Cats saw an object appear and disappear at two successive locations; the movement of the object from one location to the other was not perceived but was indicated by indirect cues and the two disappearances were separated by a 0-sec or a 20-sec interval. Performance was poorer with the 0-sec than with the 20-sec interval. With the 0-sec interval, the percentages of search attempts made at the object's initial and final hiding locations did not differ whereas with the 20-sec interval, more search attempts were made at the final than at the initial location. These results provide additional support to Goulet, Doré and Rousseau's (1994) interpretation of cats' search behaviour in terms of activation of spatial locations in working memory.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between some main characteristics of different living arrangements and the quality of life (QoL) of their users with severe intellectual disability and low-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Design/methodology/approach Study participants were assessed for ASD severity through the Childhood Autism Rating Scale or the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS): for behavioral problems with the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC); for perception of efficacy and satisfaction with care, through an adapted Visual Analogue Scale; and for QoL with the QoL inventory in residential environments (validated in French as Inventaire de la Qualité de Vie en Milieu Résidentiel). Because the goal was to define a “residential profile (RP),” the authors evaluated each participating residence with the Working Methods Scale and the questionnaire on residential parameters. Findings The RP allowed for the classification of the residences into three clusters. The authors found no clear relationship between QoL and the RP clusters, but the authors found the RP clusters to be significantly correlated with ABC factors F1 (irritability, agitation, crying) and F2 (lethargy, social withdrawal), and VABS scores for living, socialization, and motor skills. Originality/value RPs were more strongly correlated with ABC items and the ability to cope with everyday life than with QoL. The authors hypothesize that RP is correlated with both aberrant behavior and the autonomy of residents and that QoL remains relatively stable. Therefore, RP is correlated with the status of the residents; however, this appears not to be correlated with their QoL.

The factor validity and reliability of Telugu version of the ABC-C evidenced factor validity and reliability comparable to the original English version and appears to be useful for assessing behaviour disorders in Indian people with intellectual disabilities.

Jung has described the collective unconscious as a layered structure starting from a central fire (Jung 1925), and composed by several groups (layers) of beings arriving progressively to the individual. In this schema Jung describes animal ancestors as one of the more ancient groups involved in human development. We relate this vision of the unconscious to our clinical experience with animal assisted therapy. Although properly speaking, animal-assisted therapy is not a new technique, we have adapted the approach to a specific context of intervention as a complement to conventional therapy, where the animal plays an intermediary role between therapist and patient. In case of patients presenting psychiatric disorders, animal-assisted therapy with a dog permitted a significant decrease in behavioural troubles with a real improvement of mood. Animal assisted therapy, used in the context of other therapeutic mediations, appears to have a significant impact in the population with severe autism spectrum disorders that cannot be easily treated verbally. In this study we explore the hypothesis that the improvement of the relationship with the others, obtained via the animal, can be related to a rewinding of the patient's unconscious to very primitive phases of his development. The patient relinks himself with a very ancient (temporally far and yet present) component of his unconscious. The present study offers elements of reflexion involving the therapeutic process in animal-assisted therapy and the Jungian theory of the collective unconscious.