Psychology Research Works

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Infants' use of action knowledge to get a grasp on words
(MIT Press, 2003) Woodward, Amanda
Is agency skin-deep? Surface attributes influence infants' sensitivity to goal-directed action
(Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 2004) Guajardo, J. J.; Woodward, Amanda
Three studies investigated the role of surface attributes in infants’ identification of agents, using a habituation paradigm designed to tap infants’ interpretation of grasping as goal directed (Woodward, 1998). When they viewed a bare human hand grasping objects, 7- and 12-month-old infants focused on the relation between the hand and its goal. When the surface properties of the hand were obscured by a glove, however, neither 7- nor 12-month-old infants represented its actions as goal directed (Study 1). Next, infants were shown that the gloved hands were part of a person either prior to (Study 2) or during (Study 3) the habituation procedure. Infants who actively monitored the gloved person in Study 2 and older infants in Study 3 interpreted the gloved reaches as goal directed. Thus, varying the extent to which an entity is identifiable as a person impacts infants’ interpretation of the entity as an agent.
Applying Depression-Distortion Hypotheses to the Assessment of Peer Victimization in Adolescents.
(US: Lawrence Erlbaum., 2004) De Los Reyes, Andres; Prinstein, Mitchell
This study examined whether adolescents' depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior were associated with discrepancies between self- and peer-reports of peer victimization experiences. A sample of 203 10th-grade adolescents completed self-report measures of victimization and depressive symptoms as well as peer nominations of victimization and aggression. Residual scores were computed as a measure of discordance between peer- and self-reported peer victimization. Adolescents' aggressive behavior was associated with underestimations of peer victimization on self-reported measures, as compared to peer-reports, whereas depressive symptoms were associated with overestimations of peer victimization on self-report, as compared to peer-reports. Different patterns of findings were revealed for different forms of victimization (overt, relational, reputational) and by gender. Findings have implications for studies of adolescent peer victimization using multiple reporters and suggest that adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms may be vulnerable to misperceptions of their social experiences among peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)(from the journal abstract)
Measuring informant discrepancies in clinical child research.
(American Psychological Association, 2004) De Los Reyes, Andres; Kazdin, Alan
Discrepancies among informants' ratings of child psychopathology have important implications for diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. Typically, parents and children complete measures (e.g., self-report checklists, diagnostic instruments) to assess child dysfunction. Ratings gathered from these sources reveal relatively little agreement on the nature and extent of the child's social, emotional, and behavioral problems. This article reviews and illustrates the most frequently used methods of measuring informant discrepancies in the clinical child literature (i.e., raw difference, standardized difference, and residual difference scores) and outlines key considerations to influence their selection. The authors conclude that frequently used methods of measuring informant discrepancies are not interchangeable and recommend that future investigations examining informant discrepancies in clinical child research use the standardized difference score as their measure of informant discrepancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)(from the journal abstract)
Levels of Automation and User Participation in Usability Testing
(Laboratory for Automation Psychology and Decision Processes, 2004-04) Norman, Kent L.; Panizzi, Manuele
This paper identifies a number of factors involved in current practices of usability testing and presents profiles for three prototype methods: think-aloud, subjective ratings, and history files. We then identify ideal levels to generate the profile for new methods. These methods involve either a human observer or a self-administration of the test by the user. We propose methods of automating the evaluation form by dynamically adding items and modifying the form and the tasks in the process of the usability test. For self-administration of testing, we propose similar ideas of dynamically automating the forms and the tasks. Furthermore, we propose methods of eliciting the user’s goals and focus of attention. Finally, we propose that user testing methods and interfaces should be subjected to usability testing.
