The forked tongue and edge detection in snakes (Crotalus oreganus): an experimental test

Many stimulus-detection systems are lateralized to allow for simultaneous comparison of paired stimuli. It has been hypothesized that the deeply forked tongue of snakes and some derived lizards functions as a chemical edge detector where cues gathered by each tine are kept separate to provide two points of lateral odor assessment by the central nervous system via vomeronasal input. While following a chemical trail, one time can be on the trail, the other off, and such differential information prompts the snake to turn back to the trail. The authors tested this hypothesis in rattlesnakes within a predatory context by unilaterally severing the vomeronasal nerves. If edge detection is used by snakes during prey trailing, then unilateral denervation should disrupt trailing ability. The authors found no change in the seven separate trailing parameters measured. Therefore, they found no support for the edge detection hypothesis as it applies to prey trailing behavior. Instead, the deeply forked tongue may represent a chemosensory specialization to increase odor-sampling area, with snakes and derived lizards detecting only the concentration of chemical trails.     

Dynamic Structure in Diagnostic Structured Interviewing: A Comparative Test of Accuracy and Efficiency

The incorporation of Bayesian logic into diagnostic interviewing may assist with empirically based diagnostic assessment strategies in practice settings, balancing cost effectiveness, administration demands, and accuracy, yet few demonstrations of such a system have been undertaken in the context of mental health diagnosis. The present study represented an initial feasibility demonstration of whether a simplified Bayesian approach offered comparative advantages in interview accuracy and efficiency against a standard assessment procedure. Two different diagnostic algorithms were compared targeting three selected diagnoses: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and social phobia (SP). The first algorithm was from a standard semi-structured diagnostic interview, and the second was from a dynamic system using diagnostic base rate information to select interview content. The dynamic algorithm reduced administration time and uniformly matched or improved accuracy over standard procedures. Preparation of this article was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant R03 MH60134, an award from the University of Hawai‘i Research Council, and awards from the Hawaii Departments of Health and Education to the first author.     

Maternal depression and parenting in relation to child internalizing symptoms and asthma disease activity.

This study tested a hypothesized model of the relationship between maternal depression and child psychological and physical dysfunction mediated by parenting and medication adherence. A sample of 242 children with asthma, aged 7 to 17, participated with their mothers. Maternal depression was assessed by self-report, and parenting was observed during family interaction tasks. Internalizing symptoms were assessed by self- and clinician reports. Asthma disease activity was assessed according to National Heart Lung and Blood Institute guidelines, and medication adherence was evaluated with a 24-hr recall method. Structural equation modeling indicated that negative parenting partially mediated the relationship between maternal depression and child internalizing symptoms. Child internalizing symptoms, in turn, mediated the associations between both maternal depression and negative parenting and asthma disease activity. Medication adherence did not mediate the link from maternal depression to disease activity. Thus, maternal depression was linked to child psychological dysfunction both directly and indirectly via negative parenting but linked to physical dysfunction only indirectly through psychological dysfunction. These findings suggest that diagnosing and treating depression in mothers of children with asthma would enhance child well-being both psychologically and physically.     

Selection for universal facial emotion

Facial expression is heralded as a communication system common to all human populations, and thus is generally accepted as a biologically based, universal behavior. Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust are universally recognized and produced emotions, and communication of these states is deemed essential in order to navigate the social environment. It is puzzling, however, how individuals are capable of producing similar facial expressions when facial musculature is known to vary greatly among individuals. Here, the authors show that although some facial muscles are not present in all individuals, and often exhibit great asymmetry (larger or absent on one side), the facial muscles that are essential in order to produce the universal facial expressions exhibited 100% occurrence and showed minimal gross asymmetry in 18 cadavers. This explains how universal facial expression production is achieved, implies that facial muscles have been selected for essential nonverbal communicative function, and yet also accommodate individual variation.     

The use of indigenous interviewers in a study of latino men who have sex with men: A research note

The use of indigenous researchers has long been practiced in ethnographic research; a similar use of indigenous personnel has not been as commonly undertaken in interview studies of men who have sex with men (MSM). This research note reports on the use of indigenous interviewers in a study of Latino MSM’s perceptions about sexual relationships and behaviors. The full study explores sexual relationships among Latino MSM, and HIV risk behaviors undertaken by a population of MSM residing in a community in southern California. This research note describes both the strengths and limitations that arise from employing indigenous interviewers for improving the overall quality of sensitive data. Benefits discussed include improved access to an otherwise highly restricted group, enhanced rapport-building capabilities, and greater understanding of language unique to the study population. Limitations discussed include the use of previously untrained interview personnel and age and gender issues.     

