The self in autobiographical memory: Effects of self-salience on narrative content and structure

Contemporary models of autobiographical memory attribute a prominent role to the conceptualisation of the self. In an attempt to better understand the impact of the self as an organising feature of autobiographical memory, narratives of personal episodes were elicited, either after a questionnaire about the self (self-prime condition) or after a distractor task (control condition). Participants also wrote a narrative of a turning-point memory, which is by definition a self-focused narrative. Narratives were divided into propositions and analysed for the types of statements used. As predicted, when writing self-focused turning-point narratives participants included more statements relating to the meaning of an event and connecting it to the self, and fewer statements focusing on the who, what, where, and when of the narrative. Narratives written after the self-prime also demonstrated characteristics that were similar to turning-point narratives, although not on all measures. This shift in narrative focus in turning-point and self-primed memory narratives indicates an increased attempt to fulfil goals of coherence rather than correspondence (Conway, 2005). These findings lend insight into the nature of the relationship between the semantic conceptualisation of the self, and the process of retrieving event-specific knowledge in episodic memory.     

Stress,coping, and depressive symptomatology in Latina and Anglo aids caregivers

In a survey of 432 AIDS caregivers, we examined differences in the stress and coping process and predictors of depressive symptomatology by ethnicity and gender. Our sample included 192 Anglo gay and bisexual male partners, 86 Anglo women, and 154 Latina family caregivers. We examined differences in primary and secondary stressors as predictors of depression; differences in sociodemographic and background factors, and differences in the predictive value and mediating influences of factors that may attenuate the relationship between stress and depression. Results indicate substantial differences in predictors and mediators of depression across groups. While all groups evidenced moderate levels of depression, background factors influenced depression mostly for Latinas. Depression in gay and bisexual partners was more influenced by primary objective stressors such as assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs). Service acquisition appears to be shaped by access, knowledge, and cultural acceptance. Based on our findings, we suggest that service provision for caregivers must also vary and be attuned to cultural and gender differences that may influence perception of stress and depression for caregivers.     

Identifying early signs of aggression: psychometric properties of the Cardiff infant contentiousness scale

Our aim was to develop an age-appropriate measure of early manifestations of aggression. We constructed a questionnaire about normative developmental milestones into which a set of items measuring infants' use of physical force against people and expressed anger were included. These items comprise the Cardiff Infant Contentiousness Scale (CICS). Evidence for the reliability and validity of the CICS is provided from analyses of a sample of N=310 British infants, assessed at a mean age of 6 months as part of a larger longitudinal study of the development of aggression. The informants' CICS ratings demonstrated reasonable levels of internal consistency and interrater agreement. Informants' ratings were validated by observations of infants' distress in response to restraint in a car seat. Longitudinal analyses revealed that contentiousness was stable over time and that contentiousness at 6 months predicted infants' later use of force with peers. When used in the company of other methods, the simple four-item CICS scale could serve as a useful screen for early manifestations of aggressiveness in human infants.     

The Relationship Between Parent and Child Dysfunctional Beliefs About Sleep and Child Sleep

Cognitive theories emphasise the role of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep in the development and maintenance of sleep-related problems (SRPs). The present research examines how parents’ dysfunctional beliefs about children’s sleep and child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep are related to each other and to children’s subjective and objective sleep. Participants were 45 children aged 11–12 years and their parents. Self-report measures of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep and child sleep were completed by children, mothers and fathers. Objective measures of child sleep were taken using actigraphy. The results showed that child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep were correlated with father (r = 0.43, p < 0.05) and mother (r = 0.43, p < 0.05) reported child SRPs, and with Sleep Onset Latency (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). Maternal dysfunctional beliefs about child sleep were related to child SRPs as reported by mothers (r = 0.44, p < 0.05), and to child dysfunctional beliefs about sleep (r = 0.37, p < 0.05). Some initial evidence was found for a mediation pathway in which child dyfunctional beliefs mediate the relationship between parent dysfunctional beliefs and child sleep. The results support the cognitive model of SRPs and contribute to the literature by providing the first evidence of familial aggregation of dysfunctional beliefs about sleep.     

A Comparison of Enrollees Versus Non-enrollees in a Patient/Family HCV Psychoeducation Study

Despite the seriousness of Hepatitis C (HCV), many patients do not receive treatment. One promising means of addressing these issues for medically ill patients is through participation in support group services. This study examined individual-, treatment- and system-level factors associated with enrolling in a support group intervention (psychoeducation) for persons with HCV. A total of 235 research participants were recruited as part of a NIAAA-funded randomized clinical trial for patients with HCV and their family members, with 172 (73.2 %) agreeing to enroll in the psychoeducation trial and 63 (26.8 %) declining. Factors leading to enrollment indicated that individuals without employment, with certain personality structures (low cooperativeness and self-directedness), and traveling greater distance to their group were more likely to agree to participate. Populations being seen in public settings demonstrate a desire for additional support and education, but at the same time these potential participants are faced with challenges to following through and enrolling in the desired services.     

