Retrieval during learning facilitates subsequent memory encoding

In multiple-list learning, retrieval during learning has been suggested to improve recall of the single lists by enhancing list discrimination and, at test, reducing interference. Using electrophysiological, oscillatory measures of brain activity, we examined to what extent retrieval during learning facilitates list encoding. Subjects studied 5 lists of items in anticipation of a final cumulative recall test and did either a retrieval or a no-retrieval task between study of the lists. Retrieval was from episodic memory (recall of the previous list), semantic memory (generation of exemplars from an unrelated category), or short-term memory (2-back task). Behaviorally, all 3 forms of retrieval enhanced recall of both previously and subsequently studied lists. Physiologically, the results showed an increase of alpha power (8-14 Hz) from List 1 to List 5 encoding when no retrieval activities were interpolated but no such increase when any of the 3 retrieval activities occurred. Brain-behavior correlations showed that alpha-power dynamics from List 1 to List 5 encoding predicted subsequent recall performance. The results suggest that, without intermittent retrieval, encoding becomes ineffective across lists. In contrast, with intermittent retrieval, there is a reset of the encoding process for each single list that makes encoding of later lists as effective as encoding of early lists.     

Der Gruppenfragebogen (GQ-D)

An investigation of the psychometric properties of the German version of the Group Questionnaire (GQ; Krogel 2009) is described. The GQ is a self-report instrument economically enabling the assessment of helpful aspects of relationships within small groups. Due to the limited length of the questionnaire it provides a tool of monitoring bonding to the group, the quality of the working relationship as well as negative aspects during group treatment. One advantage of the GQ is that it measures relationships on three different relational levels (group members, group leader and the group as a whole). Following a test of the multidimensional structure of the GQ-D using data from a multisite study (N=438) with structural equation models, the GQ-D was validated using other process measures. The GQ-D proved to be an objective, valid and reliable measure to assess relevant therapeutic relationships within groups.     

Economic inequality is linked to biased self-perception

People's self-perception biases often lead them to see themselves as better than the average person (a phenomenon known as self-enhancement). This bias varies across cultures, and variations are typically explained using cultural variables, such as individualism versus collectivism. We propose that socioeconomic differences among societies--specifically, relative levels of economic inequality--play an important but unrecognized role in how people evaluate themselves. Evidence for self-enhancement was found in 15 diverse nations, but the magnitude of the bias varied. Greater self-enhancement was found in societies with more income inequality, and income inequality predicted cross-cultural differences in self-enhancement better than did individualism/collectivism. These results indicate that macrosocial differences in the distribution of economic goods are linked to microsocial processes of perceiving the self.     

The Contributions of Child Behavioral Functioning and Parent Distress to Family Functioning in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The objective of this study was to examine the relative contributions of both parental and adolescent functioning to family functioning in adolescent patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their families. Participants were 45 adolescents (27 male, 18 female) 13-17?years old (M?=?15.41?years, SD?=?1.32) with IBD and their parents. Families completed measures of patient behavioral functioning and depression, parent distress and family functioning. Disease severity assessments were completed via data provided by patients' gastroenterologists. Results indicated that parent-reported patient behavioral problems accounted for a significant 26% of variance in family functioning. Post-hoc analysis revealed that externalizing behavior problems accounted for the majority of this variance compared to internalizing behavior problems. These results suggest that externalizing problems may have a more significant impact on these families than previous research indicates. Moreover, externalizing behaviors may significantly impact family adaptation and should be taken into consideration during routine clinical care. Further research is needed to replicate and expand upon these findings.     

A computational model of perception and action for cognitive robotics

Robots are increasingly expected to perform tasks in complex environments. To this end, engineers provide them with processing architectures that are based on models of human information processing. In contrast to traditional models, where information processing is typically set up in stages (i.e., from perception to cognition to action), it is increasingly acknowledged by psychologists and robot engineers that perception and action are parts of an interactive and integrated process. In this paper, we present HiTEC, a novel computational (cognitive) model that allows for direct interaction between perception and action as well as for cognitive control, demonstrated by task-related attentional influences. Simulation results show that key behavioral studies can be readily replicated. Three processing aspects of HiTEC are stressed for their importance for cognitive robotics: (1) ideomotor learning of action control, (2) the influence of task context and attention on perception, action planning, and learning, and (3) the interaction between perception and action planning. Implications for the design of cognitive robotics are discussed.     

Begutachtung von Traumatisierungen

The assessment of trauma related-disorders belongs to the most controversial and medically as well as juridically most broadly discussed fields. Accordingly, the juridical basis and clinical implications are presented and discussed. In doing so, among other things the principles of the causality judgement, the damage-related factors and those damage-independent factors which have to be considered are described. They are discussed in the context of social-juridical and insurance-juridical contexts. Some specific features of the clinical investigation situation are shown.     

Supervision in der psychotherapeutischen Ausbildung in Deutschland

One of the functions of supervision in psychotherapy training is quality assurance. In order to fulfill this function the quality of supervision itself needs to be high and needs to be controlled. Thus in a large survey of psychotherapy training in Germany questions related to the quality of supervision were included in the survey. Answers to those questions from different samples (trainees, alumni, trainers, training institutes, expert organizations) were compiled. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Satisfaction and usefulness ratings with individual and group supervision were high to very high. Supervision amount, group size and frequency were rated as adequate. Criticism pertained to the lack of systematic evaluation, insufficient qualification of the supervisors and lacking integration of supervision into the whole training. As supervision is a very important part of psychotherapy training measures for quality assurance and improvement are necessary.     

Klinische Supervision

Clinical supervision is of central significance within different phases of training and is seen as a central part of adequate psychotherapy. Based upon different definitions and models of supervision, this article reviews clinically relevant results of psychotherapy research dealing with issues of supervision. Although the significance of supervision for the quality of psychotherapeutic treatment is sometimes still critically discussed, the amount of evidence for their positive effects increases. The review shows a number of current research deficits that should be compensated in the future.     

In the mood for adaptation: how affect regulates conflict-driven control

Cognitive conflict plays an important role in tuning cognitive control to the situation at hand. On the basis of earlier findings demonstrating emotional modulations of conflict processing, we predicted that affective states may adaptively regulate goal-directed behavior that is driven by conflict. We tested this hypothesis by measuring conflict-driven control adaptations following experimental induction of four different mood states that could be differentiated along the dimensions of arousal and pleasure. After mood states were induced, 91 subjects performed a flanker task, which provided a measure of conflict adaptation. As predicted, pleasure level affected conflict adaptation: Less pleasure was associated with more conflict-driven control. Arousal level did not influence conflict adaptation. This study suggests that affect adaptively regulates cognitive control. Implications for future research and psychopathology are discussed.     

3-D localization of virtual sound sources: Effects of visual environment, pointing method, and training

The ability to localize sound sources in three-dimensional space was tested in humans. In Experiment 1, naive subjects listened to noises filtered with subject-specific head-related transfer functions. The tested conditions included the pointing method (head or manual pointing) and the visual environment (VE; darkness or virtual VE). The localization performance was not significantly different between the pointing methods. The virtual VE significantly improved the horizontal precision and reduced the number of front-back confusions. These results show the benefit of using a virtual VE in sound localization tasks. In Experiment 2, subjects were provided with sound localization training. Over the course of training, the performance improved for all subjects, with the largest improvements occurring during the first 400 trials. The improvements beyond the first 400 trials were smaller. After the training, there was still no significant effect of pointing method, showing that the choice of either head- or manual-pointing method plays a minor role in sound localization performance. The results of Experiment 2 reinforce the importance of perceptual training for at least 400 trials in sound localization studies.