This case study of a 5-month-old infant describes the symptoms of trauma following a surgical procedure (cranial remodeling) with short-term hospital stay. The infant showed a symptomatology similar to that found in other studies of hospitalization during the preverbal period, and fit the diagnosis of traumatic stress disorder according to the DC:0-3. The therapy was implemented by the parents in consultation with the author. The approach was based on an exposure therapy model (flooding) using a somatic trauma trigger that occurred spontaneously in the context of a normal caretaking routine. The infant was allowed to have a full-blown emotional response during several treatment sessions. The outcome was positive, with the disappearance of some symptoms of traumatic stress disorder after the first week, and no remaining symptoms after two months. Periodic follow-up evaluations for one year revealed normal development with no return of symptoms. The symptoms, treatment, and outcomes are discussed in the context of behavioral learning theory and emotional processing theory. The role of crying during flooding therapy is discussed, and an emotional release theory emphasizing the therapeutic value of crying is proposed. Six cautionary guidelines are offered for the use of intense exposure therapy with infants.
In two experiments, 43 preschoolers learned the concept of one-to-one correspondence to identical behavioral criteria by matched discovery, expository, or observation methods of instruction. Performance on a subsequent posttest, administered by a "blind" experimenter, revealed a pattern in which the groups did not differ on short-term recall and near transfer, but the discovery group excelled on far transfer (conservation) and delayed recall. The effect of guided discovery on the acquisition of broader learning outcomes was discussed.
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