Vocational choice and career planning. Spanish adaptation of Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS-R)

The Self-Directed Search is a career-planning guide that works similarly to a vocational and professional interests inventory. A preliminary study allows detection of 68 ítems that need to be rectified, since they do not meet psychometric and semantic criteria. The current study demonstrates reliability and validity of the new adaptation. It is applied to a sample of 1460 subjects from different educational levels. As for reliability, the discrimination index of the items and internal consistency of the scales have improved. Additionally, procedures performed to verify validity (content, construct and concurrent) demonstrate that the instrument has acceptable validity. On balance, we can conclude that the instrument has sufficient scientific and technical credibility for application to the Spanish population.     

Anxiolytic-like activity of SB-205384 in the elevated plus-maze test in mice

Recent studies point to a major role for alpha2-containing GABA-A receptors in modulating anxiety. However, the possible implication of GABA-A receptors containing the alpha3 subunit on anxiety is less known. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of SB-205384 (0.5-4 mg/kg, i.p.), an alpha3 subunit positive modulator of GABA-A receptor, on anxiety tested in the elevated plus-maze in male mice, using classical and ethological parameters. Mice treated with SB-205384 showed an increase in the frequency of entries and the time spent in open arms, as well as a reduction in the time spent in closed arms, as compared with the control group. A notable increase of "head-dipping" unprotected and a reduction of "stretched-attend posture" protected was also evident. These findings indicate that SB-205384 exhibits an anxiolytic-like profile in the elevated plus-maze test, suggesting that GABA-A receptors which contain the alpha3 subunit might be involved in regulation of anxiety.     

Progress in the Molecular-Genetic Study of Intelligence

ABSTRACT— The past decade has seen a major shift in the genetic study of human intelligence; where classic studies aimed to quantify the heritability of intelligence, current studies aim to dissect this heritability into its molecular-genetic components. Five whole-genome linkage scans have been published in the past year, converging on several chromosomal (or genomic) regions important to intelligence. A handful of candidate genes, some of which lie in these genomic regions, have shown significant association to intelligence and the associations have been replicated in independent samples. Finding genes brings us closer to an understanding of the neurophysiological basis of human cognition. Furthermore, when genes are no longer latent factors in our models but can actually be measured, it becomes feasible to identify those environmental factors that interact and correlate with genetic makeup. This will supplant the long nature–nurture debate with actual understanding.     

Experimental challenges to theories of classical conditioning: application of an attentional model of storage and retrieval

Several studies have recently challenged the accuracy of traditional models of classical conditioning that account for some experimental data in terms of a storage deficit. Among other results, it has been reported that extinction of the blocking or overshadowing stimulus results in the recovery of the response to the blocked or overshadowed stimulus, backward blocking shows spontaneous recovery, extinction of the training context results in the recovery from latent inhibition, interposing a delay between conditioning and testing in latent inhibition increases latent inhibition, and latent inhibition antagonizes overshadowing. An existing neural network model of classical conditioning (N. A. Schmajuk, Y. Lam, & J. A. Gray, 1996), which includes an attentional mechanism controlling both storage and retrieval of associations, is able to quantitatively describe these results.     

WISC-R subtest but no overall VIQ-PIQ difference in Dutch children with PDD-NOS

VIQ-PIQ differences have been studied in children with autism and Asperger syndrome but have not been studied in a separate group of children with PDD-NO, although, PDD-NOS has a much higher prevalence rate than autism and deficits in communication and social interaction are severe. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was administered to 100 children, aged 6-12 years, with PDD-NOS (n = 76), autism (n = 13), and Asperger syndrome (n = 11). PDD-NOS was diagnosed using explicit research criteria. No overall differences between VIQ and PIQ were found in PDD-NOS and autism. Peaks in the subtest scores on Information, Similarities, Picture Arrangement, and Mazes, and troughs in the subtest scores on Comprehension, Digit Span, and Coding were demonstrated in children with PDD-NOS. Their score on the Freedom from Distractibility factor was lower than the scores on the Verbal Comprehension factor and the Perceptual Organization factor. Children with PDD-NOS seemed to have a similar VIQ-PIQ profile as children with autism, and on the subtest level children with PDD-NOS showed some similarities to children with Asperger syndrome or autism. It was not possible to distinguish PDD-NOS from autism or Asperger syndrome by using IQ scores.     

Saccadic latency as a function of target duration in a spatial localization task

This study examined a potential confound in the inverse relationship between target duration and saccadic latency reported by Adam, Ketelaars, Kingma, and Hoek in 1993. Eight participants located a briefly flashed target by moving the eyes and the cursor toward its position in a (backward) mask condition and in a no-mask condition. Analysis showed similar saccadic latencies in both conditions, thereby refuting the potentially confounding role of the backward masking procedure. It is tenatively suggested that the longer saccadic latencies noted for shorter target durations may be associated with delayed accumulation of evidence for the detection of the target.     

The Adaptation of Patients During the Hospitalization Period of Bone Marrow Transplantation

A longitudinally study was conducted among 42 bone marrow transplantation (BMT) patients to investigate the association between pretransplant psychosocial variables and psychophysiological outcomes during the immediate convalescence period. Family relationships (cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict) and coping resources (cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual/philosophical, and physical resources) were assessed on the admission day (Day –7 Time 1). Data on psychological distress and pain intensity were obtained on Day +7 (Time 2) and Day +14 (Time 3). The average scores at Times 2 and 3 were computed to indicate the overall adjustments of the patients during the hospitalization period after the day of actual transplant (Day 0). It was shown that higher expressiveness family relationships and higher resources to cope effectively with stressful situations were associated with less psychological distress during the above period. Both pretransplant psychosocial variables were not associated with pain intensity during hospitalization. Allogeneic transplant patients reported higher pain intensity than did autologous transplant patients. Psychological distress and pain intensity were positively correlated with each other. Our findings show that pretransplant family relationships and coping resources associate moderately with psychological distress during the immediate convalescent period of BMT. The present findings support the family-centered approach to BMT care and provide a scientific basis for pretransplant psychosocial interventions.     

Ego-Identity Achievement and Perception of Risk in Intimacy in Survivors of Stranger and Acquaintance Rape

One hundred twenty-two women participated in a study of the relationship between acquaintance/stranger rape and the respective variables of ego-identity achievement (attainment of self-image during adolescence that integrates one's ideas of what one is and what one wants to be) and perception of risk in intimacy (perception of close interpersonal relationships as a risky proposition). Results showed that compared to women who had not been sexually assaulted, survivors of rape in general reported lower ego-identity achievement and greater perception of risk in intimacy. Focusing on acquaintance rape and stranger rape with age at the time of assault as possible moderator, it was found that lower ego-identity achievement was systematically related to acquaintance rape in women who had been raped during their adolescent years, but not in survivors of rape during adulthood. Perception of risk in intimacy was significantly higher among women who had been raped when adolescents compared to those who had been raped during adulthood, but only in relation to acquaintance rape.     

Lack of association of computer use and ability with spontaneous mental visualization

Relationships between frequency of computer use or ability to use the computer effectively with the tendency to construct and process visual mental images were investigated by administering a computer-use questionnaire and a visualization questionnaire to a sample of 185 Italian and Spanish undergraduates. Analysis did not support associations between either (a) frequent computer use of any kind or (b) high competence in using the computer for various purposes and spontaneous use of imagery.