Usability Testing Of An Internet Form For The 2004 Overseas Enumeration Test: Iterative Testing Using Think-Aloud And Retrospective Report Methods
(Laboratory for Automation Psychology and Decision Processes, University of Maryland, College Park, MD., 2004-06) Norman, Kent L.; Murphy, Elizabeth
An Internet form for the U. S. Census Bureau’s 2004 Overseas Enumeration Test was evaluated in two rounds of usability testing. Participants were assigned to one of two conditions: Think-Aloud, in which they talked about what they were doing; or Retrospective-Report, in which they completed the form and then talked about their experience while viewing a recording. Participants also completed follow-up tasks. Sessions were video taped and logged. Round 1 testing identified 28 usability issues. Round 2 testing found that 13 of the issues had been resolved following design changes made to the interface. Round 2 testing identified 21 new and continuing usability issues. Results suggest that changes made to the interface increased the likelihood that respondents would be able to successfully complete the form. Task completion times in the think-aloud condition were only slightly longer than they were in the retrospective condition, while retrospective reports required a substantial amount of added time.
Neurobehavioral sequelae of infants of diabetic mothers: Deficits in explicit memory at 1 year of age.
(Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 2005) DeBoer, T; Wewerka, S; Bauer, P J; Georgieff, M K
The aim of the present research was to investigate the impact of abnormal fetal environment on explicit memory performance. Based on animal models, it was hypothesized that infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) experience perturbations in memory performance due to exposure to multiple neurologic risk factors including: chronic hypoxia, hyperglycemia/reactive hypoglycemia, and iron deficiency. Memory performance, as measured by the elicited/deferred imitation paradigm, was compared between 13 IDMs (seven females, six males; mean age 365 days, SD 11) and 16 typically developing children (seven females, nine males; mean age 379 days, SD 9). The IDM group was characterized by shorter gestational age (mean 38w, SD 2), greater standardized birthweight scores (mean 3797g, SD 947), and lower iron stores (mean ferritin concentration 87g/L, SD 68) in comparison with the control group (mean gestational age: 40w, SD 1; mean birthweight: 3639g, SD 348; mean newborn ferritin concentration 140g/L, SD 46). After statistically controlling for both gestational age and global cognitive abilities, IDMs demonstrated a deficit in the ability to recall multi-step event sequences after a delay was imposed. These findings highlight the importance of the prenatal environment on subsequent mnemonic behavior and suggest a connection between metabolic abnormalities during the prenatal period, development of memory, circuitry, and behavioral mnemonic performance.
Event-related potentials in developmental populations.
(2005) DeBoer, T.; Scott, L.S.; Nelson, C.A.
Forming a stable memory representation in the first year of life: Why imitation is more than child's play.
(2005) Lukowski, A.F.; Wiebe, S.A.; Haight, J.C.; DeBoer, T.; Nelson, C.A.; Bauer, P.J.
Although 9-month-old infants are capable of retaining temporally ordered information over long delays, this ability is relatively fragile. It may be possible to facilitate long-term retention by allowing infants to imitate event sequences immediately after their presentation. The effects of imitation on immediate and delayed recognition and on long-term recall were investigated using event-related potentials (ERPs) and elicited imitation, respectively. Mnemonic facilitation resulting from the opportunity to imitate was apparent using both assessments. ERP assessments at immediate and delayed recognition tests suggested that infants who were allowed to imitate had stronger memory representations of familiar stimuli relative to infants who only viewed the presentation of the events. In addition, infants who were allowed to imitate evidenced higher levels of ordered recall after 1 month relative to infants who only watched the experimenter’s demonstration. Therefore, imitation proved to have beneficial effects on explicit memory in 9 1 / 2 -month-olds, providing evidence of its effectiveness as a tool to augment mnemonic capabilities in infancy.
Beyond the Gong: Relations Between Elicited Imitation Performance at 20-40 Months of Age and Memory at 6 Years
(2005-04) DeBoer, T.; Cheatham, C.L.; Stark, E.; Bauer, P.J.
Mechanisms of change: Exploring not only when and what, but how declaritive memory develops.
(2006) Richmond, J.; DeBoer, T.
