Emergence of attributional style and its relation to depressive symptoms

The development of depressive attributional style (AS) and its role as a cognitive diathesis for depression were examined in children and adolescents (Grades 2-9). In a 4-wave longitudinal study of 3 overlapping age cohorts, AS, negative life events, and depressive symptoms were evaluated every 12 months. Consistency of children's attributions across situations was moderately high at all ages. The cross-sectional structure of AS changed with age, as stability became a more salient aspect of AS than internality and globality. The structure of AS also changed, becoming more traitlike as children grew older. In longitudinal analyses, evidence of a Cognitive Diathesis x Stress interaction did not emerge until Grades 8 and 9, suggesting that AS may not serve as a diathesis for depression at younger ages. Results suggest that attributional models of depression may require modification before they are applied across developmental levels.     

Reframing the DSM‐IV‐TR From a Multicultural/Social Justice Perspective

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) represents a medical model that can be reframed for more effective use in counseling. To achieve this goal, the authors describe how they can shift from client diagnosis to case formulation. In describing this shift, the authors offer an example of a theory‐based etiology and relate case formulation to specific counseling interventions.     

The consolidation of object and context recognition memory involve different regions of the temporal lobe

These experiments investigated the involvement of several temporal lobe regions in consolidation of recognition memory. Anisomycin, a protein synthesis inhibitor, was infused into the hippocampus, perirhinal cortex, insular cortex, or basolateral amygdala of rats immediately after the sample phase of object or object-in-context recognition memory training. Anisomycin infused into perirhinal or insular cortices blocked long-term (24 h), but not short-term (90 min) object recognition memory. Infusions into the hippocampus or amygdala did not impair object recognition memory. Anisomycin infused into the hippocampus blocked long-term, but not short-term object-in-context recognition memory, whereas infusions administered into the perirhinal cortex, insular cortex, or amygdala did not affect object-in-context recognition memory. These results clearly indicate that distinct regions of the temporal lobe are differentially involved in long-term object and object-in-context recognition memory. Whereas perirhinal and insular cortices are required for consolidation of familiar objects, the hippocampus is necessary for consolidation of contextual information of recognition memory. Altogether, these results suggest that temporal lobe structures are differentially involved in recognition memory consolidation.     

Gabaergic mechanisms of hypothalamic nuclei in the expression of conditioned fear

The amygdala, the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), and the medial hypothalamus have long been recognized to be a neural system responsible for the generation and elaboration of unconditioned fear in the brain. It is also well known that this neural substrate is under a tonic inhibitory control exerted by GABA mechanisms. However, whereas there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that the amygdala and dPAG are also able to integrate conditioned fear, it is still unclear, however, how the distinct hypothalamic nuclei participate in fear conditioning. In this work we aimed to examine the extent to which the gabaergic mechanisms of this brain region are involved in conditioned fear using the fear-potentiated startle (FPS). Muscimol, a GABA-A receptor agonist, and semicarbazide, an inhibitor of the GABA synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), were used as an enhancer and inhibitor of the GABA mechanisms, respectively. Muscimol and semicarbazide were injected into the anterior hypothalamus (AHN), the dorsomedial part of the ventromedial nucleus (VMHDM), the dorsomedial (DMH) or the dorsal premammillary (PMD) nuclei of male Wistar rats before test sessions of the fear conditioning paradigm. The injections into the DMH and PMD did not produce any significant effects on FPS. On the other hand, muscimol injections into the AHN and VMHDM caused significant reduction in FPS. These results indicate that injections of muscimol and semicarbazide into the DMH and PMD fail to change the FPS, whereas the enhancement of the GABA transmission in the AHN and VMHDM produces a reduction of the conditioned fear responses. On the other hand, the inhibition of this transmission led to an increase of this conditioned response in the AHN. Thus, whereas DMH and PMD are known to be part of the caudal-most region of the medial hypothalamic defensive system, which integrates unconditioned fear, systems mediating conditioned fear select the AHN and VMHDM nuclei that belong to the rostral-most portion of the hypothalamic defense area. Thus, distinct subsets of neurons in the hypothalamus could mediate different aspects of the defensive responses.     

