MMPI-2 Profiles of Male Pre-Trial Defendants

Since its introduction, the MMPI-2 has been used as an equivalent to the MMPI. However, the clinical correlates of MMPI-2 profiles are still being investigated. This study examined the MMPI-2 profiles of 217 male pre-trial defendants. Data indicated mean scale elevations over 65 on F, 8, 6, 7, 4, 2, and 1 (in descending order); and mean content scale elevations on DEP, BIZ, HEA, and TRT. The most frequently elevated scales were 6, F, and 2. The most frequently elevated content scales were CYN, DEP, and ANX. The most common 2-point code was a 6–8/8–6 for subjects charged with both violent and nonviolent offenses. The F–K Index was greater than 11 in 22% of the subjects. Generalizability of these data and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Psychobiological Aspects of Infant Crying

This study addresses the relationship between the amount of infant crying and maternal responsiveness to the infant's facial communicative cues during distress and non-distress situations. From an evolutionary perspective, the interpretation of infant crying as a communicative signal is preferred over its distance-regulating function. This view implies a relation between the amount of infant crying and parameters describing interactional regulation. Maternal responsiveness is operationalized by (a) the contingent reactions in a latency time span which define the intuitive character of parental behaviours (200–800 ms) and by (b) an event-based coding system of maternal inappropriate behaviour. Infant states (crying, fussing, sleeping and waking hours) were assessed by means of diaries kept by the mothers. In two samples (N=10, N=13, respectively), married, middle-class mothers were videotaped in free play situations with their healthy, firstborn children in their family homes. Results show that there is a strong intersituational consistency of maternal behaviour, but context-sensitive components of maternal behaviour could also be found. The contingency of maternal reactions during the free play situation can be regarded as a predictor of the duration of the infant's crying measured by a maternal diary. The whole pattern of the results confirms the regulatory function of infant crying in the context of early caregiver–child interactions.     

Gaze behaviour in hereditary prosopagnosia

Prosopagnosia is the inability to recognize someone by the face alone in the absence of sensory or intellectual impairment. In contrast to the acquired form of prosopagnosia we studied the congenital form. Since we could recently show that this form is inherited as a simple monogenic trait we called it hereditary form. To determine whether not only face recognition and neuronal processing but also the perceptual acquisition of facial information is specific to prosopagnosia, we studied the gaze behaviour of four hereditary prosopagnosics in comparison to matched control subjects. This rarely studied form of prosopagnosia ensures that deficits are limited to face recognition. Whereas the control participants focused their gaze on the central facial features, the hereditary prosopagnosics showed a significantly different gaze behaviour. They had a more dispersed gaze and also fixated external facial features. Thus, the face recognition impairment of the hereditary prosopagnosics is reflected in their gaze behaviour.     

The value of forgetting suicidal thoughts and behavior

This is a prospective longitudinal study examining recollections of suicidal content and correlates of accurate and inaccurate recollection. A primarily at-risk group of young adults (N = 78) who were initially assessed for suicidal ideation and behavior in adolescence, were asked to recall whether they had reported sui- cidal ideation or behavior about six years earlier. In recalling the previous inter- view, the majority of the participants provided consistent reports. However, with regard to those who had previously reported suicidal ideation or behavior, 38% failed to recall prior adolescent suicidal reports. Those who provided accurate reports of prior suicidal content were more symptomatic and were functioning more poorly than those who failed to recall past suicidal content. The implications for clinical assessment practices, research, and theory development are discussed.     

The neural network model of organizational identification

This paper proposes the Neural Network Model of Organizational Identification; the model depicts organizational identification as an associative link within an organization member’s social knowledge structure of self as it relates to a focal organization. Within this knowledge structure, organization identification connects self to organization via an attribute sub-network that includes self-concept and organization identity and via a valance sub-network that includes organization based self-esteem and attitudinal commitment. This model draws on the principles of balance-congruity, imbalance dissonance, and differentiation [Greenwald, A. G., Banaji, M. R., Rudman, L. A., Farnham, S. D., Nosek, B. A., & Mellott, D. S. (2002). A unified theory of implicit attitudes, stereotypes, self-esteem, and self-concept. Psychological Review, 109, 3–25.] to predict relationships between these organizational constructs. The Neural Network Model of Organizational Identification is parsimonious yet it effectively integrates and synthesizes the burgeoning literature on organizational identification. By operating at a neural network level of analysis, the model departs substantially from existing organization models by (1) specifying unique construct definitions; (2) offering an alternative perspective of the affective/cognitive dimensions and interrelationships; (3) introducing the concept of implicit cognition to the literature on organizational identification, which makes apparent problems with current measures; and (4) explaining phenomena not explained in existing models. This perspective adds precision and reveals that organizational identification is interconnected within a reciprocal network of mutual causality.     

