Auditory–Visual stimuli: Effects on derived relations with compound stimuli

This research explored the effect of teaching conditional discriminations with three procedures on the derivation of 36 stimuli relations (derived relations). The stimuli used consisted of three characteristics musical instruments, along with the corresponding picture. In the first experiment six university students were trained with simple stimuli and tested with compound auditory–visual samples; therefore, a one‐to‐many structure was used. In the second experiment, auditory stimuli were replaced by visual stimuli, for the samples used, for new students. A third experiment was implemented with an extra phase of training with compound stimuli for six new students. The structure of the experiments was: pretests (Xbcd–A; Xacd–B; Xabd–C; Xabc–D), training (A–B; A–C; A–D), and posttests (same as pretests). The difference between these conditions was the kind of stimuli used and a new phase of teaching used in condition 3: (Xbcd–A). The results indicate that training with simple stimuli on discriminations that include stimuli that are easy to discriminate from each other (words and sounds) is a sufficient condition for good posttest performance. However, when comparisons are made difficult (words only), participants show better performance on new tests if they have a learning history with compound stimuli.     

Duality Theory and Skeleta for Semisimple MV-Algebras

We start from Marra–Spada duality between semisimple MV-algebras and Tychonoff spaces, and we consider the particular cases when the \(\omega \)-skeleta of the MV-algebras are restricted in some way. In particular we consider antiskeletal MV-algebras, that is, the ones whose \(\omega \)-skeleton is trivial.     

Construing action abstractly and experiencing autonomy: Implications for physical activity and diet

Mentally representing action in terms of abstract goals rather than concrete procedures has been found to facilitate self-regulation, including meeting health goals. The present research examined whether autonomous motivation mediates the association between abstract thinking and health behavior engagement. We hypothesized that abstract (vs. concrete) thinking relates to viewing oneself as behaving autonomously, which, in turn, is positively associated with engaging in health behaviors. Two studies tested whether abstract thinking is associated with greater health behavior engagement and whether autonomous motivation statistically mediates this association. In Study 1, abstract thinking was associated positively with physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. In Study 2, supporting pre-registered hypotheses, there was a significant indirect effect of abstract thinking on vigorous physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake through autonomous motivation. Whereas past research has emphasized that abstract thinking orients attention towards the value of broader goals, this research establishes that autonomous motivation helps explain associations between abstract thinking and health behavior engagement.     

Does the Simon effect affect movement execution?

The present work set out to test the prediction of the dual-route response selection account of the Simon effect, which maintains that the Simon effect, and its facilitation and interference components, should show up at the response selection stage irrespective of when it takes place during processing. Previous works have shown that in the case of a movement response, two strategies can be adopted for responding. The main difference between these two response strategies consists of when response selection operations take place. The two experiments reported in the present study showed that when response selection operates clearly before movement initiations, the Simon effect shows up in reaction time and not in movement time.     

Clinical Utility of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) in the Spanish Transsexual and Nontranssexual Population

The aim of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974), an overall measurement of the cultural construct of masculinity and femininity, in the psychological assessment of Spanish transsexuals. Seventy male-to-female transsexuals (MF), 51 female-to-male transsexuals (FM), 77 control men, and 79 control women completed the Spanish version of the BSRI. Statistically significant differences between groups were only found on the femininity scale, on which MF transsexuals and control women scored significantly higher than FM transsexuals and control men. The results indicate that (a) only the femininity scale of the BSRI appears to be useful today for evaluating differences in the sex-role identification in Spanish controls and transsexuals; and (b) MF and FM transsexuals score as a function of their gender identity instead of their anatomical sex on the BSRI femininity scale.     

Story Sequence Analysis of Family TATs

One hundred twenty-six three-member families were asked to produce conjointly three TAT stories based on nine cards, which were scored by the Arnold system of Story Sequence Analysis. There were 50 families with normal children, 44 with emotionally maladjusted, 16 with schizophrenic, and 16 with delinquent children. Analysis of the results revealed that the Arnold score successfully differentiated normal from abnormal families, but that the three abnormal groups did not differ from each other. The last set of TAT cards given was the most effective.     

Locomotion and the preference for multi-tasking: Implications for well-being

The notion that locomotion concerns with moving from state to state (Higgins et al., Advances in experimental social psychology, Academic Press, New York, NY, 2003; Kruglanski et al., J Pers Soc Psychol 79:793–815, 2000) will instill a positive disposition toward multi-tasking was explored in three studies. Study 1 demonstrated the existence of the hypothesized link between locomotion and multi-tasking in a sample of university students. Study 2 showed that a person-situation fit in organizations based on this preference affects employees’ sense of well being. Finally, Study 3 conceptually replicated the results of Study 2 and demonstrated that the fit effects on well-being from the relation between locomotion and multi-tasking hold when both these variables are manipulated experimentally. These results support the basic idea that individuals with strong locomotion concerns benefit from activities more when they are performed simultaneously rather than sequentially.     

Looking back or moving on: How regulatory modes affect nostalgia

Nostalgia is defined as the remembrance of prior experiences that are self-relevant, involve close others, and carry a predominantly positive affective tone (Wildschut et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 91:975–993, 2006). Given nostalgia’s palliative function for coping with negative affect and self-threats (Sedikides et al. in Curr Dir Psychol Sci 17:304–307, 2008), the present research explores a psychological construct related to greater experience of nostalgia: regulatory mode. According to regulatory mode theory (Kruglanski et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 79:793–815, 2000; Higgins et al. in Adv exp soc psychol 35:293–344, 2003), assessment is the aspect of self-regulation focused on evaluation, whereas locomotion is focused on goal progress. We hypothesized that emphasis of the assessment mode on evaluation would promote nostalgia, while emphasis of the locomotion mode on progress would prevent it. These predictions were corroborated in two studies that assessed regulatory modes as individual difference factors (Study 1) and induced them experimentally (Study 2). Implications of these findings for the self regulation process are considered.     

Moderating effects of attributions on the relationship between emotional dissonance and surface acting: a transactional approach to health care professionals' emotion work

Based on a transactional model of stress, this study aims to understand the role played by attributions in selecting surface acting as emotion regulation strategy when coping with emotion‐rule dissonance. A sample of primary health care professionals (n = 87) based in Madrid filled in a questionnaire. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test hypotheses on the moderating effects of attributions on the relationship between emotion‐rule dissonance and surface acting. Results showed that high levels of attribution to patients of responsibility for negative events, low levels of professionals' self‐accountability, and low attribution of being able to promote a positive change strengthen the positive association between emotion‐rule dissonance and surface acting. This could explain why professionals use a potentially damaging emotion regulation strategy.