The effects of violent video games on aggression.

Violent content video games such as Mortal Kombat and Doom have become very popular among children and adolescents, causing great concern for parents, teachers, and policy makers. This study cumulates findings across existing empirical research on the effects of violent video games to estimate overall effect size and discern important trends and moderating variables. Results suggest there is a smaller effect of violent video games on aggression than has been found with television violence on aggression. This effect is positively associated with type of game violence and negatively related to time spent playing the games. Directions for future programmatic research on video games are outlined.     

Can but don’t: olfactory discrimination between own and alien offspring in the domestic cat

Mammalian maternal care usually comes at a large energetic cost. To maximize their fitness, mothers should preferentially care for their own offspring. However, the majority of studies of mother–offspring recognition have focused on herd- or colony-living species and there is little information on maternal discrimination in more solitary-living species. Olfaction has been found to play a major role in mother–offspring recognition across various taxa. Therefore, our aim was to study this in a species evolved from a solitary-living ancestor, the domestic cat. We asked whether cat mothers distinguish between their own and alien offspring when providing maternal care, and whether cat mothers use olfactory cues in the offspring discrimination process. Results of Experiment 1 showed that cat mothers do not discriminate between own and alien young when retrieving them to the nest. They treated own and alien young similarly with respect to latency and order of retrieval. However, the results of Experiments 2 and 3, where we used an olfactory habituation-discrimination technique, showed that mothers were able to distinguish between the odours of their own and alien kittens. We discuss what ecological and/or behavioural factors might influence a mother’s decision when faced with discriminating between own and alien young, and why mothers might not discriminate between them when they are able to do so. Our findings support the view that maternal care alone should not be used as a measure of offspring recognition, and equal maternal care of own and alien young should not be immediately interpreted as an inability to discriminate between them.     

Perceiving Empirical Objects Directly

The goal of this paper is to defend the claim that there is such a thing as direct perception, where by direct perception I mean perception unmediated by theorizing or concepts. The basis for my defense is a general philosophic perspective which I call empiricist philosophy. In brief, empiricist philosophy (as I have defined it) is untenable without the occurrence of direct perception. It is untenable without direct perception because, otherwise, one can't escape the hermeneutic circle, as this phrase is used in van Fraassen (1980). The bulk of the paper is devoted to defending my belief in direct perception against various objections that can be posed against it. I discuss various anticipations of my view found in the literature, eventually focusing on Ian Hacking's related conception of `entity realism' (Hacking 1983). Hacking has been criticized by a number of philosophers and my plan is to respond to these criticisms on behalf of entity realism (or more precisely on behalf of the claim that direct perception is a reality) and to then respond to other possible criticisms that can be launched against direct perception.     

Visually perceived eye level with reversible pitch stimuli: implications for the great circle and implicit surface models

Visually perceived eye level (VPEL) and perceived pitch were measured while subjects viewed two sets of stimuli that were either upright or pitched top-toward or top-away from them. The first set of stimuli, a pair of vertical lines viewed at various angles of pitch, caused systematic changes in perceived pitch and upward and downward VPEL shifts for the top-toward and top-away pitches, respectively. Neither the perceived pitch nor the VPEL measures with these stimuli differed between monocular and binocular viewing. The second set of stimuli was constructed so that, when viewed at the appropriate pitch angle, the projected orientations of the lines in the retinal image of each stimulus were similar to those generated by a pair of vertical lines pitched by a lesser amount in the opposite direction. When viewed monocularly, these stimuli appeared pitched in the direction opposite their physical pitch, yet produced VPEL shifts consistent with the direction of their physical pitch. These results clearly demonstrate a dissociation between perceived pitch and VPEL. The same stimuli, when viewed binocularly, appeared pitched in the direction of their physical pitch and caused VPEL shifts indistinguishable from those obtained monocularly. The retinal image orientations of these stimuli, however, corresponded to those of vertical line stimuli pitched in the opposite direction. This finding is therefore consistent with the hypothesis that VPEL and perceived pitch are processed independently, but inconsistent with the specific version of this hypothesis which states that differences in VPEL are determined solely on the basis of the orientation of lines in the retinal image.     

Can authorship policies help prevent scientific misconduct? What role for scientific societies?

The purpose of this article is to encourage and help inform active discussion of authorship policies among members of scientific societies. The article explains the history and rationale of the influential criteria for authorship developed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, examines questions about those criteria that emerge from authorship policies adopted by several U.S. medical schools, and summarizes the arguments for replacing authorship with the contributor-guarantor model. Finally, it concludes with a plea for scientific societies to play a prominent role in the ongoing debates about authorship and the alternatives as part of their efforts to encourage ethical conduct among their members. Whether or not scientific societies develop authorship policies of their own, they should undertake vigorous educational efforts to keep their new members adequately informed about the importance of authorship practices in ethical scientific research and publication.