this proposal is emerging. Indeed, although they have been traditionally reported as displaying increased speech fluency, this topic has not been…

Contrasting visual working memory for verbal and non-verbal material with multivariate analysis of fMRI

PubMed Central

Habeck, Christian; Rakitin, Brian; Steffener, Jason; Stern, Yaakov

2012-01-01

We performed a delayed-item-recognition task to investigate the neural substrates of non-verbal visual working memory with event-related fMRI (‘Shape task’). 25 young subjects (mean age: 24.0 years; STD=3.8 years) were instructed to study a list of either 1,2 or 3 unnamable nonsense line drawings for 3 seconds (‘stimulus phase’ or STIM). Subsequently, the screen went blank for 7 seconds (‘retention phase’ or RET), and then displayed a probe stimulus for 3 seconds in which subject indicated with a differential button press whether the probe was contained in the studied shape-array or not (‘probe phase’ or PROBE). Ordinal Trend Canonical Variates Analysis (Habeck et al., 2005a) was performed to identify spatial covariance patterns that showed a monotonic increase in expression with memory load during all task phases. Reliable load-related patterns were identified in the stimulus and retention phase (p<0.01), while no significant pattern could be discerned during the probe phase. Spatial covariance patterns that were obtained from an earlier version of this task (Habeck et al., 2005b) using 1, 3, or 6 letters (‘Letter task’) were also prospectively applied to their corresponding task phases in the current non-verbal task version. Interestingly, subject expression of covariance patterns from both verbal and non-verbal retention phases correlated positively in the non-verbal task for all memory loads (p<0.0001). Both patterns also involved similar frontoparietal brain regions that were increasing in activity with memory load, and mediofrontal and temporal regions that were decreasing. Mean subject expression of both patterns across memory load during retention also correlated positively with recognition accuracy (dL) in the Shape task (p<0.005). These findings point to similarities in the neural substrates of verbal and non-verbal rehearsal processes. Encoding processes, on the other hand, are critically dependent on the to-be-remembered material, and seem to necessitate material-specific neural substrates. PMID:22652306

Population Health Metrics Research Consortium gold standard verbal autopsy validation study: design, implementation, and development of analysis datasets

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Verbal autopsy methods are critically important for evaluating the leading causes of death in populations without adequate vital registration systems. With a myriad of analytical and data collection approaches, it is essential to create a high quality validation dataset from different populations to evaluate comparative method performance and make recommendations for future verbal autopsy implementation. This study was undertaken to compile a set of strictly defined gold standard deaths for which verbal autopsies were collected to validate the accuracy of different methods of verbal autopsy cause of death assignment. Methods Data collection was implemented in six sites in four countries: Andhra Pradesh, India; Bohol, Philippines; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Mexico City, Mexico; Pemba Island, Tanzania; and Uttar Pradesh, India. The Population Health Metrics Research Consortium (PHMRC) developed stringent diagnostic criteria including laboratory, pathology, and medical imaging findings to identify gold standard deaths in health facilities as well as an enhanced verbal autopsy instrument based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards. A cause list was constructed based on the WHO Global Burden of Disease estimates of the leading causes of death, potential to identify unique signs and symptoms, and the likely existence of sufficient medical technology to ascertain gold standard cases. Blinded verbal autopsies were collected on all gold standard deaths. Results Over 12,000 verbal autopsies on deaths with gold standard diagnoses were collected (7,836 adults, 2,075 children, 1,629 neonates, and 1,002 stillbirths). Difficulties in finding sufficient cases to meet gold standard criteria as well as problems with misclassification for certain causes meant that the target list of causes for analysis was reduced to 34 for adults, 21 for children, and 10 for neonates, excluding stillbirths. To ensure strict independence for the validation of methods and assessment of comparative performance, 500 test-train datasets were created from the universe of cases, covering a range of cause-specific compositions. Conclusions This unique, robust validation dataset will allow scholars to evaluate the performance of different verbal autopsy analytic methods as well as instrument design. This dataset can be used to inform the implementation of verbal autopsies to more reliably ascertain cause of death in national health information systems. PMID:21816095

Verbal abuse from nurse colleagues and work environment of early career registered nurses.

PubMed

Budin, Wendy C; Brewer, Carol S; Chao, Ying-Yu; Kovner, Christine

2013-09-01

This study examined relationships between verbal abuse from nurse colleagues and demographic characteristics, work attributes, and work attitudes of early career registered nurses (RNs). Data are from the fourth wave of a national panel survey of early career RNs begun in 2006. The final analytic sample included 1,407 RNs. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample, analysis of variance to compare means, and chi square to compare categorical variables. RNs reporting higher levels of verbal abuse from nurse colleagues were more likely to be unmarried, work in a hospital setting, or work in a non-magnet hospital. They also had lower job satisfaction, and less organizational commitment, autonomy, and intent to stay. Lastly, they perceived their work environments unfavorably. Data support the hypothesis that early career RNs are vulnerable to the effects of verbal abuse from nurse colleagues. Although more verbal abuse is seen in environments with unfavorable working conditions, and RNs working in such environments tend to have less favorable work attitudes, one cannot assume causality. It is unclear if poor working conditions create an environment where verbal abuse is tolerated or if verbal abuse creates an unfavorable work environment. There is a need to develop and test evidence-based interventions to deal with the problems inherent with verbal abuse from nurse colleagues. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Short-term effects of using verbal instructions and demonstration at the beginning of learning a complex skill in figure skating.

PubMed

Haguenauer, Marianne; Fargier, Patrick; Legreneur, Pierre; Dufour, Anne-Béatrice; Cogerino, Geneviève; Begon, Mickaël; Monteil, Karine M

2005-02-01

This study examined whether providing verbal instructions plus demonstration and task repetition facilitates the early acquisition of a sport skill for which learners had a prior knowledge of the individual motor components. After one demonstration of the task by an expert, 18 novice skaters practiced a figure skating jump during a 15-min. period. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: a group provided with a verbal instruction that specified the subgoals of the task (Subgoals group), a group provided with a verbal instruction that used a metaphor (Metaphoric group), and a group not receiving any specific instruction during training (Control group). Subjects were filmed prior to and immediately following the practice session. Analysis indicated that the modifications of performance were related to the demonstration and the subsequent task repetitions only. Providing additional verbal instructions generated no effect. Therefore, guiding the learner toward a solution to the task problem by means of verbal instruction seems to be ineffective if done too early in the course of learning.

The Morphophonemics of Japanese Verbal Conjugation: An Autosegmental Account.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsujimura, Natsuko; Davis, Stuart

Problems emerging from previous analyses of epenthesis in Japanese verbal endings are discussed and a crucial relationship between epenthesis and assimilation is argued. The focus is on the occurrence of /i/-epenthesis with certain root-final consonants. The analysis, which incorporates the view that assimilation is accomplished by means of…

The Impact of Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" on Organizational Behavior Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Eric J.; VanStelle, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

In the book "Verbal Behavior," Skinner provided a comprehensive, behavioral account of language. While the impact of Skinner's analysis on empirical research has been examined broadly, this review of the literature focused on studies relevant to organizational behavior management (OBM). Both empirical and nonempirical journal articles in OBM were…

Infant Vocal Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hursh, Daniel E.

In Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, three categories of environmental control over instances of verbal behavior appear to be relevant to the study of infant vocal development: the mand, the tact, and the echoic categories. Procedures used in the remediation of language deficiencies and procedures found in work in the area of language…

Narrative Performance in Verbally Gifted Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porath, Marion

1996-01-01

Comparison of 14 verbally gifted 6-year olds with equal numbers of chronological-age and mental-age controls using a structural-developmental analysis found that the gifted children organized story plots in ways typical of children 2 years older, elaborated on basic plot structures more than control groups, and demonstrated advanced language…

An experimental analysis of ongoing verbal behavior: Reinforcement, verbal operants, and superstitious behavior

PubMed Central

Leigland, Sam

1996-01-01

Four adult humans were asked to asked to “find” and talk about a particular topic to a person in an adjoining room, and were instructed that they would hear a short beep (the only form of reply from the other person) when they were talking about the topic, or were “close” to the topic. In Session 1, the experimenter in the adjoining room presented the beeps in the manner of shaping, or the differential reinforcement of successive approximations, “toward” the designated topic. In Session 2, the same conditions were in effect but the experimenter was unable to hear the subject and the beeps were presented noncontingently in a way that roughly matched the frequency and distribution of presentations in Session 1. In Session 3, shaping conditions were again in effect but with a different topic than that designated for Session 1. Audio recordings were transcribed in a way that was designed to show the progress of shaping over time. These and additional forms of supporting data and accompanying rationale are presented and discussed in detail. Issues raised by the methodology and results of the experiment include the nature of the verbal operant, superstitious verbal behavior, and a variety of methodological issues relevant to the experimental analysis of ongoing or continuous verbal behavior. PMID:22477112

[Non-verbal communication and executive function impairment after traumatic brain injury: a case report].

PubMed

Sainson, C

2007-05-01

Following post-traumatic impairment in executive function, failure to adjust to communication situations often creates major obstacles to social and professional reintegration. The analysis of pathological verbal communication has been based on clinical scales since the 1980s, but that of nonverbal elements has been neglected, although their importance should be acknowledged. The aim of this research was to study non-verbal aspects of communication in a case of executive-function impairment after traumatic brain injury. During the patient's conversation with an interlocutor, all nonverbal parameters - coverbal gestures, gaze, posture, proxemics and facial expressions - were studied in as much an ecological way as possible, to closely approximate natural conversation conditions. Such an approach highlights the difficulties such patients experience in communicating, difficulties of a pragmatic kind, that have so far been overlooked by traditional investigations, which mainly take into account the formal linguistic aspects of language. The analysis of the patient's conversation revealed non-verbal dysfunctions, not only on a pragmatic and interactional level but also in terms of enunciation. Moreover, interactional adjustment phenomena were noted in the interlocutor's behaviour. The two inseparable aspects of communication - verbal and nonverbal - should be equally assessed in patients with communication difficulties; highlighting distortions in each area might bring about an improvement in the rehabilitation of such people.

The influence of 3 months of physical exercises and verbal stimulation on functional efficiency and use of free time in an older population under institutional care: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Wiśniowska-Szurlej, Agnieszka; Ćwirlej-Sozańska, Agnieszka; Wilmowska-Pietruszyńska, Anna; Milewska, Natalia; Sozański, Bernard

2017-08-11

In recent years, there has been a significant change in the demographics of developed countries, including an increase in the number of older people. This aging population and the associated need for medical care and assistance places great strain on health care systems worldwide. In older populations, improved knowledge and understanding of the relationship between moderate exercise and health might result in greater motivation to engage in such activity; thus improving the overall health of this population. The aim of the proposed project is to assess the degree of improvement in functional performance through physical training with verbal stimulation, as well as the possibility of changing habitual ways of spending free time, in older people under institutional care. Study participants aged 65-85 years, who are living a sedentary lifestyle in care homes in Southeast Poland, will be invited to participate in this randomized controlled trial. Those who meet the eligibility criteria and are enrolled in the study will be assigned at random to one of four parallel groups: (1) basic exercises combined with verbal stimulation, (2) basic exercises without verbal stimulation, (3) functional exercise training with verbal stimulation, and (4) functional exercise training without verbal stimulation. Participants will engage in 30-min workouts, twice per week, for 12 weeks. Tests will be done: (1) before exercises, (2) after 12 weeks of exercises, (3) 12 weeks after the end of the exercises, and (4) 24 weeks after the exercises. Primary outcome measures will include the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Secondary outcomes will include the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, the 10-Meter Walk test (10MWT), the Back Scratch (BS) test, the Chair Sit and Reach (CSR) test, the Grip Strength (GS), and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Other outcomes will include results regarding postural stability from the stabilometric platform and quality of life (SF-36). Our study will help to determine the effectiveness of the training programs, particularly in relation to participants' motivation to exercise. The Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry, ID: SLCTR/2016/004 . Registered on 12 February 2016.

Analysis and modification of verbal coaching behaviour: the usefulness of a data-driven intervention strategy.

PubMed

More, K G; Franks, I M

1996-12-01

This study tested a computer-aided coaching analysis instrument (CAI) as part of an intervention strategy designed to modify verbal coaching behaviour. Four coaches were observed and analysed over 12 practice sessions. Coaches A, B and C received intervention feedback through CAI data, where selected behaviours were highlighted for discussion, and videotape images were used to illustrate discussion points. Coach D was provided with videotapes of his own performance and told to formulate and implement any of his own recommendations. The CAI data are primarily quantitative, so target values were created for the different dimensions of verbal behaviour. This benefited the coaches in interpreting their effectiveness and provided a reference to evaluate the magnitude of change. Written journals and audiotape recordings were also used to promote insight into the complexity of verbal behaviour and the "human factors' (e.g. relationship with players, attitude to researcher) that affect behaviour modification. Instructional effectiveness was assessed by time-series analysis. There was evidence from each behaviour dimension that change can occur and be maintained as a result of exposure to the CAI intervention strategy. However, this is clearly contingent upon the coach understanding what is asked of him or her, and remains focused and committed to changing these particular behaviours. The analysis of Coach D's behavioural change suggests there are limitations to the sensitivity of discretionary viewing, as only two dimensions of behaviour were identified for, and resulted in, positive change. The results of this study provide support for Locke's (1984) contention that behaviour modification can occur by using data as direct feedback, as reinforcement and as information in the form of recommendations. However, the study also illuminates several factors that can negate the modification and maintenance of verbal coaching behaviour.

Characteristics of team briefings in gynecological surgery.

PubMed

Forsyth, Katherine L; Hildebrand, Emily A; Hallbeck, M Susan; Branaghan, Russell J; Blocker, Renaldo C

2018-02-24

Preoperative briefings have been proven beneficial for improving team performance in the operating room. However, there has been minimal research regarding team briefings in specific surgical domains. As part of a larger project to develop a briefing structure for gynecological surgery, the study aimed to better understand the current state of pre-operative team briefings in one department of an academic hospital. Twenty-four team briefings were observed and video recorded. Communication was analyzed and social network metrics were created based on the team member verbal interactions. Introductions occurred in only 25% of the briefings. Network analysis revealed that average team briefings exhibited a hierarchical structure of communication, with the surgeon speaking the most frequently. The average network for resident-led briefings displayed a non-hierarchical structure with all team members communicating with the resident. Briefings conducted without a standardized protocol can produce variable communication between the role leading and the team members present. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Prototype Continuity of Care Record with Context-Specific Links to Meet the Information Needs of Case Managers for Persons Living with HIV

PubMed Central

Cimino, James J.; Bakken, Suzanne

2012-01-01

Objectives (1) To develop a prototype Continuity of Care Record (CCR) with context-specific links to electronic HIV information resources; and (2) to assess case managers’ perceptions regarding the usability of the prototype. Methods We integrated context-specific links to HIV case management information resources into a prototype CCR using the Infobutton Manager and Librarian Infobutton Tailoring Environment (LITE). Case managers (N=9) completed a think-aloud protocol and the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ) to evaluate the usability of the prototype. Verbalizations from the think-aloud protocol were summarized using thematic analysis. CSUQ data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results Although participants expressed positive comments regarding the usability of the prototype, the think-aloud protocol also identified the need for improvement in resource labels and for additional resources. On a scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 7 (strongly disagree), the average CSUQ overall satisfaction was 2.25 indicating that users (n=9) were generally satisfied with the system. Mean CSUQ factor scores were: System Usefulness (M=2.13), Information Quality (M=2.46), and Interface Quality (M=2.26). Conclusion Our novel application of the Infobutton Manager and LITE in the context of case management for persons living with HIV in community-based settings resulted in a prototype CCR with infobuttons that met the majority of case managers’ information needs and received relatively positive usability ratings. Findings from this study inform future integration of context-specific links into CCRs and electronic health records and support their use for meeting end-users information needs. PMID:22632821

Ensenanzas en un gimnasio: an investigation of modeling and verbal rehearsal on the motor performance of Hispanic limited English proficient children.

PubMed

Meaney, K S; Edwards, R

1996-03-01

This study investigated the effects of modeling and verbal rehearsal on the motor performance of English-speaking and limited English proficient (LEP) children. Children (N = 64) in 4th-grade classes were randomly assigned to conditions in a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 (Gender x Primary Language x Model Type x Rehearsal) factorial design. Boys and girls whose primary language was English or Spanish were assigned to either a verbal model or no-model condition as well as to a verbal rehearsal or no-rehearsal condition of the motor skills required to be performed. Analysis of variance revealed a significant Model Type x Primary Language interaction as well as a significant Rehearsal x Primary Language interaction. Follow-up analyses revealed that English-speaking children provided with a verbal rehearsal strategy recalled significantly more skills than English-speaking children in the no-rehearsal condition; for LEP children, there were no differences due to rehearsal. Moreover, LEP children presented with a verbal model recalled significantly more skills than LEP children in the no-model condition; for English-speaking children, there were no differences attributed to model type. These results indicate that effective modeling conditions that are provided with verbal cues in English are related to children's primary language.

[Predictors of verbal memory decline following temporal lobe surgery].

PubMed

de Vanssay-Maigne, A; Boutin, M; Baudoin-Chial, S

2008-05-01

Verbal memory decline can occur after temporal lobe surgery, especially when the left dominant hemisphere is involved. This potential functional risk must be evaluated before surgery. Among all factors that have been identified by several studies, the side of surgery (left dominant) and high baseline memory performance have been found to be predictive of verbal memory decline. Other factors such as etiology, sex, age at surgery, age at seizure onset, and duration may influence memory decline, but the results are not clear. Our purpose was to identify, in our population of patients and among all risk factors, those that may be predictive of verbal memory decline. Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of each factor on the postoperative verbal memory index (WMS-R) in 101 patients who underwent a right (n=49) or left (n=52) anterior temporal lobe resection. In the group as a whole, 22 % of the patients demonstrated verbal memory decline of more than one standard deviation. The verbal memory decline was significantly related to surgery on the left side and a high level of verbal memory performance. These factors were significant predictors of decline. The other factors (etiology, sex, age at surgery, age at seizure onset, and duration) were not found to be predictive of this decline. Our analysis demonstrates that the patients who are most at risk of undergoing verbal memory deterioration are those who undergo left-sided temporal resection and have good memory scores preoperatively. The contradictions found in the literature about the other factors could be explained by the diversity of the tests and criteria used to assess memory decline.

Endoclip Magnetic Resonance Imaging Screening: A Local Practice Review.

PubMed

Accorsi, Fabio; Lalonde, Alain; Leswick, David A

2018-05-01

Not all endoscopically placed clips (endoclips) are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible. At many institutions, endoclip screening is part of the pre-MRI screening process. Our objective is to determine the contribution of each step of this endoclip screening protocol in determining a patient's endoclip status at our institution. A retrospective review of patients' endoscopic histories on general MRI screening forms for patients scanned during a 40-day period was performed to assess the percentage of patients that require endoclip screening at our institution. Following this, a prospective evaluation of 614 patients' endoclip screening determined the percentage of these patients ultimately exposed to each step in the protocol (exposure), and the percentage of patients whose endoclip status was determined with reasonable certainty by each step (determination). Exposure and determination values for each step were calculated as follows (exposure, determination): verbal interview (100%, 86%), review of past available imaging (14%, 36%), review of endoscopy report (9%, 57%), and new abdominal radiograph (4%, 96%), or CT (0.2%, 100%) for evaluation of potential endoclips. Only 1 patient did not receive MRI because of screening (in situ gastrointestinal endoclip identified). Verbal interview is invaluable to endoclip screening, clearing 86% of patients with minimal monetary and time investment. Conversely, the limited availability of endoscopy reports and relevant past imaging somewhat restricts the determination rates of these. New imaging (radiograph or computed tomography) is required <5% of the time, and although costly and associated with patient irradiation, has excellent determination rates (above 96%) when needed. Copyright © 2017 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of reading fluency in Italian orthography: evidence from a cross-sectional study of primary school students.

PubMed

Tobia, Valentina; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2014-01-01

This study investigates the role of linguistic and visuospatial attentional processes in predicting reading fluency in typical Italian readers attending primary school. Tasks were administered to 651 children with reading fluency z scores > -1.5 standard deviation to evaluate their phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), verbal short-term memory, vocabulary, visual search skills, verbal-visual recall, and visual-spatial attention. Hybrid models combining confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were used to evaluate the data obtained from younger (first and second grade) and older (third-fifth grade) children, respectively. The results showed that phonological awareness and RAN played a significant role among younger children, while also vocabulary, verbal short-term memory, and visuospatial attention were significant factors among older children.

Strengths and weaknesses in the cognitive profile of youngsters with Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Curfs, L M; Wiegers, A M; Sommers, J R; Borghgraef, M; Fryns, J P

1991-12-01

In this report we present the results of a study of the intellectual functioning and cognitive profile of 26 Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients. The mean IQ score was 62.3 (range 39-96). In 13 patients a significant difference between verbal and performance IQ was found. In 10 of them the performance IQ was higher than the verbal. The results of subtest analysis indicate that cognitive strengths are more visible than cognitive weaknesses. Highest scores were noted especially in the performance scale, i.e. Block Design (9 children) and Coding or Mazes (5 children). Analysis of all available data indicates that PWS patients score better on visual motor discrimination skills than on auditory verbal processing skills. These results are promising for intervention programs and education strategies.

Prediction of post-stroke dementia using NINDS-CSN 5-minute neuropsychology protocol in acute stroke.

PubMed

Lim, Jae-Sung; Oh, Mi Sun; Lee, Ju-Hun; Jung, San; Kim, Chulho; Jang, Min Uk; Lee, Sang-Hwa; Kim, Yeo Jin; Kim, Yerim; Park, Jaeseol; Kang, Yeonwook; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Lee, Byung-Chul

2017-05-01

The National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) 5-minute neuropsychology protocol consists of only verbal tasks, and is proposed as a brief screening method for vascular cognitive impairment. We evaluated its feasibility within two weeks after stroke and ability to predict the development of post-stroke dementia (PSD) at 3 months after stroke. We prospectively enrolled subjects with ischemic stroke within seven days of symptom onset who were consecutively admitted to 12 university hospitals. Neuropsychological assessments using the NINDS-CSN 5-minute and 60-minute neuropsychology protocols were administered within two weeks and at 3 months after stroke onset, respectively. PSD was diagnosed with reference to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association statement, requiring deficits in at least two cognitive domains. Of 620 patients, 512 (82.6%) were feasible for the NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol within two weeks after stroke. The incidence of PSD was 16.2% in 308 subjects who had completed follow-up at 3 months after stroke onset. The total score of the NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol differed significantly between those with and without PSD (4.0 ± 2.7, 7.4 ± 2.7, respectively; p < 0.01). A cut-off value of 6/7 showed reasonable discriminative power (sensitivity 0.82, specificity 0.67, AUC 0.74). The NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol score was a significant predictor for PSD (adjusted odds ratio 6.32, 95% CI 2.65-15.05). The NINDS-CSN 5-minute protocol is feasible to evaluate cognitive functions in patients with acute ischemic stroke. It might be a useful screening method for early identification of high-risk groups for PSD.

Principal Component Analysis Study of Visual and Verbal Metaphoric Comprehension in Children with Autism and Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mashal, Nira; Kasirer, Anat

2012-01-01

This research extends previous studies regarding the metaphoric competence of autistic and learning disabled children on different measures of visual and verbal non-literal language comprehension, as well as cognitive abilities that include semantic knowledge, executive functions, similarities, and reading fluency. Thirty seven children with…

General Outcome Measures for Verbal Operants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubina, Richard M., Jr.; Wolfe, Pamela; Kostewicz, Douglas E.

2009-01-01

A general outcome measure (GOM) can be used to show progress towards a long-term goal. GOMs should sample domains of behavior across ages, be sensitive to change over time, be inexpensive and easy to use, and facilitate decision making. Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior may benefit from the development of GOM. To develop GOM, we…

Cognitive Anxiety: A Method of Content Analysis for Verbal Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viney, Linda L.; Westbrook, Mary

1976-01-01

Five groups--second year students, psychiatric inpatients, incoming students, mothers, and relocated women were tested with verbal samples to examine the effects of cognitive anxiety as a construct implying a reaction to being unable to anticipate and integrate experiences meaningfully. The measure used was found to be valid. (Author/DEP)

Towards a Geography of Emotional Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

2016-01-01

This article is a forum response to a research article on self-reporting methods when studying discrete emotions in science education environments. Studying emotions in natural settings is a difficult task because of the complexity of deciphering verbal and non-verbal communication. In my response I present three main points that build on insights…

An Integrative Verbal and Visual Analysis of the Carter-Reagan Debate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiemens, Robert K.; And Others

Noting that confrontation is a fundamental element of debate, a study examined the confrontational nature of a 1980 presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan by analyzing its verbal and visual context as presented through television. By means of videotapes, still photographs, and a typed transcript, each instance of a verbal…

Journalism and Mass Communication Textbook Representations of Verbal Media Skills: Implications for Students with Speech Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Elia M.; Haller, Beth

2017-01-01

This study examines representation of disabilities by conducting a qualitative content analysis of how 41 journalism/mass communication textbooks frame the ideal standards of verbal communication for media professionals. Textbooks are integral to students' understanding of professional norms and may influence career decisions. Results show that…

Replacing Maladaptive Speech with Verbal Labeling Responses: An Analysis of Generalized Responding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foxx, R. M.; And Others

1988-01-01

Three mentally handicapped students (aged 13, 36, and 40) with maladaptive speech received training to answer questions with verbal labels. The results of their cues-pause-point training showed that the students replaced their maladaptive speech with correct labels (answers) to questions in the training setting and three generalization settings.…

Survey of Different Types of Communication in Swimming Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biro, Melinda

2007-01-01

Study aim: To evaluate verbal and non-verbal behaviour of teachers and pupils in elementary swimming education and their impact on pupils' achievements. Material and methods: A total of 77 swimming lessons were videorecorded and coded with the modified Cheffers' Adaptation of Flanders Interaction Analysis System (CAFIAS); 46 PE teachers, swimming…

Victims of Educator-Targeted Bullying: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Wet, Corene

2010-01-01

I report on findings emanating from in-depth personal interviews with victims of educator-targeted bullying (ETB). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the narratives. The findings indicate that the victims of ETB were exposed repeatedly over time to verbal, non-verbal, psychological, and physical abuse during and after school hours.…

Analysis of Verbal Interactions during an Extended, Open-Inquiry General Chemistry Laboratory Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krystyniak, Rebecca A.; Heikkinen, Henry W.

2007-01-01

This study explores effects of participation by second-semester college general chemistry students in an extended, open-inquiry laboratory investigation. Verbal interactions among a student lab team and with their instructor over three open-inquiry laboratory sessions and two non-inquiry sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Coding…

What Lies Beneath?: Verbal Report in Interlanguage Requests in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodfield, Helen

2010-01-01

The present study investigates the role of concurrent and retrospective verbal report in exploring the cognitive processes of six pairs of advanced ESL learners engaged on a written discourse completion task eliciting status-unequal requests in English. Qualitative analysis of the concurrent data indicate that (i) social contextual aspects of the…

Knox's Cube Imitation Test: A Historical Review and an Experimental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John T. E.

2005-01-01

The cube imitation test was developed by Knox (1913) as a nonverbal test of intelligence. Many variants show satisfactory reliability, but performance is correlated both with Verbal IQ and with Performance IQ. Performance is impaired by cerebral lesions but unrelated to the side of lesion. Examinees describe both verbal and visuospatial…

Natural language processing, pragmatics, and verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Cherpas, Chris

1992-01-01

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is that part of Artificial Intelligence (AI) concerned with endowing computers with verbal and listener repertoires, so that people can interact with them more easily. Most attention has been given to accurately parsing and generating syntactic structures, although NLP researchers are finding ways of handling the semantic content of language as well. It is increasingly apparent that understanding the pragmatic (contextual and consequential) dimension of natural language is critical for producing effective NLP systems. While there are some techniques for applying pragmatics in computer systems, they are piecemeal, crude, and lack an integrated theoretical foundation. Unfortunately, there is little awareness that Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior provides an extensive, principled pragmatic analysis of language. The implications of Skinner's functional analysis for NLP and for verbal aspects of epistemology lead to a proposal for a “user expert”—a computer system whose area of expertise is the long-term computer user. The evolutionary nature of behavior suggests an AI technology known as genetic algorithms/programming for implementing such a system. ImagesFig. 1 PMID:22477052

Conceptual Structure within and between Modalities

PubMed Central

Dilkina, Katia; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A.

2012-01-01

Current views of semantic memory share the assumption that conceptual representations are based on multimodal experience, which activates distinct modality-specific brain regions. This proposition is widely accepted, yet little is known about how each modality contributes to conceptual knowledge and how the structure of this contribution varies across these multiple information sources. We used verbal feature lists, features from drawings, and verbal co-occurrence statistics from latent semantic analysis to examine the informational structure in four domains of knowledge: perceptual, functional, encyclopedic, and verbal. The goals of the analysis were three-fold: (1) to assess the structure within individual modalities; (2) to compare structures between modalities; and (3) to assess the degree to which concepts organize categorically or randomly. Our results indicated significant and unique structure in all four modalities: perceptually, concepts organize based on prominent features such as shape, size, color, and parts; functionally, they group based on use and interaction; encyclopedically, they arrange based on commonality in location or behavior; and verbally, they group associatively or relationally. Visual/perceptual knowledge gives rise to the strongest hierarchical organization and is closest to classic taxonomic structure. Information is organized somewhat similarly in the perceptual and encyclopedic domains, which differs significantly from the structure in the functional and verbal domains. Notably, the verbal modality has the most unique organization, which is not at all categorical but also not random. The idiosyncrasy and complexity of conceptual structure across modalities raise the question of how all of these modality-specific experiences are fused together into coherent, multifaceted yet unified concepts. Accordingly, both methodological and theoretical implications of the present findings are discussed. PMID:23293593

NEREC, an effective brain mapping protocol for combined language and long-term memory functions.

PubMed

Perrone-Bertolotti, Marcela; Girard, Cléa; Cousin, Emilie; Vidal, Juan Ricardo; Pichat, Cédric; Kahane, Philippe; Baciu, Monica

2015-12-01

Temporal lobe epilepsy can induce functional plasticity in temporoparietal networks involved in language and long-term memory processing. Previous studies in healthy subjects have revealed the relative difficulty for this network to respond effectively across different experimental designs, as compared to more reactive regions such as frontal lobes. For a protocol to be optimal for clinical use, it has to first show robust effects in a healthy cohort. In this study, we developed a novel experimental paradigm entitled NEREC, which is able to reveal the robust participation of temporoparietal networks in a uniquely combined language and memory task, validated in an fMRI study with healthy subjects. Concretely, NEREC is composed of two runs: (a) an intermixed language-memory task (confrontation naming associated with encoding in nonverbal items, NE) to map language (i.e., word retrieval and lexico-semantic processes) combined with simultaneous long-term verbal memory encoding (NE items named but also explicitly memorized) and (b) a memory retrieval task of items encoded during NE (word recognition, REC) intermixed with new items. Word recognition is based on both perceptual-semantic familiarity (feeling of 'know') and accessing stored memory representations (remembering). In order to maximize the remembering and recruitment of medial temporal lobe structures, we increased REC difficulty by changing the modality of stimulus presentation (from nonverbal during NE to verbal during REC). We report that (a) temporoparietal activation during NE was attributable to both lexico-semantic (language) and memory (episodic encoding and semantic retrieval) processes; that (b) encoding activated the left hippocampus, bilateral fusiform, and bilateral inferior temporal gyri; and that (c) task recognition (recollection) activated the right hippocampus and bilateral but predominant left fusiform gyrus. The novelty of this protocol consists of (a) combining two tasks in one (language and long-term memory encoding/recall) instead of applying isolated tasks to map temporoparietal regions, (b) analyzing NE data based on performances recorded during REC, (c) double-mapping networks involved in naming and in long-term memory encoding and retrieval, (d) focusing on remembering with hippocampal activation and familiarity judgment with lateral temporal cortices activation, and (e) short duration of examination and feasibility. These aspects are of particular interest in patients with TLE, who frequently show impairment of these cognitive functions. Here, we show that the novel protocol is suited for this clinical evaluation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol is a brief, valid, reliable, and feasible cognitive screen for telephone administration.

PubMed

Wong, Adrian; Nyenhuis, David; Black, Sandra E; Law, Lorraine S N; Lo, Eugene S K; Kwan, Pauline W L; Au, Lisa; Chan, Anne Y Y; Wong, Lawrence K S; Nasreddine, Ziad; Mok, Vincent

2015-04-01

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network Vascular Cognitive Impairment Harmonization working group proposed a brief cognitive protocol for screening of vascular cognitive impairment. We investigated the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment 5-minute protocol (MoCA 5-minute protocol) administered over the telephone. Four items examining attention, verbal learning and memory, executive functions/language, and orientation were extracted from the MoCA to form the MoCA 5-minute protocol. One hundred four patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack, including 53 with normal cognition (Clinical Dementia Rating, 0) and 51 with cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating, 0.5 or 1), were administered the MoCA in clinic and a month later, the MoCA 5-minute protocol over the telephone. Administration of the MoCA 5-minute protocol took 5 minutes over the telephone. Total score of the MoCA 5-minute protocol correlated negatively with age (r=-0.36; P<0.001) and positively with years of education (r=0.41; P<0.001) but not with sex (ρ=0.03; P=0.773). Total scores of the MoCA and MoCA 5-minute protocol were highly correlated (r=0.87; P<0.001). The MoCA 5-minute protocol performed equally well as the MoCA in differentiating patients with cognitive impairment from those without (areas under receiver operating characteristics curve for MoCA 5-minute protocol, 0.78; MoCA=0.74; P>0.05 for difference; Cohen d for group difference, 0.80-1.13). It differentiated cognitively impaired patients with executive domain impairment from those without (areas under receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.89; P<0.001; Cohen d=1.7 for group difference). Thirty-day test-retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.89). The MoCA 5-minute protocol is a free, valid, and reliable cognitive screen for stroke and transient ischemic attack. It is brief and highly feasible for telephone administration. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Comparative investigation of the effectiveness of face-to-face verbal training and educational pamphlets on readiness of patients before undergoing non-emergency surgeries

PubMed Central

Noorian, Cobra; Aein, Fereshteh

2015-01-01

Background: The thought of having a surgery can be stressful for everyone. Providing the necessary information to the patient can help both the patient and the treatment team. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of face-to-face verbal training and educational pamphlets on the readiness of patients for undergoing non-emergency surgeries. Materials and Methods: The study was a before–after randomized clinical trial. 90 patients scheduled to undergo non-emergency surgery who referred to Shahrekord Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in 2013 were distributed randomly and gradually into two experimental groups (group of face-to-face verbal training and group of educational pamphlet) and one control group. Dependent variable of the study was pre-surgery readiness. Data analysis was carried out by using SPSS statistical software. Statistical analysis were analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation test. Results: Results showed that the mean scores of pre-surgery readiness in both interventional groups were significantly higher than that in the control group after the intervention (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Each of the methods of face-to-face verbal education and using the pamphlet could be equally effective in improving the readiness of the patients undergoing surgery. Therefore, in environments where the health care providers are facing with the pressure of work and lack of sufficient time for face-to-face verbal training, suitable educational pamphlets can be used to provide the necessary information to patients and prepare them for surgery. PMID:26097859

Comparative investigation of the effectiveness of face-to-face verbal training and educational pamphlets on readiness of patients before undergoing non-emergency surgeries.

PubMed

Noorian, Cobra; Aein, Fereshteh

2015-01-01

The thought of having a surgery can be stressful for everyone. Providing the necessary information to the patient can help both the patient and the treatment team. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of face-to-face verbal training and educational pamphlets on the readiness of patients for undergoing non-emergency surgeries. The study was a before-after randomized clinical trial. 90 patients scheduled to undergo non-emergency surgery who referred to Shahrekord Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in 2013 were distributed randomly and gradually into two experimental groups (group of face-to-face verbal training and group of educational pamphlet) and one control group. Dependent variable of the study was pre-surgery readiness. Data analysis was carried out by using SPSS statistical software. Statistical analysis were analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation test. Results showed that the mean scores of pre-surgery readiness in both interventional groups were significantly higher than that in the control group after the intervention (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups (P > 0.05). Each of the methods of face-to-face verbal education and using the pamphlet could be equally effective in improving the readiness of the patients undergoing surgery. Therefore, in environments where the health care providers are facing with the pressure of work and lack of sufficient time for face-to-face verbal training, suitable educational pamphlets can be used to provide the necessary information to patients and prepare them for surgery.

Emergent Verbal Behavior and Analogy: Skinnerian and Linguistic Approaches

PubMed Central

Matos, Maria Amelia; de Lourdes Passos, Maria

2010-01-01

The production of verbal operants not previously taught is an important aspect of language productivity. For Skinner, new mands, tacts, and autoclitics result from the recombination of verbal operants. The relation between these mands, tacts, and autoclitics is what linguists call analogy, a grammatical pattern that serves as a foundation on which a speaker might emit new linguistic forms. Analogy appears in linguistics as a regularity principle that characterizes language and has been related to how languages change and also to creativity. The approaches of neogrammarians like Hermann Paul, as well as those of Jespersen and Bloomfield, appear to have influenced Skinner's understanding of verbal creativity. Generalization and stimulus equivalence are behavioral processes related to the generative grammatical behavior described in the analogy model. Linguistic forms and grammatical patterns described in analogy are part of the contingencies of reinforcement that produce generalization and stimulus equivalence. The analysis of verbal behavior needs linguistic analyses of the constituents of linguistic forms and their combination patterns. PMID:22479127

The Role of Adolescent Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Prediction of Verbal Intelligence during Early Adulthood: A Genetically Informed Analysis of Twin Pairs

PubMed Central

Jackson, Dylan B.; Beaver, Kevin M.

