An evolutionary function of the depressive reaction: the cognitive map hypothesis

Existing hypotheses for an evolutionary function of depression are insufficient, primarily because they fail to show convincingly the advantages that might compensate for the high evolutionary costs of its features, such as general passivity, decreased appetite and sex drive.In this article, it is shown that depression may have the function of motivating a period of reduced activity after a major loss. It thus allows for time out to update the cognitive structures for altered circumstances, and avoids dangerous actions based on the use of inadequate cognitive maps. This cognitive map hypothesis provides a viable evolutionary explanation for the high incidence of depression reaction, in spite of its apparently unfavorable characteristics. The article discusses how this hypothesis may also shed light on the occurrence of clinical depression, proposing that it is caused by a failure to update complex conceptual cognitive structures. Finally, recommendations for the treatment of depression that derive from this hypothesis are presented.     

Musiktherapie in der deutschen Psychosomatik

The authors report about the clinical implementation of music therapy in psychosomatic hospitals in FRG based on a survey among practising music therapists: attending especially to the qualification of music therapists, their integration and the problem of indication. The coverage of music therapy in the standard textbooks on psychosomatic medicine is discussed.Finally the state of research on music therapy in psychosomatic hospitals is reviewed.     

Unemployed Individuals' Work Values and Job Flexibility: An Explanation from Expectancy‐Value Theory and Self‐Determination Theory

Changes in the contemporary labour market have resulted in an increasing demand for flexibility in the work context. The present research examines the associations between unemployed individuals' work values and their attitudes towards job flexibility. Consistent with Expectancy‐Value Theory, results showed that the general concept of employment value was positively related to all measured types of flexibility, that is, training flexibility, pay flexibility, the flexibility to accept an undemanding job, and the flexibility to accept a job for which one is over‐qualified. In line with Self‐Determination Theory, holding an intrinsic work value orientation related positively to training and pay flexibility, whereas extrinsic work value orientation was negatively related to these two types of flexibility. Overall, these results indicate that not only the degree of employment value but also the content of unemployed individuals' work value orientations matter in understanding their job flexibility. L'évolution actuelle du marché de l'emploi a provoqué une demande croissante de flexibilité dans le domaine du travail. On étudie dans cette recherche les liens qui existent entre les valeurs professionnelles de chômeurs et leurs attitudes envers la flexibilité. Dans la ligne de la théorie expectation‐valence, les résultats montrent que le concept général de valence de l'emploi est relié positivement à toutes les mesures de la flexibilité, c'est‐à‐dire la flexibilité de la formation, du salaire et de l'acceptation d'un poste sans intérêt ou sous‐qualifié. En accord avec la théorie de l'autodétermination, le fait d'accorder une valeur intrinsèque au travail entretient une corrélation positive avec la flexibilité de la formation et du salaire, tandis que la valeur extrinsèque est en relation négative avec ces deux aspects de la flexibilité. En somme, ces résultats indiquent que chez les chômeurs non seulement le niveau de la valence de l'emploi, mais aussi le contenu des valeurs relatives au travail permettent de comprendre leur flexibilité.     

Test Item Content Vs. Response Styles

The purpose of the study was to demonstrate that perceived correctness of the contents of items plays a larger role in determining responses to questionnaire items than response tendencies. The design was three-factorial (2 × 2 × 2) with perceived correctness, social desirability and correspondence to preferred meaning dimensions (i.e., major content categories) as the independent variables, and response extremity as the dependent. There were 144 subjects, 18 in each of the eight conditions. The task consisted of checking whether each of 220 self-report items was True or False and then marking the extremity of judgement on a 5-point scale. The findings showed main effects for all three factors: the largest for perceived correctness that accounted for 58% of the variance, and small but comparable ones for the other two, that accounted for 8–9% of the variance. It was argued that item content is the main deteerminant of perceived correctness whereas preferences for particular meaning variables are main determinants of response tendencies.