Synaptic adaptation and odor-background segmentation

Habituation is a form of non-associative memory that plays an important role in filtering stable or redundant inputs. The present study examines the contribution of habituation and cortical adaptation to odor-background segmentation. Segmentation of target odorants from background odorants is a fundamental computational requirement for the olfactory system. Recent electrophysiological data have shown that odor specific adaptation in piriform cortex neurons, mediated at least partially by synaptic adaptation between the olfactory bulb outputs and piriform cortex pyramidal cells, may provide an ideal mechanism for odor-background segmentation. This rapid synaptic adaptation acts as a filter to enhance cortical responsiveness to changing stimuli, while reducing responsiveness to static, potentially background stimuli. Using previously developed computational models of the olfactory system, we here show how synaptic adaptation at the olfactory bulb input to the piriform cortex, as demonstrated electrophysiologically, creates odor specific adaptation. We show how this known feature of olfactory cortical processing can contribute to adaptation to a background odor and to odor-background segmentation. We then show in a behavioral experiment that the odor-background segmentation is perceptually important and functions at the same time-scale as the synaptic adaptation observed between the olfactory bulb and cortex.     

Die postpartale Bindungsstörung: Eine Risikokonstellation für den Infantizid ?

Background

The effectiveness of preventive approaches in the field of child protection depends, amongst other things, upon identifying typical risk constellations of infanticide. Postpartum bonding disorder, a disorder affecting a mother’s emotional relationship with her child, is one of those risk constellations alongside other negative consequences to child development. It frequently accompanies postpartum depression, which is determined by other emotional qualities. The therapeutic response is a determinant factor for the success of preventive measures.

Method

42 mothers with postpartum disorders (25 depressive, 17 schizophrenic) undergoing treatment at a mother-baby-unit were examined for bonding disorders and the therapeutic response, primarily regarding the mother-child relationship. Perception of bonding, maternal self-efficacy and objectively measured parameters of mother-child interaction were the most important parameters assessed. Results. Nearly 60% of the mothers suffered from a bonding disorder. Overall, the results indicated a clear improvement in psychiatric disorder as well as in the assessed parameters for the mother-child relationship and the experience of motherhood.

Conclusions.

Maternal bonding disorders are strongly associated with postpartum depression and low maternal self-efficacy, which can lead to a risk constellation for infanticide. The data confirm the therapeutic response, thus demonstrating that early diagnosis and treatment of postpartum depression can represent a timely and effective preventive approach in the field of child protection.     

Survey Nonrespondents as Bad Soldiers: Examining the relationship between organizational citizenship and survey response behavior

The present paper examines whether organizational survey response behavior relates to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In Study 1, we examined the relationship between OCB dimensions and survey completion intentions in a field setting (n=228). In Study 2, we compared respondents and different groups of nonrespondents on OCB dimensions using an experimental design in a university setting (n=622). Survey response and OCBs were found to be related. OCB research may suffer from nonresponse bias, with organizational surveys failing to capture the opinions of those least likely to engage in OCBs.     

The Spatial Power Motivation Scale: A Semi-Implicit Measure of Situational Power Motivation

We introduce a new nonverbal and unobtrusive measure to assess power motive activation, the Spatial Power Motivation Scale (SPMS). The unique features of this instrument are that it is (a) very simple and economical, (b) reliable and valid, and (c) sensitive to situational changes. Study 1 demonstrates the instrument's convergent and discriminant validity with explicit measures. Study 2 demonstrates the instrument's responsiveness to situational power motive salience: anticipating and winning competition versus losing competition and watching television. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrate that thoughts of competition result in higher power motivation specifically for individuals with a high dispositional power motive.     

