Rewarding performance feedback alters reported time of action

Past studies have shown that the perceived time of actions is retrospectively influenced by post-action events. The current study examined whether rewarding performance feedback (even when false) altered the reported time of action. In Experiment 1, participants performed a speeded button press task and received monetary reward for a presumed “fast,” or a monetary punishment for a presumed “slow” response. Rewarded trials resulted in the false perception that the response action occurred earlier than punished trials. In Experiments 2 and 3, the need for a speeded response and reward were independently manipulated in order to decouple the cognitive and reward components in the feedback signal. When tested independently, neither variable affected the judged time of action. We conclude that meaningful feedback (fast or slow) is only used when made salient by reward, to modulate the judged time of an action.     

An evidence-based group coping intervention for women living with HIV and history of childhood sexual abuse

Women living with HIV/AIDS and a history of childhood sexual abuse often exhibit sexual trauma symptoms and elevated rates of HIV-risk behaviors. In this paper, we describe a coping skills group intervention that reduced traumatic stress and sexual-risk behavior in a recent randomized clinical trial. We focused on clinical issues that emerged among female participants receiving the intervention. Clinical observations showed that recognizing connections between trauma, psychological distress, and high risk behaviors was a new and powerful experience for many participants. Participants successfully applied psychoeducational material, expressing an increased sense of power and control over their relationships and behaviors as they developed more adaptive cognitive and behavioral skills. Women expressed high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. Recommendations for clinical practice are provided.     

All Parents Are to Blame (Except This One): Global Versus Specific Attitudes Related to Parental Responsibility Laws1

Increasing state legislation and media interest give the appearance of public support for parental responsibility laws; however, some national polls suggest otherwise. Based on disparate global and specific attitudes in other areas of the criminal justice literature, it was hypothesized that relatively weak global support for parental responsibility would be diminished even more if a specific juvenile was described. The current studies confirmed that participants were even less supportive of parental responsibility laws when a specific juvenile and his parents were described than they were when they answered questions about parents in general.     

How older adults use cognition in sentence-final word recognition

This study examined the effects of executive control and working memory on older adults’ sentence-final word recognition. The question we addressed was the importance of executive functions to this process and how it is modulated by the predictability of the speech material. To this end, we tested 173 neurologically intact adult native English speakers aged 55–84 years. Participants were given a sentence-final word recognition test in which sentential context was manipulated and sentences were presented in different levels of babble, and multiple tests of executive functioning assessing inhibition, shifting, and efficient access to long-term memory, as well as working memory. Using a generalized linear mixed model, we found that better inhibition was associated with higher accuracy in word recognition, while increased age and greater hearing loss were associated with poorer performance. Findings are discussed in the framework of semantic control and are interpreted as supporting a theoretical view of executive control which emphasizes functional diversity among executive components.     

Effects of immediacy of feedback and level of aspiration statements on learning tasks for delinquent youngsters

The performance of institutionalized delinquent youngsters on paired associate learning tasks was investigated to determine whether level of aspiration (LOA) statements were associated with improved performance under varying feedback conditions. The effects of the feedback conditions were also examined. Forty-eight male adolescents were randomly assigned to the following six treatment conditions: (1) Delayed Feedback, (2) Delayed Feedback with LOA, (3) Immediate Feedback, (4) Immediate Feedback with LOA, (5) No Feedback, (6) No Feedback with LOA. The LOA conditions produced significantly better performance than did the no-LOA conditions. Implications for curricular intervention are discussed.     

Mapping Moral Motivation

In this paper we defend a version of moral internalism and a cognitivist account of motivation against recent criticisms. The internalist thesis we espouse claims that, if an agent believes she has reason to A, then she is motivated to A. Discussion of counter-examples has been clouded by the absence of a clear account of the nature of motivation. While we can only begin to provide such an account in this paper, we do enough to show that our version of internalism can be defended against putative counter-examples. All theories of motivation which take what motivates to be a psychological state run foul of the following plausible constraint: the reason why you ought to do an action and the reason why you do it can be the same. In our view, however, while what motivates is a reason (which is a fact) the state of being motivated is a cognitive stage, viz. the belief that one has reason to act. In cases where the agent's relevant beliefs are false, then she has no reason to act, but nontheless her action can be explained in other ways.     

Environnement lumineux et anxiété des patients en service d’IRM

BackgroundMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imagery exam, which is considered stressful/worrying for patients. This anxiety is related to several factors: negative beliefs linked to the lack of knowledge about the procedure of the exam, duration, noise of the MRI, etc. Several interventions, before and during the MRI were proposed and evaluated with the aim of reducing anxiety for patients (information given to patients, psychological preparation before the exam and hypnosis, aromatherapy, sedation, environment and positioning of the patient). While the health service is more and more centered on cost-efficiency and pressure for greater patient throughput, it is important to find appropriate interventions to improve patient tolerance of MRIs.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare anxiety of patients based on the MRI luminous environment.Methods208 patients aged 18–70 years participated in the study. Four subgroups were created according to the presence or absence of luminous environment, screen and music: G1 (60 participants, with luminous environment, without screen, music with fast tempo); G2 (60 participants, with luminous environment, with screen, music with slow tempo); G3 (27 participants, without luminous environment, without music); G4 (61 participants, without luminous environment, music with fast tempo). All participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate their anxiety regarding the exam (anxiety-state, AE) and in everyday life (anxiety-trait, AT): STAI-Y. Open questions were also asked to participants in order to gain an understanding of their experience of the exam (positive points and suggestions for improvements).ResultsThe results showed a significant difference between the groups of the AE: patients of group G1 showed more AE than patients in group G2 (p = 0.037), patients of group G2 showed less AE than those of group G3 (p = 0.001), and patients of group G3 showed more AE than patients in group G4 (p = 0.019). No significative difference was found between the 3 groups in the AT. The participants who underwent exams in a room with a luminous environment equipped with a screen with slow tempo music reported more satisfaction and offered fewer suggestions for improvement compared with the two other groups.ConclusionThis study has revealed that the environment in which patients undergo their exam affects their level of anxiety during the exam. A luminous environment equipped with a screen led to a considerable decrease in patient anxiety during the MRI exam. Technological innovations are allowing the patient to be the center of radiographers focus more and more. Trying to priorities improvement of patient well-being consequently facilitates their work. Taking into account the cost and increasing number of medical imagery exams, prevention of anxiety and its undesirable side-effects is not only important for patients, but also avoids wastage of staff and of time. The results of this study should encourage health centers to invest in these new installations, keeping in mind that new technologies can never replace information and support offered before the exam by radiologists and radiographers.     

Field operational test of a seatbelt reminder system: Effects on driver behaviour and acceptance

The long-term effects on driver behaviour and acceptance of a seatbelt reminder system were examined in an on-road study. The system was capable of detecting seatbelt use in all seating positions and produced a two-stage visual and auditory warning if occupants were unrestrained. The effects of this system were evaluated alone and in combination with two other intelligent transport systems: intelligent speed adaptation and a following distance warning system. Twenty-three fleet car drivers drove an instrumented vehicle (SafeCar) for at least 16,500 km as part of their everyday driving. The results revealed that driver and passenger interaction with the seatbelt reminder system led to large and significant decreases in the percentage of trips where occupants were unbelted, in the percentage of total driving time spent unbelted, and in the time taken to fasten a seatbelt in response to system warnings. The seatbelt reminder system was rated by drivers as being useful, effective and socially acceptable, and led to a decrease in drivers’ subjective workload. These results were found even though the baseline pre-exposure seatbelt wearing compliance rates among participants were high.