Search

This document is a collection of summaries of various research articles in the field of sport and exercise psychology. The articles cover a range of topics, including coaches' leadership, emotional abuse experiences of male college athletes, pride and greed in sports psychology, gendered discourses in youth sport coaching, psychosocial mechanisms of weight loss maintenance, and ballroom as activism for black queer and trans+ individuals. The articles provide insights into the predictors and outcomes of coaches' leadership, the pressures of orthodox masculinity in sports, the relationship between pride and greed, the impact of gendered discourses on coaching girls, the psychosocial mechanisms of weight loss maintenance, and the challenges faced by black queer and trans+ individuals in leisure spaces. The articles highlight the complexities and individual experiences within the field of sport and exercise psychology, emphasizing the need for reflection, understanding, and integration of emotions for personal growth and flourishing. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Although considerable research has been conducted on post‐COVID‐19 syndrome (PCS), cognitive symptoms, particularly those related to language, are still not well understood. Aims: To provide a detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of language performance in PCS patients using a comprehensive set of semantic and verbal production tasks. Methods & Procedures: The study involved 195 PCS patients aged 26–64 years and 50 healthy controls aged 25–61 years. Participants were assessed using two semantic tasks, three naming tasks and four types of verbal fluency tasks, designed to evaluate different aspects of language processing. Outcomes & Results: PCS patients demonstrated significantly poorer performance compared with controls across all verbal fluency tasks. This was evident in both the total number of words generated and their types, with patients tending to choose more easily accessible words. In naming tasks, the pattern of errors was similar in both groups, although patients showed a higher number of non‐responses and made more errors, reflecting difficulties in word retrieval. The analysis highlighted the impact of factors such as stimulus availability, educational level and cognitive reserve on performance. Notably, younger patients performed worse than older, a paradoxical trend also observed in previous research. Conclusions & Implications: These findings reveal significant word retrieval difficulties in PCS patients, suggesting that cognitive impairment related to language may be more pronounced than previously understood. The results underscore the need for a thorough evaluation of language functions in PCS patients and the development of more targeted and individualized language rehabilitation strategies to address these specific challenges. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Studies on the cognitive characteristics of CPS have focused mainly on broad‐spectrum neuropsychological assessments covering all cognitive functions. However, there are very few studies analysing oral production with specific lexical and semantic system tasks. Furthermore, no work has specifically included tasks assessing semantic processing or conducted qualitative analyses of the psycholinguistic variables affecting performance. Such analyses could undoubtedly help clarify the nature of the language impairments in patients with PCS. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: This study explores in depth the evaluation and analysis of the oral production of patients with PCS using several lexical and semantic tasks. In addition, psycholinguistic variables are analysed that could undoubtedly help clarify the nature of the language impairments in patients with PCS. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The study allows the identification of specific lexical–semantic deficits in the spoken language in patients with this PCS. A more detailed assessment of the oral language of these patients, keeping in mind the psycholinguistic variables that may affect the performance, will facilitate the design of more efficient and individualized rehabilitation programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perceptual and speech production abilities of children with cochlear implants (CIs) are usually tested by word and sentence repetition or naming tests. However, these tests are quite far apart from daily life linguistic contexts. Aim: Here, we describe a way of investigating the link between language comprehension and anticipatory verbal behaviour promoting the use of more complex listening situations. Methods and Procedure: The setup consists in watching the audio‐visual dialogue of two actors. Children's gaze switches from one speaker to the other serve as a proxy of their prediction abilities. Moreover, to better understand the basis and the impact of anticipatory behaviour, we also measured children's ability to understand the dialogue content, their speech perception and memory skills as well as their rhythmic skills, that also require temporal predictions. Importantly, we compared children with CI performances with those of an age‐matched group of children with normal hearing (NH). Outcomes and Results: While children with CI revealed poorer speech perception and verbal working memory abilities than NH children, there was no difference in gaze anticipatory behaviour. Interestingly, in children with CI only, we found a significant correlation between dialogue comprehension, perceptual skills and gaze anticipatory behaviour. Conclusion: Our results extend to a dialogue context of previous findings showing an absence of predictive deficits in children with CI. The current design seems an interesting avenue to provide an accurate and objective estimate of anticipatory language behaviour in a more ecological linguistic context also with young children. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Children with cochlear implants seem to have difficulties extracting structure from and learning sequential input patterns, possibly due to signal degradation and auditory deprivation in the first years of life. They also seem to have a reduced use of contextual information and slow language processing among children with hearing loss. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: Here we show that when adopting a rather complex linguistic context such as watching a dialogue of two individuals, children with cochlear implants are able to use the speech and language structure to anticipate gaze switches to the upcoming speaker. What are the clinical implications of this work?: The present design seems an interesting avenue to provide an accurate and objective estimate of anticipatory behaviour in a more ecological and dynamic linguistic context. Importantly, this measure is implicit and it has been previously used with very young (normal‐hearing) children, showing that they spontaneously make anticipatory gaze switches by age two. Thus, this approach may be of interest to refine the speech comprehension assessment at a rather early age after cochlear implantation where explicit behavioural tests are not always reliable and sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parental input plays a central role in typical language acquisition and development. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by social communicative and language difficulties, parental input presents an important avenue for investigation as a target for intervention. A rich body of literature has identified which aspects of grammatical complexity and lexical diversity are most associated with child language ability in both typical development and autism. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children, thus potentially overlooking nuances in parental input derived from cross‐linguistic variation. Aims: To examine the differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with ASD. To examine whether aspects of verbal parental input found to be concurrent predictors of English‐speaking children's expressive language ability are also predictors of the expressive language of Bulgarian‐speaking children with ASD. Methods & Procedures: We compared parental input to Bulgarian‐speaking (N = 37; 2;7–9;10 years) and English‐speaking (N = 37; 1;8–4;9 years) children with ASD matched on expressive language. Parent–child interactions were collected during free play with developmentally appropriate toys. These interactions were transcribed, and key measures of parental input were extracted. Outcomes & Results: English‐speaking parents produced more word tokens and word types than Bulgarian‐speaking parents. However, Bulgarian parents produced more verbs in relation to nouns and used more statements and exclamations but asked fewer questions than English‐speaking parents. In addition, child age and parents' use of questions were significant concurrent predictors of child expressive vocabulary. Conclusions & Implications: This is one of the first studies to conduct a cross‐linguistic comparison of parental input in ASD. The differences found emphasize the need to further study parental input to Bulgarian children and adapt naturalistic parent‐mediated interventions to the local language and its specific characteristics. