Emotional modulation of attention orienting: A classical conditioning study

Emotional modulation of attention shifting was investigated in Posner's (1980) spatial orienting task by conditioning the attention cue to an aversive white noise. Prior to the attention task, the Conditioning group received a 90dB white noise unconditioned stimulus (UCS) contingent upon the frame-lit rectangle attention cue, while the Control group received non-contingent presentations. The Conditioning group evidenced greater skin conductance responses to the frame-lit rectangle in the conditioning phase, reflecting an electrodermal conditioned response. In the attention phase, the frame-lit rectangle served as the attention cue in the spatial orienting task. The Conditioning group showed equally fast reaction times (RTs) to targets presented outside the location of the cue as to targets at the same location as the cue, reflecting elimination of the cognitive cost usually involved in shifting attention. The Control group evidenced the regular cost of shifting attention away from the location of the cue. The Conditioning group also evidenced a larger N1-component with a parietal distribution of the event-related brain potentials to the cue and a larger N1-component at the frontal regions to targets presented outside the cued location. This suggests that both visual orienting to the cue and attention shifting from cue to target on invalid trials were amplified by the emotional salience attached to the cue through the classical conditioning procedure.     

Body size estimation in early adolescence: factors associated with perceptual accuracy in a nonclinical sample

This study investigated body size estimation in Norwegian adolescents (aged 12-15; N=406) using a distorting photograph technique. The percentage of over- or underestimation was calculated for pictures of the subject, other persons and a neutral object. The Eating Disorders Inventory for Children (EDI-C) was also completed. Among adolescents at risk of eating problems, girls tended to overestimate their own body size while boys showed a pattern of underestimation, compared to a relatively accurate body perception for low-risk subjects. The groups did not differ in the perception of the neutral object. Important predictors of perceived body size included the size estimation of other children, preoccupation with weight and shape, self-esteem, and emotional instability. The results support the predictive value of body size estimation. Gender differences in judgement bias can be interpreted within present aesthetic ideals and their relation to self perception, body image, and eating problems in adolescence.     

Looking in the wrong direction correlates with more accurate word learning

Previous research on lexical development has aimed to identify the factors that enable accurate initial word-referent mappings based on the assumption that the accuracy of initial word-referent associations is critical for word learning. The present study challenges this assumption. Adult English speakers learned an artificial language within a cross-situational learning paradigm. Visual fixation data were used to assess the direction of visual attention. Participants whose longest fixations in the initial trials fell more often on distracter images performed significantly better at test than participants whose longest fixations fell more often on referent images. Thus, inaccurate initial word-referent mappings may actually benefit learning.     

Initial relationship goal and couple therapy outcomes at post and six-month follow-up

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between client initial goal for couple therapy (i.e., improve the relationship or clarify the viability of the relationship) and the outcomes (including their relationship status, i.e., separated or together) at posttreatment as well as at 6-month follow-up. Two hundred forty-nine couples (N = 498 individuals) seeking treatment for relationship distress in a naturalistic setting were treated by 20 therapists. Client initial relationship goal was attained by intake paperwork protocol, which included client initial goal for couple therapy and client perception of partner goal. Clients who reported that their goal was to improve the relationship reported better outcomes at post. Couples who reported their goal was to improve the relationship were less likely to break up at a 6-month follow-up. Of the 115 couples stating they wanted to improve the relationship, only nine (7.8%) couples were separated at 6 months. In contrast, of the 16 couples in which both partners wanted to clarify the relationship prior to therapy, nine (56%) were separated at follow-up. Therapist awareness of each individual's relationship goal prior to couple therapy could enhance outcomes, and treatment tailored according to initial goals could set the stage for positive outcomes however defined.     

