Separating emotion and motivational direction in fear and anger: effects on frontal asymmetry

State effects on frontal alpha electroencephalograph asymmetry (ASY) are thought to reflect approach and withdrawal motivational tendencies. Although this motivational direction model has inspired a large body of research, efforts to disentangle influences of emotion (EMO) and motivational direction (MOT) on ASY are rare. The authors independently manipulated EMO (fear and anger) and MOT (approach and withdrawal) in a between-subjects design. Irrespective of MOT, anger led to greater changes toward relative left frontal activation (LFA) than did fear. Conversely, higher ratings of negative valence were associated with greater changes toward LFA in withdrawal but with greater changes toward relative right frontal activation in approach. Results are discussed within a model based on behavioral inhibition system-behavioral activation system theory.     

An irt-based model for dichotomous longitudinal data

The LLRA (linear logistic model with relaxed assumptions; Fischer, 1974, 1977a, 1977b, 1983a) was developed, within the framework of generalized Rasch models, for assessing change in dichotomous item score matrices between two points in time; it allows to quantify change on latent trait dimensions and to explain change in terms of treatment effects, treatment interactions, and a trend effect. A remarkable feature of the model is that unidimensionality of the item set is not required. The present paper extends this model to designs with any number of time points and even with different sets of items presented on different occasions, provided that one unidimensional subscale is available per latent trait. Thus unidimensionality assumptions within subscales are combined with multidimensionality of the item set. Conditional maximum likelihood methods for parameter estimation and hypothesis testing are developed, and a necessary and sufficient condition for unique identification of the model, given the data, is derived. Finally, a sample application is presented.To my friend Josef Roppert who has taught me how to apply statistical reasoning to substantive problems.This research was supported in part by Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft under grant No. 01/0054. The author wishes to thank B. Wild for the numerical computation of the sample application in section 5.     

Stress conceptions in life event research: Towards a person-centred perspective

The present article focuses on a discussion of the theoretical foundations of life event research. Since critical life events are usually regarded as stressful events, the main question is which concepts of stress are employed in different life event approaches and what is their rationale. The discussion centres on two topics that have to be treated independently: the question of specificity vs nonspecificity and the question of individualized vs normative weightings. It is shown that different life event approaches rely on different concepts of stress. Numerous objections lead to a rejection of the nonspecificity concept and a normative proceeding. However, even when a specificity view of stress is advocated and individual weights are used, life stress measures do not account for a substantial proportion of the variance in the stress-related dependent variables. Therefore, a reorientation of life event research is required. It is proposed that future life event research should concentrate on the individual meaning of events and adequately consider the time dimension as well CIS processes of coping.     

The child-psychoanalytic play interview: a technique for studying thematic content.

Child psychoanalysts have long viewed play as a reflection of children's inner lives and have used the themes children represent in play for diagnostic and therapeutic work. Given the central role children's play has for clinical work, few studies have addressed play empirically. This paper presents a technique for studying the thematic content of children's play as it emerges during a play session with a child analyst. We report the steps involved in developing this investigative technique and describe the interobserver agreement among four rates using the technique with videotaped play sessions. Implications for future research using such an approach are discussed.     

How the personality dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism relate to self-actualization

This study examines the relationship between the personality dimensions of ‘neuroticism’, ‘extraversion’, ‘psychoticism’, from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and ‘self-actualization’, measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) for 212 undergraduate students. The two major scales of the POI, (Time Competence and Inner Directed), both separately and as a combined measure of self-actualization were correlated with the scores obtained on the EPQ. The results showed the hypothesized significant negative relationship between neuroticism and self-actualization, and for females only, the hypothesized significant positive relationship between extraversion and self-actualization. Contrary to hypothesis, no relationship between psychoticism and self-actualization was found.     

Veröffentlichungen Österreichischer Wissenschaftstheoretiker

Journal for General Philosophy of Science -     

Binaural processing of temporal and intensity cues: Suggestions for a one-system model

Summary Models of auditory localization-lateralization assume either a single or different neural systems for the processing of binaural time delay and intensity differences. An experiment was conducted, making use of the effect of sensory adaptation. The results are in favour of assuming a single system which processes both temporal and intensity cues in binaural stimulation.