Automatic stimulus‐goal comparisons: Support from motivational affective priming studies

In three studies, we found that responses to positive targets were facilitated when the preceding prime was an exemplar belonging to the semantic category (i.e., animal or profession) that was rewarded on that particular trial, whereas responses to negative targets were facilitated when the prime belonged to the nonrewarded category. These findings indicate that the match between an actual (the prime) and a desired state (the rewarded category) can be determined automatically at the time of stimulus presentation, as is assumed in several appraisal theories of emotion (e.g., Frijda, 1986, 1993; Lazarus, 1991; Scherer, 1993).     

Predictors of subjective age before and after cataract surgery: conscientiousness makes a difference

This study contributes to research on subjective age by examining the interplay of felt age with health, functional limitations, and personality. Individuals undergoing cataract surgery (N=134; 38 to 92 years of age) provided data for an assessment period of 6 weeks surrounding their scheduled surgery. Conscientiousness and repeated measurements of health indicators, functional limitations, and felt age were included in the analyses. Results indicated that functional limitations may be more important to the construction of felt age than their underlying health-related causes. Moreover, conscientious participants felt younger before and after surgery. Their functional status was less dependent on health than the functional status of less conscientious participants. This moderator effect is discussed along with health-related pathways leading to felt age.     

Effects of movement frequency and joint kinetics on the joint coordination underlying bimanual circle drawing

Ten healthy participants performed bimanual symmetric and asymmetric circle drawing at 4 frequencies. The authors partitioned the variance of the joint configuration across repetitions into 1 component representing equivalent joint configurations with respect to achieving stability of the mean hand path (i.e., goal-equivalent variance, GEV) and 1 component leading to a variable hand path (non-goal-equivalent variance, NGEV) across cycles. Higher frequencies led to increased NGEV related to control of the nondominant hand and to the relative position and orientation between the hands during asymmetric drawing. The results were related to differences in muscle and interaction moments between the arms, and they suggest a possible relationship between the ability to use intersegmental forces and the stability of interlimb synergy.     

Adoption, ART, and a re-conception of the maternal body: toward embodied maternity

We criticize a view of maternity that equates the natural with the genetic and biological and show how such a practice overdetermines the maternal body and the maternal experience for women who are mothers through adoption and ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies). As an alternative, we propose a new framework designed to rethink maternal bodies through the lens of feminist embodiment. Feminist embodied maternity, as we call it, stresses the particularity of experience through subjective embodiment. A feminist embodied maternity emphasizes the physical relations of the subjective lived-body rather than the genetic or biological connections. Instead of universalizing claims about the maternal body, embodied maternity looks to communicable experiences and empathetic understanding.     

Gender Differences in Smoking Cessation

In recent years researchers have paid particularly close attention to factors that might differentially influence smoking cessation outcomes in men and women. The present paper reviews empirical findings on gender differences in smoking cessation with focus on 1) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), 2) depression and anxiety factors, 3) post-cessation weight gain and body-shape concerns, 4) post-cessation withdrawal, and 5) the importance of social support during smoking cessation. The findings call for research to examine the effects of 1) booster sessions following the discontinuation of NRT, 2) depression-prevention interventions for smokers with a history of depression, 3) strategies to prevent weight gain and reduce concerns about weight gain, 4) initiating treatment early in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, and 5) social support variables in promoting or hindering smoking cessation success.     

“We are better and happier if we are inclusive.” Therapist perspectives on the importance of LGB cultural competence in a mental health setting

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to report dissatisfaction after accessing a counselling or psychological service. Greater dissatisfaction may result from therapists who focus on psychopathology without considering cultural context. Research has demonstrated therapists' cultural competence (attitudes, knowledge and skills) may influence effective service provision to LGB people. Counsellors and psychologists (N = 10) were interviewed to determine the sources of information influencing the cultural competence and LGB cultural competence practices used by therapists in their clinical practice. Three themes were developed from semistructured interviews: (1) the importance of multiple sources of cultural competence; (2) applying cultural competence improves the therapeutic process; and (3) ensuring visual cues of affirmation are affirming, not pathologising. Theme 1 highlighted that initial professional training, cultural competence training and lived experience could be triangulated to assist therapists in improving their cultural competence. Theme 2 highlighted that cultural competence improves the therapeutic process by ensuring therapists can demonstrate affirming attitudes, knowledge about LGB people and culturally affirming skills to work effectively with LGB clients. The final theme explored the need for therapists to create an inclusive space for LGB clients. Recommendations for improving clinical practices and tools to enhance cultural competence are discussed.     

USE OF NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR

Behavioral assessment procedures were used to determine the maintaining conditions of self-injury exhibited by 2 children with severe multiple handicaps. For both children, negative reinforcement (escape from grooming activities) was determined to be the maintaining reinforcer for self-injury (hand/arm biting) within an alternating treatments design. The treatment packages involved the use of negative reinforcement (brief escape from grooming activities) contingent upon a behavior that was incompatible with self-injury (reaching and pressing a microswitch that activated a prerecorded message of “stop”). Treatment was evaluated with a reversal design for 1 child and with a multiple baseline across grooming activities for the 2nd child. The treatment led to a marked decrease in self-injury for both children. At follow-up, high rates of self-injury were reported for the 1st child, but low rates of self-injury and an increase in task-related appropriate behavior were observed for the 2nd child.     

THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL SETTINGS USING A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MODEL

We evaluated the feasibility of local school personnel conducting functional analysis and reinforcement-based treatment procedures within actual classroom settings. Following an initial in-service workshop on functional assessment and differential reinforcement procedures, on-site technical assistance was provided two to four times per month to local school personnel working in transdisciplinary teams. Overall results suggest that local school personnel were able to implement all procedures adequately with periodic technical assistance. In addition, functional analysis was effective in identifying individual maintaining contingencies, the derived treatments were effective, and the results were maintained throughout the approximate 18 months of this investigation.     

A floppy disk operating system for the 8080 and Z80

Techniques for the design and implementation of a floppy disk operating system for the 8080A or Z80 microprocessors are described. Implementation details are illustrated through reference to SOS, a prototype Small Operating System which runs with a single IBM-format floppy drive on an 8080. Techniques for floppy disk communication, disk directory design, and system resource management are described and illustrated.