REALIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: BION’S PSYCHOANALYSIS AND DOGEN’S ZEN

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis - The author discusses similarities, differences and identities between the later work of the psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion and the Soto Zen Buddhist teacher...     

Individual differences in cognitive control: The role of psychoticism and working memory in set‐shifting

Set‐shifting refers to a process of cognitive control which is shown through flexible behavioural adaptation to changes in task parameters or demands, such as the switching of an explicit rule (extra‐dimensional rule shifting) or the reversal of a reinforcement‐contingency (reversal‐learning). Set‐shifting deficits are widely documented in specific neuropsychological disorders, but seldom investigated in relation to normally‐occurring individual differences. In a sample of healthy adults (N=78, 28% male), we demonstrate that Working Memory and trait Psychoticism have independent involvement in extra‐dimensional rule shifting as measured using an analogue of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Only Psychoticism, however, was involved in reversal‐learning, as assessed using a recent modification of the Iowa Gambling Task. Individual differences in extra‐dimensional rule shifting were explained in terms of rule abstraction speed, while individual differences in reversal‐learning were explained in terms of response perseveration. These results clarify component processes in different forms of set‐shifting, and highlight the role of individual differences, especially personality, in cognitive control.     

Christian Stewardship in Light of a Theology of the Cross1

Abstract : The article translates a keynote address delivered in Spanish at the November 2007 “Life and Mission” special assembly of the United Lutheran Evangelical Church in Argentina, held in Buenos Aires. Departing from Jesus' “giving it all away on the cross,” it lays a cruciform foundation for a Christian theology of abundant generosity, and offers practical implications for stewardship leaders.     

Are dietary restraint scales valid measures of moderate- to long-term dietary restriction? Objective biological and behavioral data suggest not

Prospective studies indicate that elevated scores on dietary restraint scales predict bulimic symptom onset, but experiments indicate that assignment to dietary restriction interventions reduces bulimic symptoms. One possible explanation for the inconsistent findings is that the dietary restraint scales used in the former studies are not valid measures of dietary restriction. The authors previously found that dietary restraint scales were not inversely correlated with objective measures of short-term caloric intake (E. Stice, M. Fisher, & M. R. Lowe, 2004). In this follow-up report, 3 studies indicated that the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire dietary restraint scale was not correlated with doubly labeled water estimated energy intake over 2-week periods or with observationally measured caloric intake over 3 months. Results from this study and others suggest that dietary restraint scales may not be valid measures of moderate- to long-term dietary restriction and imply the need to reinterpret findings from studies that have used dietary restraint scales.     

Towards a relationally-orientated approach to therapy: empirical support and analysis

Drawing on contemporary evidence in the counselling and psychotherapy research field, this paper argues that there is growing support for a relationship-orientated approach to therapeutic practice. The paper reviews findings from a range of meta-analytical and individual studies which provide strong evidence for the centrality of relational factors to the successfulness of therapy, and then goes on to examine the specific variables that appear to be linked to positive therapeutic change. Having considered some of the empirical evidence that challenges this position and highlighted the importance of individual differences, the paper concludes by arguing that we need to develop and expand our understanding of the kind of relational factors and processes that most facilitate therapeutic change.     

Reviews: Books

THE MYSTICAL MIND: PROBING THE BIOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. By Eugene d'Aquili and Andrew Newberg. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1999. $20.00. WHY GOD WON'T GO AWAY: BRAIN SCIENCE AND THE BIOLOGY OF BELIEF. By Eugene d'Aquili and Andrew Newberg. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001. $14.00. THE TREE AS IT IS: NEW AND SELECTED HAIKU POETRY. By Bernard l. Einbond. 73 pp. Red Moon Press, 2000. $12.00. FEMALE SEXUALITY: CONTEMPORARY ENGAGEMENTS. Edited by Donna Bassin. 507 pp. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1999. $60.00. DAMANGED BONDS. By Michael Eigen. 179 pp. London & New York: Karnac Books. $29.95. TRANSCENDING: REFLECTIONS OF CRIME VICTIMS. By Howard Zehr. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2001. $18.95. ATTACHMENT THEORY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS. By Peter Fonagy. 261 pp. New York: Other Press, 2001. $35.00.THE HANDY RELIGION ANSWER BOOK. By John Renard. 582 pp. Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 2002. $21.95.THE MANY FACES OF FAITH: A GUIDE TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS. By Richard R. Losch. 187 pp. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2001. $19.00. THE BRONTES AND RELIGION. By Marianne Thornmahlen. 287 pp. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999. $60.00.     

The measurement of impairment due to eating disorder psychopathology

Eating disorders have a profound and highly specific impact on psychosocial functioning. The aim of this research was to develop a measure of such secondary impairment. A 16-item, self-report instrument was developed, the Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA), which was designed to measure such impairment overall and in three specific domains (personal, cognitive, social). The psychometric properties of the instrument were evaluated using data collected in the context of a transdiagnostic treatment trial. The findings consistently supported the utility of the instrument with the CIA being shown to have high levels of internal consistency, construct and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to change. The CIA should be of value to clinicians when assessing patients with eating disorders and their response to treatment. It should also help inform epidemiological research.     

Symbol-string sensitivity and adult performance in lexical decision

In this study of adult readers, we used a symbol-string task to assess participants' sensitivity to the position of briefly presented, non-alphabetic but letter-like symbols. We found that sensitivity in this task explained a significant proportion of sample variance in visual lexical decision. Based on a number of controls, we show that this relationship cannot be explained by other factors including: chronological age, intelligence, speed of processing and/or concentration, short term memory consolidation, or fixation stability. This approach represents a new way to elucidate how, and to what extent, individual variation in pre-orthographic visual and cognitive processes impinge on reading skills, and the results suggest that limitations set by visuo-spatial processes constrain visual word recognition.