Bridging novelty and familiarity-based recognition memory: A matter of timing

Novelty detection is essential to adapt to changes. However, the relationship between novelty detection and visual recognition memory remains unclear. To characterize the temporal dynamics of novelty and its connection to familiarity, we probed early behavioural performance of novelty and familiarity in 31 participants using a speeded go/no-go recognition task with a 600-ms response deadline. Responses to familiarity and novelty produced symmetrical biases and correlated accuracies and biases, but novelty decisions were less accurate and had slower minimal reaction times (410?ms). These processes thus appear to be independent, as suggested by a more efficient system in the case of familiarity, but with common factors bringing overlapping contributions to both processes. This may possibly be explained by the more fluent processing of repeated stimuli, but with familiarity and novelty potentially relying on one decision criterion, as suggested by the correlated and remarkably symmetrical biases. This study supports models that conceptualize novelty and familiarity decisions as two partly overlapping processes.     

Local vs. global pragmatics

In ‘Local pragmatics in a Gricean framework’, Mandy Simons argues that, contrary to the received view, it is possible to accommodate local pragmatic effects utilising just the mechanisms for pragmatic reasoning provided by Grice. Although I agree with this overarching claim, this paper argues that we need to be careful in our understanding of ‘what is said’, and the nature of communicated content in general, when deciding between local and global accounts of pragmatic effects.     

A randomised wait list-controlled pre–post–follow-up trial of a gratitude diary with a distressed sample

In a randomised wait list-controlled trial with repeated measures pre-, post- and follow-up design, participants (N = 109) with a current self-reported diagnosis of an anxiety disorder and/or depression, took part in an internet-based study. After completing a three-week gratitude diary returning participants had lower scores on measures of depression, anxiety, stress and perceived sleep difficulties and higher scores on a measure of subjective well-being than immediately pre-intervention. At three-week follow-up depression and sleep scores for returning participants were no longer significantly different from pre-intervention, however, improvements for subjective well-being and stress at post-intervention were maintained. At follow-up anxiety scores had not only been maintained but had improved significantly beyond post-intervention results. Intention to treat analyses were conducted and provided support for most completer results. Differences between the two sets of analyses are discussed below. This trial provides support for the use of gratitude diaries as an intervention with distressed populations.     

The role of rapport in satisfying one’s basic psychological needs

Psychological need satisfaction is essential for daily human functioning and one of its sources is high quality interactions. Rapport is essential to high quality interactions and may be one way that various relationships types can provide the nutriments of healthy functioning. We hypothesized that when people perceive interactions to be higher in rapport, they will experience greater satisfaction of their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We also explored whether this would be a basic process that would be altered by the relationship between interactants, testing this with multiple operationalizations. We conducted an event-contingent diary study in which participants (n_participants?=?124) responded to items at baseline, each time they experienced an interaction (n_interaction?=?1293), and at two-week follow-up. Supporting hypotheses, rapport in interactions was positively associated with need satisfaction within-persons, between-persons, cross-sectionally, and when examining temporal change. Moreover, rapport tended to predict the satisfaction of one’s needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness independently. Finally, relationships between interactants did not moderate these associations.

     

Procedural fairness enacted by societal actors increases social trust and social acceptance among ethnic minority members through the promotion of sense of societal belonging

Although procedural fairness has been studied frequently during the past decades, little work has focused explicitly on how procedural fairness affects members of ethnic minorities in the context of multicultural decision-making processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate how perceptions of procedurally fair treatment of fellow minority members by societal actors impact the individual’s sense of societal belongingness, which we define as the feeling that he/she is a valued member of society at large, and how this in turn is related to social trust and social well-being. Three samples of African American and Hispanic American respondents from the United States were collected (total N = 570). Two experimental studies and one questionnaire study were conducted. Experimental manipulation of procedural fairness climate was shown to impact sense of societal belongingness among minority members (Study 1), whereas manipulating sense of societal belongingness itself led to an increase in social trust and social acceptance (Study 2). Study 3 (A self-report survey), finally, affirmed the entire hypothesized mediation model. The present research provides further evidence for the importance of procedural fairness for ethnic minorities. Our research showed that when societal actors enact procedural fairness they may strengthen minority members’ societal belongingness, which in turn may influence their social trust and feelings of being socially accepted.     