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: A rich body of literature has identified the specific aspects of grammatical complexity, lexical diversity, and question‐asking that are concurrently and longitudinally associated with the language ability of children with typical development and of children with ASD. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: The present study finds that there are specific differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with autism in terms of lexical composition and question‐asking. Bulgarian parents used more verbs than nouns, and the opposite pattern was found for English‐speaking parents. In addition, Bulgarian parents asked fewer questions but used more statements and exclamations. Nevertheless, parental question use was significantly correlated with children's language ability across both groups, suggesting that question‐asking should be further examined as a potential target for parent‐mediated language interventions for Bulgarian children with autism. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Most language and social communication interventions for autism are designed and piloted with English‐speaking children. These interventions are often simply translated and used in different countries, with different populations and in different contexts. However, considering that one of the defining characteristics of autism is language difficulty, more studies should examine (1) how these language difficulties manifest in languages other than English, and (2) what characterizes verbal parental input in these other contexts. Such research investigations should inform future language and social communication interventions. The present study emphasizes the cross‐linguistic differences between Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking parents' verbal input to their children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: This study sought to explore dynamic degree centrality (DC) variability in particular regions of the brain in patients with poststroke Broca aphasia (BA) using a resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) approach, comparing differences between Uyghur and Chinese BA patients. Methods: This study investigated two factors, language and BA status, and divided patients into four groups: Uyghur aphasia patients (UA), Uyghur normal control subjects (UN), Chinese aphasia patients (CA), and Chinese normal subjects (CN) who underwent rs‐fMRI analysis. Two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to calculate the comprehensive differences in dynamic DC among these four groups. Correlations between DC and language behavior were assessed with partial correlation analyses. Results: Two‐way ANOVA revealed comparable results for the results of pairwise comparisons of dynamic DC variability among the four groups in the right middle frontal gyrus/orbital part (ORBmid.R), right superior frontal gyrus/dorsolateral, and right precuneus (PCUN.R), with results as follows: UA < UN, CA > CN, UA < CA, and UN > CN (p <.05, with the exception of the p‐values for UA and UN in superior frontal gyrus/dorsolateral). In contrast, the opposite results were observed for the right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex (CAL.R, p <.05). Conclusion: The observed enhancement of dynamic DC variability in ORBmid.R and PCUN.R among Chinese BA patients and in CAL.R in Uyghur BA patients may be attributable to language network restructuring. Overall, these results suggest that BA patients who use different language families may exhibit differences in the network mechanisms that characterize observed impairments of language function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators and parents are encouraged to arrange language‐rich environments, which provide children with exposure to language that is diverse in form and function and with repeated opportunities to emit verbal responses under a variety of conditions. Intraverbal relations constitute a large portion of these verbal interactions and may include compound antecedent verbal stimuli. Prior research has shown that responding may come under the control of limited features of compound antecedent stimuli, which may be evident when responding does not occur in the presence of individual elements or emergent performances (e.g., symmetrical relations) are absent. The current study evaluated the effects of alternating convergent intraverbal (CIV) and tact by feature, function, or class sessions on emergent tact performances in a game‐like arrangement. Participants included four children exhibiting expressive language deficits. The results revealed that correct responding on CIV trials did not consistently predict tact performances for the same targets. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the effective arrangement of compound stimuli in early educational interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the efficacy of mand for information (MFI) training in individuals with autism, with a particular focus on the extension of this training to non‐native English speakers and the promotion of generalization across various contexts. The "What is this?" MFI was taught to four native Turkish‐speaking participants under various establishing operations (EOs). Notably, these MFIs were effectively embedded within tact training trials and delivered in a language other than English, thereby extending the research on MFI to a different language. Furthermore, the generalization of the MFIs was observed as participants maintained their proficiency across individuals, settings, and novel stimuli. Social validity data confirmed the acceptability of MFI training among parents, highlighting its potential to enhance communication skills. Follow‐up assessments were conducted 4 weeks post‐training indicating maintenance of the MFIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous research that examined the effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbals, and to extend this research line to include teaching a foreign language to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) via telehealth. The study participants were four Chinese native primary school‐aged students. An adaptive alternative treatment design was used to compare the effects of tact and listener instruction on bidirectional intraverbals, and pre‐probe and post‐probe data demonstrated that both forms of instruction led to bidirectional intraverbal relations, with tact instruction being relatively more effective. Maintenance and social validity were assessed for all participants, and booster instructions were provided as needed. The results were discussed in the context of inclusive education and improving foreign language instruction for students with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the use of auditory scripts and script‐fading procedures to teach three children with autism to request additional instruction, select teaching materials, and solicit confirmation during discrete‐trial teaching. Scripts were placed on instructional materials to evoke initiations, and script fading strategies were used to transfer stimulus control to the materials used for each discrete‐trial activity. A multiple‐probe across‐activities design was used. Generalization of initiations was promoted by teaching to multiple exemplars, including common stimuli, and using naturally maintaining contingencies. The results showed that scripts and script‐fading procedures were effective in increasing the number of initiations made during discrete‐trial teaching, and generalization across activities, settings, and instructors. These procedures provide a way to increase the number of opportunities for initiations during discrete‐trial teaching in place of passively waiting between instructor‐initiated trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online content moderation is often equated with platform-initiated take-downs and account suspensions. Counterspeech and other types of pro-social bystander behaviours present alternative approaches. They rely on the reactions of online bystanders to crowd-moderate hostile content. However, the current conceptual understanding of bystander reactions to hostility on social media is inadequate. What constitutes a reaction; what functions do specific reactions serve; and what audiences are reactions aimed at? Conceptual clarity is a prerequisite for studying the prevalence and consequences of pro-social bystander reactions. We therefore offer a novel unifying framework for conceptualising bystander reactions to online hostility: The Online Bystander Repertoire of Action (OBRA) Framework. This provides a foundation for future research on crowd-moderation, as it (1) combines insights across multiple research fields, (2) explicates the complex possible reactions beyond simplistic 'reaction/no reaction' distinctions and (3) draws attention to the degree of pro-sociality of bystander reactions – something that is often taken for granted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Past research has found that overall anxiety and social anxiety symptoms are associated with the occurrence of social and communication challenges within autistic populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether generalized anxiety disorder symptoms were associated with social and communication symptoms in autistic youth. Method: The cross-sectional sample was comprised of 253 autistic youth aged 8–18 (196 Males, 57 Females). Participants were divided in a child (Grade 3–8) group and an adolescent (Grade 9–12) group. