Joerg Schulz

The design space of robots: investigating children's views

Our study considers childrens perceptions of robots in terms of physical attributes, personality and emotion traits. To examine childrens attitudes towards robots, a questionnaire approach was taken with a large sample of children, followed by a detailed statistical framework to analyse the data. Results show that children clearly distinguish between emotions and behaviour when judging robots. The distinguishing robotic physical characteristics for positive and negative emotions and behaviour are highlighted. Children judge human-like robots as aggressive, but human-machine robots as friendly providing support for the uncanny valley. The paper concludes with discussing the results in light of design implications for childrens robots.

Structural validity of the Movement ABC-2 test: Factor structure comparisons across three age groups

BACKGROUND The Movement ABC test is one of the most widely used assessments in the field of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Improvements to the 2nd edition of the test (M-ABC-2) include an extension of the age range and reduction in the number of age bands as well as revision of tasks. The total test score provides a measure of motor performance, which can be used to help make a diagnosis of DCD. M-ABC-2 also provides 3 sub-scales for Manual Dexterity, Aiming and Catching and Balance but the validity of these conceptually derived sub-scales has not previously been reported. AIM To examine the factor structure of the M-ABC-2 test across the three age bands (AB): AB1 (3-6-year olds), AB2 (7-10-year olds) and AB3 (11-16-year olds). METHOD Data from the 2007 standardisation sample (N=1172) were used in this study. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and structural equation modelling (LISREL 8.8) were employed to explore the relationship between the tasks within each of the 3 age bands. A model trimming approach was used to arrive at a well fitting model. RESULTS In AB1 a complex factor structure emerged providing evidence for an independent general factor, as well as specific factors representing the 3 test components. In AB2 a final model emerged with four correlated factors, an additional distinction being drawn between static and dynamic balance. In addition, a 2nd order general factor explained a considerable amount of variance in each primary factor. In AB3 CFA supported the 3-factor structure of the M-ABC-2, with only modest correlations between each factor. CONCLUSIONS The confirmatory factor analyses undertaken in this study further validate the structural validity of the M-ABC-2 as it has developed over time. Although its tasks are largely associated with the three sub-components within each age band, there was also clear evidence for a change in the factor structure towards differentiation in motor abilities with age.

Hand preference and performance in 20 pairs of monozygotic twins with discordant handedness.

The differences between right (RH) and left (LH) handers reported in the literature on fine motor tasks, has traditionally been interpreted relative to purported functioning of the cerebral hemispheres. However, conclusive evidence for performance differences which are intrinsic to handedness per se is difficult to obtain unless left and right handers are compared who are similar in their genetic and environmental background. The present study therefore, employed a monozygotic (MZ) twin design which minimizes differences in genetic variation between the two groups. Forty female monozygotic twins (20 pairs) were selected on the basis of discordance of writing hand. Their laterality preferences were assessed and they were tested for differences on hand performance tasks (dot filling, finger tapping, and peg moving). The results revealed that on the hand and foot preference inventories, the right-handers were more strongly lateralized than their left-handed sisters, and that the left-handers had greater variation in their laterality scores. There were substantial correlations between preference and performance scores. The analyses not only revealed the obvious strong main effects of writing hand on performance tasks, but interaction effects of handedness on the peg-moving task. The dot filling task differentiated the writing versus non-writing hand considerably better than either of the other two performance tasks. However, no evidence was found to indicate that twins who wrote with their left hands showed poorer performance than their right-handed twin sisters.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapies in reducing symptoms of depression: A meta-analysis

Mindfulness-based therapies are a recent development within the cognitive-behavioural tradition and an important element of the third wave cognitive behavioural therapy models. A number of these therapies could be considered to have mindfulness as a major component of the therapy. There has been a considerable growth of interest in these therapies with an accompanying increase in their evidence base. While a number of reviews have been conducted, these therapies were not comprehensively appraised. The most prominent of these therapies, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, was developed to reduce relapse in recurrent depression. We conducted a meta-analysis which looked at therapies considered to have mindfulness as a major component. We investigated whether this group of therapies was effective in reducing current depressive symptomatology as measured by the Beck depression inventory (BDI). A total of 11 studies were included in the analysis. We found a significant mean reduction score in current depressive symptomatology, as measured by the BDI, of 8.73 points (95% confidence interval = 6.61, 10.86). We found evidence for the effectiveness of these major-component therapies in reducing levels of active depression. The robustness of these findings is discussed alongside the implications for research and practice within the context of the current literature.

A meta-analysis of perceptions of defeat and entrapment in depression, anxiety problems, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidality

BACKGROUND There is a burgeoning literature examining perceptions of being defeated or trapped in different psychiatric disorders. The disorders most frequently examined to date are depression, anxiety problems, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. AIMS To quantify the size and consistency of perceptions of defeat and entrapment in depression, anxiety problems, PTSD and suicidality, test for differences across psychiatric disorders, and examine potential moderators and publication bias. METHOD Random-effects meta-analyses based on Pearsons correlation coefficient r. RESULTS Forty studies were included in the meta-analysis (n = 10,072). Perceptions of defeat and entrapment were strong (around r = 0.60) and similar in size across all four psychiatric disorders. Perceptions of defeat were particularly strong in depression (r = 0.73). There was no between-study heterogeneity; therefore moderator analyses were conducted in an exploratory fashion. There was no evidence of publication bias. LIMITATIONS Analyses were cross-sectional, which precludes establishing temporal precedence or causality. Some of the meta-analyses were based on relatively small numbers of effect sizes, which may limit their generalisability. CONCLUSIONS Perceptions of defeat and entrapment are clinically important in depression, anxiety problems, PTSD, and suicidality. Similar-sized, strong relationships across four different psychiatric disorders could suggest that perceptions of defeat and entrapment are transdiagnostic constructs. The results suggest that clinicians and researchers need to become more aware of perceptions of defeat and entrapment.

