Theory of mind and moral cognition: exploring the connections

It is widely recognized that people sometimes use theory-of-mind judgments in moral cognition. A series of recent studies shows that the connection can also work in the opposite direction: moral judgments can sometimes be used in theory-of-mind cognition. Thus, there appear to be cases in which people's moral judgments actually serve as input to the process underlying their application of theory-of-mind concepts.     

The ups and downs of attributional ambiguity: stereotype vulnerability and the academic self-knowledge of African American college students

This research examined whether stereotype vulnerability-the tendency to expect, perceive, and be influenced by negative stereotypes about one's social category-is associated with uncertainty about one's academic self-knowledge in two important ways. We predicted that stereotype-vulnerable African American students would (a) know less about how much they know than less vulnerable students do and (b) have unstable academic efficacy. In Study 1, Black and White participants took a verbal test and indicated the probability that each of their answers was correct. As expected, stereotype-vulnerable Black participants were more miscalibrated than other participants. In Study 2, participants completed measures of self-efficacy twice daily for 8 days. Also as expected, the academic efficacy of stereotype-vulnerable Blacks fluctuated more-and more extremely-than that of other participants. The results suggest that, in addition to undermining intellectual performance, stigma interferes with academic self-knowledge.     

Assessing the executive function deficits of patients with Parkinson's disease: utility of the Tower of London-Drexel

The aim of the study was to investigate the utility of the Tower of London-Drexel (TOLDX) in assessing the executive deficits associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). We sought to determine whether the TOLDX would differentiate between (a) patients with PD and healthy control participants (HCP), (b) demented and nondemented patients, and (c) depressed and nondepressed patients. A new TOLDX score, stimulus bound, was introduced to assess utilization behaviors. Furthermore, the convergent and divergent validity of the TOLDX was examined. The TOLDX total move, rule and time violation, and stimulus-bound scores of patients with PD significantly differed from the HCP. Demented and nondemented patients also differed significantly in their TOLDX performance, with the stimulus-bound score being the most significantly differentiating score. However, the depressed and nondepressed patients did not differ in their TOLDX performance. Support was found for the convergent and divergent validity of the TOLDX. The clinical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Saccadic output is influenced by limb kinetics during eye-hand coordination

In several recent studies, saccadic eye movements were found to be influenced by concurrent reaching movements. The authors investigated whether that influence originates in limb kinematic or kinetic signals. To dissociate those 2 possibilities, the authors required participants (N = 6) to generate pointing movements with a mass that either resisted or assisted limb motion. With practice, participants were able to generate pointing responses with very similar kinematics but whose kinetics varied in a systematic manner. The results showed that saccadic output was altered by the amount of force required to move the arm, consistent with an influence from limb kinetic signals. Because the interaction occurred before the pointing response began, the authors conclude that a predictive signal related to limb kinetics modulates saccadic output during tasks requiring eye-hand coordination.     

Measuring "negative body image": validation of the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire in a nonclinical population

Despite numerous measures of facets of the body image construct, no single assessment broadly measures a continuum of body image disturbance. Accordingly, this study developed the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ), derived from the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire. Participants were 220 college women and 75 college men who completed an online survey containing this new assessment and established measures of body image and psychosocial functioning. Results confirmed that the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire was internally consistent and free of impression-management response bias. For both sexes, the measure converged appropriately with other body image indices (evaluation, affect, investment, and impact), was positively correlated with depression, social anxiety, and eating disturbance. Scores on this assessment also predicted psychosocial functioning above and beyond body dissatisfaction as a predictor. Greater body image disturbance was observed among women than men, among heavier than lighter women, and among White than African American women. Limitations and future research implications are discussed.     

The emerging dialogue between psychoanalysis and neuroscience: neuroimaging perspectives

Current progress in the cognitive neurosciences is highly relevant to the development of psychoanalytic theory and practice. Neuroscience is today becoming mature enough to provide empirical biological approaches for the investigation of psychoanalytic models and observations. The current state of functional neuroimaging techniques is reviewed, selected paradigms and findings relevant to psychotherapy research are presented, and ways to pursue the dialogue between psychoanalysts and neuroscientists are discussed, as are some related obstacles and pitfalls. The emerging dialogue between psychoanalysts and neuroscientists may help not only to reestablish a solid position of psychodynamic theory and treatment in contemporary medicine, but also to bridge the division between "psychological" and "somatic" treatments, and gain important insights into the mind-brain relationship.     

Secure and defensive high self-esteem

Long-standing theories have suggested high self-esteem (SE) can assume qualitatively different forms that are related to defensiveness. The authors explored whether some high-SE individuals are particularly defensive because they harbor negative self-feelings at less conscious levels, indicated by low implicit SE. In Study 1, participants high in explicit SE but low in implicit SE showed the highest levels of narcissism--an indicator of defensiveness. In Studies 2 and 3, the correspondence between implicit and explicit SE predicted defensive behavior (in-group bias in Study 2 and dissonance reduction in Study 3), such that for high explicit-SE participants, those with relatively low implicit SE behaved more defensively. These results are consistent with the idea that high SE can be relatively secure or defensive.     

Tooth color: effects on judgments of attractiveness and age

Tooth whitening has become a very popular procedure. Advertisements for whitening products imply that whiter teeth are more attractive than yellower teeth. We tested this idea empirically by manipulating the tooth color of pictures of male and female targets. Participants' ratings of attractiveness were not influenced by tooth color. Exp. 2 yielded a negative correlation between attractiveness and age ratings: targets judged to be older were rated as less attractive. Unless whiter teeth help in some other way, e.g., improved self-esteem or confidence, it seems that tooth whitening procedures or products are not associated with increased attractiveness to others.