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the generalized anxiety score predicted the social communication composite score, derived from the ADOS-2, after controlling for sex, grade level and expressive language ability. Results: Correlation analyses showed an association between social communication ability and general anxiety disorder symptoms in the child group such that those with greater anxiety had fewer social communication symptoms. However, after controlling for sex, grade, and language ability, general anxiety disorder symptoms did not predict social communication difficulties in either children or adolescents. Conclusions: Alongside past literature, these findings suggest that the different types of anxiety disorders may have differential impacts on autistic youth's social and communication symptoms. Further research should investigate whether other anxiety subtypes affect autistic youth's social and communication symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the explosive growth in time spent on YouTube by babies and toddlers, it's important to analyze what they're watching on YouTube. Indexes that evaluate the contents of YouTube channels for infants and toddlers have been developed, but since those were evaluation-based indexes of educators and parents, it is difficult to find out what content children are watching. In this study, the YouTube content that infants mainly watch was content analyzed in three developmental areas: cognition, emotion, and socialization. Specifically, language destruction was analyzed for the cognitive field, verbal and physical violence for the emotional field, and emotional expression, understanding others' emotions, emotional control, antisocial and prosocial behavior representation, and prosocial expression were analyzed for the socialization. As a result, the emotional index was the highest, and the physical violence index was very low. In general, emotional expression, understanding of others' emotions, and prosocial behavior, which had a positive effect on early childhood development, were higher than linguistic destruction, verbal violence, and physical violence, which had a negative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive functions (EF) impact the success of university students. These skills appear to have a predictive role in academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention program in EF aimed at university students, the πFex-Academics, seeking to verify whether there are gains in EF, a reduction in inattention and hyperactivity indicators and a transfer to reading comprehension. Participants were two professors and their respective classes, totaling 129 students. The classes were divided into: experimental group (EG) (n = 66) and control group (CG) (n = 63). All students underwent a pre- and post-intervention assessment. The program implementation process was mediated by the EG professor. Although no direct gains were identified in the indices of EF difficulties, greater gains in the EG were verified in the hyperactivity/impulsivity and reading comprehension indices, when compared to the CG. These findings are promising, demonstrating the first evidence of the effectiveness of the πFex-Academics. The incorporation of interventions into the university context can provide various benefits for students, with improved behavior and written language processing, necessary for the best possible academic success. Activities of EF mediation for higher education learning can be incorporated into extension courses or the curriculum of university courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the central assumptions in Cognitive Linguistics is that the cognitive mechanisms underlying our language use are domain-general and thus apply to human behavior beyond language. Examples of such cognitive mechanisms are, among others, our ability to focus attention, to memorize and categorize, as well as processes related to chunking, generalization, and inhibitory control. Testing this core assumption, however, is often difficult, as it requires us to move beyond linguistic research and to actively look for links between our language use and other areas of human cognition. This paper is an illustration of what such links could look like, particularly focusing on links between research on (Dutch-German) language contact and expert behavior. In doing so, it shows (a) that there are many shared links, for example, regarding the cognitive mechanisms of entrenchment and chunking, and (b) that these shared links (as well as potential differences across the fields) can be used to improve our linguistic theorizing. In particular, I argue that linguistic research can benefit from the insights from research on expert behavior, especially from its more advanced insights modelling individual variation, and that the shared links can help us to test the core assumption that the cognitive mechanisms underlying our language use are indeed domain-general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the beginning stages of language acquisition, children primarily learn language from their parents or main caregivers. Studies have shown that adults use a specific way of speaking when talking to young children, called child-directed speech (CDS). This type of speech has distinct characteristics across different aspects of language. Additionally, older siblings also communicate with their younger brothers and sisters. Studies suggest that even three- and four-year-olds change how they talk when interacting with younger children, like their siblings. Studies have shown that children's speech patterns resemble those of adults, whether they grow up in monolingual or bilingual environments. However, research on bilingual language acquisition often focuses on how siblings influence the language development of younger children. In this study, we explore how children adapt their language in bilingual settings and focus on the older sibling. Specifically, we compare the speech of an older sibling, who speaks both German and Russian, when talking to their younger sibling and when talking to their parents. The study revealed the following: The girl demonstrated linguistic adaptations typical of child-directed speech in both Russian and German when interacting with her younger brother. However, these adaptations were not consistent across all linguistic categories analyzed, revealing some differences between the two languages. Notably, Katharina did not exhibit more child-directed speech features in one language over the other. Adaptive behavior was present in both Russian and German in categories such as MLU, MLU5, question constructions, and imperatives. In Russian, adaptation was also evident in coordinate constructions but not subordinate constructions, while the opposite pattern was observed in German. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapman's claim that the key to marital happiness is “speaking” your partner's primary “love language” has been highly influential in pop culture and incorporated into therapeutic practice. However, the theory has not yet been empirically validated. The current study tests his theory, examining the hypothesis that satisfaction with one's partner's primary love language behavior predicts relationship satisfaction better than satisfaction with one's partner's nonprimary love language behavior. We recruited a sample (n = 696, M = 43.8 years, 70% married, 97.3% cohabitating) through Amazon CloudResearch. Chapman's hypothesis was not supported. Participants' satisfaction with their partners' primary love language behavior no better‐predicted relationship satisfaction or perceived love than the lower‐ranked love languages. Words of Affirmation and Quality Time better predicted perceived love and relationship satisfaction than participants' primary love language. These results replicate previous research and suggest that these should remain targets of intervention for relationship therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Our research addresses the challenges in informed consent in postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer. Traditional consent processes often rely on verbal explanations of sometimes complicated treatment options, which can overwhelm patients and lead to misunderstandings. To improve this fundamental process, we developed an educational video using a modified Delphi method, incorporating input from experts and former patients to ensure comprehensive and patient-friendly content. With our study, we demonstrated