Appetitive and impulsive components in the Appetitive Motivation Scale

Measures of the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) often conflate reward-reactivity (the core of the BAS) and impulsivity-related variance. The Appetitive Motivation Scale (AMS), a recently-developed BAS measure, has been proposed as a one-dimensional scale which deals exclusively with core reward-reactivity. However, we show here how a two-dimensional interpretation of the scale reveals components which are linked with both the core of the BAS and impulsivity. A clear pattern of associations and dissociations with other BAS- and impulsivity-related measures provides support for such a two-dimensional interpretation. The results are discussed, highlighting the parallels between the AMS structure and other BAS-related measures, and emphasizing the theoretical challenges which are inherent in developing reliable BAS-related personality measures.     

Lateral asymmetries in the development of the overarm throw

Lateral asymmetries of manual, pedal, and ocular preferences, and motor asymmetry in the performance of the forceful overarm throw were analyzed in 71 children aged 4 to 10 years old. Performance with each side of the body was assessed on the basis of qualitative analysis, as proposed by M. A. Roberton and L. Halverson (1984) for identification of developmental stages by components of the task. Lateral preference was indicated by the frequency the children used the right or the left side of their body to carry out different manual, pedal, and ocular tasks. The overarm throw movement pattern was developed with both sides of the body but at different levels. Development of the nondominant side lagged behind that of the dominant side at all ages; a significant asymmetry in performance detected in the 4-year-olds was stable up to the age of 10 years. Indices of asymmetry for lateral preference and performance were found to be specific because no consistent correlations were observed among them throughout the age periods studied. Those results show the multidimensional character of human laterality and imply a property of motor development that prevents asymmetry of performance from increasing because of unilateral practice.     

Transitions Versus Dissociations: A Paradigm Shift in Unconscious Cognition

Since Freud and his co-author Breuer spoke of dissociation in 1895, a scientific paradigm was painstakingly established in the field of unconscious cognition. This is the dissociation paradigm. However, recent critical analysis of the many and various reported dissociations reveals their blurred, or unveridical, character. Moreover, we remain ignorant with respect to the ways cognitive phenomena transition from consciousness to an unconscious mode (or the reverse). This hinders us from filling in the puzzle of the unified mind. We conclude that we have reached a Kuhnian crisis in the field of unconscious cognition, and we predict that new models, incorporating partly the relevant findings of the dissociation paradigm—but also of dynamic psychology—, will soon be established. We further predict that some of these models will be largely based on the pairs representation–process and analog–digital.     

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Body Image Dissatisfaction and Weight Self-Stigma in Adults

Body image dissatisfaction (BID) and weight self-stigma are prevalent and associated with physical and psychological ill-health. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is increasingly employed for both, yet little is known about its effectiveness. Searches of 12 databases identified six studies using online, face-to-face or self-help ACT interventions for BID or weight self-stigma, of varying duration and intensity. Their effectiveness and quality were evaluated. Two reported improved BID, three improved weight self-stigma, and one reported no impact on weight self-stigma. Methodological issues (small sample sizes, lack of allocation concealment, attention control and long-term follow up) impacted the validity of findings. Due to the small number of studies and poor study quality, the effectiveness of ACT for BID and weight self-stigma remains unclear. Nonetheless findings suggest psychological flexibility may facilitate reduction in BID and weight self-stigma and indicate that brief online as well as lengthy face-to-face delivery may be useful. Suggestions for further research are made.     

Obstacle Avoidance Increases Asymmetry of Crossing Step in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease and Neurologically Healthy Individuals

The authors' aim was to investigate gait asymmetry of crossing step during obstacle avoidance while walking in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) under and without the effects of dopaminergic medication. Thirteen individuals with PD and 13 neurologically healthy individuals performed 5 trials of unobstructed gait and 10 trials of obstacle crossing during gait (5 trials with each leg) and spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed. Obstacle crossing increased step duration of the crossing step for the most-affected or nondominant limb compared to the crossing step with the least-affected or dominant limb. Individuals with PD without the effects of medication increased step duration for the step with the least-affected limb compared to the step with the most-affected limb during obstacle crossing.     

Switching between goals mediates the attentional blink effect

Humans are fundamentally limited in processing information from the outside world. This is particularly evident in the attentional blink (AB), the impaired ability to identify the second of two targets presented in close succession. We report findings from three experiments showing that the AB is significantly reduced when observers are set to achieve one single goal (reporting combinations of the two targets) instead of separate goals (reporting the two targets). This finding raises questions about the nature of AB, and suggests that processes involved in goal-switching must be taken into account by theories of the AB phenomenon.     

Regulatory mode preferences for autonomy supporting versus controlling instructional styles

Background Three studies carried out in educational settings examined determinants of teacher's instructional styles and students' degree of satisfaction with the learning climates created by such styles. Aims Based upon regulatory mode theory, Studies 1 and 2 tested the hypotheses that teachers' locomotion orientation will be positively related, and their assessment orientation will be negatively related, to autonomy supportive (vs. controlling) instructional styles. Study 3 tested the hypothesis that students' regulatory mode will exhibit a fit effect with the prevalent learning climate in their school. Samples Participants for Study 1 were 378 teachers (278 females); for Study 2 were 96 teachers (65 females); and for Study 3 were 190 students (all males). Method Participants completed questionnaires that included measures of teaching styles (Studies 1 and 2), perceived learning climate and satisfaction (Study 3), and regulatory mode orientations (Studies 1 and 3). In Study 2 regulatory mode orientations were experimentally induced. Results Results confirmed that teachers' autonomy supportive versus controlling styles were positively related to their locomotion orientations and negatively related to their assessment orientation, and that students with a stronger locomotion (vs. assessment) orientation reported a higher level of satisfaction when the learning climate was perceived as autonomy supportive (vs. controlling). Conclusions The present studies show that teachers' preference for adopting an instructional style is influenced by their regulatory mode orientations, and that the effects of a learning climate on students' satisfaction are contingent on a fit between type of learning climate and students' regulatory mode orientations.     

Observer agreement for timed-event sequential data: A comparison of time-based and event-based algorithms

Observer agreement is often regarded as the sine qua non of observational research. Cohen’s κ ?is a widely used index and is appropriate when discrete entities—such as a turn-of-talk or a demarcated time interval—are presented to pairs of observers to code. κ-like statistics and agreement matrices are also used for the timed-event sequential data produced when observers first segment and then code events detected in the stream of behavior, noting onset and offset times. Such κs are of two kinds: time-based and event-based. Available for download is a computer program (OASTES; Observer Agreement for Simulated Timed Event Sequences) that simulates the coding of observers of a stated accuracy and then computes agreement statistics for two time-based κs (with and without tolerance) and three event-based κs (one implemented in The Observer, one in INTERACT, and one in GSEQ). On the basis of simulation results presented here, and due to the somewhat different information provided by each, the reporting of both a time-based and an event-based κ?is recommended.     

Part-set cuing in option generation

Memory research on the part-set cuing effect has shown that providing some of the to-be-remembered items as cues is not always beneficial and, in some cases, may even hurt retrieval. However, part-set cuing has been sparsely investigated in option generation tasks. Thus, limited empirical evidence for the existence of the effect in option generation is available, and no convincing explanation has been provided yet. In order to fill these gaps, we carried out four experiments. In Experiment 1A, we observed a significant decrease in option generation performance when potential options were presented as cues. Experiment 1B showed that the effect can also be obtained in older adults. Experiments 2A and 2B provided evidence compatible with an inhibition-based explanation of the observed effects.