Modality-specific preparatory influences on the flexibility of cognitive control in task switching

In the current study, we addressed modality-specificity of the flexibility of cognitive control. We compared performance in single-task and mixed-tasks blocks between blocked auditory and visual stimuli assessing alternation costs (single vs. mixed). Mixed blocks comprised task switches only. The tasks consisted of numerical parity, magnitude, and distance judgments about numbers between one and nine without five. A cue indicated the relevant task. The cue–stimulus interval was varied (short vs. long interval) to examine preparation effects. The results indicated higher response times (RTs) and error rates (ERs) in mixed- vs. single-tasks blocks. The alternation costs in ERs were larger for auditory compared to visual stimulus presentation. Moreover, the reduction of RT alternation costs based on increased preparation time was more pronounced for the auditory modality compared to the visual modality. These results suggest a modality-specific influence on processes involved in maintaining and updating task sets in working memory.     

La Direction des affaires juridiques et des droits des patients de l’AP–HP et la première vague de la pandémie Covid-19

To facilitate the analysis and the management of claims related to the last Covid-19 pandemic, the DAJ of the AP–HP constituted a medical group assisted by lawyers intending to review the scientific knowledge and organizational measures during the first wave of this pandemic. This group brought together medical doctors with both scientific expertise in the main specialties requested during this viral infection and knowledge of repairing bodily damage. Based on the data provided by the hospital dashboards and the collection of hospital procedures for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients, the goal of this group was to assess the level of scientific knowledge and organizational measures respectively at the start of the epidemic, its peak and at the end. During the three periods of this pandemic the main changes observed included a greater selectivity on admissions with increasing consideration on the patient's comorbidity; a continual evolution in drug management and more rigorous isolation measures with interruption of visiting rights. The target was to prevent contamination of the non-infected persons with an obsession to protect healthcare workers. The absence of selection for patients requiring intensive care for compensation of their respiratory failure forced AP–HP to double the number of intensive care beds and to refer some patients in other regions. In a context of unstable scientific knowledge and evolving organizational measures, the collection of these data should facilitate the management of claims related to Covid19 during the first wave of this pandemic and open a prospective study for the next pandemic.     

Attachment Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Middle Childhood: the Role of Repetitive Thinking about Negative Affect and about Mother

Two studies with two independent samples aimed to investigate whether repetitive thinking about negative affect (RTna) and repetitive thinking about mother (RTm) can be mechanisms in the association between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms in middle childhood. In Study 1 (N = 381) and Study 2 (N = 157) 9- to 12-year-olds completed self-report questionnaires measuring attachment, RTna and depressive symptoms. In Study 2, additionally, a questionnaire was developed to measure RTm, and a compound score for self- and mother-reported depressive symptoms was calculated. Results showed positive associations between attachment anxiety, RTna and RTm, and self-reported depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms agreed upon by mother and child. RTna and RTm mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and these depressive symptoms. RTm mediated this relationship even beyond RTna for the multi-informant compound score. Thus, RTna and RTm seem to be independent mechanisms explaining the association between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms in middle childhood.     

Psychometric Properties of the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire for Children in a French-Speaking Population

In this study, we investigated the psychometric properties of the French version of the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire (EAQ30; Rieffe et al., 2008). The EAQ30 was administered to 707 French-speaking children aged 8 to 16 years old. The original 6-factor structure was replicated in our data. The internal consistency coefficients of the EAQ30 subscales were satisfactory. We found small significant differences for gender and age. Regarding convergent validity, we found positive correlations between EAQ30 scores and emotional intelligence and negative correlations between EAQ30 scores and alexithymia. There was preliminary evidence of discriminant validity, with EAQ30 scores being weakly related to school performance, and concurrent validity, with EAQ30 scores being negatively related to somatic complaints, depression, and anxiety. Finally, except for 1 dimension, EAQ30 scores were not susceptible to social desirability. Although some weaknesses of the scale remain to be addressed, these findings support the use of the EAQ30 for research and clinical purposes.     