that this video, if viewed by breast cancer patients prior to their subsequent verbal consultation, can significantly improve patients' understanding and speed up the informed consent process without compromising patients' satisfaction. To conclude, this innovation supports a more comprehensive and efficient informed consent process, which is in line with evolving healthcare practices that prioritise patient engagement and education. Background/Objectives: Informed consent is crucial in medical practice, especially for complex treatments such as postoperative radiotherapy for patients with breast cancer. Conventional consent procedures are often based on verbal declarations with a highly condensed but nevertheless large amount of information, which can exceed the recording capacity of patients and lead to misunderstandings. The aim of this study was to develop and test an educational video on breast cancer patients to enhance the informed consent process by improving patients' understanding and reducing the duration of the subsequent consultation. Methods: The educational video was created after the underlying content was determined by a modified Delphi method in which a panellist of radiation oncologists, nurses, radiation therapists, and former patients participated in successive rounds of topic scoring. After achieving content consent, the video included 19 items to cover key aspects of postoperative radiotherapy in a patient-friendly manner. Fifty breast cancer patients scheduled for postoperative radiotherapy were randomised to watch the video prior to their verbal consultation (n = 25) or to the control group participating in the traditional informed consent process only (n = 25). The duration of the informed consent processes in both arms was recorded. To assess the educational effect of the video, a multiple-choice test was created. In addition, patients' satisfaction was recorded using a separate questionnaire. Both questionnaires were completed by the patients one to two hours after signing the consent form. Results: The patients in the video group evidenced significantly higher knowledge scores than those who received standard verbal explanations (median number of correct answers 9 vs. 8 out of 10, p = 0.0039). The whole informed consent process was also completed faster in the video group (mean duration 34.7 vs. 46.2 min, p < 0.001). Median satisfaction scores were high in both groups (34 vs. 33 out of 35 points), with no significant differences observed (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The educational video effectively improved patient understanding and streamlined the informed consent process without compromising patients' satisfaction. This approach also helps to standardise the delivery of complex medical information, and it can also be adapted to improve the informed consent process for other cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagined identity, which opens up a variety of future possibilities for language learners, has been theorized from seemingly incompatible psychological and sociological perspectives in applied linguistics. Researchers have thus appealed for a transdisciplinary theoretical combination of these perspectives for a more nuanced understanding of language learning in context. This article makes the case for a synergistic theoretical framework of investment and motivation to theorize the idiosyncratic relationship between individuals’ imagined identity and language learning behavior. Empirical findings from a multiple‐case study conducted in Yunnan, in the south‐western corner of China, are presented to demonstrate how this framework enables a nuanced analysis of individuals’ language learning. Findings suggest that the interconnectedness of imagined identity, motivation, and investment is informed by both learner agency and contexts. This paper proposes that learners’ development of imagined identities and ways of investing in learning could be individually different, even under similar circumstances, which indicates the need for personalized teaching to improve learning outcomes. This synergistic framework thus provides implications for pedagogical practices and a need for personalized teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating an environment suitable for language acquisition through shared reading significantly contributes to improving a child's language development and parent–child relationship. Reading in an interactive way, such as dialogic reading, is favorable. Nevertheless, dialogic reading is designed for children above the age of two and shared reading is recommended to start during the child's first year. The present study aimed to explore the feasibility of an interactive shared reading intervention, inspired by dialogic reading, where the reading techniques were designed to complement infants' preverbal developmental level. The study further intended to explore its preliminary effect on infants' cognitive and language development. Eleven parent–infant dyads participated, bi-monthly, in four in-depth intervention sessions where the shared reading techniques were modeled. Between sessions, parents and infants engaged in shared reading using these techniques. Post-intervention interviews served to reflect the feasibility of the intervention. Infant cognitive and language assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention using BAYLEY-III and CSBS DP ITC. Favorable results regarding feasibility and infant language development were found, however, for cognitive development the results were non-significant. We discuss clinical considerations and the scope for conducting future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonverbal behavior can impact language proficiency scores in speaking tests, but there is little empirical information of the size or consistency of its effects or whether language proficiency may be a moderating variable. In this study, 100 novice raters watched and scored 30 recordings of test takers taking an international, high stakes proficiency test. The speech samples were each 2 minutes long and ranged in proficiency levels. The raters scored each sample on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehensibility using 7-point semantic differential scales. Nonverbal behavior was extracted using an automated machine learning software called iMotions, and data was analyzed with ordinal mixed effects regression. Results showed that attentional variance predicted fluency, vocabulary, and grammar scores, but only when accounting for proficiency. Higher standard deviations of attention corresponded with lower scores for the lower-proficiency group, but not the mid/higher-proficiency group. Comprehensibility scores were only predicted by mean valence when proficiency was an interaction term. Higher mean valence, or positive emotional behavior, corresponded with higher scores in the lower-proficiency group, but not the mid/higher-proficiency group. Effect sizes for these predictors were quite small, with small amounts of variance explained. These results have implications for construct representation and test fairness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an effective procedure for reducing disruptive classroom behavior. Students in three fifth‐grade classes selected the rules of the GBG and then experienced the GBG with different forms of feedback for rule violations (vocal and visual, vocal only, visual only, no feedback). Following an initial baseline, the four feedback versions of the GBG and a baseline condition were alternated across sessions in a multielement design. All versions of the GBG substantially reduced disruptive behavior below baseline levels. Additionally, in one of the three classes losing the GBG produced an increase in negative peer interactions immediately following the GBG. Following the multielement comparison, we implemented a group‐arrangement concurrent‐chains preference assessment in which students selected one of the conditions to experience each day. The most selected condition across all classes was the GBG condition, which included both vocal and visual feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The finite verb morphology composite (FVMC) is a valid measure for charting children's tense development and for differentiating children with and without language impairment during preschool and early elementary years. However, it is unclear whether FVMC scores vary as a function of language sample elicitation contexts. The current study evaluated the performance on FVMC in preschool-aged children across different language sampling contexts. Method: Participants were 38 English-speaking children who were between the ages of 3 and 4 years and below the mastery level of tense usage in three language sampling contexts, including conversation (free-play), picture description, and narratives (story retell). FVMC from each sampling context was computed by calculating the overall accuracy of copula be, auxiliary be, third-person singular present -s, and past tense -ed combined. A linear mixed-effects model comparison was carried out to determine the effect of sampling context on FVMC