不同情景下小学儿童对说谎与说真话的道德评价

研究探讨了小学7、9、11岁儿童在对说谎与说真话进行道德评价时不同情景间的差异.研究结果发现,小学儿童对于具有积极意义的说谎/真话的评价显著地好于消极性的说谎/真话.但在对具有积极意义的说谎以及具有消极意义的真话进行评价时,具有显著的情景间差异.总的来说,在个体情景下,对谦虚谎及做好事说真话的评价具有年龄的效应,且谦虚谎的评价比白谎更为积极,而白谎的评价比集体情景下的说谎与伤害性说谎更为积极;而儿童对于交往情景下直率真话的评价在所有的年龄都趋于中性,有别于其他情景.     

血-前列腺屏障的假说及其对前列腺炎研究的意义

在慢性前列腺炎的研究工作中,血-前列腺屏障的研究是个被忽视的领域。在Pubmed等医学类数据库中找不到一篇关于血-前列腺屏障的研究综述。甚至找不到一个关于它的令人满意的定义。我们的研究目的,就是尝试从不同研究领域的文献中寻找有关“血-前列腺屏障”的理论和实验的依据,提出一个建立在非相关文献间的隐含联系中的假说。我们相信,血-前列腺屏障是客观存在的,而且在前列腺炎的发病机制中扮演着关键性的角色。     

恶性肿瘤皮肤表现

恶性肿瘤皮肤表现可分为肿瘤直接效应与间接效应.直接效应是指恶性肿瘤或其转移灶生长影响周围器官或组织正常功能;间接效应是指恶性肿瘤或其转移灶经复杂生物学效应影响远处器官或组织正常功能,也称为副肿瘤性皮肤病.恶性肿瘤皮肤表现发病率根据原发肿瘤而不同,可能是患者潜在肿瘤首发临床表现,并且与肿瘤复发转移相关.     

Cold pressor stress reduces left cradling preference in nulliparous human females

The left cradling preference refers to the finding that women hold their infants more frequently on the left side of their own bodies. Several observational studies showed reduced left cradling during stressful circumstances, such as mother-infant separation, or domestic violence. However, until now no experimental study was conducted to investigate the immediate impact of stress on cradling behaviour. Half of the 64 female subjects participating were randomly assigned to a stressful bilateral cold pressor test. The remaining subjects performed a non-stressful control procedure. Before and after this intervention, cradling behaviour was assessed using a baby-like doll. Subjects showed a left cradling preference prior to the intervention. The cold pressor test increased blood pressure and heart rate significantly. A repeated ANOVA revealed an interaction of intervention (cold pressor vs. control) X assessment period (pre- vs. post-intervention), indicating that cold pressor stress reduces left cradling behaviour in female volunteers. Our data indicate that stress influences cradling preference. This may be of relevance for caregiver-infant interactions.     

Psychosocial factors associated with reports of physical dating violence among U.S. adolescent females

The present study, based upon the national 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of U.S. high school students, provides the most current and representative data on dating violence among adolescent females (N = 7,179). The dependent variable was physical dating violence. The independent variables included four dimensions: violence, suicide, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. Unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), were examined followed by multivariate logistic regression analyses, which included all significant independent variables from the bivariate analyses. Adjusted OR and 95% CI were computed to assess the significance of the relationships. In terms of prevalence, 10.3% of female adolescents reported experiencing physical dating violence. Black girls (OR = 1.47) and girls who reported sad/hopeless feelings (OR = 1.42) considered suicide (OR = 1.55), engaged in physical fighting (OR = 2.17), had recent sexual partners (OR = 2.10), or had unprotected sexual intercourse (OR = 1.70) were more likely to report physical dating violence. These findings suggest dating violence against adolescent females is widespread and associated with a host of other risk factors that deserve further attention through longitudinal research and intervention efforts.