Dimensionality of the Revised Life Orientation Test and the status of filler items

Dispositional optimism was originally construed as unidimensional (Scheier & Carver, 1992). However, LOT‐R data (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) generally appeared bidimensional as a number of studies suggest a two‐correlated‐factor model representing optimism and pessimism. Attempts at corroborating one‐factor models suggest that correlated errors between positively worded items are required for an adequate account of the data. This article explains bidimensionality by the influence of social desirability (i.e., being positive is desirable). Namely, in the present study, correlated errors are interpreted as the presence of individual differences related to the tendency to present oneself in a positive manner. Moreover, response styles can be corroborated by appropriately modelling the entire covariance matrix (i.e., including fillers), by checking that fillers with positive meaning correlate with the faking‐good group factor. Students (N = 442) responded to a French adaptation of the LOT‐R. The data were submitted to SEM analyses. The traditional two‐correlated factor model (optimism‐pessimism) was outperformed by a model including a common factor (“optimism”) plus a factor grouping positive items only (“faking positive”). In addition, reliability analyses showed that the choice of the model clearly impacts the reliability estimates based on the model. The entire dataset was modelled for exploring the relationships between the fillers and the measurement model (i.e., the set of all relationships between factors and their indicators). The specific correlations of fillers whose meaning is positive with the faking‐good group factor corroborated its substantial interpretation. It is concluded that there is no empirical necessity for hypothesizing that the dispositional optimism construct must be split into optimism plus pessimism. L'optimisme dispositionnel a été initialement conçu comme unidimensionnel (Scheier & Carver, 1992). Néanmoins, les données recueillies avec le LOT‐R (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) sont généralement apparues bidimensionnelles, un modèle à deux facteurs corrélés d'optimisme et de pessimisme étant suggéré par de nombreuses études. Les tentatives pour corroborer les modèles unifactoriels suggèrent que corréler les erreurs entre items positivement formulés est nécessaire pour rendre compte adéquatement des données. Cet article explique la bidimensionalité par L'influence de la désirabilité sociale (i.e., il est désirable de paraître positif). Ainsi, dans la présente étude, la corrélation des erreurs est interprétée comme le signe de L'existence de différences individuelles dans la tendance à se présenter de manière positive. L'existence de styles de réponse peut de plus être corroborée en modélisant correctement la matrice de covariances entière (y compris les items servant de leurre), en vérifiant que les leurres ayant une signification positive corrèlent avec le facteur ayant trait à la désirabilité des réponses. Des étudiants (N = 442) ont rempli une adaptation française du LOT‐R. Les données ont été analysées par modèles d'équations structurelles. Le modèle traditionnel à deux facteurs corrélés (optimisme et pessimisme) s'est révélé moins performant que le modèle comprenant un facteur commun («optimisme») et un facteur de groupe lié aux items positifs («faire bonne figure»). En outre, les analyses de fidélité ont montré que le choix d'un modèle affecte nettement les estimations de fidélité basées sur ce modèle. La matrice de covariances entière a été modélisée pour explorer les relations entre les leurres et le modèle de mesure (i.e., L'ensemble des relations possibles entre les facteurs et leurs indicateurs). Les corrélations entre les leurres à signification positive et le facteur de désirabilité ont corroboré L'interprétation proposée. En conclusion, il n'y a pas de nécessité empirique à supposer que le concept d'optimisme dispositionnel doive être scindé en deux concepts d'optimisme et de pessimisme. El optimismo disposicional se conceptuó originalmente como unidimensional (Scheier & Carver, 1992). Sin embargo, los datos del LOT‐R (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) generalmente han aparecido como bidimensionales, ya que un número de estudios ha sugerido un modelo de dos factores correlacionados que representan optimismo y pesimismo. Los intentos encaminados a corroborar los modelos de un factor sugerían que, para lograr una explicación adecuada de los resultados, se requería de errores correlacionados entre los reactivos positivos. Este artículo explica la bidimensionalidad por medio de la influencia de la deseabilidad social (es decir, ser positivo es deseable). En el presente estudio, los errores correlacionados se han interpretado como la presencia de diferencias individuales relacionadas con la tendencia a presentarse a sí mismo en una forma positiva. Además, los estilos de respuesta pueden corroborarse, si se modela adecuadamente la base de datos completa (es decir, si se incluyen los reactivos de relleno). Se verifica que los reactivos de relleno con significado positivo correlacionen con el factor del grupo que simula una apariencia positiva. Cuatrocientos cuarenta y dos estudiantes respondieron a la adaptación francesa del LOT‐R. Los datos se analizaron mediante el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. El modelo que incluye un factor común (“optimismo”) más un factor que agrupa sólo los reactivos positivos (“positivos simulados”) superó al modelo tradicional de dos factores correlacionados (optimismo‐pesimismo). Asimismo, los análisis de fiabilidad mostraron que la elección del modelo impacta claramente los cálculos de fiabilidad basados en el modelo. Se modeló la base de datos completa para explorar las relaciones entre los reactivos de relleno y el modelo de medición (es decir, la serie de todas las relaciones entre los factores y sus indicadores). Las correlaciones específicas de los de relleno, cuyo significado fuera positivo, con el factor del grupo que simula una apariencia positiva corroboró su interpretación. Se concluye que no hay necesidad empírica de hipótesis que propongan que el constructo de optimismo disposicional deba dividirse en optimismo más pesimismo.     

