EEG alpha desynchronization in musicians and nonmusicians in response to changes in melody, tempo, and key in classical music

Two experiments were performed to examine musicians' and nonmusicians' electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to changes in major dimensions (tempo, melody, and key) of classical music. In Exp. 1, 12 nonmusicians' and 12 musicians' EEGs during melody and tempo changes in classical music showed more alpha desynchronization in the left hemisphere (F3) for changes in tempo than in the right. For melody, the nonmusicians were more right-sided (F4) than left in activation, and musicians showed no left-right differences. In Exp. 2, 18 musicians' and 18 nonmusicians' EEG after a key change in classical music showed that distant key changes elicited more right frontal (F4) alpha desynchronization than left. Musicians showed more reaction to key changes than nonmusicians and instructions to attend to key changes had no significant effect. Classical music, given its well-defined structure, offers a unique set of stimuli to study the brain. Results support the concept of hierarchical modularity in music processing that may be automatic.     

Manipulated stress and dispositional reinvestment in a wall-volley task: an investigation into controlled processing

This field-based study examined the action of reinvesting in controlled processing on 14 university soccer players to assess skill breakdown under pressure. Based on scores on the Reinvestment Scale of Masters, Polman, and Hammond, two experimental groups of participants were inferred to be dispositionally High or Low in Reinvestment. They performed a wall-volley soccer task, which involved kicking a ball repeatedly against a wall target zone for 90 sec. as defined by McMorris, Gibbs, Palmer, Payne, and Torpey in a High and Low Stress environment. Prior to each condition performers were required to complete the Anxiety Rating Scale. A series of two-way (reinvestment x stress) analyses of variance with repeated measures on stress were conducted on the Anxiety and soccer scores. Players scoring High on the Reinvestment Scale reported significantly greater Intensity for Somatic Anxiety and lower Self-confidence than players who scored Low in the High Stress condition. Anxiety Direction scores indicated players scoring High on the Reinvestment Scale reported their increase in Somatic Anxiety and reduction in Self-confidence in the High Stress condition to be significantly more debilitating of performance than players who scored Low on the Reinvestment Scale. Soccer scores indicated players scoring High on the Reinvestment Scale were more prone to reinvesting in controlled processing and essentially experiencing greater decreases in performance under pressure than those Low in Reinvestment. Therefore, these findings support the predictive power of the Reinvestment Scale.     

Distributed Control in Rapid Sequential Aiming Responses

The preparation and on-line control of short, rapid sequential aiming responses were studied in 3 experiments. Participants (N = 12 in Experiments 1 and 2, and 20 in Experiment 3) produced 3-segment responses (a) within self-initiation, simple reaction time (RT), and choice RT paradigms (Experiment 1); (b) without visual feedback under self-initiation conditions (Experiment 2); and (c) with and without visual feedback under simple RT conditions (Experiment 3). In all conditions in which participants initiated movement in response to an external imperative signal, the 2nd response segment was performed consistently slower than preceding and succeeding response segments. That pattern of segmental movement times was found whether or not visual feedback was available but was not evident when participants self-initiated their responses with or without visual feedback. The findings rule out the possibility that subjects' use of visual feedback is responsible for the slowing of the 2nd response segment under RT conditions and suggest that the programming of rapid sequential aiming responses can be distributed in pre- and postinitiation intervals.     

Heidegger on desire

In this article is presented a reading of Heidegger in relation to the conception of desire, and its relation to various terms he uses frequently. I argue that the genesis of desire lies in the gap between the fullness of possibility and the poverty of actualization; that inauthentic desire aims at presence, possession, actualization (always insufficient); and that authentic desire aims at the conservation of the possibility-character of being. I also pay attention to the temporality of desire; to the analogy between Kant's emphasis on respect for the law one has freely postulated and Heidegger's emphasis on Dasein's subjection to the possibilities it projects; to possibility as original abundance; and, in principle, to the turning in which desire is evoked in the event of granting, rather than simply produced in the act of projection. Special attention is paid on the German word 'Verlangen', which is related etymologically to the English 'long for', which stands for wanting something very much. But the word is also connected to the word 'long' which is important to get a grip on the notion of desire in Heidegger.     

