Why positive information is processed faster: the density hypothesis

The authors postulate and show a speed advantage in the processing of positive information and hypothesize that this advantage is caused by the higher density of positive information in memory: Positive information is more similar to other positive information, in comparison with the similarity of negative information to other negative information. This "density" hypothesis is supported by multidimensional scaling of evaluative stimuli and response latency experiments. The relevance and explanatory power of the hypothesis is demonstrated by secondary data analyses of prior research in the evaluative priming paradigm. The final discussion is concerned with further theoretical implications of the density hypothesis, its generality and limitations, and its relation to other theoretical conceptions and applications.     

UNIQUENESS IN CONTEXT

Wentzel van Huyssteen's Gifford Lectures, published as Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology, accomplish critical and constructive thinking about interdisciplinary reflection on science and religion and about the meaning of human uniqueness. One approach to discussion of van Huyssteen's text entails consideration of three issues: the contextual character of research on humans and animals, the difficult problem of defining uniqueness, and the important consequences of exploring human uniqueness. Evolutionary biology and primatology contribute specific scientific insights.     

Empathic deficits and alexithymia in trauma-related impulsive aggression

Our long term interest is to develop a developmental model of impulsive aggression based on a confluence of social, psychological and biological features. This approach incorporates neurobiological research, which has identified language processing deficits as a unique characteristic of impulsive aggressors and extends it to include emotional deficits. As an initial test of this hypothesis, we examined whether empathy and alexithymia were associated with impulsive aggression. Regressions were performed to explore the associations among impaired empathy, alexithymia, impulsive aggression, verbal and physical general aggression. Among impulsive aggressive veterans (n = 38) recruited from a VA trauma clinic, alexithymia predicted impulsive aggression and empathic deficits predicted verbal aggression. Neither emotional awareness deficit predicted general physical aggression in this middle-aged sample. Results suggested that empathic deficits were associated with general verbal aggression, but alexithymia was uniquely associated with impulsive aggression. Consideration of alexithymia in impulsive aggression has implications for its etiology, prevention and treatment. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scham und Berührung

The problem

Are there correlations between shame and touch in healthy persons?

Methods

Data from a questionnaire survey with the Skin Satisfaction Questionnaire (HautZuf) with 140 healthy persons were validated with TAS 26, HADS and the Adult Attachment Scale.

Results

There are significant correlations in the scale shame with all other scales of the used questionnaires TAS-26, AAS and HADS. There was a negative correlation between the scale ?physical closeness“ and ?confidence“ of the AAS, but all other scales correlated positively with the shame scale.

Conclusions

More emotions of shame seem to be present with anxiety, depression and disturbances in the sense of an alexithymia concept. Also high feelings of shame correlated with decreased confidence in the personal environment and greater intolerance for personal nearness. The significant correlations between shame affects and self-touch or touch by partner point to important factors in self-perception also for the psychotherapeutic context.     

Von anderen Patienten lernen

Today, internet-based technologies are used at all levels of psychosocial services. Current psychotherapeutic applications concentrate on the implementation of traditional approaches in the internet. Self-help programs are posted onto the net, therapies are conducted via e-mail and groups meet in virtual chat rooms. If one looks at the development of the web over the last 2 years, it becomes clear that the substantial growth and popularity of this medium is due to internet platforms where contents and knowledge can be developed in collaborative environments and experiences can be shared with other users. The present paper addresses this development. On the basis of our example it is discussed how collaborative elements can be integrated into a psychotherapeutic application.     

Sekundäre Traumatisierung

During the past several years there has been a growing interest in the negative effects that therapy may have on therapists. Of special interest is a phenomenon called secondary traumatization, which can arise while working with traumatized clients. As yet it has not been verified that secondary traumatization consists of posttraumatic symptoms and leads to clinically significant distress. In an exploratory study 21 therapists were interviewed who declared that they had experienced an incident of this form of work-related stress. The presented study reveals that in fact such a ?vicarious“ traumatization can arise, even without direct contact to the original trauma. It consists of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms, but in severe cases it can also manifest itself in symptoms which are far beyond the typical PTSD spectrum. Conditions for the development of secondary traumatization are high empathic ability and dissociative processing of the trauma material by the therapist.     

Psychosoziale Versorgungsforschung

Health is of high value. Therefore, an effective and efficient care is a widely accepted societal objective. Correspondingly, health service research in general and for the psychosocial area in particular receives increasing attention from politics, health and pension insurance companies and professional organisations. These stakeholders promote health service research with considerable financial means. The various promotional programs are described and their implications are discussed. The relationship between content, purposes and methodology for the definition of research in health care is clarified. Finally, current research questions are exemplified by five key topics.     

Psychosomatische Aspekte des Diabetes mellitus

The term “diabetes mellitus” describes a group of endocrinological diseases characterised by hyperglycemia. The treatment is demanding for patients in terms of self-management and self-responsibility, and some patients need not only medical but psychological support as well. This article reviews essential psychological aspects of diabetes, starting with factors affecting adherence to diabetes treatment. The main part describes epidemiology and interactions between anxiety disorders, eating disorders and depression in patients with diabetes. Treatment recommendations are derived from current knowledge in accordance with evidence-based treatment guidelines.