Motion-induced blindness does not affect the formation of negative afterimages

Aftereffects induced by invisible stimuli constitute a powerful tool to investigate what type of neural information processing can occur in the absence of visual awareness. This approach has been successfully used to demonstrate that awareness of oriented gratings or translating stimuli is not necessary to obtain a robust orientation-specific or motion-specific aftereffect. We exploit motion-induced blindness (MIB, Bonneh, Cooperman, & Sagi, 2001) to investigate the related question of the influence of visual awareness on the formation of negative afterimages. Our results show that MIB does not affect the persistence and intensity of afterimages. Thus, there is no significant contribution to the formation of afterimages beyond the sites mediating MIB.     

Cue-based preparation and stimulus-based priming of tasks in task switching

In this study, we investigated the interaction of three different sources of task activation in precued task switching. We distinguished (1) intentional, cue-based task activation from two other, involuntary sources of activation: (2) persisting activation from the preceding task and (3) stimulus-based task activation elicited by the task stimulus itself. We assumed that cue-based task activation increases as a function of cue-stimulus interval (CSI) and that task activation from the preceding trial decays as a function of response-stimulus interval Stimulus-based task activation is thought to be due to involuntary retrieval of stimulus-associated tasks. We manipulated stimulus-based task activation by mapping each of the stimuli consistently to only one or the other of the two tasks. After practice, we reversed this mapping in order to test the effects of item-specific stimulus-task association. The mapping reversal resulted in increased reaction times and increased task shift costs. These stimulus-based priming effects were markedly reduced with a long CSI, relative to a short CSI, suggesting that stimulus-based priming shows up in performance principally when competition between tasks is high and that cue-based task activation reduces task competition. In contrast, lengthening the response-cue interval (decay time) reduced shift costs but did not reduce the stimulus-based priming effect The data are consistent with separable stimulus-related and response-related components of task activation. Further theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Effects of precuing horizontal and vertical dimensions on right—left prevalence

When stimuli and responses can be coded along horizontal and vertical dimensions simultaneously, a right-left prevalence effect is often obtained for which the advantage for a compatible mapping is larger on the horizontal dimension than on the vertical dimension. The present study investigated the role of preparatory processes in this right-left prevalence effect using a method in which the relevant dimension was cued at short and long intervals prior to presentation of the target stimulus. In three experiments, the right-left prevalence effect did not vary significantly in magnitude as a function of cue-target interval, suggesting that the effect is due primarily to relative salience of the horizontal and vertical codes, as determined by the task structure, and not to a greater ease of attending to the horizontal dimension.     

Self-monitoring,need for cognition,and the Stroop effect: a preliminary study

The color-word Stroop task requires an individual to ignore one piece of information (word) while responding to another (color). Since self-monitors are good at adapting their responses to fit a situation and those high in need for cognition carefully think through information before responding, this study explored the relationship between self-monitoring and need for cognition using Stroop interference. It was anticipated that self-monitoring would reduce Stroop interference, while need for cognition would increase Stroop interference. 23 General Psychology students (10 men, 13 women, M(age) = 18.8 yr.) participated. Participants were given the Self-monitoring Scale, the Need for Cognition Scale, and the Stroop Color-Word Test. Analysis indicated that Need for Cognition was not correlated with Stroop interference (r = .31) but higher scores on Self-monitoring were correlated with lower Stroop interference (r = .43). Implications for research are suggested.     

Disability or end-of-life? Competing narratives in bioethics

Bioethics, and indeed much ethicalwriting generally, makes its point throughnarratives. The religious parable no less thanthe medical teaching case uses a simple storyto describe appropriate action or theapplication of a critical principle. Whilepowerful, the telling story has limits. In thispaper the authors describe a simple teachingcase on ``end-of-life' decision making that wasill received by its audience. The authors ill-receivedexample, involving the disconnection ofventilation in a patient with ALS (Lou Gherig'sDisease) was critiqued by audience members withlong-term experience as ventilation users. Inthis case, the supposedly simple narrative ofthe presenters conflicted with the lifehistories of the audience. The lessons of thisstory, and the conflict that resulted, speakcritically to the limits of simple teachingcases as well as the strengths of narrativeanalysis as a tool for the exploration ofbioethical case histories. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Object-recognition tasks: comparing paper versions to computerized laboratory methods

