The joint flanker effect and the joint Simon effect: On the comparability of processes underlying joint compatibility effects

Previous studies observed compatibility effects in different interference paradigms such as the Simon and flanker task even when the task was distributed across two co-actors. In both Simon and flanker tasks, performance is improved in compatible trials relative to incompatible trials if one actor works on the task alone as well as if two co-actors share the task. These findings have been taken to indicate that actors automatically co-represent their co-actor’s task. However, recent research on the joint Simon and joint flanker effect suggests alternative non-social interpretations. To which degree both joint effects are driven by the same underlying processes is the question of the present study, and it was scrutinized by manipulating the visibility of the co-actor. While the joint Simon effect was not affected by the visibility of the co-actor, the joint flanker effect was reduced when participants did not see their co-actors but knew where the co-actors were seated. These findings provide further evidence for a spatial interpretation of the joint Simon effect. In contrast to recent claims, however, we propose a new explanation of the joint flanker effect that attributes the effect to an impairment in the focusing of spatial attention contingent on the visibility of the co-actor.     

Two distinct patterns of interference in between-attribute Stroop matching tasks

In between-attribute Stroop matching tasks, participants compare the meaning (or the color) of a Stroop stimulus with a probe color (or meaning) while attempting to ignore the Stroop stimulus’s task-irrelevant attribute. Interference in this task has been explained by two competing theories: A semantic competition account and a response competition account. Recent results favor the response competition account, which assumes that interference is caused by a task-irrelevant comparison. However, the comparison of studies is complicated by the lack of a consensus on how trial types should be classified and analyzed. In this work, we review existing findings and theories and provide a new classification of trial types. We report two experiments that demonstrate the superiority of the response competition account in explaining the basic pattern of performance while also revealing its limitations. Two qualitatively distinct interference patterns are identified, resulting from different types of task-irrelevant comparisons. By finding the same interference pattern across task versions, we were additionally able to demonstrate the comparability of processes across two task versions frequently used in neurophysiological and cognitive studies. An integrated account of both types of interference is presented and discussed.     

Nonconcurrently presented auditory tones reduce distraction

Recent research has demonstrated that task-irrelevant stimuli presented simultaneously with a target-distractor stimulus reduce distraction and improve selective attention. In studies examining this reduced interference effect, visual selective attention tasks and concurrently presented task-irrelevant stimuli are used. We report first evidence for a similar effect in the auditory domain and with nonconcurrent stimuli (i.e., the task-irrelevant stimuli are presented before the target). The effect of nonconcurrently presented auditory tones on an auditory Stroop task developed by Leboe and Mondor (Psychological Research, 71, 568--575, 2007) was investigated. Stroop interference was reduced when task-irrelevant tones were presented before the Stroop stimulus. We conclude that task-irrelevant stimuli can improve selective attention not only when presented concurrently, but also when presented before the selective attention task. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that interference reduction is due to perceptual dilution caused by task-irrelevant stimuli.     

Wurden schizophrene Maßregelpatienten zuvor in der Allgemeinpsychiatrie unzureichend behandelt?

Since 1996 we have had a marked increase in the number of admissions to special psychiatric hospitals for mentally ill offenders in Germany. Still higher was the increase in schizophrenic patients admitted to these facilities. The question arose whether deficits of the psychiatric health system are contributing to these changes. We studied the medical history of 50 schizophrenic patients, each of whom was hopitalized in the Berlin special hospital in the periods of 1985-1988 and 2002-2004. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the duration of former psychiatric hospitalizations and medical treatment. There was also no difference in the number of dubious releases from the general psychiatric hospital. But we found a marked increase of co-morbid drug abuse and of noncompliance to treatment.     

When Do Employees Identify? An Analysis of Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Predictors of Training Group and Organizational Identification1

Organizational research has shown the impact of organizational identification on employees' attitudes and behavior, and its relevance for economic success ( Haslam, 2004 ). Furthermore, the necessity to differentiate levels of identification within organizations has been emphasized ( van Knippenberg & van Schie, 2000 ). Little is known, however, about predictors of different identification levels within organizations and their influence on the development of identification. In a longitudinal study with training groups of flight attendants, we investigated how foci of identification (training group, organization) were differentially predicted by cross‐sectional and longitudinal variables. Interpersonal attraction related to training group identification, whereas professional motivation related to organizational identification. Furthermore, expected job circumstances and professional motivation were longitudinal predictors for training group identification and organizational identification, respectively.     