2015-01-01

A large body of research has revealed that nutrition and physical activity influence brain functioning at various stages of the life course. Nevertheless, very few studies have explored whether diet and exercise influence verbal intelligence as youth transition from adolescence into young adulthood. Even fewer studies have explored the link between these health behaviors and verbal intelligence while accounting for genetic and environmental factors that are shared between siblings. Employing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the current study uses a sample of same-sex twin pairs to test whether youth who engage in poorer fitness and nutritional practices are significantly more likely to exhibit reduced verbal intelligence during young adulthood. The results suggests that, independent of the effects of genetic and shared environmental factors, a number of nutritional and exercise factors during adolescence influence verbal intelligence during adulthood. Limitations are noted and suggestions for future research are outlined. PMID:25568969

Identifying patterns of motor performance, executive functioning, and verbal ability in preschool children: A latent profile analysis.

PubMed

Houwen, Suzanne; Kamphorst, Erica; van der Veer, Gerda; Cantell, Marja

2018-04-30

A relationship between motor performance and cognitive functioning is increasingly being recognized. Yet, little is known about the precise nature of the relationship between both domains, especially in early childhood. To identify distinct constellations of motor performance, executive functioning (EF), and verbal ability in preschool aged children; and to explore how individual and contextual variables are related to profile membership. The sample consisted of 119 3- to 4-year old children (62 boys; 52%). The home based assessments consisted of a standardized motor test (Movement Assessment Battery for Children - 2), five performance-based EF tasks measuring inhibition and working memory, and the Receptive Vocabulary subtest from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Third Edition. Parents filled out the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Preschool version. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to delineate profiles of motor performance, EF, and verbal ability. Chi-square statistics and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to examine whether profile membership was predicted by age, gender, risk of motor coordination difficulties, ADHD symptomatology, language problems, and socioeconomic status (SES). LPA yielded three profiles with qualitatively distinct response patterns of motor performance, EF, and verbal ability. Quantitatively, the profiles showed most pronounced differences with regard to parent ratings and performance-based tests of EF, as well as verbal ability. Risk of motor coordination difficulties and ADHD symptomatology were associated with profile membership, whereas age, gender, language problems, and SES were not. Our results indicate that there are distinct subpopulations of children who show differential relations with regard to motor performance, EF, and verbal ability. The fact that we found both quantitative as well as qualitative differences between the three patterns of profiles underscores the need for a person-centered approach with a focus on patterns of individual characteristics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INFANT SIGN TRAINING AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

Normand, Matthew P; Machado, Mychal A; Hustyi, Kristin M; Morley, Allison J

2011-01-01

We taught manual signs to typically developing infants using a reversal design and caregiver-nominated stimuli. We delivered the stimuli on a time-based schedule during baseline. During the intervention, we used progressive prompting and reinforcement, described by Thompson et al. (2004, 2007), to establish mands. Following sign training, we conducted functional analyses and verified that the signs functioned as mands. These results provide preliminary validation for the verbal behavior functional analysis methodology and further evidence of the functional independence of verbal operants. PMID:21709786

A study of perceptual and verbal skills of disabled readers in grades 4, 5 and 6.

PubMed

Solan, H A; Ficarra, A P

1990-08-01

This investigation addresses the role of the optometrist in diagnosing and treating children in grades 4, 5, and 6 who have been identified as reading disabled. Fifty-one subjects with average intelligence, but whose reading comprehension skills were below the 31st percentile (mean, 20th percentile), were evaluated using verbal and perceptual tests. When the performance of this experimental group was compared with the mean scores from standardized test norms for each of the various tasks, the disabled readers scored significantly lower in seven of the eight perceptual and five of the six verbal tasks. These results lend support to the hypothesis that both perceptual and verbal deficits are related to reading comprehension. Using step-wise multiple correlation analysis, three perceptual factors; eye-movements, Auditory-Visual Integration Test (AVIT), and grooved peg-board, contributed 38 percent of the variance whereas the addition of two verbal factors (digit span and token test) provided just 2 percent. That is, 38 percent of the variations in reading comprehension could be accounted for by variations in perceptual skills in the disabled readers. The results were interpreted in terms of spatial-simultaneous and verbal-successive processing skills.

Predicting verbal fluency using Word Reading: Implications for premorbid functioning.

PubMed

Davis, Andrew S; Finch, W Holmes; Drapeau, Christopher; Nogin, Margarita; E Moss, Lauren; Moore, Brittney

2016-01-01

The estimation of premorbid general intellectual functioning using word reading tests has a rich history of validation and is a common assessment practice for neuropsychologists. What is less well-researched is the approach used to estimate premorbid functioning of non-intellectual domains, such as executive functions, including verbal fluency. The current study evaluated this relationship with 41 adult college students who completed the Word Reading subtest of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II) and the Verbal Fluency test from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). Path analysis indicated that only Letter Fluency (a measure of phonemic fluency) was statistically significantly related to Word Reading and the relationship was somewhat weak. The relationship between Category Fluency (a measure of semantic fluency) and Category Switching (a measure of verbal fluency cognitive set-shifting) to Word Reading was nonsignificant. Participants also completed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III), and as expected a strong relationship was found between Word Reading and the Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ). Results of this study strongly suggest that caution be exercised when extrapolating an estimate of premorbid verbal fluency abilities from measures of word reading.

Reasoning and dyslexia: is visual memory a compensatory resource?

PubMed

Bacon, Alison M; Handley, Simon J

2014-11-01

Effective reasoning is fundamental to problem solving and achievement in education and employment. Protocol studies have previously suggested that people with dyslexia use reasoning strategies based on visual mental representations, whereas non-dyslexics use abstract verbal strategies. This research presents converging evidence from experimental and individual differences perspectives. In Experiment 1, dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants were similarly accurate on reasoning problems, but scores on a measure of visual memory ability only predicted reasoning accuracy for dyslexics. In Experiment 2, a secondary task loaded visual memory resources during concurrent reasoning. Dyslexics were significantly less accurate when reasoning under conditions of high memory load and showed reduced ability to subsequently recall the visual stimuli, suggesting that the memory and reasoning tasks were competing for the same visual cognitive resource. The results are consistent with an explanation based on limitations in the verbal and executive components of working memory in dyslexia and the use of compensatory visual strategies for reasoning. There are implications for cognitive activities that do not readily support visual thinking, whether in education, employment or less formal everyday settings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Older adults get episodic memory boosting from noninvasive stimulation of prefrontal cortex during learning

PubMed Central

Brambilla, Michela; Cobelli, Chiara; Cohen, Leonardo G.; Cotelli, Maria

2016-01-01

Episodic memory displays the largest degree of age-related decline, a process that is accelerated in pathological conditions such as amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to the encoding of episodic memories along the life span. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal trascranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left lateral PFC during the learning phase would enhance delayed recall of verbal episodic memories in elderly individuals. Older adults learned a list of words while receiving anodal or placebo (sham) tDCS. Memory recall was tested 48 hours and 1 month later. The results showed that anodal tDCS strengthened episodic memories, an effect indicated by enhanced delayed recall (48 hours) compared to placebo stimulation (Cohen's d effect size = 1.01). The observation that PFC-tDCS during learning can boost verbal episodic memory in the elderly opens up the possibility to design-specific neurorehabilitation protocols targeted to conditions that affect episodic memory such as mild cognitive impairment. PMID:26923418

Descriptions of verbal communication errors between staff. An analysis of 84 root cause analysis-reports from Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Rabøl, Louise Isager; Andersen, Mette Lehmann; Østergaard, Doris; Bjørn, Brian; Lilja, Beth; Mogensen, Torben

2011-03-01

Poor teamwork and communication between healthcare staff are correlated to patient safety incidents. However, the organisational factors responsible for these issues are unexplored. Root cause analyses (RCA) use human factors thinking to analyse the systems behind severe patient safety incidents. The objective of this study is to review RCA reports (RCAR) for characteristics of verbal communication errors between hospital staff in an organisational perspective. Two independent raters analysed 84 RCARs, conducted in six Danish hospitals between 2004 and 2006, for descriptions and characteristics of verbal communication errors such as handover errors and error during teamwork. Raters found description of verbal communication errors in 44 reports (52%). These included handover errors (35 (86%)), communication errors between different staff groups (19 (43%)), misunderstandings (13 (30%)), communication errors between junior and senior staff members (11 (25%)), hesitance in speaking up (10 (23%)) and communication errors during teamwork (8 (18%)). The kappa values were 0.44-0.78. Unproceduralized communication and information exchange via telephone, related to transfer between units and consults from other specialties, were particularly vulnerable processes. With the risk of bias in mind, it is concluded that more than half of the RCARs described erroneous verbal communication between staff members as root causes of or contributing factors of severe patient safety incidents. The RCARs rich descriptions of the incidents revealed the organisational factors and needs related to these errors.

Automated Video Analysis of Non-verbal Communication in a Medical Setting.

PubMed

Hart, Yuval; Czerniak, Efrat; Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Mayo, Avraham E; Ziv, Amitai; Biegon, Anat; Citron, Atay; Alon, Uri

2016-01-01

Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in establishing good rapport between physicians and patients and may influence aspects of patient health outcomes. It is therefore important to analyze non-verbal communication in medical settings. Current approaches to measure non-verbal interactions in medicine employ coding by human raters. Such tools are labor intensive and hence limit the scale of possible studies. Here, we present an automated video analysis tool for non-verbal interactions in a medical setting. We test the tool using videos of subjects that interact with an actor portraying a doctor. The actor interviews the subjects performing one of two scripted scenarios of interviewing the subjects: in one scenario the actor showed minimal engagement with the subject. The second scenario included active listening by the doctor and attentiveness to the subject. We analyze the cross correlation in total kinetic energy of the two people in the dyad, and also characterize the frequency spectrum of their motion. We find large differences in interpersonal motion synchrony and entrainment between the two performance scenarios. The active listening scenario shows more synchrony and more symmetric followership than the other scenario. Moreover, the active listening scenario shows more high-frequency motion termed jitter that has been recently suggested to be a marker of followership. The present approach may be useful for analyzing physician-patient interactions in terms of synchrony and dominance in a range of medical settings.

The Age of OrthoInfo: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Patient Comprehension of Informed Consent.

PubMed

Egekeze, Nkemakolam; Dubin, Jonathan; Williams, Karen; Bernhardt, Mark

2016-10-05

Integral to an orthopaedic surgeon-patient informed consent discussion is the assessment of patient comprehension of their medical care. However, little is known about how to optimize patient comprehension of an informed consent discussion. The purpose of our study was to evaluate three time-controlled informed consent discussion methods to determine which optimized patient comprehension immediately after the discussion. Sixty-seven consecutive patients with knee osteoarthritis who were considered medically appropriate for a knee corticosteroid injection were enrolled in our trial. Participants were randomized and were allocated into one of three groups in a parallel fashion and 1:1:1 ratio. Our three groups varied by sensory input and included verbal (hearing), verbal and video (hearing and sight), and verbal and model (hearing, sight, and touch). Each participant listened to a 10-minute scripted lecture given by a researcher; this lecture was based on content from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons patient education web site OrthoInfo. Patient comprehension was assessed after the lecture using a validated questionnaire called the Nkem test. Our primary outcome evaluated patient comprehension utilizing a pairwise comparison of mean comprehension scores between the groups. The primary outcome was analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance with the least significant difference calculated post hoc and a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The health-care staff, study participants, and outcome assessor were each blinded to group assignments. The mean comprehension scores were 84% (95% CI, 79% to 88%) for the verbal and model group, 74% (95% CI, 63% to 80%) for the verbal and video group, and 71% (95% CI, 61% to 80%) for the verbal group. The omnibus analysis of variance was significant and showed a difference among the groups (p = 0.019). The pairwise comparison of the groups using the least significant difference calculated post hoc showed that the verbal and model group outperformed the verbal group (p = 0.01) and the verbal and video group (p = 0.023). Multisensory patient education incorporating OrthoInfo and an anatomic model optimized patient comprehension immediately after a time-controlled informed consent discussion. This finding could play an important role in improving surgeon-patient communication in the field of orthopaedic surgery. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Verbal behavior: The other reviews

PubMed Central

Knapp, Terry J.

1992-01-01

The extensive attention devoted to Noam Chomsky's review of Verbal Behavior by B.F. Skinner has resulted in a neglect of more than a dozen other rewiews of the work. These are surveyed and found to be positive and congenial in tone, with many of the reviewers advancing his/her own analysis of speech and language. The dominant criticism of the book was its disregard of central or implicit processes and its lack of experimental data. An examination of the receptive history of Verbal Behavior offers a more balanced historical account than those which rely excessively on Chomsky's commentary PMID:22477049

Imaging structural covariance in the development of intelligence.

PubMed

Khundrakpam, Budhachandra S; Lewis, John D; Reid, Andrew; Karama, Sherif; Zhao, Lu; Chouinard-Decorte, Francois; Evans, Alan C

2017-01-01

Verbal and non-verbal intelligence in children is highly correlated, and thus, it has been difficult to differentiate their neural substrates. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that verbal and non-verbal intelligence can be dissociated and focal cortical regions corresponding to each have been demonstrated. However, the pattern of structural covariance corresponding to verbal and non-verbal intelligence remains unexplored. In this study, we used 586 longitudinal anatomical MRI scans of subjects aged 6-18 years, who had concurrent intelligence quotient (IQ) testing on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Structural covariance networks (SCNs) were constructed using interregional correlations in cortical thickness for low-IQ (Performance IQ=100±8, Verbal IQ=100±7) and high-IQ (PIQ=121±8, VIQ=120±9) groups. From low- to high-VIQ group, we observed constrained patterns of anatomical coupling among cortical regions, complemented by observations of higher global efficiency and modularity, and lower local efficiency in high-VIQ group, suggesting a shift towards a more optimal topological organization. Analysis of nodal topological properties (regional efficiency and participation coefficient) revealed greater involvement of left-hemispheric language related regions including inferior frontal and superior temporal gyri for high-VIQ group. From low- to high-PIQ group, we did not observe significant differences in anatomical coupling patterns, global and nodal topological properties. Our findings indicate that people with higher verbal intelligence have structural brain differences from people with lower verbal intelligence - not only in localized cortical regions, but also in the patterns of anatomical coupling among widely distributed cortical regions, possibly resulting to a system-level reorganization that might lead to a more efficient organization in high-VIQ group. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality Matters! Differences between Expressive and Receptive Non-Verbal Communication Skills in Adolescents with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossman, Ruth B.; Tager-Flusberg, Helen

2012-01-01

We analyzed several studies of non-verbal communication (prosody and facial expressions) completed in our lab and conducted a secondary analysis to compare performance on receptive vs. expressive tasks by adolescents with ASD and their typically developing peers. Results show a significant between-group difference for the aggregate score of…

Associations between Parental Psychological Control and Relational Aggression in Children and Adolescents: A Multilevel and Sequential Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuppens, Sofie; Laurent, Laura; Heyvaert, Mieke; Onghena, Patrick

2013-01-01

Youth aggression has been associated with negative parenting practices, but previous research about this association has mainly focused on physical and verbal aggression. Because more subtle forms of aggression are considered at least as harmful as their physical and verbal counterparts, there is a growing scientific interest in parenting…

Effect of Drama Instruction Method on Students' Turkish Verbal Skills and Speech Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kardas, Mehmet Nuri; Koç, Rasit

2017-01-01

The objective of the present study is to determine the effect of the "drama" method on students' Turkish verbal skills and speech anxiety. Pretest-posttest experimental model with control group was utilized in the study. In the analysis of data obtained by Turkish Rhetorical Skills Scale (TRSS) and Speech Anxiety Scale (SAS), t-test…

Effects of Verbal Behavior within Curriculum Development Committees on the Curriculum Product.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talmage, Harriet

An attempt was made to ascertain what type of verbal interaction behavior manifested by a group given a problem in curriculum development affects the quality of the product. Thirty ad hoc groups, selected randomly, were given curriculum development tasks to solve. Curriculum Guide Form (CGF) and Bales' Interaction Process Analysis (IPA) were used…

Do Procedures for Verbal Reporting of Thinking Have to Be Reactive? A Meta-Analysis and Recommendations for Best Reporting Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Mark C.; Ericsson, K. Anders; Best, Ryan

2011-01-01

Since its establishment, psychology has struggled to find valid methods for studying thoughts and subjective experiences. Thirty years ago, Ericsson and Simon (1980) proposed that participants can give concurrent verbal expression to their thoughts (think aloud) while completing tasks without changing objectively measurable performance (accuracy).…

Bridging the Gap between Graphical Arguments and Verbal-Symbolic Proofs in a Real Analysis Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zazkis, Dov; Weber, Keith; Mejía-Ramos, Juan Pablo

2016-01-01

We examine a commonly suggested proof construction strategy from the mathematics education literature--that students first produce a graphical argument and then work to construct a verbal-symbolic proof based on that graphical argument. The work of students who produce such graphical arguments when solving proof construction tasks was analyzed to…

An Exploratory Analysis of American Indian Children's Cultural Engagement, Fluid Cognitive Skills, and Standardized Verbal IQ Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsethlikai, Monica

2011-01-01

This exploratory cross-sectional study examined fluid cognitive skills and standardized verbal IQ scores in relation to cultural engagement amongst Tohono O'odham children (N = 99; ages 7 to 12 years). Guardians with higher socioeconomic status engaged their children in more cultural activities, and participation in more cultural activities…

Contributions of Skinner's Theory of Verbal Behaviour to Language Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Gaige; Kohler, Kelly; Ross, Denise

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current paper is to describe the impact of applied behaviour analysis on language treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) diagnoses. Specifically, this paper will describe Skinner's theory of verbal behaviour and its contributions to evidence-based treatments for communication deficits among individuals with…

Use of Words and Visuals in Modelling Context of Annual Plant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Jungeun; DiNapoli, Joseph; Mixell, Robert A.; Flores, Alfinio

2017-01-01

This study looks at the various verbal and non-verbal representations used in a process of modelling the number of annual plants over time. Analysis focuses on how various representations such as words, diagrams, letters and mathematical equations evolve in the mathematization process of the modelling context. Our results show that (1) visual…

Are nurses verbally abused? A cross-sectional study of nurses at a university hospital, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Al-Shamlan, Nouf A.; Jayaseeli, Nithya; Al-Shawi, Moneera M.; Al-Joudi, Abdullah S.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence against health-care workers is a significant problem worldwide. Nurses are at a higher risk of exposure to violence. Studies available in Saudi Arabia are few. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of verbal abuse of nurses at King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU) in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and to identify consequences and the demographic and work-related characteristics associated with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study of 391 nurses by total sample was conducted between November and December 2015, using a modified self-administered questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Data was entered, and analyzed using SPSS Version 16.0. The descriptive statistics were reported using frequency and percentages for all categorical variables. Chi-squared tests or Fisher's Exact test, as appropriate, were performed to test the associations of verbal abuse with the demographic and work-related characteristics of the participants. Variables with p < 0.05 were considered significant. Logistic regression analysis performed to determine association between verbal abuse and independent variables. RESULTS: In a period of 1 year before the study, about three out of ten nurses experienced verbal abuse (30.7%). In the majority of cases, the victims did not report the incidents, mostly because they believed that reporting would yield no positive results. Logistic regression analysis revealed that male nurses, nurses in the emergency department, and nurses who indicated that there were procedures for reporting violence in their workplace were more vulnerable to workplace verbal abuse. CONCLUSION: Workplace verbal abuse is a significant challenge in KFHU. For decision makers, it is rather disturbing that a lot of cases go unreported even though procedures for reporting exist. Implementation of an efficient transparent reporting system that provides follow-up investigations is mandatory. In addition, all victims should be helped with counseling and support. PMID:28932162

Left-Dominant Temporal-Frontal Hypercoupling in Schizophrenia Patients With Hallucinations During Speech Perception

PubMed Central

Lavigne, Katie M.; Rapin, Lucile A.; Metzak, Paul D.; Whitman, Jennifer C.; Jung, Kwanghee; Dohen, Marion; Lœvenbruck, Hélène; Woodward, Todd S.

2015-01-01

Background: Task-based functional neuroimaging studies of schizophrenia have not yet replicated the increased coordinated hyperactivity in speech-related brain regions that is reported with symptom-capture and resting-state studies of hallucinations. This may be due to suboptimal selection of cognitive tasks. Methods: In the current study, we used a task that allowed experimental manipulation of control over verbal material and compared brain activity between 23 schizophrenia patients (10 hallucinators, 13 nonhallucinators), 22 psychiatric (bipolar), and 27 healthy controls. Two conditions were presented, one involving inner verbal thought (in which control over verbal material was required) and another involving speech perception (SP; in which control verbal material was not required). Results: A functional connectivity analysis resulted in a left-dominant temporal-frontal network that included speech-related auditory and motor regions and showed hypercoupling in past-week hallucinating schizophrenia patients (relative to nonhallucinating patients) during SP only. Conclusions: These findings replicate our previous work showing generalized speech-related functional network hypercoupling in schizophrenia during inner verbal thought and SP, but extend them by suggesting that hypercoupling is related to past-week hallucination severity scores during SP only, when control over verbal material is not required. This result opens the possibility that practicing control over inner verbal thought processes may decrease the likelihood or severity of hallucinations. PMID:24553150

Comparison of Measures of Ability in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability

PubMed Central

Mungkhetklang, Chantanee; Crewther, Sheila G.; Bavin, Edith L.; Goharpey, Nahal; Parsons, Carl

2016-01-01

Finding the most appropriate intelligence test for adolescents with Intellectual Disability (ID) is challenging given their limited language, attention, perceptual, and motor skills and ability to stay on task. The study compared performance of 23 adolescents with ID on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), one of the most widely used intelligence tests, and three non-verbal IQ tests, the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM), the Test of Non-verbal Intelligence-Fourth Edition and the Wechsler Non-verbal test of Ability. Results showed that the WISC-IV Full Scale IQ raw and scaled scores were highly correlated with total scores from the three non-verbal tests, although the correlations were higher for raw scores, suggesting they may lead to better understanding of within group differences and what individuals with ID can do at the time of assessment. All participants attempted more questions on the non-verbal tests than the verbal. A preliminary analysis showed that adolescents with ID without ASD (n = 15) achieved higher scores overall than those presenting with ID+ASD (n = 8). Our findings support the view that short non-verbal tests are more likely to give a similar IQ result as obtained from the WISC-IV. In terms of the time to administer and the stress for participants, they are more appropriate for assessing adolescents with ID. PMID:27242597

Comparison of Measures of Ability in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

Mungkhetklang, Chantanee; Crewther, Sheila G; Bavin, Edith L; Goharpey, Nahal; Parsons, Carl

2016-01-01

Finding the most appropriate intelligence test for adolescents with Intellectual Disability (ID) is challenging given their limited language, attention, perceptual, and motor skills and ability to stay on task. The study compared performance of 23 adolescents with ID on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), one of the most widely used intelligence tests, and three non-verbal IQ tests, the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM), the Test of Non-verbal Intelligence-Fourth Edition and the Wechsler Non-verbal test of Ability. Results showed that the WISC-IV Full Scale IQ raw and scaled scores were highly correlated with total scores from the three non-verbal tests, although the correlations were higher for raw scores, suggesting they may lead to better understanding of within group differences and what individuals with ID can do at the time of assessment. All participants attempted more questions on the non-verbal tests than the verbal. A preliminary analysis showed that adolescents with ID without ASD (n = 15) achieved higher scores overall than those presenting with ID+ASD (n = 8). Our findings support the view that short non-verbal tests are more likely to give a similar IQ result as obtained from the WISC-IV. In terms of the time to administer and the stress for participants, they are more appropriate for assessing adolescents with ID.

An analysis of autism as a contingency-shaped disorder of verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Drash, Philip W.; Tudor, Roger M.

2004-01-01

This paper analyzes autism as a contingency-shaped disorder of verbal behavior. Contingencies of reinforcement in effect during the first to third year of a child's life may operate to establish and maintain those behaviors that later result in a diagnosis of autism. While neurobiological variables may, in some cases, predispose some children to be more or less responsive to environmental variables than others, our analysis suggests that reliance on neurobiological variables as causal factors in autism is unnecessary. We present six paradigms that may play critical etiologic roles in the development of behaviors labeled as autistic. Recognizing these contingencies and their resulting behaviors during the first two years of a child's life may contribute substantially to earlier identification, more effective treatment and, quite possibly, to the development of Applied Behavior Analysis programs for the prevention of autism that could be implemented immediately. Conceptualizing autism as a contingency-shaped disorder of verbal behavior may provide a new and potentially more effective paradigm for behavioral research and treatment in autism. PMID:22477283

Qualitative study of factors associated with antimicrobial usage in seven small animal veterinary practices in the UK.

PubMed

Mateus, Ana L P; Brodbelt, David C; Barber, Nick; Stärk, Katharina D C

2014-11-01

Responsible use of antimicrobials by veterinarians is essential to contain antimicrobial resistance in pathogens relevant to public health. Inappropriate antimicrobial use has been previously described in practice. However, there is scarce information on factors influencing antimicrobial usage in dogs and cats. We investigated intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing decision-making of antimicrobial usage in first opinion small animal practices in the UK through the application of qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 veterinarians from seven veterinary first opinion practices in the UK in 2010. Topics investigated included: a) criteria used for selection of antimicrobials, b) influences by colleagues, c) influences by clients, d) pet characteristics, e) sources of knowledge, f) awareness of guidelines and g) protocols implemented in practice that may affect antimicrobial usage by veterinarians. Hypothetical scenarios selected to assess appropriateness of antimicrobial usage were: a) vomiting in a Yorkshire Terrier due to dietary indiscretion, b) deep pyoderma in a Shar-Pei, c) Feline Lower Urinary Tract disease in an 7 year-old male neutered cat and d) neutering of a 6-months dog. Interviews were recorded and transcribed by the interviewer. Thematic analysis was used to analyse content of transcribed interviews. Data management and analysis was conducted with qualitative analysis software NVivo8 (QSR International Pty Ltd). Antimicrobial usage by participants was influenced by factors other than clinical evidence and scientific knowledge. Intrinsic factors included veterinarian's preference of substances and previous experience. Extrinsic factors influencing antimicrobial selection were; perceived efficacy, ease of administration of formulations, perceived compliance, willingness and ability to treat by pet owners, and animal characteristics. Cost of therapy was only perceived as an influential factor in low, mixed socioeconomic areas. Veterinarians had limited awareness of current recommendations for responsible use in small animal practice. Social norms, particularly verbally agreed protocols influenced veterinarians. Inappropriate antimicrobial usage was identified in the therapy of non-infectious diseases and prophylaxis of routine clean surgical procedures. Discussion of clinical cases with peers and effectiveness meetings in the workplace were useful to veterinarians to share scientific knowledge. Effectiveness meetings can be a common ground for veterinarians to discuss and agree protocols for clinical conditions and surgical procedures. Protocols should be evidence-based, follow current recommendations and take into account the resources available in the workplace. Targeted training of veterinarians in the workplace with peer support should be used to promote responsible antimicrobial usage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants or nurses in nursing homes: protocol for a realist evaluation case study

PubMed Central

Lovink, Marleen Hermien; Persoon, Anke; van Vught, Anneke JAH; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Koopmans, Raymond TCM; Laurant, Miranda GH

2017-01-01

Introduction In developed countries, substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses (physician substitution) occurs in nursing homes as an answer to the challenges related to the ageing population and the shortage of staff, as well as to guarantee the quality of nursing home care. However, there is great diversity in how physician substitution in nursing homes is modelled and it is unknown how it can best contribute to the quality of healthcare. This study aims to gain insight into how physician substitution is modelled and whether it contributes to perceived quality of healthcare. Second, this study aims to provide insight into the elements of physician substitution that contribute to quality of healthcare. Methods and analysis This study will use a multiple-case study design that draws upon realist evaluation principles. The realist evaluation is based on four concepts for explaining and understanding interventions: context, mechanism, outcome and context–mechanism–outcome configuration. The following steps will be taken: (1) developing a theory, (2) conducting seven case studies, (3) analysing outcome patterns after each case and a cross-case analysis at the end and (4) revising the initial theory. Ethics and dissemination The research ethics committee of the region Arnhem Nijmegen in the Netherlands concluded that this study does not fall within the scope of the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) (registration number 2015/1914). Before the start of the study, the Board of Directors of the nursing home organisations will be informed verbally and by letter and will also be asked for informed consent. In addition, all participants will be informed verbally and by letter and will be asked for informed consent. Findings will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal, international and national conferences, national professional associations and policy partners in national government. PMID:28600370

Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Bilingual Minority Children: Toward a Relative Independence of Linguistic and Numerical Processing

PubMed Central

Bonifacci, Paola; Tobia, Valentina; Bernabini, Luca; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2016-01-01

Many studies have suggested that the concept of “number” is relatively independent from linguistic skills, although an increasing number of studies suggest that language abilities may play a pivotal role in the development of arithmetic skills. The condition of bilingualism can offer a unique perspective into the role of linguistic competence in numerical development. The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationship between language skills and early numeracy through a multilevel investigation in monolingual and bilingual minority children attending preschool. The sample included 156 preschool children. Of these, 77 were bilingual minority children (mean age = 58.27 ± 5.90), and 79 were monolinguals (mean age = 58.45 ± 6.03). The study focused on three levels of analysis: group differences in language and number skills, concurrent linguistic predictors of early numeracy and, finally, profile analysis of linguistic skills in children with impaired vs. adequate numeracy skills. The results showed that, apart from the expected differences in linguistic measures, bilinguals differed from monolinguals in numerical skills with a verbal component, such as semantic knowledge of digits, but they did not differ in a pure non-verbal component such as quantity comparison. The multigroup structural equation model indicated that letter knowledge was a significant predictor of the verbal component of numeracy for both groups. Phonological awareness was a significant predictor of numeracy skills only in the monolingual group. Profile analysis showed that children with a selective weakness in the non-verbal component of numeracy had fully adequate verbal skills. Results from the present study suggest that only some specific components of language competence predict numerical processing, although linguistic proficiency may not be a prerequisite for developing adequate early numeracy skills. PMID:27458413

Content analysis of medical students' seminars: a unique method of analyzing clinical thinking.

PubMed

Takata, Yukari; Stein, Gerald H; Endo, Kuniyuki; Arai, Akiko; Kohsaka, Shun; Kitano, Yuka; Honda, Hitoshi; Kitazono, Hidetaka; Tokunaga, Hironobu; Tokuda, Yasuharu; Obika, Mikako; Miyoshi, Tomoko; Kataoka, Hitomi; Terasawa, Hidekazu

2013-12-01

The study of communication skills of Asian medical students during structured Problem-based Learning (PBL) seminars represented a unique opportunity to assess their critical thinking development. This study reports the first application of the health education technology, content analysis (CA), to a Japanese web-based seminar (webinar). The authors assigned twelve randomly selected medical students from two universities and two clinical instructors to two virtual classrooms for four PBL structured tutoring sessions that were audio-video captured for CA. Both of the instructors were US-trained physicians. This analysis consisted of coding the students' verbal comments into seven types, ranging from trivial to advanced knowledge integration comments that served as a proxy for clinical thinking. The most basic level of verbal simple responses accounted for a majority (85%) of the total students' verbal comments. Only 15% of the students' comments represented more advanced types of critical thinking. The male students responded more than the female students; male students attending University 2 responded more than male students from University 1. The total mean students' verbal response time for the four sessions with the male instructor was 6.9%; total mean students' verbal response time for the four sessions with the female instructor was 19% (p < 0.05). This report is the first to describe the application of CA to a multi-university real time audio and video PBL medical student clinical training webinar in two Japanese medical schools. These results are preliminary, mostly limited by a small sample size (n = 12) and limited time frame (four sessions). CA technology has the potential to improve clinical thinking for medical students. This report may stimulate improvements for implementation.

A quantitative meta-analysis of neurocognitive functioning in posttraumatic stress disorder

PubMed Central

Scott, J. Cobb; Matt, Georg E.; Wrocklage, Kristen M.; Crnich, Cassandra; Jordan, Jessica; Southwick, Steven M.; Krystal, John H.; Schweinsburg, Brian C.

2014-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with regional alterations in brain structure and function that are hypothesized to contribute to symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with the disorder. We present here the first systematic meta-analysis of neurocognitive outcomes associated with PTSD to examine a broad range of cognitive domains and describe the profile of cognitive deficits, as well as modifying clinical factors and study characteristics. This report is based on data from 60 studies totaling 4,108 participants, including 1,779with PTSD, 1,446 trauma-exposed comparison participants, and 895 healthy comparison participants without trauma exposure. Effect size estimates were calculated using a mixed-effects meta-analysis for nine cognitive domains: attention/working memory, executive functions, verbal learning, verbal memory, visual learning, visual memory, language, speed of information processing, and visuospatial abilities. Analyses revealed significant neurocognitive effects associated with PTSD, although these ranged widely in magnitude, with the largest effect sizes in verbal learning (d =−.62), speed of information processing (d =−.59), attention/working memory (d =−.50), and verbal memory (d =−.46). Effect size estimates were significantly larger in treatment-seeking than community samples and in studies that did not exclude participants with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and effect sizes were affected by between-group IQ discrepancies and the gender composition of the PTSD groups. Our findings indicate that consideration of neuropsychological functioning in attention, verbal memory, and speed of information processing may have important implications for the effective clinical management of persons with PTSD. Results are further discussed in the context of cognitive models of PTSD and the limitations of this literature. PMID:25365762

Content analysis of medical students’ seminars: a unique method of analyzing clinical thinking

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The study of communication skills of Asian medical students during structured Problem-based Learning (PBL) seminars represented a unique opportunity to assess their critical thinking development. This study reports the first application of the health education technology, content analysis (CA), to a Japanese web-based seminar (webinar). Methods The authors assigned twelve randomly selected medical students from two universities and two clinical instructors to two virtual classrooms for four PBL structured tutoring sessions that were audio-video captured for CA. Both of the instructors were US-trained physicians. This analysis consisted of coding the students’ verbal comments into seven types, ranging from trivial to advanced knowledge integration comments that served as a proxy for clinical thinking. Results The most basic level of verbal simple responses accounted for a majority (85%) of the total students’ verbal comments. Only 15% of the students’ comments represented more advanced types of critical thinking. The male students responded more than the female students; male students attending University 2 responded more than male students from University 1. The total mean students’ verbal response time for the four sessions with the male instructor was 6.9%; total mean students’ verbal response time for the four sessions with the female instructor was 19% (p < 0.05). Conclusions This report is the first to describe the application of CA to a multi-university real time audio and video PBL medical student clinical training webinar in two Japanese medical schools. These results are preliminary, mostly limited by a small sample size (n = 12) and limited time frame (four sessions). CA technology has the potential to improve clinical thinking for medical students. This report may stimulate improvements for implementation. PMID:24289320

Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Bilingual Minority Children: Toward a Relative Independence of Linguistic and Numerical Processing.

PubMed

Bonifacci, Paola; Tobia, Valentina; Bernabini, Luca; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2016-01-01

Many studies have suggested that the concept of "number" is relatively independent from linguistic skills, although an increasing number of studies suggest that language abilities may play a pivotal role in the development of arithmetic skills. The condition of bilingualism can offer a unique perspective into the role of linguistic competence in numerical development. The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationship between language skills and early numeracy through a multilevel investigation in monolingual and bilingual minority children attending preschool. The sample included 156 preschool children. Of these, 77 were bilingual minority children (mean age = 58.27 ± 5.90), and 79 were monolinguals (mean age = 58.45 ± 6.03). The study focused on three levels of analysis: group differences in language and number skills, concurrent linguistic predictors of early numeracy and, finally, profile analysis of linguistic skills in children with impaired vs. adequate numeracy skills. The results showed that, apart from the expected differences in linguistic measures, bilinguals differed from monolinguals in numerical skills with a verbal component, such as semantic knowledge of digits, but they did not differ in a pure non-verbal component such as quantity comparison. The multigroup structural equation model indicated that letter knowledge was a significant predictor of the verbal component of numeracy for both groups. Phonological awareness was a significant predictor of numeracy skills only in the monolingual group. Profile analysis showed that children with a selective weakness in the non-verbal component of numeracy had fully adequate verbal skills. Results from the present study suggest that only some specific components of language competence predict numerical processing, although linguistic proficiency may not be a prerequisite for developing adequate early numeracy skills.

Mapping Anterior Temporal Lobe Language Areas with FMRI: A Multi-Center Normative Study

PubMed Central

Binder, Jeffrey R.; Gross, William L.; Allendorfer, Jane B.; Bonilha, Leonardo; Chapin, Jessica; Edwards, Jonathan C.; Grabowski, Thomas J.; Langfitt, John T.; Loring, David W.; Lowe, Mark J.; Koenig, Katherine; Morgan, Paul S.; Ojemann, Jeffrey G.; Rorden, Christopher; Szaflarski, Jerzy P.; Tivarus, Madalina E.; Weaver, Kurt E.