The development of emotional face processing during childhood

Our facial expressions give others the opportunity to access our feelings, and constitute an important nonverbal tool for communication. Many recent studies have investigated emotional perception in adults, and our knowledge of neural processes involved in emotions is increasingly precise. Young children also use faces to express their internal states and perceive emotions in others, but little is known about the neurodevelopment of expression recognition. The goal of the current study was to determine the normal development of facial emotion perception. We recorded ERPs in 82 children 4 to 15 years of age during an implicit processing task with emotional faces. Task and stimuli were the same as those used and validated in an adult study; we focused on the components that showed sensitivity to emotions in adults (P1, N170 and frontal slow wave). An effect of the emotion expressed by faces was seen on the P1 in the youngest children. With increasing age this effect disappeared while an emotional sensitivity emerged on N170. Early emotional processing in young children differed from that observed in the adolescents, who approached adults. In contrast, the later frontal slow wave, although showing typical age effects, was more positive for neutral and happy faces across age groups. Thus, despite the precocious utilization of facial emotions, the neural processing involved in the perception of emotional faces develops in a staggered fashion throughout childhood, with the adult pattern appearing only late in adolescence.     

The cognitive interview: is its benefit affected by the level of witness emotion?

This research investigated whether a witness's emotion could influence the accuracy of statements obtained by the use of a cognitive interview. A total of 70 first-year university students viewed a video depicting a road accident. Electrodes were attached to their arms in order to send fictitious electric shocks during the video (high-arousal condition) or to measure physiological signs (low-arousal condition). One week later, they were interviewed using either a cognitive interview (CI) or a structured interview (SI). It was hypothesised that the beneficial effect of the cognitive interview would be amplified by a high level of arousal, particularly concerning central aspects of the video. Results indicated that a CI elicited more correct central and peripheral details recalled, whatever the level of arousal inducted during the encoding of the to-be remembered event. Furthermore, high-arousal participants produced more accurate testimonies concerning peripheral details than participants exposed to a low level of arousal. No interaction between interview and emotion was found. The theoretical and practical implications for interviewing witnesses are described.     

The effectiveness of a joint mother–daughter sexual health program for Latina early adolescents

A culturally and cognitively adapted joint mother–daughter sexual health and HIV transmission curriculum was implemented for 96 Latina early adolescents and their mothers (48 mother–daughter dyads). Pretest and posttest surveys, interviews, and observations of participants' conversations about AIDS were used to assess program effectiveness in increasing knowledge and communication about sexuality and HIV transmission, and fostering daughters' positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future. At posttest, mothers and daughters reported an increase in the frequency of home communication about sexual topics and openness in general communication. Systematic observational analysis of videotaped mother–daughter conversations about AIDS revealed that, compared to the pretest, daughters were more engaged in posttest conversations as evidenced by an increase in their spontaneous sharing of information about HIV transmission and their offering of opinions. In addition, the posttest conversations focused on a broader discussion of HIV transmission risk behavior including condom use as a protective measure. Mothers who knew more about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more openness in general communication with daughters at posttest, asked their daughters more questions in the conversations about what they had learned in the program. Daughters who contributed more information and opinions to the posttest conversations, who were more knowledgeable about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more home communication about sexual topics in the posttest, also reported more positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future.     

How does motor imagery speed affect motor performance times? Evaluating the effects of task specificity

The present experiment investigated whether motor imagery (MI) performed at a faster speed might influence the actual motor performance duration by comparing real‐time vs. fast MI of different finger movement sequences. Forty‐eight participants were either asked to do real‐time or fast MI practice of simple 8‐digit (unimanual), complex 8‐digit (bimanual), and long (16‐digit) finger movement sequences. The main findings revealed that both fast and real‐time MI resulted in actual speed gains in all experimental conditions, hence suggesting that performing fast MI did not systematically provide additional benefits as compared to real‐time MI. Interestingly, the results suggested that the speed at which movements were performed following an increase in MI speed was selectively influenced by the complexity of the task. MI training at higher speed seemed to be more effective in changing complex motor sequences compared with real‐time MI. Practical implications in motor learning and rehabilitation are also discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.