This study attempts to generalize Biederman's 1987 findings regarding Recognition by Components theory, which were obtained using a computer administered object-recognition task, to an analog or paper task that is consistent with typical assessment or testing procedures. Three versions of an object-recognition task were developed after the Structure of Intellect-Learning Abilities Test by Meeker, Meeker, and Roid. One version contained randomly fragmented objects, one contained objects with vertices present, and the third contained objects with midsegments. 30 participants were administered each of the three versions in a counterbalanced order. The results are consistent with those of Biederman. Objects with missing vertices were more difficult to recognize than objects with missing midsegments. There was no difference between randomly fragmented objects and those with vertices present. Implications for object-recognition research and test-item development are discussed. In particular, it is suggested that perceptual theories should be used in developing test items to gain greater control in creating items of appropriate difficulty and to increase the validity of the overall instrument.     

The impact of response mode on implicit and explicit sequence learning

Evidence regarding the influence of response mode on sequence learning in serial reaction time (SRT) tasks has been mixed so far. In the present study, sequence learning was investigated under two different response conditions: manual (button presses) versus verbal (pronunciation of digits). Additionally, participants were divided post hoc into subgroups differing in their degree of explicit knowledge about the sequence. Results showed an interaction between response mode and type of learning (implicit vs. explicit), with explicit learning functioning more effectively under verbal than under manual conditions, whereas implicit learning was unaffected by the variation of the response mode. Implications concerning different underlying learning mechanisms (R-R learning vs. R-S learning) are discussed. Specifically, we suggest that the high response-effect distinctiveness of the verbal responses facilitated R-R learning.     

Elternschaft, Krebs und Kindersorgen

Background

The diagnosis of parental cancer may destabilize the whole family, parents and children as well. The Hamburg children of somatically ill parents (COSIP) intervention supports parental skills and adaptation of children to the situation. There is currently no evidence for criteria to determine which family members should be involved in the COSIP intervention, predominantly the parents (parent setting), the children (child setting) or both (family setting).

Aim of the study

Data from a multicentre study were analyzed with respect to the predominant intervention settings, the correlation between setting and aims of intervention as well as variables that predict the involvement of children in the intervention.

Material and methods

A total of 203 documented cases were analyzed. Different variables that had been documented by the therapists were included in a regression analysis model in order to identify predictive variables.

Results

In 142 cases the intervention was carried out in a specific intervention setting. In 57?% of the cases children were involved (32?% family setting and 25?% child setting). A systematic relationship between the reported intervention aims and the intervention setting was not detected. The most powerful predictor was the existence of emotional problems of children as reported by the child itself.

Conclusions

Decision-making on intervention settings should therefore take the assessment of emotional symptoms of children by the means of age-appropriate self-reporting tools into consideration. Further investigations are needed to reveal variables concerning needs, motivation and capabilities of the family members as well as institutional conditions.     

Eucharistic meal and eucharistic prayers in Didache 9 and 10

It is heavily disputed whether the thanksgiving prayers in Didache 9 and 10 are related to a ritual (sacramental) meal in the proper sense or not. In this article it is argued that we have to understand the meal of Did. 9 and 10 as a ritual meal as well as a real meal. The invitation of Did. 10:6c (“if anyone is holy, he shall come; anyone is not, he shall repent”) does not point to a second part of the liturgy now lacking in the Didache. On the contrary, it is an invitation of the participants of the meal (at least the “holy” ones) to add their thanksgiving prayers at the end of the ritual meal of the community.     

Motivating innovation in schools: School principals’ work engagement as a motivator for schools’ innovation

This multisource, multilevel study examines the role of school principals’ work engagement as a motivational catalyst for schools’ innovation. We hypothesize that principals’ work engagement motivates teachers’ creativity which in turn should foster the amount of innovations made in schools. In order to operationalize innovation, we used four measures: teachers’ self-ratings and three school-specific objective indicators of schools’ innovation (school projects, external communication, and internal communication). Eighty-seven principals and 902 teachers from 83 German schools participated in our study. Results of multilevel structural equation modelling showed that principals’ work engagement increases teachers’ idea generation which in turn fosters all of our four aspects of innovation. Idea generation mediated the relationship between principals’ work engagement and self-rated innovation. It can be concluded from our study that both principals’ work engagement and teachers’ creativity can be powerful forces concerning schools’ innovation.