2010-01-01

Removal of the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is an effective surgical treatment for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy but carries a risk of language and verbal memory deficits. Preoperative localization of functional zones in the ATL might help reduce these risks, yet fMRI protocols in current widespread use produce very little activation in this region. Based on recent evidence suggesting a role for the ATL in semantic integration, we designed an fMRI protocol comparing comprehension of brief narratives (Story task) with a semantically shallow control task involving serial arithmetic (Math task). The Story > Math contrast elicited strong activation throughout the ATL, lateral temporal lobe, and medial temporal lobe bilaterally in an initial cohort of 18 healthy participants. The task protocol was then implemented at 6 other imaging centers using identical methods. Data from a second cohort of participants scanned at these centers closely replicated the results from the initial cohort. The Story-Math protocol provides a reliable method for activation of surgical regions of interest in the ATL. The bilateral activation supports previous claims that conceptual processing involves both temporal lobes. Used in combination with language lateralization measures, reliable ATL activation maps may be useful for predicting cognitive outcome in ATL surgery, though the validity of this approach needs to be established in a prospective surgical series. PMID:20884358

Verbal memory decline from hippocampal depth electrodes in temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy.

PubMed

Ljung, Hanna; Nordlund, Arto; Strandberg, Maria; Bengzon, Johan; Källén, Kristina

2017-12-01

To explore whether patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy risk aggravated verbal memory loss from intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recording with longitudinal hippocampal electrodes in the language-dominant hemisphere. A long-term neuropsychological follow-up (mean 61.5 months, range 22-111 months) was performed in 40 patients after ictal registration with left hippocampal depth electrodes (study group, n = 16) or no invasive EEG, only extracranial registration (reference group, n = 24). The groups were equal with respect to education, age at seizure onset, epilepsy duration, and prevalence of pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; 75%) versus seizure freedom (25%). Retrospective neuropsychological data from preoperative surgical workup (T1) and prospective follow-up neuropsychological data (T2) were compared. A ≥1 SD intrapatient decline was considered as clinically relevant deterioration of verbal memory. Significant decline in verbal memory was seen in 56% of the patients in the study group compared to 21% in the reference group. At T1, there were no statistical between-group differences in memory performance. At T2, between-group comparison showed significantly greater verbal memory decline for the study group (Claeson Dahl Learning and Retention Test, Verbal Learning: p = 0.05; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Total Learning: p = 0.04; Claeson Dahl Learning and Retention Test, Verbal Retention: p = 0.04). An odds ratio (OR) of 7.1 (90% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-37.7) for verbal memory decline was seen if right temporal lobe resection (R TLR) had been performed between T1 and T2. The difference between groups remained unchanged when patients who had undergone R TLR were excluded from the analysis, with a remaining aggravated significant decline in verbal memory performance for the study group compared to the reference group. Our results suggest a risk of verbal memory deterioration after the use of depth electrodes along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. Until this issue is further investigated, caution regarding depth electrodes in the language-dominant hemisphere hippocampus seems advisable. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) in the Standardization Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donders, Jacobus

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the latent structure of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000) at three different age levels, using the standardization sample. Maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analyses are performed to test four competing hypothetical models for fit and…

A Multi-Variate Analysis of Teacher-Student Interpretations of Non-Verbal Cues: The Measurement of Visuo-Gestural Channel Expression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teresa, Joseph G.; Francis, John B.

This study sought to ascertain how teachers and students interpret non-verbal cues in the form of visuo-gestural channel expressions by having them assign affective meaning to such expressions depicted photographically. Subjects were 377 students and 19 teachers from two elementary schools: one, urban and characterized as low socioeconomic status;…

An Information Analysis of 2-, 3-, and 4-Word Verbal Discrimination Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arima, James K.; Gray, Francis D.

Information theory was used to qualify the difficulty of verbal discrimination (VD) learning tasks and to measure VD performance. Words for VD items were selected with high background frequency and equal a priori probabilities of being selected as a first response. Three VD lists containing only 2-, 3-, or 4-word items were created and equated for…

The Proficiency Continuum in Quechua-Spanish Bilingual Speakers: An Analysis of the Verbal Clitic System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paredes, Liliana

2001-01-01

Examines the variable use of verbal clitics in bilingual Spanish and proposes that the contact between Quechua and Spanish is expressed in the existence of more than one clitic system across an oral proficiency continuum in Spanish. Proposes that the clitic use in these different systems is variable and constrained by different factors.…

The Impact of Skinner's "Verbal Behavior": A Response to Dymond and Alonso-Alvarez

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlinger, Henry D., Jr.

2010-01-01

In their reply to my recent article in this journal, "The Long Good-bye: Why B. F. Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" Is Alive and Well on the 50th Anniversary of Its Publication" (Schlinger, 2008a), Dymond and Alonso-Alvarez (2010) assert that I neglected to mention a controversial debate within behavior analysis about the consistency of Skinner's…

Factor Structure of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking Verbal Form B in a Spanish-Speaking Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krumm, Gabriela; Aranguren, María; Arán Filippetti, Vanessa; Lemos, Viviana

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare, through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis, two different theoretical models that explain the operationalized creativity construct with the Verbal Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT), Form B. Model 1 is represented by six factors which correspond to each activity and its respective indicators while…

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) in a Traumatic Brain Injury Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeJong, Joy; Donders, Jacobus

2009-01-01

The latent structure of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) was examined in a clinical sample of 223 persons with traumatic brain injury that had been screened to remove individuals with complicating premorbid (e.g., psychiatric) or comorbid (e.g., financial compensation seeking) histories. Analyses incorporated the…

Preschool children and relative analgesia: satisfaction grading through a verbal questionnaire.

PubMed

Arcari, S; Ferro, R

2008-03-01

The aim of the study was to assess 100 preschool children's satisfaction grading of relative analgesia (RA) after completing dental treatment by collecting their opinion on this technique through a verbal questionnaire. After completing dental care a simple verbal questionnaire (3 questions) was administered by the operator. The questionnaire investigated: 1) patient's satisfaction about the sedation treatment; 2) patient's agreement to re-experiment the technique and 3) patient's emotions while sedated. Moreover, following treatment, each child was invited to make a drawing on the experience. Data obtained were classified in 3 groups: group 1 (87% of children) appreciated RA and would agree to repeat the experience; group 2 (4% of the sample) did not answer the verbal questionnaire and group 3 (9%) did not enjoy the sedation technique. Only 15 children completed a drawing; conducting a psychological analysis through C.R. Rogers' theory of Person Centred Approach coupled with the handwriting analysis methodology defined by Girolamo Moretti, positive features were found in the majority of the drawings (13 out of 15). The majority (87%) of the sample appreciated to experience nitrous oxide inhalation sedation and would undergo a further appointment under RA.

An ecobehavioral examination of a simple strategy for increasing mealtime language in residential facilities.

PubMed

VanBiervliet, A; Spangler, P F; Marshall, A M

1981-01-01

Typically in large residential facilities for retarded person, meals are served in an institutional style that does not appear to encourage appropriate peer interactions. An ecological program alternative is serving meals in a family style. The present study was designed to examine both the feasibility of serving family style meals and the effects of family style meal service on mealtime language. Five retarded young adult male residents, who had some conversational skills and appropriate table manners, participated in this study. The experimental design involved a multiple baseline analysis across meals (dinner, lunch, and breakfast). Observers coded the youths' mealtime verbalizations according to the type, content, and direction of the verbalizations and they recorded the length of the meals. The analysis of the verbalization data indicated that during family style meals the participants spoke substantially more often than during institutional style meals. Increases in peer-directed conversation about the meals primarily accounted for the verbalization changes. Family style serving also resulted in the youths spending more time with their meals. In addition, social validation measures suggested that the family style procedures were preferred by the consumers (participants, staff, and concerned community members).

Transcranial direct current stimulation as a memory enhancer in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Bystad, Martin; Grønli, Ole; Rasmussen, Ingrid Daae; Gundersen, Nina; Nordvang, Lene; Wang-Iversen, Henrik; Aslaksen, Per M

2016-03-23

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on verbal memory function in patients with Alzheimer's disease. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in which tDCS was applied in six 30-minute sessions for 10 days. tDCS was delivered to the left temporal cortex with 2-mA intensity. A total of 25 patients with Alzheimer's disease were enrolled in the study. All of the patients were diagnosed according to National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. Twelve patients received active stimulation, and thirteen patients received placebo stimulation. The primary outcome measure was the change in two parallel versions of the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition, a standardized neuropsychological memory test normalized by age and gender. The secondary outcome measures were the Mini Mental State Examination, clock-drawing test, and Trail Making Test A and B. Changes in the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition scores were not significantly different between the active and placebo stimulation groups for immediate recall (p = 0.270), delayed recall (p = 0.052), or recognition (p = 0.089). There were nonsignificant differences in score changes on the Mini Mental State Examination (p = 0.799), clock-drawing test (p = 0.378), and Trail Making Test A (p = 0.288) and B (p = 0.093). Adverse effects were not observed. Compared with placebo stimulation, active tDCS stimulation in this clinical trial did not significantly improve verbal memory function in Alzheimer's disease. This study differs from previous studies in terms of the stimulation protocol, trial design, and application of standardized neuropsychological memory assessment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02518412 . Registered on 10 August 2015.

Pupil Diameter Tracks the Exploration-Exploitation Trade-off during Analogical Reasoning and Explains Individual Differences in Fluid Intelligence.

PubMed

Hayes, Taylor R; Petrov, Alexander A

2016-02-01

The ability to adaptively shift between exploration and exploitation control states is critical for optimizing behavioral performance. Converging evidence from primate electrophysiology and computational neural modeling has suggested that this ability may be mediated by the broad norepinephrine projections emanating from the locus coeruleus (LC) [Aston-Jones, G., & Cohen, J. D. An integrative theory of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine function: Adaptive gain and optimal performance. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28, 403-450, 2005]. There is also evidence that pupil diameter covaries systematically with LC activity. Although imperfect and indirect, this link makes pupillometry a useful tool for studying the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system in humans and in high-level tasks. Here, we present a novel paradigm that examines how the pupillary response during exploration and exploitation covaries with individual differences in fluid intelligence during analogical reasoning on Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. Pupillometry was used as a noninvasive proxy for LC activity, and concurrent think-aloud verbal protocols were used to identify exploratory and exploitative solution periods. This novel combination of pupillometry and verbal protocols from 40 participants revealed a decrease in pupil diameter during exploitation and an increase during exploration. The temporal dynamics of the pupillary response was characterized by a steep increase during the transition to exploratory periods, sustained dilation for many seconds afterward, and followed by gradual return to baseline. Moreover, the individual differences in the relative magnitude of pupillary dilation accounted for 16% of the variance in Advanced Progressive Matrices scores. Assuming that pupil diameter is a valid index of LC activity, these results establish promising preliminary connections between the literature on locus coeruleus norepinephrine-mediated cognitive control and the literature on analogical reasoning and fluid intelligence.

Discourse analysis and the doctor-patient relationship.

PubMed

Stiles, W B

This article describes a system of discourse analysis, called a "taxonomy of verbal response modes," which can be applied to medical interviews. The taxonomy identifies eight basic categories: disclosure, question, edification, acknowledgement, advisement, interpretation, confirmation, and reflection, which are defined by three principles of classification. The categories are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. Each mode conveys a particular interpersonal intent and also has a characteristic grammatical form. With eight forms and eight intents, the taxonomy includes sixty-four possible verbal response modes, eight "pure modes," in which form and intent coincide, and fifty-six "mixed modes," in which form and intent differ. The taxonomy has yielded fine-grained descriptions of patient-physician interaction and has identified particular types of utterances and verbal exchanges that are associated with patients' satisfaction with their medical interviews. The system provides a detailed descriptive vocabulary that may be useful for teaching interviewing skills.

The cognitive foundations of reading and arithmetic skills in 7- to 10-year-olds.

PubMed

Durand, Marianne; Hulme, Charles; Larkin, Rebecca; Snowling, Margaret

2005-06-01

A range of possible predictors of arithmetic and reading were assessed in a large sample (N=162) of children between ages 7 years 5 months and 10 years 4 months. A confirmatory factor analysis of the predictors revealed a good fit to a model consisting of four latent variables (verbal ability, nonverbal ability, search speed, and phonological memory) and two manifest variables (digit comparison and phoneme deletion). A path analysis showed that digit comparison and verbal ability were unique predictors of variations in arithmetic skills, whereas phoneme deletion and verbal ability were unique predictors of variations in reading skills. These results confirm earlier findings that phoneme deletion ability appears to be a critical foundation for learning to read (decode). In addition, variations in the speed of accessing numerical quantity information appear to be a critical foundation for the development of arithmetic skills.

Consequences of contextual factors on clinical reasoning in resident physicians.

PubMed

McBee, Elexis; Ratcliffe, Temple; Picho, Katherine; Artino, Anthony R; Schuwirth, Lambert; Kelly, William; Masel, Jennifer; van der Vleuten, Cees; Durning, Steven J

2015-12-01

Context specificity and the impact that contextual factors have on the complex process of clinical reasoning is poorly understood. Using situated cognition as the theoretical framework, our aim was to evaluate the verbalized clinical reasoning processes of resident physicians in order to describe what impact the presence of contextual factors have on their clinical reasoning. Participants viewed three video recorded clinical encounters portraying straightforward diagnoses in internal medicine with select patient contextual factors modified. After watching each video recording, participants completed a think-aloud protocol. Transcripts from the think-aloud protocols were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. After iterative coding, utterances were analyzed for emergent themes with utterances grouped into categories, themes and subthemes. Ten residents participated in the study with saturation reached during analysis. Participants universally acknowledged the presence of contextual factors in the video recordings. Four categories emerged as a consequence of the contextual factors: (1) emotional reactions (2) behavioral inferences (3) optimizing the doctor patient relationship and (4) difficulty with closure of the clinical encounter. The presence of contextual factors may impact clinical reasoning performance in resident physicians. When confronted with the presence of contextual factors in a clinical scenario, residents experienced difficulty with closure of the encounter, exhibited as diagnostic uncertainty. This finding raises important questions about the relationship between contextual factors and clinical reasoning activities and how this relationship might influence the cost effectiveness of care. This study also provides insight into how the phenomena of context specificity may be explained using situated cognition theory.

Transdisciplinary research for impact: protocol for a realist evaluation of the relationship between transdisciplinary research collaboration and knowledge translation

PubMed Central

Archibald, Mandy M; Harvey, Gillian; Kitson, Alison L

2018-01-01

Introduction Transdisciplinary teams are increasingly regarded as integral to conducting effective research. Similarly, knowledge translation is often seen as a solution to improving the relevance and benefits of health research. Yet, whether, how, for whom and under which circumstances transdisciplinary research influences knowledge translation is undertheorised, which limits its potential impact. The proposed research aims to identify the contexts and mechanisms by which transdisciplinary research contributes to developing shared understandings and behaviours of knowledge translation between team members. Methods and analysis Using a longitudinal case-study design approach to realist evaluation, we outline a study protocol examining whether, how, if and for whom transdisciplinary collaboration can impact knowledge translation understandings and behaviours within a 5-year transdisciplinary Centre of Research Excellence. Data are being collected between February 2017 and December 2020 over four rounds of theory development, refinement and testing using interviews, observation, document review and visual elicitation as data sources. Ethics and dissemination The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Adelaide approved this study. Findings will be communicated with team members at scheduled intervals throughout the study verbally and by means of creative reflective approaches (eg, arts elicitation, journalling). This research will be used to help support optimal team functioning by identifying strategies to support knowledge sharing and communication within and beyond the team to facilitate attainment of research objectives. Academic dissemination will occur through publication and presentations. PMID:29627820

Relationships between hand laterality and verbal and spatial skills in 436 healthy adults balanced for handedness.

PubMed

Mellet, E; Jobard, G; Zago, L; Crivello, F; Petit, L; Joliot, M; Mazoyer, B; Tzourio-Mazoyer, N

2014-01-01

The relationship between manual laterality and cognitive skills remains highly controversial. Some studies have reported that strongly lateralised participants had higher cognitive performance in verbal and visuo-spatial domains compared to non-lateralised participants; however, others found the opposite. Moreover, some have suggested that familial sinistrality and sex might interact with individual laterality factors to alter cognitive skills. The present study addressed these issues in 237 right-handed and 199 left-handed individuals. Performance tests covered various aspects of verbal and spatial cognition. A principal component analysis yielded two verbal and one spatial factor scores. Participant laterality assessments included handedness, manual preference strength, asymmetry of motor performance, and familial sinistrality. Age, sex, education level, and brain volume were also considered. No effect of handedness was found, but the mean factor scores in verbal and spatial domains increased with right asymmetry in motor performance. Performance was reduced in participants with a familial history of left-handedness combined with a non-maximal preference strength in the dominant hand. These results elucidated some discrepancies among previous findings in laterality factors and cognitive skills. Laterality factors had small effects compared to the adverse effects of age for spatial cognition and verbal memory, the positive effects of education for all three domains, and the effect of sex for spatial cognition.

Children's Representations of Attachment and Positive Teacher-Child Relationships.

PubMed

Veríssimo, Manuela; Torres, Nuno; Silva, Filipa; Fernandes, Carla; Vaughn, Brian E; Santos, António J

2017-01-01

This study was designed to explore whether children's representations of attachment contribute to the co-construction of positive teacher-child relationships. An assessment of verbal intelligence was included as a predictor on the assumption that teachers might perceive themselves as having better relationships with more verbally competent children. Participants were 52 children from two pre-schools, in the district of Lisbon. The Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) was used to assess children's attachment security. The PCV-P (a scale developed in portuguese language) was used to describe teacher-child relationships through teachers' ratings of child secure base behavior and emotion regulation and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-R) was used to access verbal skills. Bivariate correlations showed that the teachers' rating of child secure base behavior was significantly associated with both child attachment security and verbal IQ. In a multiple regression analysis, the overall model R 2 was significant, as was the interaction term showing a moderating effect of attachment security on the relation between verbal IQ and teachers' ratings of secure base. The results suggest that co-construction of a close attachment-relevant relationship with teachers in early childhood is, in part, a function of the security in the context of parent-child attachment, but also of child verbal development.

Children's Representations of Attachment and Positive Teacher–Child Relationships

PubMed Central

Veríssimo, Manuela; Torres, Nuno; Silva, Filipa; Fernandes, Carla; Vaughn, Brian E.; Santos, António J.

2017-01-01

This study was designed to explore whether children's representations of attachment contribute to the co-construction of positive teacher–child relationships. An assessment of verbal intelligence was included as a predictor on the assumption that teachers might perceive themselves as having better relationships with more verbally competent children. Participants were 52 children from two pre-schools, in the district of Lisbon. The Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) was used to assess children's attachment security. The PCV-P (a scale developed in portuguese language) was used to describe teacher–child relationships through teachers' ratings of child secure base behavior and emotion regulation and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-R) was used to access verbal skills. Bivariate correlations showed that the teachers' rating of child secure base behavior was significantly associated with both child attachment security and verbal IQ. In a multiple regression analysis, the overall model R2 was significant, as was the interaction term showing a moderating effect of attachment security on the relation between verbal IQ and teachers' ratings of secure base. The results suggest that co-construction of a close attachment-relevant relationship with teachers in early childhood is, in part, a function of the security in the context of parent-child attachment, but also of child verbal development. PMID:29312099

Auditory orienting of attention: Effects of cues and verbal workload with children and adults.

PubMed

Phélip, Marion; Donnot, Julien; Vauclair, Jacques

2016-01-01

The use of tone cues has an improving effect on the auditory orienting of attention for children as for adults. Verbal cues, on the contrary, do not seem to orient attention as efficiently before the age of 9 years. However, several studies have reported inconsistent effects of orienting attention on ear asymmetries. Multiple factors are questioned, such as the role of verbal workload. Indeed, the semantic nature of the dichotic pairs and their load of processing may explain orienting of attention performance. Thus, by controlling for the role of verbal workload, the present experiment aimed to evaluate the development of capacities for the auditory orienting of attention. Right-handed, 6- to 12-year-olds and adults were recruited to complete either a tone cue or a verbal cue dichotic listening task in the identification of familiar words or nonsense words. A factorial design analysis of variance showed a significant right-ear advantage for all the participants and for all the types of stimuli. A major developmental effect was observed in which verbal cues played an important role: they allowed the 6- to 8-year-olds to improve their performance of identification in the left ear. These effects were taken as evidence of the implication of top-down processes in cognitive flexibility across development.

Comments on Skinner's grammar

PubMed Central

Mabry, John H.

1993-01-01

The strong tradition of “school room” grammars may have had a negative influence on the reception given a functional analysis of verbal behavior, both within and without the field of behavior analysis. Some of the failings of those traditional grammars, and their largely prescriptive nature were outlined through reference to other critics, and conflicting views. Skinner's own treatment of grammatical issues was presented, emphasizing his view of a functional unit and his use of the autoclitic and intraverbal functions to describe alternatives to a formal or structural analysis. Finally, the relevance of stimulus control variables to some recurring questions about verbal behavior and, specifically grammar, were mentioned. PMID:22477082

Automated Video Analysis of Non-verbal Communication in a Medical Setting

PubMed Central

Hart, Yuval; Czerniak, Efrat; Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Mayo, Avraham E.; Ziv, Amitai; Biegon, Anat; Citron, Atay; Alon, Uri

2016-01-01

Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in establishing good rapport between physicians and patients and may influence aspects of patient health outcomes. It is therefore important to analyze non-verbal communication in medical settings. Current approaches to measure non-verbal interactions in medicine employ coding by human raters. Such tools are labor intensive and hence limit the scale of possible studies. Here, we present an automated video analysis tool for non-verbal interactions in a medical setting. We test the tool using videos of subjects that interact with an actor portraying a doctor. The actor interviews the subjects performing one of two scripted scenarios of interviewing the subjects: in one scenario the actor showed minimal engagement with the subject. The second scenario included active listening by the doctor and attentiveness to the subject. We analyze the cross correlation in total kinetic energy of the two people in the dyad, and also characterize the frequency spectrum of their motion. We find large differences in interpersonal motion synchrony and entrainment between the two performance scenarios. The active listening scenario shows more synchrony and more symmetric followership than the other scenario. Moreover, the active listening scenario shows more high-frequency motion termed jitter that has been recently suggested to be a marker of followership. The present approach may be useful for analyzing physician-patient interactions in terms of synchrony and dominance in a range of medical settings. PMID:27602002

Relieving patients' pain with expectation interventions: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Peerdeman, Kaya J; van Laarhoven, Antoinette I M; Keij, Sascha M; Vase, Lene; Rovers, Maroeska M; Peters, Madelon L; Evers, Andrea W M

2016-06-01

Patients' expectations are important predictors of the outcome of analgesic treatments, as demonstrated predominantly in research on placebo effects. Three commonly investigated interventions that have been found to induce expectations (verbal suggestion, conditioning, and mental imagery) entail promising, brief, and easy-to-implement adjunctive procedures for optimizing the effectiveness of analgesic treatments. However, evidence for their efficacy stems mostly from research on experimentally evoked pain in healthy samples, and these findings might not be directly transferable to clinical populations. The current meta-analysis investigated the effects of these expectation inductions on patients' pain relief. Five bibliographic databases were systematically searched for studies that assessed the effects of brief verbal suggestion, conditioning, or imagery interventions on pain in clinical populations, with patients experiencing experimental, acute procedural, or chronic pain, compared with no treatment or control treatment. Of the 15,955 studies retrieved, 30 met the inclusion criteria, of which 27 provided sufficient data for quantitative analyses. Overall, a medium-sized effect of the interventions on patients' pain relief was observed (Hedges g = 0.61, I = 73%), with varying effects of verbal suggestion (k = 18, g = 0.75), conditioning (always paired with verbal suggestion, k = 3, g = 0.65), and imagery (k = 6, g = 0.27). Subset analyses indicated medium to large effects on experimental and acute procedural pain and small effects on chronic pain. In conclusion, patients' pain can be relieved with expectation interventions; particularly, verbal suggestion for acute procedural pain was found to be effective.

Trauma team leaders' non-verbal communication: video registration during trauma team training.

PubMed

Härgestam, Maria; Hultin, Magnus; Brulin, Christine; Jacobsson, Maritha

2016-03-25

There is widespread consensus on the importance of safe and secure communication in healthcare, especially in trauma care where time is a limiting factor. Although non-verbal communication has an impact on communication between individuals, there is only limited knowledge of how trauma team leaders communicate. The purpose of this study was to investigate how trauma team members are positioned in the emergency room, and how leaders communicate in terms of gaze direction, vocal nuances, and gestures during trauma team training. Eighteen trauma teams were audio and video recorded during trauma team training in the emergency department of a hospital in northern Sweden. Quantitative content analysis was used to categorize the team members' positions and the leaders' non-verbal communication: gaze direction, vocal nuances, and gestures. The quantitative data were interpreted in relation to the specific context. Time sequences of the leaders' gaze direction, speech time, and gestures were identified separately and registered as time (seconds) and proportions (%) of the total training time. The team leaders who gained control over the most important area in the emergency room, the "inner circle", positioned themselves as heads over the team, using gaze direction, gestures, vocal nuances, and verbal commands that solidified their verbal message. Changes in position required both attention and collaboration. Leaders who spoke in a hesitant voice, or were silent, expressed ambiguity in their non-verbal communication: and other team members took over the leader's tasks. In teams where the leader had control over the inner circle, the members seemed to have an awareness of each other's roles and tasks, knowing when in time and where in space these tasks needed to be executed. Deviations in the leaders' communication increased the ambiguity in the communication, which had consequences for the teamwork. Communication cannot be taken for granted; it needs to be practiced regularly just as technical skills need to be trained. Simulation training provides healthcare professionals the opportunity to put both verbal and non-verbal communication in focus, in order to improve patient safety. Non-verbal communication plays a decisive role in the interaction between the trauma team members, and so both verbal and non-verbal communication should be in focus in trauma team training. This is even more important for inexperienced leaders, since vague non-verbal communication reinforces ambiguity and can lead to errors.

Achieving accountability through maternal death reviews in Nigeria: a process analysis.

PubMed

de Kok, Bregje; Imamura, M; Kanguru, L; Owolabi, O; Okonofua, F; Hussein, J

2017-10-01

Maternal death reviews (MDRs) are part of the drive to increase accountability for maternal deaths and reduce their occurrence by identifying barriers to effective, quality care. However, conducting MDRs well is difficult; staff commitment and establishing a blame free environment are key challenges. By examining the communication strategies used in MDRs this study sought to understand how MDR members implement policy imperatives (e.g. 'no blame, no name') and manage the inevitable sensitivities of discussing a client's death in a multidisciplinary team. We observed and recorded four MDRs in Nigerian teaching hospitals and used conversation and discourse analysis to identify patterns in verbal and non-verbal interactions. MDRs were conducted in a structured way and had multidisciplinary representation. We grouped discursive strategies observed into three overlapping clusters: 'doing' no-name no-blame; fostering participation; and managing personal accountability. Within these clusters, explicit reminders, gentle enquiries and instilling a sense of togetherness were used in doing no-name, no-blame. Strategies such as questioning and invoking protocol were only partially successful in fostering participation. Regarding managing accountability, forms of communication which limit personal responsibility ('pass the buck') and resist passing the buck were observed. Detailed, lengthy eye witness accounts of dramatic events appeared to reduce staff's personal accountability. We conclude that interactional processes affect the meaningfulness of MDRs. In-depth, critical analysis depends on resisting 'passing the buck' by practitioners and chairs especially, who are also key to fostering participation and extracting value from multidisciplinary representation. Our innovative methods provide detailed insights into MDRs as an interactional process, which can inform design of training aimed at enhancing MDR members' skills. However, given the multitude of systemic challenges we should also adjust our expectations of MDRs and the individual practitioners tasked to perform them in the name of enhancing accountability for maternal death reduction. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Communication strategies used by health care professionals in providing palliative care to patients].

PubMed

Trovo de Araújo, Monica Martins; da Silva, Maria Júlia Paes

2012-06-01

The objective of this study is to verify the relevance and utilization of communication strategies in palliative care. This is a multicenter qualitative study using a questionnaire, performed from August of 2008 to July of 2009 with 303 health care professionals who worked with patients receiving palliative care. Data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Most participants (57.7%) were unable to state at least one verbal communication strategy, and only 15.2% were able to describe five signs or non-verbal communication strategies. The verbal strategies most commonly mentioned were those related to answering questions about the disease/treatment. Among the non-verbal strategies used, the most common were affective touch, looking, smiling, physical proximity, and careful listening. Though professionals have assigned a high degree of importance to communication in palliative care, they showed poor knowledge regarding communication strategies. Final considerations include the necessity of training professionals to communicate effectively in palliative care.

Functional-anatomic correlates of individual differences in memory.

PubMed

Kirchhoff, Brenda A; Buckner, Randy L

2006-07-20

Memory abilities differ greatly across individuals. To explore a source of these differences, we characterized the varied strategies people adopt during unconstrained encoding. Participants intentionally encoded object pairs during functional MRI. Principal components analysis applied to a strategy questionnaire revealed that participants variably used four main strategies to aid learning. Individuals' use of verbal elaboration and visual inspection strategies independently correlated with their memory performance. Verbal elaboration correlated with activity in a network of regions that included prefrontal regions associated with controlled verbal processing, while visual inspection correlated with activity in a network of regions that included an extrastriate region associated with object processing. Activity in regions associated with use of these strategies was also correlated with memory performance. This study reveals functional-anatomic correlates of verbal and perceptual strategies that are variably used by individuals during encoding. These strategies engage distinct brain regions and may separately influence memory performance.

Self-defense against verbal assault: shame, anger, and the social bond.

PubMed

Scheff, T J

1995-09-01

With many years of experience and refinement, the arts of self-defense against physical assault are highly developed. Without an effective theory and and a useful practice, there is little in the way of self-defense against verbal assault. For THEORY, I draw upon ideas from aikido, family systems theory, and the sociology of emotions. Since unacknowledged shame seems to generate rage and damage social bonds, I emphasize the management of shame, anger, and bonds. To illustrate the meaning of these principles, I offer several episodes as examples, using the METHOD of discourse analysis. I apply this theory and method to the PRACTICE of psychotherapy by describing some rudimentary principles of defense of self against verbal aggression, especially the subtle aggression of innuendo. Psychotherapy is often an arena of verbal aggression by both therapist and client, even though it is usually unintentional and outside of awareness.

Empathy: what does it mean for GPs? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Derksen, Frans; Bensing, Jozien; Kuiper, Sascha; van Meerendonk, Milou; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine

2015-02-01

Research has highlighted empathy as an important and effective factor in patient-physician communication. GPs have extensive practical experience with empathy. However, little is known about the personal views of GPs regarding the meaning and application of empathy in daily practice. To explore GP's experiences and the application of empathy in daily practice and to investigate the practical use of empathy. Facts such as preconditions, barriers and facilitating possibilities are described. Qualitative interview study; 30 in-depth interviews were performed between June 2012 and January 2013 with a heterogeneous sample of Dutch GPs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim; content analysis was performed with the help of ATLAS-ti. Empathy was seen as an important quality-increasing element during the patient-GP consultation. The application of non-verbal and verbal techniques was described. Attention to cues and references to previous consults were reported separately. Required preconditions were: being physically and mentally fit, feeling no time pressure and having an efficient practice organization. Not feeling connected to the patient and strict medical guidelines and protocols were identified as obstacles. A key consideration was the positive contribution of empathy to job satisfaction. The opinions of GPs in this research can be considered as supplementing and strengthening the findings of previous researches. The GPs in this study discussed, in particular, ideas important to the facilitation of empathy. These included: longer consultations, smaller practices, efficient telephonic triage by practice assistants, using intervision to help reflect on their work and drawing financiers' attention to the effectiveness of empathy. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Association Between In-Office And At-Home Tooth Bleaching: A Single Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Rodrigues, João Lima; Rocha, Patrícia Souza; Pardim, Silvia Letícia de Souza; Machado, Ana Cláudia Vieira; Faria-E-Silva, André Luis; Seraidarian, Paulo Isaías

2018-01-01

This controlled randomized clinical trial evaluated the effect of associating at-home and in-office bleaching procedures on tooth sensitivity (TS) and bleaching effectiveness. Forty patients subjected to on session of in-office bleaching with 38% peroxide hydrogen. Subsequently, the patients were randomly allocated to receive a second session of in-office bleaching or to use a tray containing 10% carbamide peroxide delivered during 7 consecutive days. The worst TS score reported during or after each bleaching procedure was recorded using a verbal rating scale and TS risk (score different from 0) was calculated. Color changes were measured 7 days after each in-office session (for patients receiving in-office procedures only) or after the end of at-home bleaching (for the combined protocol), and 6 months after the last procedure for both bleaching protocols. Color was assessed by a spectrophotometer and by color match with the Vita Classical and Bleach guide scales. Statistical analyses were carried out to assess possible differences between the protocols regarding the outcomes and to analyze the effect of time of assessment on color changes. The bleaching protocol did not affect the risk for and the maximum level of TS reported, irrespective of the time of assessment. In the color evaluation, the bleaching protocol also did not affect the ultimate tooth color. In conclusion, after one in-office bleaching session, there was no difference in bleaching effectiveness and TS between performing a second in-office session and associating it with 1-week at-home bleaching.

Medical communication and technology: a video-based process study of the use of decision aids in primary care consultations.

PubMed

Kaner, Eileen; Heaven, Ben; Rapley, Tim; Murtagh, Madeleine; Graham, Ruth; Thomson, Richard; May, Carl

2007-01-10

Much of the research on decision-making in health care has focused on consultation outcomes. Less is known about the process by which clinicians and patients come to a treatment decision. This study aimed to quantitatively describe the behaviour shown by doctors and patients during primary care consultations when three types of decision aids were used to promote treatment decision-making in a randomised controlled trial. A video-based study set in an efficacy trial which compared the use of paper-based guidelines (control) with two forms of computer-based decision aids (implicit and explicit versions of DARTS II). Treatment decision concerned warfarin anti-coagulation to reduce the risk of stroke in older patients with atrial fibrillation. Twenty nine consultations were video-recorded. A ten-minute 'slice' of the consultation was sampled for detailed content analysis using existing interaction analysis protocols for verbal behaviour and ethological techniques for non-verbal behaviour. Median consultation times (quartiles) differed significantly depending on the technology used. Paper-based guidelines took 21 (19-26) minutes to work through compared to 31 (16-41) minutes for the implicit tool; and 44 (39-55) minutes for the explicit tool. In the ten minutes immediately preceding the decision point, GPs dominated the conversation, accounting for 64% (58-66%) of all utterances and this trend was similar across all three arms of the trial. Information-giving was the most frequent activity for both GPs and patients, although GPs did this at twice the rate compared to patients and at higher rates in consultations involving computerised decision aids. GPs' language was highly technically focused and just 7% of their conversation was socio-emotional in content; this was half the socio-emotional content shown by patients (15%). However, frequent head nodding and a close mirroring in the direction of eye-gaze suggested that both parties were active participants in the conversation Irrespective of the arm of the trial, both patients' and GPs' behaviour showed that they were reciprocally engaged in these consultations. However, even in consultations aimed at promoting shared decision-making, GPs' were verbally dominant, and they worked primarily as information providers for patients. In addition, computer-based decision aids significantly prolonged the consultations, particularly the later phases. These data suggest that decision aids may not lead to more 'sharing' in treatment decision-making and that, in their current form, they may take too long to negotiate for use in routine primary care.

Hemispheric lateralization of verbal and spatial working memory during adolescence

PubMed Central

Nagel, Bonnie J.; Herting, Megan M.; Maxwell, Emily C.; Bruno, Richard; Fair, Damien

2013-01-01

Adult functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) literature suggests that a left-right hemispheric dissociation may exist between verbal and spatial working memory (WM), respectively. However, investigation of this type has been obscured by incomparable verbal and spatial WM tasks and/or visual inspection at arbitrary thresholds as means to assess lateralization. Furthermore, it is unclear whether this hemispheric lateralization is present during adolescence, a time in which WM skills are improving, and whether there is a developmental association with laterality of brain functioning. This study used comparable verbal and spatial WM n-back tasks during fMRI and a bootstrap analysis approach to calculate lateralization indices (LI) across several thresholds to examine the potential of a left-right WM hemispheric dissociation in healthy adolescents. We found significant left hemispheric lateralization for verbal WM, most notably in the frontal and parietal lobes, as well as right hemisphere lateralization for spatial WM, seen in frontal and temporal cortices. Although no significant relationships were observed between LI and age or LI and performance, significant age-related patterns of brain activity were demonstrated during both verbal and spatial WM. Specifically, increased adolescent age was associated with less activity in the default mode brain network during verbal WM. In contrast, increased adolescent age was associated with greater activity in task-positive posterior parietal cortex during spatial working memory. Our findings highlight the importance of utilizing non-biased statistical methods and comparable tasks for determining patterns of functional lateralization. Our findings also suggest that, while a left-right hemispheric dissociation of verbal and spatial WM is apparent by early adolescence, age-related changes in functional activation during WM are also present. PMID:23511846

Ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles in the millennium cohort study.

