Algorithmic modeling of the irrelevant sound effect (ISE) by the hearing sensation fluctuation strength

Background sounds, such as narration, music with prominent staccato passages, and office noise impair verbal short-term memory even when these sounds are irrelevant. This irrelevant sound effect (ISE) is evoked by so-called changing-state sounds that are characterized by a distinct temporal structure with varying successive auditory-perceptive tokens. However, because of the absence of an appropriate psychoacoustically based instrumental measure, the disturbing impact of a given speech or nonspeech sound could not be predicted until now, but necessitated behavioral testing. Our database for parametric modeling of the ISE included approximately 40 background sounds (e.g., speech, music, tone sequences, office noise, traffic noise) and corresponding performance data that was collected from 70 behavioral measurements of verbal short-term memory. The hearing sensation fluctuation strength was chosen to model the ISE and describes the percept of fluctuations when listening to slowly modulated sounds (f(mod) < 20?Hz). On the basis of the fluctuation strength of background sounds, the algorithm estimated behavioral performance data in 63 of 70 cases within the interquartile ranges. In particular, all real-world sounds were modeled adequately, whereas the algorithm overestimated the (non-)disturbance impact of synthetic steady-state sounds that were constituted by a repeated vowel or tone. Implications of the algorithm's strengths and prediction errors are discussed.     

Black holes: Some notes on time,symbolization, and perversion in the psychodynamics of addiction

Abstract

The existence of man is distinguished by its split state: man stands in the middle of life yet still has an awareness of his own death. He has to compensate whatever is missing in him naturally at the societal level, created as culture, and at the individual level through creativity. Rank investigated the human ‘creative drive’, the anthropological aspiration to express oneself in creative works, and to overcome the fear of death with its help. Freud admired poets and artists, whose achievements he could not psychoanalytically access, but he considered science superior to the harmless and naïve arts. There are two anthropological radicals: premature birth and the consciousness of death. Freud's massive fear of death made it difficult for him to acknowledge the problem of death appropriately. In Rank's concept, the development of human creativity contributes towards the fear of death being alleviated so that the knowledge of death can be integrated into life; creativity belongs to the fundamental opportunities of man that may enable him to find a way through neurosis. Failure is as much a part of life as is creativity: those who do not experience and accept life in its tragic dimension are denied creativity. Only a creative person who accepts his partial failure finds the strength to continue to be creative without his imperfect work leading to the ritual repetition of the same thing again and again, that is, getting stuck in recidivism.     

Multiple illness perceptions in older adults: Effects on physical functioning and medication adherence

Objective: Previous research on illness perceptions has focused on single illnesses, but most adults over 65 suffer from multiple illnesses (multimorbidity). This study tests three competing operationalisations of multiple illness perceptions in predicting physical functioning and adherence: (1) main effects and interactions model; (2) peak model with effects of the most prominent illness perception; and (3) combined model with averaged illness perceptions over multiple illnesses.

Design: Longitudinal study in N?=?215 individuals (65–86?years) with multimorbidity at two measurement points over six months. Participants filled in two Brief Illness Perception Questionnaires (B-IPQ) on their two most severe illnesses.

Main outcome measures: Physical functioning, medication adherence.

Results: Factor analyses suggest that the B-IPQ contains three dimensions; consequences, control and timeline. Multiple regression models fit the data best for (1) and (3). Timeline (β?=??.18) and control (β?=?.21) predict adherence in (1); consequences (β?=?.16) and control (β?=?.20) in (3). Physical functioning was significantly predicted by interacting control beliefs in (1; β?=?.13), by peak consequences in (2; β?=??.14) and by consequences (β?=??.15) in (3).

Conclusions: Individuals with multimorbidity hold both distinct and combined perceptions about their illnesses. To understand individual responses to multimorbidity, perceptions about all illnesses and multimorbidity as entity should be examined.     

The effect of rebranding generic medicines on drug efficacy and side effects

Objectives: Subjective age is an important correlate of health, well-being, and longevity. So far, little is known about short-term variability in subjective age and the circumstances under which individuals feel younger/older in daily life. This study examined whether (a) older adults’ felt age fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, (b) daily changes in health, stressors, and affect explain fluctuations in felt age, and (c) the daily associations between felt age and health, stressors, or affect are time-ordered.

Method: Using an eight-day daily diary approach, N = 43 adults (60–96 years, M = 74.65, SD = 8.19) filled out daily questionnaires assessing subjective age, health, daily stressors, and affect. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling.

Main outcome measures: Subjective age, health, daily stressors, affect.

Results: Intra-individual variability in felt age was not explained by time but by short-term variability in other variables. Specifically, on days when participants experienced more than average health problems, stress, or negative affect they felt older than on days with average health, stress, or negative affect. No time-ordered effects were found.

