Conditional probability and components of rt in the variable foreperiod experiment

If the passage of time during the foreperiod in a variable foreperiod experiment is marked by a series of tones, RT decreases with the conditional probability of stimulus occurrence. RTs at short foreperiods, however, are rather slower than would be expected on the basis of a simple conditional probability effect. It is suggested that this is attributable to an independent “initial slow reaction” effect, and it is shown that the degree of this effect is influenced by the duration of the prior foreperiod. The results are related to those of variable foreperiod a-reactions in which no conditional probability effect has been found, and it is argued that in a marked reaction of the kind described above, the initial slow reaction effect behaves like an a-reaction component of RT. It is suggested that the absence of a conditional probability effect in the a-reaction and its presence in the marked reaction are related to the fact that a different type of sensory process is used to identify the signal in each case.     

The effect of change in sequential visual stimuli on GSR adaptation: II,the novel stimulus as a disinhibiting stimulus

GSR records were obtained for 20 Ss presented with a series of 80 stimuli (four lights alternating in apparent random sequence). Records were obtained, also, for 20 Ss in each of two groups, using the same procedure: in Group 1, a tone was substituted for one of the lights, early in the sequence, and in Group 2, it was substituted later in the sequence. The tone, the novel stimulus, produced significant changes in the GSR adaptation patterns of the two groups.     

Stimulus novelty and intraseries primacy in GSR adaptation

GSR records were obtained for four groups of 20 Ss. Group I was presented with a series of four different lights (amber, blue, green, and white) appearing 20 times each, in apparent random order. The procedure was similar for the other three groups except that in group 2, a novel stimulus (a red light) appeared instead of the sixth amber light; in group 3, it appeared instead of the 16th amber light; and, in group 4, it appeared instead of the 16th amber light. Typical GSR adaptation phenomena were observed in all groups. The introduction of the novel stimulus appeared to have no effect on the course of GSR adaptation.     

Stress,Hypertension, and Young Black Americans: The Importance of Counseling

The author reviews the stress-hypertension relationship among young Black Americans and shows how counselors can intervene using a conceptual sociopsychophysiological model of stress.     

The frequency and significance of additional self-reported psychiatric diagnoses in children with attention deficit disorder

The frequency of additional self-reported diagnoses in a large, heterogeneous sample of attention defiict disorder (ADD) children (N=182)was determined using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA). Over half the children had additional DICA diagnoses, with oppositional disorder and anxiety/mood disorders the most frequent. ADD boys with internalizing-type diagnoses had lower verbal IQs and arithmetic scores and performed more poorly on attention tasks than those without; parents also rated them more adversely. Those with externalizing- type diagnoses were rated as more aggressive by teachers and had sociopathic, thrill- seeking profiles on paper-pencil self-ratings. Over 40% of the children were dyslexic or slow learners but they had no higher rate of DICA diagnoses than those who read adequately.This research was supported by NIMH grant R01-MH39189 and by the Marie Wilson Howells Fund. The authors are grateful to the Chid Study Center staff who assisted in recruiting and evaluating subjects and to the Behavioral Laboratory team members who collected and analyzed the data.     

Agamben,Badiou, and Russell

Giorgio Agamben and Alain Badiou have both recently made central use of set-theoretic results in their political and ontological projects. As I argue in the paper, one of the most important of these to both thinkers is the paradox of set membership discovered by Russell in 1901. Russell’s paradox demonstrates the fundamentally paradoxical status of the totality of language itself, in its concrete occurrence or taking-place in the world. The paradoxical status of language is essential to Agamben’s discussions of the “coming community,” “whatever being,” sovereignty, law and its force, and the possibility of a reconfiguration of political life, as well as to Badiou’s notions of representation, political intervention, the nature of the subject, and the event. I document these implications of Russell’s paradox in the texts of Agamben and Badiou and suggest that they point the way toward a reconfigured political life, grounded in a radical reflective experience of language.     

