Attentional load associated with performing and stabilizing a between-persons coordination of rhythmic limb movements

This study addressed the issue of intentional stabilization of between-persons coordination patterns (in-phase/isodirectional and anti-phase/non-isodirectional) and the attentional cost incurred by the nervous system in maintaining and further stabilizing these coordination patterns. Five pairs of participants performed in-phase and anti-phase interpersonal coordination patterns in dual-task conditions (coordination+RT task). Results showed that: (1) isodirectional pattern (in-phase) was more stable than non-isodirectional pattern (anti-phase), (2) both iso- and non-isodirectional pattern were stabilized intentionally, (3) RT was lower for the isodirectional pattern (i.e., the most stable), and (4) attentional manipulation led to a trade-off between pattern stability and RT performance. These results suggest that performing between-persons coordination patterns incurs a central cost that depends on the coupling strength between the limbs. These findings are consistent with the previous studies in intrapersonal coordination.     

Psychometric properties of the temperament and character inventory-revised (TCI-R) in a Belgian sample

The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI; Cloninger, Przybeck, Svrakic, & Wetzel, 1994) is a self-questionnaire developed to assess the 7 dimensions of personality described by Cloninger et al. (1994) with a total of 29 subscales. In 1999, a revised version was proposed by Cloninger (TCI-R). In this study, we present psychometric properties of the TCI-R from 958 French-speaking participants of Belgium. Women exhibited higher scores for harm avoidance, reward dependence, and cooperativeness dimensions. The proposed factorial structure of 4 temperament dimensions and 3 character dimensions was confirmed. The TCI-R inventory had good test-retest reliabilities as well as good alpha coefficients. The addition of 3 new subscales to the original scale for Persistence has produced a very reliable dimension in the TCI-R.     

IUPsyS — United Nations Activities

In this column will be presented excerpts of the second part of the report of the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, that deals with ways of further enhancing the active participation of NGOs in the UN system. The first part was presented in the preceding column.     

Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression: Gender-Typed Characteristics or Problem-Solving Skills Deficits?

This study explored gender differences indepressive symptoms during adolescence in relation withgender-typed characteristics, problem-solving abilities,and stressful life events. Participants were 306 white French-speaking adolescents (142 men and164 women) from upper middle-class families enrolled ina high school in the Trois-Rivières area ofQuebec. Participants ranged in age from 14 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.3 years (SD = .95). Theycompleted the French versions of the Beck DepressionInventory (BDI), the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), theProblem-Solving Inventory (PSI), and the Life Event Questionnaire (LEQ) during a regularclass. Depressed participants distinguished themselvesfrom nondepressed participants on all variables exceptfor expressivity. Instrumentality was negatively correlated with depression for boys and for thetotal sample. Scores on all three subscales of the PSIcorrelated with depression, and with scores on the LEQ,with the exception of In the Last Yearsubscale for boys. A path analysis was conducted usingscores on the BDI as the dependent variable. Subjectiveproblem-solving abilities act as a mediating variablebetween instrumentality and depression. Instrumentality, expressivity, and problem-solving abilitiesexplained a significant portion of the variance of theBDI.     

Material Phenomenology and Language (or,Pathos and Language)

Continental Philosophy Review -     

The Age of Discoveries and Patriotism: James Darmesteter's Assessment of French Orientalism

The rapid development of Orientalism in the nineteenth century played a fundamental role in the expansion of our prior conceptions of various religious traditions. In this article, I will analyse James Darmesteter's assessment of the development of French Orientalism. He discussed this issue in his Essais orientaux (1883a). First, I will describe the discoveries mentioned by Darmesteter. Second, I will highlight his comments about the contributions of French scholars to the development of orientalism. Finally, I will analyse the relation between the Franco–German War (1870–71) and Darmesteter's Essais. The article will show that the military vocabulary used by Darmesteter is a clear indication of the impact of the war on his writing.     

A comprehensive and coordinated early preventive policy: Conclusions after 10 years (1976-1986)

In Paris' 14th district (an urban community of 140.000), a pilot experiment has been carried out over a period of 10 years-from 1976 to 1986-directed toward the establishment of a coordinated, all-embracing, very early prevention policy whose beneficiaries are the children who reside there, including even those from the very poorest families. This paper presents the various research-action techniques that have been developed, especially those activities used by the United Childhood Section. This Section (S.U.E.) has permitted the institution of early preventive measures, as well as many new initiatives in the domain of practical preventive applications, and has allowed continual theoretical thought to spring from concrete activities. Through the participation of all kinds of social personnel who, for whatever reason, see any given child, it has been possible to reduce considerably the number of individuals who have contact with any one family; to reduce the total number of foster placements; to evaluate each kind of aide proffered; and, in every case, to respect the rules of infant mental hygiene. It has been possible to take preventive action truly early by refining well-known clinical elements (neonate functional difficulties, maternal depression, etc.) and by intervening during pregnancy in lying-in facilities, in neonate departments, in day-care centers, and with mother's helpers. Two clinical and theoretically relevant cases are presented. One involves a classified list of risk indicators for different stages of infancy, and the other involves a validation in an 8-year longitudinal epidemiological study of the mental health of 400 children identified during their first year by use of these very early indicators as guides.