A Metacompatibilist Account of Free Will: Making Compatibilists and Incompatibilists More Compatible

The debate over free will has pittedlibertarian insistence on open alternativesagainst the compatibilist view that authenticcommitments can preserve free will in adetermined world. A second schism in the freewill debate sets rationalist belief in thecentrality of reason against nonrationalistswho regard reason as inessential or even animpediment to free will. By looking deeperinto what motivates each of these perspectivesit is possible to find common ground thataccommodates insights from all those competingviews. The resulting metacompatibilist view offree will bridges some of the differencesbetween compatibilists and incompatibilists aswell as between rationalists andnonrationalists, and results in a free willtheory that is both more philosophicallyinclusive and more firmly connected tocontemporary research in psychology andbiology.     

The Sad Truth: Optimism, Pessimism, and Pragmatism

Pragmatists (such as William James) recommend optimism as a successful strategy, and recent psychological research has confirmed its value. But optimism comes at a price: optimists are less accurate in their assessments and expectations than are pessimists. Thus optimism 'proves itself to be good in the way of belief', and by pragmatic standards should count as true; but that makes the accuracy costs of optimism invisible (the problem is only exacerbated by Rorty's recommendation that pragmatists stop speaking of truth altogether). The problem prevents pragmatists from offering a Darwinian explanation of why pessimism survives, and also blocks any pragmatist account of the well-documented and highly successful exploratory behavior of many animal species.     

Perfectionism levels in African-American and Caucasian adolescents

Previous studies have indicated that perfectionism levels are higher among African-American females than among Caucasians. However, this conclusion has been reached largely from studies of adult populations. The present study of adolescents assesses whether this difference is found in all aspects of perfectionism, and whether it applies equally to males and females. The Multi-dimensional Perfectionism Scale was completed by 387 high school students (15–19 years). African-American males and females had greater levels of self-oriented and other-oriented perfectionism than their Caucasian peers, but there was no difference in the perception of external pressures to perform well. Possible reasons for this pattern are discussed, with an emphasis on the possibility that African-American adolescents perceive a need to overcorrect their performance as a result of their perceived status in their broader society.     

Idiodynamic Profiles of Cardiovascular Activity: A P-technique Approach

A study was conducted to expand the conventional view of cardiovascular (CV) reactivity by using the idiodynamic paradigm for investigation of individuals. Patterns of autonomic CV regulation were assessed in six subjects across diverse laboratory tasks on three separate occasions. Individual CV profiles were derived from these data with P-technique factor analysis, and then group aggregated with chain P-technique. The composite pattern suggested a three-component solution consisting of cardiac rate, cardiac contractility, and peripheral resistance factors. Individual profiles were compared to the composite pattern; these profiles differed in the number of components derived, percentage variance explained by these components, and relative dominance of specific CV components. A hypothesis that emerged is that the subjects differed in the complexity of CV control. It appears that the idiodynamic framework, combined with novel research designs and statistical methods, may help expand the view of CV reactivity beyond the traditional unitary view as response magnitude.     

Analogue Measures of DSM-IV Mood and Anxiety Disorders Based on Behavior Checklists

Although symptom checklists are commonly used to assess childpsychopathology, confusion arises due to differences between empirically derived checklist syndromes and rationally derived DSM-IV diagnostic categories. This paper explores analogue measures of DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders created using items from the Youth Self-Report and Child Behavior Checklist (T. M. Achenbach, 1991a, 1991b) that parallel DSM-IV symptoms. In a matched sample of clinically referred and nonreferred adolescents, analogue measures demonstrated expected patterns of age differences, sex differences, and comorbidity. Meeting criteria for an analogue diagnosis was also associated with referral for mental health services and poor social competence. Informant effects are highlighted and the potential benefits and limitations of using existing behavior checklists to assess DSM disorders are discussed. These findings suggest the utility of checklists in identifying analogues of anxiety and mood disorders in children and adolescents.