scores. Results: After controlling for child age, mean length of utterance, and the number of obligatory contexts for FVMC scoring, FVMC scores were significantly higher in conversation than in picture description and narratives. In addition, FVMC scores across the three sampling contexts were significantly correlated (rs ≥ .62, p < .001). Conclusions: Although children's performance on FVMC relative to each other was quite stable across sampling contexts, FVMC scores may vary with sampling contexts. As compared to picture description and narratives, conversation may not adequately capture the limitation in preschoolers' tense development that is important for therapeutic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined learning via perception, learning via production, and semantic depth as contributors to word learning in preschool-aged children. There is broad evidence that semantic depth is an important contributor to word learning, especially when semantic cues are repeated and spaced out over time. Perceptual learning and production learning each support word learning sometimes, but not in all cases. The purpose of this study was to examine all three learning mechanisms within a single experimental paradigm. Method: Thirty-six typically developing preschool children completed the experiment. They were familiarized with 16 novel words that were contextualized as alien names. These aliens came in four sets, each set comprising one base alien and three modified aliens marked by suffixes. Children completed four familiarizations: two in which they simply listened to the alien names (perceptual learning) and two where they repeated the alien names (production learning). Those conditions were crossed with a semantic depth manipulation (aliens with and without verbal semantic cues). Following each familiarization, referent identification and confrontation naming tasks were completed to assess learning. Results: Children were able to identify more alien referents following familiarizations with semantic depth. There were no significant effects of either perceptual learning or production learning. Conclusions: This study confirms and expands on the benefits of semantic depth, but the results are unclear about the relative importance of perception and production to word learning. Nevertheless, the study suggests benefits to simultaneously studying multiple factors related to word learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of animal shelter employees to identify poor welfare states in kenneled dogs is crucial for the mitigation of suffering. Animal shelter employees (n = 28), animal behavior professional (n = 49), and the general public (n = 41) watched 10 videos of kenneled dogs then rated the welfare of the dogs, stated the rationale for their score, indicated how they would improve the welfare, and rated the feasibility of improvements. Professionals gave slightly lower (poorer) welfare scores compared to the public (z = -1.998, p = 0.046). Shelter employees (z = -5.976, p < 0.001) and professionals (z = 9.047, p < 0.001) used body language and behavior to explain their welfare scores more than the public. All three populations mentioned the addition of enrichment to improve the welfare, however, shelter employees (z = -5.748, p < 0.001) and professionals (z = 6.046, p < 0.001) mentioned it significantly more. There were no significant differences in the perceived feasibility of changes. Future research should explore possible reasons for the lack of welfare improvements within animal shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toddlers prefer to learn from familiar adults, particularly their caregivers, and perform better on word learning tasks when taught by caregivers than by strangers. However, it remains unclear why toddlers learn better from caregivers than from strangers. One possibility is that toddlers are more receptive to learning from individuals whom they have found to be engaging in previous interactions. The current study tested whether toddlers learn more from an unfamiliar adult who was previously engaging than from an unfamiliar adult who was previously unengaging. Toddlers (27–29 months, N = 40) were taught labels for novel objects by two different experimenters. Prior to word learning, toddlers watched pre‐recorded videos of one experimenter utilizing engaging behaviors (i.e., using infant‐directed speech, gestures, eye contact, and positive affect) and one experimenter utilizing unengaging behaviors (i.e., using adult‐directed speech, no gestures, no eye contact, and neutral affect). Both experimenters were equally engaging during labeling. Word learning was then tested using a looking‐while‐listening paradigm. The results of linear mixed‐effects model, cluster‐based permutation, and growth curve analyses suggest heightened performance for words that were taught by the experimenter who was previously engaging. These results begin to reveal the kinds of social experiences that promote success in early word learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several medical diagnoses generate unpleasant smells, which cause suffering for patients. There is no culturally accepted language for malodour, and the topic is encircled by silence in nursing. Aim: To facilitate communication with patients on unpleasant smell. Method: A linguistic analysis of verbal expressions from 11 patients suffering from malodour was conducted. Discourse-based metaphor theory guided the analysis. Findings: Metaphors of comparison and orientation were the most common categories of metaphors. The comparisons referred to bodily waste products and rotting processes. Metaphors of orientation illuminated how the unpleasant smell moved around and settled down in the body and in their homes without the patients' control. Swearing was used to convey suffering. Conclusion: The figures of speech provided new insight into how malodour affected the patients existentially by threatening social relations, freedom and integrity. Recognizing the patients verbal expressions may act as a starting point for communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Special Needs Sciences is the property of Beni Suef University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It has been reported for decades that preschool children (age 4-7) tend to assign non-adult-like interpretations for sentences with pre-subject exclusive only. This study reports findings from two experiments investigating (1) the effects of (in)congruent implicit questions in discourse contexts and (2) word order transformation on children's interpretations of Mandarin pre-subject zhiyou 'only'. Experiment 1 showed that children performed non-adult-like in the incongruent discourse condition, similar to the patterns found in previous studies, but adult-like in the congruent discourse condition. Experiment 2 showed that using sentences similar to English 'Those who ate apples was only the boy' where the VP precedes the subject NP with zhiyou 'only' was not sufficient to overcome the processing difficulty caused by the incongruent discourse for preschool children. The results demonstrate that a congruent context taking the VP as the background (i.e., given and salient information) in Experiment 1, but not the syntactic manipulation in Experiment 2, is sufficient for children to interpret sentences with pre-subject zhiyou 'only' at an adult-like level of accuracy. The findings demonstrate that children have the syntactic knowledge for sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only', but the discourse incongruence hinders them from correctly interpreting sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only' when it is in pre-subject position.It has been reported for decades that preschool children (age 4-7) tend to assign non-adult-like interpretations for sentences with pre-subject exclusive only. This study reports findings from two experiments investigating (1) the effects of (in)congruent implicit questions in discourse contexts and (2) word order transformation on children's interpretations of Mandarin pre-subject zhiyou 'only'. Experiment 1 showed that children performed non-adult-like in the incongruent discourse condition, similar to the patterns found in previous studies, but adult-like in the congruent discourse condition. Experiment 2 showed that using sentences similar to English 'Those who ate apples was only the boy' where the VP precedes the subject NP with zhiyou 'only' was not sufficient to overcome the processing difficulty caused by the incongruent discourse for preschool children. The results demonstrate that a congruent context taking the VP as the background (i.e., given and salient information) in Experiment 1, but not the syntactic manipulation in Experiment 2, is sufficient for children to interpret sentences with pre-subject zhiyou 'only' at an adult-like level of accuracy. The findings demonstrate that children have the syntactic knowledge for sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only', but the discourse incongruence hinders them from correctly interpreting sentences with exclusive zhiyou 'only' when it is in pre-subject