Rapid learning in attention shifts: A review

Many lines of evidence show that the human visual system does not simply passively register whatever appears in the visual field. The visual system seems to preferentially “choose” stimuli according to what is most relevant for the task at hand, a process called attentional selection. Given the large amount of information in any given visual scene, and well-documented capacity limitations for the representation of visual stimuli, such a strategy seems only reasonable. Consistent with this, human observers are surprisingly insensitive to large changes in their visual environment when they attend to something else in the visual scene. Here I argue that attentional selection of pertinent information is heavily influenced by the stimuli most recently viewed that were important for behaviour. I will describe recent evidence for the existence of a powerful memory system, not under any form of voluntary control, which aids observers in orienting quickly and effectively to behaviourally relevant stimuli in the visual environment, in particular the stimuli that have been important in the immediate past. I will also discuss research into the potential neural mechanisms involved in these learning effects. Finally, I will discuss how these putative memory mechanisms may help in maintaining the apparent stability and continuity of the ever-changing visual environment, which is such a crucial component of our everyday visual experience.     

Perceiving low self‐esteem in close others impedes capitalization and undermines the relationship

Disclosing positive experiences to others (i.e., “capitalization”) is associated with personal and interpersonal benefits (Gable & Reis, 2010). Unfortunately, people who perceive low self‐esteem (LSE) in close others are reluctant to capitalize, holding back from those they expect will be unsupportive (MacGregor & Holmes, 2011). In Study 1, we extend previous findings by demonstrating the importance of the type of experience disclosed; participants capitalized less positively with an (ostensibly) LSE friend when disclosing an accomplishment, not a positive experience attributed to happenstance. In Study 2, we demonstrate the external validity of the phenomenon by examining real discussions between romantic partners. Participants capitalized less positively with their LSE partner, behavior associated with lower relationship satisfaction 6 weeks later (particularly for women).     

Psychometric properties of a revised Spanish 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale adaptation in multiple sclerosis patients

There have been a small number of investigations of alexithymia in multiple sclerosis (MS) using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). However, the TAS-20 factor structure has not yet been evaluated in a MS patient sample, and earlier Spanish translations of this instrument require some improvement. We aimed to evaluate the factorial validity and reliability of an improved Spanish translation of the TAS-20 (the TAS-20-S). The TAS-20-S was completed by 221 MS patients. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare the fit of six different factor models. Internal consistency and retest reliability coefficients were also computed. The correlated three-factor model and the higher-order factor model made up of Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings, and Externally Oriented Thinking achieved the best fit. Alpha coefficients ranged between .87 and .67; mean inter-item correlations ranged between .48 and .20; and retest correlations after 6 months ranged between .61 and .52. A high degree of alexithymia was present in 18.1% of the sample. Reliability and the traditional three-factor structure were demonstrated for the TAS-20-S, which can now be recommended for assessing an aspect of emotional processing in MS patients.     

Aprendiendo a usar el Researcher-ID como indicador de la producción científica

The research focused on the development of scientific production measurements implies a detailed and quite accurately procedure to avoid errors and misinterpretations by third parties. The use of public researcher profiles such as the Researcher ID among others, may appeal to simplify the process of direct search on databases. The purpose of this research is to analyze the Researcher ID profile as an indicator of scientific productivity in a sample of 8 Spanish professors of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment area and compare these professors searching them in the Web of Science, also respond to a disagreement generated from a previous study published in Psicothema and culminated in a letter, as that there are unfounded arguments exposed. The results show that there are inaccuracies in the Researcher ID's and therefore cannot be used as an indicator of scientific production, since this tool allows to include any record type (letters, meeting abstracts, etc…) even unrelated content to the Web of Science. These findings are discussed a view to the disagreement and previously mentioned and generated in Psicothema.     

Factor structure of the construct of adaptive behavior in children with and without intellectual disability

Although the presence of significant limitations in adaptive behavior constitutes one of the three necessary criteria for diagnosing intellectual disability, adaptive behavior structure has always been the subject of considerable controversy among researchers. The main goal of this study is to extend previous research results that provide further support to a multidimensional structure of conceptual, social, and practical skills compared to the unidimensional structure. One-factor and 3-correlated factors models as measured by 15 observable indicators were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as well as their relationships with one second-order factor (i.e., adaptive behavior). To that end, 388 children with and without intellectual disabilities were assessed with the Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS). Results of CFA indicated that the 3 first-order factors solution provides the best fit to the data. Reliability and validity of the multidimensional model were also analyzed through different methods such as the composite reliability and the average variance extracted. Finally, implications of these findings and possible directions for future research are discussed.     

Associations of ethnic discrimination with symptoms of anxiety and depression among Hispanic emerging adults: a moderated mediation model

Background and Objectives: Emerging adulthood is often marked with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Hispanic emerging adults may face cultural stressors such as ethnic discrimination that further increase levels of anxiety and depression symptoms. The study aims were to examine if (a) self-esteem mediated effects of ethnic discrimination on symptoms of anxiety and depression, and (b) if gender moderated the indirect effects of discrimination. Design: The study design was cross-sectional self-report. Method: Two moderated mediation models were tested, with 1084 Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18–25) enrolled in institutions of post-secondary in the United States. Results: Results indicated that (a) higher ethnic discrimination was associated with higher anxiety symptoms (β?=?.05, p?=?.04), higher depression symptoms (β?=?.06, p?=?.02), and lower self-esteem (β?=??.30, p?Conclusions: Findings suggest that the mediating effects of self-esteem linking ethnic discrimination with symptoms of anxiety and depression vary between genders.     

Arrow Logic and Infinite Counting

We consider arrow logics (i.e., propositional multi-modal logics having three -- a dyadic, a monadic, and a constant -- modal operators) augmented with various kinds of infinite counting modalities, such as 'much more', 'of good quantity', 'many times'. It is shown that the addition of these modal operators to weakly associative arrow logic results in finitely axiomatizable and decidable logics, which fail to have the finite base property.