Visualizing individual differences in Web navigation: STRATDYN, a tool for analyzing navigation patterns

Navigational behavior on the Web can be analyzed with different methods. Log file data are an important source of behavioral traces of navigation. In this paper, we first discuss existing approaches to the classification and visualization of movement sequences that are important for understanding Web navigation. We then present STRATDYN, a tool that provides meaningful quantitative and qualitative measures from server-generatedlog files, as well as easy-to-follow visualizations of navigational paths of individual users. We demonstrate the usefulness of this new approach by reporting the results of two studies (with 44 students in education and vocational training), which show that navigational effectiveness is positively related to the ability to concentrate and selectivelyfocus attention, as measuredby the D2 Test of Attention and the FWIT, a German version of the Stroop test. Finally, we discuss implications for further research in this area and for the continuing development of the approach presented.     

Extinction treatment in multiple contexts attenuates ABC renewal in humans

Renewal has been implicated as one of the underlying mechanisms in return of fear following exposure therapy. ABC renewal is clinically more relevant than ABA renewal and yet it is a weaker form of renewal, suggesting that conducting extinction treatment in multiple contexts may be sufficient to attenuate ABC renewal. Using self-reported expectancy of shock and startle blink responses the current study examined the effects of conducting extinction treatment in multiple contexts on ABC fear renewal. Participants (N = 68) received conditional stimulus (CS) and unconditional stimulus (US) pairings in one context (A) followed by extinction treatment (CS presentations alone) in either one other context (B) or three other contexts (BCD). Non-reinforced test trials in a novel context (E) resulted in renewal of extinguished conditioned behaviour for those who received extinction in only one context. However, renewal was attenuated for those who received extinction treatment in three contexts. No renewal was found for the control group that received the test trial in the same context as during extinction. Suggestions are provided for clinicians seeking to prevent or attenuate return of fear following exposure therapy.     

Comparison of corticosterone responses to acute stressors: Chronic jugular vein versus trunk blood samples in mice

A commonly used method for obtaining blood samples from mice is decapitation. However, there is an obvious need for repeated blood sampling in mice under stress-free conditions. Here, we describe a simple technique to repeatedly collect blood samples from conscious, freely moving mice through a chronically implanted jugular vein catheter. Furthermore, we compare plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in samples obtained through the catheter 1 day after surgery with samples taken from trunk blood obtained under basal or acute stress conditions. CORT concentrations in repeated 100-μl venous blood samples were found to be similar to trunk blood samples both under basal conditions and after stressor exposure collected at identical time points (at 5, 15, and 60?min). Using both techniques, we demonstrate a progressive increase in CORT levels until 15?min after termination of stressor exposure and a decrease towards baseline values 60?min later. Anxiety-related behavior, as assessed on the elevated plus maze 3-4 days after surgery, did not differ between catheterized and non-catheterized mice. Our results provide evidence for application of jugular vein catheterization as a technique for repeated blood sampling in conscious laboratory mice. Use of this technique will greatly reduce the number of animals required for experiments involving endocrine endpoints.     

Hostility and distraction have differential influences on cardiovascular recovery from anger recall in women.

This study investigated the relation of dispositional hostility to cardiovascular reactivity during an anger-recall task and of hostility and distraction to posttask recovery in 80 healthy women (ages 18-30). Half were randomly assigned to distraction during recovery. Hostility predicted slower systolic blood pressure and preejection period during recovery. Distraction was related to faster cardiac recovery, higher high-frequency (HF) power, lower low-frequency (LF) power and LF:HF ratios, and lower state anger and rumination during recovery. These results indicate deleterious influences of hostility on cardiovascular recovery but not during anger recall. The findings also show beneficial effects of distraction in expediting cardiovascular recovery, possibly through reducing rumination and anger.     

