Contexts as Moderators of Observed Interactions: A study of Costa Rican Mothers and Infants from Differing Socioeconomic Backgrounds

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Leyendecker ◽  
Michael E. Lamb ◽  
Axel Schölmerich ◽  
Delia Miranda Fricke
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Maternal Response ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Object Play ◽  
The Impact

Twenty first-born infants from low SES families and 20 first-born infants from middle SES families in Costa Rica were observed for 12 hours when they were 14 weeks old. The goals of this study were to: (1) study the impact of length of observation and context on our measures of interactional engagement; and (2) compare the interactional experiences of the infants in the two groups in various functional (e.g. feeding, object play) and social (e.g. with mother, with mother and others) contexts. Attuned and disharmonious interactions, as well as the frequency of positive affect, soothing, and vocalisation, varied considerably across the functional contexts. In addition, disharmonious interactions increased and interactional engagement decreased when mothers and infants were joined by others. Highly unstable measures of individual differences were obtained when observations were limited to 45-minute blocks, but stability increased considerably as the duration of the observations expanded. The groups did not differ with respect to amounts of time spent in various functional and social contexts, in attuned or disharmonious states, or in high levels of interactional engagement. Within some of the functional contexts, however, significant group differences in levels of attuned interactions, infant vocalisation, and maternal response vocalisation were found. Overall, functional and social contexts clearly moderated interactional experiences. SES effects on verbal and other interactional measures were limited to some contexts and may thus represent the infants’ overall experiences quite poorly. Consequently, comparisons based on a single context may be inadequate for studies of subjects from differing socioeconomic backgrounds.

Acceptance and Feasibility of Seated Elliptical Pedaling to Replace Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 844-853
Author(s):  
Nicholas L. Lerma ◽  
Chi C. Cho ◽  
Ann M. Swartz ◽  
Hotaka Maeda ◽  
Young Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Light Intensity ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Activity Monitor ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a seated pedaling device to reduce sedentary behavior (SB) in the homes of older adults. Methods: Each participant (N = 20) was outfitted with an activity monitor and seated pedaling device in the home for 7 days and randomly assigned to one of four light-intensity pedaling groups (15, 30, 45, and 60 min/day). Results: There was 100% adherence in all groups and significant group differences in the minutes pedaled per day (p < .001), with no significant difference in the total pedaling days completed (p = .241). The 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-min groups experienced a 4.0%, 5.4%, 10.6%, and 11.3% reduction in SB on the days pedaled, respectively. Conclusion: Clinically relevant reductions in SB time were achievable in this 1-week trial. Long-term adherence and the impact of replacing SB with seated light activities on geriatric-relevant health outcomes should be investigated.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Learning Social and Non-Social Network Structures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Tompson ◽  
Ari E Kahn ◽  
Emily B. Falk ◽  
Jean M Vettel ◽  
Danielle S Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Order Structure ◽  
Network Learning ◽  
Social Traits ◽  
The Impact

Learning about complex associations between pieces of information enables individuals to quickly adjust their expectations and develop mental models. Yet, the degree to which humans can learn higher-order information about complex associations is not well understood; nor is it known whether the learning process differs for social and non-social information. Here, we employ a paradigm in which the order of stimulus presentation forms temporal associations between the stimuli, collectively constituting a complex network structure. We examined individual differences in the ability to learn network topology for which stimuli were social versus non-social. Although participants were able to learn both social and non-social networks, their performance in social network learning was uncorrelated with their performance in non-social network learning. Importantly, social traits, including social orientation and perspective-taking, uniquely predicted the learning of social networks but not the learning of non-social networks. Taken together, our results suggest that the process of learning higher-order structure in social networks is independent from the process of learning higher-order structure in non-social networks. Our study design provides a promising approach to identify neurophysiological drivers of social network versus non-social network learning, extending our knowledge about the impact of individual differences on these learning processes. Implications for how people learn and adapt to new social contexts that require integration into a new social network are discussed.

scholarly journals The Effect of DHA Supplementation on Cognition in Patients with Bipolar Disorder: An Exploratory Randomized Control Trial

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 708
Author(s):  
Valentina Ciappolino ◽  
Giuseppe DelVecchio ◽  
Cecilia Prunas ◽  
Angela Andreella ◽  
Livio Finos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Corn Oil ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Brief Assessment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Randomized Control ◽  
The Impact

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental disorder with a wide range of cognitive deficits, both in the euthymic and acute phase of the disease. Interestingly, in recent years, there has been a growing interest in investigating the impact of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cognition in BD. In this context, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 ω-3, DHA) supplementation on cognitive performances in euthymic BD patients. This is an exploratory, single-centre, double-blind randomized controlled trial evaluating 12 weeks DHA supplementation (1250 mg daily) vs. a placebo (corn oil) in 31 euthymic BD patients compared to 15 healthy controls (HCs) on cognitive functions, assessed by the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Affective Disorder (BAC-A). Plasma levels of DHA were measured. After 12 weeks of treatment, no significant group differences were observed in all neuropsychological tests between the four groups, except for the emotion inhibition test, where HCs with DHA had higher scores compared to either BD with DHA (z = 3.9, p = 0.003) or BD with placebo (t = 3.7, p = 0.005). Although our results showed that DHA could be effective for ameliorating cognition in healthy subjects, future studies are still needed to clarify the impact of DHA on cognition in BD.