PubMed

Zilanawala, Afshin; Kelly, Yvonne; Sacker, Amanda

2016-12-01

Development of verbal skills during early childhood and school age years is consequential for children's educational achievement and adult outcomes. We examine ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles and assess the contribution of family process and family resource factors to observed differences. Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study and the latent profile analysis, we estimate longitudinal latent verbal profiles using verbal skills measured 4 times from age 3-11 years. We investigate the odds of verbal profiles by ethnicity (reported in infancy), and the extent observed differences are mediated by the home learning environment, family routines, and psychosocial environment (measured at age 3). Indian children were twice as likely (OR = 2.14, CI: 1.37-3.33) to be in the high achieving profile, compared to White children. Socioeconomic markers attenuated this advantage to nonsignificance. Pakistani and Bangladeshi children were significantly more likely to be in the low performing group (OR = 2.23, CI: 1.61-3.11; OR = 3.37, CI: 2.20-5.17, respectively). Socioeconomic and psychosocial factors had the strongest mediating influence on the association between lower achieving profiles and Pakistani children, whereas for Bangladeshi children, there was mediation by the home learning environment, family routines, and psychosocial factors. Family process and resource factors explain ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles. Family resources explain verbal advantages for Indian children, whereas a range of home environment and socioeconomic factors explain disparities for Pakistani and Bangladeshi children. Future policy initiatives focused on reducing ethnic disparities in children's development should consider supporting and enhancing family resources and processes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles in the millennium cohort study*

PubMed Central

Kelly, Yvonne; Sacker, Amanda

2016-01-01

Background: Development of verbal skills during early childhood and school age years is consequential for children’s educational achievement and adult outcomes. We examine ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles and assess the contribution of family process and family resource factors to observed differences. Methods: Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study and the latent profile analysis, we estimate longitudinal latent verbal profiles using verbal skills measured 4 times from age 3–11 years. We investigate the odds of verbal profiles by ethnicity (reported in infancy), and the extent observed differences are mediated by the home learning environment, family routines, and psychosocial environment (measured at age 3). Results: Indian children were twice as likely (OR = 2.14, CI: 1.37–3.33) to be in the high achieving profile, compared to White children. Socioeconomic markers attenuated this advantage to nonsignificance. Pakistani and Bangladeshi children were significantly more likely to be in the low performing group (OR = 2.23, CI: 1.61–3.11; OR = 3.37, CI: 2.20–5.17, respectively). Socioeconomic and psychosocial factors had the strongest mediating influence on the association between lower achieving profiles and Pakistani children, whereas for Bangladeshi children, there was mediation by the home learning environment, family routines, and psychosocial factors. Conclusion: Family process and resource factors explain ethnic differences in longitudinal latent verbal profiles. Family resources explain verbal advantages for Indian children, whereas a range of home environment and socioeconomic factors explain disparities for Pakistani and Bangladeshi children. Future policy initiatives focused on reducing ethnic disparities in children’s development should consider supporting and enhancing family resources and processes. PMID:27999155

Validity of verbal autopsy method to determine causes of death among adults in the urban setting of Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Verbal autopsy has been widely used to estimate causes of death in settings with inadequate vital registries, but little is known about its validity. This analysis was part of Addis Ababa Mortality Surveillance Program to examine the validity of verbal autopsy for determining causes of death compared with hospital medical records among adults in the urban setting of Ethiopia. Methods This validation study consisted of comparison of verbal autopsy final diagnosis with hospital diagnosis taken as a “gold standard”. In public and private hospitals of Addis Ababa, 20,152 adult deaths (15 years and above) were recorded between 2007 and 2010. With the same period, a verbal autopsy was conducted for 4,776 adult deaths of which, 1,356 were deceased in any of Addis Ababa hospitals. Then, verbal autopsy and hospital data sets were merged using the variables; full name of the deceased, sex, address, age, place and date of death. We calculated sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values with 95% confidence interval. Results After merging, a total of 335 adult deaths were captured. For communicable diseases, the values of sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of verbal autopsy diagnosis were 79%, 78% and 68% respectively. For non-communicable diseases, sensitivity of the verbal autopsy diagnoses was 69%, specificity 78% and positive predictive value 79%. Regarding injury, sensitivity of the verbal autopsy diagnoses was 70%, specificity 98% and positive predictive value 83%. Higher sensitivity was achieved for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, but lower specificity with relatively more false positives. Conclusion These findings may indicate the potential of verbal autopsy to provide cost-effective information to guide policy on communicable and non communicable diseases double burden among adults in Ethiopia. Thus, a well structured verbal autopsy method, followed by qualified physician reviews could be capable of providing reasonable cause specific mortality estimates in Ethiopia. However, the limited generalizability of this study due to the fact that matched verbal autopsy deaths were all in-hospital deaths in an urban center, thus results may not be generalizable to rural home deaths. Such application and refinement of existing verbal autopsy methods holds out the possibility of obtaining replicable, sustainable and internationally comparable mortality statistics of known quality. Similar validation studies need to be undertaken considering the limitation of medical records as “gold standard” since records may not be confirmed using laboratory investigations or medical technologies. The validation studies need to address child and maternal causes of death and possibly all underlying causes of death. PMID:22928712

Right hemisphere damage: Communication processing in adults evaluated by the Brazilian Protocole MEC - Bateria MAC.

PubMed

Fonseca, Rochele Paz; Fachel, Jandyra Maria Guimarães; Chaves, Márcia Lorena Fagundes; Liedtke, Francéia Veiga; Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta

2007-01-01

Right-brain-damaged individuals may present discursive, pragmatic, lexical-semantic and/or prosodic disorders. To verify the effect of right hemisphere damage on communication processing evaluated by the Brazilian version of the Protocole Montréal d'Évaluation de la Communication (Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery) - Bateria Montreal de Avaliação da Comunicação, Bateria MAC, in Portuguese. A clinical group of 29 right-brain-damaged participants and a control group of 58 non-brain-damaged adults formed the sample. A questionnaire on sociocultural and health aspects, together with the Brazilian MAC Battery was administered. Significant differences between the clinical and control groups were observed in the following MAC Battery tasks: conversational discourse, unconstrained, semantic and orthographic verbal fluency, linguistic prosody repetition, emotional prosody comprehension, repetition and production. Moreover, the clinical group was less homogeneous than the control group. A right-brain-damage effect was identified directly, on three communication processes: discursive, lexical-semantic and prosodic processes, and indirectly, on pragmatic process.

Patterns and predictions of resident misbehavior--a 10-year retrospective look.

PubMed

Resnick, Andrew S; Mullen, James L; Kaiser, Larry R; Morris, Jon B

2006-01-01

Surgical educators are charged with ensuring that their trainees conduct themselves in a professional manner. The authors retrospectively reviewed a 10-year experience of incident reports on surgical housestaff to determine patterns and predictors of behavior. A retrospective review of all letters, e-mails, and incident reports was conducted for general surgery residents from 1995 to 2005. Descriptive variables were selected for binary categorization (not mutually exclusive): poor professional conduct, protocol violation, administrative deficiency, verbal mistreatment, physical boundary issues, mistreatment of superiors, and deficient medical student interaction. Resident status was defined as current, graduate, and attrition. Of 110 residents [90 [82%] categorical, 23 [21%] undesignated preliminary (3 overlapped both groups); 87 [79%] male, 23 [21%] female] who trained at the University of Pennsylvania during this period, 66 complaints were generated about 29 individuals. Overall, 50 of the 66 complaints (76%) were directed toward men and the remaining 16 (24%) toward women; 24% of all men and 35% of all women received 1 or more complaints. A total of 76% of complaints concerned categorical residents and 24% undesignated preliminary residents. And 26% of all categorical residents and 26% of all preliminary residents received at least 1 complaint. The most common complaints concerned professional conduct (83%), protocol violation (33%), verbal mistreatment (23%), deficiencies of administrative duties (8%), violations of physical boundaries (5%), deficient medical student interaction (5%), and mistreatment of attendings by residents (3%). Recipients of verbal mistreatment included staff nurses (27%), radiology technicians (13%), medical students (13%), environmental services employees (7%), security guards (7%), patients (7%), surgery attendings (7%), anesthesia attendings (7%), internal medicine chief residents (7%), and pharmacists (7%). A total of 31% of the complaints were regarding residents who involuntarily departed and 7% regarding residents who left voluntarily before completion. The mean PGY level at first complaint was 2.2 years. Of the 29 residents receiving complaints, 16 had recurrent offenses (range 2 to 7 total complaints, positive predictive value [PPV] 53%). Resident misbehavior manifests early and recurs often. Furthermore, it is frequently directed toward perceived subordinates. Nondesignated preliminary status, premature departure from the program, and the eventual selection of specific subspecialty fellowships seems to increase the risk for resident misbehavior. Identified residents require close surveillance and remediation.

Letters of Recommendation/Verbal References Should Not Become Endangered Communications: an Analysis of Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of References.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, James D.

In view of the dramatic increase in the numbers of laws and lawsuits since the 1960s, teachers must become aware of the privacy considerations and potential legal problems that may arise when writing a letter of recommendation or giving a verbal reference. They should become familiar with present common law doctrine and recent legislation…

Verbal Interaction Structures and Repetition's Functions: A Comparison of Exchanges between Adults and Severely Disabled Adolescents or Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bocéréan, Christine; Musiol, Michel

2017-01-01

This article describes a study in which conversation analysis was used to examine verbal interactions between caregivers and severely disabled adolescents or young children. It focused on the phenomenon of repetition, which seems to be the basis of the mutual-understanding process. We compared dialogue structures containing repetitions in the two…

Cognitive deficits in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Potvin, Stéphane; Pelletier, Julie; Grot, Stéphanie; Hébert, Catherine; Barr, Alasdair M; Lecomte, Tania

2018-05-01

Methamphetamine has long been considered as a neurotoxic substance causing cognitive deficits. Recently, however, the magnitude and the clinical significance of the cognitive effects associated with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) have been debated. To help clarify this controversy, we performed a meta-analysis of the cognitive deficits associated with MUD. A literature search yielded 44 studies that assessed cognitive dysfunction in 1592 subjects with MUD and 1820 healthy controls. Effect size estimates were calculated using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis, for the following 12 cognitive domains: attention, executive functions, impulsivity/reward processing, social cognition, speed of processing, verbal fluency/language, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, visuo-spatial abilities and working memory. Findings revealed moderate impairment across most cognitive domains, including attention, executive functions, language/verbal fluency, verbal learning and memory, visual memory and working memory. Deficits in impulsivity/reward processing and social cognition were more prominent, whereas visual learning and visuo-spatial abilities were relatively spared cognitive domains. A publication bias was observed. These results show that MUD is associated with broad cognitive deficits that are in the same range as those associated with alcohol and cocaine use disorder, as recently shown by way of meta-analysis. The prominent effects of MUD on social cognition and impulsivity/reward processing are based on a small number of studies, and as such, these results will need to be replicated. The functional consequences (social and occupational) of the cognitive deficits of methamphetamine will also need to be determined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding discharge communication behaviours in a pediatric emergency care context: a mixed methods observation study protocol.

PubMed

Curran, Janet A; Bishop, Andrea; Plint, Amy; MacPhee, Shannon; Zemek, Roger; Chorney, Jill; Jabbour, Mona; Porter, Stephen; Sawyer, Scott

2017-04-17

One of the most important transitions in the continuum of care for children is discharge to home. Optimal discharge communication between healthcare providers and caregivers (e.g., parents or other guardians) who present to the emergency department (ED) with their children is not well understood. The lack of policies and considerable variation in practice regarding discharge communication in pediatric EDs pose a quality and safety risk for children and their parents. The aim of this mixed methods study is to better understand the process and structure of discharge communication in a pediatric ED context to contribute to the design and development of discharge communication interventions. We will use surveys, administrative data and real-time video observation to characterize discharge communication for six common illness presentations in a pediatric ED: (1) asthma, (2) bronchiolitis, (3) abdominal pain, (4) fever, (5) diarrhea and vomiting, and (6) minor head injury. Participants will be recruited from one of two urban pediatric EDs in Canada. Video recordings will be analyzed using Observer XT. We will use logistic regression to identify potential demographic and visit characteristic cofounders and multivariate logistic regression to examine association between verbal and non-verbal behaviours and parent recall and comprehension. Video recording of discharge communication will provide an opportunity to capture important data such as temporality, sequence and non-verbal behaviours that might influence the communication process. Given the importance of better characterizing discharge communication to identify potential barriers and enablers, we anticipate that the findings from this study will contribute to the development of more effective discharge communication policies and interventions.

Generalization of a pictorial alternative communication system across instructors and distance.

PubMed

Ganz, Jennifer B; Sigafoos, Jeff; Simpson, Richard L; Cook, Katherine E

2008-01-01

Nonverbal individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often require the use of picture-based, aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Such systems are used widely, but little research has investigated the generalization of these devices to a variety of communicative partners and under a variety of conditions. We investigated use of a modified Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) protocol to teach AAC-supported functional communication skills to a 12-year-old boy with autism. Results indicate that the participant was able to generalize his communication skills across a variety of instructors and to use functional non-verbal strategies to respond to communication obstacles.

Sensitivity of cognitive tests in four cognitive domains in discriminating MDD patients from healthy controls: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lim, JaeHyoung; Oh, In Kyung; Han, Changsu; Huh, Yu Jeong; Jung, In-Kwa; Patkar, Ashwin A; Steffens, David C; Jang, Bo-Hyoung

2013-09-01

We performed a meta-analysis in order to determine which neuropsychological domains and tasks would be most sensitive for discriminating between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls. Relevant articles were identified through a literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases for the period between January 1997 and May 2011. A meta-analysis was conducted using the standardized means of individual cognitive tests in each domain. The heterogeneity was assessed, and subgroup analyses according to age and medication status were performed to explore the sources of heterogeneity. A total of 22 trials involving 955 MDD patients and 7,664 healthy participants were selected for our meta-analysis. MDD patients showed significantly impaired results compared with healthy participants on the Digit Span and Continuous Performance Test in the attention domain; the Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) and the Digit Symbol Test in the processing speed domain; the Stroop Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Verbal Fluency in the executive function domain; and immediate verbal memory in the memory domain. The Finger Tapping Task, TMT-B, delayed verbal memory, and immediate and delayed visual memory failed to separate MDD patients from healthy controls. The results of subgroup analysis showed that performance of Verbal Fluency was significantly impaired in younger depressed patients (<60 years), and immediate visual memory was significantly reduced in depressed patients using antidepressants. Our findings have inevitable limitations arising from methodological issues inherent in the meta-analysis and we could not explain high heterogeneity between studies. Despite such limitations, current study has the strength of being the first meta-analysis which tried to specify cognitive function of depressed patients compared with healthy participants. And our findings may provide clinicians with further evidences that some cognitive tests in specific cognitive domains have sensitivity to discriminate MDD patients from healthy controls.

Fisher Grading Scale Associated with Language Disorders in Patients with Anterior Circulation Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

PubMed

de Souza, Moysés Loiola Ponte; Vieira, Ana Cláudia C; Andrade, Gustavo; Quinino, Saul; de Fátima Leal Griz, Maria; Azevedo-Filho, Hildo R C

2015-08-01

To associate the presence of language deficits with varying scores of the Fisher grading scale in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage in the period preceding the treatment of aneurysm in the anterior circulation, as well as to compare the scores of this scale, identifying the grades more associated with the decline of language. Database analysis of 185 preoperative evaluations of language, through the Montreal Toulouse Protocol Alpha version and verbal fluency through CERAD battery, of patients from "Hospital da Restauração" with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, divided according to the Fisher grading scale (Fisher I, II, III, or IV) and compared with a control group of individuals considered normal. The various scores of the Fisher grading scale have different levels of language deficits, more pronounced as the amount of blood increases. Fisher III and IV scores are most associated with the decline of language. Our study made it possible to obtain information not yet available in the literature, by correlating the various scores of the Fisher grading scale with language yet in the period preceding treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Written versus verbal consent: a qualitative study of stakeholder views of consent procedures used at the time of recruitment into a peripartum trial conducted in an emergency setting.

PubMed

Lawton, J; Hallowell, N; Snowdon, C; Norman, J E; Carruthers, K; Denison, F C

2017-05-24

Obtaining prospective written consent from women to participate in trials when they are experiencing an obstetric emergency is challenging. Alternative consent pathways, such as gaining verbal consent at enrolment followed, later, by obtaining written consent, have been advocated by some clinicians and bioethicists but have received little empirical attention. We explored women's and staff views about the consent procedures used during the internal pilot of a trial (GOT-IT), where the protocol permitted staff to gain verbal consent at recruitment. Interviews with staff (n = 27) and participating women (n = 22). Data were analysed thematically and interviews were cross-compared to identify differences and similarities in participants' views about the consent procedures used. Women and some staff highlighted benefits to obtaining verbal consent at trial enrolment, including expediting recruitment and reducing the burden on those left exhausted by their births. However, most staff with direct responsibility for taking consent expressed extreme reluctance to proceed with enrolment until they had obtained written consent, despite being comfortable using verbal procedures in their clinical practice. To account for this resistance, staff drew a strong distinction between research and clinical care and suggested that a higher level of consent was needed when recruiting into trials. In doing so, staff emphasised the need to engage women in reflexive decision-making and highlighted the role that completing the consent form could play in enabling and evidencing this process. While most staff cited their ethical responsibilities to women, they also voiced concerns that the absence of a signed consent form at recruitment could expose them to greater risk of litigation were an individual to experience a complication during the trial. Inexperience of recruiting into peripartum trials and limited availability of staff trained to take consent also reinforced preferences for obtaining written consent at recruitment. While alternative consent pathways have an important role to play in advancing emergency medicine research, and may be appreciated by potential recruits, they may give rise to unintended ethical and logistical challenges for staff. Staff would benefit from training and support to increase their confidence and willingness to recruit into trials using alternative consent pathways. This qualitative research was undertaken as part of the GOT-IT Trial (trial registration number: ISCRTN 88609453 ). Date of registration 26/03/2014.

Working out the interstitial and syncopic nature of the human psyche: on the analysis of verbal data.

PubMed

Roth, Wolff-Michael

2014-09-01

Psychology studies the human mind and its development. Although it is often recognized that the human mind needs to be understood as a temporal (developmental) phenomenon between past and future and at the interstices between the idealities of pure Self and Other, the analytic methods interpretive researchers use tend to reify ahistorical and solipsist conceptions of the human being. In this article, I provide examples of an approach to the analysis of verbal data that immediately gets us to the interstitial and syncopic nature of the human psyche.

Nonverbal communication and conversational contribution in breast cancer genetic counseling: are counselors' nonverbal communication and conversational contribution associated with counselees' satisfaction, needs fulfillment and state anxiety in breast cancer genetic counseling?

PubMed

Dijkstra, Henriëtta; Albada, Akke; Klöckner Cronauer, Christina; Ausems, Margreet G E M; van Dulmen, Sandra

2013-11-01

The current study aimed to examine how counselors' nonverbal communication (i.e. nonverbal encouragements and counselee-directed eye gaze) and conversational contribution (i.e. verbal dominance and interactivity) during the final visit within breast cancer genetic counseling relate to counselee satisfaction, needs fulfillment and anxiety. Breast cancer counselees (N=85) completed questionnaires measuring satisfaction, needs fulfillment and anxiety after the final consultation and anxiety before the initial visit. Consultations were videotaped. Counselor nonverbal encouragements and counselee-directed eye gaze were coded. Verbal dominance and interactivity were measured using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). More counselor nonverbal encouragements and higher counselor verbal dominance were both significantly related to higher post-visit anxiety. Furthermore, counselor verbal dominance was associated with lower perceived needs fulfillment. No significant associations with eye gaze and interactivity were found. More research is needed on the relationship between nonverbal encouragements and anxiety. Given the unfavorable association of counselor verbal dominance with anxiety and needs fulfillment, more effort could be devoted to involve counselees in the dialog and reduce the counselor's verbal contribution during the consultation. Interventions focused on increasing counselees' contribution in the consultation may be beneficial to counselees. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extra-hippocampal subcortical limbic involvement predicts episodic recall performance in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Dineen, Robert A; Bradshaw, Christopher M; Constantinescu, Cris S; Auer, Dorothee P

2012-01-01

Episodic memory impairment is a common but poorly-understood phenomenon in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aim to establish the relative contributions of reduced integrity of components of the extended hippocampal-diencephalic system to memory performance in MS patients using quantitative neuroimaging. 34 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 24 healthy age-matched controls underwent 3 T MRI including diffusion tensor imaging and 3-D T1-weighted volume acquisition. Manual fornix regions-of-interest were used to derive fornix fractional anisotropy (FA). Normalized hippocampal, mammillary body and thalamic volumes were derived by manual segmentation. MS subjects underwent visual recall, verbal recall, verbal recognition and verbal fluency assessment. Significant differences between MS patients and controls were found for fornix FA (0.38 vs. 0.46, means adjusted for age and fornix volume, P<.0005) and mammillary body volumes (age-adjusted means 0.114 ml vs. 0.126 ml, P<.023). Multivariate regression analysis identified fornix FA and mammillary bodies as predictor of visual recall (R(2) = .31, P = .003, P = .006), and thalamic volume as predictive of verbal recall (R(2) = .37, P<.0005). No limbic measures predicted verbal recognition or verbal fluency. These findings indicate that structural and ultrastructural alterations in subcortical limbic components beyond the hippocampus predict performance of episodic recall in MS patients with mild memory dysfunction.

The effects of verbal reaction time in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Midi, Ipek; Doǧan, Müzeyyen; Pata, Yavuz Selim; Kocak, Ismail; Mollahasanoglu, Aynur; Tuncer, Nese

2011-07-01

Verbal fluency deteriorates with normal aging, but is much more severe in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Verbal functions were analyzed to find differences between normal aging subjects in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and in patients with early and moderate stages of AD. This study measured the verbal response time in patients with AD, MCI, and in control subjects This study measured the verbal response time in patients with AD, MCI, and in control subjects Fifteen patients with MCI, 15 patients with early AD, 8 patients with moderate AD, and 15 subjects for controls were included in the study. Word length in milliseconds, reaction time to a phoneme, word, or sentence and acoustic analysis of voice quality and speech diadochokinetic rate (DDK) were measured. Reaction time for a phoneme, word, or sentence especially the initiation period for them were longer in patients with early AD compared to patients with MCI (P < .001). The mean DDK rate was lower with increased severity of the disease, and was much more severe in patients with moderate AD. Clinical discrimination of the early stages of AD and MCI is challenging. Unfortunately, there are no laboratory markers present for the diagnosis of preclinical cases of AD. With the results of this study, the assessments of verbal reaction time may helpful for diagnosis of early AD. Copyright © 2011 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

The case against specialized visual-spatial short-term memory.

PubMed

Morey, Candice C

2018-05-24

The dominant paradigm for understanding working memory, or the combination of the perceptual, attentional, and mnemonic processes needed for thinking, subdivides short-term memory (STM) according to whether memoranda are encoded in aural-verbal or visual formats. This traditional dissociation has been supported by examples of neuropsychological patients who seem to selectively lack STM for either aural-verbal, visual, or spatial memoranda, and by experimental research using dual-task methods. Though this evidence is the foundation of assumptions of modular STM systems, the case it makes for a specialized visual STM system is surprisingly weak. I identify the key evidence supporting a distinct verbal STM system-patients with apparent selective damage to verbal STM and the resilience of verbal short-term memories to general dual-task interference-and apply these benchmarks to neuropsychological and experimental investigations of visual-spatial STM. Contrary to the evidence on verbal STM, patients with apparent visual or spatial STM deficits tend to experience a wide range of additional deficits, making it difficult to conclude that a distinct short-term store was damaged. Consistently with this, a meta-analysis of dual-task visual-spatial STM research shows that robust dual-task costs are consistently observed regardless of the domain or sensory code of the secondary task. Together, this evidence suggests that positing a specialized visual STM system is not necessary. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Questioning short-term memory and its measurement: Why digit span measures long-term associative learning.

PubMed

Jones, Gary; Macken, Bill

2015-11-01

Traditional accounts of verbal short-term memory explain differences in performance for different types of verbal material by reference to inherent characteristics of the verbal items making up memory sequences. The role of previous experience with sequences of different types is ostensibly controlled for either by deliberate exclusion or by presenting multiple trials constructed from different random permutations. We cast doubt on this general approach in a detailed analysis of the basis for the robust finding that short-term memory for digit sequences is superior to that for other sequences of verbal material. Specifically, we show across four experiments that this advantage is not due to inherent characteristics of digits as verbal items, nor are individual digits within sequences better remembered than other types of individual verbal items. Rather, the advantage for digit sequences stems from the increased frequency, compared to other verbal material, with which digits appear in random sequences in natural language, and furthermore, relatively frequent digit sequences support better short-term serial recall than less frequent ones. We also provide corpus-based computational support for the argument that performance in a short-term memory setting is a function of basic associative learning processes operating on the linguistic experience of the rememberer. The experimental and computational results raise questions not only about the role played by measurement of digit span in cognition generally, but also about the way in which long-term memory processes impact on short-term memory functioning. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical and verbal workplace violence against nurses in Jordan.

PubMed

Al-Omari, H

2015-03-01

To explore the prevalence of physical and verbal workplace violence among nurses working in general hospitals in Jordan, and to investigate the relation between physical violence, verbal violence, anxiety about violence, and some certain demographic variables. Violence against nurses at the workplace is an alarming problem in both developed and developing countries. This study explicates physical and psychological workplace violence and its relation to anxiety about violence at workplace and to some demographic variables. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted on a convenience sample of nurses working in general hospitals in Jordan. A total of 468 nurses completed the questionnaire, 52.8% of the participants reported that they were physically attacked, and 67.8% were verbally attacked in the last 12 months. Of those who were physically attacked, 26.5% reported a physical violence with a weapon. The logistic regression analysis revealed that female nurses were 0.5 times less likely to report being physically attacked and were 1.5 times more likely to report being verbally abused than male nurses. Violence against nurses is highly prevalent in Jordan. More than half of the participants were victims of violence at their workplace during the last year. Verbal abuse was more common among females than males. Nurses are in the frontline of the healthcare system and their safety is a high priority. They need to be involved in the development and formulation of workplace violence policy decisions. Physical and verbal workplace violence in Jordan, like other countries, is a dangerous behavior that negatively affects general hospital nurses. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

Spatial versus verbal memory impairments in patients with fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Kim, Seong-Ho; Kim, Sang-Hyon; Kim, Seong-Kyu; Nam, Eun Jung; Han, Seung Woo; Lee, Seung Jae

2012-05-01

Mounting evidence suggests that individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) have impairments in general cognitive functions. However, few studies have explored the possibility of dissociation between verbal and visuospatial memory impairments in FM. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the asymmetrical impairment of cognitive functions between verbal and visuospatial memory and between short-term and long-term memory. Neuropsychological assessments were carried out on 23 female patients with FM and 24 healthy female controls. Verbal memory abilities were assessed using the Korean version of the Rey auditory verbal learning test (KAVLT) and digit span task, and visuospatial memory abilities were assessed using the Korean version of the Rey complex figure test (KCFT) and spatial span task. The analysis of covariance was used to assess group differences in performance on cognitive tests after controlling for depression. The two groups did not significantly differ in terms of age, years of education, or in their estimated verbal and performance IQ, but FM patients reported more severe depressive symptoms than did controls on the Beck depression inventory. Significant group differences were found in immediate and delayed recall on the KCFT (F (1,44) = 6.49, p = 0.014 and F (1,44) = 6.96, p = 0.011, respectively), whereas no difference was found in immediate and delayed recall on the KAVLT. In terms of short-term memory, neither the digit span task nor spatial span task showed any difference between groups, regardless of whether repetition was forward or backward. These findings suggest that spatial memory abilities may be more impaired than verbal memory abilities in patients with FM.

Common and distinct brain networks underlying verbal and visual creativity.

PubMed

Zhu, Wenfeng; Chen, Qunlin; Xia, Lingxiang; Beaty, Roger E; Yang, Wenjing; Tian, Fang; Sun, Jiangzhou; Cao, Guikang; Zhang, Qinglin; Chen, Xu; Qiu, Jiang

2017-04-01

Creativity is imperative to the progression of human civilization, prosperity, and well-being. Past creative researches tends to emphasize the default mode network (DMN) or the frontoparietal network (FPN) somewhat exclusively. However, little is known about how these networks interact to contribute to creativity and whether common or distinct brain networks are responsible for visual and verbal creativity. Here, we use functional connectivity analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to investigate visual and verbal creativity-related regions and networks in 282 healthy subjects. We found that functional connectivity within the bilateral superior parietal cortex of the FPN was negatively associated with visual and verbal creativity. The strength of connectivity between the DMN and FPN was positively related to both creative domains. Visual creativity was negatively correlated with functional connectivity within the precuneus of the pDMN and right middle frontal gyrus of the FPN, and verbal creativity was negatively correlated with functional connectivity within the medial prefrontal cortex of the aDMN. Critically, the FPN mediated the relationship between the aDMN and verbal creativity, and it also mediated the relationship between the pDMN and visual creativity. Taken together, decreased within-network connectivity of the FPN and DMN may allow for flexible between-network coupling in the highly creative brain. These findings provide indirect evidence for the cooperative role of the default and executive control networks in creativity, extending past research by revealing common and distinct brain systems underlying verbal and visual creative cognition. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2094-2111, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Verbal Interaction Project: Mother-Child Home Program. Family Cognitive Profile Study. Final Report to the Foundation for Child Development, September, 1972-September, 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levenstein, Phyllis; Phillips, Juliet R.

This report examines the Family Cognitive Profile Study which provided for the collection and analysis of data regarding the IQ gains of children enrolled in the Mother Child Home Program (MCHP). The existence of siblings among the subjects of the MCHP was noted by the Verbal Interaction Project (VIP), the research organization responsible for…

Maladaptive functional relations in client verbal behavior

PubMed Central

Glenn, Sigrid S.

1983-01-01

Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior is applied in this paper to several kinds of maladaptive behavior with which clinicians must deal. Lying, denial, and poor observing skills are discussed as defective tacting repertoires. Demanding and manipulative behaviors are mands that obtain immediate reinforcement at the expense of disrupting long-term interpersonal relations. Obsessing is runaway intraverbal behavior. Variables that enter into the maladaptive functional relations are examined. PMID:22478576

High Maternal Blood Mercury Level Is Associated with Low Verbal IQ in Children.

PubMed

Jeong, Kyoung Sook; Park, Hyewon; Ha, Eunhee; Shin, Jiyoung; Hong, Yun Chul; Ha, Mina; Park, Hyesook; Kim, Bung Nyun; Lee, Boeun; Lee, Soo Jeong; Lee, Kyung Yeon; Kim, Ja Hyeong; Kim, Yangho

2017-07-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship of IQ in children with maternal blood mercury concentration during late pregnancy. The present study is a component of the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, a multi-center birth cohort project in Korea that began in 2006. The study cohort consisted of 553 children whose mothers underwent testing for blood mercury during late pregnancy. The children were given the Korean language version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, revised edition (WPPSI-R) at 60 months of age. Multivariate linear regression analysis, with adjustment for covariates, was used to assess the relationship between verbal, performance, and total IQ in children and blood mercury concentration of mothers during late pregnancy. The results of multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that a doubling of blood mercury was associated with the decrease in verbal and total IQ by 2.482 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.749-4.214) and 2.402 (95% CI, 0.526-4.279), respectively, after adjustment. This inverse association remained after further adjustment for blood lead concentration. Fish intake is an effect modifier of child IQ. In conclusion, high maternal blood mercury level is associated with low verbal IQ in children. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Verbal interactional dominance and coordinative structure of speech rhythms of staff and clients with an intellectual disability.

PubMed

Reuzel, Ellen; Embregts, Petri J C M; Bosman, Anna M T; Cox, Ralf F A; van Nieuwenhuijzen, Maroesjka; Jahoda, Andrew

2014-10-01

Social interactions between staff and clients with an intellectual disability contain synchronized turn-taking patterns. Synchrony can increase rapport and cooperation between individuals. This study investigated whether verbal interactional dominance and balance, an indication of attunement between staff and clients with ID, are associated with synchrony of turn-taking patterns during staff-client interactions and whether the level of dominance and balance is related to the observed quality of the social interactions. Nineteen staff members video-recorded a social interaction with one of their clients in which the client asked for support. The recordings were analyzed using Cross Recurrence Quantification Analysis and Initiative Response Analysis. Fifteen staff observers as well as client observers completed a questionnaire on the quality of the video-recorded interactions. Staff and clients' patterns of verbal interactional dominance and balance were associated with the synchrony of their turn-taking behaviors. Staff's dominance was associated with a higher level of synchrony of turn taking, whereas client's dominance was associated with a lower level of synchrony. The patterns of verbal interactional dominance and balance were associated with staff observer reports about the quality of the interactions. The study suggested that staff and clients have a tendency to be sensitive to different aspects of interactions, which in turn may have different functions.

Older adults get episodic memory boosting from noninvasive stimulation of prefrontal cortex during learning.

PubMed

Sandrini, Marco; Manenti, Rosa; Brambilla, Michela; Cobelli, Chiara; Cohen, Leonardo G; Cotelli, Maria

2016-03-01

Episodic memory displays the largest degree of age-related decline, a process that is accelerated in pathological conditions such as amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to the encoding of episodic memories along the life span. The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to test the hypothesis that anodal trascranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left lateral PFC during the learning phase would enhance delayed recall of verbal episodic memories in elderly individuals. Older adults learned a list of words while receiving anodal or placebo (sham) tDCS. Memory recall was tested 48 hours and 1 month later. The results showed that anodal tDCS strengthened episodic memories, an effect indicated by enhanced delayed recall (48 hours) compared to placebo stimulation (Cohen's d effect size = 1.01). The observation that PFC-tDCS during learning can boost verbal episodic memory in the elderly opens up the possibility to design-specific neurorehabilitation protocols targeted to conditions that affect episodic memory such as mild cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The Spanish adapted version of the Children's Communication Checklist identifies disorders of pragmatic use of language and differentiates between clinical subtypes].

PubMed

Crespo-Eguilaz, N; Magallon, S; Sanchez-Carpintero, R; Narbona, J

2016-01-01

The Children's Communication Checklist (CCC) by Bishop is a useful scale for evaluation of pragmatic verbal abilities in school children. The aim of the study is to ascertain the validity and reliability of the CCC in Spanish. Answers to the CCC items by parents of 360 children with normal intelligence were analyzed. There were five groups: 160 control children; 68 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 77 with procedural non-verbal disorder, 25 children with social communication disorder and 30 with autism spectrum disorder. Investigations included: factorial analysis in order to cluster checklist items, reliability analyses of the proposed scales and discriminant analysis to check whether the scale correctly classifies children with pragmatic verbal abilities. Seven factors were obtained (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin: 0.852) with moderate similarity with those of the original scale: social relationships, interests, and five more that can be grouped into pragmatic verbal ability (conversational abilities, coherence-comprehension, empathy nonverbal communication and appropriateness). All factors are significantly correlated with each other in the control group, and the five that compose pragmatic verbal ability correlate with each other in the clinical groups (Pearson r). The scales have good reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.914). The questionnaire correctly classifies 98.9% of grouped cases with and without pragmatic disorder and 78% of subjects in their appropriate clinical group. Besides, the questionnaire allows to differentiate the pathologies according to the presence and intensity of the symptoms. This Spanish version of the CCC is highly valid and reliable. The proposed statistics can be used as normative-reference values.

An fMRI study of sex differences in regional activation to a verbal and a spatial task.

PubMed

Gur, R C; Alsop, D; Glahn, D; Petty, R; Swanson, C L; Maldjian, J A; Turetsky, B I; Detre, J A; Gee, J; Gur, R E

2000-09-01

Sex differences in cognitive performance have been documented, women performing better on some phonological tasks and men on spatial tasks. An earlier fMRI study suggested sex differences in distributed brain activation during phonological processing, with bilateral activation seen in women while men showed primarily left-lateralized activation. This blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI study examined sex differences (14 men, 13 women) in activation for a spatial task (judgment of line orientation) compared to a verbal-reasoning task (analogies) that does not typically show sex differences. Task difficulty was manipulated. Hypothesized ROI-based analysis documented the expected left-lateralized changes for the verbal task in the inferior parietal and planum temporal regions in both men and women, but only men showed right-lateralized increase for the spatial task in these regions. Image-based analysis revealed a distributed network of cortical regions activated by the tasks, which consisted of the lateral frontal, medial frontal, mid-temporal, occipitoparietal, and occipital regions. The activation was more left lateralized for the verbal and more right for the spatial tasks, but men also showed some left activation for the spatial task, which was not seen in women. Increased task difficulty produced more distributed activation for the verbal and more circumscribed activation for the spatial task. The results suggest that failure to activate the appropriate hemisphere in regions directly involved in task performance may explain certain sex differences in performance. They also extend, for a spatial task, the principle that bilateral activation in a distributed cognitive system underlies sex differences in performance. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Feels like the real thing: imagery is both more realistic and emotional than verbal thought.

PubMed

Mathews, Andrew; Ridgeway, Valerie; Holmes, Emily A

2013-01-01

The production of mental images involves processes that overlap with perception and the extent of this overlap may contribute to reality monitoring errors (i.e., images misremembered as actual events). We hypothesised that mental images would be more confused with having actually seen a pictured object than would alternative representations, such as verbal descriptions. We also investigated whether affective reactions to images were greater than to verbal descriptions, and whether emotionality was associated with more or less reality monitoring confusion. In two experiments signal detection analysis revealed that mental images were more likely to be confused with viewed pictures than were verbal descriptions. There was a general response bias to endorse all emotionally negative items, but accuracy of discrimination between imagery and viewed pictures was not significantly influenced by emotional valence. In a third experiment we found that accuracy of reality monitoring depended on encoding: images were more accurately discriminated from viewed pictures when rated for affect than for size. We conclude that mental images are both more emotionally arousing and more likely to be confused with real events than are verbal descriptions, although source accuracy for images varies according to how they are encoded.