Age-related changes in representational flexibility are a characteristic feature of declarative memory development. The authors suggest that a qualitative shift in the nature of infants’ memory representations accounts for increasing memory flexibility with age. We will argue that a comprehensive theory of declarative memory development must (1) account for the effect of experience on flexibility, (2) be empirically separable from more parsimonious explanations, and (3) propose a mechanism by which the transition takes place. We will argue that a converging-methods approach is necessary to understand not only when and what develops in declarative memory, but also how developmental change occurs.
Informant Discrepancies in the Assessment of Childhood Psychopathology: A Critical Review, Theoretical Framework, and Recommendations for Further Study.
(American Psychological Association, 2006) De Los Reyes, Andres; Kazdin, Alan
Discrepancies often exist among different informants' (e.g., parents, children, teachers) ratings of child psychopathology. Informant discrepancies have an impact on the assessment, classification, and treatment of childhood psychopathology. Empirical work has identified informant characteristics that may influence informant discrepancies. Limitations of previous work include inconsistent measurement of informant discrepancies and, perhaps most importantly, the absence of a theoretical framework to guide research. In this article, the authors present a theoretical framework (the Attribution Bias Context Model) to guide research and theory examining informant discrepancies in the clinic setting. Needed directions for future research and theory include theoretically driven attention to conceptualizing informant discrepancies across informant pairs (e.g., parent-teacher, mother-father, parent-child, teacher-child) as well as developing experimental approaches to decrease informant discrepancies in the clinic setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)(from the journal abstract)
Informant discrepancies in assessing child dysfunction relate to dysfunction within mother-child interactions.
(Germany: Springer., 2006) De Los Reyes, Andres; Kazdin, Alan
We examined whether mother-child discrepancies in perceived child behavior problems relate to dysfunctional interactions between mother and child and stress in the mother. Participants included 239 children (6–16 years old; 58 girls, 181 boys) referred for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior, and their mothers. Mother-child discrepancies in perceived child behavior problems were related to mother-child conflict. Moreover, maternal stress mediated this relationship. The findings suggest that discrepancies among mother and child evaluations of child functioning are not merely reflections of different perspectives or artifacts of the assessment process, but can form components of conceptual models that can be developed and tested to examine the interrelations among critical domains of child, parent, and family functioning.
Conceptualizing changes in behavior in intervention research: the range of possible changes model.
(American Psychological Association, 2006) De Los Reyes, Andres; Kazdin, Alan
An international movement has focused on identifying evidence-based interventions that were developed to change psychological constructs and that are supported by controlled studies. However, inconsistent findings within individual intervention studies and among multiple studies raise critical problems in interpreting the evidence, and deciding when and whether an intervention is evidence-based. A theoretical and methodological framework (Range of Possible Changes [RPC] Model) is proposed to guide the study of change in intervention research. The authors recommend that future quantitative reviews of the research literature use the RPC Model to conceptualize, examine, and classify the available evidence for interventions. Future research should adopt the RPC Model to both develop theory-driven hypotheses and conduct examinations of the instances in which interventions may or may not change psychological constructs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)(from the journal abstract)
Hippocampal volume reduction in children with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome is associated with cognitive impairment.
(2007) DeBoer, Tracy; Wu, Z.; Lee, A.; Simon, T.J.
