Experiences with the René Bloch "multidimensional art test"

The Multidimensional Drawing Test of René B l o c h is a little-known projective test method in psychological diagnosis. In a series of 30 pictures, free associations are recorded graphically, with a time limit of 60 seconds per picture. The test material consists of a DIN A 6 jotting pad and seven felt pens, red, orange, yellow, blue, brown, green, and black. The test results can be equated with statistically determined combined variables, and thus enable differential diagnosis distinction between acute and chronic schizophrenia, hebephrenia, "schizoaffective psychoses", and more especially, endogenous and other forms of depression. The test can also be used in psychotherapy.     

Anton Yasnitsky and René van der Veer (eds.): Revisionist revolution in Vygotsky studies

Studies in East European Thought - The authors of the volume under review proclaimed a “revisionist revolution” in Vygotsky studies. With the exception of the two chapters by Ekaterina...     

Athletes' coping during a competition: relationship of coping strategies with positive affect,negative affect,and performance–goal discrepancy

Objectives: This study examined the changes in athletes' coping and affect across the phases of a sport competition and the extent to which performance–goal discrepancy (PGD) moderated these changes. Also, it explored the mediating role of coping strategies in the PGD-affect relationships.Method: Sixty-two French–Canadian male golfers, aged from 13 to 20 years, completed a French translation of the MCOPE (The Sport Psychol. (1995b), 9, 325–338) and the PANAS (J. Pers. Social Psychol. (1988), 54, 1063–1070) two hours prior, one hour after, and twenty-four hours after the competition. A subjective (The Sport Psychol. (1995b), 9, 325–338) and an objective indices were used to assess PGD.Results: In order to assess the moderating role of PGD in the temporal patterning of coping and affect, a series of PGD × Phase analysis of variance, with repeated measures on the last factor, were conducted. Results showed that positive affect and negative affect as well as behavioral disengagement, increased effort, active coping/planning, suppression, and positive reappraisal changed across the phases of the competition for athletes with high PGD whereas venting of emotion and humor changed for athletes with medium and low PGD. Multivariate path analyses were used to explore the mediating roles of coping in the PGD-affect relationship. Whereas active coping/planning and behavioral disengagement mediated the PGD-positive affect relationship during the competition, positive reappraisal mediated it at post-competition. Also, behavioral disengagement mediated the PGD-negative affect relationship during the competition.Conclusions: The moderating role of PGD on the temporal patterns of coping and affect implies that their dynamic nature might be far more complex than depicted by Lazarus and Folkman ((1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer). Also, the PGD-affect relationships and the mediating role of coping in these relationships outlined the need of considering self-referenced criteria of performance in studies of coping and affect.     

The effect of eccentricity and the adapting level on the café wall illusion

The café wall pattern is composed of rows of alternating light and dark tiles, and alternate rows are shifted by one fourth of a cycle. The rows of tiles are separated by narrow horizontal mortar lines whose luminance is between those of the dark and the light tiles. Although the mortar lines are physically parallel, they are perceived to be tilted, which is known as the café wall illusion. In this study, an energy-based model for encoding orientation is implemented in order to estimate the strength of the café wall illusion, and it is shown that the estimated orientation depends on the spatial frequency to which each orientation-encoding unit is tuned. The estimation of mortar line orientation from an orientation-encoding unit tuned to a lower spatial frequency was greater than that from a unit tuned to a higher spatial frequency. It is assumed that the perceived mortar line orientation is the result of an integration of responses from the orientation-encoding units tuned to various spatial frequencies. This leads to the prediction that under viewing conditions in which responses from orientation-encoding units tuned to a higher spatial frequency are presumably weakened, the strength of the café wall illusion increases. In agreement with this prediction, it is shown that the café wall illusion is stronger when the café wall image is presented at the periphery or is observed under low luminance levels. On the other hand, the weighted averaging of the estimated mortar orientations across spatial frequencies overestimates the perceived orientation of the mortar lines. This suggests that the final percept of the café wall illusion could be determined by some kind of nonlinear interaction, such as an inhibitory interaction, between orientation-encoding units.     