Working memory still needs verbal rehearsal.

PubMed

Lucidi, Annalisa; Langerock, Naomi; Hoareau, Violette; Lemaire, Benoît; Camos, Valérie; Barrouillet, Pierre

2016-02-01

The causal role of verbal rehearsal in working memory has recently been called into question. For example, the SOB-CS (Serial Order in a Box-Complex Span) model assumes that there is no maintenance process for the strengthening of items in working memory, but instead a process of removal of distractors that are involuntarily encoded and create interference with memory items. In the present study, we tested the idea that verbal working memory performance can be accounted for without assuming a causal role of the verbal rehearsal process. We demonstrate in two experiments using a complex span task and a Brown-Peterson paradigm that increasing the number of repetitions of the same distractor (the syllable ba that was read aloud at each of its occurrences on screen) has a detrimental effect on the concurrent maintenance of consonants whereas the maintenance of spatial locations remains unaffected. A detailed analysis of the tasks demonstrates that accounting for this effect within the SOB-CS model requires a series of unwarranted assumptions leading to undesirable further predictions contradicted by available experimental evidence. We argue that the hypothesis of a maintenance mechanism based on verbal rehearsal that is impeded by concurrent articulation still provides the simplest and most compelling account of our results.

Adaptation of a paradigm for examining the development of fear beliefs through the verbal information pathway in preschool-age children.

PubMed

Rifkin, Lara S; Schofield, Casey A; Beard, Courtney; Armstrong, Thomas

2016-12-01

Verbal threat information has been shown to induce fear beliefs in school-age children (i.e. 6-12 years; for a review see Muris & Field, 2010). The current study adapted an existing paradigm (Field & Lawson, 2003) to examine the impact of verbal threat information on self-report and behavioral measures of fear in preschool-age children. Thirty children (aged 3-5) were provided with threat, positive, or no information about three novel Australian marsupials. There was a significant increase in fear belief for the animal associated with threat information compared to the animal associated with positive or no information. Verbal threat information did not impact behavioral avoidance in the complete sample; however, findings from an exploratory subgroup analysis excluding three-year-olds indicated that children demonstrated significant behavioral avoidance for the threat condition compared to the positive condition. These findings provide additional support for Rachman's theory of fear acquisition (1977, 1991) and suggest this paradigm may be used to examine the age at which verbal threat information becomes a relevant mode of fear acquisition for young children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Verbal Fluency Performance in Patients with Non-demented Parkinson's Disease

PubMed Central

Khatoonabadi, Ahmad Reza; Bakhtiyari, Jalal

2013-01-01

Objective While Parkinson's disease (PD) has traditionally been defined by motor symptoms, many researches have indicated that mild cognitive impairment is common in non-demented PD patients. The purpose of this study was to compare verbal fluency performance in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients with healthy controls. Method In this cross-sectional study thirty non-demented Parkinson's disease patients and 30 healthy controls, matched by age, gender and education, were compared on verbal fluency performance. Verbal fluency was studied with a Phonemic Fluency task using the letters F, A, and S, a semantic fluency task using the categories animals and fruits. The independent t-test was used for data analysis. Results Overall, participants generated more words in the semantic fluency task than in the phonemic fluency task. Results revealed significant differences between patients and controls in semantic fluency task (p<.05). In addition, PD patients showed a significant reduction of correctly generated words in letter fluency task. The total number of words produced was also significantly lower in the PD group (p<.05). Conclusion Verbal fluency disruption is implied in non-demented PD patients in association with incipient cognitive impairment. PMID:23682253

The Ins and Outs of Meaning: Behavioral and Neuroanatomical Dissociation of Semantically-Driven Word Retrieval and Multimodal Semantic Recognition in Aphasia

PubMed Central

Mirman, Daniel; Zhang, Yongsheng; Wang, Ze; Coslett, H. Branch; Schwartz, Myrna F.

2015-01-01

Theories about the architecture of language processing differ with regard to whether verbal and nonverbal comprehension share a functional and neural substrate and how meaning extraction in comprehension relates to the ability to use meaning to drive verbal production. We (re-)evaluate data from 17 cognitive-linguistic performance measures of 99 participants with chronic aphasia using factor analysis to establish functional components and support vector regression-based lesion-symptom mapping to determine the neural correlates of deficits on these functional components. The results are highly consistent with our previous findings: production of semantic errors is behaviorally and neuroanatomically distinct from verbal and nonverbal comprehension. Semantic errors were most strongly associated with left ATL damage whereas deficits on tests of verbal and non-verbal semantic recognition were most strongly associated with damage to deep white matter underlying the frontal lobe at the confluence of multiple tracts, including the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, the uncinate fasciculus, and the anterior thalamic radiations. These results suggest that traditional views based on grey matter hub(s) for semantic processing are incomplete and that the role of white matter in semantic cognition has been underappreciated. PMID:25681739

Resting State EEG in Children With Learning Disabilities: An Independent Component Analysis Approach.

PubMed

Jäncke, Lutz; Alahmadi, Nsreen

2016-01-01

In this study, the neurophysiological underpinnings of learning disabilities (LD) in children are examined using resting state EEG. We were particularly interested in the neurophysiological differences between children with learning disabilities not otherwise specified (LD-NOS), learning disabilities with verbal disabilities (LD-Verbal), and healthy control (HC) children. We applied 2 different approaches to examine the differences between the different groups. First, we calculated theta/beta and theta/alpha ratios in order to quantify the relationship between slow and fast EEG oscillations. Second, we used a recently developed method for analyzing spectral EEG, namely the group independent component analysis (gICA) model. Using these measures, we identified substantial differences between LD and HC children and between LD-NOS and LD-Verbal children in terms of their spectral EEG profiles. We obtained the following findings: (a) theta/beta and theta/alpha ratios were substantially larger in LD than in HC children, with no difference between LD-NOS and LD-Verbal children; (b) there was substantial slowing of EEG oscillations, especially for gICs located in frontal scalp positions, with LD-NOS children demonstrating the strongest slowing; (c) the estimated intracortical sources of these gICs were mostly located in brain areas involved in the control of executive functions, attention, planning, and language; and (d) the LD-Verbal children demonstrated substantial differences in EEG oscillations compared with LD-NOS children, and these differences were localized in language-related brain areas. The general pattern of atypical neurophysiological activation found in LD children suggests that they suffer from neurophysiological dysfunction in brain areas involved with the control of attention, executive functions, planning, and language functions. LD-Verbal children also demonstrate atypical activation, especially in language-related brain areas. These atypical neurophysiological activation patterns might provide a helpful guide for rehabilitation strategies to treat the deficiencies in these children with LD. © EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2015.

Reinstatement of contextual conditioned anxiety in virtual reality and the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in humans.

PubMed

Genheimer, Hannah; Andreatta, Marta; Asan, Esther; Pauli, Paul

2017-12-20

Since exposure therapy for anxiety disorders incorporates extinction of contextual anxiety, relapses may be due to reinstatement processes. Animal research demonstrated more stable extinction memory and less anxiety relapse due to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). We report a valid human three-day context conditioning, extinction and return of anxiety protocol, which we used to examine effects of transcutaneous VNS (tVNS). Seventy-five healthy participants received electric stimuli (unconditioned stimuli, US) during acquisition (Day1) when guided through one virtual office (anxiety context, CTX+) but never in another (safety context, CTX-). During extinction (Day2), participants received tVNS, sham, or no stimulation and revisited both contexts without US delivery. On Day3, participants received three USs for reinstatement followed by a test phase. Successful acquisition, i.e. startle potentiation, lower valence, higher arousal, anxiety and contingency ratings in CTX+ versus CTX-, the disappearance of these effects during extinction, and successful reinstatement indicate validity of this paradigm. Interestingly, we found generalized reinstatement in startle responses and differential reinstatement in valence ratings. Altogether, our protocol serves as valid conditioning paradigm. Reinstatement effects indicate different anxiety networks underlying physiological versus verbal responses. However, tVNS did neither affect extinction nor reinstatement, which asks for validation and improvement of the stimulation protocol.

Root-Cause Analysis of Persistently High Maternal Mortality in a Rural District of Indonesia: Role of Clinical Care Quality and Health Services Organizational Factors.

PubMed

Mahmood, Mohammad Afzal; Mufidah, Ismi; Scroggs, Steven; Siddiqui, Amna Rehana; Raheel, Hafsa; Wibdarminto, Koentijo; Dirgantoro, Bernardus; Vercruyssen, Jorien; Wahabi, Hayfaa A

2018-01-01

Despite significant reduction in maternal mortality, there are still many regions in the world that suffer from high mortality. District Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia, is one such region where consistently high maternal mortality was observed despite high rate of delivery by skilled birth attendants. Thirty maternal deaths were reviewed using verbal autopsy interviews, terminal event reporting, medical records' review, and Death Audit Committee reports, using a comprehensive root-cause analysis framework including Risk Identification, Signal Services, Emergency Obstetrics Care Evaluation, Quality, and 3 Delays. The root causes were found in poor quality of care, which caused hospital to be unprepared to manage deteriorating patients. In hospital, poor implementation of standard operating procedures was rooted in inadequate skills, lack of forward planning, ineffective communication, and unavailability of essential services. In primary care, root causes included inadequate risk management, referrals to facilities where needed services are not available, and lack of coordination between primary healthcare and hospitals. There is an urgent need for a shift in focus to quality of care through knowledge, skills, and support for consistent application of protocols, making essential services available, effective risk assessment and management, and facilitating timely referrals to facilities that are adequately equipped.

Root-Cause Analysis of Persistently High Maternal Mortality in a Rural District of Indonesia: Role of Clinical Care Quality and Health Services Organizational Factors

PubMed Central

Mufidah, Ismi; Scroggs, Steven; Siddiqui, Amna Rehana; Raheel, Hafsa; Wibdarminto, Koentijo; Dirgantoro, Bernardus; Vercruyssen, Jorien

2018-01-01

Background Despite significant reduction in maternal mortality, there are still many regions in the world that suffer from high mortality. District Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia, is one such region where consistently high maternal mortality was observed despite high rate of delivery by skilled birth attendants. Method Thirty maternal deaths were reviewed using verbal autopsy interviews, terminal event reporting, medical records' review, and Death Audit Committee reports, using a comprehensive root-cause analysis framework including Risk Identification, Signal Services, Emergency Obstetrics Care Evaluation, Quality, and 3 Delays. Findings The root causes were found in poor quality of care, which caused hospital to be unprepared to manage deteriorating patients. In hospital, poor implementation of standard operating procedures was rooted in inadequate skills, lack of forward planning, ineffective communication, and unavailability of essential services. In primary care, root causes included inadequate risk management, referrals to facilities where needed services are not available, and lack of coordination between primary healthcare and hospitals. Conclusion There is an urgent need for a shift in focus to quality of care through knowledge, skills, and support for consistent application of protocols, making essential services available, effective risk assessment and management, and facilitating timely referrals to facilities that are adequately equipped. PMID:29682538

Prevalence of inter-hemispheric asymetry in children and adolescents with interdisciplinary diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder.

PubMed

Wajnsztejn, Alessandra Bernardes Caturani; Bianco, Bianca; Barbosa, Caio Parente

2016-01-01

To describe clinical and epidemiological features of children and adolescents with interdisciplinary diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder and to investigate the prevalence of inter-hemispheric asymmetry in this population group. Cross-sectional study including children and adolescents referred for interdisciplinary assessment with learning difficulty complaints, who were given an interdisciplinary diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder. The following variables were included in the analysis: sex-related prevalence, educational system, initial presumptive diagnoses and respective prevalence, overall non-verbal learning disorder prevalence, prevalence according to school year, age range at the time of assessment, major family complaints, presence of inter-hemispheric asymmetry, arithmetic deficits, visuoconstruction impairments and major signs and symptoms of non-verbal learning disorder. Out of 810 medical records analyzed, 14 were from individuals who met the diagnostic criteria for non-verbal learning disorder, including the presence of inter-hemispheric asymmetry. Of these 14 patients, 8 were male. The high prevalence of inter-hemispheric asymmetry suggests this parameter can be used to predict or support the diagnosis of non-verbal learning disorder. Descrever as características clínicas e epidemiológicas de crianças e adolescentes com transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal, e investigar a prevalência de assimetria inter-hemisférica neste grupo populacional. Estudo transversal que incluiu crianças e adolescentes encaminhados para uma avaliação interdisciplinar, com queixas de dificuldades de aprendizagem e que receberam diagnóstico interdisciplinar de transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal. As variáveis avaliadas foram prevalência por sexo, sistema de ensino, hipóteses diagnósticas iniciais e respectivas prevalências, prevalência de condições em relação à amostra total, prevalência geral do transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal, prevalência de acordo com ano escolar, faixa etária no momento da avaliação, principais queixas familiares, presença assimetria inter-hemisférica, dificuldade em aritmética, alterações em visuoconstrução, e principais sinais e sintomas do transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal. Dos 810 prontuários médicos analisados, 14 eram de indivíduos que preencheram os critérios diagnósticos para transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal, incluindo a assimetria inter-hemisférica. Destes 14 pacientes, 8 eram do sexo masculino. A alta prevalência de assimetria inter-hemisférica sugere que este parâmetro possa ser usado como preditor ou reforçador para diagnóstico de transtorno de aprendizagem não verbal.

Can linguistics contribute to the study of verbal behavior?

PubMed Central

Julià, Pere

1982-01-01

A number of publications during the last decade reveal a growing interest in linguistics and psycholinguistics among some radical behaviorists, who have proposed a direct rapprochement between a formal analysis of language and a functional account. It is argued that whereas function has to do with the circumstances under which verbal behavior is emitted, structure has to do with its “internal organization,” the ways in which sentences or parts thereof are presumably interrelated. These are said to be different dimensions of verbal behavior; together they should lead toward a coherent psychology of language. But psychologists bent on incorporating techniques from linguistics should be aware of its underlying assumptions, lest their work be deflected in essentially unproductive directions. The line between rapprochement and subservience is thin indeed, as the extant literature shows. This paper traces the development of mainstream contemporary psycholinguistics and examines the linguist's assumptions about the subject matter in the light of a behavioral analysis. The possibility of an effective reconciliation seems to be a long way off. PMID:22478553

Is the learn unit a fundamental measure of pedagogy?

PubMed Central

Greer, R. Douglas; McDonough, Sally Hogin

1999-01-01

We propose a measure of teaching, the learn unit, that explicitly describes the interaction between teachers and their students. The theoretical, educational research, and applied behavior analysis literatures all converge on the learn unit as a fundamental measure of teaching. The theoretical literature proposes the construct of the interlocking operant and embraces verbal behavior, social interaction, and translations of psychological constructs into complex theoretical respondent-operant interactions and behavior-behavior relations. Research findings in education and applied behavior analysis on engaged academic time, opportunity to respond, active student responding, teacher-student responding, student-teacher responding, tutor-tutee responding, tutee-tutor responding, and verbal episodes between individuals all support a measure of interlocking responses. More recently, research analyzing the components of both the students' and teachers' behavior suggests that the learn unit is the strongest predictor of effective teaching. Finally, we propose applications of the learn unit to other issues in pedagogy not yet researched and the relation of learn units to the verbal behavior of students. PMID:22478317

The nature of verbal memory impairment in multiple sclerosis: a list-learning and meta-analytic study.

PubMed

Lafosse, Jose M; Mitchell, Sandra M; Corboy, John R; Filley, Christopher M

2013-10-01

The primary purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have impaired acquisition rather than a retrieval deficit. Verbal memory impairment in MS was examined in 53 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 31 healthy controls (HC), and in a meta-analysis of studies that examined memory functioning in MS with list-learning tasks. The MS group demonstrated significantly lower acquisition and delayed recall performance than the HC group, and the meta-analysis revealed that the largest effect sizes were obtained for acquisition measures relative to delayed recall and recognition. Our data argue against a retrieval deficit as the sole explanation for verbal memory impairment in MS, and make a consistent case for the position that deficient acquisition contributes to the memory dysfunction of MS patients. Deficient acquisition may result from demyelination in relevant white matter tracts that reduces encoding efficiency as a result of impaired speed of information processing.

Verbal memory declines more in female patients with Parkinson's disease: the importance of gender-corrected normative data.

PubMed

Fengler, S; Roeske, S; Heber, I; Reetz, K; Schulz, J B; Riedel, O; Wittchen, H U; Storch, A; Linse, K; Baudrexel, S; Hilker, R; Mollenhauer, B; Witt, K; Schmidt, N; Balzer-Geldsetzer, M; Dams, J; Dodel, R; Gräber, S; Pilotto, A; Petrelli, A; Fünkele, S; Kassubek, J; Kalbe, E

2016-08-01

Data on gender-specific profiles of cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are rare and inconsistent, and possible disease-confounding factors have been insufficiently considered. The LANDSCAPE study on cognition in PD enrolled 656 PD patients (267 without cognitive impairment, 66% male; 292 with mild cognitive impairment, 69% male; 97 with PD dementia, 69% male). Raw values and age-, education-, and gender-corrected Z scores of a neuropsychological test battery (CERAD-Plus) were compared between genders. Motor symptoms, disease duration, l-dopa equivalent daily dose, depression - and additionally age and education for the raw value analysis - were taken as covariates. Raw-score analysis replicated results of previous studies in that female PD patients were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.03), while men outperformed women in visuoconstruction (p = 0.002) and figural memory (p = 0.005). In contrast, gender-corrected Z scores showed that men were superior in verbal memory (word list learning, p = 0.02; recall, p = 0.02; recognition, p = 0.04), while no difference was found for visuospatial tests. This picture could be observed both in the overall analysis of PD patients as well as in a differentiated group analysis. Normative data corrected for gender and other sociodemographic variables are relevant, since they may elucidate a markedly different cognitive profile compared to raw scores. Our study also suggests that verbal memory decline is stronger in women than in men with PD. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings, examine the progression of gender-specific cognitive decline in PD and define different underlying mechanisms of this dysfunction.

Belief attribution despite verbal interference.

PubMed

Forgeot d'Arc, Baudouin; Ramus, Franck

2011-05-01

False-belief (FB) tasks have been widely used to study the ability of individuals to represent the content of their conspecifics' mental states (theory of mind). However, the cognitive processes involved are still poorly understood, and it remains particularly debated whether language and inner speech are necessary for the attribution of beliefs to other agents. We present a completely nonverbal paradigm consisting of silent animated cartoons in five closely related conditions, systematically teasing apart different aspects of scene analysis and allowing the assessment of the attribution of beliefs, goals, and physical causation. In order to test the role of language in belief attribution, we used verbal shadowing as a dual task to inhibit inner speech. Data on 58 healthy adults indicate that verbal interference decreases overall performance, but has no specific effect on belief attribution. Participants remained able to attribute beliefs despite heavy concurrent demands on their verbal abilities. Our results are most consistent with the hypothesis that belief attribution is independent from inner speech.

Recent and Past Intimate Partner Abuse and HIV Risk Among Young Women

PubMed Central

Teitelman, Anne M.; Ratcliffe, Sarah J.; Dichter, Melissa E.; Sullivan, Cris M.

2011-01-01

Objective To examine the associations between past intimate partner abuse experienced during adolescence (verbal and physical), recent intimate partner abuse (verbal, physical, and sexual), and HIV risk (as indicated by lack of condom use) for sexually active young adult women in relationships with male partners. Design Secondary data analysis of waves II and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Setting The Add Health Study is a longitudinal, in-home survey of a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Sample Analyses involved 2,058 sexually active young adult women. Main Outcome Measures HIV risk was measured by consistent condom use over the past 12 months. Results Physical and verbal abuse experienced in adolescence were associated with physical/verbal abuse experienced in young adulthood. Young, sexually active women experiencing no abuse in their relationships were more likely to consistently use condoms in the past 12 months than were their abused counterparts. Conclusion A causal pathway may exist between prior abuse, current abuse, and HIV risk. PMID:18336447

Evaluating lexical characteristics of verbal fluency output in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Juhasz, Barbara J; Chambers, Destinee; Shesler, Leah W; Haber, Alix; Kurtz, Matthew M

2012-12-30

Standardized lexical analysis of verbal output has not been applied to verbal fluency tasks in schizophrenia. Performance of individuals with schizophrenia on both a letter (n=139) and semantic (n=137) fluency task was investigated. The lexical characteristics (word frequency, age-of-acquisition, word length, and semantic typicality) of words produced were evaluated and compared to those produced by a healthy control group matched on age, gender, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) vocabulary scores (n=20). Overall, individuals with schizophrenia produced fewer words than healthy controls, replicating past research (see Bokat and Goldberg, 2003). Words produced in the semantic fluency task by individuals with schizophrenia were, on average, earlier acquired and more typical of the category. In contrast, no differences in lexical characteristics emerged in the letter fluency task. The results are informative regarding how individuals with schizophrenia access their mental lexicons during the verbal fluency task. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Cognitive Analysis of Armor Procedural Task Training

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

Verbal Behavior, 8, 323-343. Craik , F. I. M., & Lockhart , R. S. (1972). Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning...concep- tual or meaningful) coding of the task to be learned (e.g., Bjork, 1975; Craik & Lockhart , 1972; Melton & Martin, 1972). In order to remember a...were several serious problems with applying this approach in the context of entry- level military training. In particular, the soldier did not always

The Multiple Control of Verbal Behavior

PubMed Central

Michael, Jack; Palmer, David C; Sundberg, Mark L

2011-01-01

Amid the novel terms and original analyses in Skinner's Verbal Behavior, the importance of his discussion of multiple control is easily missed, but multiple control of verbal responses is the rule rather than the exception. In this paper we summarize and illustrate Skinner's analysis of multiple control and introduce the terms convergent multiple control and divergent multiple control. We point out some implications for applied work and discuss examples of the role of multiple control in humor, poetry, problem solving, and recall. Joint control and conditional discrimination are discussed as special cases of multiple control. We suggest that multiple control is a useful analytic tool for interpreting virtually all complex behavior, and we consider the concepts of derived relations and naming as cases in point. PMID:22532752

Apolipoprotein E4 influences growth and cognitive responses to micronutrient supplementation in shantytown children from northeast Brazil.

PubMed

Mitter, Sumeet S; Oriá, Reinaldo B; Kvalsund, Michelle P; Pamplona, Paula; Joventino, Emanuella Silva; Mota, Rosa M S; Gonçalves, Davi C; Patrick, Peter D; Guerrant, Richard L; Lima, Aldo A M

2012-01-01

Apolipoprotein E4 may benefit children during early periods of life when the body is challenged by infection and nutritional decline. We examined whether apolipoprotein E4 affects intestinal barrier function, improving short-term growth and long-term cognitive outcomes in Brazilian shantytown children. A total of 213 Brazilian shantytown children with below-median height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) received 200,000 IU of retinol (every four months), zinc (40 mg twice weekly), or both for one year, with half of each group receiving glutamine supplementation for 10 days. Height-for-age z-scores, weight-for-age z-scores, weight-for-height z-scores, and lactulose:mannitol ratios were assessed during the initial four months of treatment. An average of four years (range 1.4-6.6) later, the children underwent cognitive testing to evaluate non-verbal intelligence, coding, verbal fluency, verbal learning, and delayed verbal learning. Apolipoprotein E4 carriage was determined by PCR analysis for 144 children. Thirty-seven children were apolipoprotein E4(+), with an allele frequency of 13.9%. Significant associations were found for vitamin A and glutamine with intestinal barrier function. Apolipoprotein E4(+) children receiving glutamine presented significant positive Pearson correlations between the change in height-for-age z-scores over four months and delayed verbal learning, along with correlated changes over the same period in weight-for-age z-scores and weight-for-height z-scores associated with non-verbal intelligence quotients. There was a significant correlation between vitamin A supplementation of apolipoprotein E4(+) children and improved delta lactulose/mannitol. Apolipoprotein E4(-) children, regardless of intervention, exhibited negative Pearson correlations between the change in lactulose-to-mannitol ratio over four months and verbal learning and non-verbal intelligence. During development, apolipoprotein E4 may function concomitantly with gut-tropic nutrients to benefit immediate nutritional status, which can translate into better long-term cognitive outcomes.

Collecting verbal autopsies: improving and streamlining data collection processes using electronic tablets.

PubMed

Flaxman, Abraham D; Stewart, Andrea; Joseph, Jonathan C; Alam, Nurul; Alam, Sayed Saidul; Chowdhury, Hafizur; Mooney, Meghan D; Rampatige, Rasika; Remolador, Hazel; Sanvictores, Diozele; Serina, Peter T; Streatfield, Peter Kim; Tallo, Veronica; Murray, Christopher J L; Hernandez, Bernardo; Lopez, Alan D; Riley, Ian Douglas

2018-02-01

There is increasing interest in using verbal autopsy to produce nationally representative population-level estimates of causes of death. However, the burden of processing a large quantity of surveys collected with paper and pencil has been a barrier to scaling up verbal autopsy surveillance. Direct electronic data capture has been used in other large-scale surveys and can be used in verbal autopsy as well, to reduce time and cost of going from collected data to actionable information. We collected verbal autopsy interviews using paper and pencil and using electronic tablets at two sites, and measured the cost and time required to process the surveys for analysis. From these cost and time data, we extrapolated costs associated with conducting large-scale surveillance with verbal autopsy. We found that the median time between data collection and data entry for surveys collected on paper and pencil was approximately 3 months. For surveys collected on electronic tablets, this was less than 2 days. For small-scale surveys, we found that the upfront costs of purchasing electronic tablets was the primary cost and resulted in a higher total cost. For large-scale surveys, the costs associated with data entry exceeded the cost of the tablets, so electronic data capture provides both a quicker and cheaper method of data collection. As countries increase verbal autopsy surveillance, it is important to consider the best way to design sustainable systems for data collection. Electronic data capture has the potential to greatly reduce the time and costs associated with data collection. For long-term, large-scale surveillance required by national vital statistical systems, electronic data capture reduces costs and allows data to be available sooner.

Towards a geography of emotional analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

2016-09-01

This article is a forum response to a research article on self-reporting methods when studying discrete emotions in science education environments. Studying emotions in natural settings is a difficult task because of the complexity of deciphering verbal and non-verbal communication. In my response I present three main points that build on insights mainly from philosophy and anthropology. The three points are: first, the significance of connecting the visible and measurable with the invisible and intangible; second, what it means to think about the practices of knowing; and third, an argument to map out a geography of analysis that takes also into account who or what emotions are directed at.

Selective attention and the three-process memory model for the interpretation of verbal free recall in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Christidi, Foteini; Zalonis, Ioannis; Smyrnis, Nikolaos; Evdokimidis, Ioannis

2012-09-01

The present study investigates selective attention and verbal free recall in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and examines the contribution of selective attention, encoding, consolidation, and retrieval memory processes to patients' verbal free recall. We examined 22 non-demented patients with sporadic ALS and 22 demographically related controls using Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test (SNST; selective attention) and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT; immediate & delayed verbal free recall). The item-specific deficit approach (ISDA) was applied to RAVLT to evaluate encoding, consolidation, and retrieval difficulties. ALS patients performed worse than controls on SNST (p < .001) and RAVLT immediate and delayed recall (p < .001) and showed deficient encoding (p = .001) and consolidation (p = .002) but not retrieval (p = .405). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that SNST and ISDA indices accounted for: (a) 91.1% of the variance in RAVLT immediate recall, with encoding (p = .016), consolidation (p < .001), and retrieval (p = .032) significantly contributing to the overall model and the SNST alone accounting for 41.6%; and (b) 85.2% of the variance in RAVLT delayed recall, with consolidation (p < .001) and retrieval (p = .008) significantly contributing to the overall model and the SNST alone accounting for 39.8%. Thus, selective attention, encoding, and consolidation, and to a lesser extent of retrieval, influenced both immediate and delayed verbal free recall. Concluding, selective attention and the memory processes of encoding, consolidation, and retrieval should be considered while interpreting patients' impaired free recall. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1-10).

A Daily Process Examination of the Temporal Association Between Alcohol Use and Verbal and Physical Aggression in Community Couples

PubMed Central

Testa, Maria; Derrick, Jaye L.

2014-01-01

Alcohol use has been associated with intimate partner aggression perpetration and victimization; however, much of the evidence is based on survey research. Few studies have addressed the proximal effects of drinking episodes on the subsequent occurrence of partner aggression. The current study used daily diary methodology to consider the daily and temporal association between drinking episodes and episodes of partner verbal and physical aggression among a community sample of married and cohabiting couples (N = 118). Male and female partners each provided 56 days of independent daily reports of drinking and partner conflict episodes, including verbal and physical aggression, using interactive voice response technology. Dyadic data analyses, guided by the actor-partner interdependence model, were conducted using hierarchical generalized linear modeling with multivariate outcomes. Daily analyses revealed that alcohol consumption was associated with perpetration of verbal and physical aggression the same day, but not with victimization. Temporal analyses revealed that the likelihood of perpetrating verbal and physical aggression, and the likelihood of being verbally and physically victimized, increased significantly when alcohol was consumed in the previous four hours. Findings did not differ according to gender of perpetrator or victim, and the interaction between perpetrator and victim's alcohol use was not significant in any analysis. The study provides clear evidence that, within a sample of community couples without substance-use disorders or other psychopathology, alcohol consumption by men and women contributes to the occurrence of partner aggression episodes. PMID:24341618

Normative beliefs about aggression and cyber aggression among young adults: a longitudinal investigation.

PubMed

Wright, Michelle F; Li, Yan

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examined normative beliefs about aggression (e.g., face-to-face, cyber) in relation to the engagement in cyber aggression 6 months later among 126 (69 women) young adults. Participants completed electronically administered measures assessing their normative beliefs, face-to-face and cyber aggression at Time 1, and cyber aggression 6 months later (Time 2). We found that men reported more cyber relational and verbal aggression when compared to women. After controlling for each other, Time 1 face-to-face relational aggression was positively related to Time 2 cyber relational aggression, whereas Time 1 face-to-face verbal aggression was positively related to Time 2 cyber verbal aggression. Normative beliefs regarding cyber aggression was positively related to both forms of cyber aggression 6 months later, after controlling for normative beliefs about face-to-face aggression. Furthermore, a significant two-way interaction between Time 1 cyber relational aggression and normative beliefs about cyber relational aggression was found. Follow-up analysis showed that Time 1 cyber relational aggression was more strongly related to Time 2 cyber relational aggression when young adults held higher normative beliefs about cyber relational aggression. A similar two-way interaction was found for cyber verbal aggression such that the association between Time 1 and Time 2 cyber verbal aggression was stronger at higher levels of normative beliefs about cyber verbal aggression. Results are discussed in terms of the social cognitive and behavioral mechanisms associated with the engagement of cyber aggression. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rank Determination of Mental Functions by 1D Wavelets and Partial Correlation.

PubMed

Karaca, Y; Aslan, Z; Cattani, C; Galletta, D; Zhang, Y

2017-01-01

The main aim of this paper is to classify mental functions by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised tests with a mixed method based on wavelets and partial correlation. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised is a widely used test designed and applied for the classification of the adults cognitive skills in a comprehensive manner. In this paper, many different intellectual profiles have been taken into consideration to measure the relationship between the mental functioning and psychological disorder. We propose a method based on wavelets and correlation analysis for classifying mental functioning, by the analysis of some selected parameters measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised tests. In particular, 1-D Continuous Wavelet Analysis, 1-D Wavelet Coefficient Method and Partial Correlation Method have been analyzed on some Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised parameters such as School Education, Gender, Age, Performance Information Verbal and Full Scale Intelligence Quotient. In particular, we will show that gender variable has a negative but a significant role on age and Performance Information Verbal factors. The age parameters also has a significant relation in its role on Performance Information Verbal and Full Scale Intelligence Quotient change.

Victimization and Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Related Risk Among Transgender Women in India: A Latent Profile Analysis.

PubMed

Willie, Tiara C; Chakrapani, Venkatesan; White Hughto, Jaclyn M; Kershaw, Trace S

2017-12-01

Globally, transgender women (TGW) experience multiple forms of victimization such as violence and discrimination that can place them at risk for poor sexual health. To date, research overlooks the heterogeneity in experiences of victimization among TGW. Furthermore, few studies have examined the association between victimization and sexual risk among TGW in India, despite the high burden of HIV and victimization in this community. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify patterns of victimization in a convenience sample of 299 TGW recruited from nongovernmental organizations across four states in India. Analysis of covariance was performed to examine differences in sexual risk (i.e., alcohol use before sex; inconsistent condom use with a male regular partner, a male causal partner, and a male paying partner; and having multiple sexual partners) between latent profiles. Five distinct profiles of Indian TGW were identified based on the type and severity of victimization: (1) Low victimization, (2) High verbal police victimization, (3) High verbal and physical police victimization, (4) Moderate victimization, and (5) High victimization. While controlling for age, education, income, HIV status, and marital status, results revealed that TGW in the moderate victimization and high victimization profiles had higher sexual risk than TGW in the low victimization and high verbal police victimization profiles. In addition, TGW in high verbal and physical police victimization profile had higher sexual risk than TGW in low victimization profile. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring sexual risk reduction interventions to the specific needs of TGW based on patterns of victimization.

Phonological memory in sign language relies on the visuomotor neural system outside the left hemisphere language network.

PubMed

Kanazawa, Yuji; Nakamura, Kimihiro; Ishii, Toru; Aso, Toshihiko; Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Omori, Koichi

2017-01-01

Sign language is an essential medium for everyday social interaction for deaf people and plays a critical role in verbal learning. In particular, language development in those people should heavily rely on the verbal short-term memory (STM) via sign language. Most previous studies compared neural activations during signed language processing in deaf signers and those during spoken language processing in hearing speakers. For sign language users, it thus remains unclear how visuospatial inputs are converted into the verbal STM operating in the left-hemisphere language network. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigated neural activation while bilinguals of spoken and signed language were engaged in a sequence memory span task. On each trial, participants viewed a nonsense syllable sequence presented either as written letters or as fingerspelling (4-7 syllables in length) and then held the syllable sequence for 12 s. Behavioral analysis revealed that participants relied on phonological memory while holding verbal information regardless of the type of input modality. At the neural level, this maintenance stage broadly activated the left-hemisphere language network, including the inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, for both letter and fingerspelling conditions. Interestingly, while most participants reported that they relied on phonological memory during maintenance, direct comparisons between letters and fingers revealed strikingly different patterns of neural activation during the same period. Namely, the effortful maintenance of fingerspelling inputs relative to letter inputs activated the left superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor area, i.e., brain regions known to play a role in visuomotor analysis of hand/arm movements. These findings suggest that the dorsal visuomotor neural system subserves verbal learning via sign language by relaying gestural inputs to the classical left-hemisphere language network.

The Genetic Counseling Video Project (GCVP): models of practice.

PubMed

Roter, D; Ellington, L; Erby, L Hamby; Larson, S; Dudley, W

2006-11-15

Genetic counseling is conceptualized as having both "teaching" and "counseling" functions; however, little is known about how these functions are articulated in routine practice. This study addresses the question by documenting, on videotape, the practices of a national sample of prenatal and cancer genetic counselors (GCs) providing routine pre-test counseling to simulated clients (SCs). One hundred and seventy-seven GCs recruited at two annual conferences of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) were randomly assigned to counsel one of six female SCs of varying ethnicity, with or without a spouse, in their specialty. One hundred and fifty-two videotapes were coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) and both GCs and SCs completed evaluative questionnaires. Two teaching and two counseling patterns of practice emerged from cluster analysis. The teaching patterns included: (1) clinical teaching (31%) characterized by low psychosocial, emotional and facilitative talk, high levels of clinical exchange, and high verbal dominance; and (2) psycho-educational teaching (27%) characterized by high levels of both clinical and psychosocial exchange, low levels of emotional and facilitative talk, and higher verbal dominance. The counseling patterns included: (1) supportive counseling (33%) characterized by low psychosocial and clinical exchange, high levels of emotional and facilitative talk, and low verbal dominance; and (2) psychosocial counseling (9%) with high emotional and facilitative talk, low clinical and high psychosocial exchange, and the lowest verbal dominance. SCs ratings of satisfaction with communication, the counselor's affective demeanor, and the counselor's use of non-verbal skills were highest for the counseling model sessions. Both the teaching and counseling models seem to be represented in routine practice and predict variation in client satisfaction, affective demeanor, and nonverbal effectiveness. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evoked Emotions Predict Food Choice

PubMed Central

Dalenberg, Jelle R.; Gutjar, Swetlana; ter Horst, Gert J.; de Graaf, Kees; Renken, Remco J.; Jager, Gerry

2014-01-01

In the current study we show that non-verbal food-evoked emotion scores significantly improve food choice prediction over merely liking scores. Previous research has shown that liking measures correlate with choice. However, liking is no strong predictor for food choice in real life environments. Therefore, the focus within recent studies shifted towards using emotion-profiling methods that successfully can discriminate between products that are equally liked. However, it is unclear how well scores from emotion-profiling methods predict actual food choice and/or consumption. To test this, we proposed to decompose emotion scores into valence and arousal scores using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and apply Multinomial Logit Models (MLM) to estimate food choice using liking, valence, and arousal as possible predictors. For this analysis, we used an existing data set comprised of liking and food-evoked emotions scores from 123 participants, who rated 7 unlabeled breakfast drinks. Liking scores were measured using a 100-mm visual analogue scale, while food-evoked emotions were measured using 2 existing emotion-profiling methods: a verbal and a non-verbal method (EsSense Profile and PrEmo, respectively). After 7 days, participants were asked to choose 1 breakfast drink from the experiment to consume during breakfast in a simulated restaurant environment. Cross validation showed that we were able to correctly predict individualized food choice (1 out of 7 products) for over 50% of the participants. This number increased to nearly 80% when looking at the top 2 candidates. Model comparisons showed that evoked emotions better predict food choice than perceived liking alone. However, the strongest predictive strength was achieved by the combination of evoked emotions and liking. Furthermore we showed that non-verbal food-evoked emotion scores more accurately predict food choice than verbal food-evoked emotions scores. PMID:25521352

Evoked emotions predict food choice.

