Auditory and multisensory aspects of visuospatial neglect

Spatial neglect is a common neurological syndrome in which awareness of contralesional space is disrupted after unilateral (typically right) stroke. Although most research has focused on visual aspects of neglect, there is increasing evidence that neglect can often be multisensory. Here we focus on auditory disturbances that can co-occur with visual neglect. Patients selected for showing visual neglect often also show deficits in localization of single sounds; and also in the detection or identification of contralesional sounds, particularly in the presence of an ipsilesional competitor. Moreover, auditory and visual aspects of neglect often correlate in their severity across patients. These results are considered in relation to recent neuroimaging findings in the normal brain, showing that the brain regions typically damaged in neglect patients might contain multimodal representations of space.     

Coping with an insecure employment environment: The differing roles of protean and boundaryless career orientations

In this paper, we utilize a sample of working adults (N = 362) in the context of the recent economic recession to explore the coping mechanisms associated with different career attitudes and their subsequent impact on important individual work outcomes. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated that boundaryless mindset and self-directed protean career attitudes were differentially correlated with external support seeking, active coping, and identity awareness, which in turn were differentially correlated with individual work outcomes of job search behavior, performance, career success, and psychological well-being. Evidence for both full and partial mediation within the model tested is presented, as well as the potential implications of these findings and suggested avenues for future research.     

Personality disorders and dimensions in pathological gambling

Comorbid DSM-IV Axis II personality disorders appear to be common in pathological gambling (PG) and may contribute to the chronic problems often associated with the disorder. This study sought to examine the relationship between PG, personality disorders, and impulsivity in a sample of pathological gamblers. Personality assessments included the SCID-II, Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire, Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. A total of 77 individuals with DSM-IV PG were included in this study, of which 35 (45.5%) met criteria for at least one personality disorder. Specific aspects of impulsivity were associated with certain personality disorders in PG when grouped by cluster, yet the presence of a personality disorder was not positively correlated with gambling severity. It remains unclear how the presence of a personality disorder and aspects of impulsivity may affect treatment outcome. Further exploration of these disorders and dimensions of personality may encourage a more inclusively global treatment approach.     

The effect of restraint beliefs on alcohol-seeking behavior

Individuals who believe that they have high levels of restraint over motivated behaviors such as cigarette smoking are, paradoxically, more likely to engage in those behaviors when tempted (Nordgren, Van Harreveld, & Van Der Pligt, 2009). Our aim was to experimentally manipulate heavy drinkers' beliefs about their drinking restraint to examine the effect on drinking behavior. Sixty heavy drinkers completed an implicit association test and a stop-signal task before receiving bogus feedback on their task performance that indicated that they had either high or low levels of drinking restraint. Participants then completed a bogus taste test in which they were able to consume beer and a soft drink. Results indicated that the group falsely led to believe that they had a high level of drinking restraint subsequently consumed more beer than the group led to believe that they had a low level of drinking restraint. This study demonstrates that beliefs about drinking restraint can influence drinking behavior, in that individuals who overestimate their control over drinking are at greater risk of drinking to excess when exposed to tempting situations.     

Commentary: How Individual and Profession-level Factors Influence Discussion of Disability in Prenatal Genetic Counseling

Hodgson and Weil (Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2011) reports on two interactive workshops in which genetic counselors identified a broad set of counseling issues that may be impediments to promoting an adequate discussion of disability in prenatal genetic counseling. The present commentary discusses two factors that we infer underlie these counseling issues. First, countertransference concerning disability, which is normal and expected, may influence genetic counselors’ decisions about raising and exploring the complex topic of disability in prenatal genetic counseling. Second, the limited involvement of the profession of genetic counseling in the complex social and ethical issues of disability provide little guidance to the individual genetic counselor with respect to discussing disability in prenatal diagnosis counseling. We suggest both factors must be acknowledged and addressed in order to adequately implement the recommendations presented in Hodgson and Weil (Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2011) as well as other efforts to increase discussion of disability in prenatal diagnosis counseling in the service of informed decision making.     

