Working memory, attentional regulation and the star counting test

The Star Counting Test (SCT) has been developed to measure the regulatory function of attention. In a previous study it was shown that the SCT is suited for assessment of this attentional aspect with children. The present study concerns a more difficult version aimed at young adults. In the literature, the regulatory function of attention is increasingly stressed and it has been linked to working memory functioning. In order to further determine the validity of the SCT, performance was checked against two kinds of measures relating to working memory, i.e. Digit Span and Computational Span. These tasks both call for storage but differ in their claims on the processing component of working memory. Using confirmatory factor analysis substantial correlations were demonstrated with either of these measures. As expected, the correlations tended to rise with increasing demands on the processing component. Test scores were further compared with self-reported cognitive failures. No significant relation appeared to exist. The results are interpreted in terms of demands on the regulatory function of attention.     

Covariation bias,classical conditioning,and phobic fear

The present study investigated whether phobics show an illusory correlation (IC) between phobia-relevant stimuli and aversive events. Nineteen treated and 19 untreated spider phobics were exposed to a series of 72 slides. Three different categories were used: Phobia-relevant slides (spiders), alternative fear-relevant slides (weapons), and neutral slides (flowers). Slides were randomly paired with either a shock, a siren, or nothing at all. All slide/outcome combinations occurred equally frequently. A posteriori recorded contingency estimates indicated that untreated phobics dramatically overestimate the covariation of spiders and shock. On-line recorded outcome expectancies revealed that the bias to overestimate the spider-shock contingency is highly resistant to extinction. The covariation bias was accompanied by differentially heightened electrodermal first interval responses (FIR) and unconditioned electrodermal responses (third interval responses: TIR) on phobia-relevant trials. Treated phobics did not show a covariation bias, indicating that such bias can be modulated by behavioral treatment. The present findings sustain the hypothesis that phobic subjects process information in a fear-confirming way.     

In search of the point of no return: the control of response processes

Control processes underlying response inhibition were examined. Six Ss performed a visual choice reaction task and were occasionally presented with a tone that told them to withhold the response. Reaction time results were in agreement with a model that assumes a race between response activation and response inhibition processes. Event-related brain potentials, electromyogram, and continuous response measures showed that responses could be interrupted at any time. Evidence was obtained for two inhibitory mechanisms: inhibition of central activation processes and inhibition of transmission of motor commands from central to peripheral structures. Results have implications for the distinction between controlled and ballistic processes.     

Stratification in perception and action

Summary This paper discusses the concept of stratification, in the sense of levels of analysis and levels of control, in relation to human perception and performance. It is contended that functional analysis is the proper level of analysis for the domain of perception and action. This is illustrated by means of models of cognitive energetics and motor control. The functional level of analysis can be situated in between the level of symbolic representations and the level of neurophysiological mechanisms. It is also argued that the concept of levels of control provides a way of integrating or relating ecological and information-processing approaches to psychology, in the sense that ecological psychology is concerned with lower and more peripheral levels of control (coordinative structures). Finally, some remarks are made on the relation between cognition and perception and action, drawing on Piaget, and it is proposed that the concept of schema is more appropriate for the domain of perception and action than is the notion of symbolic representations.     

Waning of panic sensations during prolonged hyperventilation

Recent theories about panic emphasize that a hyperventilatory positive feedback loop is involved in panic: catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily sensations may trigger anxiety, anxiety may stimulate hyperventilation, hyperventilation may promote the salience of feared sensations etc. Such models leave unexplained how and when panics come to an end. It was hypothesised that panic with hyperventilation may end because pronounced hyperventilation becomes, in the course of time, less powerful in generating perceivable bodily sensations. Twenty healthy subjects hyperventilated forcefully and experienced clear panic symptoms as defined by DSM IIIR. When pCO2 was kept 55% below base line for 90 min, panic symptoms waned. The mean intensity of the symptoms declined as did the number of symptoms occurring. No panic symptoms were observed in the control group (n = 20) who ventilated normally. In so far as hyperventilation is involved in the positive feedback loops that characterize panic, panic attacks may be time-limited because sensations induced by hyperventilation become less salient even if massive hyperventilation continues. As to the explanation of the reported phenomenon, it is suggested that, apart from habituation, local physiological changes due to prolonged hyperventilation may produce a decrease in interoceptive input.     

