Is this love? Sex differences in dog-owner attachment behavior suggest similarities with adult human bonds

Animal Cognition - Sex differences in the behavioral responses of Labrador Retriever dogs in the Strange Situation Test were explored. Behaviors expressed by dogs during seven 3-min episodes were...     

An exploratory analysis of head-tilting in dogs

Animal Cognition - Little is known about head-tilts in dogs. Based on previous investigations on the head turning and the lateralised brain pattern of human speech processing in dogs, we...     

Review of Book: Technology,Social Change and Human Behavior Influence for Impact. (2021). Walther,C., Cham,Switzerland. Macmillan Editorial. ISBN: 978-3-030-70001-0 / ISBN: 978-3-030-70002-7 (eBook)

The huge impact of technology on people and institutions cannot be denied. More than often, this influence seems to have negative effects on them. However, the proposal of Social Change and Human Behavior Influence for impact brings some new light on this issue: What if society were to enable its members to attain their desired goals by means of the creation and use some technology that made it possible? The central argument of this book is: humankind can take a qualitative leap to nurture people’s quality of life, and thus arrive at a state of Augmented Humanity (AH), if all humans were to understand that individual well-being is the cause and consequence of collective well-being. And technology can contribute to the realization of the AH, if those who design and use it do justice to their own capacity for generosity, compassion, honesty and courage.

     

Endogenous-like orienting of visual attention in rats

This study investigated the orienting of visual attention in rats using a 3-hole nose-poke task analogous to Posner, Information processing in cognition: the Loyola Symposium, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, (1980) covert attention task for humans. The effects of non-predictive (50% valid and 50% invalid) and predictive (80% valid and 20% invalid) peripheral visual cues on reaction times and response accuracy to a target stimulus, using Stimuli-Onset Asynchronies (SOAs) varying between 200 and 1,200 ms, were investigated. The results showed shorter reaction times in valid trials relative to invalid trials for both subjects trained in the non-predictive and predictive conditions, particularly when the SOAs were 200 and 400 ms. However, the magnitude of this validity effect was significantly greater for subjects exposed to predictive cues, when the SOA was 800 ms. Subjects exposed to invalid predictive cues exhibited an increase in omission errors relative to subjects exposed to invalid non-predictive cues. In contrast, valid cues reduced the proportion of omission errors for subjects trained in the predictive condition relative to subjects trained in the non-predictive condition. These results are congruent with those usually reported for humans and indicate that, in addition to the exogenous capture of attention promoted by both predictive and non-predictive peripheral cues, rats exposed to predictive cues engaged an additional slower process equivalent to human's endogenous orienting of attention. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an endogenous-like process of covert orienting of visual attention in rats.     

Development of a new fear of hypoglycemia scale: FH-15

Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse event associated with insulin treatment in diabetes. The consequences of hypoglycemia can be quite aversive and potentially life threatening. The physical sequelae provide ample reason for patients to fear hypoglycemia and avoid episodes. For these reasons, our purpose in this study was to develop a new measure that explores specific fear of hypoglycemia (FH) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes and to examine its psychometric properties. The instrument developed to assess FH was initially made up of 20 items, of which 18 were negative and 2 were positive, assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). This scale was completed by 229 patients with type 1 diabetes. Additionally, a structured interview and a closed question called subjective fear of hypoglycemia were included as diagnostic criteria. A factor analysis employing the principal-components method and promax rotation was carried out, resulting in a new scale composed of 15 items. Three factors (fear, avoidance, and interference) were obtained and explained 58.27% of the variance. The scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .891) and test-retest reliability (r = .908, p < .001), as well as adequate concurrent and predictive validity. The cutoff score that provided the highest overall sensitivity and specificity was set at 28 points. The Fear of Hypoglycemia 15-item scale (FH-15) demonstrated good reliability and validity. This study suggests that the new instrument may serve as a valuable measure of specific FH for use in research and clinical practice.     

Assessment of emotional reactivity to food images in bulimia nervosa

The aim of the study was to assess the influence on reactivity to food images of the following variables: craving-trait, positive or negative mood state, and food restriction. Emotional modulation of the defense startle reflex (RMS) was assessed in 26 women at risk of suffering from bulimia nervosa; they were assigned one of to two groups: high craving-trait and low craving-trait. Before the test, positive or negative mood and restriction vs. non-restriction states were induced in each of the groups. Skin conductance response (SCR) and electromyogram activity from the orbiculari oculi region were recorded after the auditory stimuli; questionnaires such as Food Craving Trait Questionnaire (FCQ-T) and the Self-assessment Manikin (SAM) were used. Results showed that negative affect produced a negative valence of food images, more arousal, and more loss of control, as well as higher SCRs. Subjects with low FCQ-T levels reduced their RMS to food images as a consequence of experiencing positive emotions; when emotions were negative, their RMS increased.     

Accuracy of diagnosis of depression in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

This study assesses the clinical accuracy of physicians (Specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition: SEN) to make the diagnosis of depression in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1). This study involved 11 SEN physicians, and 153 patients with DM1. The diagnosis of depression was performed using the SCID-1 structured interview and clinical assessment. From the initial sample, 50 patients were randomly selected (imposing the condition that it was included 25 patients with depression and 25 without depression). The results show that clinicians performed a higher percentage of negative diagnoses (patients without depression) than positive ones (patients with depression). A significant percentage of patients with depression were not diagnosed (25%). It therefore seems necessary to provide adequate clinical protocols to evaluate the presence of this disorder in DM1, as well as continuing research into the diagnostic process for clinical decision making.     

Associations between sociocultural pressures to be thin, body distress, and eating disorder symptomatology among Chilean adolescent girls

This study explored the relationships between perceived sociocultural pressure to fulfill the thin beauty ideal, body distress, and the presence of eating disorder symptoms. Participants were 437 Chilean adolescent girls from Arica, northern Chile, aged 13-18. Results showed significant associations between perceived pressure from social agents to be thin and the presence of disrupted eating attitudes and behavior. The perceived influence of advertising, verbal messages and social situations related to eating and dieting emerged as the strongest predictors of eating disorders symptoms. Influence of advertising was also the strongest predictor of body image distress. Age differences emerged in perceived sociocultural pressure to be thin, with older participants reporting higher sociocultural pressure to fulfill the slender beauty ideal. This paper provides information about body distress and associated disturbances, a phenomenon which has seldom been studied in non-Western countries, but which has important health implications.