Overcoming the emotion experience/expression dichotomy

We challenge the classic experience/expression dichotomous account of emotions, according to which experiencing and expressing an emotion are two independent processes. By endorsing Dewey's and Mead's accounts of emotions, and capitalizing upon recent empirical findings, we propose that expression is part of the emotional experience. This proposal partly challenges the purely constructivist approach endorsed by the authors of the target article.     

All work and no play: A focus on leisure time as a means for promoting health

In a study of 294 participants the relationship between attitude to leisure time and engagement in leisure activities and psychological and physical health was investigated Using questionnaire methods a consistent and significant relationship was found in that individuals with more positive attitudes towards and engagement in leisure activities experienced less general psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and hostility. They also experienced higher levels of positive affect and reported feeling physically healthier. Leisure measures were also related to levels of achievement motivation. The data points to leisure time behaviour as a rich source of information about coping styles and the positive use of leisure counselling as a therapeutic intervention.     

Benefits of all work and no play: the relationship between neuroticism and performance as a function of resource allocation

The authors evaluate a model suggesting that the performance of highly neurotic individuals, relative to their stable counterparts, is more strongly influenced by factors relating to the allocation of attentional resources. First, an air traffic control simulation was used to examine the interaction between effort intensity and scores on the Anxiety subscale of Eysenck Personality Profiler Neuroticism in the prediction of task performance. Overall effort intensity enhanced performance for highly anxious individuals more so than for individuals with low anxiety. Second, a longitudinal field study was used to examine the interaction between office busyness and Eysenck Personality Inventory Neuroticism in the prediction of telesales performance. Changes in office busyness were associated with greater performance improvements for highly neurotic individuals compared with less neurotic individuals. These studies suggest that highly neurotic individuals outperform their stable counterparts in a busy work environment or if they are expending a high level of effort.     

Top-down versus bottom-up attentional control: a failed theoretical dichotomy

Prominent models of attentional control assert a dichotomy between top-down and bottom-up control, with the former determined by current selection goals and the latter determined by physical salience. This theoretical dichotomy, however, fails to explain a growing number of cases in which neither current goals nor physical salience can account for strong selection biases. For example, equally salient stimuli associated with reward can capture attention, even when this contradicts current selection goals. Thus, although 'top-down' sources of bias are sometimes defined as those that are not due to physical salience, this conception conflates distinct--and sometimes contradictory--sources of selection bias. We describe an alternative framework, in which past selection history is integrated with current goals and physical salience to shape an integrated priority map.     

Irenaeus, Derrida and Hospitality: On the Eschatological Overcoming of Violence

God's hospitality or welcome of human beings into eternal life can be approached by means of Western ( kataphatic ) or Eastern ( apophatic ) strategies. I explore Derrida's understanding of "pure hospitality", which contains parallels with apophatic theology. I then appeal to Irenaeus's eschatology, which exhibits a fruitful tension between kataphatic and apophatic elements, to provide a transcendent warrant for human hospitality. On the one hand, the Bishop's millenarian opposition to Gnosticism implies the continuation of the substance of creation in the eternal Kingdom. On the other hand, Irenaeus's emphasis on deification and visio Dei suggests a future of "pure hospitality" and openness.     

How children and adolescents spend time across the world: work, play, and developmental opportunities

The authors review studies on time use of children and adolescents around the world and discuss developmental implications of population differences. Industrialization and schooling are linked to dramatic declines in time spent on household and wage labor. This labor is often unchallenging, sometimes hazardous; developmental benefits often do not increase above a limited number of hours; hence, reduction in these activities opens time for activities that may be more developmentally beneficial. Adolescents in East Asian postindustrial societies spend this freed-up time in schoolwork, a use associated with lower intrinsic motivation but high achievement and economic productivity. Adolescents in North America spend more time in leisure, associated with greater self-direction but of an uncertain relation to development. Age, gender, and socioeconomic differences in activities and with whom time is spent are also considered.     

Instrumental and expressive socialization: A false dichotomy

Barry, Bacon, and Child's (1957) cross-cultural study of sex differences in childhood socialization has been influential in bolstering the instrumental—expressive sex-role dichotomy. We critique their method of data analysis and factor analyze their data. Expressive and instrumental socialization are found to be separate factors or dimensions, rather than opposite ends of a single dichotomy. Additionally, no factor representing sex differences in socialization emerges, but rather each factor tends to contain substantively similar emphases in the training of both boys and girls.     

