Quantitative EEG analysis of a single dose of psychotropic drugs in healthy probands

In a series of 74 experiments in a double blind study, 25 healthy test persons were medicated with a single dose of Clomipramin, Desipramin, Imipramin, Diazepam, Carbamazepin, Haloperidol, and a placebo. At the end of one hour, and again at the end of three hours, an EEG was made whose frequency analysis revealed significant changes in about half the test persons. The antidepressives induced an increase in the theta waves, the slow alpha waves, and the slow beta waves, and a decrease in the fast alpha waves. The factors influencing the EEG are discussed.     

Measuring reaction times in healthy probands before and following a single dose of psychotropic drugs

A single dose of Clomipramin, 50 mg; Amitriptylin, 50 mg; Desipramin, 50 mg; Imipramin, 50 mg; Diazepam, 10 mg; Carbamazepin, 200 mg; Haloperidol, 3 mg; were each administered orally, and Clomipramin, 25 mg was administered intravenously, and reaction times were measured and compared with those obtained after administering a placebo. The statistical examination was conducted using Wilcoxon's test. In the case of Amitriptylin, Diazepam, and Haloperidol, there was a statistically significant reduction in the reaction times.     

Effects of 1 mA and 2 mA transcranial direct current stimulation on working memory performance in healthy participants

Anodal transcranial current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to enhance working memory (WM) in neuropsychiatric patients. In healthy populations, however, tDCS obtains inconclusive results, mostly due to heterogeneous study and stimulation protocols. Here, we approached these issues by investigating effects of tDCS intensity on simultaneous WM performance with three cognitive loads by directly comparing findings of two double-blind, cross-over, sham-controlled experiments. TDCS was administrated to the left DLPFC at intensity of 1 mA (Experiment 1) or 2 mA (Experiment 2), while participants completed a verbal n-back paradigm (1-, 2-, 3-back). Analysis showed no overall effects of tDCS on WM, but a significant interaction with cognitive load. The present study suggests that cognitive load rather than tDCS intensity could be a decisive factor for effects on WM. Moreover, it emphasizes the need of thorough investigation on study parameters to develop more efficient stimulation protocols.     

Balance between volunteer work and family roles: Testing a theoretical model of work‐family conflict in the volunteer emergency services

Trends indicate overall declines in numbers of volunteer emergency service workers and suggest negative organisational factors impacting adversely on volunteers and organisations. Conflict between emergency service work and family is implicated in falling volunteer numbers, and there is thus a need for research on difficulties experienced in balancing volunteer work and family. The current study tested an adaptation of the work‐family conflict (WFC) model originally proposed by Frone, Russell, and Cooper, in a sample of 102 couples in which one partner was an Australian emergency service volunteer. Results supported a model in which volunteer work‐related antecedents, including time invested in on‐call emergency activities and post‐traumatic stress symptoms, had indirect links with outcomes, including volunteer burnout and their partners' support for the volunteer work role, through the effects of WFC. These results add to research using theoretical models of paid work processes to better understand the problems faced by volunteer workers, and identify specific antecedents and outcomes of WFC in the volunteer emergency services. Implications for future research and organisations reliant on volunteer workers are discussed.     

Dynamics of the general factor of personality in response to a single dose of caffeine

General Factor of Personality (GFP) research is an emergent field in personality research. This paper uses a theoretical mathematical model to predict the short-term effects of a dose of a stimulant drug on GFP and reports the results of an experiment showing how caffeine achieves this. This study considers the General Factor of Personality Questionnaire (GFPQ) a good psychometric approach to assess GFP. The GFP dynamic mechanism of change is based on the Unique Trait Personality Theory (UTPT). This theory proposes the existence of GFP which occupies the apex of the hierarchy of personality, and extends from an impulsiveness-and-aggressiveness pole (approach tendency) to an anxiety-and-introversion pole (avoidance tendency). An experiment with 25 volunteers was performed. All the participants completed the GFPQ and the Sensation-Seeking Scale list of adjectives from the trait version of MAACL-R (Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist Revised) on an empty stomach. The participants in the experimental group (20) received 330 mg of caffeine. All the participants filled in a state version form with the sensation-seeking adjectives every 4.5 minutes. This study considers that the Sensation-Seeking Scale list of adjectives from the MAACL-R, available in both trait and state versions, is a good psychometric approach to assess GFP. The results show that GFP is modified by a single dose of caffeine in the direction predicted by the UTPT.     

