Emotional pictures predominate in binocular rivalry

This study used binocular rivalry to examine whether emotionally relevant pictures are processed preferentially in the visual system. Binocular rivalry occurs when two incompatible pictures are presented to both eyes. If the pictures cannot be merged to a single unambiguous percept, binocular rivalry results in an alternation of the two percepts. However, it has been controversial whether emotional picture content can influence a picture's relative predominance. Twenty pairs of emotional and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) were presented to 45 healthy participants. As hypothesised, emotional pictures significantly predominated over neutral pictures, both with respect to the first percept and the total viewing time across each trial. We conclude that the relative predominance of emotional pictures in binocular rivalry provides further support for the preferential processing of emotional stimuli in the visual system.     

Automatic behavioural responses to valence: Evidence that facial action is facilitated by evaluative processing

Are motor schemata of facial action spontaneously activated upon the processing of evaluative information? In this case, the processing of positive evaluative information should immediately trigger the motor schema of smiling, and the processing of negative information should trigger frowning. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments in which participants were required to respond to positive and negative words by either smiling or frowning. Electromyogram (EMG) activity was recorded over the brow muscle region (corrugator supercilii) and over the cheek muscle region (zygomaticus major) in order to quantify the latency of muscular response as a dependent measure. In Experiment 1 we found that participants were faster at contracting their zygomaticus muscle (which is involved in smiling) when evaluating positive words, and faster at contracting their corrugator muscle (which is involved in frowning) when evaluating negative words. In Experiment 2, participants were required to respond with the contraction of one of the two muscles whenever a word appeared on the computer screen. Again, we found that responses were faster to congruent response valence combinations than to incongruent response valence combinations. These findings support the hypothesis that evaluative processing is directly linked to motor schemata of facial muscles.     

Internationaler Vergleich von Psychotherapiehonoraren als Orientierungshilfe

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A Critical Evaluation of its Theoretical-Empirical Bases and Therapeutic Efficacy

This paper presents a summarizing overview of the present conceptual, empirical, and practical status of the recent “cognitive trend” in behaviour therapy. The theoretical and practical similarities and differences of the three most influential cognitive-behavioural approaches are presented and some empirical evidence of their theoretical bases is critically examined. Finally, the therapeutic efficacy of these approaches is briefly reviewed.     

Untersuchungen zur Psychologie der Wiedererzählung und des Gerüchtes

Ohne Zusammenfassung Anmerkung des Herausgebers: Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit habilitierte sich der Verfasser im Winter 1926 in der philosophischen Fakult?t der Universit?t Gie?en, w?hrend ich auf Urlaub in Amerika war. Unmittelbar nach der Habilitation brach bei ihm ein erbliches Leiden aus, das bald darauf seine v?llige Erblindung zur Folge hatte und nach wenigen Jahren seinem Leben ein Ende bereitete. Als ich im Sommer 1927 nach Gie?en kam, konnte ich nichts über den Verbleib des Manuskriptes erfahren, auch der Verfasser, mit dem ich einige Briefe wechselte, wu?te nichts mehr darüber zu sagen. Da? ich schlie?lich in den Besitz des Manuskriptes gekommen bin, veranke ich dem jetzigen Vorstand des psychologischen Institutes der Universit?t Gie?en, Herrn KollegenSander, mit dem ich die Angelegenheit auf dem letzten internationalen Kongre? in Kopenhagen besprach. — Es war mir ein Bedürfnis, meinem allzu früh verstorbenen Assistenten und Freund eine letzte Ehrung dadurch zu erweisen, da? ich seine letzte Arbeit zur Ver?ffentlichung bringe. Problem, Methode und Ausarbeitung sind sein Werk. Inzwischen hatF. C. Bartlett (Remembering, Cambridge 1932) ?hnliche, noch früher angestellte Versuche ver?ffentlicht, die dem Verfasser natürlich unbekannt waren und daher in seiner Arbeit nicht erw?hnt sein k?nnen.     

Book reviews

Evans, J. St. B. Thinking and reasoning: Psychological approaches. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. 1983. Pp. 256. ISBN 0-7100-9460-4. £12.95.

Anderson, J. R. and Kosslyn, S. M. (Eds.). Tutorials in learning and memory: Essays in honor of Gordon Bower. San Francisco: Freeman. 1984. Pp. xiii+264. ISBN 0-7167-1571-6. £12.95.

Tighe, T. J. and Shepp, B. E. (Eds.). Perception, cognition, and develop-ment. Interactional analyses. Hillsdale, N.J., and London: lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 1983. Pp. 383. ISBN 0-89859-254-2. £41.65.

Rock, I. The logic of perception. Cambride, Mass.: The MIT Press. 1983. Pp. 13+365. ISBN 0-262-18109-6.