Neural dichotomy of word concreteness: a view from functional neuroimaging

Our perception about the representation and processing of concrete and abstract concepts is based on the fact that concrete words are highly imagined and remembered faster than abstract words. In order to explain the processing differences between abstract and concrete concepts, various theories have been proposed, yet there is no unanimous consensus about its neural implication. The present study investigated the processing of concrete and abstract words during an orthography judgment task (implicit semantic processing) using functional magnetic resonance imaging to validate the involvement of the neural regions. Relative to non-words, both abstract and concrete words show activation in the regions of bilateral hemisphere previously associated with semantic processing. The common areas (conjunction analyses) observed for abstract and concrete words are bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44/45), left superior parietal (BA 7), left fusiform gyrus and bilateral middle occipital. The additional areas for abstract words were noticed in bilateral superior temporal and bilateral middle temporal region, whereas no distinct region was noticed for concrete words. This suggests that words with abstract concepts recruit additional language regions in the brain.     

Assessing different aspects of pretend play within a play setting: Towards a standardized assessment of pretend play in young children

The present study suggests a method with which to assess the interrelations between different types of pretend play. In contrast to standard methods in this area, the various types of pretend play were measured within an interactive play scenario. The pretend play tasks were included in a semi‐structured play sequence and presented to young children between 24 and 30 months of age (N=30). Self‐ and doll‐directed pretence, object substitution, pretence with realistic objects, and self‐initiated pretend play, as well as the understanding that an object had been given two identities was tested. The capacity for dual representation was assessed by asking for the real and pretend identity of an object. Age differences were found in the overall score for elicited pretence but not for all items separately. Individual items also differed in difficulty and thus are of potential use for assessing intraindividual differences in pretend play. Findings are discussed in the context of current theories and methods concerning the development and assessment of pretend play.     

Beyond the intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy: Self-determination in motivation and learning

Researchers have typically portrayed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as dichotomous. Although this dichotomy has explanatory utility, we present a differentiated view of extrinsic motivation, arguing that the relative autonomy of one's motivated actions is more useful for characterizing the motivational basis of learning than is the undifferentiated intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy. Our concept of autonomous extrinsic motivation is based on a developmental analysis of the processes of internalization and integration. In this article we review extensive research indicating that intrinsic motivation and integrated internalization are facilitated by autonomy supportive social contexts, and that these autonomous forms of motivation, in turn, promote high-quality learning.Preparation of this article was facilitated in part by research grant HD-19914 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the Human Motivation Program in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rochester.     

Race and Healthcare Disparities: Overcoming Vulnerability

The paper summarizes recently published dataand recommendations about healthcaredisparities experienced by African Americanswho have Medicare or other healthcare coverage.Against this background the paper addresses theethics of such disparities and howdisadvantages of vulnerable populations likeAfrican Americans are typically maintained indecision making about how to respond to suchdisparities. Considering how to respond todisparities reveals much that vulnerablepopulations would bring to the policy-makingtable, if they can also be heard when they getthere. The paper argues that vulnerablepopulations like African Americans need fairrepresentation in bodies deciding what to doabout such disparities and that fairnessrequires proportional representation at alllevels of decisions that affect healthcare – aradical change. In this decision setting, howto provide adequate protection of minoritiesneeds much further attention. The mostattractive decision-making model isdeliberative democracy. The paper shows thatin deliberation, fair representation requiresnot only having a voice in decisions, but afair hearing of those voices. Achieving a fairhearing requires changes in norms ofcommunication and training of all to giveimportance to greetings and other measures ofcivility and trust building, and to be open todiverse forms of expression. Decisions abouthow to respond to healthcare disparities wouldinclude what programs to initiate for whom, howto evaluate the programs, and what to do inresponse to such evaluations. Conclusions arethat achieving such goals will take a seachange in how healthcare institutions andproviders do their business, and that socialactivism at every level will be needed toeffect these changes. The discussionhighlights many ethical issues that need muchgreater attention.