PubMed

Dalenberg, Jelle R; Gutjar, Swetlana; Ter Horst, Gert J; de Graaf, Kees; Renken, Remco J; Jager, Gerry

2014-01-01

In the current study we show that non-verbal food-evoked emotion scores significantly improve food choice prediction over merely liking scores. Previous research has shown that liking measures correlate with choice. However, liking is no strong predictor for food choice in real life environments. Therefore, the focus within recent studies shifted towards using emotion-profiling methods that successfully can discriminate between products that are equally liked. However, it is unclear how well scores from emotion-profiling methods predict actual food choice and/or consumption. To test this, we proposed to decompose emotion scores into valence and arousal scores using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and apply Multinomial Logit Models (MLM) to estimate food choice using liking, valence, and arousal as possible predictors. For this analysis, we used an existing data set comprised of liking and food-evoked emotions scores from 123 participants, who rated 7 unlabeled breakfast drinks. Liking scores were measured using a 100-mm visual analogue scale, while food-evoked emotions were measured using 2 existing emotion-profiling methods: a verbal and a non-verbal method (EsSense Profile and PrEmo, respectively). After 7 days, participants were asked to choose 1 breakfast drink from the experiment to consume during breakfast in a simulated restaurant environment. Cross validation showed that we were able to correctly predict individualized food choice (1 out of 7 products) for over 50% of the participants. This number increased to nearly 80% when looking at the top 2 candidates. Model comparisons showed that evoked emotions better predict food choice than perceived liking alone. However, the strongest predictive strength was achieved by the combination of evoked emotions and liking. Furthermore we showed that non-verbal food-evoked emotion scores more accurately predict food choice than verbal food-evoked emotions scores.

Finger tapping and verbal fluency post-tap test improvement in INPH: its value in differential diagnosis and shunt-treatment outcomes prognosis.

PubMed

Liouta, Evangelia; Gatzonis, Stylianos; Kalamatianos, Theodosis; Kalyvas, Aristotelis; Koutsarnakis, Christos; Liakos, Faidon; Anagnostopoulos, Christos; Komaitis, Spyridon; Giakoumettis, Dimitris; Stranjalis, George

2017-12-01

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) diagnosis is challenging as it can be mimicked by other neurological conditions, such as neurodegenerative dementia and motor syndromes. Additionally, outcomes after lumbar puncture (LP) tap test and shunt treatment may vary due to the lack of a common protocol in INPH assessment. The present study aimed to assess whether a post-LP test amelioration of frontal cognitive dysfunctions, characterizing this syndrome, can differentiate INPH from similar neurological conditions and whether this improvement can predict INPH post-shunt outcomes. Seventy-one consecutive patients referred for INPH suspicion and LP testing, were enrolled. According to the consensus guidelines criteria, 29 patients were diagnosed as INPH and 42 were assigned an alternative diagnosis (INPH-like group) after reviewing clinical, neuropsychological and imaging data, and before LP results. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment for frontal executive, upper extremity fine motor functions, aphasias, apraxias, agnosias and gait evaluation were administered at baseline. Executive, fine motor functions and gait were re-examined post-LP test in all patients and post-shunt placement in INPH patients. Of the INPH patients, 86.2% showed cognitive amelioration in the post-LP test; in addition, all but one (97%) presented with neurocognitive and gait improvement post-shunt. Verbal phonological fluency and finger tapping task post-LP improvement predicted positive clinical outcome post-shunt. None of the INPH-like group presented with neurocognitive improvement post-LP. Post-LP amelioration of verbal fluency and finger tapping deficits can differentiate INPH from similar disorders and predict positive post-shunt clinical outcome in INPH. This becomes of great importance when gait assessment is difficult to perform in clinical practice.

Non-invasive characterization of real-time bladder sensation using accelerated hydration and a novel sensation meter: An initial experience

PubMed Central

Nagle, Anna S.; Speich, John E.; De Wachter, Stefan G.; Ghamarian, Peter P.; Le, David M.; Colhoun, Andrew F.; Ratz, Paul H.; Barbee, Robert W.; Klausner, Adam P.

2016-01-01

AIMS The purpose of this investigation was to develop a non-invasive, objective, and unprompted method to characterize real-time bladder sensation. METHODS Volunteers with and without overactive bladder (OAB) were prospectively enrolled in a preliminary accelerated hydration study. Participants drank 2L Gatorade-G2® and recorded real-time sensation (0–100% scale) and standardized verbal sensory thresholds using a novel, touch-screen “sensation meter.” 3D bladder ultrasound images were recorded throughout fillings for a subset of participants. Sensation data were recorded for two consecutive complete fill-void cycles. RESULTS Data from 14 normal and 12 OAB participants were obtained (ICIq-OAB-5a = 0 vs. ≥3). Filling duration decreased in fill2 compared to fill1, but volume did not significantly change. In normals, adjacent verbal sensory thresholds (within fill) showed no overlap, and identical thresholds (between fill) were similar, demonstrating effective differentiation between degrees of %bladder capacity. In OAB, within-fill overlaps and between-fill differences were identified. Real-time %capacity-sensation curves left shifted from fill1 to fill2 in normals, consistent with expected viscoelastic behavior, but unexpectedly right shifted in OAB. 3D ultrasound volume data showed that fill rates started slowly and ramped up with variable end points. CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a non-invasive means to evaluate real-time bladder sensation using a two-fill accelerated hydration protocol and a sensation meter. Verbal thresholds were inconsistent in OAB, and the right shift in OAB %capacity–sensation curve suggests potential biomechanical and/or sensitization changes. This methodology could be used to gain valuable information on different forms of OAB in a completely non-invasive way. PMID:27654469

A pilot study on the benefit of cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Adamski, Natalia; Adler, Matthias; Opwis, Klaus; Penner, Iris-Katharina

2016-01-01

Purpose: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) show inefficiencies in cognitive performance including working memory functions. Since these problems impact on quality of life and overall well-being, the current study was aimed at improving patients’ situations by evaluating the computerized cognitive training tool, BrainStim. Method: A total of 19 healthy controls (HCs) and six patients with PD were included in the study. While all PD patients received cognitive training, the HC sample was subdivided into 12 subjects with training (HC-T) and 10 subjects without (HC-NT). Participants underwent a double baseline assessment, a post-training assessment, and a 3-month follow up on neuropsychological tests and self-report measures on fatigue and depression. Training was administered between the second baseline and postassessment. It comprised 16 supervised sessions according to a standardized training protocol over 4 weeks. Results: Significant improvements in verbal and visuospatial short-term and long-term memory were found in both training groups. In addition, the HC-T improved on mental speed, and verbal and visuospatial working memory. Both training groups showed stable results for all short-term visuospatial measures after 3 months. Further, the HC-T showed stable results for working memory, verbal, and visuospatial short-term and long-term memory. Conclusions: The efficacy of the applied computerized cognitive training tool BrainStim could be verified in patients with PD and healthy age-matched controls. The preliminary findings highlighted the suitability of a specific cognitive intervention to improve cognitive inefficiencies in patients with PD as well as in healthy older people. Further research on cognitive training in combination with PD drug therapy is needed to better understand the mutual interaction and to offer optimal therapeutic approaches to patients. PMID:27134671

Non-invasive characterization of real-time bladder sensation using accelerated hydration and a novel sensation meter: An initial experience.

PubMed

Nagle, Anna S; Speich, John E; De Wachter, Stefan G; Ghamarian, Peter P; Le, David M; Colhoun, Andrew F; Ratz, Paul H; Barbee, Robert W; Klausner, Adam P

2017-06-01

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a non-invasive, objective, and unprompted method to characterize real-time bladder sensation. Volunteers with and without overactive bladder (OAB) were prospectively enrolled in a preliminary accelerated hydration study. Participants drank 2L Gatorade-G2® and recorded real-time sensation (0-100% scale) and standardized verbal sensory thresholds using a novel, touch-screen "sensation meter." 3D bladder ultrasound images were recorded throughout fillings for a subset of participants. Sensation data were recorded for two consecutive complete fill-void cycles. Data from 14 normal and 12 OAB participants were obtained (ICIq-OAB-5a = 0 vs. ≥3). Filling duration decreased in fill2 compared to fill1, but volume did not significantly change. In normals, adjacent verbal sensory thresholds (within fill) showed no overlap, and identical thresholds (between fill) were similar, demonstrating effective differentiation between degrees of %bladder capacity. In OAB, within-fill overlaps and between-fill differences were identified. Real-time %capacity-sensation curves left shifted from fill1 to fill2 in normals, consistent with expected viscoelastic behavior, but unexpectedly right shifted in OAB. 3D ultrasound volume data showed that fill rates started slowly and ramped up with variable end points. This study establishes a non-invasive means to evaluate real-time bladder sensation using a two-fill accelerated hydration protocol and a sensation meter. Verbal thresholds were inconsistent in OAB, and the right shift in OAB %capacity-sensation curve suggests potential biomechanical and/or sensitization changes. This methodology could be used to gain valuable information on different forms of OAB in a completely non-invasive way. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Processes of Skill Performance: A Foundation for the Design and Use of Training Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

F. I. M., & Lockhart , R. S. Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1972, 11. 671-784...knowledge regarding the basic processes , the kinds and levels of information to be sought in examining individual skills can be Identified. Analysis of...explaining what is involved In even the simple compass example would require analyses of cognitive processes that go far beyond the level of

Supporting Battlefield Situation Assessment Through Attention Guidance and Diagnostic Aiding: A Cost-Benefit and Depth of Processing Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-01

conceptual framework proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972) offers a useful approach for examining depth of processing in an information integration task... processing ( Craik & Lockhart , 1972) for a particular unit (i.e., whether cueing decreased target sensitivity) (Yeh & Wickens, 2001). It was also predicted...F.I.M. & Lockhart , R.S. (1972). Levels of processing : A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 671-684

Engineering Data Compendium. Human Perception and Performance. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

Wagener, & G. E. Herman. Binaural analysis in the aging auditory system. 1978, 33. 8.316, Fig. I: From K. D. Kryter, Effects of ear protective...Amplitude distortion, 8.313 Articulation index. 8.317 Articulatory features, 8.205 Aspiration, 8.207 Attention, divided, 8.120 Binaural unmasking, 8.312...8.125-8.128 Transfer of training. 8.120 Unmasking, binaural , 8.312, 8.314, 8.315 Verbal memory. 8.101 Verbal recall. 8.311 Visual field location

Metaphor in pictures.

PubMed

Kennedy, J M

1982-01-01

Pictures can be literal or metaphoric. Metaphoric pictures involve intended violations of standard modes of depiction that are universally recognizable. The types of metaphoric pictures correspond to major groups of verbal metaphors, with the addition of a class of pictorial runes. Often the correspondence between verbal and pictorial metaphors depends on individual features of objects and such physical parameters as change of scale. A more sophisticated analysis is required for some pictorial metaphors, involving juxtapositions of well-known objects and indirect reference.

VBM-DTI correlates of verbal intelligence: a potential link to Broca's area.

PubMed

Konrad, Andreas; Vucurevic, Goran; Musso, Francesco; Winterer, Georg

2012-04-01

Human brain lesion studies first investigated the biological roots of cognitive functions including language in the late 1800s. Neuroimaging studies have reported correlation findings with general intelligence predominantly in fronto-parietal cortical areas. However, there is still little evidence about the relationship between verbal intelligence and structural properties of the brain. We predicted that verbal performance is related to language regions of Broca's and Wernicke's areas. Verbal intelligence quotient (vIQ) was assessed in 30 healthy young subjects. T1-weighted MRI and diffusion tensor imaging data sets were acquired. Voxel-wise regression analyses were used to correlate fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity values with vIQ. Moreover, regression analyses of regional brain volume with vIQ were performed adopting voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and ROI methodology. Our analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between vIQ and FA and a significant positive correlation between vIQ and mean diffusivity in the left-hemispheric Broca's area. VBM regression analyses did not show significant results, whereas a subsequent ROI analysis of Broca's area FA peak cluster demonstrated a positive correlation of gray matter volume and vIQ. These findings suggest that cortical thickness in Broca's area contributes to verbal intelligence. Diffusion parameters predicted gray matter ratio in Broca's area more sensitive than VBM methodology.

How do family physicians communicate about cardiovascular risk? Frequencies and determinants of different communication formats.

PubMed

Neuner-Jehle, Stefan; Senn, Oliver; Wegwarth, Odette; Rosemann, Thomas; Steurer, Johann

2011-04-05

Patients understand information about risk better if it is communicated in numerical or visual formats (e.g. graphs) compared to verbal qualifiers only. How frequently different communication formats are used in clinical primary care settings is unknown. We collected socioeconomic and patient understanding data using questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations about cardiovascular disease risk. The frequencies of the communication formats were calculated and multivariate regression analysis of associations between communication formats, patient and general practitioner characteristics, and patient subjective understanding was performed. In 73% of 70 consultations, verbal qualifiers were used exclusively to communicate cardiovascular risk, compared to numerical (11%) and visual (16%) formats. Female GPs and female patient's gender were significantly associated with a higher use of verbal formats compared to visual formats (p=0.001 and p=0.039, respectively). Patient subjective understanding was significantly higher in visual counseling compared to verbal counseling (p=0.001). Verbal qualifiers are the most often used communication format, though recommendations favor numerical and visual formats, with visual formats resulting in better understanding than others. Also, gender is associated with the choice of communication format. Barriers against numerical and visual communication formats among GPs and patients should be studied, including gender aspects. Adequate risk communication should be integrated into physicians' education.

Validity of the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR): effort considered in a clinical sample of U.S. military veterans.

PubMed

Whitney, Kriscinda A; Shepard, Polly H; Mariner, Jennifer; Mossbarger, Brad; Herman, Steven M

2010-07-01

The current study represents an examination of the construct validity of the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR) among a sample of U.S. military veterans referred for outpatient neuropsychological evaluation that included a measure of negative response bias, namely, the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). This retrospective data analysis examined the relationship between the WTAR and measures of current verbal general intellectual function and current cognitive skills. Findings showed that, among patients passing the TOMM (N = 98), WTAR scores were most highly correlated with current verbal IQ but also showed significant correlations with verbal memory and lesser, but still significant, correlations with measures of visual-spatial memory. Discriminant validity for the WTAR was also shown among the group passing the TOMM in the sense that the WTAR, which is designed to measure verbal premorbid general intellectual skill, was not as highly correlated with measures of learning and memory as was a measure of current verbal general intellectual skill. Whereas scores on most study measures did significantly differ between the groups that passed versus failed the TOMM (N = 26), scores on the WTAR did not, suggesting that the WTAR may remain robust even in the face of suboptimal effort.

A neurodevelopmental approach to understanding memory processes among intellectually gifted youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Whitaker, Ashley M; Bell, Terece S; Houskamp, Beth M; O'Callaghan, Erin T

2015-01-01

Intellectual giftedness is associated with strong strategic verbal memory while attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with strategic verbal memory deficits; however, no previous research has explored how this contradiction manifests in gifted populations with diagnoses of ADHD. The purpose of this study was to explore strategic verbal memory processes among intellectually gifted youth with and without ADHD to provide clarification regarding this specific aspect of neuropsychological functioning within this population. One hundred twenty-five youth completed neuropsychological evaluations including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition and California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C). Results revealed significant differences between groups, with intellectually gifted youth with ADHD achieving lower T scores on CVLT-C Trials 1 through 5 compared with intellectually gifted youth without ADHD, and intellectually gifted youth with ADHD achieving higher T scores than youth of average intellectual abilities with ADHD. Additionally, repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a main effect improvement among gifted youth with ADHD in short-delay recall when provided with organizational cues. Findings revealed new evidence about the role of twice exceptionality (specifically intellectual giftedness and ADHD) in strategic verbal memory and have important implications for parents, educators, psychologists and neuropsychologists, and other mental health professionals working with this population.

Why Verbalization of Non-Verbal Memory Reduces Recognition Accuracy: A Computational Approach to Verbal Overshadowing.

PubMed

Hatano, Aya; Ueno, Taiji; Kitagami, Shinji; Kawaguchi, Jun

2015-01-01

Verbal overshadowing refers to a phenomenon whereby verbalization of non-verbal stimuli (e.g., facial features) during the maintenance phase (after the target information is no longer available from the sensory inputs) impairs subsequent non-verbal recognition accuracy. Two primary mechanisms have been proposed for verbal overshadowing, namely the recoding interference hypothesis, and the transfer-inappropriate processing shift. The former assumes that verbalization renders non-verbal representations less accurate. In contrast, the latter assumes that verbalization shifts processing operations to a verbal mode and increases the chance of failing to return to non-verbal, face-specific processing operations (i.e., intact, yet inaccessible non-verbal representations). To date, certain psychological phenomena have been advocated as inconsistent with the recoding-interference hypothesis. These include a decline in non-verbal memory performance following verbalization of non-target faces, and occasional failures to detect a significant correlation between the accuracy of verbal descriptions and the non-verbal memory performance. Contrary to these arguments against the recoding interference hypothesis, however, the present computational model instantiated core processing principles of the recoding interference hypothesis to simulate face recognition, and nonetheless successfully reproduced these behavioral phenomena, as well as the standard verbal overshadowing. These results demonstrate the plausibility of the recoding interference hypothesis to account for verbal overshadowing, and suggest there is no need to implement separable mechanisms (e.g., operation-specific representations, different processing principles, etc.). In addition, detailed inspections of the internal processing of the model clarified how verbalization rendered internal representations less accurate and how such representations led to reduced recognition accuracy, thereby offering a computationally grounded explanation. Finally, the model also provided an explanation as to why some studies have failed to report verbal overshadowing. Thus, the present study suggests it is not constructive to discuss whether verbal overshadowing exists or not in an all-or-none manner, and instead suggests a better experimental paradigm to further explore this phenomenon.

Why Verbalization of Non-Verbal Memory Reduces Recognition Accuracy: A Computational Approach to Verbal Overshadowing

PubMed Central

Hatano, Aya; Ueno, Taiji; Kitagami, Shinji; Kawaguchi, Jun

2015-01-01

Verbal overshadowing refers to a phenomenon whereby verbalization of non-verbal stimuli (e.g., facial features) during the maintenance phase (after the target information is no longer available from the sensory inputs) impairs subsequent non-verbal recognition accuracy. Two primary mechanisms have been proposed for verbal overshadowing, namely the recoding interference hypothesis, and the transfer-inappropriate processing shift. The former assumes that verbalization renders non-verbal representations less accurate. In contrast, the latter assumes that verbalization shifts processing operations to a verbal mode and increases the chance of failing to return to non-verbal, face-specific processing operations (i.e., intact, yet inaccessible non-verbal representations). To date, certain psychological phenomena have been advocated as inconsistent with the recoding-interference hypothesis. These include a decline in non-verbal memory performance following verbalization of non-target faces, and occasional failures to detect a significant correlation between the accuracy of verbal descriptions and the non-verbal memory performance. Contrary to these arguments against the recoding interference hypothesis, however, the present computational model instantiated core processing principles of the recoding interference hypothesis to simulate face recognition, and nonetheless successfully reproduced these behavioral phenomena, as well as the standard verbal overshadowing. These results demonstrate the plausibility of the recoding interference hypothesis to account for verbal overshadowing, and suggest there is no need to implement separable mechanisms (e.g., operation-specific representations, different processing principles, etc.). In addition, detailed inspections of the internal processing of the model clarified how verbalization rendered internal representations less accurate and how such representations led to reduced recognition accuracy, thereby offering a computationally grounded explanation. Finally, the model also provided an explanation as to why some studies have failed to report verbal overshadowing. Thus, the present study suggests it is not constructive to discuss whether verbal overshadowing exists or not in an all-or-none manner, and instead suggests a better experimental paradigm to further explore this phenomenon. PMID:26061046

Conducting research with minimally verbal participants with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Tager-Flusberg, Helen; Plesa Skwerer, Daniela; Joseph, Robert M; Brukilacchio, Brianna; Decker, Jessica; Eggleston, Brady; Meyer, Steven; Yoder, Anne

2017-10-01

A growing number of research groups are now including older minimally verbal individuals with autism spectrum disorder in their studies to encompass the full range of heterogeneity in the population. There are numerous barriers that prevent researchers from collecting high-quality data from these individuals, in part because of the challenging behaviors with which they present alongside their very limited means for communication. In this article, we summarize the practices that we have developed, based on applied behavioral analysis techniques, and have used in our ongoing research on behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological studies of minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Our goal is to provide the field with useful guidelines that will promote the inclusion of the entire spectrum of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in future research investigations.

Teaching adolescents with severe disabilities to use the public telephone.

PubMed

Test, D W; Spooner, F; Keul, P K; Grossi, T

1990-04-01

Two adolescents with severe disabilities served as participants in a study conducted to train in the use of the public telephone to call home. Participants were trained to complete a 17-step task analysis using a training package which consisted of total task presentation in conjunction with a four-level prompting procedure (i.e., independent, verbal, verbal + gesture, verbal + guidance). All instruction took place in a public setting (e.g., a shopping mall) with generalization probes taken in two alternative settings (e.g., a movie theater and a convenience store). A multiple probe across individuals design demonstrated the training package was successful in teaching participants to use the telephone to call home. In addition, newly acquired skills generalized to the two untrained settings. Implications for community-based training are discussed.

Right hemisphere damage: Communication processing in adults evaluated by the Brazilian Protocole MEC – Bateria MAC

PubMed Central

Fonseca, Rochele Paz; Fachel, Jandyra Maria Guimarães; Chaves, Márcia Lorena Fagundes; Liedtke, Francéia Veiga; Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta

2007-01-01

Right-brain-damaged individuals may present discursive, pragmatic, lexical-semantic and/or prosodic disorders. Objective To verify the effect of right hemisphere damage on communication processing evaluated by the Brazilian version of the Protocole Montréal d’Évaluation de la Communication (Montreal Communication Evaluation Battery) – Bateria Montreal de Avaliação da Comunicação, Bateria MAC, in Portuguese. Methods A clinical group of 29 right-brain-damaged participants and a control group of 58 non-brain-damaged adults formed the sample. A questionnaire on sociocultural and health aspects, together with the Brazilian MAC Battery was administered. Results Significant differences between the clinical and control groups were observed in the following MAC Battery tasks: conversational discourse, unconstrained, semantic and orthographic verbal fluency, linguistic prosody repetition, emotional prosody comprehension, repetition and production. Moreover, the clinical group was less homogeneous than the control group. Conclusions A right-brain-damage effect was identified directly, on three communication processes: discursive, lexical-semantic and prosodic processes, and indirectly, on pragmatic process. PMID:29213400

Three approaches to investigating the multidimensional nature of a science assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gokiert, Rebecca Jayne

The purpose of this study was to investigate a multi-method approach for collecting validity evidence about the underlying knowledge and skills measured by a large-scale science assessment. The three approaches included analysis of dimensionality, differential item functioning (DIF), and think-aloud interviews. The specific research questions addressed were: (1) Does the 4-factor model previously found by Hamilton et al. (1995) for the grade 8 sample explain the data? (2) Do the performances of male and female students systematically differ? Are these performance differences captured in the dimensions? (3) Can think-aloud reports aid in the generation of hypotheses about the underlying knowledge and skills that are measured by this test? A confirmatory factor analysis of the 4-factor model revealed good model data fit for both the AB and AC tests. Twenty-four of the 83 AB test items and 16 of the 77 AC test items displayed significant DIF, however, items were found, on average, to favour both males and females equally. There were some systematic differences found across the 4-factors; items favouring males tended to be related to earth and space sciences, stereotypical male related activities, and numerical operations. Conversely, females were found to outperform males on items that required careful reading and attention to detail. Concurrent and retrospective verbal reports (Ericsson & Simon, 1993) were collected from 16 grade 8 students (9 male and 7 female) while they solved 12 DIF items. Four general cognitive processing themes were identified from the student protocols that could be used to explain male and female problem solving. The themes included comprehension (verbal and visual), visualization, background knowledge/experience (school or life), and strategy use. There were systematic differences in cognitive processing between the students that answered the items correctly and the students who answered the items incorrectly; however, this did not always correspond with the statistical gender DIF results. Although the multifaceted approach produced interpretable and meaningful validity evidence about the knowledge and skills, these forms of validity evidence only begin to provide a basic understanding of the underlying construct(s) that are being measured.

From the analysis of verbal data to the analysis of organizations: organizing as a dialogical process.

PubMed

Lorino, Philippe

2014-12-01

The analysis of conversational turn-taking and its implications on time (the speaker cannot completely anticipate the future effects of her/his speech) and sociality (the speech is co-produced by the various speakers rather than by the speaking individual) can provide a useful basis to analyze complex organizing processes and collective action: the actor cannot completely anticipate the future effects of her/his acts and the act is co-produced by multiple actors. This translation from verbal to broader classes of interaction stresses the performativity of speeches, the importance of the situation, the role of semiotic mediations to make temporally and spatially distant "ghosts" present in the dialog, and the dissymmetrical relationship between successive conversational turns, due to temporal irreversibility.

Language Networks Associated with Computerized Semantic Indices

PubMed Central

Pakhomov, Serguei V. S.; Jones, David T.; Knopman, David S.

2014-01-01

Tests of generative semantic verbal fluency are widely used to study organization and representation of concepts in the human brain. Previous studies demonstrated that clustering and switching behavior during verbal fluency tasks is supported by multiple brain mechanisms associated with semantic memory and executive control. Previous work relied on manual assessments of semantic relatedness between words and grouping of words into semantic clusters. We investigated a computational linguistic approach to measuring the strength of semantic relatedness between words based on latent semantic analysis of word co-occurrences in a subset of a large online encyclopedia. We computed semantic clustering indices and compared them to brain network connectivity measures obtained with task-free fMRI in a sample consisting of healthy participants and those differentially affected by cognitive impairment. We found that semantic clustering indices were associated with brain network connectivity in distinct areas including fronto-temporal, fronto-parietal and fusiform gyrus regions. This study shows that computerized semantic indices complement traditional assessments of verbal fluency to provide a more complete account of the relationship between brain and verbal behavior involved organization and retrieval of lexical information from memory. PMID:25315785

Verbal and Visual Memory Impairments in Bipolar I and II Disorder.

PubMed

Ha, Tae Hyon; Kim, Ji Sun; Chang, Jae Seung; Oh, Sung Hee; Her, Ju Young; Cho, Hyun Sang; Park, Tae Sung; Shin, Soon Young; Ha, Kyooseob

2012-12-01

To compare verbal and visual memory performances between patients with bipolar I disorder (BD I) and patients with bipolar II disorder (BD II) and to determine whether memory deficits were mediated by impaired organizational strategies. Performances on the Korean-California Verbal Learning Test (K-CVLT) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) in 37 patients with BD I, 46 patients with BD II and 42 healthy subjects were compared. Mediating effects of impaired organization strategies on poor delayed recall was tested by comparing direct and mediated models using multiple regression analysis. Both patients groups recalled fewer words and figure components and showed lower Semantic Clustering compared to controls. Verbal memory impairment was partly mediated by difficulties in Semantic Clustering in both subtypes, whereas the mediating effect of Organization deficit on the visual memory impairment was present only in BD I. In all mediated models, group differences in delayed recall remained significant. Our findings suggest that memory impairment may be one of the fundamental cognitive deficits in bipolar disorders and that executive dysfunctions can exert an additional influence on memory impairments.

Interaction between MAOA and FOXP2 in association with autism and verbal communication in a Korean population.

PubMed

Park, YoungJoon; Won, SeongSik; Nam, Min; Chung, Joo-Ho; Kwack, KyuBum

2014-12-01

Expression levels of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), the enzyme that related to monoamine neurotransmitters metabolism such as serotonin, are related to schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2), a transcription factor, is associated with abnormal language development and is expressed in several areas of the central nervous system in response to serotonin. For this reason, we undertook interaction analysis between MAOA and FOXP2 in autism spectrum disorder, including testing the verbal communication score of the childhood autism rating scale. In interaction analysis, the FOXP2-TCGC (rs12531289-rs1350135-rs10230087-rs2061183) diplotype and MAOA-TCG (rs6323-rs1801291-rs3027407) haplotype were significantly associated with autism spectrum disorder in males. However, when the interaction term was omitted, neither MAOA nor FOXP2 was associated with autism spectrum disorder or verbal communication. These results indicate that language and speech ability is affected by an interaction between FOXP2 and MAOA, but not by either gene separately. © The Author(s) 2013.

Vividness of visual imagery and incidental recall of verbal cues, when phenomenological availability reflects long-term memory accessibility.

PubMed

D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Runge, Matthew; Faulkner, Andrew; Zakizadeh, Jila; Chan, Aldrich; Morcos, Selvana

2013-01-01

The relationship between vivid visual mental images and unexpected recall (incidental recall) was replicated, refined, and extended. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to generate mental images from imagery-evoking verbal cues (controlled on several verbal properties) and then, on a trial-by-trial basis, rate the vividness of their images; 30 min later, participants were surprised with a task requiring free recall of the cues. Higher vividness ratings predicted better incidental recall of the cues than individual differences (whose effect was modest). Distributional analysis of image latencies through ex-Gaussian modeling showed an inverse relation between vividness and latency. However, recall was unrelated to image latency. The follow-up Experiment 2 showed that the processes underlying trial-by-trial vividness ratings are unrelated to the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), as further supported by a meta-analysis of a randomly selected sample of relevant literature. The present findings suggest that vividness may act as an index of availability of long-term sensory traces, playing a non-epiphenomenal role in facilitating the access of those memories.

Vividness of Visual Imagery and Incidental Recall of Verbal Cues, When Phenomenological Availability Reflects Long-Term Memory Accessibility

PubMed Central

D’Angiulli, Amedeo; Runge, Matthew; Faulkner, Andrew; Zakizadeh, Jila; Chan, Aldrich; Morcos, Selvana

2013-01-01

The relationship between vivid visual mental images and unexpected recall (incidental recall) was replicated, refined, and extended. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to generate mental images from imagery-evoking verbal cues (controlled on several verbal properties) and then, on a trial-by-trial basis, rate the vividness of their images; 30 min later, participants were surprised with a task requiring free recall of the cues. Higher vividness ratings predicted better incidental recall of the cues than individual differences (whose effect was modest). Distributional analysis of image latencies through ex-Gaussian modeling showed an inverse relation between vividness and latency. However, recall was unrelated to image latency. The follow-up Experiment 2 showed that the processes underlying trial-by-trial vividness ratings are unrelated to the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), as further supported by a meta-analysis of a randomly selected sample of relevant literature. The present findings suggest that vividness may act as an index of availability of long-term sensory traces, playing a non-epiphenomenal role in facilitating the access of those memories. PMID:23382719

Reading disabilities in children: A selective meta-analysis of the cognitive literature.

PubMed

Kudo, Milagros F; Lussier, Cathy M; Swanson, H Lee

2015-05-01

This article synthesizes literature that compares the academic, cognitive, and behavioral performance of children with and without reading disabilities (RD). Forty-eight studies met the criteria for the meta-analysis, yielding 735 effect sizes (ESs) with an overall weighted ES of 0.98. Small to high ESs in favor of children without RD emerged on measures of cognition (rapid naming [ES = 0.89], phonological awareness [ES = 1.00], verbal working memory [ES = 0.79], short-term memory [ES = 0.56], visual-spatial memory [ES = 0.48], and executive processing [ES = 0.67]), academic achievement (pseudoword reading [ES = 1.85], math [ES = 1.20], vocabulary [ES = 0.83], spelling [ES = 1.25], and writing [ES = 1.20]), and behavior skills (ES = 0.80). Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that specific cognitive process measures (verbal working memory, visual-spatial memory, executive processing, and short-term memory) and intelligence measures (general and verbal intelligence) significantly moderated overall group effect size differences. Overall, the results supported the assumption that cognitive deficits in children with RD are persistent. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Standardization and validation of a parallel form of the verbal and non-verbal recognition memory test in an Italian population sample.

PubMed

Smirni, Daniela; Smirni, Pietro; Di Martino, Giovanni; Cipolotti, Lisa; Oliveri, Massimiliano; Turriziani, Patrizia

2018-05-04

In the neuropsychological assessment of several neurological conditions, recognition memory evaluation is requested. Recognition seems to be more appropriate than recall to study verbal and non-verbal memory, because interferences of psychological and emotional disorders are less relevant in the recognition than they are in recall memory paradigms. In many neurological disorders, longitudinal repeated assessments are needed to monitor the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs or pharmacological treatments on the recovery of memory. In order to contain the practice effect in repeated neuropsychological evaluations, it is necessary the use of parallel forms of the tests. Having two parallel forms of the same test, that kept administration procedures and scoring constant, is a great advantage in both clinical practice, for the monitoring of memory disorder, and in experimental practice, to allow the repeated evaluation of memory on healthy and neurological subjects. First aim of the present study was to provide normative values in an Italian sample (n = 160) for a parallel form of a verbal and non-verbal recognition memory battery. Multiple regression analysis revealed significant effects of age and education on recognition memory performance, whereas sex did not reach a significant probability level. Inferential cutoffs have been determined and equivalent scores computed. Secondly, the study aimed to validate the equivalence of the two parallel forms of the Recognition Memory Test. The correlations analyses between the total scores of the two versions of the test and correlation between the three subtasks revealed that the two forms are parallel and the subtasks are equivalent for difficulty.

Bullying Victimization and Suicide Ideation and Behavior Among Adolescents in Europe: A 10-Country Study.

PubMed

Barzilay, Shira; Brunstein Klomek, Anat; Apter, Alan; Carli, Vladimir; Wasserman, Camilla; Hadlaczky, Gergö; Hoven, Christina W; Sarchiapone, Marco; Balazs, Judit; Kereszteny, Agnes; Brunner, Romuald; Kaess, Michael; Bobes, Julio; Saiz, Pilar; Cosman, Doina; Haring, Christian; Banzer, Raphaela; Corcoran, Paul; Kahn, Jean-Pierre; Postuvan, Vita; Podlogar, Tina; Sisask, Merike; Varnik, Airi; Wasserman, Danuta

2017-08-01

To examine risk and protective factors moderating the associations between three types of bullying victimization (physical, verbal, and relational bullying) with suicide ideation/attempts in a large representative sample of European adolescents. We analyzed cross-sectional data on 11,110 students (mean age = 14.9, standard deviation = .89) recruited from 168 schools in 10 European Union countries involved in the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe study. A self-report questionnaire was used to measure victimization types, depression, anxiety, parental and peer support, and suicide ideation and attempts. For each outcome, we applied hierarchical nonlinear models controlling for sociodemographics. Prevalence of victimization was 9.4% physical, 36.1% verbal, and 33.0% relational. Boys were more likely to be physically and verbally victimized, whereas girls were more prone to relational victimization. Physical victimization was associated with suicide ideation, and relational victimization was associated with suicide attempts. Other associations between victimization and suicidality (ideation/attempts) were identified through analysis of interactions with additional risk and protective factors. Specifically, verbal victimization was associated with suicide ideation among adolescents with depression who perceived low parental support. Similarly, low peer support increased the associations between verbal victimization and suicide ideation. Verbal victimization was associated with suicide attempts among adolescents with anxiety who perceived low parental support. Findings support the development of prevention strategies for adolescent victims of bullying who may be at elevated risk for suicide ideation/behavior, by taking into account gender, the type of bullying, symptomatology, and availability of interpersonal support. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Unique and shared validity of the "Wechsler logical memory test", the "California verbal learning test", and the "verbal learning and memory test" in patients with epilepsy.

PubMed

Helmstaedter, Christoph; Wietzke, Jennifer; Lutz, Martin T

2009-12-01

This study was set-up to evaluate the construct validity of three verbal memory tests in epilepsy patients. Sixty-one consecutively evaluated patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) or extra-temporal epilepsy (E-TLE) underwent testing with the verbal learning and memory test (VLMT, the German equivalent of the Rey auditory verbal learning test, RAVLT); the California verbal learning test (CVLT); the logical memory and digit span subtests of the Wechsler memory scale, revised (WMS-R); and testing of intelligence, attention, speech and executive functions. Factor analysis of the memory tests resulted in test-specific rather than test over-spanning factors. Parameters of the CVLT and WMS-R, and to a much lesser degree of the VLMT, were highly correlated with attention, language function and vocabulary. Delayed recall measures of logical memory and the VLMT differentiated TLE from E-TLE. Learning and memory scores off all three tests differentiated mesial temporal sclerosis from other pathologies. A lateralization of the epilepsy was possible only for a subsample of 15 patients with mesial TLE. Although the three tests provide overlapping indicators for a temporal lobe epilepsy or a mesial pathology, they can hardly be taken in exchange. The tests have different demands on semantic processing and memory organization, and they appear differentially sensitive to performance in non-memory domains. The tests capability to lateralize appears to be poor. The findings encourage the further discussion of the dependency of memory outcomes on test selection.