Macro-event recognition in healthy ageing,Alzheimer’s disease,and mild cognitive impairment

Event perception and cognition is integral to our everyday experience and functional ability. A commonly reported complaint in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the inability to follow narratives – be it textual, conversational, video, or pictures. This phenomenon has received little systematic research so far. In the current study, we developed a novel paradigm to examine macro-event recognition in individuals with AD in the early stage and its preceding stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in comparison with cognitively healthy older adults, using pictures depicting events. In Experiment 1, we examined participants’ ability to integrate pictorially depicted sub-events into macro-events. The pictures were presented in a scrambled order, and participants were expected to arrange them in the temporally and causally appropriate sequence, as dictated by the macro-event schema. Additionally, we investigated the effect of cueing the appropriate event schema by providing a word cue (verb). In Experiment 2, macro-event recognition was examined again using a cognitively less taxing paradigm, where pictures depicting sub-events were presented in correct order, but staggered, and recognition speed was measured. We observed significant deficits in the AD and MCI groups’ performance compared with the cognitively healthy older adults, across both experiments, suggesting event perception and cognition is impaired early in the course of AD. There was no effect of cueing on the performance of any of the groups. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

What's in an accent? General spontaneous biases against nonnative accents: An investigation with conceptual and auditory IATs

Nonnative accents are prevalent in our globalized world and constitute highly salient cues in social perception. Whereas previous literature has commonly assumed that they cue specific social group stereotypes, we propose that nonnative accents generally trigger spontaneous negatively biased associations (due to a general nonnative accent category and perceptual influences). Accordingly, Study 1 demonstrates negative biases with conceptual IATs, targeting the general concepts of accent versus native speech, on the dimensions affect, trust, and competence, but not on sociability. Study 2 attests to negative, largely enhanced biases on all dimensions with auditory IATs comprising matched native–nonnative speaker pairs for four accent types. Biases emerged irrespective of the accent types that differed in attractiveness, recognizability of origin, and origin‐linked national associations. Study 3 replicates general IAT biases with an affect IAT and a conventional evaluative IAT. These findings corroborate our hypotheses and assist in understanding general negativity toward nonnative accents.     

Gender stereotypes in education: Development,consequences, and interventions

Despite many efforts to increase gender fairness in education in recent years, the issue has not yet become obsolete: Gender discrimination still exists and finds expression in unused chances and limited action repertoires for both sexes. This article gives an overview on existing gender differences across the lifespan before providing explanations for these differences from a developmental perspective. We present psychological theories of development dealing with the adoption of gender typical preferences and behaviors in children, and draw the connection to the role parents’ and teachers’ gender stereotypes play in this process. The mechanisms contributing to the perpetuation of gender differences are illustrated via empirical studies. Finally, we offer starting points for interventions to prevent the development of these gender differences, and introduce the REFLECT program which enhances gender competence in secondary school teachers and their students, and a training program for kindergarten teachers as concrete examples of such interventions.     

Ethnic Differences in Substance Use Patterns in a Sample of Pregnant Substance‐Using Women in Treatment

This study investigated substance use patterns among 192 pregnant substance‐using women to assess whether ethnic differences exist regarding drugs of choice, frequency and recency of use, and severity of use. Substance use patterns differed across ethnic groups. Alaska Native women were more likely to choose alcohol as their primary drug of choice and less likely to choose cocaine; White women used a wider variety of substances in their lifetime and used substances more often. Alaska Native women had an earlier age of onset of use and more blackouts. These findings suggest that prevention and intervention efforts have to be tailored to the targeted audience.     

Heartbeat perception in social anxiety before and during speech anticipation

According to current cognitive models of social phobia, individuals with social anxiety create a distorted image of themselves in social situations, relying, at least partially, on interoceptive cues. We investigated differences in heartbeat perception as a proxy of interoception in 48 individuals high and low in social anxiety at baseline and while anticipating a public speech. Results revealed lower error scores for high fearful participants both at baseline and during speech anticipation. Speech anticipation improved heartbeat perception in both groups only marginally. Eight of nine accurate perceivers as determined using a criterion of maximum difference between actual and counted beats were high socially anxious. Higher interoceptive accuracy might increase the risk of misinterpreting physical symptoms as visible signs of anxiety which then trigger negative evaluation by others. Treatment should take into account that in socially anxious individuals perceived physical arousal is likely to be accurate rather than false alarm.