Application of the Copenhagen Soccer Test in high-level women players – locomotor activities,physiological response and sprint performance

We evaluated the physiological response, sprint performance and technical ability in various phases of the Copenhagen Soccer Test for Women (CSTw) and investigated whether the locomotor activities of the CSTw were comparable to competitive match-play (CM). Physiological measurements and physical/technical assessments were performed during CSTw for eleven Norwegian high-level women soccer players. The activity pattern during CSTw and CM was monitored using the ZXY tracking system. No differences were observed between CSTw and CM with regards to total distance covered (10093 ± 94 and 9674 ± 191 m), high intensity running (1278 ± 67 and 1193 ± 115 m) or sprinting (422 ± 55 and 372 ± 46 m) (p > .05). During CSTw, average HR was 85 ± 2%HRmax with 35 ± 2% playing time >90%HRmax. Blood lactate increased (p < .05) from 1.4 ± 0.3 mM at rest to an average of 4.7 ± 0.5 mM during CSTw, with no changes during the test. Blood glucose was 5.4 ± 0.3 mM at rest and remained unaltered during CSTw. Sprint performance (2 × 20 m) decreased (p < .05) by 3% during CSTw (8.19 ± 0.06–8.47 ± 0.10 s). In conclusion, the locomotor activities during CSTw were comparable to that of high-level competitive match-play. The physiological demands of the CSTw were high, with no changes in heart rate, blood lactate or technical performance during the test, but a lowered sprint performance towards the end of the test.     

Mechanisms of change in cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder: The role of panic self-efficacy and catastrophic misinterpretations

The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (PD) is well-established; however, little is known about the underlying change processes of clinical improvement during therapy. According to cognitive theories, CBT for PD primarily works by changing catastrophic misinterpretations of bodily symptoms and panic attacks. However, panic self-efficacy, i.e. the perceived ability to cope with panic attacks, has also been suggested as an important change mechanism in CBT for PD. The aim of the study was to investigate if change in catastrophic misinterpretations and panic self-efficacy mediated change in the level of anxiety during the course of thirteen sessions of group CBT for PD. Forty-five participants completed weekly self-report measures of the possible cognitive mediators and the level of anxiety throughout therapy. The results indicated that within-person change in panic self-efficacy in one session, but not in catastrophic misinterpretations, predicted within-person level of anxiety symptoms the following week. However, in a reversed analysis, prior change in level of anxiety symptoms also predicted change in panic self-efficacy the following session. These results support panic self-efficacy as a mediator of change in CBT for PD, although a reciprocal causal relationship between panic self-efficacy and level of anxiety seems to be implied.     

The Coping Paradox: Work,Stress, and Coping in the U.S. Army

The military environment has unique stressors. This study investigates the types of stressors, appraisals, and coping responses of U.S. soldiers and their leaders. A qualitative analysis of interviews indicates that the traditional coping buffers of social drinking and seeking social support from fellow soldiers, family, and leaders can potentially serve as sources of stress. While this paradox may be a result of the unique types of stressors in the military work environment, these results should direct researchers to better understand individuals' perceptions and appraisals of stress, with a focus on the meaning of stress, given contextual factors inherent in the workplace. The findings are discussed in relation to the literature on the impact of stress on physical and psychological health.     

A TMS study of the ventral projections from V1 with implications for the finding of neural correlates of consciousness

The study of subliminal perception in normal and brain lesioned subjects has long been of interest to scholars studying the neural mechanisms behind conscious vision. Using brief durations and a developed methodology of introspective reporting, we present an experiment with visual stimuli that gives rise to little or no subliminal perception under normal viewing conditions. Coupled with transcranial magnetic stimulation, however, we find a dissociation between correctness and conscious awareness. Furthermore, we find support for the hypothesis that the ventral projection streams from V1 are necessary for visual consciousness.     

Statistical learning within and between modalities: pitting abstract against stimulus-specific representations

When learners encode sequential patterns and generalize their knowledge to novel instances, are they relying on abstract or stimulus-specific representations? Research on artificial grammar learning (AGL) has shown transfer of learning from one stimulus set to another, and such findings have encouraged the view that statistical learning is mediated by abstract representations that are independent of the sense modality or perceptual features of the stimuli. Using a novel modification of the standard AGL paradigm, we obtained data to the contrary. These experiments pitted abstract processing against stimulus-specific learning. The findings show that statistical learning results in knowledge that is stimulus-specific rather than abstract. They show furthermore that learning can proceed in parallel for multiple input streams along separate perceptual dimensions or sense modalities. We conclude that learning sequential structure and generalizing to novel stimuli inherently involve learning mechanisms that are closely tied to the perceptual characteristics of the input.