Conclusion: Bad health, many stressors, and negative affective experiences constitute circumstances under which older adults feel older than they typically do. Thus, daily measures of subjective age could be markers of health and well-being.     

Belastungen von Bachelor- und Diplom-Studierenden

Background

The restructuring of the European educational system in line with the Bologna process forms a source of complaints in German universities because of the rigid structure of the curricula and higher pressure to perform. By comparison of students in the former diploma system with students in the bachelor master system during the period of restructuring it was analyzed if the changes in the educational system affect psychological distress in a negative way.

Methods

The analysis of 535 datasets from the psychotherapeutic outpatient department for students of the university Göttingen in the years between 2006 and 2010 was carried out to clarify if students in the bachelor master system suffered more from severe psychological distress than students of the former German diploma system. Dependent variables are a questionnaire comprising current problems and the global severity index (GSI) from the symptom checklist (SCL)-90-R. The confounding factors resulting from course of study and stud -time in the period of the restructuring have been controlled.

Results

The bachelor master students who sought help were not generally suffering from more psychological distress than diploma students. However, in comparison to students from the former diploma system they suffered more from psychological distress and problems resulting from the study situation and organization in the first semesters.

Conclusions

Psychotherapeutic university outpatient departments have to be aware of the changing demand. The study organization has to be changed to be more student friendly, especially in the beginning. An adequate infrastructure for psychotherapeutic university outpatients has to be provided.     

Coexistence of adjacent vacancy-ordered and eutectic phases in Al–Cu–Ni alloys

ABSTRACT

Copper-mould-cast Al–Cu–Ni alloys show adjacent coexistence of in situ grown ordered and eutectic phases. A bimodal microstructure of α–Al and eutectic α-Al+θ-Al₂Cu phases with length-scale hierarchy evolves during solidification. Microstructural analysis through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) shows the presence of Vacancy-ordered phases (VOPs) with different morphologies in two different compositions.     

Übertragung von Schweigen in der psychoanalytischen Sozialisation

This work is based on two interview studies with psychoanalysts from the German Psychoanalytic Society (DPG) and the German Society for Analytical Psychology (DGAP) belonging to the war children generation. In one study the focus was on how childhood in war can be dealt with in teaching analysis and in the other, whether experience of childhood in war had contributed to choosing psychoanalyis as a profession. A theoretical overview on questions of teaching analysis and choosing psychoanalysis as a profession is given, the results of the interview studies and detailed excerpts from an interview are presented.     

Plädoyer für eine Direktausbildung zum Psychotherapeuten

The undisputed necessity of a reform of the Psychotherapist Act could open up the chance to reconsider the training of psychological psychotherapists and to completely renew the structure from the ground up. This article proposes that psychotherapy training should be designed based on the profession itself. Starting from the question of what a good psychotherapist needs to have learnt, a study curriculum is drafted which is structured towards this professional target from the very beginning. This direct training imparts psychotherapeutic competence based on a broad psychological, medical and social scientific education, encourages targeted social competences and enables clinical experience in advance. The training terminates after six years with a state examination and qualification for the profession of psychotherapist. Subsequently, qualified psychotherapists undertake a four-year in-house advanced professional education to an adult or pediatric and adolescent psychotherapist. After completing half of the study period, i.e. after three years, students decide on one of the scientifically recognized courses and subsequently the study course is partly procedure-related and mostly interprocedural. The study incorporates a practical year which accompanies the last four semesters as a half day practical training. Universities which want to offer this study course must be qualified to award doctorates and have a psychotherapy research walk-in clinic. They must also cooperate with recognized training partners who participate in the course of the study and professionally structure the four-year in-house advanced professional education.     

Physically Attractive Social Information Sources Lead to Increased Selective Exposure to Information

The present research investigated the impact of a social information source's physical attractiveness on selective exposure to decision-relevant information. In two studies, support was found for the hypothesis that physically attractive information sources lead decision makers into being more selective in both searching for (Studies 1 and 2; selective exposure) and evaluating (Study 2; biased assimilation) decision-relevant information. In both studies, the effect was driven by differences in the selection and evaluation of decision-consistent information, that is, physically attractive information sources led to increases in the perceived quality of decision-consistent information as well as increased selective exposure to this information. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Having Responsive Facebook Friends Affects the Satisfaction of Psychological Needs More Than Having Many Facebook Friends

The use of social networking sites, such as Facebook, provides ample opportunities for the pursuit of interpersonal connection but may also bring to mind one's social isolation. The present research examined the effects of interpersonal neglect (i.e., low number of responding Facebook friends) on the satisfaction of fundamental human needs. Two studies revealed that receiving few responses from one's Facebook friends threatens the needs for belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. These effects were observable over and above the impact of general social connection to others (i.e., total number of Facebook friends) and tone of responses.