ABSTRACT
An important stage in the solution of mathematical word problems is the formation of a global internal representation of the problem. There is ample evidence that the recognition of problem schemata or problem types plays a major role in this representation stage. In the present study, a sorting task is used in order to examine the knowledge of arithmetical word-problem schemata in a group of normals, a group of patients with frontal lesions, and a group of patients with left posterior brain lesions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses show that normals classify the word problems according to principles that are essential for problem solving. These analyses also reveal that the general sorting dimensions of the frontal and the left posterior brain-damaged groups, as measured by a multidimensional scaling procedure, are similar. Cluster analysis shows that both groups base their sorting behavior mainly on superficial text characteristics, such as the objects found in the various word problems. The implications of these differences in sorting behavior for arithmetical word-problem solving are discussed.
Subject(s)
Brain Damage, Chronic/physiopathology , Cerebral Cortex/physiopathology , Frontal Lobe/physiopathology , Mathematics , Problem Solving/physiology , Adult , Attention/physiology , Brain Damage, Chronic/diagnosis , Brain Damage, Chronic/psychology , Brain Mapping , Discrimination Learning/physiology , Dominance, Cerebral/physiology , Female , Humans , Male , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
This study reports on the effectiveness of an individualized shaping treatment program for sitting and standing intolerance in a patient with chronic low back pain following a laminectomy for removal of an intradural tumor. Functional assessment of sitting and standing tolerance, observation of pain behaviors, and a self-report measure regarding the pain experience were carried out during baseline, treatment, posttreatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. By the end of the 6-week inpatient treatment, the patient was able to stand still for 25 min and to sit for 15 min. The overall pain behavior diminished significantly. These findings underscore the importance of relatively simple and cost-effective individualized behavioral programs for chronic pain patients.
Subject(s)
Back Pain/therapy , Behavior Therapy , Back Pain/psychology , Behavior , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Physical Therapy Modalities , PostureABSTRACT
Type A behavior was assessed in Rotterdam in 3171 males, aged 45-59 years, by the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) as part of the Kaunas-Rotterdam Intervention Study (KRIS). During a follow-up period of 9 1/2 years, 112 fatal and 157 non-fatal cases of myocardial infarction occurred. The JAS did not predict future cases of fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction. Persons scoring highest on the hard-driving scale or the Dutch adaptation of the JAS tended to have higher incidences of angina pectoris. However, overall the validity of this test as a predictor of CHD was not substantiated in this population.
Subject(s)
Coronary Disease/psychology , Health Surveys , Type A Personality , Angina Pectoris/epidemiology , Angina Pectoris/psychology , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Infarction/epidemiology , Myocardial Infarction/psychology , Netherlands , Prospective Studies , RiskABSTRACT
Several aspects of the inverted U-model regarding the relation between activation and performance were tested in an experiment in which activation was manipulated both by increasing metabolic demands and by varying psychological demands. Psychological stress influenced performance but the direct manipulation of activation by increasing physical stress had no effect on performance. From these results we conclude that it is very unlikely that activation is causally related to performance. A better explanation seems that a stressor influences both activation and performance and that the effect of a stressor is highly specific and depends on the kind of stressor and the kind of task.
