The reinforcing effects of houselight illumination during chained schedules of food presentation

Pigeons' keypecking was maintained under two- and three-component chained schedules of food presentation. The component schedules were all fixed-interval schedules of either 1- or 2-min duration. Across conditions the presence of houselight illumination within each component schedule was manipulated. For each pigeon, first-component response rates increased significantly when the houselight was extinguished in the first component and illuminated in the second. The results suggest that the increase was not the result of disinhibition or modification of stimulus control by component stimuli, but appears to result from the reinforcement of responding by the onset of illumination in the second component. Additionally, the apparent reinforcing properties of houselight illumination resulted neither from association of the houselight with the terminal component of the chained schedule nor through generalization of the hopper illumination present during food presentation. The results of the present series of experiments are related to previous demonstrations of illumination-reinforced responding and to the interpretation of data from experiments employing houselight illumination as stimuli associated with timeout or brief stimuli in second-order schedules.     

A comparison of two life stress assessment approaches: prospective prediction of treatment outcome in recurrent depression

Research on life stress has been characterized by inconsistent results, which some researchers attribute to different assessment methodologies. Generally, studies have used either self-report checklists or investigator-based interviews. To test whether different results are derived from these approaches, the authors compared information from a self-report measure of life stress with the additional data available from a follow-up investigator-based measure in prospectively predicting the outcome of treatment for recurrent major depression. The 2 approaches produced different results, with investigator-based life events predicting lower probability of remission and self-report life events either predicting increased likelihood of remission or not predicting at all. The results demonstrated that methodology may account for some of the inconsistencies in the life stress literature.     

Relations of maternal socialization and toddlers' effortful control to children's adjustment and social competence

The authors examined the relations of maternal supportive parenting to effortful control and internalizing problems (i.e., separation distress, inhibition to novelty), externalizing problems, and social competence when toddlers were 18 months old (n = 256) and a year later (n = 230). Mothers completed the Coping With Toddlers' Negative Emotions Scale, and their sensitivity and warmth were observed. Toddlers' effortful control was measured with a delay task and adults' reports (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire). Toddlers' social functioning was assessed with the Infant/Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Within each age, children's regulation significantly mediated the relation between supportive parenting and low levels of externalizing problems and separation distress, and high social competence. When using stronger tests of mediation, controlling for stability over time, the authors found only partial evidence for mediation. The findings suggest these relations may be set at an early age.     

Alexithymie bei Neurodermitis

Background

The study shows correlations between atopic dermatitis (AD) and alexithymia. Furthermore it examines their influences on skin-related quality of life.

Patients and methods

A total of 62 adult AD patients were compared with a control group (n=62) of skin healthy persons. Alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, TAS-20) and impairment of the skin-related quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index, DLQI) were assessed as well as duration, severity [patients?? self-evaluation based on scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD)] and onset of AD.

Results

The prevalence of alexithymia (TAS-20 ??61) in AD patients was 22.6% (control group 4.9%). Problems with identifying feelings (TAS-20 scale) and also the severity of AD were significant predictors for the impairment of skin-related quality of life.

Conclusions

Atopic dermatitis patients showed a prevalence of alexithymia (22.6%) similar to diseases found in the field of psychosomatic and psychiatric patients (Leweke & Bausch 2009). From a psychotherapeutic point of view the study may provide a further reason for the observance of mental features in AD treatment. A possible indication for a specific psychotherapy in atopic dermatitis is discussed.     

The Impact of the Birth of a Baby on the Time Structure and Social Mixture of a Couple's Daily Life and Its Consequences for Well-Being1

In order to investigate the temporal disruption and social dislocation resulting from the birth of a child, 37 couples were studied at 4 time points: pre-birth (second trimester), and at 1, 4, and 12 months postpartum. A diary-based instrument (the Social Rhythm Metric-SRM) was used to evaluate the habitual times at which 17 events during the day took place, the proportion of events done alone, as a couple only, and with nonfamily members. Also evaluated were perceptions of the quality of the marriage relationship, feelings of depressive symptoms, and feelings of anger. The baby's birth had a major effect on the timing with which daily events were done, and on differences between mothers' and fathers' habitual times, especially in the morning. There were also dramatic differences (50–80% reductions) in the proportion of events done alone, as a couple only, and with nonfamily members. However, these effects were much more marked in mothers than in fathers and were attenuated when there were prior children. Changes in marital quality and mood were also observed. The birth was associated particularly with a decline in marital quality and in the levels of anger and depressive symptoms felt by parents at 1 month postpartum, although these effects interacted with gender and prior parental experience. Furthermore, the changes in well-being were related to changes in SRM indices, though differentially for mothers and fathers.     

The use of the large-scale integrated sensor (LSI) to estimate energy expenditure

The relationship between activity counts from the large-scale integrated sensor (LSI), placed at the hip and ankle, and heart rate-estimated energy expenditure was examined in three nonobese males during three conditions: normal morning activities, a 1-mi walk, and a 2-mi walk. Results showed that estimated caloric expenditure was related to activity counts for both monitoring placements, with correlations between counts and energy expenditure exceedingr=.90. These results show that energy expenditure in the activities sampled can be reliably estimated using activity monitors.This research was supported in part by a grant provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on the Psychobiology of Depression, Clinical Research Center Grant 5-30915 from the NIMH, and Grant HD 16411 from the NICHD awarded to Dr. Epstein.     

Psychosomatik in der Dermatologie

Psychosomatic dermatology deals with skin disorders that are substantially influenced by psychosocial causes, sequelae or circumstances or in which these are important in the selection of therapy for the particular patient. In this context, skin diseases have been recognized in a biopsychosocial model for holistic medicine. In a wider sense, psychosomatic dermatology embraces every aspect of intra- and interpersonal problems relating to skin disorders and psychosomatic trigger mechanisms and/or ways of coping with skin disorders. A distinction is made between primarily psychic conflicts, psychosomatic diseases and somatopsychic aspects. Approaches to treatment take account of the doctor (doctor’s–assistant)–patient relationship, compliance factors, the dermatosis patient’s quality of life and the psychosocial health of the dermatologist, and also steps that can be implemented in the context of the practice management and basic psychosomatic treatment including referral for special psychotherapy