position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretend play is crucial for developing communication and cognitive skills in preschool children. Targeted coaching during pretend play can effectively support familycentered practices and home-based assistance. This study employed a detailed collective case study to explore how eCoaching can aid family-centered practices during at-home pretend play for children with speech-language and developmental delays. Two motherchild pairs, each involving a preschool child with an Individual Education Plan (IEP), participated in at-home eCoaching sessions while engaging in pretend play. Implementing eCoaching helped mothers acquire play-based knowledge and better facilitate pretend play tailored to their child's developmental needs. Throughout the eCoaching process, improvements were noted in the children's quality of pretend play and language behaviors. After the eCoaching sessions concluded, both mothers and children experienced benefits from the process. The mothers had positive perceptions of their eCoaching sessions, found them easy to implement, and considered eCoaching beneficial for themselves and their children. This indicates that eCoaching is a socially valid family-centered practice. Future research should investigate how individual variables associated with the eCoaching influence child and family outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between personality and peer-rated team role behavior on the one hand and team role behavior and verbal behavior on the other hand. To achieve this, different data types were collected in fifteen professional teams of four members (N = 60) from various private and public organizations in Flanders, Belgium. Participants' personalities were assessed using a workplace-contextualized personality questionnaire based on the Big Five, including domains and facets. Typical team role behavior was assessed by the team members using the Team Role Experience and Orientation peer rating system. Verbal interactions of nine of the teams (n = 36) were recorded in an educational lab setting, where participants performed several collaborative problem-solving tasks as part of a training. To process these audio data, a coding scheme for collaborative problem solving and linguistic inquiry and word count were used. We identified robust links and logical correlation patterns between personality traits and typical team role behaviors, complementing prior research that only focused on self-reported team behavior. For instance, a relatively strong correlation was found between Altruism and the Team builder role. Next, the study reveals that role taking within teams is associated with specific verbal interaction patterns. For example, members identified as Organizers were more engaged in responding to others' ideas and monitoring execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with impairments in social interaction and stereotypic behaviors. About a third may exhibit delays in verbal expression beyond preschool age, potentially categorizing them as nonverbal/minimally verbal (NV/MV), a condition that can persist into adulthood and affect their quality of life. The risk and prognostic factors associated with this reduced verbal outcome remain uncertain. This study aims to identify such factors within children diagnosed with ASD in Cyprus. Methods: In this case-control study, 56 children aged 3–12 years, with an ASD diagnosis, participated. Among them, cases were 22 children classified as ASD-NV/MV, and controls were 34 children classified as verbal (ASD-V), matched by age group and gender. Retrospective information on familial, perinatal, and developmental risk and prognostic factors were collected to calculate the familial risk score (FRS), perinatal risk score (PRS), and developmental risk score (DRS). Early development information was collected for the Early Development Score (EDS) and Early Gesture Score (EGS), to measure the children's skill level as toddlers across milestones. A low EDS and/or low EGS reflected general developmental delays and decreased frequency of early gestures and were considered in the DRS. A parent report questionnaire was utilized to determine the current overall linguistic level and status of participants, distinguishing cases from controls. Results: Age group and gender-matched cases and controls were similar in socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics (p >.05). Among the various familial (e.g., sibling with ASD), perinatal (e.g., prematurity), and developmental (e.g., ASD regression) factors examined individually, as well as collectively as scores in a conditional logistic regression (CLR) model, only a high DRS (p =.03), due to low EDS (p =.04) was significantly associated with linguistic status. When considering all risk scores in a multivariate CLR model, children with a high DRS were more likely to belong to the cases than to the control group (p =.02). In a subsequent model with low EDS and low EGS, only the low EDS was significantly associated with the case group. Results showed that children with ASD and a low EDS, reflecting general delays in early development, were 4.5 times more likely to belong to the cases group than those with a high EDS (p =.02). Conclusions: Early developmental delays in developmental milestones across various domains like gesture, motor, play, linguistic, cognition, and joint attention, in toddlerhood, were associated with later decreased verbal outcomes. Children in the sample with such early delays (low EDS), had a higher likelihood of persistent language delays (ASD-NV/MV) even at late school age. Future studies are needed to duplicate findings and explore possible contributing factors affecting linguistic outcome in ASD through prospective studies exploring within ASD differences. Implications: These findings emphasized the importance of monitoring early development closely for children at risk for ASD, pre-diagnosis, to provide additional early support for those more likely to be ASD-NV/MV. Parents and specialists like pediatricians, educators, speech-language pathologists, among others, can track the EDS score of children at risk for ASD and refer to the appropriate specialists for early stimulation, intervention, and parent consultation promptly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how “body language” has been used in Australian court judgments when assessing witness credibility, and how it can influence legal proceedings. We first address the use (and misuse) of nonverbal communication. Then, we address the guidelines of the High Court of Australia regarding nonverbal behavior, also known as demeanor within the legal community. The methodology of the doctrinal analysis we conducted and the results are presented. Their implications considering research on nonverbal communication are discussed, and we conclude with a call for legal scholars and practitioners to further address the influence of “body language” in legal proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being touched by others (social-touch) and touching oneself (self-touch) are common nonverbal behaviors in everyday interaction. The commonalities and differences between these two types of touching behavior are of particular interest for conditions when social-touch is substantially restricted such as during the corona pandemic. Neuropsychologically, pleasant social-touch is associated with increased activation in frontal brain regions such as frontopolar, dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC), and orbitofrontal cortices (OFC). However, for these regions a deactivation has also been reported. Likewise, for self-touch the findings are controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study is to shed light on the controversial findings and to elucidate the relation between self-touch and social-touch. From 2021 to 2022, in a quasi-naturalistic setting, in forty-six participants brain oxygenation and deoxygenation was examined during social-touch and self-touch in frontal cortices applying functional NearInfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Social-touch compared to self-touch led to a significantly higher brain deoxygenation in the frontopolar areas and in parts of the dlPFC and OFC. In contrast, brain oxygenation in the PFC was significantly increased during self-touch compared to social-touch. The cerebral activation and deactivation pattern in a quasi-naturalistic setting indicates that self-touch cannot achieve the hedonic effects of social-touch, but it can influence internally self-regulating processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary aim of this research is to investigate the linguistic devices in hair product advertisements and their impact of advertising language on consumer behavior and decisionmaking. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs a qualitative content analysis methodology to examine the language used in selected hair product advertisements. This approach involves a detailed linguistic analysis across three levels: rhetorical, lexical, and syntactic, to uncover how these elements of language contribute to persuasive communication in advertising. The study draws on theories from both linguistics and marketing management to frame the analysis. Findings: The analysis shows that linguistic tools significantly enhance the persuasive appeal of advertisements, often leading to manipulation of consumer perceptions. Specific strategies include the use of emotionally charged language, strategic ambiguity, and the creation of positive associations with products. Research limitations/implications: One limitation of the research is the focus on a narrow range of products, which may not fully represent all advertising contexts. Practical implications: The findings of this study are highly beneficial for marketers, offering strategies for developing more compelling advertising messages. Social implications: This research highlights the powerful role of language in shaping societal norms and consumer values. By influencing consumer behaviour, advertising language not only affects economic outcomes but also plays a crucial role in cultural and social dynamics. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the interdisciplinary field of management and linguistics by providing empirical research on the manipulative power of language in advertising. It highlights the nuanced ways in which language can be used to shape consumer behaviour, offering valuable perspectives for both academic researchers and practitioners in marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this interdisciplinary study, combining management and linguistics, is to investigate how linguistic features in advertising influence consumer behavior in the tourism industry. This research aims to verify which linguistics features are used in advertisements and which linguistic strategies are most effective in persuading customers to choose specific travel services. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative content analysis methodology, examining promotional materials from leading travel agencies. The analysis focuses on linguistic elements at the lexical, syntactical, and rhetorical levels to determine how they contribute to the effectiveness of the advertisements. Findings: The findings underline the importance of employing a rich array of linguistic strategies in tourism advertising to enhance attractiveness and persuasiveness, directly influencing consumer engagement and decision-making. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this research is its focus on a select number of travel agencies, which may not represent the broader industry. Practical implications: This research offers practical information for marketers in the tourism industry, highlighting the importance of strategic language use in advertising materials. Social implications: The study contributes to our understanding of how language influences consumer decisions in the tourism sector. Originality/value: This paper fills a gap in the literature by linking linguistic features with advertising effectiveness in the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to extend the research on the possible role of verbal mediation in the establishment of comparative relations. We conducted four experiments in which 14 participants received conditional discrimination training with nonarbitrary and arbitrary stimuli, followed by derived comparative and transformation of function tests. Participants learned to select the smallest or biggest comparison across multiple exemplars in the presence of abstract samples. Next, participants learned to select arbitrary comparisons in the presence of contextual cues to establish a size ranking among comparisons. To assess verbal mediation during mutual and combinatorial entailment tests, participants were instructed to talk out loud. When they failed to perform correctly during derived relations tests, participants were trained to tact and intraverbally relate stimuli. The results suggest that relational training alone was not sufficient to establish comparative relations and that adult participants engaged in problem solving consistent with intraverbal bidirectional naming during emergent relations tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual imagining has been proposed to play a role in the emergence of derived stimulus relations. We examined whether test‐relevant visual imagining during baseline training would, accordingly, facilitate emergent visual–visual conditional discriminations at test. Adult participants (n = 75) were randomly assigned to three groups. Baseline tact training established conditional discriminations among sets of image samples and textual comparisons (AC/BD), and baseline intraverbal training established conditional discriminations among pairs of textual stimuli (CD). Two groups received tact before intraverbal training, and one group received the reverse sequence. During intraverbal training, one of the former groups was instructed to visualize the images that went with the textual stimuli. These instructions did not affect participants' retrospective self‐reports of test‐relevant visual imagining during training. Nevertheless, they produced a large effect on correct responding in an image‐matching test (AB/BA) that followed intraverbal training. This effect was independent of baseline retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Risk assessment in elder abuse is usually considered an additive process; risk factors are viewed as independent, and the higher the number of risk factors, the higher the risk. This study aims to explore the effect of the interaction between cognitive structures (episodic memory, perceptual speed, verbal fluency, executive function) and functional dependency on elder abuse. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected data from 62 participants, aged between 64 and 94 years old, in the Minho region of Portugal. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to apply the assessment procedures. Findings: Results showed that emotional abuse is predicted by episodic memory and phonemic fluency, financial abuse by perceptual speed and phonemic fluency and neglect by perceptual speed. Moderation analysis showed that these effects were greater for older adults with higher dependence on movement and lower dependence on hygiene and daily organization. This study supports the hypothesis that the risk of elder abuse is interactive, highlighting a limitation of current risk assessment procedures. Originality/value: The current study explores the possibility of risk factors for elder abuse interacting. Understanding how risk factors interact can help to design more accurate measures of the risk of elder abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes to approach the autobiographical stories of students of French in spatial mobility with the aim of following the evolution of their representations and their language practices. Sociolinguistic research based on a case study allowed us to understand two axes of analysis, which revolve around the changes made by speakers in terms of their language behavior and the relationships they have with French. The study carried out reveals a dynamic of language practices and functions as well as a reduction in the feeling of linguistic insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Hispanics are a significant demographic in the U.S., with diverse cultures and languages. Assessing cognition in this group is complex as cultural and linguistic factors have been found to affect test performance. OBJECTIVE: To generate normative data on the World Health Organization-University of California Los Angeles Auditory Verbal Learning Test (WHO-UCLA AVLT) in a sample of Spanish-speaking Hispanics residing in the U.S. METHODS: The sample included 245 Spanish-speaking individuals aged 18–80 across the U.S. (California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin). Participants were administered the WHO-UCLA AVLT as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. A Bayesian regression approach was used to estimate normative data, including covariates found to be important for predicting performances on measures of learning and memory. RESULTS: Bayesian models showed a logarithmic link between education and all WHO-UCLA AVLT trials, except recognition. For delayed recall, increased Spanish proficiency benefited women's performance exclusively. Time in the U.S. was a significant predictor for total recall, indicating worse performance with longer residency. CONCLUSION: Recognizing cultural factors like language proficiency and duration of U.S. residence is essential for accurately evaluating cognitive function among Spanish-speaking Hispanics. This research emphasizes the importance of accounting for cultural nuances in developing norms for neuropsychological assessments, thereby improving their relevance and effectiveness in diverse communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Linguistic deficits are common across neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Currently there are limited neuropsychological norms available for Spanish-speaking adults residing in the U.S. OBJECTIVE: To generate norms for two verbal fluency tests and the Boston Naming Test (BNT) in a Spanish-speaking population in the U.S., with adjustments for demographic and cultural variables. METHODS: The sample consisted of 245 adults from the U.S. Participants completed phonological and semantic verbal fluency tests and the BNT. A standardized four-step statistical procedure was used. RESULTS: For the phoneme F, interactions between Spanish proficiency, age, and education arose. Better performance on phonemes A, S, and M was related to education. Spanish proficiency, acculturation, and time in the U.S. were associated with the phonemes S, A, P, M, and R. An age by education interaction was found for phonemes M and R. The FAS and PMR triads were related to age, sex, time in U.S., and Spanish proficiency. For the semantic verbal fluency tests, an interaction between education and Spanish proficiency arose. For the BNT, test scores were related to education, and significant interactions were also found based on education's interaction with Spanish proficiency and acculturation. