Peripheral and central sex steroids have differential effects on the HPA axis of male and female rats

Sex differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function were examined in gonadectomized male and female rats given equivalent sex hormone replacement regimens either using subcutaneous silastic implants (Experiment 1) or cannula implants in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) (Experiment 2) containing either dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone propionate (TP), estradiol benzoate (EB), or left empty (control). Plasma was obtained before and after 20 min of restraint stress to determine plasma ACTH, corticosterone, and CBG levels as measures of HPA function. Consistent with the literature, androgens decreased, and estrogen increased these measures of HPA function, although peripheral implants were more effective than MPOA implants. Gonadectomy and sex hormone treatment did not eliminate sex differences; overall, females had higher levels than males on measures of HPA function. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) indicated interactions of sex and sex hormone treatment on CBG levels and post-stress corticosterone levels in Expt. 1. The results suggest that sexual dimorphisms influence HPA function even when males and females are given equivalent physiological doses of gonadal steroids, and that the relevant sexual dimorphisms involve both the periphery and the CNS.     

Household clutter and crowding constrain associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind

Social interactions between parents and children are important for developing theory of mind, but these may be disrupted by aspects of the proximal home environment. The current study observed maternal sensitivity and its associations with child theory of mind and the housing environment (index by clutter and crowding) in a sample of mothers and their 3.5-year-old twins (N = 250 children). Maternal sensitivity and housing environment were measured from experimenter report and child theory of mind was measured through behavioural tasks. Results show that the association between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind was moderated by the housing environment, where the positive associations between maternal sensitivity and child theory of mind were only observed at lower levels of clutter and crowding in the housing environment. Additional contextual variables and processes are discussed.     

Belief as emotion

It is commonly held that (i) beliefs are revisable in the face of counter-evidence and (ii) beliefs are connected to actions in reliable and predictable ways. Given such a view, many argue that if a mental state fails to respond to evidence or doesn't result in the kind of behavior typical or expected of belief, it is not a belief after all, but a different state. Yet, one finds seeming counter examples of resilient beliefs that fail to respond to evidence, or that do not connect to action in the way that is expected. I offer a view of belief that does not force us to exclude states as real beliefs that we pre-reflectively think of as beliefs, and that does not require us to “outsource” the work belief seems to do to other mental states. I propose that we view belief as a type of emotion where emotions are understood a irreducibly blended states, containing representational, motivational and phenomenological elements.     

Marital Interactions,Family Intervention,and Disagreements: A Daily Diary Study in a Low‐income Sample

Little research has examined associations between low‐income married couples’ daily interactions and severity of disagreements. Similarly, few researchers have considered how family‐strengthening interventions for low‐income couples may affect the quality of daily interactions and associations between interactions and conflict experiences. This study aims to fill these gaps in the literature by leveraging daily diary data from a random assignment study of a family‐strengthening intervention with low‐income husbands and wives 30 months postenrollment. Married couples randomly assigned to the intervention participated in 10 weeks of relationship education services. Control group couples received no services. Thirty months postrandom assignment, participants reported on the severity of daily marital disagreements over a 15‐day period, as well as their positive and negative emotions during inter‐spousal interactions. Multi‐level models demonstrated associations between reports of emotions in interactions and severity of disagreements. In addition, wives assigned to the family strengthening program reported fewer negative emotions during interactions at follow‐up than wives in the control condition. Finally, negative associations between positive emotions in interactions and severity of disagreements were stronger for wives assigned to the intervention, while positive associations between negative emotions in interactions and severity of disagreements were weaker for wives assigned to the intervention. Implications for future research and intervention development are discussed.