Background: Previous investigations of individuals with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS22q11.2) have reported alterations in both brain anatomy and cognitive function. Neuroanatomical studies have reported multiple abnormalities including changes in both gray and white matter in the temporal lobe, including the amygdala and hippocampus. Separate investigations of cognitive abilities have established the prevalence of general intellectual impairment, although the actual extent to which a single individual is affected varies greatly within the population. The present study was designed to examine structures within the temporal lobe and assess their functional significance in terms of cognition in children with DS22q11.2. Method: A total of 72 children (ages 7–14 years) participated in the investigation: 36 children (19 female, 17 male) tested FISH positive for chromosome 22q11.2 deletion (Mean age = 10 years 9 months, ± 2 yr 4 mo) and 36 were age-matched typically developing controls (13 female, 23 male; Mean age = 10 years 6 months, ± 1 yr 11 mo). For each subject, a three-dimensional high-resolution (1 mm isotropic) T1-weighted structural MRI was acquired. Neuroanatomical guidelines were used to define borders of the amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally and volumes were calculated based on manual tracings of the regions. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) was also administered. Results: Volumetric reductions in total gray matter, white matter, and both the amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally were observed in children with DS22q11.2. Reductions in the left hippocampus were disproportionate to decreases in gray matter after statistically controlling for group differences in total gray matter, age, and data collection site. This specific reduction in hippocampal volume was significantly correlated with performance on standardized measures of intelligence, whereas the other neuroanatomical measures were not (gray/white matter, CSF, and amygdala). Conclusion: Results from this study not only contribute to the understanding of the neuroanatomical variation in DS22q11.2, but also provide insight into the nature and source of the cognitive impairments associated with the syndrome. Specifically, we report that decreases in hippocampal volume may serve as an index of severity for cognitive impairments in children with DS22q11.2.
In the language of multiple memory systems, defining and describing developments in long-term explicit memory.
(2007) Bauer, P.J.; DeBoer, T.; Lukowski, A.F.
Overlapping numerical cognition impairments in Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion and Turner Syndromes.
(2007) Simon, T.J.; Takarae, Y.; DeBoer, T.; McDonald-McGinn, D.M.; Zackai, E.H.; Ross, J.L.
Children with one of two genetic disorders (chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and Turner syndrome) as well typically developing controls, participated in three cognitive processing experiments. Two experiments were designed to test cognitive processes involved in basic aspects numerical cognition. The third was a test of simple manual motor reaction time. Despite significant differences in global intellectual abilities, as measured by IQ tests, performance on the two numerical cognition tasks differed little between the two groups of children with genetic disorders. However, both performed significantly more poorly than did controls. The pattern of results are consistent with the hypothesis that impairments were not due to global intellectual ability but arose in specific cognitive functions required by different conditions within the tasks. The fact that no group differences were found in the reaction time task, despite significant differences in the standardized processing speed measure, further supports the interpretation that specific cognitive processing impairments and not global intellectual or processing speed impairments explain the pattern of results. The similarity in performance on these tasks of children with unrelated genetic disorders counters the view that numerical cognition is under any direct genetic control. Instead, our findings are consistent with the view that disturbances in foundational spatiotemporal cognitive functions contribute to the development of atypical representations and processes in the domains of basic magnitude comparison and simple numerical enumeration.
Associations between visuospatial working memory and enumeration impairments
(2007-03) DeBoer, T.; Wu, Z.; Nguyen, V.; Simon, T.J.
Associations Between Hippocampal Volume and Cognitive Function in Children with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome
(2007-05) DeBoer, T.; Wu, Z.; Takarae, Y.; Nguyen, V.; Gabriel, L.; Simon, T.J.
When the evidence says, "Yes, no, and maybe so": Attending to and interpreting inconsistent findings among evidence-based interventions.
(United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.., 2008) De Los Reyes, Andres; Kazdin, Alan
An international, multidisciplinary effort aims to identify evidence-based treatments (EBTs) or interventions. The goal of this effort is to identify specific techniques or programs that successfully target and change specific behaviors. In clinical psychology, EBTs are identified based on the outcomes of randomized controlled trials examining whether treatments outperform control or alternative treatment conditions. Treatment outcomes are measured in multiple ways. Consistently, different ways of gauging outcomes yield inconsistent conclusions. Historically, EBT research has not accounted for these inconsistencies. In this paper we highlight the implications of inconsistencies, describe a framework for redressing inconsistent findings, and illustrate how the framework can guide future research on how to administer and combine treatments to maximize treatment effects and how to study treatments via quantitative review.

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