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Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis Jun 2021Various forms of humor are an important aspect of social interactions, even at an early age. Humor comprehension is a repertoire that is said to emerge between the ages...
Various forms of humor are an important aspect of social interactions, even at an early age. Humor comprehension is a repertoire that is said to emerge between the ages of 7 and 11 years, and this is primarily attributed to a child's level of cognitive development. The behavioral literature has suggested that various forms of complex verbal behavior, including the use and comprehension of humor, are learned operants that can be taught using systematic teaching procedures. The current study used multiple exemplar training and a three-step error correction procedure to teach comprehension of double-meaning jokes to 4 children (2 females and 2 males) aged between 5 and 6.5 years old. All participants demonstrated humor comprehension and appreciation, across multiple exemplars, following training, and maintained this at follow-up. Implications for use with clinical populations are discussed.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Comprehension; Female; Humans; Male; Teaching; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 33844302
DOI: 10.1002/jaba.838 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Aug 2019Purpose This study examined the relationship between language and planning, a higher order executive function skill, in children with specific language impairment (SLI)... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Purpose This study examined the relationship between language and planning, a higher order executive function skill, in children with specific language impairment (SLI) and typically developing (TD) children. We hypothesized differences between groups in planning performance and in the role of verbal mediation during planning. Method Thirty-one children with SLI and 50 TD age-matched peers (8-12 years) participated in the study. We assessed language ability via a standardized language measure and planning via a dual-task Tower of London paradigm with 3 conditions: no secondary task (baseline), articulatory suppression secondary task (disrupted verbal mediation), and motor suppression secondary task (control for secondary task demand). Results We found similar overall accuracy between children with SLI and TD peers on the Tower of London. Children with SLI executed trials more slowly at baseline than TD peers but not under articulatory suppression, and children with SLI spent less time planning than TD children at baseline and under articulatory suppression. There was a significant interaction among group, language ability, and planning time under articulatory suppression. Children with SLI who had relatively better language ability spent less time planning than children with SLI who had poorer language ability when verbal mediation was disrupted. This pattern was reversed for TD children. Conclusions This study provides evidence for a relationship between language and planning, yet this relationship differed between children with SLI compared to TD peers. Findings suggest that children with SLI use nonlinguistic perceptual strategies to a greater degree than verbal strategies on visuospatial planning tasks and that intervention might address strategy use for planning.
Topics: Child; Child Language; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Language Tests; Male; Specific Language Disorder; Task Performance and Analysis; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 31343936
DOI: 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-L-18-0367 -
Brain and Cognition Mar 2023The current study examined the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) and rate of word generation over the course of three consecutive 20-sec intervals in 60-sec...
The current study examined the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) and rate of word generation over the course of three consecutive 20-sec intervals in 60-sec letter and category verbal fluency (VF) tasks. Attenuated rate of within-person word generation in VF provides incremental information beyond total scores and predicts increased risk of incident Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). No studies to date, however, have determined the structural neural substrates underlying word generation rate in VF. Participants were 70 community-residing adults ≥ 65 years, who completed the letter and category VF tasks and a 3 T structural MRI scan. Linear mixed effects models (LMEMs) were used to determine the moderating effect of GMV on word generation rate. Whole brain voxel-wise LMEMs, adjusted for age, gender, education, Wide-Range Achievement Test - reading subtest score (WRAT3), and global health score, were run using permutation methods to correct for multiple comparisons. Lower GMV, primarily in frontal regions (superior frontal, rostral middle frontal, frontal pole, medial orbitofrontal, and pars orbitalis), were related to attenuated word generation rate, especially for letter VF. We propose that lower frontal GMV underlies inefficient executive word search processes reflected by attenuated word generation slope in letter VF amongst older adults.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Gray Matter; Verbal Behavior; Brain; Cerebral Cortex; Task Performance and Analysis; Neuropsychological Tests
PubMed: 36868129
DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.105960 -
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of... Jan 2021We investigated the role of verbal behavior on the emergence of analogy-type responding as measured via equivalence-equivalence relations. In Experiment 1, 8 college...
We investigated the role of verbal behavior on the emergence of analogy-type responding as measured via equivalence-equivalence relations. In Experiment 1, 8 college students learned to label arbitrary stimuli as, "vek," "zog," and "paf", and in Experiment 2, 8 additional participants learned to select these stimuli when hearing their names in an auditory-visual matching-to-sample (MTS) task. Experimenters tested for the emergence of relational tacts (i.e., "same" and "different") and equivalence-equivalence relations (analogy tests) via visual-visual MTS. Half of the participants were exposed to a think-aloud procedure. Even though they all passed analogy tests while tacting stimuli relationally, only participants exposed to tact training (Experiment 1) did so without the need for remediation. The results of these experiments confirm that individual discriminative and relational control of stimuli established through verbal behavior training is sufficient to produce equivalence-equivalence analogical responding, advancing the analysis of complex cognitive (problem-solving) phenomena.
