Cross-modal attention capture by affective stimuli: Evidence from event-related potentials

The P3 component of the event-related potential (ERP) to an acoustic startle probe is modulated during picture viewing, with reduced P3 amplitude when participants view either pleasant or unpleasant, as opposed to neutral, pictures. We have interpreted this as reflecting capture of attentional resources by affective pictures, with fewer resources available for processing the secondary startle probe. In the present study, we tested this resource allocation hypothesis by presenting either pictures or sounds as foreground stimuli, with the prediction that P3 amplitude in response to secondary startle probes would be reduced for affectively engaging foregrounds regardless of modality. Using dense-array electroencephalography and a source estimation procedure, we observed that P3 amplitude was indeed smaller when startle probes were presented during emotional, as opposed to neutral, stimuli for both sound and picture foregrounds. Source modeling indicated a common frontocentral maximum of P3 modulation by affect. The data support the notion that emotionally arousing stimuli transmodally attract resources, leading to optimized processing of the affective stimuli at the cost of the processing of concurrent stimuli.     

An improved portmanteau test for autocorrelated errors in interrupted time-series regression models

A new portmanteau test for autocorrelation among the errors of interrupted time-series regression models is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the inferential properties of the proposed Q(H-M) test statistic are considerably more satisfactory than those of the well known Ljung-Box test and moderately better than those of the Box-Pierce test. These conclusions generally hold for a wide variety of autoregressive (AR), moving averages (MA), and ARMA error processes that are associated with time-series regression models of the form described in Huitema and McKean (2000a, 2000b).     

Age and culture modulate object processing and object—scene binding in the ventral visual area

Behavioral differences in the visual processing of objects and backgrounds as a function of cultural group are well documented. Recent neuroimaging evidence also points to cultural differences in neural activation patterns. Compared with East Asians, Westerners’ visual processing is more object focused, and they activate neural structures that reflect this bias for objects. In a recent adaptation study, East Asian older adults showed an absence of an object-processing area but normal adaptation for background areas. In the present study, 75 young and old adults (half East Asian and half Western) were tested in an fMR-adaptation study to examine differences in object and background processing as well as object—background binding. We found equivalent background processing in the parahippocampal gyrus in all four groups, diminished binding processes in the hippocampus in elderly East Asians and Westerners, and diminished object processing in elderly versus young adults in the lateral occipital complex. Moreover, elderly East Asians showed significantly less adaptation response in the object areas than did elderly Westerners. These findings demonstrate the malleability of perceptual processes as a result of differences in cohort-specific experiences or in cultural exposure over time.     

Music while you work: the differential distraction of background music on the cognitive test performance of introverts and extraverts

The current study looked at the distracting effects of ‘pop music’ on introverts' and extraverts' performance on various cognitive tasks. It was predicted that there would be a main effect for music and an interaction effect with introverts performing less well in the presence of music than extraverts. Ten introverts and ten extraverts were given two tests (a memory test with immediate and delayed recall and a reading comprehension test), which were completed, either while being exposed to pop music, or in silence. The results showed that there was a detrimental effect on immediate recall on the memory test for both groups when music was played, and two of the three interactions were significant. After a 6-minute interval the introverts who had memorized the objects in the presence of the pop music had a significantly lower recall than the extraverts in the same condition and the introverts who had observed them in silence. The introverts who completed a reading comprehension task when music was being played also performed significantly less well than these two groups. These findings have implications for the study habits of introverts when needing to retain or process complex information. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Metastudy of Journal of Employment Counseling: An Analysis of Publication Patterns From 2000 to 2019

Articles published in the Journal of Employment Counseling from 2000 to 2019 were analyzed for trends over time related to author characteristics (i.e., domicile, gender, work setting, and leading contributors and institutions) and article content (i.e., typology, topical issues, research methodology, characteristics of participants, research design, statistics used, report of effect size and sample reliability and validity).     

Religious Attendance and Social Support: Integration or Selection?

Although numerous studies have shown that religious attendance is associated with greater social support, concerns remain about selection into religious attendance and more supportive relationships. In this paper, we employ data collected from the 2011 Miami-Dade Health Survey (n?=?444) to assess the extent to which the association between religious attendance and social support is due to selection processes related to personality, health behavior, and health status. In our multinomial logistic regression of attendance, we find that the odds of weekly attendance are increased by extraversion and reduced by smoking. We also observe that religious attendance does not vary according to level of agreeableness, self-esteem, alcohol consumption, psychological distress, or physical health. In our regression of support, we find that respondents who attend religious services weekly or more tend to report more social support than respondents who never attend. This association persisted with adjustments for age, gender, race, immigrant status, interview language, education, employment status, household income, financial strain, marital status (parent and respondent), the presence of children, family difficulties, personality (agreeableness, extroversion, and self-esteem), health behavior (smoking, binge drinking, and substance use), and health status (psychological distress, activity limitations, and overall physical health). Across models, the association between weekly attendance and social support is attenuated by no more than 7%. This attenuation is due to personality (extraversion), not health behavior or health status. We conclude that the association between religious attendance and social support is primarily driven by integration processes rather than any selection processes we have considered.

     

Home environment and infant social behavior

Seventy-two children (18 black males, 18 white males, 18 black females, 18 white females) and their families participated in a study to examine the the validity of the HOME Inventory in terms of its relation to early indices of social behavior. Early social behavior was assessed using the Infant Behavior Record from the Bayley Scales. A factor analysis produced five behavior dimensions: 1) positive orientation and involvement, 2) fear and reticence, 3) enthusiasm and alertness, 4) activity level, and 5) self-absorption. In general, the findings show a similar but somewhat stronger relation between home environment scores and social behavior for females than males. For infant males, positive orientation was significantly related to organization of the environment and provision of appropriate play materials. Self-absorption was moderately related to avoidance of restriction and punishment. For infant girls, both positive orientation and activity level were significantly related to four of the six HOME subscales.     

The HOME inventory: A review of findings from the Little Rock longitudinal study

The Caldwell HOME Inventory is a 45-item observation/interview procedure designed to assess the quality and quantity of support for development available to the infant in the home environment. Using the HOME, a longitudinal study of over 100 families from Little Rock, Arkansas has been conducted. A review of the longitudinal study is presented. The review shows substantial relation between HOME scores and children's mental test scores throughout the preschool years. Some sex and race differences in the relation were noted. Studies investigated the reciprocal relation of infant and environment and the effect of environmental stability on development.     

Neurobehavioral reorganization in early infancy: Patterns of head orientation following lateral and midline holds

Head orientation was investigated in a longitudinal study of 37 infants, who were observed at ages 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, during a 60-second period that followed each of four (60 second) midline or lateral holds. When newborn, the infants tended to lie with their heads to the right, but this bias weakened over the first 3 postnatal months. This rightward motor bias was constrained further by such factors as sex and holding position; both factors had their strongest effect at 8 weeks. Finally, evidence was found for behavioral reorganization of postural orientation such that head orientation was less influenced by prior head positioning after than prior to 8 weeks.