Cognitive approach to assessing pragmatic language comprehension in children with specific language impairment

BACKGROUND Pragmatic language impairment in children with specific language impairment has proved difficult to assess, and the nature of their abilities to comprehend pragmatic meaning has not been fully investigated. AIMS To develop both a cognitive approach to pragmatic language assessment based on Relevance Theory and an assessment tool for identifying a group of children with pragmatic language impairment from within an specific language impairment group. METHODS & PROCEDURES The authors focused on Relevance Theorys view of the role of context in pragmatic language comprehension using questions of increasing pragmatic complexity in different verbal contexts (scenarios with and without pictures and a story with supporting pictures). The performances of the children with and without pragmatic impairment on the most pragmatically demanding Implicature questions were examined. This study included 99 children: 27 with specific language impairment (including nine pragmatically impaired children) and two groups of typically developing children (32 children aged 5-6 years and 40 children aged 7-11 years). OUTCOMES & RESULTS The specific language impairment group performed similarly to their peers when utilizing context in inferring referents, inferring semantic meaning, and generating Implicatures, only when the answer was provided by pictorial context. Both the children with specific language impairment and the 5-6 year olds were not yet competent at utilizing verbal context when answering the most pragmatically demanding questions (targeting Implicature). On these questions the children with pragmatic language impairment performed significantly poorer than the rest of the specific language impairment group and performance scores on Implicature questions were found to identify accurately the children with pragmatic language impairment from the rest of the specific language impairment group (sensitivity = 89%). CONCLUSIONS Childrens ability to infer and integrate information in the comprehension of pragmatic meaning was found to be influenced by the available context. As children become more competent they are able to utilize verbal context and integrate information. Children with specific language impairment and those with pragmatic language impairment were found to be developmentally delayed at making inferences, but children with pragmatic language impairment had particular difficulty in integrating contextual information. Findings support the view that a cognitive approach to assessing pragmatic comprehension deficits could provide clinicians with a useful tool.

Risk of Adult Schizophrenia and Its Relationship to Childhood IQ in the 1958 British Birth Cohort

BACKGROUND An inverse relationship between risk of schizophrenia and premorbid IQ is a robust empirical finding. Cognitive impairment may be a core feature of schizophrenia in addition to the clinical symptoms that have historically defined the disorder. AIMS To evaluate whether risk of schizophrenia increases linearly or nonlinearly with the lowering of premorbid IQ after adjustment for a range of confounding factors. METHODS IQ data from the 1958 National Child Development Study, a prospective national birth cohort (n = 17 419), were linked with psychiatric admissions in England and Wales over a 20-year period. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnoses were derived from case notes. RESULTS A clear nonlinear inverse relationship between general intelligence at ages 7 and 11 and risk of adult psychosis was found even after adjustment for potential social, behavioral, or demographic confounding factors. No such relationship was found for affective disorders. CONCLUSIONS The nonlinear relationship suggests an excess risk of schizophrenia in children with premorbid IQ in the learning disabilities range. Previous reports of a linear relationship are likely to be a result of less sensitive statistical methods for detecting nonlinearity.

Attention and executive function in people with schizophrenia: Relationship with social skills and quality of life

Objective. Executive function and attention are highly complex cognitive constructs that typically reveal evidence of impairment in people with schizophrenia. Studies in this area have traditionally utilised abstract tests of cognitive function and the importance of using more ecologically valid tests has not been extensively recognised. In addition, there has been little previous examination of the relationship between these key cognitive abilities and social functioning and quality of life in this population. Methods. Thirty-six schizophrenic patients and 15 controls were assessed on the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) test, three subtests from the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA), a measure of social functioning and a quality of life measure. Results. Analysis of subtest scores revealed that patients were impaired on all attentional measures, but only one BADS subtest score in addition to the BADS profile score. However, 23 patients demonstrated no impairment in their BADS profile scores whilst being impaired on at least one attentional measure. Only the BADS profile score predicted social functioning and quality of life. Conclusions. Ecologically valid tests of attention and executive function can play an important role in defining the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and how such deficits relate to social function and quality of life.

Foreign Accent Syndrome: in the ear of the beholder?

Background: The identification of accent type in patients with acquired accent change following brain damage (Foreign Accent Syndrome; FAS), may vary depending on the judge. Aims: This experiment tests the accent identification abilities of naive judges listening to speech samples from FAS patients versus healthy controls. Method & Procedures: A total of 52 naive judges listened to speech samples from speakers of British English, which were presented over audio CD. They were asked to identify the accent type, but were blind as to the identity of the participants vis-a-vis FAS versus control, and foreign versus native UK. Accuracy, variability, and confidence ratings were assessed as a function of participant and of accent type. Outcomes & Results: The naive judges displayed greater accuracy, consistency, and confidence in typing the control versus the FAS accents. There was a positive familiarity effect for the control, but not the FAS accents. Conclusions: The data provide preliminary support for the view that FAS is not exclusively “in the ear of the beholder”.

Burnout in early course psychosis caregivers: the role of illness beliefs and coping styles

In occupational settings, burnout is a common response to chronic exposure stressors and has been frequently documented in formal caregivers (i.e. paid psychiatric staff). However, the literature is limited on reports of burnout among informal caregivers and particularly within early psychosis groups. The current study sought to investigate reports of burnout in carers of young adults treated within a specialist early psychosis service and links with key appraisals reported about the illness and coping.