Topics: Humans; Learning; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 33319373
DOI: 10.1002/jeab.652 -
Acta Psychologica Oct 2022Research on the interrelation between language and other components of cognition makes frequent use of verbal interference paradigms. In this, participants are engaged...
Research on the interrelation between language and other components of cognition makes frequent use of verbal interference paradigms. In this, participants are engaged in a primary nonverbal task, while simultaneously repeating non-sense syllables from memory or playback to occupy their articulatory buffer, which is assumed to block internal language use. However, language production involves different subprocesses and levels of representation, and no previous study has explicitly investigated which of these are affected by an occupied articulatory buffer. Thus, the current study addresses the question whether an occupied articulatory buffer significantly interferes with conceptualization. In Experiment 1, speakers name simple objects as fast and as accurately as they can under three conditions. In an interference condition, the verbalization task runs in parallel to a secondary, syllable memorization/recall task, which was expected to induce a situation in which the articulatory buffer temporarily holds phonological information while speakers engage in conceptualization. The articulatory buffer was not occupied in two control conditions. In Experiment 2, speakers performed a similar but more complex task. They verbally responded to visual depictions of actions, again under an interference condition and two control conditions. Results obtained in both experiments suggested no interference. Taken together, the findings suggest that an occupied articulatory buffer does not significantly affect conceptualization.
Topics: Humans; Verbal Behavior; Mental Recall; Cognition; Linguistics
PubMed: 36257102
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103774 -
Behavior Genetics Mar 2021Despite the relevance of semantic fluency measures to risk for dementia and psychiatric disorders, little is known about their genetic and environmental architecture in...
Despite the relevance of semantic fluency measures to risk for dementia and psychiatric disorders, little is known about their genetic and environmental architecture in mid-to-late life. Participants represent 21,684 middle-aged and older adult twins (M = 60.84 years, SD = 11.21; Range 40-89) from six studies from three countries participating in the Interplay of Genes and Environment across Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortium. All completed the same measure of semantic fluency (naming animals in 60 seconds). Results revealed small-to-moderate phenotypic associations with age and education, with education more strongly and positively associated with fluency performance in females than males. Heritability and environmental influences did not vary by age. Environmental variance was smaller with higher levels of education, but this effect was observed only in males. This is the largest study to examine the genetic and environmental architecture of semantic fluency, and the first to demonstrate that environmental influences vary based on levels of education.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Australia; Cognition; Databases, Factual; Databases, Genetic; Denmark; Female; Gene-Environment Interaction; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Semantics; Speech; Twins; United States; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 33547998
DOI: 10.1007/s10519-021-10048-w -
Law and Human Behavior Apr 2021We assessed recent policy recommendations to collect eyewitnesses' confidence statements in witnesses' own words as opposed to numerically. We conducted an experiment to...
OBJECTIVES
We assessed recent policy recommendations to collect eyewitnesses' confidence statements in witnesses' own words as opposed to numerically. We conducted an experiment to test whether eyewitnesses' free-report verbal confidence statements are as diagnostic of eyewitness accuracy as their numeric confidence statements and whether the diagnostic utility of eyewitnesses' verbal and numeric confidence statements varies across witnessing conditions.
HYPOTHESES
We hypothesized that eyewitnesses' verbal and numeric confidence statements are both significantly associated with identification accuracy among choosers and that their diagnostic utility holds across varying witnessing conditions.
METHOD
In the first phase of the experiment, eyewitnesses (N = 4,795 MTurkers; 48.8% female; 50.8% male; .3% other; age M = 36.9) viewed a videotaped mock-crime and made an identification decision from a culprit-present or culprit-absent lineup. We manipulated witnessing conditions at encoding and retrieval to obtain varied levels of memory performance. In the second phase of the experiment, evaluators (N = 456 MTurkers; 35.5% female; 62.7% male .4% other; age M = 36.5) translated witnesses' verbal confidence statements to a numeric estimate and we used calibration and confidence-accuracy characteristic analyses to compare the diagnosticity of witnesses' verbal and numeric confidence statements across the two levels of memory performance.