Timing of Palatal Surgery and Speech Outcome

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy L. Chapman ◽  
Mary A. Hardin-Jones ◽  
Jeffrey A. Goldstein ◽  
Kelli Ann Halter ◽  
Robert J. Havlik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Lexical Status ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Manner Of Articulation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Palatal Surgery ◽  
Group 1

Objective: To examine the impact of age and lexical status at the time of primary palatal surgery on speech outcome of preschoolers with cleft palate. Participants: Forty children (33 to 42 months) with nonsyndromic cleft palate participated in the study. Twenty children (Group 1) were less lexically advanced and younger (mean age  =  11 months) and 20 children (Group 2) were more lexically advanced and older (mean age  =  15 months) when palatal surgery was performed. Main Outcome Measures: Samples of the children's spontaneous speech were compared on 11 speech production measures (e.g., size of consonant inventory, total consonants correct, % correct for manner of articulation categories, compensatory articulation usage, etc.). Next, listeners rated a 30-second sample of each child's connected speech for articulation proficiency and hypernasality, separately, using direct magnitude estimation (DME). Results: Group differences were noted for 4 of the 11 speech production measures. Children in Group 1 exhibited larger consonant inventories (and true consonant inventories) and more accurate production of nasals and liquids compared to children in Group 2. On the DME task, significant group differences were found for ratings of articulation proficiency and hypernasality. Children in Group 1 exhibited better articulation and less hypernasality than children in Group 2. Conclusions: The findings suggested that children who were less lexically advanced and younger at the time of palatal surgery exhibited better articulation and resonance outcomes at 3 years of age.

scholarly journals Impact of Age and Physical Activity on Postprandial Metabolic Responses (OR22-07-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Koemel ◽  
Christina Sciarillo ◽  
Patrick Tomko ◽  
Katherine Bode ◽  
Nathaniel Jenkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Level ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Metabolic Responses ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Blood Draw ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Metabolic Outcomes ◽  
Postprandial Triglyceride ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives Large metabolic responses to high-fat meals (HFM) are known to create a deleterious physiological state. However, there is limited research describing the differential influences of age and physical activity level on meal metabolism, specifically in healthy older individuals. The goal of this project is to quantify the impact of age and physical activity on metabolic outcomes immediately following meal consumption in healthy men and women. Methods We recruited 4 groups of individuals: younger active (YA; age 22.3 ± 1.5 y; n = 7), younger inactive (YI; age 22.6 ± 4.0 y; n = 7), older active (OA; age 70.5 ± 7.8 y; n = 6), and older inactive (OI; age 69.6 ± 7.6 y; n = 5). Following a 10-hour overnight fast, an intravenous catheter was inserted into a forearm vein from which a fasting blood draw was taken. Participants then consumed a HFM (12 kcal/kg; 63% fat, 34% carbohydrate). Serial blood draws were conducted hourly for 6 hours to measure postprandial triglyceride (TG) and glucose (GLU) responses. Prior to the HFM, participants refrained from exercise for 48 hours to remove the confounding effects of recent acute exercise. One-way or two-way ANOVA was used, as appropriate, to compare groups with regard to postprandial metabolic outcomes. Results Groups were similar with regard to fasting GLU (P = 0.77) and TG (P = 0.06). There was a time effect for both GLU and TG in the postprandial period (P < 0.0001). A group effect was present for TG (P = 0.048), but not GLU (P = 0.07). There were no significant group differences in TG in post hoc comparisons (YA vs. YI, P = 0.41; YA vs. OA, P > 0.99; YA vs. OI, P = 0.08; YI vs. OA, P = 0.42; YI vs. OI, P = 0.67; OA vs. OI, P = 0.08). Total area under the curve (AUC) for TG was significantly different across groups (P = 0.0498; YA = 618.8 ± 103.1 mg/dL x 6 hr, YI = 836.4 ± 402.6, OA = 609.0 ± 234.6, OI = 993.4 ± 80.9), but incremental AUC was not different (P = 0.18). Groups did not differ with regard to GLU total (P = 0.07) or incremental AUC (P = 0.26). Peak TG (P = 0.38) and GLU (P = 0.18) responses did not differ across groups. Conclusions In this ongoing experiment, we are observing group differences in postprandial TG based on age and physical activity level. When complete, this study will highlight the independent effects of aging and physical activity on postprandial metabolic responses, which are integral components in CVD risk. Funding Sources Oklahoma State University.