Context, culture and (non-verbal) communication affect handover quality.

PubMed

Frankel, Richard M; Flanagan, Mindy; Ebright, Patricia; Bergman, Alicia; O'Brien, Colleen M; Franks, Zamal; Allen, Andrew; Harris, Angela; Saleem, Jason J

2012-12-01

Transfers of care, also known as handovers, remain a substantial patient safety risk. Although research on handovers has been done since the 1980s, the science is incomplete. Surprisingly few interventions have been rigorously evaluated and, of those that have, few have resulted in long-term positive change. Researchers, both in medicine and other high reliability industries, agree that face-to-face handovers are the most reliable. It is not clear, however, what the term face-to-face means in actual practice. We studied the use of non-verbal behaviours, including gesture, posture, bodily orientation, facial expression, eye contact and physical distance, in the delivery of information during face-to-face handovers. To address this question and study the role of non-verbal behaviour on the quality and accuracy of handovers, we videotaped 52 nursing, medicine and surgery handovers covering 238 patients. Videotapes were analysed using immersion/crystallisation methods of qualitative data analysis. A team of six researchers met weekly for 18 months to view videos together using a consensus-building approach. Consensus was achieved on verbal, non-verbal, and physical themes and patterns observed in the data. We observed four patterns of non-verbal behaviour (NVB) during handovers: (1) joint focus of attention; (2) 'the poker hand'; (3) parallel play and (4) kerbside consultation. In terms of safety, joint focus of attention was deemed to have the best potential for high quality and reliability; however, it occurred infrequently, creating opportunities for education and improvement. Attention to patterns of NVB in face-to-face handovers coupled with education and practice can improve quality and reliability.

Crucial Issues in the Applied Analysis of Verbal Behavior: Reflections on Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High

PubMed Central

Critchfield, Thomas S

2010-01-01

A popular-press self-help manual is reviewed with an eye toward two issues. First, the popularity of such books documents the existence of considerable demand for technologies that address the everyday problems (in the present case, troublesome conversations) of nondisordered individuals. Second, many ideas invoked in popular-press books may be interpretable within an analysis of verbal behavior, although much more than casual translation is required to develop technologies that outperform self-help manuals. I discuss several challenges relevant to research, theory refinement, technology development, and dissemination, and conclude that behavioral alternatives to existing popular-press resources may not emerge anytime soon. PMID:22477467

Birth order, family configuration, and verbal achievement.

PubMed

Breland, H M

1974-12-01

Two samples of National Merit Scholarship participants test in 1962 and the entire population of almost 800,000 participants tested in 1965 were examined. Consistent effects in all 3 groups were observed with respect to both birth order and family size (1st born and those of smaller families scored higher). Control of both socioeconomic variables and maternal age, by analysis of variance as well as by analysis of covariance, failed to alter the relationships. Stepdown analyses suggested that the effects were due to a verbal component and that no differences were attributable to nonverbal factors. Mean test scores were computed for detailed sibship configurations based on birth order, family size, sibling spacing, and sibling sex.

Developing the Coach Analysis and Intervention System (CAIS): establishing validity and reliability of a computerised systematic observation instrument.

PubMed

Cushion, Christopher; Harvey, Stephen; Muir, Bob; Nelson, Lee

2012-01-01

We outline the evolution of a computerised systematic observation tool and describe the process for establishing the validity and reliability of this new instrument. The Coach Analysis and Interventions System (CAIS) has 23 primary behaviours related to physical behaviour, feedback/reinforcement, instruction, verbal/non-verbal, questioning and management. The instrument also analyses secondary coach behaviour related to performance states, recipient, timing, content and questioning/silence. The CAIS is a multi-dimensional and multi-level mechanism able to provide detailed and contextualised data about specific coaching behaviours occurring in complex and nuanced coaching interventions and environments that can be applied to both practice sessions and competition.

Defining pediatric inpatient cardiology care delivery models: A survey of pediatric cardiology programs in the USA and Canada.

PubMed

Mott, Antonio R; Neish, Steven R; Challman, Melissa; Feltes, Timothy F

2017-05-01

The treatment of children with cardiac disease is one of the most prevalent and costly pediatric inpatient conditions. The design of inpatient medical services for children admitted to and discharged from noncritical cardiology care units, however, is undefined. North American Pediatric Cardiology Programs were surveyed to define noncritical cardiac care unit models in current practice. An online survey that explored institutional and functional domains for noncritical cardiac care unit was crafted. All questions were multi-choice with comment boxes for further explanation. The survey was distributed by email four times over a 5-month period. Most programs (n = 45, 60%) exist in free-standing children's hospitals. Most programs cohort cardiac patients on noncritical cardiac care units that are restricted to cardiac patients in 39 (54%) programs or restricted to cardiac and other subspecialty patients in 23 (32%) programs. The most common frontline providers are categorical pediatric residents (n = 58, 81%) and nurse practitioners (n = 48, 67%). However, nurse practitioners are autonomous providers in only 21 (29%) programs. Only 33% of programs use a postoperative fast-track protocol. When transitioning care to referring physicians, most programs (n = 53, 72%) use facsimile to deliver pertinent patient information. Twenty-two programs (31%) use email to transition care, and eighteen (25%) programs use verbal communication. Most programs exist in free-standing children's hospitals in which the noncritical cardiac care units are in some form restricted to cardiac patients. While nurse practitioners are used on most noncritical cardiac care units, they rarely function as autonomous providers. The majority of programs in this survey do not incorporate any postoperative fast-track protocols in their practice. Given the current era of focused handoffs within hospital systems, relatively few programs utilize verbal handoffs to the referring pediatric cardiologist/pediatrician. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sustainability of protocolized handover of pediatric cardiac surgery patients to the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Chenault, Kristin; Moga, Michael-Alice; Shin, Minah; Petersen, Emily; Backer, Carl; De Oliveira, Gildasio S; Suresh, Santhanam

2016-05-01

Transfer of patient care among clinicians (handovers) is a common source of medical errors. While the immediate efficacy of these initiatives is well documented, sustainability of practice changes that results in better processes of care is largely understudied. The objective of the current investigation was to evaluate the sustainability of a protocolized handover process in pediatric patients from the operating room after cardiac surgery to the intensive care unit. This was a prospective study with direct observation assessment of handover performance conducted in the cardiac ICU (CICU) of a free-standing, tertiary care children's hospital in the United States. Patient transitions from the operating room to the CICU, including the verbal handoff, were directly observed by a single independent observer in all phases of the study. A checklist of key elements identified errors classified as: (1) technical, (2) information omissions, and (3) realized errors. Total number of errors was compared across the different times of the study (preintervention, postintervention, and the current sustainability phase). A total of 119 handovers were studied: 41 preintervention, 38 postintervention, and 40 in the current sustainability phase. The median [Interquartile range (IQR)] number of technical errors was significantly reduced in the sustainability phase compared to the preintervention and postintervention phase, 2 (1-3), 6 (5-7), and 2.5 (2-4), respectively P = 0.0001. Similarly, the median (IQR) number of verbal information omissions was also significantly reduced in the sustainability phase compared to the preintervention and postintervention phases, 1 (1-1), 4 (3-5) and 2 (1-3), respectively. We demonstrate sustainability of an improved handover process using a checklist in children being transferred to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. Standardized handover processes can be a sustainable strategy to improve patient safety after pediatric cardiac surgery. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Neurofeedback-Based Enhancement of Single Trial Auditory Evoked Potentials: Feasibility in Healthy Subjects.

PubMed

Rieger, Kathryn; Rarra, Marie-Helene; Moor, Nicolas; Diaz Hernandez, Laura; Baenninger, Anja; Razavi, Nadja; Dierks, Thomas; Hubl, Daniela; Koenig, Thomas

2018-03-01

Previous studies showed a global reduction of the event-related potential component N100 in patients with schizophrenia, a phenomenon that is even more pronounced during auditory verbal hallucinations. This reduction assumingly results from dysfunctional activation of the primary auditory cortex by inner speech, which reduces its responsiveness to external stimuli. With this study, we tested the feasibility of enhancing the responsiveness of the primary auditory cortex to external stimuli with an upregulation of the event-related potential component N100 in healthy control subjects. A total of 15 healthy subjects performed 8 double-sessions of EEG-neurofeedback training over 2 weeks. The results of the used linear mixed effect model showed a significant active learning effect within sessions ( t = 5.99, P < .001) against an unspecific habituation effect that lowered the N100 amplitude over time. Across sessions, a significant increase in the passive condition ( t = 2.42, P = .03), named as carry-over effect, was observed. Given that the carry-over effect is one of the ultimate aims of neurofeedback, it seems reasonable to apply this neurofeedback training protocol to influence the N100 amplitude in patients with schizophrenia. This intervention could provide an alternative treatment option for auditory verbal hallucinations in these patients.

Insurance based lie detection: Enhancing the verifiability approach with a model statement component.

PubMed

Harvey, Adam C; Vrij, Aldert; Leal, Sharon; Lafferty, Marcus; Nahari, Galit

2017-03-01

The Verifiability Approach (VA) is verbal lie detection tool that has shown promise when applied to insurance claims settings. This study examined the effectiveness of incorporating a Model Statement comprised of checkable information to the VA protocol for enhancing the verbal differences between liars and truth tellers. The study experimentally manipulated supplementing (or withholding) the VA with a Model Statement. It was hypothesised that such a manipulation would (i) encourage truth tellers to provide more verifiable details than liars and (ii) encourage liars to report more unverifiable details than truth tellers (compared to the no model statement control). As a result, it was hypothesized that (iii) the model statement would improve classificatory accuracy of the VA. Participants reported 40 genuine and 40 fabricated insurance claim statements, in which half the liars and truth tellers where provided with a model statement as part of the VA procedure, and half where provide no model statement. All three hypotheses were supported. In terms of accuracy, the model statement increased classificatory rates by the VA considerably from 65.0% to 90.0%. Providing interviewee's with a model statement prime consisting of checkable detail appears to be a useful refinement to the VA procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Child Directed Interaction Training for Young Children in Kinship Care: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

N’zi, Amanda M.; Stevens, Monica L.; Eyberg, Sheila M.

2016-01-01

This pilot study used a randomized controlled trial design to examine the feasibility and explore initial outcomes of a twice weekly, 8-session Child Directed Interaction Training (CDIT) program for children living in kinship care. Participants included 14 grandmothers and great-grandmothers with their 2- to 7-year-old children randomized either to CDIT or a waitlist control condition. Training was delivered at a local, community library with high fidelity to the training protocol. There was no attrition in either condition. After training, kinship caregivers in the CDIT condition demonstrated more positive relationships with their children during behavioral observation. The caregivers in the CDIT condition also reported clinically and statistically significant decreases in parenting stress and caregiver depression, as well as fewer externalizing child behavior problems than waitlist controls. Parent daily report measures indicated significant changes in disciplining that included greater use of limit-setting and less use of critical verbal force. Results appeared stable at 3-month follow-up. Changes in child internalizing behaviors and caregiver use of non-critical verbal force were not seen until 3-month follow-up. Results of this pilot study suggest both the feasibility of conducting full scale randomized clinical trials of CDIT in the community and the promise of this approach for providing effective parent training for kinship caregivers. PMID:27012997

Deep versus periventricular white matter lesions and cognitive function in a community sample of middle-aged participants.

PubMed

Soriano-Raya, Juan José; Miralbell, Júlia; López-Cancio, Elena; Bargalló, Núria; Arenillas, Juan Francisco; Barrios, Maite; Cáceres, Cynthia; Toran, Pere; Alzamora, Maite; Dávalos, Antoni; Mataró, Maria

2012-09-01

The association of cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) with cognitive status is not well understood in middle-aged individuals. Our aim was to determine the specific contribution of periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) to cognitive function in a community sample of asymptomatic participants aged 50 to 65 years. One hundred stroke- and dementia-free adults completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and brain MRI protocol. Participants were classified according to PVH and DWMH scores (Fazekas scale). We dichotomized our sample into low grade WMLs (participants without or with mild lesions) and high grade WMLs (participants with moderate or severe lesions). Analyses were performed separately in PVH and DWMH groups. High grade DWMHs were associated with significantly lower scores in executive functioning (-0.45 standard deviations [SD]), attention (-0.42 SD), verbal fluency (-0.68 SD), visual memory (-0.52 SD), visuospatial skills (-0.79 SD), and psychomotor speed (-0.46 SD). Further analyses revealed that high grade DWMHs were also associated with a three- to fourfold increased risk of impaired scores (i.e.,<1.5 SD) in executive functioning, verbal fluency, visuospatial skills, and psychomotor speed. Our findings suggest that only DWMHs, not PVHs, are related to diminished cognitive function in middle-aged individuals. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1-12).

An approach to standardization of urine sediment analysis via suggestion of a common manual protocol.

PubMed

Ko, Dae-Hyun; Ji, Misuk; Kim, Sollip; Cho, Eun-Jung; Lee, Woochang; Yun, Yeo-Min; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2016-01-01

The results of urine sediment analysis have been reported semiquantitatively. However, as recent guidelines recommend quantitative reporting of urine sediment, and with the development of automated urine sediment analyzers, there is an increasing need for quantitative analysis of urine sediment. Here, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis and quantified the results. Based on questionnaires, various reports, guidelines, and experimental results, we developed a protocol for urine sediment analysis. The results of this new protocol were compared with those obtained with a standardized chamber and an automated sediment analyzer. Reference intervals were also estimated using new protocol. We developed a protocol with centrifugation at 400 g for 5 min, with the average concentration factor of 30. The correlation between quantitative results of urine sediment analysis, the standardized chamber, and the automated sediment analyzer were generally good. The conversion factor derived from the new protocol showed a better fit with the results of manual count than the default conversion factor in the automated sediment analyzer. We developed a protocol for manual urine sediment analysis to quantitatively report the results. This protocol may provide a mean for standardization of urine sediment analysis.

Effects of weight training on cognitive functions in elderly with Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Vital, Thays Martins; Hernández, Salma S. Soleman; Pedroso, Renata Valle; Teixeira, Camila Vieira Ligo; Garuffi, Marcelo; Stein, Angelica Miki; Costa, José Luiz Riani; Stella, Florindo

2012-01-01

Deterioration in cognitive functions is characteristic in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may be associated with decline in daily living activities with consequent reduced quality of life. Objective To analyze weight training effects on cognitive functions in elderly with AD. Subjects 34 elderly with AD were allocated into two groups: Training Group (TG) and Social Gathering Group (SGG). Methods Global cognitive status was determined using the Mini-Mental State Exam. Specific cognitive functions were measured using the Brief Cognitive Battery, Clock Drawing Test and Verbal Fluency Test. The protocols were performed three times a week, one hour per session. The weight training protocol consisted of three sets of 20 repetitions, with two minutes of rest between sets and exercises. The activities proposed for the SGG were not systematized and aimed at promoting social interaction among patients. The statistical analyses were performed with the U Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon tests for group comparisons. All analyses were considered statistically significant at a p-value of 0.05. Results There were no significant differences associated to the effects of the practice of weight training on cognition in AD patients. Conclusion In this study, no improvement in cognitive functions was evident in elderly with AD who followed a low intensity resistance exercise protocol. Thus, future studies could evaluate the effect of more intense exercise programs. PMID:29213805

Children with unilateral hearing loss may have lower intelligence quotient scores: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Purcell, Patricia L; Shinn, Justin R; Davis, Greg E; Sie, Kathleen C Y

2016-03-01

In this meta-analysis, we reviewed observational studies investigating differences in intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of children with unilateral hearing loss compared to children with normal hearing. PubMed Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, PsycINFO. A query identified all English-language studies related to pediatric unilateral hearing loss published between January 1980 and December 2014. Titles, abstracts, and articles were reviewed to identify observational studies reporting IQ scores. There were 261 unique titles, with 29 articles undergoing full review. Four articles were identified, which included 173 children with unilateral hearing loss and 202 children with normal hearing. Ages ranged from 6 to 18 years. Three studies were conducted in the United States and one in Mexico. All were of high quality. All studies reported full-scale IQ results; three reported verbal IQ results; and two reported performance IQ results. Children with unilateral hearing loss scored 6.3 points lower on full-scale IQ, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-9.1, -3.5], P value < 0.001; and 3.8 points lower on performance IQ, 95% CI [-7.3, -0.2], P value 0.04. When investigating verbal IQ, we detected substantial heterogeneity among studies; exclusion of the outlying study resulted in significant difference in verbal IQ of 4 points, 95% CI [-7.5, -0.4], P value 0.028. This meta-analysis suggests children with unilateral hearing loss have lower full-scale and performance IQ scores than children with normal hearing. There also may be disparity in verbal IQ scores. Laryngoscope, 126:746-754, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Investigation of Teachers' Verbal and Non-Verbal Strategies for Managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Students' Behaviours within a Classroom Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geng, Gretchen

2011-01-01

This paper investigated teachers' verbal and non-verbal strategies for managing ADHD students in a classroom environment. It was found that effective verbal and non-verbal strategies included voice control, short phrases, repeated instructions, using students' names, and visual cues and verbal instructions combined. It has been found that…

Statistical Learning in Specific Language Impairment: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lammertink, Imme; Boersma, Paul; Wijnen, Frank; Rispens, Judith

2017-01-01

Purpose: The current meta-analysis provides a quantitative overview of published and unpublished studies on statistical learning in the auditory verbal domain in people with and without specific language impairment (SLI). The database used for the meta-analysis is accessible online and open to updates (Community-Augmented Meta-Analysis), which…

The Network Protocol Analysis Technique in Snort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qing-Xiu

Network protocol analysis is a network sniffer to capture data for further analysis and understanding of the technical means necessary packets. Network sniffing is intercepted by packet assembly binary format of the original message content. In order to obtain the information contained. Required based on TCP / IP protocol stack protocol specification. Again to restore the data packets at protocol format and content in each protocol layer. Actual data transferred, as well as the application tier.

Quantification of upper limb position sense using an exoskeleton and a virtual reality display.

PubMed

Deblock-Bellamy, Anne; Batcho, Charles Sebiyo; Mercier, Catherine; Blanchette, Andreanne K

2018-03-16

Proprioceptive sense plays a significant role in the generation and correction of skilled movements and, consequently, in most activities of daily living. We developed a new proprioception assessment protocol that enables the quantification of elbow position sense without using the opposite arm, involving active movement of the evaluated limb or relying on working memory. The aims of this descriptive study were to validate this assessment protocol by quantifying the elbow position sense of healthy adults, before using it in individuals who sustained a stroke, and to investigate its test-retest reliability. Elbow joint position sense was quantified using a robotic device and a virtual reality system. Two assessments were performed, by the same evaluator, with a one-week interval. While the participant's arms and hands were occluded from vision, the exoskeleton passively moved the dominant arm from an initial to a target position. Then, a virtual arm representation was projected on a screen placed over the participant's arm. This virtual representation and the real arm were not perfectly superimposed, however. Participants had to indicate verbally the relative position of their arm (more flexed or more extended; two-alternative forced choice paradigm) compared to the virtual representation. Each participant completed a total of 136 trials, distributed in three phases. The angular differences between the participant's arm and the virtual representation ranged from 1° to 27° and changed pseudo-randomly across trials. No feedback about results was provided to the participants during the task. A discrimination threshold was statistically extracted from a sigmoid curve fit representing the relationship between the angular difference and the percentage of successful trials. Test-retest reliability was evaluated with 3 different complementary approaches, i.e. a Bland-Altman analysis, an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and a standard error of measurement (SEm). Thirty participants (24.6 years old; 17 males, 25 right-handed) completed both assessments. The mean discrimination thresholds were 7.0 ± 2.4 (mean ± standard deviation) and 5.9 ± 2.1 degrees for the first and the second assessment session, respectively. This small difference between assessments was significant (- 1.1 ± 2.2 degrees), however. The assessment protocol was characterized by a fair to good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.47). This study demonstrated the potential of this assessment protocol to objectively quantify elbow position sense in healthy individuals. Futures studies will validate this protocol in older adults and in individuals who sustained a stroke.

Aspects of conversational style—linguistic versus behavioral analysis

PubMed Central

Hall, Genae A.

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and “meaning” of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different “conversation styles”—that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches. PMID:22477048

Aspects of conversational style-linguistic versus behavioral analysis.

PubMed

Hall, G A

1992-01-01

Skinner's functional analysis of verbal behavior has been contrasted with formal linguistic analysis which studies the grammatical structure and "meaning" of verbal response-products, regardless of the circumstances under which they are produced. Nevertheless, it appears that certain areas of linguistic analysis are not entirely structural. In her recent books That's Not What I Meant (1986) and You Just Don't Understand (1990), the linguist Deborah Tannen purports to explain how people exhibit different "conversation styles"-that is, how they speak and achieve effects on listeners in different ways. There are indications, however, that the linguistic model may not be the most functional and precise one that could be used in analyzing conversational style. This paper takes concepts presented in Deborah Tannen's book That's Not What I Meant (1986), analyzes them from a linguistic and a behavioral perspective, and compares the relative utility of the two approaches.

Power and status within small groups: An analysis of students' verbal and nonverbal behavior and responses to one another

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Lynnae Carol

The purpose of this research has been to determine the influence of verbal and nonverbal behavior on power and status within small groups. The interactions which took place within five small groups of students in a middle school spatial reasoning elective were analyzed. Verbal responses to requests for help were analyzed using sequential analysis techniques. Results indicated that the identity of the student asking a question or requesting help in some form or another is a better predictor of whether he/she will receive help than the type of questions he/she asks. Nonverbal behavior was analyzed for social gestures, body language, and shifts in possession of tools. Each nonverbal act was coded as either "positive" (encouraging participation) or "negative" (discouraging participation); and, the researchers found that in groups in which there was unequal participation and less "help" provided among peers (according to the verbal analysis results) there tended to be more "negative" nonverbal behavior demonstrated than in groups in which "shared talk time" and "helping behavior" were common characteristics of the norm. The combined results from the analyses of the verbal and nonverbal behavior of students within small groups were then reviewed through the conflict, power, status perspective of small group interactions in order to determine some common characteristics of high functioning (collaborative) and low functioning (non-collaborative) groups. Some common characteristics of the higher functioning groups include: few instances of conflict, shared "talk time" and decision making, inclusive leadership, frequent use of encouraging social gestures and body language, and more sharing of tools than seizing. Some shared traits among the lower functioning groups include: frequent occurrences of interpersonal conflict, a focus on process (rather than content), persuasive or alienating leadership, unequal participation and power, frequent use of discouraging social gestures and body language, and more seizing of tools than sharing. While "functionality" was easily defined, labeling groups according to this characteristic proved to be a more difficult task. Although there was clearly a "highest functioning" and a "lowest functioning" group among the five, the other three groups fell somewhere in between these two, along a continuum of group functioning.

Surgical decision making in a teaching hospital: a linguistic analysis.

PubMed

Bezemer, Jeff; Murtagh, Ged; Cope, Alexandra; Kneebone, Roger

2016-10-01

The aim of the study was to gain insight in the involvement of non-operating surgeons in intraoperative surgical decision making at a teaching hospital. The decision to proceed to clip and cut the cystic duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy was investigated through direct observation of team work. Eleven laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed by consultant surgeons and specialty trainees at a London teaching hospital were audio and video recorded. Talk among the surgical team was transcribed and subjected to linguistic analysis, in conjunction with observational analysis of the video material, sequentially marking the unfolding operation. Two components of decision making were identified, participation and rationalization. Participation refers to the degree to which agreement was sought within the surgical team prior to clipping the cystic duct. Rationalization refers to the degree to which the evidential grounds for clipping and cutting were verbalized. The decision to clip and cut the cystic duct was jointly made by members of the surgical team, rather than a solitary surgeon in the majority of cases, involving verbal explication of clinical reasoning and verbal agreement. The extent of joint decision making appears to have been mitigated by two factors: trainee's level of training and duration of the case. © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

At the cross-roads: an on-road examination of driving errors at intersections.

PubMed

Young, Kristie L; Salmon, Paul M; Lenné, Michael G

2013-09-01

A significant proportion of road trauma occurs at intersections. Understanding the nature of driving errors at intersections therefore has the potential to lead to significant injury reductions. To further understand how the complexity of modern intersections shapes behaviour of these errors are compared to errors made mid-block, and the role of wider systems failures in intersection error causation is investigated in an on-road study. Twenty-five participants drove a pre-determined urban route incorporating 25 intersections. Two in-vehicle observers recorded the errors made while a range of other data was collected, including driver verbal protocols, video, driver eye glance behaviour and vehicle data (e.g., speed, braking and lane position). Participants also completed a post-trial cognitive task analysis interview. Participants were found to make 39 specific error types, with speeding violations the most common. Participants made significantly more errors at intersections compared to mid-block, with misjudgement, action and perceptual/observation errors more commonly observed at intersections. Traffic signal configuration was found to play a key role in intersection error causation, with drivers making more errors at partially signalised compared to fully signalised intersections. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training in Compensatory Strategies Enhances Rapport in Interactions Involving People with Möbius Syndrome

PubMed Central

Michael, John; Bogart, Kathleen; Tylén, Kristian; Krueger, Joel; Bech, Morten; Østergaard, John Rosendahl; Fusaroli, Riccardo

2015-01-01

In the exploratory study reported here, we tested the efficacy of an intervention designed to train teenagers with Möbius syndrome (MS) to increase the use of alternative communication strategies (e.g., gestures) to compensate for their lack of facial expressivity. Specifically, we expected the intervention to increase the level of rapport experienced in social interactions by our participants. In addition, we aimed to identify the mechanisms responsible for any such increase in rapport. In the study, five teenagers with MS interacted with three naïve participants without MS before the intervention, and with three different naïve participants without MS after the intervention. Rapport was assessed by self-report and by behavioral coders who rated videos of the interactions. Individual non-verbal behavior was assessed via behavioral coders, whereas verbal behavior was automatically extracted from the sound files. Alignment was assessed using cross recurrence quantification analysis and mixed-effects models. The results showed that observer-coded rapport was greater after the intervention, whereas self-reported rapport did not change significantly. Observer-coded gesture and expressivity increased in participants with and without MS, whereas overall linguistic alignment decreased. Fidgeting and repetitiveness of verbal behavior also decreased in both groups. In sum, the intervention may impact non-verbal and verbal behavior in participants with and without MS, increasing rapport as well as overall gesturing, while decreasing alignment. PMID:26500605

Cognitive and emotional demands of black humour processing: the role of intelligence, aggressiveness and mood.

PubMed

Willinger, Ulrike; Hergovich, Andreas; Schmoeger, Michaela; Deckert, Matthias; Stoettner, Susanne; Bunda, Iris; Witting, Andrea; Seidler, Melanie; Moser, Reinhilde; Kacena, Stefanie; Jaeckle, David; Loader, Benjamin; Mueller, Christian; Auff, Eduard

2017-05-01

Humour processing is a complex information-processing task that is dependent on cognitive and emotional aspects which presumably influence frame-shifting and conceptual blending, mental operations that underlie humour processing. The aim of the current study was to find distinctive groups of subjects with respect to black humour processing, intellectual capacities, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. A total of 156 adults rated black humour cartoons and conducted measurements of verbal and nonverbal intelligence, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. Cluster analysis yields three groups comprising following properties: (1) moderate black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence; low mood disturbance and moderate aggressiveness; (2) low black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence, high mood disturbance and high aggressiveness; and (3) high black humour preference and high comprehension; high nonverbal and verbal intelligence; no mood disturbance and low aggressiveness. Age and gender do not differ significantly, differences in education level can be found. Black humour preference and comprehension are positively associated with higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence as well as higher levels of education. Emotional instability and higher aggressiveness apparently lead to decreased levels of pleasure when dealing with black humour. These results support the hypothesis that humour processing involves cognitive as well as affective components and suggest that these variables influence the execution of frame-shifting and conceptual blending in the course of humour processing.

Cognitive and contextual variables in sexual partner and relationship perception.

PubMed

Alvarez, Maria-João; Garcia-Marques, Leonel

2011-04-01

This study examined the effects of contextual and cognitive variables for sexual protection on perceived social relationship factors. University students (108 women and 108 men) read script-based narratives on sexual encounters in which six variables were manipulated in two independent analyses. In the first analysis, four variables were evaluated: relational context (stable, casual), condom use (yes, no), script terminus (beginning, middle or end), and the rater's sex. The dependent variables were interpersonal perception of one of the characters of the narrative, and expectations regarding characteristics and future of the relationship. In the second analysis, two other factors were manipulated only in the "yes" condom conditions: communication strategy (verbal, non-verbal) and condom proponent gender. Our findings corroborated other studies where condom use was viewed as unromantic with less positive characteristics for relationships. Condom proponents, especially male, were perceived as less romantic, particularly when proposing a condom non-verbally at the beginning of the encounter. However, the controlled variables enabled us to propose ways of associating condom use with positive expectations towards the proponent and the relationship itself. Romanticism, expectation of sexual intercourse, emotional proximity, and expectations of condom use in encounters where a condom was proposed increased when suggested by a woman, postponed to the end of the encounter, and verbally mentioned. We encourage women to take the lead in suggesting condom use, thus empowering them since they do not have to wait for the male to make the first move.

Replacing maladaptive speech with verbal labeling responses: an analysis of generalized responding.

PubMed Central

Foxx, R M; Faw, G D; McMorrow, M J; Kyle, M S; Bittle, R G

1988-01-01

We taught three mentally handicapped students to answer questions with verbal labels and evaluated the generalized effects of this training on their maladaptive speech (e.g., echolalia) and correct responding to untrained questions. The students received cues-pause-point training on an initial question set followed by generalization assessments on a different set in another setting. Probes were conducted on novel questions in three other settings to determine the strength and spread of the generalization effect. A multiple baseline across subjects design revealed that maladaptive speech was replaced with correct labels (answers) to questions in the training and all generalization settings. These results replicate and extend previous research that suggested that cues-pause-point procedures may be useful in replacing maladaptive speech patterns by teaching students to use their verbal labeling repertoires. PMID:3225258

Protocols for Automated Protist Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Report No: CG-D-14-13 Protocols for Automated Protist Analysis December 2011 Distribution Statement A: Approved for public...release; distribution is unlimited. Protocols for Automated Protist Analysis ii UNCLAS//Public | CG-926 RDC | B. Nelson, et al. | Public...Director United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center 1 Chelsea Street New London, CT 06320 Protocols for Automated Protist Analysis

Visuo-spatial abilities are key for young children's verbal number skills.

PubMed

Cornu, Véronique; Schiltz, Christine; Martin, Romain; Hornung, Caroline

2018-02-01

Children's development of verbal number skills (i.e., counting abilities and knowledge of the number names) presents a milestone in mathematical development. Different factors such as visuo-spatial and verbal abilities have been discussed as contributing to the development of these foundational skills. To understand the cognitive nature of verbal number skills in young children, the current study assessed the relation of preschoolers' verbal and visuo-spatial abilities to their verbal number skills. In total, 141 children aged 5 or 6 years participated in the current study. Verbal number skills were regressed on vocabulary, phonological awareness and visuo-spatial abilities, and verbal and visuo-spatial working memory in a structural equation model. Only visuo-spatial abilities emerged as a significant predictor of verbal number skills in the estimated model. Our results suggest that visuo-spatial abilities contribute to a larger extent to children's verbal number skills than verbal abilities. From a theoretical point of view, these results suggest a visuo-spatial, rather than a verbal, grounding of verbal number skills. These results are potentially informative for the conception of early mathematics assessments and interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sticky tunes: how do people react to involuntary musical imagery?

PubMed

Williamson, Victoria J; Liikkanen, Lassi A; Jakubowski, Kelly; Stewart, Lauren

2014-01-01

The vast majority of people experience involuntary musical imagery (INMI) or 'earworms'; perceptions of spontaneous, repetitive musical sound in the absence of an external source. The majority of INMI episodes are not bothersome, while some cause disruption ranging from distraction to anxiety and distress. To date, little is known about how the majority of people react to INMI, in particular whether evaluation of the experience impacts on chosen response behaviours or if attempts at controlling INMI are successful or not. The present study classified 1046 reports of how people react to INMI episodes. Two laboratories in Finland and the UK conducted an identical qualitative analysis protocol on reports of INMI reactions and derived visual descriptive models of the outcomes using grounded theory techniques. Combined analysis carried out across the two studies confirmed that many INMI episodes were considered neutral or pleasant, with passive acceptance and enjoyment being among the most popular response behaviours. A significant number of people, however, reported on attempts to cope with unwanted INMI. The most popular and effective behaviours in response to INMI were seeking out the tune in question, and musical or verbal distraction. The outcomes of this study contribute to our understanding of the aetiology of INMI, in particular within the framework of memory theory, and present testable hypotheses for future research on successful INMI coping strategies.

Sticky Tunes: How Do People React to Involuntary Musical Imagery?

PubMed Central

Williamson, Victoria J.; Liikkanen, Lassi A.; Jakubowski, Kelly; Stewart, Lauren

2014-01-01

The vast majority of people experience involuntary musical imagery (INMI) or ‘earworms’; perceptions of spontaneous, repetitive musical sound in the absence of an external source. The majority of INMI episodes are not bothersome, while some cause disruption ranging from distraction to anxiety and distress. To date, little is known about how the majority of people react to INMI, in particular whether evaluation of the experience impacts on chosen response behaviours or if attempts at controlling INMI are successful or not. The present study classified 1046 reports of how people react to INMI episodes. Two laboratories in Finland and the UK conducted an identical qualitative analysis protocol on reports of INMI reactions and derived visual descriptive models of the outcomes using grounded theory techniques. Combined analysis carried out across the two studies confirmed that many INMI episodes were considered neutral or pleasant, with passive acceptance and enjoyment being among the most popular response behaviours. A significant number of people, however, reported on attempts to cope with unwanted INMI. The most popular and effective behaviours in response to INMI were seeking out the tune in question, and musical or verbal distraction. The outcomes of this study contribute to our understanding of the aetiology of INMI, in particular within the framework of memory theory, and present testable hypotheses for future research on successful INMI coping strategies. PMID:24497938

A Relational Metric, Its Application to Domain Analysis, and an Example Analysis and Model of a Remote Sensing Domain

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-07-01

An objective and quantitative method has been developed for deriving models of complex and specialized spheres of activity (domains) from domain-generated verbal data. The method was developed for analysis of interview transcripts, incident reports, ...

The Function of Verbal Rewards in the Science Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawlor, Francis Xavier

Contained is a review of the research done on the use of verbal rewards in the classroom. Some verbal rewards are tasks rewards, other rewards are more personal; and still other verbal rewards are impersonal. Verbal rewards, therefore, have both intellectual and emotional implications. Research literature indicates that "verbal reward"…

A review of critical in-flight events research methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giffin, W. C.; Rockwell, T. H.; Smith, P. E.

1985-01-01

Pilot's cognitive responses to critical in-flight events (CIFE's) were investigated, using pilots, who had on the average about 2540 flight hours each, in four experiments: (1) full-mission simulation in a general aviation trainer, (2) paper and pencil CIFE tests, (3) interactive computer-aided scenario testing, and (4) verbal protocols in fault diagnosis tasks. The results of both computer and paper and pencil tests showed only 50 percent efficiency in correct diagnosis of critical events. The efficiency in arriving at a diagnosis was also low: over 20 inquiries were made for 21 percent of the scenarios diagnosed. The information-seeking pattern was random, with frequent retracing over old inquiries. The measures for developing improved cognitive skills for CIFE's are discussed.

Free-play behavior of atypical children: an approach to assessment.

PubMed

Clune, C; Paolella, J M; Foley, J M

1979-03-01

Children's free-play behavior and its relationship to IQ and usefulness in assessing severely disturbed children were investigated. The results indicated that (1) the play of 100 normal children scored for quality and time generally yielded significant positive correlations with Binet and WPPSI IQs; (2) the correlations remained the same when verbalizations were deleted from the play protocols; (3) the play scores for 16 severely disturbed boys significantly differentiated two subgroups differing in degree of pathology, showed significant improvement from the pre- to posttreatment periods, and indicated pretreatment scores were significantly and positively correlated with improvement assessed by observer ratings in a 2-year follow-up. Implications for the use of this measure in assessment and the role of play in development were discussed.

Substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants or nurses in nursing homes: protocol for a realist evaluation case study.