Structural and functional MRI- findings in children and adolescents with antisocial behavior

BACKGROUND: The developmental course of children with conduct disorder (CD) is heterogeneous. Especially children who exhibit symptoms early in their lifetimes are characterized by a negative outcome. Neurobiological aspects of CD have been investigated in these children but little is known about structural and functional brain aberrations. METHODS: We describe the developmental taxonomy of children with CD and focus on those with the early onset subtype. Structural MRI data of these children and antisocial adults are recapitulated. The impact of investigating neurobiological underpinnings of antisocial behavior and how this might contribute to future forensic and psychiatric assessments is discussed. RESULTS/ CONCLUSION: Children display similar structural aberrations of fronto-limbic structures to adults with antisocial behavior, and amygdala dysfunction might be closely related to dysregulated emotions. Though the investigation of biological factors in antisocial subjects has made great progress in recent years, today MRI is still a rather complex, expensive and indistinct method for forensic assessment.     

Dysphoria and Mobilization of Mental Effort: Effects on Cardiovascular Reactivity

Two studies examined the influence of dysphoria on motivational intensity in a student sample. Participants worked on a memory task (Study 1) or a mental concentration task (Study 2) without fixed performance standard (“do your best”). Based on their scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (L. S. Radloff, 1977), dysphoric and nondysphoric students were compared with regard to their effort-related cardiovascular reactivity during task performance. As predicted on the basis of the mood-behavior-model (G. H. E. Gendolla, 2000) and motivational intensity theory (J. W. Brehm & E. A. Self, 1989), dysphoric participants showed stronger cardiovascular reactivity while working on the cognitive tasks than nondysphoric participants. In Study 1, nondysphoric participants performed better on the memory task than dysphoric participants. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Psychische Gesundheit von Studierenden der Medizin

Objectives and methods

Concerning mental disorders, both physicians and alumni of medical sciences report a higher symptom load than the average population. Up to now however only a few studies have been conducted concerning the mental health of medical students. The aim of this study is to explore, whether medical students show a higher symptom load than their peers and whether there are differences concerning sex, phases of the studies and point of origin. For this survey the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) was applied to 390 medical students from the University Leipzig. Their results were compared to a representative sample of peers (n=225).

Results

The analysis of variance shows significant differences between the male and female student samples on the one side and the same sex peer samples on the other. Both student samples scored significantly higher on the scales Other Anxiety Syndrome, Major Depressive Syndrome and Stress. Additionally, male students scored higher on the Other Depressive Syndrome scale and the Somatoform Syndrome scale. Further analysing the medical students sample, the females’ measures were significantly higher for the Somatoform Syndrome, Depression and Stress scales. In addition, an interaction was found between sex and point of origin.

Conclusions

Medical students report more symptoms of mental disorders than their peers. Therefore extensive prevention concepts are needed for this group.     

Predictive tracking over occlusions by 4-month-old infants

Two experiments investigated how 16-20-week-old infants visually tracked an object that oscillated on a horizontal trajectory with a centrally placed occluder. To determine the principles underlying infants' tendency to shift gaze to the exiting side before the object arrives, occluder width, oscillation frequency, and motion amplitude were manipulated resulting in occlusion durations between 0.20 and 1.66 s. Through these manipulations, we were able to distinguish between several possible modes of behavior underlying 'predictive' actions at occluders. Four such modes were tested. First, if passage-of-time determines when saccades are made, the tendency to shift gaze over the occluder is expected to be a function of time since disappearance. Second, if visual salience of the exiting occluder edge determines when saccades are made, occluder width would determine the pre-reappearance gaze shifts but not oscillation frequency, amplitude, or velocity. Third, if memory of the duration of the previous occlusion determines when the subjects shift gaze over the occluder, it is expected that the gaze will shift after the same latency at the next occlusion irrespective of whether occlusion duration is changed or not. Finally, if infants base their pre-reappearance gaze shifts on their ability to represent object motion (cognitive mode), it is expected that the latency of the gaze shifts over the occluder is scaled to occlusion duration. Eye and head movements as well as object motion were measured at 240 Hz. In 49% of the passages, the infants shifted gaze to the opposite side of the occluder before the object arrived there. The tendency to make such gaze shifts could not be explained by the passage of time since disappearance. Neither could it be fully explained in terms of visual information present during occlusion, i.e. occluder width. On the contrary, it was found that the latency of the pre-reappearance gaze shifts was determined by the time of object reappearance and that it was a function of all three factors manipulated. The results suggest that object velocity is represented during occlusion and that infants track the object behind the occluder in their 'mind's eye'.