On Rooting Religious Studies: The Metaphysical Proposal of René Guénon

The present article problematizes current dominating approaches to method and theory in the study of religion by pointing to their inapplicability to theorists working outside secular worldviews. The first section of this article introduces decolonialist narratives by touching on important topics which are subsumed within larger discussions, such as secularism, positionality, and others. This is done by putting René Guénon (1886–1951) in conversation with other theorists, the foremost of whom is Bruce Lincoln. Section two introduces Guénon using Wael Hallaq's categorisation of him as a subversive author, and sections three and four elaborate on his subversion through touching on two key theories. The first relates to problematizations of the term ‘religion’ itself along with a treatment of Guénon's actual theory of religion. The second is Guénon's metaphysical method, which, contrasted against the historical, opens new avenues for our study of the past in manners unrestricted to materialism alone, expanding thereby the academic frameworks with which we come to the table in the academic study of religion.     

Memory and coping with stress: The relationship between cognitive–emotional distinctiveness,memory valence,and distress

Cognitive–emotional distinctiveness (CED), the extent to which an individual separates emotions from an event in the cognitive representation of the event, was explored in four studies. CED was measured using a modified multidimensional scaling procedure. The first study found that lower levels of CED in memories of the September 11 terrorist attacks predicted greater frequency of intrusive thoughts about the attacks. The second study revealed that CED levels are higher in negative events, in comparison to positive events and that low CED levels in emotionally intense negative events are associated with a pattern of greater event-related distress. The third study replicated the findings from the previous study when examining CED levels in participants’ memories of the 2004 Presidential election. The fourth study revealed that low CED in emotionally intense negative events is associated with worse mental health. We argue that CED is an adaptive and healthy coping feature of stressful memories.     

Decrement of the Müller-Lyer illusion with saccadic and tracking eye movements

Subjects viewed the Müller-Lyer illusion, making either saccadic or smooth tracking eye movements between the apexes of the arrow heads. The decrement in the magnitude of the illusion was significantly greater for Ss in the saccadic viewing condition. Saccadic and smooth tracking eye movements are separately controlled,and information about eye position is more readily available from the efferent signals issued to control a saccadic eye movement. The experimental findings were consistent with the hypothesis that Ss in the saccadic condition learned a new afferent efferent association. The results support a theory that visual perception is determined by efferent readiness activated by visual afferent stimulation.     

How do I cope with pain? Let me count the ways: awareness of pain coping behaviors and relationships with depression and anxiety

Patients with chronic pain are often undertreated with medications alone and need alternative ways of coping. Identifying pain coping skills patients use may be beneficial; however, no research has investigated whether patients are aware of their coping skills. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients are aware of their pain coping skills, whether certain patient characteristics were related to using coping strategies, and whether coping strategies were related to psychiatric symptoms. Chart reviews were conducted on seventy-eight chronic pain patients who completed a semi-structured psychological interview. Patients endorsed using more coping strategies on the measure compared to the verbal self-report. Identifying with certain patient demographics was related to higher use of some coping strategies. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were also related to the use of some coping strategies. Anxiety was negatively related to ignoring the pain and using self-talk coping statements and positively related to catastrophizing. Depression was negatively related to the use of distraction, ignoring the pain, and using self-talk coping statements. Depression and pain severity were both positively related to catastrophizing and prayer. Results suggest that clinicians may need to help patients become aware of adaptive coping strategies they already use and that the use of certain coping strategies is related to lower levels of depression and anxiety.     

Mathematics anxiety and coping strategies among middle school students: relations with students’ achievement goal orientations and level of performance

The purpose of this study was to explore relations between students’ prior grades in mathematics, achievement goal orientations in math classes, math anxiety, and students coping strategies in math classes. Three achievement goal orientations (mastery goals, performance-approach goals, and performance-avoidance goals) and two coping strategies (problem-focused and self-protective strategies) were explored. Participants in the study were 939 middle school students. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed by means of zero order correlations and structural equation modeling. The correlations between the three goal perspectives and between the two coping strategies were low. A mastery goal perspective strongly predicted the use of adaptive problem-focused coping strategies whereas this perspective predicted lower levels of math anxiety and less use of maladaptive self-protective coping strategies. A performance-avoidance goal perspective predicted higher math anxiety and more use of self-protective coping strategies. Performance-approach goals were not significantly related to math anxiety or to selfprotective coping strategies. However, they were weakly and negatively associated with problem-focused coping strategies. Prior math grades were positively associated with mastery goals and performance-approach goals and negatively associated with performance-avoidance goals and math anxiety. No direct associations were found between grades and the coping strategies. The associations were indirect, mediated through mastery goals, performance-avoidance goals, and math anxiety.     

