Is cross-modal integration of emotional expressions independent of attentional resources?

In this study, we examined whether integration of visual and auditory information about emotions requires limited attentional resources. Subjects judged whether a voice expressed happiness or fear, while trying to ignore a concurrently presented static facial expression. As an additional task, the subjects had to add two numbers together rapidly (Experiment 1), count the occurrences of a target digit in a rapid serial visual presentation (Experiment 2), or judge the pitch of a tone as high or low (Experiment 3). The visible face had an impact on judgments of the emotion of the heard voice in all the experiments. This cross-modal effect was independent of whether or not the subjects performed a demanding additional task. This suggests that integration of visual and auditory information about emotions may be a mandatory process, unconstrained by attentional resources.     

Graded exposure in vivo in the treatment of pain-related fear: a replicated single-case experimental design in four patients with chronic low back pain

The aim of this investigation was to examine the effectiveness of a graded exposure in vivo treatment with behavioural experiments as compared to usual graded activity in reducing pain-related fears, catastrophising and pain disability in chronic low back pain patients reporting substantial fear of movement/(re)injury. Included in the study were four consecutive CLBP patients who were referred for outpatient behavioural rehabilitation, and who reported substantial fear of movement/(re)injury (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia score>40). A replicated single-case cross-over design was used. After a no-treatment baseline measurement period, the patients were randomly assigned to one of two interventions. In intervention A, patients received the exposure first, followed by graded activity. In intervention B, the sequence of treatment modules was reversed. Sixty-three daily measures of pain-related cognitions and fears were recorded with visual analogue scales. Before and after the treatment, the following measures were taken: pain-related fear, pain catastrophising, pain control and pain disability. Using time series analysis on the daily measures of pain-related cognitions and fears, we found that improvements only occurred during the graded exposure in vivo, and not during the graded activity, irrespective of the treatment order. Analysis of the pre-post treatment differences also revealed that decreases in pain-related fear concurred with decreases in pain catastrophising and pain disability, and in half of the cases an increase in pain control. This study shows that the external validity of exposure in vivo also extends to the subgroup of chronic low back pain patients who report substantial fear of movement/(re)injury.     

Inhibitory effects of repeating color and shape: inhibition of return or repetition blindness?

There is a current debate regarding whether attention is influenced by stimulus attributes other than location. The present article replicates and extends previous findings that repeating the nonspatial attribute of color leads to a delay in target detection (M. B. Law, J. Pratt, & R. A. Abrams, 1995). Repetition disadvantage effects were found for the stimulus attributes of both color and shape, as well as for location. However, the nonspatial repetition disadvantage disappeared if the stimuli were presented in peripheral locations (Experiments 3a, 3b, and 4) or the cue was presented for 50 ms (Experiment 6). Moreover, the magnitude of the repetition disadvantage tended to decline as the cue-target stimulus-onset asynchrony increased (Experiments 5a, 5b, and 6). These results suggest that a repetition blindness mechanism may underlie the repetition disadvantage effects of nonspatial features, rather than an inhibition of return mechanism.     

Root nonfinite and finite utterances in child language and agrammatic speech

Root nonfinite structures are frequent in both child language and agrammatic speech. Moreover, root nonfinites seem to have quite similar properties in both types of speech. Although many accounts are available for child language this is not the case for agrammatic speech. I present data of a Dutch agrammatic patient in this paper. The properties of her root nonfinites are best accounted for by the assumption of an underspecified Tense Phrase licensed by an empty element. In her finite sentences a dummy Tense element shows up. The use of either an empty or a dummy Tense element is a way of reducing the processing load of the utterance. The speech of this patient shows a dissociation between the verbal and the nominal domain.     

Hallucinatory predisposition and vividness of auditory imagery: self-report and behavioral indices.

This study examined the relation between a subjective and a behavioral measure of the vividness of auditory imagery as well as the disposition towards hallucination in normal subjects. In addition to the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale, subjects (57 university students) completed the Betts questionnaire in which they rated the vividness of their experienced mental images and performed a behavioral task aimed at measuring auditory imagery. The task consisted of a perception and an imagery condition in which subjects had to indicate the odd one of three everyday sounds. Performance on the behavioral task did not correlate with the auditory or scores on the Visual subscale of the Betts. In addition, neither scores on the behavioral measure nor the Auditory subscale of the Betts correlated significantly with hallucinatory predisposition as rated on the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale. In contrast, the Visual subscale of the Betts did correlate with scores on the Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale, consistent with previous research. We conclude that there is no straightforward relationship between imagery vividness and hallucinatory experiences and that subjective and objective indices of imagery vividness measure different aspects of mental function.     

Work and Individual Determinants of Intrinsic Work Motivation, Emotional Exhaustion, and Turnover Intention: A Multi-Sample Analysis

This study tested the influence of personal characteristics on a pattern of specific relationships between work characteristics and psychological outcomes. The study hypotheses were: (1) Growth Need Strength has a direct effect on intrinsic work motivation and moderates the relationship between task characteristics and intrinsic work motivation; (2) Negative Affectivity has a direct effect on emotional exhaustion and moderates the relationships between workload and social support on the one hand and emotional exhaustion on the other; and (3) Upward Striving has a direct effect on turnover intention and moderates the relationship between unmet career expectations and turnover intention. These hypotheses were tested in two samples (bank employees and teachers) using Multi-Sample Analysis. The results showed that, generally, personal characteristics had a direct effect on the outcomes as hypothesized. We only found one moderating effect: Upward Striving moderated the relationship between unmet career expectations and turnover intention.