Transfer of avoidance responding to a sensory preconditioned cue: Evidence for the role of S-S and R-S knowledge in avoidance learning

In avoidance learning studies, a warning signal (Sd) is directly paired with an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US) unless a particular response is performed. Research by Augustson and Dougher (1997) demonstrated that not only warning signals but also stimuli that are indirectly paired with the aversive event are capable of affecting the avoidance response. In the present study, we extended these results by incorporating a sensory preconditioning paradigm in an avoidance learning procedure. Sensory preconditioning training influenced the selection of avoidance responses in the presence of warning signals that were never paired directly with the aversive events. Moreover, results suggest that the selection of the avoidance responses was based on an integration of knowledge about the relation between the Sd and the US (S-S knowledge) and knowledge about the relation between the avoidance response and the US (R-S knowledge). As the expectancy-based theory of Lovibond (2006) is the only theory of avoidance that incorporates both knowledge structures, the results provide unique support for this theory.     

Determining the environment: a modal logic for closed interaction

The aim of the work is to provide a language to reason about Closed Interactions, i.e. all those situations in which the outcomes of an interaction can be determined by the agents themselves and in which the environment cannot interfere with they are able to determine. We will see that two different interpretations can be given of this restriction, both stemming from Pauly Representation Theorem. We will identify such restrictions and axiomatize their logic. We will apply the formal tools to reason about games and their regulation.     

Wide distribution of external local sign in the normal population

The extent of the apparent visual field was determined for a group of 78 naïve visual observers. We find that there exists a minority (less than 10%) that is essentially veridical, but that the majority of the population experiences an apparent visual field of only about 90°, thus much narrower than the dioptrics of the eye would suggest (a little over 180°). This is in good accordance with available (albeit mainly anecdotal) evidence, though formal data have been lacking thus far. The finding is discussed in the context of metrical calibration of the topological structure of the visual field, an aspect of “local sign”.     

How do People Evaluate Objects? A Brief Review

Evaluation can be defined either as the process of determining the liking of an object or as responding in an evaluative manner to objects. It can be studied by examining the evaluative responses that objects evoke. After justifying these definitions and this approach to the study of evaluation, I present a brief overview of what is known about the variables that influence evaluative responding. Finally, I describe the Associative-Propositional Evaluation model as an example of a theory about the mental processes that are assumed to underlie evaluative responding.     

Conflict: run! Reduced Stroop interference with avoidance responses

Conflict has been hypothesized to be aversive, triggering avoidance behaviour (Botvinick, 2007). To test this hypothesis, a standard Stroop task was modified such that avoiding was part of the response set. More precisely, participants were asked to move a manikin towards or away from Stroop stimuli, depending on the colour of the words. Results showed that the type of response (approach versus avoidance) modulated the Stroop congruency effect. Specifically, the reaction time analysis revealed that the stimulus congruency effect disappeared with avoidance responses, contrary to approach responses where a stimulus congruency effect was present. Moreover, the error data showed a reduction of the general congruency effect when avoiding. These results suggest that in the face of conflict, avoidance is the predominant response.     

Unconscious semantic activation depends on feature-specific attention allocation

We examined whether semantic activation by subliminally presented stimuli is dependent upon the extent to which participants assign attention to specific semantic stimulus features and stimulus dimensions. Participants pronounced visible target words that were preceded by briefly presented, masked prime words. Both affective and non-affective semantic congruence of the prime-target pairs were manipulated under conditions that either promoted selective attention for affective stimulus information or selective attention for non-affective semantic stimulus information. In line with our predictions, results showed that affective congruence had a clear impact on word pronunciation latencies only if participants were encouraged to assign attention to the affective stimulus dimension. In contrast, non-affective semantic relatedness of the prime-target pairs produced no priming at all. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that unconscious activation of (affective) semantic information is modulated by feature-specific attention allocation.     

Effects of Repeated Exposure to a Graphic Smoking Warning Image

Several countries have introduced graphic warning images aimed at discouraging smoking. However, the images may be subject to an habituation effect. This study examined the effects of repeated exposure to an image of smoking-related mouth cancer in 24 smokers, 20 ex-smokers, and 39 individuals who had never smoked regularly. Participants viewed the warning image seven times over 7 to 14?days. Trend analysis showed that the smokers had high distress initially when viewing the image, followed by a significant lessening of image-related distress that leveled out over time. Nonetheless, viewing the image had a significant linearly increasing positive effect on their intention to quit smoking, with no sign that the effect of the image on intention was wearing out. The two groups of nonsmokers showed response patterns different from those of the smokers, including signs of habituation to the image. Other results showed a significant relationship between experiencing a high level of distress when viewing the image and having a negative attitude toward smoking. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of anti-smoking campaigns.     

Managing Uncertainty: Obesity Discourses and Physical Education in a Risk Society

This paper considers the role of physicaleducation researchers within current publicconcerns about body shape and weight. UsingUlrich Beck's notion of `risk' it examines howcertainty about children, obesity, exercise andhealth is produced in the contexts of `expert'knowledge and recontextualised in the academicand professional physical education literature.It is argued that the unquestioning acceptanceof the obesity discourses in physical educationhelps to construct anxieties about the body,which are detrimental to students and silencesalternative ways of thinking and doing physicaleducation.     

Androgenetic alopecia: stress of discovery

The psychological problems of men in the initial stages of alopecia androgenetica (hereditary male hair loss) have seldom been studied. We evaluated two groups of 80 men with alopecia androgenetica in Stages II to IV, indicating the amount of hair loss (overall N=160; for Group I: M=48 yr., SD=18.2; for Group II: M=50 yr., SD=18.0) who visited a dermatology clinic for benign dermatological complaints but not for hair loss, by questionnaires and interview, retrospectively. As predicted, hair problems were reported to be significantly greater overall at the moment of discovery of hair loss than later. About half of the men reported feeling annoyed to very annoyed about the discovery of hair loss. For those patients, provision of information by internet might facilitate a visit to the dermatologist.