RESULTS
Witnesses' verbal and numeric confidence statements were significantly and nondifferentially diagnostic of eyewitness accuracy for both choosers and nonchoosers, and their diagnostic utility held across variations in witnessing conditions.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the applied utility of collecting either verbal or numeric confidence statements from eyewitnesses immediately following an identification decision. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adult; Female; Forensic Psychology; Humans; Identity Recognition; Male; Memory; Self Concept; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 34110875
DOI: 10.1037/lhb0000444 -
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine Mar 2022Vocally disruptive behavior (VDB) is a common and particularly difficult symptom to manage in dementia. VDB is usually considered collectively with agitation and... (Review)
Review
Vocally disruptive behavior (VDB) is a common and particularly difficult symptom to manage in dementia. VDB is usually considered collectively with agitation and aggression as a component of behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia and is therefore poorly understood as an individual symptom. A review of the literature is described where VDB as a challenging behavior has been individually examined as a symptom. A case of VDB occurring in patient with dementia is described where the patient's repetitive vocalizations responded to treatment with pregabalin. This has not been previously reported in the literature. The prevalence of VDB, the factors associated with it and the current management guidelines for clinicians are outlined with a review of the drug treatment strategies for VDB. Pregabalin with its unique pharmacological profile and excellent tolerability should be considered as a possible treatment for VDB where drug treatment is indicated.
Topics: Aggression; Dementia; Humans; Pregabalin; Problem Behavior; Verbal Behavior
PubMed: 31099329
DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2019.18 -
Journal of the American Geriatrics... Aug 2020American Indians have excess risk of depression, which can contribute to cerebrovascular and cognitive disability, with effects on memory, processing speed, executive...
BACKGROUND
American Indians have excess risk of depression, which can contribute to cerebrovascular and cognitive disability, with effects on memory, processing speed, executive function, and visuospatial ability. However, studies examining depression and cognition in American Indians are limited; this study aims to report associations of depression with general cognition, verbal fluency and memory, and processing speed.
DESIGN
Cohort study.
SETTING
The Cerebrovascular Disease and its Consequences in American Indians study was an ancillary examination of Strong Heart Study participants from 3 U.S. regions.
PARTICIPANTS
All eligible were included in this analysis (N=818).
MEASUREMENTS
Participants completed evaluations for depressive symptomology, cognition, and physical function-including Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD), Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition coding (WAIS), Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA), California Verbal and Learning Test, Halstead finger tapping, grip strength, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) tests. Linear mixed models were adjusted for site, age, sex, education, income, marital status, alcohol, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cholesterol, stroke, infarct, and hemorrhage.
RESULTS
Symptoms of depression were common, with 20% (N=138) endorsing CES-D scores of 16+. More depressive symptoms were associated with older age, female sex, lower education, lower income, non-married status, not using alcohol, not smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. In adjusted analyses, processing speed (WAIS: β -0.13, 95%CI -0.25, -0.03), general cognition (3MSE: β -0.10, 95%CI -0.17, -0.03), verbal fluency (COWA: β -0.10, 95%CI -0.19, -0.01), and motor function (SPPB: β -0.05, 95%CI -0.07, -0.03) were significantly associated with more symptoms of depression.
CONCLUSION
These findings maybe informative for health disparities populations, especially those with depressive risk. Clinicians may require particular training in cultural humility. Future studies should validate use of the CES-D scale in this population; longitudinal studies may focus on causal mechanisms and potential secondary prevention, such as social support. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1739-1747, 2020.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cognition; Depression; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Memory; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychomotor Performance; Reaction Time; United States; Verbal Behavior; American Indian or Alaska Native
PubMed: 32250446
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16434 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Jan 2020Purpose Instances of laryngeal constriction have been noted as a feature of infant vocal development. The purpose of this study was to directly evaluate the...
Purpose Instances of laryngeal constriction have been noted as a feature of infant vocal development. The purpose of this study was to directly evaluate the developmental occurrence of laryngeal constriction phenomena in infant crying, cooing, and babbling vocalizations. Method The cry and noncry vocalizations of 20 healthy term-born infants between the ages of 1 and 7 months were examined for instances of laryngeal constriction. Approximately 20,000 vocalization samples were acoustically evaluated, applying a combined visual (frequency spectra and melody curves) and auditory analysis; the occurrence of instances of different constriction phenomena was analyzed. Results Laryngeal constrictions were found during the production of cry and noncry vocalizations. The developmental pattern of constrictions for both vocalizations was charac-terized by an increase in constrictions followed by a decrease. During the age period of 3-5 months, when cry and noncry vocalizations were co-occurring, laryngeal constrictions were observed in 14%-22% of both types of vocalizations. An equal percentage of constrictions was found for both vocalizations at 5 months of age. Conclusions The findings confirm that the production of laryngeal constriction is a regularly occurring phenomenon in healthy, normally developing infants' spontaneous crying, cooing, and marginal babbling. The occurrence of constriction in both cry and noncry vocalizations suggests that an infant is exploiting physiological constraints of the sound-generating system for articulatory development during vocal exploration. These results lend support to the notion that the laryngeal articulator is the principal articulator that infants 1st start to control as they test and practice their phonetic production skills from birth through the 1st several months of life.
Topics: Child Language; Constriction; Crying; Female; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Larynx; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Phonetics; Verbal Behavior; Voice
PubMed: 31846593
DOI: 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-S-19-0205