The Teddy-Bear Effect: Does Having a Baby Face Benefit Black Chief Executive Officers?

ABSTRACT— Prior research suggests that having a baby face is negatively correlated with success among White males in high positions of leadership. However, we explored the positive role of such "babyfaceness" in the success of high-ranking Black executives. Two studies revealed that Black chief executive officers (CEOs) were significantly more baby-faced than White CEOs. Black CEOs were also judged as being warmer than White CEOs, even though ordinary Blacks were rated categorically as being less warm than ordinary Whites. In addition, baby-faced Black CEOs tended to lead more prestigious corporations and earned higher salaries than mature-faced Black CEOs; these patterns did not emerge for White CEOs. Taken together, these findings suggest that babyfaceness is a disarming mechanism that facilitates the success of Black leaders by attenuating stereotypical perceptions that Blacks are threatening. Theoretical and practical implications for research on race, gender, and leadership are discussed.     

Trauma Recovery in the Transgender and Gender Diverse Community: Extensions of the Minority Stress Model for Treatment Planning

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations, including those that do not identify with gender binary constructs (man or woman) are increasingly presenting for treatment of posttrauma sequelae. Providers who offer services for trauma survivors including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment should be knowledgeable about evidence-based care and have some cultural familiarity with TGD experiences. Indeed, the Minority Stress Model suggests that the combination of distal and proximal minority stressors can combine to produce increased mental health symptoms as compared with cisgender peers, though this model has yet to be fully tested. Clients often present with a complicated picture of experiences, which include a variety of minority stressors, microaggressions, discrimination, and traumatic events that can all be related to their identity. However, conceptualizations of trauma treatment in the context of extensive minority stress are lacking. This paper summarizes the existing literature and offers guidance to mental health providers who are well positioned to address stigma, discrimination, violence, and related symptoms that arise from micro-, mezzo- and macro-level spheres of TGD individuals’ experience.     

The importance of distinguishing between harassment-only and assault military sexual trauma during screening

Extant research demonstrates that a history of military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with PTSD and depression diagnoses as well as heightened risk for suicidal ideation and death by suicide. Past studies of MST and its sequelae typically collapse harassment-only and assault MST screening items into a single response, recorded as positive or negative for a history of MST. It is presently unclear whether assault is associated with poorer mental health outcomes relative to harassment-only MST. Female service members/Veterans (n = 656) completed an online survey assessing history (present, absent) and type (harassment-only, assault) of MST, PTSD, depression, sexual satisfaction and function symptoms, as well as suicidal ideation. Findings revealed that those who reported a history of MST, and assault more specifically, were more likely to report higher PTSD symptoms and probable PTSD diagnosis, higher depression symptoms and probable depression diagnosis, worse sexual function and probable sexual function diagnosis, lower sexual satisfaction, and presence of suicidal ideation. Those who reported harassment-only MST also reported higher PTSD severity and probable PTSD diagnosis, but the magnitude of the association of harassment-only MST and PTSD severity relative to assault MST and PTSD severity was substantially lower. Findings suggest it is critical to distinguish between history and type of MST during screening as a combined screening item loses sensitivity to identify those at heightened risk for distress and dysfunction.     

Implications of research for the treatment of depressive disorders during childhood

Basic research into the prevalence, natural course, and phenomena of comorbidity of depressive disorders during childhood are reviewed and implications of this research for treating depressed youths are noted. Results of investigations into the biological aspects of depression are integrated into a multifactorial model of depressive disorders during childhood and the efficacy of pharmacological interventions is discussed. Cognitive theory is integrated with attachment theory to explain a possible avenue to the development of depressive disorders during childhood. Interpersonal therapy has emerged as a potentially effective intervention for depressed youths. Basic tenets of this treatment model are compared and contrasted to a cognitive-behavioral treatment model, and a hybrid treatment referred to as “cognitive therapy within the interpersonal context” is proposed.