Haptic perception of parallelity in the midsagittal plane.

Previous studies [Perception 28 (1999) 1001; Perception 28 (1999) 781] on the haptic perception of parallelity on a horizontal plane showed that what subjects haptically perceive as being parallel deviates considerably from what is physically parallel. The deviations could be described with a subject-dependent orientation gradient in the left-right direction. The gradients found in the bimanual conditions were significantly larger (about 70%) than those in the unimanual conditions. The questions to be answered in the present study are the following: (1) Does the haptic perception of parallelity in the midsagittal plane also show systematic deviations from veridicality? (2) Are the unimanual and bimanual performances again quantitatively but not qualitatively different? The set-up consisted of a plate positioned in the midsagittal plane of the subject. The subject touched the right side of the plate with his/her right hand and the left side with the left hand. The results show again large systematic deviations. The major part of the deviations can be described by means of a subject-dependent orientation gradient in the vertical direction. The quantitative (but not qualitative) difference between the unimanual and the bimanual conditions is much larger in the midsagittal plane than in the horizontal plane.     

Comparison of treatment seeking compulsive buyers in Germany and the United States

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to compare a German (Bavaria) and an American (North Dakota) sample of women suffering from compulsive buying. METHOD: Thirty-eight German and 39 American female compulsive buyers were screened with the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-Shopping Version (Y-BOCS-SV) prior to entering a group treatment study. Psychiatric co-morbidity was assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the German sample and the American sample with regard to age (mean 43.7 and 45 years, respectively), and with regard to the scores on the CBS and the Y-BOCS-SV. A high lifetime co-morbidity rate with Axis I disorders, especially mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, OCD, and binge eating disorder was detected in both samples. Almost all participants met criteria for at least one lifetime Axis I disorder. However, German compulsive buyers showed significantly higher current prevalence rates of any affective disorder, and higher current and lifetime prevalence rates of any anxiety disorder and somatoform disorder. In addition, German compulsive buyers were significantly more likely to have more than one Axis I disorder. CONCLUSION: The groups did not differ with regard to age and with regard to the severity of compulsive buying and showed a high co-morbidity with Axis I disorders. However, the German compulsive buying sample presented with significantly more psychiatric co-morbidity compared to the American sample. Further research is needed to provide a better understanding of this disorder in general and cross-culturally.     

??Hier bin ich Mensch, hier darf ich??s sein!????Partaking in the Nanoworld

Images from the nanoworld are not at all disorienting or bewildering, as one might expect from contemplating the strange and surprising features that arise where classical physics comes to an end and quantum effects begin to appear. Instead, we see the traces of explorers in a world that appears to be infinitely malleable. The paper shows that the capability to visualize processes and phenomena at the nanoscale is a matter not only of research technologies and the advancement of observational techniques, but also a matter of developing a visual setting that exhibits knowledge and practice, surprise and control. The surface is such a stage and so is the landscape: they invite us to become immersed and move around like someone who goes for a walk. In order to appreciate this pictorial, as well as discursive, setting we turn to “strollology” as a method of reconstructing the world that is experienced in the manner of walking. With the notion of imagescape this method is applied to the modes of partaking in the nanoworld and its specific features. Rather than articulate theoretical or metaphysical presuppositions these nanoscapes serve to validate the very idea of nanotechnology.     

An antisymmetric psychometric function on a logarithmic scale

This very brief report introduces a psychometric function, very suitable for psychophysical data that displays Weber-like behaviour, because it is antisymmetric on a logarithmic scale.     

Destruktivit?t in Paarbeziehungen Paartherapeutische Behandlungsm?glichkeiten

Streitende Paare, die in destruktiven Kommunikationsmustern gefangen sind lösen oft schwierige Situationen in einer Paartherapie aus. Die Kommunikationsmuster reichen von verbalen Entwertungen und Beschimpfungen bis hin zu gewalttätigen Auseinandersetzungen. Damit der Therapeut bzw. die Therapeutin handlungsfähig bleiben, müssen sie über Erklärungsmodelle zur Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung destruktiver Interaktionszirkel verfügen. Darüber hinaus benötigen sie Handwerkszeug und konkrete Interventionsmöglichkeiten zur Deeskalation bzw. zur Unterbrechung dieser destruktiven Muster.     

