The role of episodic and semantic memory in episodic foresight

In this paper we describe a special form of future thinking, termed “episodic foresight” and its relation with episodic and semantic memory. We outline the methodologies that have largely been developed in the last five years to assess this capacity in young children and non-human animals. Drawing on Tulving's definition of episodic and semantic memory, we provide a critical analysis of the role that both types of memory might have on the episodic foresight tasks described in the literature. We conclude by highlighting some unanswered questions and suggesting future directions for research that could further our understanding of how memory is intimately connected to episodic foresight.     

Der Behandlungsbedarf bei jungen Straftätern (BB-JuSt)

The BB-JuSt is a newly developed standardized instrument used in juvenile correctional settings to document the results of the inital assessment of treatment and educational needs of young offenders. It is made up of 23 items with 5-point rating scales (with the exception of the item caring for a child) which refer to specific needs and responsivity factors relating to educational attainments and basic reading/writing and mathematic skills, alcohol/drug/gambling problems, criminogenic disposition (e.g., aggressiveness), psychological disorders, lifestyle and social environment (e.g. associates and family). To determine the interrater reliability of this instrument 42 young offenders were classified by professional prison staff as usual, and additionally by 2 external researchers. Whereas excellent agreement between the external researchers was achieved on all items, the comparison between staff and researchers showed only moderate correlations. These results indicate that the BB-JuSt is a reliable instrument that can be used for treatment planning decisions and for research purposes but extensive training is required for users.     

The Role and Function of Criminologists within the Criminal Justice and Private Sector

Criminology gained prominence as an academic area of study because of the constant threat of crime and the social problems it highlights. Nonetheless, much doubt and criticism exists among professionals within social and human sciences regarding the role, application, value and contributions of criminologists. Criminology is informed by a combination of theory and empirical research enfolded into a body of knowledge on crime as a social phenomenon. In South Africa, criminologists have acquired a more practically oriented role in enhancing service delivery within the criminal justice and private sectors. This article aims to highlight the current (and potential) shift in practice for criminologists in South Africa.     

Psychological Brain Drain: Interviews with Emigrant South African Psychologists

Interviews with 15 emigrant South African psychologists revealed that they left South Africa mainly for two reasons, the policies of the government and the academic situation. In this article, we report on this group's interest in psychology, commonalities between them, and their views on South African psychology.     

Relation of self-talk frequency to loneliness,need to belong,and health in German adults

This study examined whether individuals with a high need to belong and feelings of loneliness tend to compensate for a lack of social contact by self-talk and whether self-talk prevents negative consequences on their physical and mental health. The sample consisted of 559 adults drawn from the German Sozioland Panel Project. The results of SEM analyses revealed evidence for significant relations of the need to belong and loneliness with the frequency of self-talk. Moreover, the need to belong and loneliness were significantly related to mental and physical health, but loneliness was shown to be more important for the prediction of both health outcomes. Results of moderator analyses indicate that self-talk might be a risk factor for an increased negative correlation between loneliness and mental health. Self-talk, which is supposed to be related to self-awareness, might reinforce the subjective feeling of loneliness and hence have a negative impact on psychological well-being.     

On the survival of humanity

Abstract

What moral reasons, if any, do we have to ensure the long-term survival of humanity? This article contrastively explores two answers to this question: according to the first, we should ensure the survival of humanity because we have reason to maximize the number of happy lives that are ever lived, all else equal. According to the second, seeking to sustain humanity into the future is the appropriate response to the final value of humanity itself. Along the way, the article discusses various issues in population axiology, particularly the so-called Intuition of Neutrality and John Broome’s ‘greediness objection’ to this intuition.     

Video tracking in the extreme: a new possibility for tracking nocturnal underwater transparent animals with fluorescent elastomer tags

Initially developed so that an individual could be recognized in mark-recapture studies of aquatic animals, fluorescent visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags are used here for a new application in ethometry: the study of the behavior of transparent animals in dim light or in darkness using automatic tracking technology. The application and validation of this multitracking method is tested in the context of research on the estuarine migratory behavior of the glass eel (Anguilla anguilla), a crucial point to better understand the dynamics of this endangered species. The method makes it possible to measure the activity (notably the distance and speed) of four individuals as a function of tidal and nycthemeral rhythms in the same flume (a circular aquarium simulating river or estuarine conditions) across a wide time scale (from seconds to weeks).     

Interactions do not only tell us when,but can also tell us how: Testing process hypotheses by interaction

Hypotheses about psychological processes are often tested using traditional mediation analysis. This analysis relies on measurement of a transmitting variable. Conducting this analysis has become almost synonymous with examining process hypotheses. An alternative strategy to mediation analysis (the Testing‐a‐Process‐hypothesis‐by‐an‐Interaction Strategy, TPIS) is illustrated here. TPIS is based on a fully experimental design whereby a hypothesized process is tested by an interaction between the hypothesized cause of an effect and a contextual variable. In the interaction term, the contextual variable allows comparison of the causal effect observed when the process is uninterrupted to the effect observed when the process is interrupted. Thus, TPIS translates a theoretical process hypothesis into a statistical interaction hypothesis that uses a fully experimental design to directly examine the hypothesized process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Active haptic detection and discrimination of shape

In previous research, we have shown that detection thresholds for Gaussian shapes increase with a power of 1.3 of spatial width. In the present three experiments, we generalized this finding to more complex shapes and to discrimination tasks. In Experiment 1, we found that the slope of the psychometric function for detection (i.e., distinguishing curved from flat surfaces) was independent of surface shape. In Experiment 3, we found the same result for discrimination of two different curved shapes. In Experiment 2, we found that detection and discrimination functions had the same dependence on spatial width, except that discrimination thresholds were two to four times larger. Possible neural mechanisms underlying these results are discussed.     

The association between biopsychosocial factors and disability in a national health survey in South Africa

The association between psychosocial factors and disability is less clear. This study investigated the biological and psychosocial (employment and psychological distress) factors associated with level of disability in an adult sample in South Africa. Data were analysed from a cross-sectional survey among adults aged 18–64 (n = 4974). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate the associations of the selected variables with disability. The mean percentage score on the WHODAS scale of disability was 5.31% (95% CI: 4.74–5.88). Age (p < 0.001) and race (p = 0.0002) were significantly associated with disability, and history of stroke (β = 7.19, 95% CI: 3.19–11.20) and heart-related conditions (β = 2.08, 95% CI: [0.23–3.93) showed positive associations. Of the psychosocial variables, psychological distress (β = 10.49 [8.63–12.35]) showed a strong positive association while employment (?1.62 [?2.36 to ?0.88]) showed a negative association with disability. The association between demographic factors, medical conditions and increased disability confirms the findings in the literature. The finding that psychological distress is associated with increased disability has not been frequently reported. This study highlights specific psychosocial targets that may be usefully addressed by health policies and interventions in order to improve disability management.