PubMed

Lovink, Marleen Hermien; Persoon, Anke; van Vught, Anneke J A H; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Koopmans, Raymond T C M; Laurant, Miranda G H

2017-06-08

In developed countries, substituting physicians with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses (physician substitution) occurs in nursing homes as an answer to the challenges related to the ageing population and the shortage of staff, as well as to guarantee the quality of nursing home care. However, there is great diversity in how physician substitution in nursing homes is modelled and it is unknown how it can best contribute to the quality of healthcare. This study aims to gain insight into how physician substitution is modelled and whether it contributes to perceived quality of healthcare. Second, this study aims to provide insight into the elements of physician substitution that contribute to quality of healthcare. This study will use a multiple-case study design that draws upon realist evaluation principles. The realist evaluation is based on four concepts for explaining and understanding interventions: context, mechanism, outcome and context-mechanism-outcome configuration. The following steps will be taken: (1) developing a theory, (2) conducting seven case studies, (3) analysing outcome patterns after each case and a cross-case analysis at the end and (4) revising the initial theory. The research ethics committee of the region Arnhem Nijmegen in the Netherlands concluded that this study does not fall within the scope of the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) (registration number 2015/1914). Before the start of the study, the Board of Directors of the nursing home organisations will be informed verbally and by letter and will also be asked for informed consent. In addition, all participants will be informed verbally and by letter and will be asked for informed consent. Findings will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal, international and national conferences, national professional associations and policy partners in national government. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Use of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of auditory hallucinations of schizophrenia – a systematic review

PubMed Central

Pondé, Pedro H; de Sena, Eduardo P; Camprodon, Joan A; de Araújo, Arão Nogueira; Neto, Mário F; DiBiasi, Melany; Baptista, Abrahão Fontes; Moura, Lidia MVR; Cosmo, Camila

2017-01-01

Introduction Auditory hallucinations are defined as experiences of auditory perceptions in the absence of a provoking external stimulus. They are the most prevalent symptoms of schizophrenia with high capacity for chronicity and refractoriness during the course of disease. The transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) – a safe, portable, and inexpensive neuromodulation technique – has emerged as a promising treatment for the management of auditory hallucinations. Objective The aim of this study is to analyze the level of evidence in the literature available for the use of tDCS as a treatment for auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Methods A systematic review was performed, searching in the main electronic databases including the Cochrane Library and MEDLINE/PubMed. The searches were performed by combining descriptors, applying terms of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of Descriptors of Health Sciences and descriptors contractions. PRISMA protocol was used as a guide and the terms used were the clinical outcomes (“Schizophrenia” OR “Auditory Hallucinations” OR “Auditory Verbal Hallucinations” OR “Psychosis”) searched together (“AND”) with interventions (“transcranial Direct Current Stimulation” OR “tDCS” OR “Brain Polarization”). Results Six randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of tDCS on the severity of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients were selected. Analysis of the clinical results of these studies pointed toward incongruence in the information with regard to the therapeutic use of tDCS with a view to reducing the severity of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Only three studies revealed a therapeutic benefit, manifested by reductions in severity and frequency of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenic patients. Conclusion Although tDCS has shown promising results in reducing the severity of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients, this technique cannot yet be used as a therapeutic alternative due to lack of studies with large sample sizes that portray the positive effects that have been described. PMID:28203084

Verbal overshadowing of visual memories: some things are better left unsaid.

PubMed

Schooler, J W; Engstler-Schooler, T Y

1990-01-01

It is widely believed that verbal processing generally improves memory performance. However, in a series of six experiments, verbalizing the appearance of previously seen visual stimuli impaired subsequent recognition performance. In Experiment 1, subjects viewed a videotape including a salient individual. Later, some subjects described the individual's face. Subjects who verbalized the face performed less well on a subsequent recognition test than control subjects who did not engage in memory verbalization. The results of Experiment 2 replicated those of Experiment 1 and further clarified the effect of memory verbalization by demonstrating that visualization does not impair face recognition. In Experiments 3 and 4 we explored the hypothesis that memory verbalization impairs memory for stimuli that are difficult to put into words. In Experiment 3 memory impairment followed the verbalization of a different visual stimulus: color. In Experiment 4 marginal memory improvement followed the verbalization of a verbal stimulus: a brief spoken statement. In Experiments 5 and 6 the source of verbally induced memory impairment was explored. The results of Experiment 5 suggested that the impairment does not reflect a temporary verbal set, but rather indicates relatively long-lasting memory interference. Finally, Experiment 6 demonstrated that limiting subjects' time to make recognition decisions alleviates the impairment, suggesting that memory verbalization overshadows but does not eradicate the original visual memory. This collection of results is consistent with a recording interference hypothesis: verbalizing a visual memory may produce a verbally biased memory representation that can interfere with the application of the original visual memory.

Language and memory abilities of internationally adopted children from China: evidence for early age effects.

PubMed

Delcenserie, Audrey; Genesee, Fred

2014-11-01

The goal of the present study was to examine if internationally adopted (IA) children from China (M = 10;8) adopted by French-speaking families exhibit lags in verbal memory in addition to lags in verbal abilities documented in previous studies (Gauthier & Genesee, 2011). Tests assessing verbal and non-verbal memory, language, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development were administered to thirty adoptees. Their results were compared to those of thirty non-adopted monolingual French-speaking children matched on age, gender, and socioeconomic status. The IA children scored significantly lower than the controls on language, verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, and verbal long-term memory. No group differences were found on non-verbal memory, non-verbal cognitive ability, and socio-emotional development, suggesting language-specific difficulties. Despite extended exposure to French, adoptees may experience language difficulties due to limitations in verbal memory, possibly as a result of their delayed exposure to that language and/or attrition of the birth language.

Can verbal working memory training improve reading?

PubMed

Banales, Erin; Kohnen, Saskia; McArthur, Genevieve

2015-01-01

The aim of the current study was to determine whether poor verbal working memory is associated with poor word reading accuracy because the former causes the latter, or the latter causes the former. To this end, we tested whether (a) verbal working memory training improves poor verbal working memory or poor word reading accuracy, and whether (b) reading training improves poor reading accuracy or verbal working memory in a case series of four children with poor word reading accuracy and verbal working memory. Each child completed 8 weeks of verbal working memory training and 8 weeks of reading training. Verbal working memory training improved verbal working memory in two of the four children, but did not improve their reading accuracy. Similarly, reading training improved word reading accuracy in all children, but did not improve their verbal working memory. These results suggest that the causal links between verbal working memory and reading accuracy may not be as direct as has been assumed.

The Pareto Analysis for Establishing Content Criteria in Surgical Training.

PubMed

Kramp, Kelvin H; van Det, Marc J; Veeger, Nic J G M; Pierie, Jean-Pierre E N

2016-01-01

Current surgical training is still highly dependent on expensive operating room (OR) experience. Although there have been many attempts to transfer more training to the skills laboratory, little research is focused on which technical behaviors can lead to the highest profit when they are trained outside the OR. The Pareto principle states that in any population that contributes to a common effect, a few account for the bulk of the effect. This principle has been widely used in business management to increase company profits. This study uses the Pareto principle for establishing content criteria for more efficient surgical training. A retrospective study was conducted to assess verbal guidance provided by 9 supervising surgeons to 12 trainees performing 64 laparoscopic cholecystectomies in the OR. The verbal corrections were documented, tallied, and clustered according to the aimed change in novice behavior. The corrections were rank ordered, and a cumulative distribution curve was used to calculate which corrections accounted for 80% of the total number of verbal corrections. In total, 253 different verbal corrections were uttered 1587 times and were categorized into 40 different clusters of aimed changes in novice behaviors. The 35 highest-ranking verbal corrections (14%) and the 11 highest-ranking clusters (28%) accounted for 80% of the total number of given verbal corrections. Following the Pareto principle, we were able to identify the aspects of trainee behavior that account for most corrections given by supervisors during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on humans. This strategy can be used for the development of new training programs to prepare the trainee in advance for the challenges encountered in the clinical setting in an OR. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of age-at-testing on verbal memory among children following severe traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Silberg, Tamar; Ahonniska-Assa, Jaana; Levav, Miriam; Eliyahu, Roni; Peleg-Pilowsky, Tamar; Brezner, Amichai; Vakil, Eli

2016-01-01

Memory deficits are a common sequelae following childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI), which often have serious implications on age-related academic skills. The current study examined verbal memory performance using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) in a pediatric TBI sample. Verbal memory abilities as well as the effect of age at-testing on performance were examined. A sample of 67 children following severe TBI (age average = 12.3 ± 2.74) and 67 matched controls were evaluated using the RAVLT. Age effect at assessment was examined using two age groups: above and below 12 years of age during evaluation. Differences between groups were examined via the 9 RAVLT learning trials and the 7 composite scores conducted out of them. Children following TBI recalled significantly less words than controls on all RAVLT trials and had significantly lower scores on all composite scores. However, all of these scores fell within the low average range. Further analysis revealed significantly lower than average performance among the older children (above 12 years), while scores of the younger children following TBI fell within average limits. To conclude, verbal memory deficits among children following severe TBI demonstrate an age-at-testing effect with more prominent problems occurring above 12 years at the time of evaluation. Yet, age-appropriate performance among children below 12 years of age may not accurately describe memory abilities at younger ages following TBI. It is therefore recommended that clinicians address child's age at testing and avoid using a single test as an indicator of verbal memory functioning post TBI.

Patient care transitions from the emergency department to the medicine ward: evaluation of a standardized electronic signout tool.

PubMed

Gonzalo, Jed D; Yang, Julius J; Stuckey, Heather L; Fischer, Christopher M; Sanchez, Leon D; Herzig, Shoshana J

2014-08-01

To evaluate the impact of a new electronic handoff tool for emergency department to medicine ward patient transfers over a 1-year period. Prospective mixed-methods analysis of data submitted by medicine residents following admitting shifts before and after eSignout implementation. University-based, tertiary-care hospital. Internal medicine resident physicians admitting patients from the emergency department. An electronic handoff tool (eSignout) utilizing automated paging communication and responsibility acceptance without mandatory verbal communication between emergency department and medicine ward providers. (i) Incidence of reported near misses/adverse events, (ii) communication of key clinical information and quality of verbal communication and (iii) characterization of near misses/adverse events. Seventy-eight of 80 surveys (98%) and 1058 of 1388 surveys (76%) were completed before and after eSignout implementation. Compared with pre-intervention, residents in the post-intervention period reported similar number of shifts with a near miss/adverse event (10.3 vs. 7.8%; P = 0.27), similar communication of key clinical information, and improved verbal signout quality, when it occurred. Compared with the former process requiring mandatory verbal communication, 93% believed the eSignout was more efficient and 61% preferred the eSignout. Patient safety issues related to perceived sufficiency/accuracy of diagnosis, treatment or disposition, and information quality. The eSignout was perceived as more efficient and preferred over the mandatory verbal signout process. Rates of reported adverse events were similar before and after the intervention. Our experience suggests electronic platforms with optional verbal communication can be used to standardize and improve the perceived efficiency of patient handoffs. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.

Utility of behavioral versus cognitive measures in differentiating between subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Heidler-Gary, Jennifer; Gottesman, Rebecca; Newhart, Melissa; Chang, Shannon; Ken, Lynda; Hillis, Argye E

2007-01-01

We hypothesized that a modified version of the Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI-mod), along with a few cognitive tests, would be clinically useful in distinguishing between clinically defined Alzheimer's disease (AD) and subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD): frontotemporal dementia (dysexecutive type), progressive nonfluent aphasia, and semantic dementia. We studied 80 patients who were diagnosed with AD (n = 30) or FTLD (n = 50), on the basis of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, imaging, neurological examination, and history. We found significant between-group differences on the FBI-mod, two subtests of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (verbal learning and delayed recall), and the Trail Making Test Part B (one measure of 'executive functioning'). AD was characterized by relatively severe impairment in verbal learning, delayed recall, and executive functioning, with relatively normal scores on the FBI-mod. Frontotemporal dementia was characterized by relatively severe impairment on the FBI-mod and executive functioning in the absence of severe impairment in verbal learning and recall. Progressive nonfluent aphasia was characterized by severe impairment in executive functioning with relatively normal scores on verbal learning and recall and FBI-mod. Finally, semantic dementia was characterized by relatively severe deficits in delayed recall, but relatively normal performance on new learning, executive functioning, and on FBI-mod. Discriminant function analysis confirmed that the FBI-mod, in conjunction with the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and the Trail Making Test Part B categorized the majority of patients as subtypes of FTLD or AD in the same way as a full neuropsychological battery, neurological examination, complete history, and imaging. These tests may be useful for efficient clinical diagnosis, although progressive nonfluent aphasia and semantic dementia are likely to be best distinguished by language tests not included in standard neuropsychological test batteries.

Effect of teenage motherhood on cognitive outcomes in children: a population-based cohort study.

PubMed

Morinis, Julia; Carson, Claire; Quigley, Maria A

2013-12-01

To examine the association between teenage motherhood and cognitive development at 5 years. Data from Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective, nationally representative UK cohort of 18 818 infants born between 2000 and 2001. 12 021 (64%) mother-child pairs from white, English-speaking, singleton pregnancies were included. Cognitive ability at 5 years was measured by the British Ability Scales II. Difference in mean cognitive scores across maternal age groups was estimated using linear regression, with adjustment for potential confounders and mediators. 617 (5%) children were born to mothers aged ≤18 years. Our analysis revealed that children of teenage mothers had significantly lower cognitive scores compared with children of mothers aged 25-34 years: difference in mean score for verbal ability -8.9 (-10.88 to -6.86, p<0.001); non-verbal ability -7.8 (-10.52 to -5.19, p<0.001); spatial ability -4.7 (-6.39 to -3.07, p<0.001), which is equivalent to an average delay of 11, 7 and 4 months, respectively. After adjustment for perinatal and sociodemographic factors, the effect of young maternal age on non-verbal and spatial ability mean scores was attenuated. A difference persisted in the mean verbal ability scores -3.8 (-6.34 to -1.34, p=0.003), equivalent to an average delay of 5 months. Results suggest that the difference observed in the initial analyses for non-verbal and spatial skills are almost entirely explained by marked inequalities in sociodemographic circumstances and perinatal risk. However, there remains a significant adverse effect on verbal abilities in the children born to teenage mothers.

Differences in Physicians' Verbal and Nonverbal Communication With Black and White Patients at the End of Life.

PubMed

Elliott, Andrea M; Alexander, Stewart C; Mescher, Craig A; Mohan, Deepika; Barnato, Amber E

2016-01-01

Black patients are more likely than white patients to die in the intensive care unit with life-sustaining treatments. Differences in patient- and/or surrogate-provider communication may contribute to this phenomenon. To test whether hospital-based physicians use different verbal and/or nonverbal communication with black and white simulated patients and their surrogates. We conducted a randomized factorial trial of the relationship between patient race and physician communication using high-fidelity simulation. Using a combination of probabilistic and convenience sampling, we recruited 33 hospital-based physicians in western Pennsylvania who completed two encounters with prognostically similar, critically and terminally ill black and white elders with identical treatment preferences. We then conducted detailed content analysis of audio and video recordings of the encounters, coding verbal emotion-handling and shared decision-making behaviors, and nonverbal behaviors (time interacting with the patient and/or surrogate, with open vs. closed posture, and touching the patient and physical proximity). We used a paired t-test to compare each subjects' summed verbal and nonverbal communication scores with the black patient compared to the white patient. Subject physicians' verbal communication scores did not differ by patient race (black vs. white: 8.4 vs. 8.4, P-value = 0.958). However, their nonverbal communication scores were significantly lower with the black patient than with the white patient (black vs. white: 2.7 vs. 2.9, P-value 0.014). In this small regional sample, hospital-based physicians have similar verbal communication behaviors when discussing end-of-life care for otherwise similar black and white patients but exhibit significantly fewer positive, rapport-building nonverbal cues with black patients. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Verbal Dominant Memory Impairment and Low Risk for Post-operative Memory Worsening in Both Left and Right Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Associated with Hippocampal Sclerosis.

PubMed

Khalil, Amr Farid; Iwasaki, Masaki; Nishio, Yoshiyuki; Jin, Kazutaka; Nakasato, Nobukazu; Tominaga, Teiji

2016-11-15

Post-operative memory changes after temporal lobe surgery have been established mainly by group analysis of cognitive outcome. This study investigated individual patient-based memory outcome in surgically-treated patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). This study included 84 consecutive patients with intractable TLE caused by unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (HS) who underwent epilepsy surgery (47 females, 41 left [Lt] TLE). Memory functions were evaluated with the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised before and at 1 year after surgery. Pre-operative memory function was classified into three patterns: verbal dominant memory impairment (Verb-D), visual dominant impairment (Vis-D), and no material-specific impairment. Post-operative changes in verbal and visual memory indices were classified into meaningful improvement, worsening, or no significant changes. Pre-operative patterns and post-operative changes in verbal and visual memory function were compared between the Lt and right (Rt) TLE groups. Pre-operatively, Verb-D was the most common type of impairment in both the Lt and Rt TLE groups (65.9 and 48.8%), and verbal memory indices were lower than visual memory indices, especially in the Lt compared with Rt TLE group. Vis-D was observed only in 11.6% of Rt and 7.3% of Lt TLE patients. Post-operatively, meaningful improvement of memory indices was observed in 23.3-36.6% of the patients, and the memory improvement was equivalent between Lt and Rt TLE groups and between verbal and visual materials. In conclusion, Verb-D is most commonly observed in patients with both the Lt and Rt TLE associated with HS. Hippocampectomy can improve memory indices in such patients regardless of the side of surgery and the function impaired.

Differences in Physicians’ Verbal and Nonverbal Communication With Black and White Patients at the End of Life

PubMed Central

Elliott, Andrea M.; Alexander, Stewart C.; Mescher, Craig A.; Mohan, Deepika; Barnato, Amber E.

2015-01-01

Context Black patients are more likely than white patients to die in the intensive care unit with life-sustaining treatments. Differences in patient- and/or surrogate-provider communication may contribute to this phenomenon. Objectives To test whether hospital-based physicians use different verbal and/or nonverbal communication with black and white simulated patients and their surrogates. Methods We conducted a randomized factorial trial of the relationship between patient race and physician communication using high-fidelity simulation. Using a combination of probabilistic and convenience sampling, we recruited 33 hospital-based physicians in western Pennsylvania who completed two encounters with prognostically similar, critically and terminally ill black and white elders with identical treatment preferences. We then conducted detailed content analysis of audio and video recordings of the encounters, coding verbal emotion-handling and shared decision-making behaviors, and nonverbal behaviors (time interacting with the patient and/or surrogate, with open vs. closed posture, and touching the patient and physical proximity). We used a paired t-test to compare each subjects’ summed verbal and nonverbal communication scores with the black patient compared to the white patient. Results Subject physicians’ verbal communication scores did not differ by patient race (black vs. white: 8.4 vs. 8.4, P-value = 0.958). However, their nonverbal communication scores were significantly lower with the black patient than with the white patient (black vs. white: 2.7 vs. 2.9, P-value 0.014). Conclusion In this small regional sample, hospital-based physicians have similar verbal communication behaviors when discussing end-of-life care for otherwise similar black and white patients but exhibit significantly fewer positive, rapport-building nonverbal cues with black patients. PMID:26297851

Impaired action self-monitoring and cognitive confidence among ultra-high risk for psychosis and first-episode psychosis patients.

PubMed

Gawęda, Ł; Li, E; Lavoie, S; Whitford, T J; Moritz, S; Nelson, B

2018-01-01

Self-monitoring biases and overconfidence in incorrect judgments have been suggested as playing a role in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Little is known about whether self-monitoring biases may contribute to early risk factors for psychosis. In this study, action self-monitoring (i.e., discrimination between imagined and performed actions) was investigated, along with confidence in judgments among ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis individuals and first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. Thirty-six UHR for psychosis individuals, 25 FEP patients and 33 healthy controls (CON) participated in the study. Participants were assessed with the Action memory task. Simple actions were presented to participants verbally or non-verbally. Some actions were required to be physically performed and others were imagined. Participants were asked whether the action was presented verbally or non-verbally (action presentation type discrimination), and whether the action was performed or imagined (self-monitoring). Confidence self-ratings related to self-monitoring responses were obtained. The analysis of self-monitoring revealed that both UHR and FEP groups misattributed imagined actions as being performed (i.e., self-monitoring errors) significantly more often than the CON group. There were no differences regarding performed actions as being imagined. UHR and FEP groups made their false responses with higher confidence in their judgments than the CON group. There were no group differences regarding discrimination between the types of actions presented (verbal vs non-verbal). A specific type of self-monitoring bias (i.e., misattributing imagined actions with performed actions), accompanied by high confidence in this judgment, may be a risk factor for the subsequent development of a psychotic disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Task-Relevant Attribute Representation Can Mediate the Simon Effect

PubMed Central

Chen, Antao

2014-01-01

Researchers have previously suggested a working memory (WM) account of spatial codes, and based on this suggestion, the present study carries out three experiments to investigate how the task-relevant attribute representation (verbal or visual) in the typical Simon task affects the Simon effect. Experiment 1 compared the Simon effect between the between- and within-category color conditions, which required subjects to discriminate between red and blue stimuli (presumed to be represented by verbal WM codes because it was easy and fast to name the colors verbally) and to discriminate between two similar green stimuli (presumed to be represented by visual WM codes because it was hard and time-consuming to name the colors verbally), respectively. The results revealed a reliable Simon effect that only occurs in the between-category condition. Experiment 2 assessed the Simon effect by requiring subjects to discriminate between two different isosceles trapezoids (within-category shapes) and to discriminate isosceles trapezoid from rectangle (between-category shapes), and the results replicated and expanded the findings of Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, subjects were required to perform both tasks from Experiment 1. Wherein, in Experiment 3A, the between-category task preceded the within-category task; in Experiment 3B, the task order was opposite. The results showed the reliable Simon effect when subjects represented the task-relevant stimulus attributes by verbal WM encoding. In addition, the response times (RTs) distribution analysis for both the between- and within-category conditions of Experiments 3A and 3B showed decreased Simon effect with the RTs lengthened. Altogether, although the present results are consistent with the temporal coding account, we put forth that the Simon effect also depends on the verbal WM representation of task-relevant stimulus attribute. PMID:24618692

The use of think-aloud protocols to identify a decision-making process of community pharmacists aimed at improving CMS Star Ratings scores.

PubMed

George, David L; Smith, Michael J; Draugalis, JoLaine R; Tolma, Eleni L; Keast, Shellie L; Wilson, Justin B

2018-03-01

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Star Rating system based on multiple measures that indicate the overall quality of health plans. Community pharmacists can impact certain Star Ratings measure scores through medication adherence and patient safety interventions. To explore methods, needs, and workflow issues of community pharmacists to improve CMS Star Ratings measures. Think-aloud protocols (TAPs) were conducted with active community retail pharmacists in Oklahoma. Each TAP was audio recorded and transcribed to documents for analysis. Analysts agreed on common themes, illuminated differences in findings, and saturation of the data gathered. Methods, needs, and workflow themes of community pharmacists associated with improving Star Ratings measures were compiled and organized to exhibit a decision-making process. Five TAPs were performed among three independent pharmacy owners, one multi-store owner, and one chain-store administrator. A thematically common 4-step process to monitor and improve CMS Star Ratings scores among participants was identified. To improve Star Ratings measures, pharmacists: 1) used technology to access scores, 2) analyzed data to strategically set goals, 3) assessed individual patient information for comprehensive assessment, and 4) decided on interventions to best impact Star Ratings scores. Participants also shared common needs, workflow issues, and benefits associated with methods used in improving Star Ratings. TAPs were useful in exploring processes of pharmacists who improve CMS Star Ratings scores. Pharmacists demonstrated and verbalized their methods, workflow issues, needs, and benefits related to performing the task. The themes and decision-making process identified to improving CMS Star Ratings scores will assist in the development of training and education programs for pharmacists in the community setting. Published by Elsevier Inc.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hays, R.C.

Previous research has indicated that children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), treated with a CNS prophylaxis of 2,400 cGy radiation and intrathecal methotrexate (IT-MTX), demonstrate a decline in both global and specific aspects of their cognitive functioning. Recent changes in treatment protocols for ALL have resulted in a significant reduction in radiation to a dosage of 1,800 cGy, or the elimination of radiation altogether. Today, it is recognized that for low- and average-risk ALL patients the use of intrathecal methotrexate is equally effective for reducing the occurrence of CNS leukemic relapse. Current research has not yet fully determined the impactmore » of this lowered dosage of radiation on later intellectual functioning in survivors of ALL. The present research compared the standardized-test performance of a group of children receiving 1,800 cGy radiation and IT-MTX (n = 15) to a group receiving IT-MTX only (n = 10) as a CNS prophylaxis. All subjects were treated with one leg of the Childrens Cancer Study Group protocols {number sign}161 or {number sign}162, and were evaluated at least 5 years post-diagnosis, while in remission from the disease process. Subjects ranged in age from seven to twelve at the time of participation. Tests administered included the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R), the Mental Processing subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), and a variety of tasks which have been indicated to measure different aspects of children's cognitive strategy usage (including Tower of Hanoi and Matching Familiar Figures tasks). Analysis revealed significant performance-differences between these groups as reflected on the WISC-R (Verbal IQ) and on the K-ABC (Sequential Processing score), with the Radiated group performing more poorly than the Non-radiated group.« less

The Profile of Memory Function in Children With Autism

PubMed Central

Williams, Diane L.; Goldstein, Gerald; Minshew, Nancy J.

2007-01-01

A clinical memory test was administered to 38 high-functioning children with autism and 38 individually matched normal controls, 8–16 years of age. The resulting profile of memory abilities in the children with autism was characterized by relatively poor memory for complex visual and verbal information and spatial working memory with relatively intact associative learning ability, verbal working memory, and recognition memory. A stepwise discriminant function analysis of the subtests found that the Finger Windows subtest, a measure of spatial working memory, discriminated most accurately between the autism and normal control groups. A principal components analysis indicated that the factor structure of the subtests differed substantially between the children with autism and controls, suggesting differing organizations of memory ability. PMID:16460219

Evaluating verbal and non-verbal communication skills, in an ethnogeriatric OSCE.

PubMed

Collins, Lauren G; Schrimmer, Anne; Diamond, James; Burke, Janice

2011-05-01

Communication during medical interviews plays a large role in patient adherence, satisfaction with care, and health outcomes. Both verbal and non-verbal communication (NVC) skills are central to the development of rapport between patients and healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of non-verbal and verbal communication skills on evaluations by standardized patients during an ethnogeriatric Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Interviews from 19 medical students, residents, and fellows in an ethnogeriatric OSCE were analyzed. Each interview was videotaped and evaluated on a 14 item verbal and an 8 item non-verbal communication checklist. The relationship between verbal and non-verbal communication skills on interview evaluations by standardized patients were examined using correlational analyses. Maintaining adequate facial expression (FE), using affirmative gestures (AG), and limiting both unpurposive movements (UM) and hand gestures (HG) had a significant positive effect on perception of interview quality during this OSCE. Non-verbal communication skills played a role in perception of overall interview quality as well as perception of culturally competent communication. Incorporating formative and summative evaluation of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills may be a critical component of curricular innovations in ethnogeriatrics, such as the OSCE. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of training different classes of verbal behavior to decrease aberrant verbal behavior.

PubMed

Vandbakk, Monica; Arntzen, Erik; Gisnaas, Arnt; Antonsen, Vidar; Gundhus, Terje

2012-01-01

Inappropriate verbal behavior that is labeled "psychotic" is often described as insensitive to environmental contingencies. The purpose of the current study was to establish different classes of rational or appropriate verbal behavior in a woman with developmental disabilities and evaluate the effects on her psychotic or aberrant vocal verbal behavior. Similar to a previous study (Arntzen, Ro Tonnessen, & Brouwer, 2006), the results of the current study suggested that the procedure helped to establish a repertoire of appropriate functional vocal verbal behavior in the participant. Overall, the results suggested the effectiveness of an intervention based on training various classes of verbal behavior in decreasing aberrant verbal behavior.

Verbal communication among Alzheimer's disease patients, their caregivers, and primary care physicians during primary care office visits.

PubMed

Schmidt, Karen L; Lingler, Jennifer H; Schulz, Richard

2009-11-01

Primary care visits of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) often involve communication among patients, family caregivers, and primary care physicians (PCPs). The objective of this study was to understand the nature of each individual's verbal participation in these triadic interactions. To define the verbal communication dynamics of AD care triads, we compared verbal participation (percent of total visit speech) by each participant in patient/caregiver/PCP triads. Twenty-three triads were audio taped during a routine primary care visit. Rates of verbal participation were described and effects of patient cognitive status (MMSE score, verbal fluency) on verbal participation were assessed. PCP verbal participation was highest at 53% of total visit speech, followed by caregivers (31%) and patients (16%). Patient cognitive measures were related to patient and caregiver verbal participation, but not to PCP participation. Caregiver satisfaction with interpersonal treatment by PCP was positively related to caregiver's own verbal participation. Caregivers of AD patients and PCPs maintain active, coordinated verbal participation in primary care visits while patients participate less. Encouraging verbal participation by AD patients and their caregivers may increase the AD patient's active role and caregiver satisfaction with primary care visits.

Alcohol marketing in televised English professional football: a frequency analysis.

PubMed

Graham, Andrew; Adams, Jean

2014-01-01

The aim of the study was to explore the frequency of alcohol marketing (both formal commercials and otherwise) in televised top-class English professional football matches. A purposive sample of six broadcasts (total = 1101 min) of televised top-class English club football matches were identified and recorded in full. A customized coding framework was used to identify and categorize all verbal and visual alcohol references in non-commercial broadcasting. The number and the duration of all formal alcohol commercials were also noted. A mean of 111 visual references and 2 verbal references to alcohol per hour of broadcast were identified. Nearly all visual references were to beer products and were primarily simple logos or branding. The majority of verbal alcohol references were related to title-sponsorship of competitions. A total of 17 formal alcohol commercials were identified, accounting for <1% of total broadcast time. Visual alcohol references in televised top-class English football matches are common with an average of nearly two per minute. Verbal references are rare and formal alcohol commercials account for <1% of broadcast time. Restriction of all alcohol sports sponsorship, as seen for tobacco, may be justified.

Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Differences in the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS): Does the German Version of the RIAS Allow a Valid Assessment of Individuals with a Migration Background?

PubMed Central

Gygi, Jasmin T.; Fux, Elodie; Grob, Alexander; Hagmann-von Arx, Priska

2016-01-01

This study examined measurement invariance and latent mean differences in the German version of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) for 316 individuals with a migration background (defined as speaking German as a second language) and 316 sex- and age-matched natives. The RIAS measures general intelligence (single-factor structure) and its two components, verbal and nonverbal intelligence (two-factor structure). Results of a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed scalar invariance for the two-factor and partial scalar invariance for the single-factor structure. We conclude that the two-factor structure of the RIAS is comparable across groups. Hence, verbal and nonverbal intelligence but not general intelligence should be considered when comparing RIAS test results of individuals with and without a migration background. Further, latent mean differences especially on the verbal, but also on the nonverbal intelligence index indicate language barriers for individuals with a migration background, as subtests corresponding to verbal intelligence require higher skills in German language. Moreover, cultural, environmental, and social factors that have to be taken into account when assessing individuals with a migration background are discussed. PMID:27846270

Children's cognitive ability from 4 to 9 years old as a function of prenatal cocaine exposure, environmental risk, and maternal verbal intelligence.

PubMed

Bennett, David S; Bendersky, Margaret; Lewis, Michael

2008-07-01

This study examined the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure, environmental risk, and maternal verbal intelligence on children's cognitive ability. Gender and age were examined as moderators of potential cocaine exposure effects. The Stanford-Binet IV intelligence test was administered to 231 children (91 cocaine exposed, 140 unexposed) at ages 4, 6, and 9 years. Neonatal medical risk and other prenatal exposures (alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) were also examined for their unique effects on child IQ. Mixed models analysis indicated that prenatal cocaine exposure interacted with gender, as cocaine-exposed boys had lower composite IQ scores. Age at assessment did not moderate this relation, indicating that cocaine-exposed boys had lower IQs across this age period. A stimulating home environment and high maternal verbal IQ also predicted higher composite IQ scores. Cocaine-exposed boys had lower scores on the Abstract/Visual Reasoning subscale, with trends for lower scores on the Short-Term Memory and Verbal Reasoning subscales, as exposure effects were observed across domains. The findings indicate that cocaine exposure continues to place children at risk for mild cognitive deficits into preadolescence. Possible mechanisms for the Exposure x Gender interaction are discussed.

Language networks associated with computerized semantic indices.

PubMed

Pakhomov, Serguei V S; Jones, David T; Knopman, David S

2015-01-01

Tests of generative semantic verbal fluency are widely used to study organization and representation of concepts in the human brain. Previous studies demonstrated that clustering and switching behavior during verbal fluency tasks is supported by multiple brain mechanisms associated with semantic memory and executive control. Previous work relied on manual assessments of semantic relatedness between words and grouping of words into semantic clusters. We investigated a computational linguistic approach to measuring the strength of semantic relatedness between words based on latent semantic analysis of word co-occurrences in a subset of a large online encyclopedia. We computed semantic clustering indices and compared them to brain network connectivity measures obtained with task-free fMRI in a sample consisting of healthy participants and those differentially affected by cognitive impairment. We found that semantic clustering indices were associated with brain network connectivity in distinct areas including fronto-temporal, fronto-parietal and fusiform gyrus regions. This study shows that computerized semantic indices complement traditional assessments of verbal fluency to provide a more complete account of the relationship between brain and verbal behavior involved organization and retrieval of lexical information from memory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A normative study of lexical verbal fluency in an educationally-diverse elderly population.

PubMed

Kim, Bong Jo; Lee, Cheol Soon; Oh, Byoung Hoon; Hong, Chang Hyung; Lee, Kang Soo; Son, Sang Joon; Han, Changsu; Park, Moon Ho; Jeong, Hyun-Ghang; Kim, Tae Hui; Park, Joon Hyuk; Kim, Ki Woong

2013-12-01

Lexical fluency tests are frequently used to assess language and executive function in clinical practice. We investigated the influences of age, gender, and education on lexical verbal fluency in an educationally-diverse, elderly Korean population and provided its' normative information. We administered the lexical verbal fluency test (LVFT) to 1676 community-dwelling, cognitively normal subjects aged 60 years or over. In a stepwise linear regression analysis, education (B=0.40, SE=0.02, standardized B=0.506) and age (B=-0.10, SE=0.01, standardized B=-0.15) had significant effects on LVFT scores (p<0.001), but gender did not (B=0.40, SE=0.02, standardized B=0.506, p>0.05). Education explained 28.5% of the total variance in LVFT scores, which was much larger than the variance explained by age (5.42%). Accordingly, we presented normative data of the LVFT stratified by age (60-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years) and education (0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and ≥13 years). The LVFT norms should provide clinically useful data for evaluating elderly people and help improve the interpretation of verbal fluency tasks and allow for greater diagnostic accuracy.

VRT (verbal reasoning test): a new test for assessment of verbal reasoning. Test realization and Italian normative data from a multicentric study.

PubMed

Basagni, Benedetta; Luzzatti, Claudio; Navarrete, Eduardo; Caputo, Marina; Scrocco, Gessica; Damora, Alessio; Giunchi, Laura; Gemignani, Paola; Caiazzo, Annarita; Gambini, Maria Grazia; Avesani, Renato; Mancuso, Mauro; Trojano, Luigi; De Tanti, Antonio

2017-04-01

Verbal reasoning is a complex, multicomponent function, which involves activation of functional processes and neural circuits distributed in both brain hemispheres. Thus, this ability is often impaired after brain injury. The aim of the present study is to describe the construction of a new verbal reasoning test (VRT) for patients with brain injury and to provide normative values in a sample of healthy Italian participants. Three hundred and eighty healthy Italian subjects (193 women and 187 men) of different ages (range 16-75 years) and educational level (primary school to postgraduate degree) underwent the VRT. VRT is composed of seven subtests, investigating seven different domains. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant effect of age and education on the participants' performance in terms of both VRT total score and all seven subtest scores. No gender effect was found. A correction grid for raw scores was built from the linear equation derived from the scores. Inferential cut-off scores were estimated using a non-parametric technique, and equivalent scores were computed. We also provided a grid for the correction of results by z scores.

Theory of mind performance in schizophrenia: diagnostic, symptom, and neuropsychological correlates.

PubMed

Greig, Tamasine C; Bryson, Gary J; Bell, Morris D

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) performance and schizophrenia subtype, symptom, and neuropsychological variables. One hundred twenty-eight stable outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were assessed during the intake phase of a vocational and cognitive rehabilitation study. Results indicate that ToM performance differed significantly by schizophrenia diagnosis, with people diagnosed with disorganized schizophrenia performing the most poorly. Theory of Mind performance was also significantly correlated with measures of thought disorder and verbal memory. Regression analysis revealed that thought disorder and verbal memory measures explained 30% of the variance in ToM scores. Findings suggest that there is theory of mind variance in the schizophrenia population and theory of mind is strongly related to thought disorder, verbal memory, and cognitive disorganization. Contrary to previous reports, ToM was not related to measures of paranoia.

How hospitalized children and parents perceive nurses and hospital amenities: A qualitative descriptive study in Poland.

PubMed

Marcinowicz, Ludmiła; Abramowicz, Paweł; Zarzycka, Danuta; Abramowicz, Magdalena; Konstantynowicz, Jerzy

2016-03-01

A qualitative descriptive design using an interview guide approach was adopted to investigate the patient-nurse relationship and paediatric ward amenities from the perspective of parents and hospitalised children in Poland. The study included 26 parents or caregivers of hospitalised children (between 13 months and 15 years old) and 22 children (from 10 to 16 years old). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the recorded verbal data. Data from patients' transcripts were coded and classified in terms of topics on the patient-nurse relationship and hospital care. We identified five main topics. 1. Nurse qualities; 2. Nurse verbal behaviour; 3. Nurse tone of voice and non-verbal behaviour; 4. Hospital amenities; 5. Parents' expectations towards nurses. Our study contributes to increased understanding of parents' and children's experiences of paediatric hospital care. © The Author(s) 2014.