Inhibition of mGluR1 and IP3Rs impairs long-term memory formation in young chicks

Calcium (Ca²⁺) is involved in a myriad of cellular functions in the brain including synaptic plasticity. However, the role of intracellular Ca²⁺ stores in memory processing remains poorly defined. The current study explored a role for glutamate-dependent intracellular Ca²⁺ release in memory processing via blockade of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 1 (mGluR1) and inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP₃Rs). Using a single-trial discrimination avoidance task developed for the young chick, administration of the specific and potent mGluR1 antagonist JNJ16259685 (500 nM, immediately post-training, ic), or the IP₃R antagonist Xestospongin C (5 μM, immediately post-training, ic), impaired retention from 90 min post-training. These findings are consistent with mGluR1 activating IP₃Rs to release intracellular Ca²⁺ required for long-term memory formation and have been interpreted within an LTP2 model. The consequences of different patterns of retention loss following ryanodine receptor (RyR) and IP₃R inhibition are discussed.     

Rethinking Cognition: On Coulter on Discourse and Mind

This paper responds to, and comments on, Coulter's (1999) critique of discursive psychology with particular reference to how cognition is conceptualised theoretically and analytically. It first identifies a number of basic misreadings of discursive psychological writings, which distort and, at times, reverse its position on the status of cognition. Second, it reviews the main ways in which cognition, mental states, and thoughts have been analytically conceptualised in discursive psychology (respecification of topics from mainstream psychology, studies of the psychological thesaurus in action, and studies of the way psychological issues are managed). Third, it considers two of Coulter's substantive issues: the role of correct usage and the role of conceptual vs. empirical analysis. A series of problems are identified with Coulter's development of both of these issues.     

You Need to Understand My Gender Role: An Empirical Test of Tannen's Model of Gender and Communication

In her popular book on gender differences in communication, Deborah Tannen proposed that women and men interpret messages along different dimensions (intimacy and control) and that these differing interpretations make intersex communication difficult. In the present study, we contrasted Tannen's model with a more complex model that incorporated gender role as a factor that influences the interpretations of messages. Causal modeling of data from questionnaires (N = 192) administered to predominately European American university students revealed stronger support for a complex model than for the basic model.     

An increase in stimulus arousal has differential effects on the processing speed of pleasant and unpleasant stimuli

The arousal value of a stimulus influences its salience, whereby higher arousal should lead to faster processing. However, in previous research, participants consistently made faster valence judgments for low arousal, pleasant stimuli than for high arousal, pleasant stimuli. The speed of valence and arousal judgments for pictures and words were investigated in three experiments. Valence judgments were faster for low arousal than for high arousal pleasant pictures and for high arousal than for low arousal unpleasant pictures and words. Moreover, arousal judgments were faster for low arousal than high arousal pleasant and for high arousal than low arousal unpleasant pictures and words. The current research confirms that the impact of valence and arousal on processing speed does not reflect on the labels (valence versus arousal) used when recording speeded judgments. Similarly to valence, stimulus arousal interacts differentially with the evaluation of pleasant and unpleasant stimuli producing a processing advantage for high arousal, unpleasant stimuli but not high arousal, pleasant stimuli.     

Attachment Theory and Religiosity: A Summary of Empirical Research With Implications for Counseling Christian Clients

The authors summarize the growing body of empirical research literature in the area of psychology of religion that has been guided by attachment theory and indicate implications for counseling, including practical suggestions for case conceptualization, possible spiritual interventions, and ethical guidelines for practice. Attachment theory provides a fertile framework whereby counselors may conceptualize the religious experiences of Christian clients whose spirituality involves the belief in and relationship with a personal God.     

Conceptualization and measurement of temporal focus: The subjective experience of the past,present, and future

Temporal focus is the attention individuals devote to thinking about the past, present, and future, and the concept is important because it affects how people incorporate perceptions about past experiences, current situations, and future expectations into their attitudes, cognitions, and behavior. However, temporal focus has not been clearly defined nor situated in a nomological network of constructs. In addition, existing measures of temporal focus suffer from various shortcomings. In this paper, we advance the concept of temporal focus by critically examining its conceptualization, developing a new measure of temporal focus (Temporal Focus Scale; TFS), and evaluating the validity (i.e., construct, convergent, discriminant, nomological, and predictive validity) of the TFS across four studies. We conclude that understanding how individuals focus their attention toward the past, present, and future clarifies their responses to explicit and implicit temporal information, which suggests that a variety of research streams would benefit from incorporating the concept of temporal focus.     

Characteristics of Therapist Self-Disclosure in the Counseling Process

A survey was sent to practicing therapists to investigate their uses of self-disclosure in counseling and psychotherapy. A total of 46% returned surveys, and most indicated that they used at least some self-disclosure in their work with clients. Overall, respondents reported disclosing about professional qualifications and experience most often and indicated that they disclosed mainly to increase similarity between themselves and clients.     

Impartiality in pre-entry guidance for adults in further education colleges

The growth in the provision of guidance through institution-based services in the United Kingdom has raised concerns about whether the principle of impartiality is being compromised. The understandings and practices of impartiality among those involved in providing pre-entry guidance to adults in three further education colleges in London are examined. A complex picture is presented in which impartiality is only one aspect of guidance and one with different and uncertain meanings emerging from and situated within differing individual, social and institutional contexts. Thus while the meaning of impartiality can be clearly stated in professional codes of practice and quality frameworks, its meanings in practice are less clear. Further areas of research are identified.     

Social desirability and Wiggin's MMPI content scales.

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) item pool, Wiggins (1966) developed 13 scales, each with a homogeneous content. The 13 scales, along with marker scales for the 1st 3 MMPI factors, Edward's social desirability (SD), Welsh's repression (R), and Wiggins's social desirability (Sd) respectively were scored in the MMPI. The same scales were scored in an Experimental Multiphasic Personality Inventory (EMPI). A principal-components analysis of the 16 scales when scored in the MMPI resulted in 4 factors. A principal-components analysis of these same scales when scored in the MMPI and when scored in the EMPI were found to be highly congruent. The SD, R, and Sd scales proved to be excellent markers for the 1st 3 factors of the MMPI and also for the 1st 3 factors of the EMPI. Results provide further evidence that the 1st MMPI factor is a social desirability factor rather than a content factor.     

The ego-ideal,the leader and analytic group psychotherapy

The theoretical position of this paper is that the essential character of the ego-ideal, a part of superego functioning, is unconcious and functions automatically. Precursors to superego development and egoideal formation begin at early pre-oedipal levels, and derivations in adult behavior contain primitive aspects. Ego-ideal is perfectionistic and impossible to obey; therefore, projection of this phenomena as well as its activity leads to disappointment, anger, anxiety, depression and despair. Pseudomoral injunctions frequently rationalize and disguise early primitive aspects of unconscious superego development and egoideal formation. These points are illustrated and interpreted by clinical material. The therapeutic action of the group and its leader, through the complexity of transference and projection, to help modify this critical, selfdefeating aspect of adult functioning is described.