An outreach approach to high risk parents and their infants

This paper describes a special project designed to evaluate services to high risk parents and their infants. Twenty-three families were served by intensive outreach and home-based model of intervention. Sixty-one percent of these parents had significant mental health problems prior to referral. The paper describes the sample, outlines the approach to therapy and gives a specific case example. The data post-treatment is summarized and results detailed.     

Genetic and environmental influences on aggression in 4- to 7-year-old twins

Aggressive behaviors of 38 twin pairs (21 monozygotic [MZ], 17 dizygotic [DZ]) between the ages of 4 and 7 years were assessed through mothers' ratings and observations in their homes. An observation checklist was developed in which mothers were asked to observe and report each child's specific aggressive behaviors for a total of 6 hours spread over 3 days. In particular the observations focused on the following behaviors: rejection, destructiveness, negativism, noncompliance, teasing, physical negative, insult, verbal threat, and yelling. Biometrical genetic analysis evidenced significant heritable influences on composite aggression scores in both the observation checklist and the mothers' ratings; heritability estimates varied from.24 to.94 depending on the aggression nieasnre used, with scores from the mothers' observations demonstrating smaller genetic effect than those of the parental ratings of the environmental sources of variance, within-family factors were far more important than the between-family ones. The results also yielded significant sex and zygosity differences for means of some of the specific aggressive behaviors, where males and DZ twins scored higher than females and MZ twins. It was suggested that future studies should include more detailed investigations of the context in which specific aggressive behaviors occur and the sources toward which they are directed in order to determine the extent to which different types of aggression may have different etiologies.     

Combining Exposure and Pharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder: A Preliminary Study of State Dependent Learning

State dependent learning (SDL) occurs when learning acquired in one context is not retrievable in a different context. Although traditionally SDL is thought of in the context of substance use, the role of SDL should be considered during combined medication and exposure treatment for anxiety disorders. Data are presented from a within-subjects, case-series design of four participants with social anxiety disorder. Participants engaged in a series of situational exposures while taking either alprazolam (0.75 mg), propranolol (40 mg), placebo or no medication. They returned 48 h later and engaged in the same situational exposure in an unmedicated state to determine retention of learning following the shift in drug context. Results suggest that SDL effects are possible when combining pharmacotherapy (alprazolam) with exposure therapy. Future research is needed determine the conditions under which SDL is most likely to occur and ways to facilitate transfer of learning across different contexts.     

Structure of personality pathology in normal and clinical samples: Spanish validation of the DAPP-BQ

Given that the DSM taxonomy of personality disorders is flawed by severe classificatory problems, the development of alternative classificatory systems, such as the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ), has now become a priority. This study examined the internal consistency, second-order factor structure, and criterion validity of a Spanish translation of the DAPP-BQ in two samples: subjects with personality disorder (n = 155) and subjects from the general population (n = 300). Alpha coefficients ranged satisfactorily from .75 to .93. Four second-order factors of Emotional Dysregulation, Dissocial Behavior, Inhibitedness, and Compulsivity were obtained, which were replicable between samples and identical to those reported in the literature. Finally, disordered subjects scored significantly higher than normal subjects on 17 of the 18 DAPP-BQ traits. Some pending issues in the construction of an alternative taxonomy of personality disorders are discussed.     

Engaging Nurses in Genetics: The Strategic Approach of the NHS National Genetics Education and Development Centre

The UK government announced the establishment of an NHS National Genetics Education and Development Centre in its Genetics White Paper. The Centre aims to lead and coordinate developments to enhance genetics literacy of health professionals. The nursing program takes a strategic approach based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior, using the UK nursing genetics competences as the platform for development. The program team uses innovative approaches to raise awareness of the relevance of genetics, working collaboratively with policy stakeholders, as key agents of change in promoting competence. Providing practical help in preparing learning and teaching resources lends further encouragement. Evaluation of the program is dependent on gathering baseline data, and the program has been informed by an education needs analysis. The challenges faced are substantial and necessitate international collaboration where expertise and resources can be shared to produce a global system of influence to facilitate the engagement of non-genetic nurses.