How different is a 3D‐printed replica from a conspecific in the eyes of a zebrafish?

Robotics is emerging as a promising tool for aiding research on animal behavior. The possibility of generating customizable, controllable, and standardized robotic stimuli has been demonstrated through a number of behavioral assays, involving vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the specific appraisal of the nature of robotic stimuli is currently lacking. Here, we attempt to evaluate this aspect in zebrafish, through a within‐subject design in which experimental subjects are faced with three experimental conditions. In the first test, we investigated sociability by measuring zebrafish response to a conspecific separated by a one‐way glass. In the second test, we studied zebrafish behavior in response to a 3D‐printed zebrafish replica actuated along realistic trajectories through a novel four‐degree‐of‐freedom robotic platform. Last, we investigated fear responses in a shelter‐seeking test. In agreement with our expectations, zebrafish exhibited an equivalent preference for live and robotic stimuli, and the degree of preference for the robotic replica correlated negatively with the individual propensity to seek shelter. The equivalent preference for the replica and conspecific suggests that the appraisal of the target stimuli is analogous. The preliminary evidence of a correlation between behavioral responses across tests points to the readability of robotics‐based approaches to investigate interindividual differences.     

Association Between Self-Criticism and Dependency with the Individual Endorsement of Criteria for Adulthood Among Emerging Adult University Students

This study explored the association of self-critic and dependent personality traits with the individual endorsement of criteria for adulthood among 622 Italian emerging adult university students (M _age = 21.7; age ranged from 18 to 28; 76.2 % women). Moreover, we did so controlling for participants’ relationship status (single or in a relationship), working condition (full-time student or working student), and living arrangements (living at parents’ house or living away from parents’ house). Results showed that higher dependency was associated with higher endorsement of criteria for adulthood related to family values, obligations to others, and compliance with societal norms. Conversely, higher self-criticism was associated with lower endorsement of criteria related to societal norms. Results confirm the negative interpersonal attitude of self-critical individuals and suggest that dependency may be related to the acquisition of other-related attitudes among emerging adults.     

Development of visuo-haptic transfer for object recognition in typical preschool and school-aged children

Object recognition is a long and complex adaptive process and its full maturation requires combination of many different sensory experiences as well as cognitive abilities to manipulate previous experiences in order to develop new percepts and subsequently to learn from the environment. It is well recognized that the transfer of visual and haptic information facilitates object recognition in adults, but less is known about development of this ability. In this study, we explored the developmental course of object recognition capacity in children using unimodal visual information, unimodal haptic information, and visuo-haptic information transfer in children from 4 years to 10 years and 11 months of age. Participants were tested through a clinical protocol, involving visual exploration of black-and-white photographs of common objects, haptic exploration of real objects, and visuo-haptic transfer of these two types of information. Results show an age-dependent development of object recognition abilities for visual, haptic, and visuo-haptic modalities. A significant effect of time on development of unimodal and crossmodal recognition skills was found. Moreover, our data suggest that multisensory processes for common object recognition are active at 4 years of age. They facilitate recognition of common objects, and, although not fully mature, are significant in adaptive behavior from the first years of age. The study of typical development of visuo-haptic processes in childhood is a starting point for future studies regarding object recognition in impaired populations.     

A Cross-Validation of the Anger Cognitions Scale-Revised: Cognitions and Anger in an Italian Adolescent Sample

Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy - The Angry Cognitions Scale (ACS; Martin and Dahlen in J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Therapy 25(3): 155–173, 2007) is a comprehensive...     

Opportunity for creativity in the job as a moderator of the relation between trait intrinsic motivation and flow in work

Drawing from the social psychology approach to creativity, it was hypothesized that trait intrinsic motivation would be associated with the probability of experiencing flow in work, and that the extent to which a job provides opportunity for creativity would moderate the association. A sample of 367 workers completed the Flow Questionnaire and the Work Preference Inventory, and described their job. Multinomial logistic regression of ??flow in work?? versus ??no flow?? and ??flow in leisure?? revealed motivation by opportunity interactions such that intrinsic motivation is associated with flow in work for high opportunity, and is either not associated or negatively associated for low opportunity. The findings support the hypotheses and indicate that person-environment matching fosters flow in work.     

The Identity of Living Beings, Epigenetics, and the Modesty of Philosophy

Two problems related to the biological identity of living beings are faced: the who-problem (which are the biological properties making that living being unique and different from the others?); the persistence-problem (what does it take for a living being to persist from a time to another?). They are discussed inside a molecular biology framework, which shows how epigenetics can be a good ground to provide plausible answers. That is, we propose an empirical solution to the who-problem and to the persistence-problem on the basis of the new perspectives opened by a molecular understanding of epigenetic processes. In particular, concerning the former, we argue that any living being is the result of the epigenetic processes that have regulated the expression of its genome; concerning the latter, we defend the idea that the criterion for the persistence of its identity is to be indicated in the continuity of those epigenetic processes. We also counteract possible objections, in particular (1) whether our approach has something to say at a metaphysical level; (2) how it could account for the passage from the two phenotypes of the parental gametes to the single phenotype of the zygote; (3) how it could account for the identity of derivatives of one living being that continue to live disjoined from that original living being; (4) how it could account for higher mental functions.