Critical comments on the theory and practice of behavior therapy from the viewpoint of Marxist-Leninist philosophy

By analyzing previous critical studies of the theoretical and methodological positions of behavioral therapy, which were conducted on Marxist-Leninist principles, the authors discuss the complex relationship of one-sided philosophical assumptions, simplifying elements of psychological theories, and radional moments of successful practical application in certain fields. Both critical delimitation from untenable theoretical interpretations and the inclusion of rational forms of therapy in a complex system of psychotherapy are considered essential.     

Causation

As cause we often specify an event the occurrence of which first guaranteed that of the effect. This notion is explicated in a framework of branching worlds in Sections I to V. VI and VII point out its close relations to the concept of an agent's bringing about an event. The topic of the last two sections is the distinction between causes and necessary circumstances. For this purpose conditionals are used, interpreted with respect to branching worlds without a similarity relation between them.     

CECoS: A case experience combination system for knowledge acquisition for expert systems

This paper presents a new knowledge-acquisition system—the Case Experience Combination System (CECoS). With CECoS, two information or knowledge sources are jointly analyzed. Previously recorded problem solutions (individual cases) are combined with an expert’s high-level understanding of the global structure of a task domain. By combining the detailed case information with an expert’s general insights, CECoS provides the domain knowledge with which skeletal plans can be automatically constructed.     

Promoting resilience to depression among couples during pregnancy: The protective functions of intimate relationship satisfaction and self-compassion

Pregnancy, while often marked by joy, may pose considerable risk for depression among parents. Against a backdrop of adverse life events, expectant parents may be even more vulnerable to developing symptoms of depression during the prenatal period. Thus, it is critical to identify sources of resilience that might facilitate a successful transition to parenthood among couples who have a history of adversity. Prior work suggests that interpersonal and intrapersonal factors associated with resilience, such as intimate relationship satisfaction and self-compassion (i.e., self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness), have the potential to attenuate prenatal depression among couples with a history of stressful life experiences. We tested this possibility in a sample of 159 couples navigating pregnancy. As predicted, a greater number of prior stressful life experiences was associated with increased depression symptom severity for both mothers and fathers. However, moderation analyses revealed the positive link between cumulative stressful life experiences and depression symptom severity was attenuated among mothers who reported greater self-compassion in the form of feelings of common humanity, and fathers who reported higher levels of intimate relationship satisfaction and self-compassion in the form of mindfulness. Findings suggest enhancing intimate relationship satisfaction and self-compassion among expectant couples may be valuable in attenuating prenatal depression among those with a greater history of adversity.     

Dimensionality and the dynamics of human unstable equilibrium

Maintaining an unstable equilibrium requires that multiple joints be coordinated so that the center of mass is kept above the base of support. The authors' aim in the present study was to discover the underlying dynamics of local (foot, hip, or head) and global (center of mass) components involved in balance control and how those dynamics are affected by changes in the available information. Participants (N = 6) had to maintain their balance on an unstable platform. Using dimensional analyses (largest Lyapunov exponent and correlation dimension), the authors examined the active degrees of freedom involved in balance control. Results indicated a similarity in dimension between local (joints) and global (center of mass) components, between a fixed point and a limit cycle. The behavior of the center of mass was found to be more predictable than the behavior of its local constituents. In addition, the available visual information affected the predictability of the postural behavior, which suggests that vision is used in the stabilization of the low-dimensional dynamics underlying balance control.     

Circaseptan aspects of self-assessed sleep protocols covering 70 nights on 33 clinically healthy persons

This study aimed to describe quantitatively some changes in sleep behavior. During 70 consecutive nights, 28 women and 3 men, 30 to 40 years of age and presumably clinically healthy, recorded the time of each awakening. Time of falling asleep were estimated from markings at 10-min. intervals from the times of lying down to sleep as an indication that the subject had not yet fallen asleep. Sleep duration and an index of effective sleep derived therefrom were analyzed by rhythmometric methods. On a group basis, anticipated components with periods of 1 and 0.5 wk., synchronized with the social schedule, were detected with statistical significance. Until long-term polysomnographic monitoring can readily cover the week automatically rather than only one or a few daily sleep spans, the self-monitoring of sleep behavior, yielding the circaseptan endpoints derived herein, may serve as a cost-effective tool in sleep research. By virtue of their relative simplicity, they could be part of a protocol designed to assess pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic interventions of sleep disturbance aimed at restoring undisturbed sleep.     

Spatial conceptual influences on the coordination of bimanual actions: when a dual task becomes a single task

When the left and right hands produce 2 different rhythms simultaneously, coordination of the hands is difficult unless the rhythms can be integrated into a unified temporal pattern. In the present study, the authors investigated whether a similar account can be applied to the spatial domain. Participants (N = 8) produced a movement trajectory of semicircular form in single-limb and bimanual conditions. In the bimanual tasks, 1 limb moved above the other in the frontal plane. Bimanual unified tasks were constructed so that the spatial paths to be produced by the 2 limbs could be easily conceptualized as parts of a unified circle pattern. Bimanual distinct tasks availed a less obvious spatial pattern that would unify the 2 tasks, despite similar demands placed on the coordination dynamics in the 2 cases (e.g., the phase relations). The authors conclude that a dual task becomes a single task, and interlimb interference is reduced, when the spatial patterns produced by the 2 hands form a geometric arrangement that can be conceptualized as a unified representation.