Grounding by Attention Simulation in Peripersonal Space: Pupils Dilate to Pinch Grip But Not Big Size Nominal Classifier

Grammatical categories represent implicit knowledge, and it is not known if such abstract linguistic knowledge can be continuously grounded in real‐life experiences, nor is it known what types of mental states can be simulated. A former study showed that attention bias in peripersonal space (PPS) affects reaction times in grammatical congruency judgments of nominal classifiers, suggesting that simulated semantics may include reenactment of attention. In this study, we contrasted a Chinese nominal classifier used with nouns denoting pinch grip objects with a classifier for nouns with big object referents in a pupil dilation experiment. Twenty Chinese native speakers read grammatical and ungrammatical classifier‐noun combinations and made grammaticality judgment while their pupillary responses were measured. It was found that their pupils dilated significantly more to the pinch grip classifier than to the big object classifier, indicating attention simulation in PPS. Pupil dilations were also significantly larger with congruent trials on the whole than in incongruent trials, but crucially, congruency and classifier semantics were independent of each other. No such effects were found in controls.     

Negotiating ending: A qualitative study of the process of ending psychotherapy

Objectives: When psychotherapy is open-ended, the question of termination is a matter for negotiation. A model based on both content and the process of ending may explain how ‘good enough’ psychotherapies can be brought to ‘good enough’ endings.

Design: Twelve processes of ending were explored through a combination of audio recordings made during therapy sessions and post-therapy interviews with clients and therapists. Therapies had been tailored to the needs of the clients and were based on a broad spectrum of theoretical affiliations.

Methods: A procedure for systematic text condensation was used on a case-by-case basis. Issues surrounding the initiation and negotiation of ending were pointed out in each case and were then compared across cases.

Results: The initiation of ending and exchanges concerned with when and how to end therapy unfolded as a concerted process because both parties seemed to be aware that the theme of ending contained a potential challenge to the alliance. Dual affect regulation, implicit communication and a future-oriented perspective were important features. Structural elements such as schedule changes and temporary breaks served several psychological functions. Therapies seemed to reach ‘good enough’ endings when the client and therapist joined in their efforts to resolve basic ambivalences embedded in the decision to terminate contact with the affirmation of a continuing emotional bond.     

The effect of dopaminergic medication on conflict adaptation in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder associated primarily with motor symptoms such as tremor, slowness of movement, and difficulties with gait and balance. Most patients take dopaminergic medication to improve their motor functions. Previous studies reported indications that such medication can impair higher cognitive functions (cf. dopamine overdose hypothesis). In the present study, we examined the effect of medication status on conflict adaptation. PD patients performed a Stroop task in which we manipulated the proportion of congruent and incongruent items, thereby allowing us to explore conflict adaptation. The use of mouse movements allowed us to examine the action dynamics of conflict adaptation in PD, and their sensitivity to dopaminergic medication. Each patient performed the same task twice: once without making changes to their regular medication regime, and once after overnight withdrawal from their medication. Results showed that medication improved mouse movements and alleviated motor symptoms. Moreover, patients' mouse movements were modulated as a function of the proportion congruency manipulation, revealing conflict adaptation in PD, which was unaffected by medication status. The present study extends earlier work on conflict adaptation in PD where reduced transient (trial-by-trial) conflict adaptation was observed ON compared to OFF medication (Duthoo et al., 2013, Neuropsychology, 27, 556). Our findings suggest that more sustained cognitive control processes may not be sensitive to dopamine overdose effects.     

Examining methodological variation in response inhibition: The effects of outcome measures and task characteristics on age-related differences

This study addressed methodological issues common to developmental studies on response inhibition. Age-related differences were investigated using two Stroop-like tasks with different levels of complexity and comparing different outcome measures in a sample of 340 children and adolescents aged 7–15 years. First, speed and accuracy of task performance were examined; the results showing that improvement in speed continued until age 13 in both the basic naming task and the two inhibition tasks. Improvement in accuracy was less consistent and continued until age 9 or 13 years. Second, two different algorithms were employed to control for the effects of basic processes in inhibition tasks. The difference algorithm indicated age-related differences similar to those for speed. The ratio algorithm, however, suggested earlier deceleration of development of response inhibition at 9 or 11 years of age. Factors related to the cognitive requirements and presented stimuli also had an effect on the results. The present findings shed light on the inconsistencies in the developmental studies of response inhibition and demonstrated that the selection of outcome measures and task characteristics are critical because they affect the way development is depicted.     

