Once more with feeling: Affect and language in atypical populations

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Reilly ◽  
Edward S. Klima ◽  
Ursula Bellugi
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Underlying Structure ◽  
Affective Prosody ◽  
The Social ◽  
Atypical Development ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThe study of clearly identifiable patterns of atypical development can inform normal development in significant ways. Delayed or deviant development puts in high relief not only the sequence of development but also the individual components. This article presents the results of studies that compare adolescents with Williams syndrome, a rare metabolic neurodevelopmental disorder resulting in mental retardation, with cognitively matched adolescents with Down syndrome. We investigate the interaction between affect and language through storytelling. In contrast to the adolescents with Down syndrome, the Williams syndrome subjects tell coherent and complex narratives that make extensive use of affective prosody. Furthermore, stories from the Williams but not the Down subjects are infused with lexically encoded narrative evaluative devices that enrich the referential content of the stories. This contrast in expressivity between two matched atypical groups provides an unusual perspective on the underlying structure of the social cognitive domain.

scholarly journals Chinese Adolescents’ Conceptions of Teacher’s Authority and Their Relations to Rule Violations in School

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-117
Author(s):  
Jianjin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Moral Education ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Seventh Graders ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Teacher Authority ◽  
The Social ◽  
Moral Domain ◽  
Personal Jurisdiction ◽  
Male Subjects

Based on the Social Cognitive Domain Theory, the paper explored the adolescents’ conceptions of teacher authority in different domains and their relations to rule violations in school. The main results are: 1) Adolescents viewed moral, conventional, and prudential issues as legitimately subject to teachers’ authority and personal issues as under personal jurisdiction, but they were equivocal about contextually conventional issues. 2) Seventh graders judged all acts as more legitimately subject to teachers’ authority, all rule violations as more negative than did older students. 3) Compared with adolescents from big cities, adolescents from rural area viewed moral, conventional, contextually conventional, and personal issues as more legitimately subject to teacher authority, and endorsed less personal jurisdiction over those issues; but there were no significant differences in moral domain. 4) Male subjects reported more violations in conventional and prudential domain. 5）Adolescents’ older age, less endorsement of legitimacy of teacher authority, and greater dislike for school predicted more teacher- and self-reported misconducts. Implications for moral education from these results were also discussed.

scholarly journals Tolerance of Muslim beliefs and practices: Age related differences and context effects

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maykel Verkuyten ◽  
Luuk Slooter
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Political Rights ◽  
Social Implication ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Older Males

Tolerant judgments of Muslims' political rights and dissenting beliefs and practices by ethnic Dutch adolescents (12—18 years) were examined. Participants ( N = 632) made judgments of different types of behaviors and different contexts in an experimental questionnaire study. As in other studies, tolerance was found to not be a global construct. Adolescents took into account various aspects of what they were asked to tolerate and the sense in which they should be tolerant. The type of actor, the nature of the social implication of the behavior, the underlying belief type, and the dimension of tolerance, all made a difference to the tolerant judgments. Additionally, the findings strongly suggest that tolerance judgments do not develop through an age-related stage-like sequence where an intolerant attitude is followed by tolerance. For females, there were no age differences, and older males were less tolerant than younger males. There were also gender differences with males being less tolerant for some types of behavior and females being less tolerant for behaviors that negatively affected Muslim females. Level of education had a positive effect on tolerance. The findings are discussed with reference to social-cognitive domain theory.

scholarly journals Autism and Williams syndrome: Dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136236132096507
Author(s):  
Amy Niego ◽  
Antonio Benítez-Burraco
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
The Social ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Function

Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome exhibit quite opposite features in the social domain, but also share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of subjects with these two conditions. We found a significant overlap between differentially expressed genes compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them exhibiting a similar trend in both conditions, but with genes being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. These genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Lay abstract Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial. At the same time, autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these conditions. We found a significant overlap between genes dysregulated in the blood of patients compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them being upregulated or, in some cases, downregulated. Still, genes with similar expression trends can exhibit quantitative differences between conditions, with most of them being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. Differentially expressed genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Overall, these genes emerge as promising candidates for the similarities and differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome socio-cognitive profiles.

Is There a Social Module? Language, Face Processing, and Theory of Mind in Individuals with Williams Syndrome

1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Karmiloff-Smith ◽  
Edward Klima ◽  
Ursula Bellugi ◽  
Julia Grant ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Face Processing ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Current Thinking ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
The Brain

Many species can respond to the behavior of their conspecifics. Human children, and perhaps some nonhuman primates, also have the capacity to respond to the mental states of their conspecifics, i.e., they have a “theory of mind.” On the basis of previous research on the theory-of-mind impairment in people with autism, together with animal models of intentionality, Brothers and Ring (1992) postulated a broad cognitive module whose function is to build representations of other individuals. We evaluate the details of this hypothesis through a series of experiments on language, face processing, and theory of mind carried out with subjects with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder resulting in an uneven lin-guisticocognitive profile. The results are discussed in terms of how the comparison of different phenotypes (e.g., Williams syndrome, Down syndrome, autism, and hydrocephaly with associated myelomeningocele) can contribute both to understanding the neuropsychology of social cognition and to current thinking about the purported modularity of the brain.