Beziehungs- oder Mentalisierungsfähigkeit

This paper investigates the predictive value of the psychological mindedness assessment procedure (PMAP) with respect to differential group therapy outcome using outpatient group therapies with patients suffering from somatoform disorders. Within the contextual framework of the mentalization theory the possible predictive power of the PMAP prior to indications for therapy is reflected. As the results of 50 patients from 6 therapy groups show high PMAP ratings prior to treatment onset predict group suitability of patients. This in turn is predictive for an emotional attunement of such patients during treatment, which is in itself a qualification for an emotional involvement with the group interactive process and therefore highly predictive. In contrast patients with a lower PMAP rating should be referred to groups where another treatment concept or technical attitude on the part of the group leader is realized. The shorter the therapy groups last the more homogeneous group composition should be regarding psychological functioning of patients prior to treatment onset (level of mentalization).     

The effect of visual and cognitive distraction on driver’s anticipation in a simulated car following scenario

Distraction is a common cause of accidents (e.g. NHTSA, 2009), and different distraction conditions influence the driving behaviour in a specific way. Despite a lot of research in this area, most studies concentrate on perception errors as a result of visual distraction. The effects of different distraction conditions on higher cognitive processes are still unclear. The fact that accidents happen even if the drivers perceive all relevant information implies that cognitive factors contribute to accidents, too. For this reason, this study was conducted to investigate how different distraction conditions influence the anticipation of events in a car–following scenario. Anticipation is required to know what will happen next, and to react adequately to the situation. In a driving simulator, scenarios with different manoeuvres of a preceding car were created to generate various anticipations and therefore a different adaptation of the driving behaviour. Additionally, a cognitive and a visual secondary task were introduced. The question was in which way either a cognitive or visual distraction influences the generation of anticipations and the construction of an appropriate situation model.The results indicate that in the phase when the preceding car showed braking manoeuvres, drivers prolonged their safety distance only when being visually distracted which is probably done to compensate for this visual distraction. This compensation ensued to some extent in the second phase where the preceding cars drove with a constant speed. Additionally, drivers who were visually distracted went somewhat slower when the car in front had braked in phase one. Thus, the drivers seemed to anticipate that the car might brake again and adapted their speed accordingly. This was not found in drivers with cognitive distraction. Thus, cognitive distraction seems to disturb this anticipation.Finally, at an intersection, drivers with visual distraction had a smaller TTC and a higher velocity when the car in front made an unexpected turn. Thus, the impairment of perception due to the visual distraction leads to a slower reaction as compared to a cognitive distraction. Overall, cognitive distraction influences the anticipation of possible future actions of other car drivers negatively while visual distraction deteriorates perception and thus the reaction to critical, sudden events. Thus, different intervention strategies are required to prevent these kinds of accidents.     

Is acoustic evaluation in a non-primate mammal,the tree shrew,affected by context?

Sound categorisation plays a crucial role for processing ecological and social stimuli in a species’ natural environment. To explore the discrimination and evaluation of sound stimuli in human babies and nonhuman primates, a reciprocal habituation-dishabituation paradigm has been successfully introduced into auditory research. We applied the reciprocal paradigm for the first time to a non-primate mammal, the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri), to examine to what extent non-primate mammals share the ability to evaluate communication calls with primates. Playback stimuli were three types of communication calls, differing distinctively in context and acoustic structure, as well as two artificial control sounds, differing solely in frequency. We assessed the attention towards the playback stimuli by the latency to respond to the test stimulus. Subjects evaluated pairs of communication call types as well as the artificial playback stimuli. Attention towards the test stimuli differed significantly in strength for one pair of communication calls, with subjects dishabituating faster to one category than the other. The comparison of a second pair of communication calls did not show significant differences. Interestingly, subjects also evaluated the artificial control sounds. Findings are only partly in line with results on human and non-human primates. They provided first evidence that in non-primate mammals acoustic evaluation is not solely affected by the sound-associated context but is also linked to unusualness and acoustic cues, such as peak frequency.