Examining the Validity of Cyclothymic Disorder in a Youth Sample: Replication and Extension

DSM-IV-TR defines four subtypes of bipolar disorder (BP): bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder and bipolar not otherwise specified (NOS). However, cyclothymic disorder in children is rarely researched, or often subsumed in an “NOS” category. The present study tests the replicability of findings from an earlier study, and expands on the criterion validity of cyclothymic disorder in youth. Using the Robins and Guze (1970) framework we examined the validity of cyclothymic disorder as a subtype of BP. Using a youth (ages 5–17) outpatient clinical sample (N?=?894), participants with cyclothymic disorder (n?=?53) were compared to participants with other BP spectrum disorders (n?=?399) and to participants with non-bipolar disorders (n?=?442). Analyses tested differences in youth with cyclothymic disorder and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified who do, and those who do not, have a parent with BP. Compared to youth with non-bipolar disorders, youth with cyclothymic disorder had higher irritability (p?<?0.001), more comorbidity (p?<?0.001), greater sleep disturbance (p?<?0.005), and were more likely to have a family history of BP (p?<?0.001). Cyclothymic disorder was associated with a younger age of onset compared to depression (p?<?0.001) and bipolar II (p?=?0.05). Parental BP status was not significantly associated with any variables. Results support that cyclothymic disorder belongs on the bipolar spectrum. Epidemiological studies indicate that cyclothymic disorder is not uncommon and involves significant impairment. Failing to differentiate between cyclothymic disorder and bipolar NOS limits our knowledge about a significant proportion of cases of bipolarity.     

Segregated processing of facial identity and emotion in the human brain: A pet study

Abstract

The brain is organized into segregated areas of relative functional autonomy and specialization. This basic principle of cerebral organization is well documented for cognitive functions that differ drastically from one another, but less so for functions that belong to the same domain, such as face processing. Yet several sources of evidence point to a functional and structural dissociation of various aspects of face processing, as suggested by (1) an analysis of the perceptual and cognitive demands made by the processing of diverse properties conveyed by facial configurations, (2) selective impairment of aspects of face processing in brain-damaged patients, and (3) different localizations of face cells responsive to properties conveyed by faces such as identity and emotion in the monkey's brain. This study used positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to delineate better the neurofunctional organization of face processing in the human brain, by measuring cerebral blood flow while subjects performed tasks involving the recognition of faces or the recognition of emotions expressed by faces. The results showed segregated processing of facial identity and facial emotion, with the former being performed predominantly in the ventro-mesial region of the right hemisphere including the limbic system, whereas the latter was carried out predominantly in the latter part of the right hemisphere and the dorsal region of the limbic system. This structural organization allows the parallel processing of different information contained in physiognomies and underlies the high efficiency with which humans process faces.     

Dialogue and Synthesis: Developing Consensus in Visitor Research Methodology

ABSTRACT

This brief synthesis presents the main points of agreement between Dawson and Jensen's article, “‘Towards a ‘Contextual Turn’ in Visitor Studies: Evaluating Visitor Segmentation and Identity-Related Motivations” (this issue) and Falk's reply, “Contextualizing Falk's Identity-Related Visitor Motivation Model” (this issue), and it highlights important considerations for future research.     

Causal Analysis to Enhance Creative Problem-Solving: Performance and Effects on Mental Models

In recent years, it has become apparent that knowledge is a critical component of creative thought. One form of knowledge that might be particularly important to creative thought relies on the mental models people employ to understand novel, ill-defined problems. In this study, undergraduates were given training in the use of causal relationships in applying mental models in creative problem-solving. A pre-post design was used to assess the effects of this training on mental models and creative problem-solving. It was found that causal analysis training resulted in the acquisition of better mental models (in terms of subjective and objective attributes) and better solutions (in terms of quality, originality, and elegance) to problems calling for creative thought among high-ability participants. The implications of these findings for understanding the role of mental models in creative problem-solving are discussed.     

BOOK REVIEW

The Evolving Mind BEN GOERTZEL, Gordon and Breach, 1993, cloth. ISBN 2–88124–587–0, pp. 260, index

From Power to Partnership: Creating the Future of Love, Work, and Community ALFONSO MONTUORI AND ISABELLA CONTI San Francisco: HarperSanFrisco. 1993, paper. ISBN 0–06–250548–3, $13.00 USD pp. 281 includes index

Applied Chaos Theory: A Paradigm For Complexity A. B. CAMBEL, Academic Press, 1993, cloth; pp. 260, index; 38 USD     

Action-specific effects underwater

Action-specific effects on perception are apparent in terrestrial environments. For example, targets that require more effort to walk, jump, or throw to look farther away than when the targets require less effort. Here, we examined whether action-specific effects would generalize to an underwater environment. Instead, perception might be geometrically precise, rather than action-specific, in an environment that is novel from an evolutionary perspective. We manipulated ease to swim by giving participants swimming flippers or taking them away. Those who estimated distance while wearing the flippers judged underwater targets to be closer than did participants who had taken them off. In addition, participants with better swimming ability judged the targets to be closer than did those with worse swimming ability. These results suggest perceived distance underwater is a function of the perceiver's ability to swim to the targets.     

The threat of moral refusers for one's self-concept and the protective function of physical cleansing

We investigated how people respond to moral threats and the consequences this has for one's moral self-concept. In two experiments, participants first tasted a sausage and were then confronted with a bogus participant who had refused to taste the sausage because of moral or non-moral reasons. People disliked the moral refuser more than the non-moral refuser. The self-threatening effect of having one's morals questioned was also reflected in specific patterns of cardiovascular responses and negatively affected participants' self-evaluations. We further show that the negative effects of a moral threat can be prevented by a simple intervention of physical cleansing: Participants who had cleansed their hands before being confronted with a moral refuser did not show the negative effects on self- and refuser evaluations. Importantly, the protective effects of physical cleansing were most pronounced for people with a strong moral identity. Taken together, these results underline the importance of one's self-concept when confronted with a moral refuser, and introduce an effective intervention to prevent these negative consequences.     

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Gender Stereotype!: Longitudinal Associations Between Superhero Viewing and Gender Stereotyped Play

Although content analyses have found that superhero programs in the media portray strong gender stereotypes of masculinity, little research has examined the effects of viewing such programs. In the current study, 134 mothers of preschool children (from the Western and Northwestern United States) reported their child’s superhero exposure in the media, male-stereotyped play, weapon play, and parental active mediation of the media at two time points (1 year apart). Results revealed that boys viewed superhero programs more frequently than girls, with nearly a quarter of boys viewing superhero programs at least weekly. Analyses revealed that superhero exposure was related to higher levels of male-stereotyped play for boys and higher levels of weapon play for both boys and girls from Time 1 to Time 2, even after controlling for initial levels. Parental active mediation did not negate these effects, and even served to strengthen one finding for girls. Specifically, among girls with high superhero exposure, weapon play was highest for girls who received frequent active mediation. Implications of the results are discussed with a focus on whether such programs are developmentally appropriate for preschool children.