The multifactor offender readiness model

There has been a resurgence of interest in the rehabilitation of offenders. Research has consistently shown that rehabilitation programs for offenders, when they adhere to general principles of program design and delivery, will achieve significant reductions in recidivism. In this paper, we suggest that even greater reductions in recidivism can be achieved when readiness is addressed at the level of the individual offender, the program, and the context. A comprehensive understanding of readiness allows for fuller engagement in treatment, thus increasing probability of good treatment outcomes. We describe person, program, and context factors in a model of offender treatment readiness and discuss implications of the model for both assessment of offenders and for modification of low readiness.     

Panel: What could be Jungian about Human Rights work?

The question of whether Jungian analysts should move beyond the consulting room to engage with mental health issues that pertain to the collective is the focus of this paper. Two narratives are presented: one from the view point of a psychiatrist in Occupied Palestine, the other from the conflicted situation which faces an Israeli analyst. Despite the strong ambivalence that is experienced on both sides, there is a willingness to meet and to take a standpoint without necessarily coming to a resolution. A third position is offered by describing experiences from the South African perspective. The African notion of Ubuntu is offered as a moral entry point that states that community goes beyond one's own; from this point of view, Jungian analysts can do no other than to act.     

Effects of context on a visual 3-D pointing task

We examined the effects of egocentric and contextual references on a 3-D exocentric pointing task. Large systematic deviations were found for the slant (angle in the horizontal plane). For most observers, the deviations were smaller when the veridical pointing direction was parallel to a wall. For some observers the size of the deviations was also dependent on whether the veridical pointing direction was frontoparallel or not. For the tilt (angle in the vertical plane), the deviations were smaller and less systematic. Hence, although observers show comparable systematic deviations, the way in which the presence of structure in an environment is used for judging positions of objects is observer-dependent.     

The visual light field

Human observers are sensitive to the '(physical) light field' in the sense that they have expectations of how a given object would appear if it were introduced in the scene in front of them at some arbitrary location. Thus the 'visual light field' is defined even in the 'empty space' between objects. In that sense the light field is akin to visual space considered as a 'container'. The visual light field at any given point can be measured in psychophysical experiments through the introduction of a suitable 'gauge object' at that position and letting the observer adjust the appearance of that gauge object (eg through suitable computer rendering) so as to produce a 'visual fit' into the scene. The parameters of the rendering will then be considered as the measurement result. We introduced white spheres as gauge objects at various locations in stereoscopically presented photographic scenes. We measured the direction ('direction of the light'), diffuseness ('quality of the light' as used by photographers and interior decorators), and intensity of the light field. We used three very different scenes, with very different physical light fields. The images were geometrically and photometrically calibrated, so we were in a position to correlate the observations with the physical 'ground truth'. We report that human observers are quite sensitive to various parameters of the physical light field and generally arrive at close to veridical settings, although a number of comparatively minor systematic deviations from veridicality can be noted. We conclude that the visual light field is an entity whose existence is at least as well defined as that of visual space, despite the fact that the visual light field hardly appears as prominently in vision science as it does in the visual arts.     

Psychotherapeutenausbildung aus Sicht der Absolventen

Background

A survey was performed to assess the current situation in education and to identify critical issues 10 years after the inception of the psychotherapy act in Germany.

Methods

In August 2008 all non-medical psychotherapists who had graduated since 2002 according the psychotherapy act were invited to take part in the survey and a total of 863 persons participated. The answers from 666 could be evaluated corresponding to a participation rate of 20%.

Results

A total of 57.6% of the graduates had completed a full-time training and approximately 50% of the graduates had completed the training within the allotted time. In the majority of cases evaluation occurred only for the theoretical courses. During the practical work (PT I) 36.8% of the graduates did not receive any salary or remuneration, 82% had their own field of activity and of these 38% treated patients without the presence of qualified tutor.

Conclusions

The training often lasts longer than intended, the financial situation in the PT I is exceptionally critical and in clear contrast to the field of activity in this section of training. Further detailed results will be presented and discussed.