Positive association between cognitive ability and cortical thickness in a representative US sample of healthy 6 to 18 year-olds

Neuroimaging studies, using various modalities, have evidenced a link between the general intelligence factor (g) and regional brain function and structure in several multimodal association areas. While in the last few years, developments in computational neuroanatomy have made possible the in vivo quantification of cortical thickness, the relationship between cortical thickness and psychometric intelligence has been little studied. Recently, cortical thickness estimations have been improved by the use of an iterative hemisphere-specific template registration algorithm which provides a better between-subject alignment of brain surfaces. Using this improvement, we aimed to further characterize brain regions where cortical thickness was associated with cognitive ability differences and to test the hypothesis that these regions are mostly located in multimodal association areas. We report associations between a general cognitive ability factor (as an estimate of g) derived from the four subtests of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence and cortical thickness adjusted for age, gender, and scanner in a large sample of healthy children and adolescents (ages 6–18, n = 216) representative of the US population. Significant positive associations were evidenced between the cognitive ability factor and cortical thickness in most multimodal association areas. Results are consistent with a distributed model of intelligence.     

Student outcomes after 1 year of front line staff implementation of the PEAK curriculum

Systems‐level interventions built by behavior analysts often rely on others to implement, and this may be especially true in public education settings where behavior analysts are scarce. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Direct Training (PEAK‐DT) curriculum when implemented by school teachers and direct care staff. Thirty‐nine children with autism took part in the study (19 PEAK, 15 control), where the experimental group received applied behavior analytic instruction through the PEAK‐DT curriculum, and the quasi‐randomized control group received training as usual. The PEAK‐DT assessment was first administered to the participants at the onset of the study and again following 1 year. Participants who received PEAK training gained more skills on the PEAK‐DT assessment compared to the control group (PEAK: M = 16.0, SD = 17.8; control: M = 6.1, SD = 14.4, F(1,33) = 10.66, p < .05), suggesting that systems level implementation of behavior analytic procedures can be effective in teaching language skills as prescribed in a packaged curriculum designed by behavior analysts.     

文化心理学方法论的扩展性探索

方法论对于一个学科的发展至关重要。从根本上说,方法论的基本内涵是关于研究对象与研究方法及二者关系的理论预设,而其核心目标是实现研究对象与研究方法的匹配。从文化心理学的研究现状看,现有的方法论尚未实现研究对象与研究方法之间的协调,从而构成文化心理学发展的潜在困境。基于对文化心理学的理论诉求和研究现状的把握,本文提出了文化心理学方法论的六个扩展方向:研究对象上从外显到内隐、从元素到整体、从抽象到具体; 研究方法上从现象到机制、从单向到双向、从静态到动态。     

Using the Structure of Evaluative Components as a basis for comparing the oral narratives of schizophrenics and healthy individuals

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research - In this study, evaluative language in narratives of 15 healthy and 15 schizophrenic females was compared using the Structure of Evaluative Components. The two...     

儒家视野内的怨及其化解

儒家以怨的发生、危害和化解为理论框架,构建了个体和社会怨情的理论体系。道德人格的缺失是个体怨情产生的根本原因,耽溺于利、为善以求福报和不忘旧恶是个体怨情产生的直接原因。个体怨情压抑于心,危害着心理健康,扭曲着道德人格。儒家通过涵养道德人格化解个体怨情的路径可以概括为:求仁而得仁则无怨; 忠恕则无怨; 安于礼乐则无怨; 诗可以怨; 以直报怨。社会怨情的产生主要源于苛政、不公和重刑轻教。社会怨情是社会动乱的根源。儒家化解社会怨情的路径可以概括为:闻怨而敬德迁善则民无怨; 政均则民无怨; 仁政则民无怨。     

Assessment of hormonal parameters and psychological well‐being in healthy subjects after a Taoist qigong program: An exploratory study