The structure of Bryant's Empathy Index for children: a cross-validation study

The present study examined the structure of Bryant's Empathy Index (BEI) using different samples for conducting exploratory and confirmatory analyses. The BEI was administered to a sample of 2714 children (mean age 11.12, SD = 1.59). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a three-factor structure: Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings and Tearful Reaction. The results revealed both the multidimensionality of the instrument and appropriate fit indices for the model proposed. Although these results were very similar to those reported in other studies with a Spanish population, the analyses were conducted in a more robust way: with a larger sample and using polychoric correlations and cross validation estimation.     

Evaluation of Halpern's "structural component" for improving critical thinking

Halpern (1998) proposed a four-component model for promoting the transfer of critical thinking. One of them, the "structural component," focuses on how to organize teaching so that critical thinking skills can be generalized. Here, we assess the efficiency of that type of organization. Thus, one group of university students received instruction following the suggestions specified in that component and their performance was compared with that of other university students who received instruction in the same skills but using a different procedure, and with that of a control group. In comparison with the control group, the performance of both instructed groups was better after training. However, no significant differences were observed between either instruction group; both forms of instruction afforded very similar results.     

Creating Cultural Meaning in Products and Brands: A Psychological Perspective

R. Batra (2019) and S. Fournier and C. Alvarez (2019) provide many substantive perspectives related to the questions about creating cultural meaning in products and brands. This commentary organizes their views and thoughts under five broadly categorized questions and identifies additional relevant perspectives and questions for future research.     

How do motivational factors influence entrepreneurs’ perception of business opportunities in different stages of entrepreneurship?

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it analyses the relationship between optimism about the emergence of future entrepreneurial opportunities and the length of the entrepreneurial experience; second, it aims to identify the external factors that can moderate this relationship. Our empirical analysis is conducted on a cross-national sample of 450,000 individuals drawn from the Adult Population Survey (APS), which is collected by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) consortium and covers the period from 2009 to 2011. Our results find an inverted U-shaped relationship between the length of the entrepreneurial experience and our indicator of optimism. Additionally, the relationship between optimism and length of entrepreneurial experience is conditioned by a set of external-factor moderators, such as social capital and the individuals’ perception of how valued entrepreneurship is as a career choice in their country.     

The development of children's preferences for equality and equity across 13 individualistic and collectivist cultures

A concern for fairness is a fundamental and universal element of morality. To examine the extent to which cultural norms are integrated into fairness cognitions and influence social preferences regarding equality and equity, a large sample of children (N 2,163) aged 4–11 were tested in 13 diverse countries. Children participated in three versions of a third‐party, contextualized distributive justice game between two hypothetical recipients differing in terms of wealth, merit, and empathy. Social decision‐making in these games revealed universal age‐related shifts from equality‐based to equity‐based distribution motivations across cultures. However, differences in levels of individualism and collectivism between the 13 countries predicted the age and extent to which children favor equity in each condition. Children from the most individualistic cultures endorsed equitable distributions to a greater degree than children from more collectivist cultures when recipients differed in regards to wealth and merit. However, in an empathy context where recipients differed in injury, children from the most collectivist cultures exhibited greater preferences to distribute resource equitably compared to children from more individualistic cultures. Children from the more individualistic cultures also favored equitable distributions at an earlier age than children from more collectivist cultures overall. These results demonstrate aspects of both cross‐cultural similarity and divergence in the development of fairness preferences.     

Web‐based stimulus preference assessment and reinforcer assessment for videos

This study replicated and extended the use of a web‐based multiple‐stimulus‐without‐replacement preference assessment (Curiel, Curiel, Li, Deochand, & Poling, 2018) by adding a web‐based single‐operant reinforcer assessment. Five adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder participated in this study. The web‐based program identified preference hierarchies for 4 of the 5 participants, and the single‐operant reinforcer assessment confirmed that the highly preferred videos functioned as reinforcers. Advantages of computer‐based stimulus preference and reinforcer assessments are discussed.