COMPARING PLEASURE AND PAIN: THE FUNDAMENTAL MATHEMATICAL EQUIVALENCE OF REWARD GAIN AND SHOCK REDUCTION UNDER VARIABLE INTERVAL SCHEDULES

The relationship between positive and negative reinforcement and the symmetry of Thorndike's law of effect are unresolved issues in operant psychology. Here we show that, for a given pattern of responding on variable interval (VI) schedules with the same programmed rate of food rewards (positive reinforcement VI) or electric shocks (negative reinforcement VI), there is a fundamental mathematical equivalence between reward gain and shock reduction. We also provide the first normative account of how animals should respond on a negative VI schedule, showing that it is better to space responses evenly than to respond with a variable interresponse time (IRT). Published data from rats, however, indicate that these animals respond irregularly, often with a burst of activity immediately following a shock. While this is irrational in the experimental setting, it may represent an appropriate response to the heterogeneity of stimuli commonly encountered in natural environments. We discuss the broader implications of our analysis for understanding how animals evaluate appetitive and aversive stimuli.     

Educational Needs of Primary Care Physicians Regarding Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

To assess the educational needs of North Carolina primary care physicians (PCPs) about direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, surveys were mailed to 2,402 family and internal medicine providers in North Carolina. Out of 382 respondents, 323 (85%) felt unprepared to answer patient questions and 282 (74%) reported wanting to learn about DTC genetic testing. A total of 148 (39%) were aware of DTC genetic testing. Among these, 63 (43%) thought DTC genetic testing was clinically useful. PCPs who felt either unprepared to answer patient questions (OR = 0.354, p = 0.01) or that DTC genetic testing was clinically useful (OR = 5.783, p = 0.00) were more likely to want to learn about DTC genetic testing. PCPs are interested in learning about DTC genetic testing, but are mostly unaware of DTC testing and feel unprepared to help patients with DTC testing results. Familiar and trusted channels that provide the information and tools PCPs need to help answer patient’s questions and manage their care should be used when creating educational programs.     

A longitudinal evaluation of prevalent negative beliefs about residential placement for troubled adolescents

To investigate the validity of five prevalent negative beliefs about residential placement, we followed adolescents from a residential program and a comparison group at 3-month intervals for 4 to 8 years. This residential program in the Midwest uses the Teaching-Family Model in which six to eight adolescents live in a family-style environment. The interviews included five scales reflecting youths' views about important aspects of their lives in placement: (1) Delivery of Helpful Treatment, (2) Satisfaction with Supervising Adults, (3) Isolation from Family, (4) Isolation from Friends, and (5) Sense of Personal Control. Hierarchical linear modeling allowed us to estimate group differences while controlling for developmental trends, demographic factors, and prior differences between groups. The two groups were equivalent on all scales before the study. During the following placement, however, the treatment group's ratings were significantly more positive than the comparison group on four of the five scales and approached significance on the fifth. These findings suggest that negative beliefs about life in residential placement for adolescents may not apply to all programs.The authors acknowledge Gaylon Oswalt, Beth Chmelka, and Brian Noss for their assistance on this study and Richard Dangel, Thomas Dows, Robert Hawkins, Kathleen Lenerz, Kevin Moore, James Whittaker, and Montrose Wolf for helpful comments on this paper.     

Supervision: A tale of the missing client

The profession of counselling is praised for its emphasis on the 'developmental' rather than 'policing' role of supervision. However, the profession is challenged on its presumption that supervision tells us anything about the client. For this to happen, the client must be admitted to the counselling room. Various means by which this can be achieved are explored and the resistance of the profession highlighted.     

Editorial

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics -     

Heuristic filtering and reliable calibration methods for video-based pupil-tracking systems

Methods for enhancing the accuracy of fixation and saccade detection and the reliability of calibration in video gaze-tracking systems are discussed. The unique aspects of the present approach include effective low-delay noise reduction prior to the detection of fixation changes, monitoring of gaze position in real time by the operator, identification of saccades as small as 0.5° while eliminating false fixations, and a quick, high-precision, semiautomated calibration procedure.     

Trying to remodel the children and youth service system: Observations about barriers and opportunities

From their perspective as participant observers, the authors discuss the initial phase of an attempt to remodel the child/family mental health service delivery system. Conceptualizing families as being at varying levels of risk for dismemberment is seen as: (a) providing a politically viable terminology, (b) permitting each agency to develop a continuum of services tailored to its mandate and clientele, and (c) facilitating legislative efforts to analyze simultaneously the budgets of all those state agencies with major responsibilities for children's services. A planning team endorsed cooperative planning between a state-level coordinating council and individual locales. Cultural communities were invited to participate in a manner paralleling the planning role of local communities. A model for a free standing case management entity is proposed. The concept of empowerment is discussed as a criterion for multi-level outcome evaluation.     

Facial dynamics as indicators of trustworthiness and cooperative behavior

Detecting cooperative partners in situations that have financial stakes is crucial to successful social exchange. The authors tested whether humans are sensitive to subtle facial dynamics of counterparts when deciding whether to trust and cooperate. Participants played a 2-person trust game before which the facial dynamics of the other player were manipulated using brief (<6 s) but highly realistic facial animations. Results showed that facial dynamics significantly influenced participants' (a) choice of with whom to play the game and (b) decisions to cooperate. It was also found that inferences about the other player's trustworthiness mediated these effects of facial dynamics on cooperative behavior.