Slope and the Zöllner illusion

Informal observation suggests that the magnitude of the Z?llner illusion is reduced when the figure is viewed on a sloping plane. The hypothesis that this effect derives from the enlargement of the acute angle of intersection between the obliques and the verticals in the figure when it is viewed on a sloping plane is here investigated. The magnitude of the Z?llner illusion was measured with the use of a visual analogue scale. The results show that the change in the magnitude of the Z?llner effect as a function of the slope of the figure is different from that for corresponding figures, with enlarged angles of intersection between the obliques and the verticals, presented vertically. It is concluded that the enlargement of the angles of intersection can only partly account for the reduction of the Z?llner effect when the figure is viewed under slope, and that some other factor must be involved. An alternative hypothesis is evaluated whereby the effects result from the diminution in the contrast of the obliques when the figure is viewed under slope. Data are also presented to show that observers are able to perceive the enlarged or foreshortened angles of intersection veridically.     

Does humor facilitate coping with physical discomfort?

The mediation of superior coping with physical discomfort after humorous stimulation was explored through respondents' exposure to materials varying markedly in their capacity to evoke amusement and joviality. Both male and female respondents were exposed to (a) stand-up comedy, (b) situation comedy, (c) serious drama, (d) instructional material, or (e) tragedy. Discomfort threshold for cuff pressure at the upper arm was ascertained prior to and following exposure. Cognitive and affective responses to the materials were recorded after the postexposure threshold measurement. Compared against exposure to instructional material in the control condition, and compared against pre-exposure threshold measures, exposure to either type of comedy and, unexpectedly, to tragedy significantly elevated the threshold for physical discomfort in both male and female respondents. Serious drama had no such effect. Taken together, the exposure effects on the discomfort threshold could not be attributed to amusement reactions. Nor could they be considered mediated by responses of positive hedonic quality during and after exposure. There was some indication, however, that the capacity of stimuli to evoke humorous reactions (material being deemed funny) and the absorption potential of stimuli (material being deemed captivating) were positively involved in the mediation of postexposure tolerance of physical discomfort.The authors would like to thank Charles Aust, Rahul Biswas, Ted Jones, and John Owens for their assistance in the data collection and in the planning of this investigation.     

Parents’ reactions to children’s stuttering and style of coping with stress

PurposeThe aim of the research was to determine: (a) how parents react to their child’s stuttering, (b) what stress coping strategies they utilise, as well as (c) whether stress coping style depends on parents’ reaction to their child’s stuttering.MethodsThe research involved 23 mothers and 23 fathers of children who stutter (CWS) at the age of three to six years old. The Reaction to Speech Disfluency Scale (RSDS), developed by the authors, was used in the research. To determine the parents’ coping the Coping Inventory in Stressful Situations (CISS) by N.S. Endler and D.A Parker was applied.ResultsThe strongest reactions are observed on the cognitive level. Stronger cognitive, emotional and behavioural reactions are observed in the mothers towards their disfluently speaking sons and in the fathers towards their daughters. Having analysed the profiles of coping styles, it can be noticed that the task-oriented coping is most frequently adapted by the fathers. The mothers most often use the avoidance-oriented coping. No relevant correlation was observed between the fathers’ coping style and their reactions to the child’s disfluent speech. As far as the mothers are concerned, it has been proved that an increase in behavioural reactions correlates with the avoidance-oriented coping.ConclusionThe cognitive reactions of the parents’ towards their child’s stuttering were most frequent, while the emotional ones were the least frequent. Confronted with a stressful situation, the fathers most often adapt the task-oriented coping, whereas the mothers use the avoidance-oriented coping. Educational objectives: the reader will be able to (1) learn what the key reactions of parents to their children’s stuttering are, (2) describe stuttering as a stress factor for the parents, (3) describe the factors which influence parents’ reactions to their child’s stuttering and their coping style.     

