Risk assessment behaviors associated with corticosterone trigger the defense reaction to social isolation in rats: role of the anterior cingulate cortex

The extent to which the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated by short-term and long-term consequences of stress is still open to investigation. This study aimed to determine (i) the correlation between plasma corticosterone and exploratory behavior exhibited by rats subjected to the elevated plus maze (EPM) following different periods of social isolation, (ii) the effects of the corticosterone synthesis blocker, metyrapone, on the behavioral consequences of isolation, and (iii) whether corticosterone produces its effects through an action on the anterior cingulate cortex, area 1 (Cg1). Rats were subjected to 30-min, 2-h, 24-h, or 7-day isolation periods before EPM exposure and plasma corticosterone assessments. Isolation for longer periods of time produced greater anxiogenic-like effects on the EPM. However, stretched attend posture (SAP) and plasma corticosterone concentrations were increased significantly after 30?min of isolation. Among all of the behavioral categories measured in the EPM, only SAP positively correlated with plasma corticosterone. Metyrapone injected prior to the 24?h isolation period reversed the anxiogenic effects of isolation. Moreover, corticosterone injected into the Cg1 produced a selective increase in SAP. These findings indicate that risk assessment behavior induced by the action of corticosterone on Cg1 neurons initiates a cascade of defensive responses during exposure to stressors.     

Decomposition of warning effects in Parkinson's disease

Neutral warning signals speed voluntary reactions by reducing temporal uncertainty and by triggering a brief burst of arousal. We attempted to isolate the phasic arousal mechanism in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) using a clock display to minimize temporal uncertainty. In this condition, the speeding of responses in a color-discrimination task by an accessory stimulus was the fully equivalent to the effect in age-matched control subjects. This indicates preserved phasic arousal in PD. Temporal preparation based on warning cues also appeared to be normal. By contrast, in a condition with high temporal uncertainty, the accessory stimulus (an air puff to the foot) impaired accuracy for the patients but not the neurologically normal subjects. The data are consistent with the view that PD disrupts internal but not external control of alertness.     

Towards a Psychology of Rural Development Processes and Interventions

A psychosocial approach to rural development and development interventions, which we designate as ‘psychology of rural development’ (PsyRD), does not yet exist as an area of research or intervention within the field of psychology or development studies, even though rural development is in part obviously shaped by psychosocial factors. Thus, in this discussion paper, we argue the need for PsyRD, explore how it may provide new insights and tools for analysis vis‐à‐vis rural development scenarios and issues of social equity and outline the shape that, in our view, such a psychology should take. First, the multiple dimensions of rural development and the many practical problems faced by rural development agents contain strong psychosocial elements that require contributions from psychology. Yet at the same time, the psychological literature on this topic contains many limitations and biases, which leads us to, in the second part of the paper lay the groundwork for a PsyRD that focuses on the importance of adopting a critical and interdisciplinary approach capable of dealing with complexity and multidetermination. Finally, we conclude by outlining the challenges of PsyRD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The good,the bad and the effective: a meta-analytic examination of selling orientation and customer orientation on sales performance

The concept of customer orientation (CO) is a focal construct in marketing and sales literature. Saxe and Weitz introduced CO to contrast the traditional high-pressure approach to sales (selling orientation). This study synthesizes empirical evidence from 1982 to 2013 to provide insight into the antecedents and consequences of both CO and selling orientation (SO). A conceptual meta-analytic model based on research into interpersonal motive models is proposed and tested using effect sizes from 126,790 salesperson survey responses to advance theory development on our understanding of how SO and CO behaviours affect organizations. Findings show that adaptive selling mediates the impact of both SO and CO which has important practical implications for hiring and training salespeople. Furthermore, this study shows that goal orientations are antecedents of SO and CO and that the impact of SO on job performance varies by customer type.     

Characterization of speed fluctuation and drag force in young swimmers: A gender comparison

The aim of this study was to compare the speed fluctuation and the drag force in young swimmers between genders. Twenty-three young pubertal swimmers (12 boys and 11 girls) volunteered as subjects. Speed fluctuation was measured using a kinematical mechanical method (i.e., speedo-meter) during a maximal 25-m front crawl bout. Active drag, active drag coefficient and power needed to overcome drag were measured with the velocity perturbation method for another two maximal 25 m front crawl bouts with and without the perturbation device. Passive drag and the passive drag coefficient were estimated using the gliding decay velocity method after a maximal push-off from the wall while being fully immersed. The technique drag index was also assessed as a ratio between active and passive drag. Boys presented meaningfully higher speed fluctuation, active drag, power needed to overcome drag and technique drag index than the girls. There were no significant gender differences for active drag coefficient, passive drag and passive drag coefficient. There were positive and moderate-strong associations between active drag and speed fluctuation when controlling the effects of swim velocity. So, increasing speed fluctuation leads to higher drag force values and those are even higher for boys than for girls.     

Co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury and impulsivity in extreme weight conditions

The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in different eating disorder (ED) groups and morbid obesity, and to investigate whether NSSI in different ED/obesity groups co-occur with impulsivity. We assessed 535 individuals (365 ED and 170 obese patients) by means of a single item assessing lifetime NSSI and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, which measures different dimensions of impulsivity. The results showed that 19.1% of the ED patients engaged in at least one act of NSSI during their life-time. NSSI was more prevalent in Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified compared to Anorexia Nervosa, Restrictive type and morbid obesity. Finally, ED/obese patients who engaged in NSSI scored significantly higher on the attentional, motor and non-planning subscales than patients without NSSI. The implications of these findings for the treatment of NSSI in binge/purging ED patients are discussed.     

Within-individual variability in self-concepts and personality states: Applying density distribution and situation-behavior approaches across cultures

Within-individual variability in self-concepts and everyday personality states and affects was investigated in two experience sampling studies using density distribution and situation-behavior approaches. In all seven cultures sampled, within-individual variability was substantial and self-concept and personality state variability exhibited moderate convergence. Variability in personality and affect states was moderately predicted by perceived need satisfaction in the situations. The density distribution and situation-behavior approaches were moderately convergent in identifying the most variable individuals, but the pattern of cultural differences differed in the two methods. Contrary to cultural psychology perspectives, cultural differences in within-individual variability did not consistently correspond to cultural differences in individualism–collectivism, dialecticism, or tightness.     

Visual dreams in the congenitally blind?

An EEG study of sleep in congenitally blind persons revealed a significant correlation between the visual activity reported during dreaming and the decrease of alpha strength recorded from the central and occipital regions of the scalp. This provides the first objective evidence that subjects who have never had visual experiences can have dreams with virtual images that are probably mediated by the activation of the cortical areas responsible for visual representations.     

Decomposition of warning effects in Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT

Neutral warning signals speed voluntary reactions by reducing temporal uncertainty and by triggering a brief burst of arousal. We attempted to isolate the phasic arousal mechanism in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) using a clock display to minimize temporal uncertainty. In this condition, the speeding of responses in a color-discrimination task by an accessory stimulus was the fully equivalent to the effect in age-matched control subjects. This indicates preserved phasic arousal in PD. Temporal preparation based on warning cues also appeared to be normal. By contrast, in a condition with high temporal uncertainty, the accessory stimulus (an air puff to the foot) impaired accuracy for the patients but not the neurologically normal subjects. The data are consistent with the view that PD disrupts internal but not external control of alertness.