Advances in the Study of Communication and Affect – serie

The small but growing body of information about auditory processes in infancy is a tribute to the ingenuity and persistence of investigators in this realm. Undeter­ red by the frequent expressions of boredom, rage, and indifference in their subjects, these investigators nevertheless continue to seek answers to the intrigu­ ing but difficult questions about the course of auditory development. In the spring of 1981, a group of leading scholars and researchers in audi­ tion gathered to discuss the topic, Auditory Development in Infancy, at the 11th annual psychology symposium at Erindale College, University of Toronto. They came from both sides of the Atlantic and from various disciplines, including audiology, neurology, physics, and psychology. They shared their views on theory and data, as well as their perspectives from the laboratory and clinic. One unexpected bonus was an unusually distinguished audience of researchers and clinicians who contributed to lively discussion within and beyond the formal sessions.

One's view of self has pervasive and significant effects socially, psychologi­ cally, and even biologically. Regardless of theoretical differences, most psycho­ therapists agree that perception of self in one way or another profoundly impacts emotional satisfaction, behavioral adaptation, and rational thinking. Self-accep­ tance has played a major role in almost every major theory of personality. Despite its recognized importance over the years, only recently has the percep­ tion of self received vigorous research attention as a central variable in the development and maintenance of psychological dysfunction and as a mediating mechanism in effecting psychological change. Several lines of evidence point to the importance of self-perception in emotional disorder and psychotherapy. Feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness are frequently cited complaints among persons seeking psychological help. Peo­ ple with low self-esteem see themselves as helpless and inferior. They feel incapable of improving their situation. They fail to evidence the requisite inner resources or coping abilities for tolerating the stress of their life situation. The ability to be involved in healthy intimate relationships, to engage in successful career performance, to experience satisfactory sexual functioning, or to maintain effective mood management are all subject to disruption as a result of inconsis­ tent and impaired self-appraisal.

The study of infant memory has flourished in the past decade for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the tremendous growth of interest in normal and pathological adult memory that began in the late fifties. Despite its common lineage to other areas of memory research, however, infant memory has perhaps been the least integrated into the mainstream. In reading the literature, one gets a sense of discontinuity between the study of infant memory and memory at all other stages of development from childhood to old age. The reasons for this are not hard to find. The techniques used to study memory in infants are usually very different from those typically used even in children. These techniques often limit the kind of inferences one can draw about the nature of the memory systems under investigation. Even when terms, concepts, and theories from the adult literature are applied to infants, they often bear only a loose relationship to their original usage. For example, an infant who stares longer at a new pattern than an old one is said to "recognize" the old one and to have a memory system that shares many characteristics with a memory system that makes recognition possible in adults. Simi­ larly, an infant who emits a previously learned response, such as a leg kick, to an old stimulus is said to "recall" that response and to be engaged in processes similar to those of adults who are recalling past events.

For a variety of reasons, there has been an explosion of interest in research on aging over the past few years. The reasons include an awareness that a large and growing proportion of our popUlation is over 65 and that research findings can contribute to their health, satisfaction, and efficiency as members of society; the fact that funding agencies have endorsed the need for more research effort in the area by setting up special programs; and also the fact that researchers themselves are turning more to practical problems as many theoretical issues (in experimen­ tal psychology at least) seem to remain as intractable as ever. Thus, at present there is widespread interest in aging, but there is also a lack of knowledge as to what has already been accomplished in the area, what the theoretical issues are, and what factors contribute to the methodological and practical difficulties. The time is propitious for meetings of experts in various aspects of the aging process, both to discuss among themselves latest advances in the field and also to inte­ grate known information for researchers and practitioners. In the summer of 1980 we organized such a meeting as the 10th annual psychology symposium to be held at the Erindale Campus of the University of Toronto. The topic chosen was Aging and Cognitive Processes, and the edited contributions to the symposium form the chapters of the present book.