Curved movement paths and the Hering illusion: Positions or directions?

When trying to move in a straight line to a target, participants produce movement paths that are slightly (but systematically) curved. Is this because perceived space is curved, or because the direction to the target is systematically misjudged? We used a simple model to investigate whether continuous use of an incorrect judgement of the direction to the target could explain the curvature. The model predicted the asymmetries that were found experimentally when moving across a background of radiating lines (the Hering illusion). The magnitude of the curvature in participants' movements was correlated with their sensitivity to the illusion when judging a moving dot's path, but not with their sensitivity when judging the straightness of a line. We conclude that a misjudgement of direction causes participants to perceive a straight path of a moving dot as curved and to produce curved movement paths.     

Science policies to innovation strategies: “Local” networking and coping with internationalism in the developing country context

The science and technology policy perspectives followed by most developing countries during the 1980s exhibited enormous problems in coping with the incoming economic reforms of liberalization, privatization and a changing international S&T scenaria. This article critically explores the S&T policy perspectives of India, a typical example of a developing country. In an effort to render the local scientific and technological capacities more meaningful and effective in relation to the market locale, this article puts forward the concept of networking in S&T (TENs) as a “new” innovation strategy for S&T policies in the context of developing countries.     

Does coping help? A reexamination of the relation between coping and mental health

In a longitudinal community survey of 291 adults, we explored the relation between coping strategies and psychological symptoms. Respondents completed the revised Ways of Coping Scale (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) for a self-named stressful episode. Factor analysis produced eight coping factors: three problem focused, four emotion focused, and one (support mobilization) that contained elements of both. Multiple regression analyses indicated bidirectionality in the relation between coping and psychological symptoms. Those in poorer mental health and under greater stress used less adaptive coping strategies, such as escapism, but coping efforts still affected mental health independent of prior symptom levels and degree of stress. We compared main versus interactive effects models of stress buffering. Main effects were confined primarily to the emotion-focused coping scales and showed little or negative impacts of coping on mental health; interactive effects, though small, were found with the problem-focused scales. The direction of the relation between problem-focused scales and symptoms may depend in part on perceived efficacy, or how the respondent thought he or she handled the problem. Implications for the measurement of adaptive coping mechanisms and their contextual appropriateness are discussed.     

Weightlifting exercise and the size–weight illusion

In the size–weight illusion (SWI), large objects feel lighter than equally weighted small objects. In the present study, we investigated whether this powerful weight illusion could influence real-lift behavior—namely, whether individuals would perform more bicep curls with a dumbbell that felt subjectively lighter than with an identically weighted, but heavier-feeling, dumbbell. Participants performed bicep curls until they were unable to continue with both a large, light-feeling 5-lb dumbbell and a smaller, heavy-feeling 5-lb dumbbell. No differences emerged in the amounts of exercise that participants performed with each dumbbell, even though they felt that the large dumbbell was lighter than the small dumbbell. Furthermore, in a second experiment, we found no differences in how subjectively tired participants felt after exercising for a set time with either dumbbell. We did find, however, differences in the lifting dynamics, such that the small dumbbell was moved at a higher average velocity and peak acceleration. These results suggest that the SWI does not appear to influence exercise outcomes, suggesting that perceptual illusions are unlikely to affect one’s ability to persevere with lifting weights.     

Theoretical note: When is a coping strategy not a coping strategy?

Abstract

This paper discusses the issue of differentiating between cognitive coping behaviors and appraisal processes. Although these can be separated in theory, and experimental procedures can manipulate appraisals independantly of coping, it is difficult to separate these constructs in naturalistic studies on appraisal and coping responses to real life stressors. The ability to separate these constructs requires knowledge of an individual's precise motivation, an age-old stumbling block in psychological research. It is proposed that, at least in naturalistic studies on stress, appraisal and coping, perhaps the best that can be achieved is to record a particular behavior and report it as such, without attempting to guess at the motivation underlying it.