Sex Differences in Two Fundamental Cognitive Domains

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akio Wakabayashi ◽  
Junko Sasaki ◽  
Youji Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Styles ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
The Social ◽  
Intuitive Physics ◽  
The Relationship

Prior research indicates that, on average, females are superior at tasks concerned with the social cognitive domain, whereas males are superior at tasks concerned with physical cognitive domains. The empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory explains these differences by proposing two independent cognitive drives: empathizing and systemizing. The present study explores sex differences and the relationship between these cognitive domains. Participants were 267 elementary school children (mean age = 9.8) and 102 university students (mean age = 20.7) who performed two tasks: the Eyes test and the intuitive physics test. Results showed that females scored higher than males on the Eyes test in both participant groups, whereas no marked sex differences appeared in the intuitive physics test. Distributions of cognitive styles, derived from performance differences in the two tasks, showed marked sex differences, and correlations between performances in the two tasks were near zero in both groups, were consistent with E-S theory.

scholarly journals Defining the social phenotype in Williams syndrome: A model for linking gene, the brain, and behavior

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Järvinen-Pasley ◽  
Ursula Bellugi ◽  
Judy Reilly ◽  
Debra L. MILLS ◽  
Albert Galaburda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Behavior Understanding ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Social Phenotype ◽  
The Social ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Atypical Development ◽  
The Brain

AbstractResearch into phenotype–genotype correlations in neurodevelopmental disorders has greatly elucidated the contribution of genetic and neurobiological factors to variations in typical and atypical development. Etiologically relatively homogeneous disorders, such as Williams syndrome (WS), provide unique opportunities for elucidating gene–brain–behavior relationships. WS is a neurogenetic disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7q11.23. This results in a cascade of physical, cognitive–behavioral, affective, and neurobiological aberrations. WS is associated with a markedly uneven neurocognitive profile, and the mature state cognitive profile of WS is relatively well developed. Although anecdotally, individuals with WS have been frequently described as unusually friendly and sociable, personality remains a considerably less well studied area. This paper investigates genetic influences, cognitive–behavioral characteristics, aberrations in brain structure and function, and environmental and biological variables that influence the social outcomes of individuals with WS. We bring together a series of findings across multiple levels of scientific enquiry to examine the social phenotype in WS, reflecting the journey from gene to the brain to behavior. Understanding the complex multilevel scientific perspective in WS has implications for understanding typical social development by identifying important developmental events and markers, as well as helping to define the boundaries of psychopathology.

scholarly journals Autism and Williams syndrome: dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Niego ◽  
Antonio Benítez-Burraco
Keyword(s):  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Molecular Approach ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
The Social ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Function

AbstractAutism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Williams Syndrome (WS) exhibit quite opposite features in the social domain, but also share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this paper we adopted a comparative-molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these two conditions. We found a significant overlap between differentially-expressed genes compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them exhibiting a similar trend in both conditions, but with genes being more dysregulated in WS than in ASD. These genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly, dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly, the cerebellum, the thalamus and the striatum) of relevance for the ASD and the WS etiopathogenesis.

scholarly journals Decomposing response times in Williams syndrome in separate cognitive processes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitris Katsimpokis ◽  
Leendert van Maanen ◽  
Spyridoula Varlokosta
Keyword(s):  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Decision Time ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Orientation Discrimination ◽  
Decision Threshold ◽  
Lexical Information ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder of genetic origin. The syndrome is characterised by a selective set of deficits in a number of cognitive domains. In spite of a wealth of studies, response times (RTs) of WS have attracted little attention. In the present study, we fill this gap by analysing data from a receptive vocabulary task using the Diffusion Decision Model (DDM). Our results show that the speed of accumulation, decision threshold and non-decision time parameters of WS individuals are similar to these of typically developing 5-year-old preschoolers. In addition, WS verbal intelligence scores were associated with the speed of accumulation of lexical information. Finally, the performance of WS and preschooler individuals was correlated across the vocabulary task and an additional orientation discrimination task only at the group but not at the individual level; therefore, pointing to domain-specific lexical and perceptual processing in WS.

Person, Process, Choice: The Psychology of New Venture Creation

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly G. Shaver ◽  
Linda R. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Past Research ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Venture Creation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioral Choices ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Mind

Psychology can be distinguished from other behavioral sciences by its emphasis on the behavior of the individual person. Behavior, in turn, is influenced by the way in which the external world is represented in the mind, and by the individual's exercise of choice. The article examines the possibility that relatively enduring attributes of the person might affect entrepreneurial activity, describes the social cognitive processes Involved in constructing representations of the external environment, and suggests which motivational variables affect behavioral choices. Although past research on “the psychology of the entrepreneur” has not been productive, a psychological approach based on persons, process, and choice holds promise for the future.

scholarly journals Unravelling competitors’ brain-andbody correlates. The two-persons social neuroscience approach to study competition

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-104
Author(s):  
Michela Balconi ◽  
Laura Angioletti
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Competitive Behavior ◽  
Body System ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Single Person ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Brain

Competition refers to a condition for which an individual or a group strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. It follows that, unlike cooperation, the gain of one foresees the loss of the other. Most accounts have focused on the individual and social cognitive mechanisms featuring cooperative/competitive behavior, however, a fascinating question regards the neurophysiological correlates of competitive social phenomenon. What happens at a neural and peripheral level in the brain-and-body system of two people engaged in a competitive dynamic? The combination of multiple neuroscientific techniques adopted to unveil the individual and social complexity of competition leads us discussing a more recent and promising paradigm in neuroscience, the hyperscanning. In the social neuroscience field, hyperscanning allowed shifting from a single-person to a two-persons perspective and can open new opportunities to study interpersonal brain-and-body connectivity during competitive social interactions in increasingly ecological contexts.

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