Are cognitive differences between immigrant and majority groups diminishing?

A review is given of scores on various cognitive measures, comparing groups of ethnic Dutch and non‐Western immigrants using a large number of datasets. The research shows that there are large group differences in school results, work proficiency, and g for Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, Netherlands Antilleans, and Indonesians from the Moluccans compared with ethnic Dutch. However, South‐East Asians score higher, and persons with one immigrant and one ethnic Dutch parent score only slightly below the mean of the Dutch. When comparing first‐generation disadvantaged immigrant groups with later generations the data show substantial improvements for g, a remarkable stability of educational differences for younger children, and a clear improvement in educational achievement at the end of primary school. Indirect data on intergenerational improvements in work proficiency appear suggestive of a trend of closing gaps. Some of the data reflect higher cognitive capacities over time, and this enhances integration of immigrants into Dutch society. Causes of group differences and improvements in mean level of g are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Repressors report fewer intrusions following a laboratory stressor: the role of reduced stressor-relevant concept activation and inhibitory functioning

This study investigated whether a repressive coping style is associated with fewer intrusions following an experimentally controlled stressor. Furthermore, we examined whether lower activation of stressor-relevant concepts in long-term memory and better inhibitory functioning may contribute to this association. Extreme-scoring participants on a trait anxiety and a social desirability scale were selected to form repressor (n=35), low anxious (n=15), high anxious (n=30), and defensive (n=21) groups. In line with predictions, repressors reported fewer intrusions following a failure manipulation compared to non-repressors. Furthermore, pre-stressor inhibitory functioning was negatively associated with color-naming interference of stressor-related words. This suggests that overall, higher inhibitory control is related to lower activation of failure-related concepts. However, there was no evidence that concept activation and inhibitory control were responsible for repressors' lower number of self-reported intrusions.     

Employee identification before and after an internal merger: A longitudinal analysis

Earlier studies have shown that perceived external prestige (PEP) and communication climate influence employees' overall organizational identification. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study into the determinants of organizational identification at two organizational levels during an internal merger. Data were collected in a university where four divisions merged into two new divisions. Respondents filled out a questionnaire on organizational identification, PEP and communication climate 4 months before the merger (T1) and 2 years after the merger (T2). Results indicate that pre‐merger identification primarily influences post‐merger identification at the same organizational level. Furthermore, the determinants of employees' overall organizational identification differ from the determinants of employees' division identification. Internal communication climate is particularly important for employees' identification with their division. PEP affects employees' identification with the overall organization. Management implications are discussed for monitoring employee identification both in times of (internal) mergers and in general.     

A Study on Journal Self-Citations and Intra-Citing within the Subject Category of Multidisciplinary Sciences

For academic research outcomes, there is an increasing emphasis on the bibliometric scorings like the journal impact factor and citations when the assessment of the scientific merits of research or researchers is required. Currently, no known study has been conducted to explore the bibliographical trends of the subject category of multidisciplinary sciences as indexed by the annual Journal Citation Reports of the Thomson Scientific. The effect of journal self-citations and intra-citing within a discipline to the bibliometric data computation can be confounding. In this study, six journals were selected from the multidisciplinary sciences subject category where the trend of self-citations and intra-citing were analysed. These journals were chosen as they published more than 450 citable articles in the year 2007 and had available bibliometric data for a 10-year period. The results showed that self-citations rose as much as +23.98% while intra-citing declined up to ?5.80% over the observed period. The retrospective impacts and influences of these observations were also discussed in this study.