Qigong is an ancient form of health maintenance, which is part of Traditional China Medicine. Numerous beneficial mental and physical effects have been classically ascribed to this traditional psychosomatic method. The purpose of this work has been to assess the effects of Taoist qigong practice on several hormonal parameters of the Hipotalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal axis and specific measures of psychological well‐being in healthy subjects. Forty‐three healthy volunteers participated in the study, of whom 22 were randomly allocated to the experimental group, and 21 were assigned to the control group. Experimental participants underwent a qigong training program for one month. Blood samples for the quantification of hormonal parameters, and several instruments to assess anxiety and depression symptoms as well as subjective sleep quality, were obtained before and after the program. Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group showing lower blood levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This study shows that Taoist qigong is a psychosomatic method able to exert a modulatory action on ACTH levels in healthy subjects. We consider the need to continue exploring the psychobiological modulation of this qigong method and its possible repercussion for human health care.     

天人合一心理研究范式发微

从学科本体对心理学做重新审视。在方法论上,把意识和物质等同犯了“范畴错误”; 在科学性上,心理学不该用证实主义而应用证伪主义的标准,且心理学难以成为自然科学意义的科学却有望成为胡塞尔“严格意义的科学”; 在认识论上,主客二分研究范式具有“‘主-客-间'双重障碍”。天人合一范式可解决双重障碍,并以直观内省体察普遍性定理。故汲取中国哲学中的观物取象法、虚壹而静原则、中国式内省并结合西方现象学提出天人合一研究范式的初步构想。     

进化心理学视角中的腐败行为及心理机制

腐败作为全世界普遍关注的焦点问题,不同领域学者针对腐败行为产生原因与对策进行探讨。普遍认为制度、权力、文化等因素是腐败行为产生的重要原因,个别研究涉及到腐败主体的内在心理。进化心理学从进化和适应的视角对人类行为发生及心理内在特征具有终极解释度。因此,本文在前人研究的基础上,基于进化心理学的独特视角,从个体生命史历程(如童年创伤、贫穷经历等)去揭示腐败行为产生的心理机制。     

心理学中实验法的方法论地位重估

认知心理学以实验法为其方法论基础,着力对人类的认识过程进行模型建构。然而,早在20世纪70年代初,其创立者奈塞尔就对心理学的实验范式感到不满,转而寻求心理学的生态学效度。心理学中对实验法的推崇源于自然科学特别是物理学的成功。而实际上,物理学在20世纪初遭遇了实验法所带来的困境。受制于实验法的种种局限,当代认知科学逐渐放弃了方法论的沙文主义立场,接纳了来自语言学、哲学、神经科学等多领域、多视角的研究策略。心理学在一定程度上具有人文科学的性质,因此同样需要采用多重研究手段和方法,而不是一味地笃信实验法的权威性。     

Testing the difficulty theory of the SON‐R –17, a non‐verbal test of intelligence

Fischer's (1973) linear logistic test model can be used to test hypotheses regarding the effect of covariates on item difficulty and to predict the difficulty of newly constructed test items. However, its assumptions of equal discriminatory power across items and a perfect prediction of item difficulty are never absolutely met. The amount of misfit in an application of a Bayesian version of the model to two subtests of the SON‐R –17 is investigated by means of item fit statistics in the framework of posterior predictive checks and by means of a comparison with a model that allows for residual (co)variance in the item parameters. The effect of the degree of residual (co)variance on the robustness of inferences is investigated in a simulation study.     

中国文化中的智慧结构探析

智慧的德才一体理论将智慧定义为个体在其智力与知识的基础上,经由经验与练习习得的一种德才一体的综合心理素质,主张智慧在本质上是良好品德与聪明才智的合金。基于智慧德才一体理论智慧结构的构想,通过实证方法探析中国文化中的智慧结构,结果表明:智慧是一个多层次、多维度的结构,由二阶二因素一阶六因素构成,两个二阶因素分别是聪明才智与良好品德,六个一阶因素分别是:中常智力、创造思维、渊博知识以及善良动机、善良效果、善良手段。六个因素相辅相成,互为补充。