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of accounting for sociodemographic and acculturative factors when developing normative data for verbal fluency tests and the BNT for dominant Spanish-speaking adults in the U.S. These sociodemographically-adjusted norms will help improve accuracy of diagnosis and interpretation of linguistic test performance in Spanish speakers living in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal‐assisted interventions (AAIs) have the potential to enhance people's well‐being and function and are increasingly being implemented across a range of settings. This scoping review explored how AAIs have been used in adult hospital rehabilitative care. Using JBI and PRISMA‐ScR guidelines, a systematic search of four databases was undertaken. Inclusion criteria involved adults, aged >18 years, who had received AAIs in the hospital rehabilitation setting. Twenty‐two articles met the inclusion criteria. Results identified two intervention types: visitation activities (n = 8 studies) and structured therapeutic interventions (n = 14 studies). Dogs were the most common animal species. Improvements in social and emotional well‐being were reported across both types of interventions, with improvements in ambulation, motor skills, and verbal communication reported by those engaged in structured therapeutic interventions. Implementation challenges included a dependency on volunteer dog‐handlers; the need for better recording of interventions in medical records to enable evaluation; and cost, safety, infection control, and animal welfare considerations. Strengthening the planning of AAIs is fundamental for the realization of potential outcomes from human–animal interactions in hospital rehabilitative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Cognitive Plausibility in Natural Language Processing" by Beinborn and Hollenstein explores the concept of cognitive plausibility in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP). The book highlights the importance of evaluating NLP models based on characteristics such as fairness, interpretability, and efficiency, in addition to accuracy. It focuses on the cognitive plausibility of models, examining how "human-like" they are. The book provides examples, discusses theoretical and methodological issues, and explores ethical considerations. It is aimed at NLP researchers, cognitive scientists, psycholinguists, and students with basic knowledge of NLP. The book emphasizes the complexity of cognitive plausibility and suggests ways to design more cognitively plausible models. [Extracted from the article]

Limited research has been conducted on coaching of paraprofessionals who serve students with disruptive behaviors. This study builds upon a randomized controlled trial investigating the intervention effects of the Behavior Support Coaching for Paraprofessionals model by examining the specific behavior concerns, coaching goals, and interventions used during behavior support coaching implementation. This study consists of 83 elementary school paraprofessionals who received behavior support coaching and served 163 elementary school students from 27 schools. Behavior support coaches used observational data to identify student behavior needs, set goals, prioritize intervention supports, and monitor progress toward goals. Results revealed inappropriate physical and verbal behaviors were most often targeted as behavior goals. Coaches and paraprofessionals and classroom teachers utilized a broad range of research‐based behavior interventions, with token economy and behavioral contract most often implemented. Results indicated significant change in observed student nonengagement and inappropriate physical behaviors when these are targeted as behavior goals. Implications of these findings for research and school practice are presented. Practitioner Points: Token economy, behavioral contract, and response cost raffle are popular behavioral interventions used with children who have or are at risk of developing disruptive behavior disorder.Aligning a behavior intervention to a specific behavior goal makes it more likely that the intervention will be effective.However, intervention effects can also generalize to behaviors that are not targeted in a behavior goal, showing "carryover effects." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study profiled various levels of engagement and related communication behaviours among 50 Asian Indian Tamil autistic children (AUT) and their mothers. The interaction was compared with two groups of mother-child dyads of non-autistic (NA) children, 50 in each group, matched for chronological age (CA), and for language level (LL). Results indicated that despite mother's efforts to engage with their children, autistic children were often 'engaged with objects' or remained 'unengaged' due to children's preference for solitary play, while NA children were often engaged in 'co-ordinated' and 'people engagement'. Across the three groups, mothers predominantly took the lead and dominated the interaction, irrespective of children's language levels. These initiations by the mothers were often to provide instructions and to ask 'What' questions. Autistic children initiated communication predominantly to ask for an object and responded often in the form of negations and protests with limited verbal output or non-verbally. Most of the communication behaviours of both children and mothers in AUT group was quantitatively and qualitatively different when compared to those in both the NA groups, indicating unique nature of interactions despite matching for CA or LL. The observations from the study highlights the need for considering adult's contingent behaviours also, while assessing communication skills of autistic children in order to provide effective intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stay in hospital and an operation are always an exceptional situation for children and their parents, which is accompanied by great uncertainty and fear. The aim of this article is to show what possibilities exist as a caring anesthetist to accompany a child and the parents through the operation and that anesthesia remains a good memory. The effect of communication on a verbal and nonverbal level is discussed. The focus is on dealing with children and their parents, taking the influence of the psychological developmental stages of children into account and on presenting helpful coping strategies in exceptional situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by theories of communicative disenfranchisement (TCD) and memorable messages (ToMM), this study analyzes 60 open-ended survey responses detailing experiences of grief following the onset of invisible, physical illness (e.g., chronic overlapping pain conditions, autoimmune rheumatic diseases). Employing reflexive thematic analysis, we identify (1) illness-related losses that are disenfranchised by discourses surrounding grief and (2) opportunities to enfranchise these losses via memorable messages. Situated at two points in time, before and after the onset of illness, we identify disenfranchised losses as what once was (e.g., physical [in]dependence, relational connection, images of self, and trust in institutions) and what will never be (e.g., family planning and career dreams). Next, we identify opportunities to disrupt this disenfranchisement through memorable messages of presence (e.g., nonverbal acknowledgment and verbal expressions of belief) and finding the fit (e.g., physical restructuring and community connection). In doing so, we extend theoretical understanding of both memorable messages, in the form that they can take (of experience) and as points of (dis)enfranchisement, and communicative (dis)enfranchisement. This study contributes to a growing body of health communication research on disenfranchising experiences in chronic illness by highlighting a resulting experience of illness not often talked about – illness-related loss and its grief process. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and future directions, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]