Indexing the approximate number system

Much recent research attention has focused on understanding individual differences in the approximate number system, a cognitive system believed to underlie human mathematical competence. To date researchers have used four main indices of ANS acuity, and have typically assumed that they measure similar properties. Here we report a study which questions this assumption. We demonstrate that the numerical ratio effect has poor test–retest reliability and that it does not relate to either Weber fractions or accuracy on nonsymbolic comparison tasks. Furthermore, we show that Weber fractions follow a strongly skewed distribution and that they have lower test–retest reliability than a simple accuracy measure. We conclude by arguing that in the future researchers interested in indexing individual differences in ANS acuity should use accuracy figures, not Weber fractions or numerical ratio effects.     

Implicit coping and enhancement motives predict unique variance in drinking in Asian Americans

Automatic cognitive processes have been shown to be unique predictors of drinking behavior and can be assessed using implicit measures. Drinking motives (e.g., enhancement and coping motives), which are also predictive of alcohol use, have not been studied using implicit measures. Moreover, in the US, implicit measures have been studied in samples largely consisting of Caucasian or White Americans. This study adapted the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to examine automatic analogues of enhancement and coping drinking motives and approach/avoid tendencies in 56 Asian American undergraduates. Enhancement and coping IATs were correlated with self-reported drinking motives and predicted unique variance in drinking frequency and heavy drinking when controlling for self-reported motives. Approach IAT scores were neither associated with self-reported approach/avoid tendencies nor predictive of drinking behaviors. These findings provide initial support for the unique predictive utility of drinking motives in Asian Americans, an understudied population.     

Validation of an Italian version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) on adolescent girls

The present study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to investigate the factor structure of an Italian version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3) with a sample of 598 adolescent girls. Results of EFA indicated a four-factor structure: Information, Pressures, Internalization-General, and Internalization-Athlete. Factor loadings confirmed the original structure of the scale, except for one item. As expected, the four factors appeared to be slightly correlated. Cronbach's alphas for the four subscales were uniformly high: Information = .91, Pressures = .91, Internalization-General = .94, Internalization-Athlete = .84. Convergent validity of this Italian version of the SATAQ-3 was found to be good. SATAQ-3 seems useful to measure different aspects of societal influences on body image in Italian contexts. Future studies could subject SATAQ-3 to a confirmatory factor analysis in order to confirm the adequate fit of the model according to conventional criteria.     

Two forms of group therapy and individual treatment of work-related depression: a one-year follow-up study

Patients on long-term sick-leave (> 90 days) from white collar work, with a diagnosis of work-related depression, dysthymia, or maladaptive stress reaction were randomized either to cognitive group therapy (CGT), focused psychodynamic group therapy (FGT), or to a comparison group. All patients were interviewed and responded to self-report questionnaires before the start of treatment and at 6 and 12 months. At the 12-month follow-up, 70% of the patients met the criteria for reliable change of the target symptom (depression), and the sample as a whole improved significantly on all measures used. However, there were no differences in outcome between the three treatment groups.     

Time-driven effects on parsing during reading

The phonological trace of perceived words starts fading away in short-term memory after a few seconds. Spoken utterances are usually 2-3 s long, possibly to allow the listener to parse the words into coherent prosodic phrases while they still have a clear representation. Results from this brain potential study suggest that even during silent reading, words are organized into 2-3 s long ‘implicit’ prosodic phrases. Participants read the same sentences word by word at different presentation rates. Clause-final words occurring at multiples of 2-3 s from sentence onset yielded increased positivity, irrespective of presentation rate. The effect was interpreted as a closure positive shift (CPS), reflecting insertion of implicit prosodic phrase boundaries every 2-3 s. Additionally, in participants with low working memory span, clauses over 3 s long produced a negativity, possibly indicating increased working memory load.     

Suicide Clusters: A Review of Risk Factors and Mechanisms

Suicide clusters, although uncommon, cause great concern in the communities in which they occur. We searched the world literature on suicide clusters and describe the risk factors and proposed psychological mechanisms underlying the spatio‐temporal clustering of suicides (point clusters). Potential risk factors include male gender, being an adolescent or young adult, drug or alcohol abuse, and past history of self‐harm. However, the majority of studies lack methodological rigor. Many different psychological mechanisms are described, including contagion, imitation, suggestion, learning, and assortative relating, but supporting empirical evidence is generally lacking. More scientifically rigorous studies are needed to improve understanding of suicide clusters.     

A Personal Love of the Good

Philosophia - In order to articulate an account of erotic love that does not attempt to transcend its personal features, Robert Solomon and Martha Nussbaum lean on the speeches by Aristophanes and...     

The Definition and Epidemiology of Clusters of Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review

Suicide clusters are a rare and underresearched phenomenon which attract wide media attention and result in heightened concern in the communities where they occur. We conducted a systematic literature review covering the definition and epidemiology of the time–space clustering of suicidal behavior. Of the 890 articles identified by electronic searching, 82 were selected for inclusion and the extracted data were analyzed by narrative synthesis. Less than a third of studies included a definition of a suicide cluster, and definitions varied considerably. Clusters occurred in various settings, including psychiatric hospitals, schools, prisons, indigenous communities, and among the general population. Most clusters involved young people. The proportion of all episodes that occurred in clusters varied considerably between studies and partly depended on study methodology (e.g., a larger proportion was found in studies of specific clusters compared with general population studies). Future studies should aim to combine the statistical analysis of time–space clustering with a case study of events, which examines potential links between individuals and the wider environmental context.