Serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR genotype is associated with intrusion and avoidance symptoms of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Chinese earthquake survivors

Background and Objectives: Prior studies have found that the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) interacts with trauma exposure to increase general risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, there is little knowledge about the effects of the interaction on distinct symptom clusters of PTSD. This study aimed to investigate the relation between the interaction of 5-HTTLPR and earthquake-related exposures and a contemporary phenotypic model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms in a traumatised adult sample from China.

Design: A cross-sectional design with gene-environment interaction (G?×?E) approach was adopted. Methods: Participants were 1131 survivors who experienced 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. PTSD symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was genotyped with capillary electrophoresis (CE) in ABI 3730xl genetic Analyzer.

Results: Although there was no significant interaction between 5-HTTLPR and traumatic exposure on total PTSD symptoms, respondents with the LL genotype of 5-HTTLPR who were highly exposed to the earthquake experienced lower intrusion and avoidance symptoms than those with the S-allele carriers.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that the 5-HTTLPR may have an important impact on the development of PTSD and add to the extant knowledge on understanding and treating of posttraumatic psychopathology.     

Item frequency in probe-recognition memory search: Converging evidence for a role of item-response learning

In short-term probe-recognition tasks, observers make speeded old–new recognition judgments for items that are members of short lists. However, long-term memory (LTM) for items from previous lists influences current-list performance. The current experiment pursued the nature of these long-term influences—in particular, whether they emerged from item-familiarity or item-response-learning mechanisms. Subjects engaged in varied-mapping (VM) and consistent-mapping (CM) short-term probe-recognition tasks (e.g., Schneider & Shiffrin, Psychological Review, 84, 1–66, 1977). The key manipulation was to vary the frequency with which individual items were presented across trials. We observed a striking dissociation: Whereas increased presentation frequency led to benefits in performance for both old and new test probes in CM search, it resulted in interference effects for both old and new test probes in VM search. Formal modeling suggested that a form of item-response learning took place in both conditions: Each presentation of a test probe led to the storage of that test probe—along with its associated “old” or “new” response—as an exemplar in LTM. These item-response pairs were retrieved along with current-list items in driving observers’ old-– recognition judgments. We conclude that item-response learning is a core component of the LTM mechanisms that influence CM and VM memory search.     

反应抑制的训练:内容、效果与机制

近期的研究发现,个体的反应抑制能力具有一定的可塑性。研究者多采用双盲随机对照实验设计,训练的对象包括儿童、成人和特殊群体,研究者通过Go/Nogo、Stop-signal等任务进行为期1周至3周,45至7200试次不等的抑制控制能力训练,并结合行为、脑电以及脑成像等技术对训练效果进行评估,研究结果发现,接受了抑制控制训练的个体其抑制能力得到提升,并伴随脑神经活动的变化。另外,研究者发现,抑制控制能力的训练效果还可以迁移至个体日常生活中的表现。但是,也有些研究并未发现抑制控制训练的效果。训练任务的设置,评估任务的选择以及被试反应策略的差异等因素可能会影响训练的效果。抑制控制训练引发行为与大脑活动的变化可能是由于训练导致了个体建立了自上而下有意识的抑制控制模式和自下而上的自动抑制模式。反应抑制和冲突抑制可塑性的比较,儿童与老年人抑制功能的训练以及训练效果的追踪研究将成为该领域日后研究的重点问题。     

Just the thought of it!: Effects of anticipating computer-mediated communication on gender stereotyping

A study investigated how anticipated communication mode affects the use of stereotypes in forming impressions and making task assignments. Participants rated male or female targets with whom they envisioned working on a business project using computer-mediated or face-to-face modes of communication. Results indicated that both men and women were characterized more stereotypically when participants anticipated working with them electronically than when they anticipated working with them face-to-face. Furthermore, task assignments were more often gender stereotype consistent when the communication mode was computer-mediated than when it was face-to-face. These findings suggest that the mere anticipation of computer-mediated communication, without the actual the experience of it, is enough to promote stereotypes and biased decision-making.     

The Historical Effect of Habermas in the Chinese Context: A Case Study of the Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

The main purpose of this essay is not to give a full-scale and systematic exploration of the historical process concerning the acceptance of Habermas’ works in the Chinese-spoken world but to examine the historical effect of Habermas in the Chinese-spoken context and try to find a proper way to establish a good relationship between Habermas and the Chinese-spoken world by discussing the introduction, study, and application of Habermas’ most famous work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, by Chinese scholars in recent years. Translated from Xiandai zhexue, 2005:1     

结果预期对青少年攻击性行为的影响：中介效应与调节效应

采用攻击性问卷、关系攻击行为量表、结果预期量表、移情量表和自我控制能力问卷对720名中学生进行调查,考察了结果预期与青少年攻击性行为的关系,以及自我控制在其中的中介作用和移情在其中的调节作用。结果发现:(1)结果预期与青少年的攻击性行为(外部攻击和关系攻击)存在显著负相关;(2)自我控制在结果预期与青少年攻击性行为之间起着完全中介作用;(3)在结果预期对青少年外部攻击行为的预测中,移情发挥了调节作用。在高移情个体中,结果预期并不预测外部攻击行为,而在低移情个体中,结果预期显著地反向预测外部攻击行为;(4)自我控制在结果预期与青少年外部攻击行为之间的中介作用受到移情的调节,高水平的移情能力可以有效地缓解青少年因低自我控制而导致的高攻击性。     

Sex bias in evaluating nontraditional job applicants: reactions to women and men's interrupted college attendance

Two studies indicated that being a nontraditional job applicant due to voluntary interruption of college attendance had detrimental consequences for employment evaluation. These negative reactions were more severe for women than for men. Women with interrupted attendance received the most negative responses (Studies 1 and 2). Choosing to interrupt college attendance increased perceived instability and also positively affected perceived flexibility, and these characterizations were related to evaluative outcomes (Study 2). Moreover, both instability and flexibility characterizations contributed to the gender‐discrepant consequences of interrupted college attendance. Female applicants were rated more negatively on flexibility characterizations than were male applicants. Furthermore, although there were no gender differences in ratings of instability, instability ratings were found to negatively impact evaluations of female applicants, but not male applicants.