Curiosity Is Contagious: A Social Influence Intervention to Induce Curiosity

Our actions and decisions are regularly influenced by the social environment around us. Can social cues be leveraged to induce curiosity and affect subsequent behavior? Across two experiments, we show that curiosity is contagious: The social environment can influence people's curiosity about the answers to scientific questions. Participants were presented with everyday questions about science from a popular on-line forum, and these were shown with a high or low number of up-votes as a social cue to popularity. Participants indicated their curiosity about the answers, and they were given an opportunity to reveal a subset of those answers. Participants reported greater curiosity about the answers to questions when the questions were presented with a high (vs. low) number of up-votes, and they were also more likely to choose to reveal the answers to questions with a high (vs. low) number of up-votes. These effects were partially mediated by surprise and by the inferred usefulness of knowledge, with a more dramatic effect of low up-votes in reducing curiosity than of high up-votes in boosting curiosity. Taken together, these results highlight the important role social information plays in shaping our curiosity.     

SOCIAL‐LEARNING PROGRAMS FACILITATE AN INCREASE IN ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN A FORENSIC MENTAL HOSPITAL

Deficits in adaptive behavior are a major reason why individuals remain hospitalized or return to inpatient settings. During recovery from a serious mental illness, development of adaptive behavior is as important as reduction of ‘symptoms’. Social learning programs (SLPs) have been identified as a best practice in inpatient settings. This study examined whether SLPs facilitated significant growth in adaptive behavior from baseline through one, two, three, and four years of intervention. Direct observational coding of adaptive behavior was conducted before and during intervention and subjected to pre‐post analysis. In addition, individual change modeling was used to characterize the rate and extent of change. Finally, initial response to intervention was examined for utility in predicting total response at distal time points. The SLPs facilitated significant improvements in total adaptive behavior from baseline to each of the distal time points (with effect sizes from 1.18 to 1.53). Change during the first five weeks failed to consistently predict total change, likely because of adaptive intervention procedures. SLPs facilitated significant improvements in the kind of adaptive behavior that helps people get out and stay out of inpatient settings. If replicated, estimated rates of change established in this study could be used as benchmarks for future implementations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Einige (neuere) Bemerkungen zur freien Assoziation

Three aspects of free association, namely the technical aspect, the aspect of content and the processual aspect, are examined in terms of the ideological development of this concept, which is still central for psychoanalysis. Further, it is shown that the theoretical conception of free association and of its claim and scope as well as the communication of the fundamental rule have changed in the course of time. New studies in basic research could lead to a reassessment of free association.     

Psychosomatische Aspekte des Diabetes mellitus

The term “diabetes mellitus” describes a group of endocrinological diseases characterised by hyperglycemia. The treatment is demanding for patients in terms of self-management and self-responsibility, and some patients need not only medical but psychological support as well. This article reviews essential psychological aspects of diabetes, starting with factors affecting adherence to diabetes treatment. The main part describes epidemiology and interactions between anxiety disorders, eating disorders and depression in patients with diabetes. Treatment recommendations are derived from current knowledge in accordance with evidence-based treatment guidelines.     

Subjektive Einschätzung der eigenen Gesundheit und gesundheitsrelevantes Verhalten bei niedergelassenen Psychologischen Psychotherapeuten

From June until August 2004 we asked 488 established psychological psychotherapists in selected German federal states for a subjective evaluation of their own health, their utilization of the health care system and their health-related behavior. It turned out that the psychotherapists mainly reported a good state of health although their reported state of health was more negative than in the general population with equal age and level of education. This finding is surely connected with specific mental, physical and existential burdens of their profession as well as with specifics of the “psychotherapist personality”. The psychotherapists’ evaluations highly depend on age, but not significantly on sociodemographical criteria like gender and place of establishment (East/West Germany). Also the affiliation to a therapy school (psychoanalysis, depth psychological funded psychotherapy, behavior therapy) is irrelevant for the subjective evaluation of one’s own health. Concerning the annual number of consultations and disability days the psychotherapists are clearly below average. They report a lot of attentiveness about their health and practice a health-benefical behavior. In this case they make higher demands on themselves than the general population.     

Affektverarbeitung und Beziehungsgestaltung bei somatoformen Störungen

Somatoform disorders are usually associated with disturbances in affective processing and consequently with relational disorders. The effect of psychotherapy on the emotional regulation and the relational behaviour in the course of treatment of a patient with somatoform autonomous dysfunction and dysthymia has been examined. Pre-post comparisons of inpatient treatment have been performed by means of standardized questionnaire data; the course of therapy has been evaluated by the analysis of the dependence of the leading symptom of hypogastric pain on mood parameters with the help of multivariate time-series analyses. One effect of psychotherapy was the initiation of an intrapsychic discourse, which led to an improved ability of affect regulation as well as to a better functioning in relationships. This was accompanied by a reduction of somatization. The interrelations between somatization, affect- and relationship-regulation are discussed.     

Studienbezogene Belastungen, Lebensqualität und Beziehungserleben bei Medizinstudenten

In a cross-sectional study of medical students we examined educational strains, health feeling, and relationship patterns. Work stress was measured using the questionnaire by Jurkat et al., health-related quality of life was measured using the Short Form- (SF-)36 Health Survey, and relationship patterns to the partner as well as to a friend were mapped using“Beziehungsmusterfragebogen“ (BeMus). Study stress was assessed as being high by 60% of the students. Consequently, 39% had not enough time for their partners und 29% had no time for own interests. The mental health averaged significantly below the norm. A high workload and discontent correlated with aggressiveness, especially in the partnership, whereas loving care towards the partner or friend correlated with a high level of satisfaction and a lower strain level. Therefore, an improvement of psychosocial competence in medical students as well as a practice-oriented preparation for the profession is needed.