THE ABSTRACT SUBLIME: Life as information waiting to be rewritten

We report here on a series of interaction-intensive, interdisciplinary workshops to foster collaboration among those who teach, study, and engage with the public about scientific developments and social change—the New England Workshop on Science and Social Change. We include one line of thinking that fed into the workshops and present an analysis of how they contribute to participants developing their interest and skills in collaboration. Workshop evaluations suggest that people are moved to develop themselves as collaborators when they view an experience or training as transformative. Four R's—respect, risk, revelation, and re-engagement—point to the important conditions for interactions among researchers to be experienced as transformative. Three considerations lie behind the focus on the process side of the workshops, not the specific workshop topics: (1) how best to fill in for readers what they missed out on by not being there; (2) workshops and meetings are a ubiquitous part of the culture of science and technology studies (STS) so it is valuable to examine this aspect of our own culture with a view to promoting positive changes; and (3) in some scientific fields organized multi-person collaborative processes form a highly valorized aspect of the culture of science, so reflection on experiences of participation and collaboration in STS might inform our analyses of fields that emphasize collaboration and group processes. Indeed, the authors' own involvement in the workshops extends our own STS work on actor networks and ‘heterogeneous engineering’, that is, the mobilization of a variety of resources by diverse agents spanning different realms of social action.     

Vertical and leg stiffness and stretch-shortening cycle changes across maturation during maximal sprint running

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether vertical and leg stiffness, and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) ability differed in developing athletes of various maturity status during maximal sprint running. Seventy-four male participants between 8 and 16 years of age were categorized into pre-, mid- or post-peak height velocity (PHV) and sprinted for 30 meters on a non-motorized treadmill. Dimensionless vertical stiffness increased significantly (p < .05) from pre-, to mid- and post-PHV state, while dimensionless leg stiffness was significantly higher in post- compared to mid- (18.4%) and pre-PHV participants (44.5%). Eccentric power was significantly lower in pre- compared to the mid- and post-PHV participants. Concentric power increased from pre- to mid- and post-PHV state. An analysis of covariance revealed no significant differences between all groups in dimensionless vertical and leg stiffness, eccentric and concentric time and power when controlling for years from PHV (maturation). Eccentric or concentric power, were found to be the best predictors of maximum velocity across all maturation groups (r² = .37–.68). It seems that maturation affects the ability to absorb and produce power and furthermore these variables are important predictors of maximal running velocity.     

Imagery and strength of craving for eating,drinking, and playing sport

The elaborated intrusion (EI) theory of desire (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) attributes the motivational force of cravings to cognitive elaboration, including imagery, of apparently spontaneous thoughts that intrude into awareness. We report a questionnaire study in which respondents rated a craving for food or drink. Questionnaire items derived from EI theory formed a single factor alongside factors for anticipated reward/relief, resistance, and opportunity. In a multiple regression predicting strength of craving, the first three factors accounted for 36% of the variance. Opportunity did not enter the model. In a second study, the difference between individuals’ strong and weak cravings to take part in a sporting activity was shown to be related to visual, auditory, and general imagery, and to anticipated reward or relief from engaging in the activity. Implications for treatment of craving-related disorders are discussed in the light of these results and of other research indicating that interference with imagery can reduce the strength of craving.     

A Treatise vs. An enquiry: Omissions and Distortions by the New Humeans

There is a definite stress on the primacy of An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding over A Treatise of Human Nature by the so-called New Humeans, who in turn, advocate the sceptical/causal realist interpretation of Hume's empiricism. This paper shows how there has been a deliberate attempt by them to omit and distort certain negative aspects of Hume's life in the belief that in order to accept their interpretations we must first acknowledge that, (1) the Enquiry is the superior text and, (2) reject any criticisms suggesting that Hume only wrote it to help promote the Treatise and fulfil his ambitions for literary fame.     

Forgiveness as a moderator of the association between anger expression and suicidal behaviour

Anger is often associated with poor physical and mental health, including suicidal behaviour. Anger expression is typically conceptualised as inward or outward-directed, with each mode of expression having potentially different aetiologies and health manifestations. Individual characteristics such as religion or spirituality may buffer against the effects of anger. One such characteristic, forgiveness, is the voluntary process of changing ones’ beliefs, behaviours, and emotions towards a transgressor from negative to positive. We examined forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others and feeling forgiven by God as moderators of the relationship between anger expression and suicidal behaviours in a sample of 372 ethnically diverse college students. In independent and full models, we found that forgiveness of self was a significant moderator of the association between inward and outward anger and suicidal behaviour. Interventions targeting anger via the promotion of forgiveness may be useful in the prevention of suicide ideation and attempts.