Conditioned reinforcement: Neglected or outmoded explanatory construct?

The construct of conditioned reinforcement has been challenged over the past two decades, both as an adequate explanation of behavior in various situations (e.g., behavioral chains) in which it was previously regarded as crucial and in terms of the validity of the concept of conditioned value on which it is based. Recent research is reviewed that answers these criticisms and vindicates the importance of the construct. Also discussed are unanswered empirical issues regarding the concept and its implications for behavioral phenomena of major importance for general-process learning theory, such as autoshaping and imprinting.     

Contingency theory and the effect of the duration of signals for noncontingent reinforcement

Rats learned to approach a light that signaled food when food occurred only after the signal, but did not approach the light when food was equally probable regardless of the signal. When food unpaired with the light was preceded by a 5-sec noise, little learning was evident as well, but when the unpaired food was preceded by a 15-sec noise, approach to the light conditioned stimulus readily occurred. These effects of signal duration are similar to those previously obtained with the effect of free food on free-operant behavior and challenge existing theories of contingency effects in Pavlovian conditioning.     

The hippocampus and stress induced 17-OHCS elevations

The physiologic contribution of the limbic brain to emotionally induced stress is still poorly understood. The present study is designed to more specifically evaluate the role of the hippocampus in stress induced plasma 17-OHCS elevations. The conditional reflex to a sequential presentation of tone and shock was used as the stress agent in adult mongrel dogs. Plasma 17-OHCS levels were determined by the Porter-Silber method. Control and stress levels of 17-OHCS were determined before and after unilateral (left) hippocampectomy, and subsequent contralateral (right) hippocampectomy. A unilateral posterior hippocampal lesion partially attenuated (20%) the normal 17-OHCS stress response. In contrast to unilateral lesions, equivalent bilateral posterior hippocampal lesions abolished the normal 17-OHCS stress response. These observations support the thesis that the elevated 17-OHCS levels in response to the conditioning paradigm is dependent on the hippocampus. Furthermore, it is dependent upon the continuity of the hippocampal circuit and not upon the volumetric steroid binding capacity of the hippocampus. These studies also suggest that a unilaterally functioning hippocampus may be adequate to meet the physiologic needs of stress, as reflected by the 17-OHCS response. Presented at the 1978 meeting of the Pavlovian Society, St. Petersburg, Florida.     

Hans-Martin Sass,Robert M. Veatch,Rihito Kimura (eds.). Advance Directives and Surrogate Decision Making in Health Care

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics -     

The Assessment of Marital Adjustment with Chinese Populations: A Study of the Psychometric Properties of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale

This article presents findings from a study of the psychometric properties of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) with 63 Chinese-Americans. The analysis revealed high internal consistency for DAS scores. Coefficient alpha for the total DAS score was r = .93. Convergent validity was established with the Locke-Wallis Marital Adjustment Scale (LWMAT) (r = .87) and divergent validity by evidence of an inverse relationship with the Marital Disaffection Scale (MDS) (r = –.79). Correlations with each measure were found to be (p = 0.01). The result of factor analysis fail to support the presence of four separate subscales. Results show that the global DAS score is of potential utility with Asian samples.     

Effects of intergroup contact and relative gratification vs. deprivation on prejudice on both sides of the U.S./Mexico status divide

A study in the U.S.–Mexican intergroup context examined how collective relative gratification (RG) versus deprivation affects the relationship between intergroup contact and interpersonal closeness and subtle prejudice towards an out-group. Participants were Mexican university students in Mexico (N = 239) and non-Mexican students in California (N = 90). As predicted, Mexicans experienced less gratification/higher relative deprivation (RD), and low quality intergroup contact and expressed lower interpersonal closeness and higher subtle prejudice than U.S. Americans. Differences between countries were larger amongst participants reporting higher RD. Second-stage moderated mediation analysis showed that the mediating effects of contact between country and interpersonal closeness and subtle prejudice, respectively, were larger amongst participants who felt relatively gratified than those who felt relatively deprived. These findings underline the importance of recognizing the moderating effect of differences in the RG versus RD levels of minority and majority groups when anticipating the potential benefits of intergroup contact for prejudice reduction.