Capsaicin-sensitive afferent vagal fibers are involved in concurrent taste aversion learning

Taste aversion learning (TAL) is a type of learning characterized by rejection of a gustatory/flavor stimulus as a consequence of its pairing with visceral discomfort and malaise. TAL can be established in the laboratory by two different behavioral procedures, concurrent or sequential. Neural mechanisms of these learning modalities remain to be elucidated, but several studies have discussed the implication of various anatomical structures, including the vagus nerve. The aim of this study was to examine the role of capsaicin-sensitive vagal afferent fibers in concurrent (Experiment 1) and sequential (Experiment 2) TAL in Wistar rats. Results showed that perivagal administration of capsaicin (1mg of capsaicin dissolved in 1ml of vehicle (10% Tween 80 in oil)) blocked acquisition of concurrent but not sequential TAL. These data support the hypothesis of two different modalities of TAL mediated by distinct neurobiological systems, with vagal nerve participation only being essential in concurrent TAL.     

Can false memories spontaneously recover?

Can false memories that were suppressed at one time spontaneously recover at a later time? Fuzzy trace theory and activation-monitoring theory predict that false memories in the Deese, Roediger, and McDermott (DRM) procedure become substantially reduced as list learning progresses because participants employ a memory-editing process. It follows that if the editing process is rendered less effective, false memories should spontaneously recover. We found that after DRM lists were well learned and false recognition to critical words was substantially reduced by multiple study-test trials, those false memories spontaneously recovered when participants were either rushed or delayed on a retest. We attributed the reduction in false recognition over trials to a memory-editing process that suppresses false recognition as participants gradually learn which words were in the lists and which words, though similar, were not. Rushing or delaying the participants on a retest made it more difficult for them to edit their memory, and false memories spontaneously returned.     

A point contingency for homework submission in the graduate school classroom

We explored the effects of points versus no points on the submission of homework assignments and quiz performance in a graduate-level course. Students were more likely to submit homework assignments during points weeks, but quiz scores were relatively unaffected.     

Toward an Understanding of the Connections in Creating Lasting Family Connections

Abstract

The Creating Lasting Family Connections^® (CLFC) program is designed to help improve relationship skills and reduce antisocial behaviors. Strader and colleagues propose that prosocial connectedness is responsible for program outcomes. We propose that the intersection of high agreeableness and low impulsivity represent an operational definition. We examined this definition in the context of a RCT with 246 men in prison reentry. CLFCFP increased the number of connected individuals. Being connected and the program independently impacted relationship skills, but no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that the program impacts would be more pronounced among those who were connected.     

Buddhist Life Stories

This article argues that contemporary Buddhist memoirs are an important source to investigate and understand the phenomenon of modern Buddhism. Modern Buddhism is a current development in which Buddhists consider their tradition in new ways. The connections between life stories and modern Buddhist traits are striking. No document can get closer to the source of this movement than a life story. In this article I consider this in terms of the memoirs of the German Buddhist nun Ayya Khema and the Sinhalese monk Bhante Gunaratana. Although the figures may not represent all of the categories of modern Buddhism, the reader understands their choices in terms of their entire lives. The reader is constantly faced with the interplay between modern and traditional traits that make up their life stories.     

Thai Meditation Lineages Abroad: Creating Networks of Exchange

International travel is a significant component in the making of transnational Buddhism. This article argues that through even limited international travel and exchange with Buddhist teachers, networks of exchange can be created. Focusing on international meditation centres in Thailand, I delineate three mediums through which meditation teachers, in conjunction with their students, build institutional transnational links. Using case studies from various lineages and teachers within Thailand’s international meditation centres, this article reveals the stories and relationships that spread Thai Buddhist meditation abroad. In this context I also explore the effects of lineage and missionization within this process of travel and exchange.