Polarity correspondence in comparative number magnitude judgments

When asked which of two digits is greater, participants respond more quickly if physical size corresponds to number magnitude, such as in 3 7, than when the two attributes contradict each other, such as in 3 7. This size congruence effect in comparative number judgments is a well-documented phenomenon. We extended existing findings by showing that this effect does not depend on physical size of the number alone but can be observed with number symmetry. In addition, we observed that symmetric numbers are judged as being smaller than asymmetric numbers, which renders an interpretation of the number symmetry congruence effect in terms of physical size implausible. We refer to the polarity correspondence principle (Proctor & Cho, 2006) to explain the present findings.     

Bayesian PTSD-Trajectory Analysis with Informed Priors Based on a Systematic Literature Search and Expert Elicitation

There is a recent increase in interest of Bayesian analysis. However, little effort has been made thus far to directly incorporate background knowledge via the prior distribution into the analyses. This process might be especially useful in the context of latent growth mixture modeling when one or more of the latent groups are expected to be relatively small due to what we refer to as limited data. We argue that the use of Bayesian statistics has great advantages in limited data situations, but only if background knowledge can be incorporated into the analysis via prior distributions. We highlight these advantages through a data set including patients with burn injuries and analyze trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms using the Bayesian framework following the steps of the WAMBS-checklist. In the included example, we illustrate how to obtain background information using previous literature based on a systematic literature search and by using expert knowledge. Finally, we show how to translate this knowledge into prior distributions and we illustrate the importance of conducting a prior sensitivity analysis. Although our example is from the trauma field, the techniques we illustrate can be applied to any field.     

Neuropsychological Effects at Early School Age of Fetal Alcohol Exposure of Varying Duration

A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was performed with forty-six 5- to 9-year-old children exposed to alcohol in utero for varying durations. The children were subdivided according to duration of maternal alcohol abuse, as follows: during trimester I (n = 16), during trimesters I and II (n = 16), and throughout pregnancy (n = 14). A control group (n = 26) consisted of unexposed children. Fetal alcohol exposure throughout pregnancy had significant, diffuse effects on the development of the children, whereas exposure only during early pregnancy did not. Observed cognitive deficits included problems in naming, receptive language, attention, and visual-motor functions. Verbal and visual memory and manual motor precision did not significantly differ between the groups.     

Neurocognitive Impairment in Early Adolescence Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure of Varying Duration

The aims of the study were, first, to perform a comprehensive assessment of neurocognitive status in early adolescence of children exposed to alcohol prenatally; and, second, to examine whether duration of exposure continues to be predictive of outcome at this age. Twenty-seven exposed 12-14-year-olds and 39 nonexposed 13-14-year-olds underwent neuropsychological assessments (WISC-III, NEPSY subtests) of attention and executive functions, language, visuomotor functions, and memory. The group of non-exposed children was used to develop preliminary test norms for the 13-14-year-old exposed children whereas published test norms could be used for the 12-year-olds. The results demonstrated neurocognitive impairment across all types of tasks. Impairment varied in degree according to the duration of alcohol exposure. Children exposed throughout pregnancy, most of who had diagnoses of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), performed well below the average range. It was concluded that the neurocognitive effects of alcohol exposure tend to be widespread and generalized. Attention and executive functions do not seem to be selectively affected. Further, the relationship between duration of prenatal alcohol exposure and neurocognitive development continues to be significant in early adolescence.     

The Role of Injury and Trauma-Related Variables in the Onset and Course of Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a minority of trauma-exposed persons and is associated with significant impairment. This longitudinal study examined risk factors for PTSD. We tested whether the presence of injuries resulting from trauma exposure predicted the course of PTSD symptoms. In addition, we tested whether gender, trauma type, perceived life threat, and peritraumatic dissociation predicted the onset of PTSD symptoms. 236 trauma-exposed civilians were assessed for PTSD symptoms with a structured interview at four occasions during 6 months posttrauma. Path analysis showed that a model in which the female gender, assault, perceived life threat, and peritraumatic dissociation predicted PTSD severity at 1 week, and injury predicted PTSD severity 8 weeks after the traumatic event showed the best fit. However, a similar model without injury showed comparable fit. It is concluded that injuries have a negligible effect on the course of PTSD.