Relative preferences for edible and leisure stimuli in children with autism: A replication in Italy

Several studies have found that edible items tend to displace leisure items in multiple-stimulus preference assessments for individuals with developmental disabilities. One recent study (Conine & Vollmer, 2019) included screen-based technology devices in assessments and found that food items were less likely to displace leisure items and in some cases leisure items totally displaced edible items. The purpose of our study was to conduct a replication of Conine and Vollmer in Italy to evaluate cultural differences in food and leisure preferences. Results of our study were similar: For 44% of participants, at least one leisure item ranked above all edible items and leisure items displaced all edible items for 28% of participants. Participants in the present study showed a higher preference for leisure items or toys that were not screen-based technology devices, suggesting there may be cultural variation in the types of leisure items that are preferred.     

Reply to Myszkowski et al. (2020): Some matters of fact concerning aesthetic sensitivity

We respond to some of Myszkowski and colleagues’ (2020, Br. J. Psychology) critical comments on our recent work on aesthetic sensitivity (Corradi, Chuquichambi, Barrada, Clemente, & Nadal, 2020, Br. J. Psychology). We show that these comments stem mostly from factual inaccuracies.     

The Establishment of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Argentina

Although Argentina is well known for the popularity of psychoanalysis, in recent years the field of psychotherapy has been expanded to include cognitive behavioural therapy. At present, cognitive behavioural therapy has become much more common in universities and postgraduate educational programmes in Argentina. This work aims to describe the development of cognitive behavioural therapy in Argentina. First, we will depict some general characteristics of psychology in Argentina. Then, we will refer to the first cognitive behavioural therapists in Argentina, highlighting the trajectories of the local main figures, and the events that paved the road for the development of this model in Argentina, such as the visit of Hans Eysenck to Buenos Aires, the impact of Aaron T. Beck's work, and the presence of Vittorio Guidano. Then, we will describe the various institutions that, in the 1990s, established the Argentinian Cognitive Therapies Association. Finally, we will describe the current development of cognitive behavioural therapy in Argentina, and analyse its characteristics and the challenges of local culture.     

Interpolation in Extensions of First-Order Logic

We prove a generalization of Maehara’s lemma to show that the extensions of classical and intuitionistic first-order logic with a special type of geometric axioms, called singular geometric axioms, have Craig’s interpolation property. As a corollary, we obtain a direct proof of interpolation for (classical and intuitionistic) first-order logic with identity, as well as interpolation for several mathematical theories, including the theory of equivalence relations, (strict) partial and linear orders, and various intuitionistic order theories such as apartness and positive partial and linear orders.

     

Is ‘object-centred neglect’ a homogeneous entity?

The nature of object-centred (allocentric) neglect and the possibility of dissociating it from egocentric (subject-centred) forms of neglect are controversial. Originally, allocentric neglect was described by  and  in patients who reproduced all the elements of a multi-object scene, but left unfinished the left side of one or more of them. More recently, however, Karnath, Mandler, and Clavagnier (2011) have claimed that the severity of allocentric neglect worsens when a complex ‘object’ shifts from an ipsilesional to a contralesional egocentric position. On the basis of these and of other clinical data, showing that allocentric and egocentric neglect are strongly associated, they have questioned the possibility of dissociating these two forms of neglect, suggesting that egocentric and allocentric neglect constitute different manifestations of the same disturbed system. Since these statements were inconsistent with the clinical findings which had prompted the construct of object-centred neglect, we checked in a group of right brain-damaged patients, who had copied the original multi-object scene, if the degree of neglect for the left side of figures varied as a function of their position on the horizontal axis. Furthermore, we reviewed all papers where copies of other multi-object scenes had been reported. Results of both studies failed to confirm the assumption of a relationship between spatial location of the stimulus and severity of object-centred neglect. This discrepancy between our data and those obtained by Karnath et al. (2011) could be due to the characteristics of stimuli and of procedures used to evaluate ‘object-centred’ neglect. If the stimulus is complex and the task requires its thorough exploration, the spatial location of the stimulus will influence the severity of ‘object-centred neglect’. If, on the contrary, the stimulus is simple and can be identified with few eye fixations, the spatial location of the stimulus should not influence the severity of ‘object-centred neglect’. In any case, our data confirm the possibility of dissociating allocentric from egocentric neglect.     

Using Latent Class Analysis to Model Temperament Types

Mixture models are appropriate for data that arise from a set of qualitatively different subpopulations. In this study, latent class analysis was applied to observational data from a laboratory assessment of infant temperament at four months of age. The EM algorithm was used to fit the models, and the Bayesian method of posterior predictive checks was used for model selection. Results show at least three types of infant temperament, with patterns consistent with those identified by previous researchers who classified the infants using a theoretically based system. Multiple imputation of group memberships is proposed as an alternative to assigning subjects to the latent class with maximum posterior probability in order to reflect variance due to uncertainty in the parameter estimation. Latent class membership at four months of age predicted longitudinal outcomes at four years of age. The example illustrates issues relevant to all mixture models, including estimation, multi-modality, model selection, and comparisons based on the latent group indicators.     

Individual Differences in Personality Conducive to Engagement in Aggression and Violence

This paper examined empirically the value of a conceptual model in which emotional stability and agreeableness contribute to engagement in aggression and violence (EAV) indirectly through irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement. Three hundred and forty young adults (130 male and 190 female) participated in the study. The average age of participants was 21 at time 1 and 25 at time 2. Findings attested to the role of basic traits (i.e. agreeableness and emotional stability) and specific personality dispositions (i.e. irritability and hostile rumination) in predisposing to EAV and to the pivotal role of moral disengagement in giving access to aggressive and violent conduct. In particular, the mediational model attested to the pivotal role of emotional stability and agreeableness in contributing directly to both hostile rumination and irritability and indirectly to moral disengagement, and to EAV. Agreeableness and hostile rumination contribute to moral disengagement that plays a key role in mediating the relations of all examined variables with EAV. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.