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Meehl conceptualized schizotypy as the phenotypic manifestations of a neural integrative defect resulting from a schizophrenia diathesis. The majority of schizotypy studies recruited subjects from the general population and revealed a multidimensional construct. This 2-phase investigation first examined the clustering of schizotypy in 194 unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients using the Chapman Psychosis Proneness scales and then directly compared the cognitive profiles of negative schizotypal individuals and positive schizotypal individuals with schizophrenia patients and controls. In the first phase, cluster analysis categorized 194 unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients into positive schizotypy (n = 33), negative schizotypy (n = 66), mixed schizotypy (n = 27), and low schizotypy (n = 64). Positive schizotypal participants showed more self-report pleasure experiences than negative schizotypal participants, replicating earlier cluster analytic findings. In the second phase, 27 negative schizotypal individuals, 18 positive schizotypal individuals, 19 schizophrenia patients, and 29 controls were recruited. Although the groups were matched in terms of age, gender, and IQ, they differed significantly in cognitive profiles. While schizophrenia patients exhibited the broadest cognitive impairments, negative schizotypal participants exhibited visual memory, working memory, and verbal fluency impairments, and positive schizotypal participants exhibited logical memory, visual memory, working memory, and theory-of-mind impairments. Among people with familial risk of schizophrenia, individuals exhibiting positive rather than negative schizotypal features resembled schizophrenia patients in cognitive profiles. Using the psychometric-familial method to identify schizotypy, our findings support the heterogeneity of schizotypy as well as the potential utility of the positive schizotypy dimension in genetically high-risk individuals to predict the risk of developing schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore early reading comprehension in Chinese-speaking children with hearing loss (HL) by examining character recognition and linguistic comprehension. Twenty-five children with HL received three measures relevant to character reading: phonological awareness (PA),morphological awareness (MA), and character recognition; two linguistic-comprehension measures: receptive vocabulary knowledge and listening comprehension; and one reading comprehension measure. Three demographic variables pertinent to children with HL were also taken into account. The results showed that the degree of HL was significantly related to reading comprehension, receptive vocabulary knowledge, and listening comprehension, the latter two of which were further correlated with the type of hearing device; however, the hearing age was associated with neither of the measures. MA made a unique contribution to character reading in the presence of PA, but the reverse was not true. Linguistic comprehension significantly accounted for additional variance in reading comprehension over and above character recognition but not vice versa. A further analysis controlling for character recognition revealed that receptive vocabulary knowledge was more contributive to early reading comprehension than was listening comprehension. The results of the current investigation have potential to inform educational practice in teaching and/or intervening Chinese children with HL regarding their reading skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives. To describe the level of knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported quality of practice in pain assessment among nurses of Mainland China and explore links with current hospital pain policy and continuing education. Background. Knowledge is necessary for skilled pain assessment among nurses. Little is currently known regarding knowledge, attitude toward, and self reported pain assessment by nurses from Mainland China. Methods. Quantitative research and cross-sectional convenience sampling assessed nursing knowledge, attitude, and practice among 101 nurses working in high-level hospitals in Mainland China. Results. 81.2% of nurses participating in the survey were from high-level (level three) hospitals in Mainland China. 24.8% of the nurses attended continuing education in pain assessment. No nurses from the 76 hospital staffs surveyed were able to recall any hospital policy regarding pain assessment. Knowledge regarding pain assessment was rated at 1.9 ( SD = 1.6) on a (0-7) scale. 27.7% of nurses possessed a positive attitude toward pain assessment. Pain assessment was not routine in most of the hospitals surveyed. Nurses who attended continuing education showed greater knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding pain assessment but did not show improvement in their quality of practice. Conclusions. This study identified inadequate knowledge and low level of self-reported pain assessment practice among nurses working in high-level hospitals in Mainland China. Current education did not influence nursing self-reported pain assessment practice. Knowledge of pain evaluation should be improved through newer approaches to education. A better policy framework for pain evaluation may also contribute to improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]