Current Concerns and Electrodermal Reactivity: Responses to Words and Thoughts

ABSTRACT Previous research has found that subjects rate words that are closely related to their current concerns as affectively more arousing than other words. This investigation inquires whether a similar relationship occurs when arousal is measured electrodermally, and whether nonspecific (spontaneous) electrodermal activity is associated with self-generated thoughts about current concerns. In the first experiment, subjects listened to audiotaped sequences of three-word clusters associated with previously measured own current concerns or with concerns of others. Mean skin conductance responses were significantly larger for clusters related to subjects' own concerns than for those related to others' concerns, although many subjects contributing to this effect showed some awareness of the hypothesis. In the second experiment, thoughts that accompanied nonspecific skin conductance responses received significantly higher self-ratings for concern-relatedness and arousal than thoughts that occurred during electrodermal inactivity. In Experiment 3, they were rated higher for current-concern content and anxiety and lower for mental imagery and dormant-concern content than thoughts during electrodermal inactivity.     

Children's self-presentations with infants: Gender and ethnic comparisons

The assumption of differential socialization experiences lead to the hypothesis that African American children would be less stereotyped in their responses to infants than White American children. This study of fifty-three 8–10-year-old children from African American and White American working-to-middle class families supported the hypothesis. The children were photographed with a peer, an infant, and with an infant while acting as a parent. All children stood significantly closer to the infant in the role condition and exhibited more attraction behavior. As predicted, gender differences were evident between White girls and boys, but not between African American girls and boys. Findings suggested that social preferences for infants cannot be necessarily linked to gender. Discussion of the findings from earlier study with younger children (Reid et al., 1989) supported this conclusion.We gratefully acknowledge Carol S. Tate for her assistance in data collection and analysis, and Jeannie M. Shook for coding. This research was supported in part by a faculty research grant given to the first author by the University of Chattanooga Foundation (R04-106830)     

EFFECTS OF CALORIC LEVEL ON RUMINATING

A series of recent studies has shown that a number of dietary variables affect ruminative behavior in institutionalized retarded persons. This experiment extends an earlier study that examined the influence of the caloric level of the diet on the frequency of ruminating. Subjects consumed regular portions of food that varied between phases from normal to high caloric levels. The data show a clear but modest inverse relation between the caloric value of the diet and the rates of postmeal ruminating.     

Cognitive Heuristics and AIDS Risk Assessment Among Physicians1

Physicians (N= 331) reported perceived risk of HIV exposure, worry about on-the-job HIV exposure, and experience with patients who test seropositive for the HIV. In addition, the use of the availability heuristic was examined by responses to questions about talking and reading about AIDS, and the use of the simulation heuristic was examined by responses to questions about imagining oneself being exposed to HIV on the job. Simulation of the HIV-exposure experience related significantly to perceived risk (p < .001), even after variance attributable to actual experience and use of the availability heuristic was taken into account. Availability of AIDS information related marginally to perceived risk after variance attributable to actual experience and use of the simulation heuristic was taken into account. Simulation related strongly with worry about on-the-job exposure (p < .001), and availability was not significantly related to worry after variance associated with simulation and experience with AIDS was removed. Implications of these results for physician training are discussed.     

The role of the natural history museum in promoting word learning for young children

Although strong claims have been made about museums being ideal word learning environments, these are yet to be empirically supported. In the current study, 152 four- to five-year-olds children (81-M, 71-F) from minority backgrounds were taught six vocabulary items either in a museum, in their classroom with museum resources, or in their classroom with classroom resources. At test, children taught in their classroom with museum resources produced significantly more correct responses than children taught in the museum or in their classroom with classroom resources. Children were also significantly better at retaining the target vocabulary items than recalling them. These data demonstrate how context can impact word learning and point to the benefits of a collaborative relationship between schools and museums to support children's language development.     

A double-blind,sham-controlled,trial of home-administered rhythmic 10-Hz median nerve stimulation for the reduction of tics,and suppression of the urge-to-tic,in individuals with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorder

Tourette syndrome (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) are neurological disorders of childhood onset characterized by the occurrence of tics; repetitive, purposeless, movements or vocalizations of short duration which can occur many times throughout a day. Currently, effective treatment for tic disorders is an area of considerable unmet clinical need. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a home-administered neuromodulation treatment for tics involving the delivery of rhythmic pulse trains of median nerve stimulation (MNS) delivered via a wearable ‘watch-like’ device worn at the wrist. We conducted a UK-wide parallel double-blind sham-controlled trial for the reduction of tics in individuals with tic disorder. The device was programmed to deliver rhythmic (10 Hz) trains of low-intensity (1–19 mA) electrical stimulation to the median nerve for a pre-determined duration each day, and was intended to be used by each participant in their home once each day, 5 days each week, for a period of 4 weeks. Between 18th March 2022 and 26th September 2022, 135 participants (45 per group) were initially allocated, using stratified randomization, to one of the following groups; active stimulation; sham stimulation or to a waitlist (i.e. treatment as usual) control group. Recruited participants were individuals with confirmed or suspected TS/CTD aged 12 years of age or upward with moderate to severe tics. Researchers involved in the collection or processing of measurement outcomes and assessing the outcomes, as well as participants in the active and sham groups and their legal guardians were all blind to the group allocation. The primary outcome measure used to assess the ‘offline’ or treatment effect of stimulation was the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale–Total Tic Severity Score (YGTSS–TTSS) assessed at the conclusion of 4 weeks of stimulation. The primary outcome measure used to assess the ‘online’ effects of stimulation was tic frequency, measured as the number of tics per minute (TPM) observed, based upon blind analysis of daily video recordings obtained while stimulation was delivered. The results demonstrated that after 4-week stimulation, tic severity (YGTSS-TTSS) had reduced by 7.1 points (35 percentile reduction) for the active stimulation group compared to 2.13/2.11 points for the sham stimulation and waitlist control groups. The reduction in YGTSS–TTSS for the active stimulation group was substantially larger, clinically meaningful (effect size = .5) and statistically significant (p = .02) compared to both the sham stimulation and waitlist control groups, which did not differ from one another (effect size = −.03). Furthermore, blind analyses of video recordings demonstrated that tic frequency (tics per minute) reduced substantially (−15.6 TPM) during active stimulation compared to sham stimulation (−7.7 TPM). This difference represents a statistically significant (p < .03) and clinically meaningful reduction in tic frequency (>25 percentile reduction: effect size = .3). These findings indicate that home-administered rhythmic MNS delivered through a wearable wrist-worn device has the potential to be an effective community-based treatment for tic disorders.     

Effects of fatigue on infant emotional reactivity and regulation

The purpose of the present study was to examine 14‐ to 16‐month‐old infants' emotional reactivity and use of behavioral strategies for regulating distress during states of both alert wakefulness and fatigue. Twenty infants were tested at a time when their mothers expected them to be awake and alert, and twenty infants were tested at the time when their morning or afternoon nap typically began. Infants were observed responding to five mildly stressful episodes in their homes. Fatigued infants were more distressed than alert infants by separation from their mother and by being prevented from handling an attractive toy. Fatigued infants also engaged in fewer mature regulatory behaviors and more immature regulatory behaviors during the episodes. The infants' experiences with nonparental child care also were associated with their emotional reactivity. The relevance of these findings to parents and researchers and the benefits to infants of learning to handle stress when fatigued are discussed. ©1999 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.