Reciprocal Peer Tutoring: A Multimodal Assessment of Effectiveness with College Students

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Fantuzzo ◽  
Linda A. Dimeff ◽  
Shari L. Fox
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Peer Tutoring ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Placebo Control ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Reciprocal Peer Tutoring ◽  
The Impact

This study assessed the effect of reciprocal peer tutoring on the academic performance of college students, and measured the impact of this procedure on levels of student distress and course satisfaction. Forty-nine students were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT), questions only (QO), and placebo control (PC). There were no significant group differences in demographic variables or pretest scores. Results indicated that the RPT condition resulted in greater improvement in exam scores, reduction in distress, and greater student satisfaction.

scholarly journals Impact of External Cue Validity on Driving Performance in Parkinson's Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Scally ◽  
Judith L. Charlton ◽  
Robert Iansek ◽  
John L. Bradshaw ◽  
Simon Moss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Traffic Signals ◽  
Driving Performance ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Cue Validity ◽  
External Cues ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
The Impact

This study sought to investigate the impact of external cue validity on simulated driving performance in 19 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 19 healthy age-matched controls. Braking points and distance between deceleration point and braking point were analysed for red traffic signals preceded either by Valid Cues (correctly predicting signal), Invalid Cues (incorrectly predicting signal), and No Cues. Results showed that PD drivers braked significantly later and travelled significantly further between deceleration and braking points compared with controls for Invalid and No-Cue conditions. No significant group differences were observed for driving performance in response to Valid Cues. The benefit of Valid Cues relative to Invalid Cues and No Cues was significantly greater for PD drivers compared with controls. Trail Making Test (B-A) scores correlated with driving performance for PDs only. These results highlight the importance of external cues and higher cognitive functioning for driving performance in mild to moderate PD.

University Students' Perceptions of a Person Who Clutters With or Without Video Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 28-40
Author(s):  
Paul G. Blanchet ◽  
Lindsey M. Farrell ◽  
Greg Snyder
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Prior Exposure ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Video Education

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video education about cluttering on students' perceptions of a person who clutters. Method A total of 193 undergraduate students served as participants. Ninety-five students were provided with a written definition of cluttering, while 98 were also provided with video education about cluttering. Students then rated a person who clutters on speech and personality scales. Results Results yielded significant group differences in ratings of intelligibility, speech rate, ease of listening, and competence. Respondents who viewed the educational video rated a person who clutters significantly more negatively along these dimensions than respondents who read a definition only. However, participants who did not view the video reported knowing significantly more people who clutter. Conclusion Findings suggest that this particular form of video education might provide students with “realistic” exposure to cluttering. Further research is needed to assess effects of exposure to and interaction with a person who clutters on perceptions of cluttering. Implications include the impact of prior exposure to those who clutter, as well as potential confusion between cluttering and “fast speech.” These factors might have influenced identification rates of individuals who clutter, which could have affected the results.

Spatial and Nonspatial Working Memory and Visual Search

2011 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 893-907
Author(s):  
Junichi Takahashi ◽  
Takao Hatakeyama
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Search ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Conjunction Search ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Search Rate ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
The Individual

It has been indicated that visual search is interfered with in spatial working memory (WM), although not in nonspatial WM. In this study, the effects on visual search of individual differences in spatial and nonspatial WM were examined. Two visual search conditions were used: a conjunction search condition comprising two features (color and shape) and a disjunction condition comprising only one feature (color or shape). 96 participants (42 men, 54 women, M age = 20.9 yr., SD = 3.5) participated in this study. The participants were divided into high and low WM groups based on their spatial and nonspatial WM test scores. As a result, statistically significant group differences in the conjunction search rate were observed in spatial WM but not in nonspatial WM. These results suggest there is a relationship between visual search and the individual spatial WM ability, but this does not hold for nonspatial WM.

Comparison of Auditory, Language, Memory, and Attention Abilities in Children With and Without Listening Difficulties

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-727
Author(s):  
Beula M. Magimairaj ◽  
Naveen K. Nagaraj ◽  
Alexander V. Sergeev ◽  
Natalie J. Benafield
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Objectives School-age children with and without parent-reported listening difficulties (LiD) were compared on auditory processing, language, memory, and attention abilities. The objective was to extend what is known so far in the literature about children with LiD by using multiple measures and selective novel measures across the above areas. Design Twenty-six children who were reported by their parents as having LiD and 26 age-matched typically developing children completed clinical tests of auditory processing and multiple measures of language, attention, and memory. All children had normal-range pure-tone hearing thresholds bilaterally. Group differences were examined. Results In addition to significantly poorer speech-perception-in-noise scores, children with LiD had reduced speed and accuracy of word retrieval from long-term memory, poorer short-term memory, sentence recall, and inferencing ability. Statistically significant group differences were of moderate effect size; however, standard test scores of children with LiD were not clinically poor. No statistically significant group differences were observed in attention, working memory capacity, vocabulary, and nonverbal IQ. Conclusions Mild signal-to-noise ratio loss, as reflected by the group mean of children with LiD, supported the children's functional listening problems. In addition, children's relative weakness in select areas of language performance, short-term memory, and long-term memory lexical retrieval speed and accuracy added to previous research on evidence-based areas that need to be evaluated in children with LiD who almost always have heterogenous profiles. Importantly, the functional difficulties faced by children with LiD in relation to their test results indicated, to some extent, that commonly used assessments may not be adequately capturing the children's listening challenges. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12808607

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