Automatic avoidance tendencies in individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms

We used an approach-avoidance task (AAT) to examine response to threatening stimuli in 20 individuals high in contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (HCs) and 21 individuals low in contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (LCs). Participants were instructed to respond to contamination-related and neutral pictures by pulling a joystick towards themselves or by pushing it away from themselves. Moving the joystick changed the size of the image to simulate approaching or distancing oneself from the object. Consistent with our hypothesis, the HC group was significantly slower in pulling contamination-related pictures than in pulling neutral pictures, whereas in the LC group there was no difference between speed of pulling contamination-related pictures and neutral pictures. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find support for faster pushing away of contamination-related pictures than neutral pictures by the HC group. Moreover, the degree of avoidance of contamination-related stimuli when pulling - but not when pushing - was significantly correlated with self-reported contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These results suggest a biased behavioral response for threatening objects in individuals high in contamination fears only when inhibiting the prepotent response to avoid threatening stimuli and not when performing a practiced avoidance response. Thus, our results validate the use of the AAT as a measure of inhibited and uninhibited automatic avoidance reactions to emotional information in individuals with contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms.     

Modifying automatic approach action tendencies in individuals with elevated social anxiety symptoms

Research suggests that social anxiety is associated with a reduced approach orientation for positive social cues. In the current study we examined the effect of experimentally manipulating automatic approach action tendencies on the social behavior of individuals with elevated social anxiety symptoms. The experimental paradigm comprised a computerized Approach Avoidance Task (AAT) in which participants responded to pictures of faces conveying positive or neutral emotional expressions by pulling a joystick toward themselves (approach) or by moving it to the right (sideways control). Participants were randomly assigned to complete an AAT designed to increase approach tendencies for positive social cues by pulling these cues toward themselves on the majority of trials, or to a control condition in which there was no contingency between the arm movement direction and picture type. Following the manipulation, participants took part in a relationship-building task with a trained confederate. Results revealed that participants trained to approach positive stimuli displayed greater social approach behaviors during the social interaction and elicited more positive reactions from their partner compared to participants in the control group. These findings suggest that modifying automatic approach tendencies may facilitate engagement in the types of social approach behaviors that are important for relationship development.     

Lack of a benign interpretation bias in social anxiety disorder

Cognitive models of social anxiety posit that recurrent interpretation of ambiguous information as threatening maintains symptoms (e.g. Clark & Wells, 1995, pp. 69-93, Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. New York: Guilford Press; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997, pp. 741-756, Behavior Research and Therapy, 35). However, biased interpretation may also be represented as a failure to make a benign interpretation of the ambiguous event. Furthermore, interpretation bias can be characterized by both an online (automatic) component and an offline (effortful) component (Hirsch & Clark, 2004, pp. 799-825, Clinical Psychology Review, 24). To measure both benign and threat biases, as well as examine the effect of social anxiety on offline versus online interpretations, Beard and Amir (2009, pp. 1135-1141, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 46) developed the Word Sentence Association Paradigm (WSAP). In the current study, we administered the WSAP to a group of participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD) as well as to a group of non-anxious control (NAC) participants. We found that participants with SAD demonstrated a lack of benign online bias, but not an online threat bias when compared to NACs. However, when examining offline biases, SAD patients endorsed social threat interpretations and rejected benign social interpretations to a greater degree than non-anxious individuals. Our results, when taken together, clearly implicate the role of reduced bias toward benign information in SAD.     

Blunted Flanker P300 Demonstrates Specificity to Depressive Symptoms in Females during Adolescence

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - Recent research suggests that depressive disorders in adults are characterized by reductions in flanker P300 amplitude, and that a reduced flanker...     

Attentional Biases for Facial Expressions in Social Phobia: The Face-in-the-Crowd Paradigm

The present study examines the attentional bias hypothesis for individuals with generalised social phobia (GSPs). Socially phobic individuals were hypothesised to exhibit attentional bias towards threat stimuli relevant to interpersonal situations. This hypothesis was tested using the face-in-the-crowd paradigm. GSPs and nonanxious controls (NACs) detected an angry, happy, neutral, or disgust target face in a crowd of 12 distracter photographs. Results indicated that, compared to NACs, GSPs exhibited greater attentional biases for angry than for happy faces in a neutral crowd. GSPs were more slowed down in their performance by happy and angry versus neutral distracters; NACs did not exhibit such sensitivity to distracter type. Finally, GSPs were faster in detecting anger than disgust expressions; NACs detected both types of faces equally quickly. Implications of these findings for the maintenance of social phobia are discussed.     

Further Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of the Photographic Figure Rating Scale for Body Image Assessment

Previous studies have not fully investigated the psychometric properties of the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS). In 2 studies, we report on the test–retest reliability and convergent validity of ratings derived from the PFRS. In Study 1, 322 female university students in Britain provided self-ratings on the PFRS and objectively measured body mass index (BMI); a subsample of 132 women also completed the task after 5 weeks. In Study 2, 243 women from the community in Austria completed the PFRS along with a battery of other body image scales. Results of Study 1 showed that ratings on the PFRS had good test–retest reliability (all rs > .87) and good convergent validity in relation to BMI. Results of Study 2 showed that PFRS-derived body dissatisfaction scores were significantly correlated with a range of body image variables. These results provide evidence for the convergent validity and good test–retest reliability of the PFRS.     

Predictors of response and drop-out during intensive dialectical behavior therapy

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness, and predictors of response and drop-out during a four-week course of intensive dialectical behavior therapy (I-DBT) in 447 outpatients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD), over a 10-year period. Assessments included a diagnostic interview, the International Personality Disorder Examination Screening Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Among these participants, 103 started a second course of treatment. In agreement with previous reports, I-DBT was effective in reducing levels of depression and hopelessness with a trend of increasing effectiveness over the study period. High schizoid scores and low narcissistic score predicted poor response. Treatment completion rate was high, and low education predicted dropout. A discussion on the usefulness of a second course of treatment should be held with patients and staff as it was not effective in reducing depression and hopelessness.     

Blame it on patriarchy: More sexist attitudes are associated with stronger consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself and one's partner

In the present work, we examined associations between oppressive, sexist beliefs and consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself and also endorsement of cosmetic surgery for one's romantic partner. A total of 554 German‐speaking volunteers from the community, mainly in Austria, completed measures of consideration of cosmetic surgery and three measures of sexist attitudes, while a subset of participants in romantic relationships completed a measure of endorsement of cosmetic surgery for their partners along with the measures of sexism. Preliminary analyses showed that women and single respondents were more likely to consider having cosmetic surgery than men and committed respondents, respectively. Further analyses showed that consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself was significantly associated with sexist attitudes, particularly hostile attitudes to women. In addition, among participants in a relationship, sexist attitudes were associated with endorsement of cosmetic surgery for one's partner. These results indicate that attitudes to cosmetic surgery for oneself and one's partner are shaped by gender‐ideological belief systems in patriarchal societies. Possible implications for understanding the motivations for having cosmetic surgery, among both single respondents and couples, are discussed.     

De novo mRNA synthesis is required for both consolidation and reconsolidation of fear memories in the amygdala

Memory consolidation is the process by which newly learned information is stabilized into long-term memory (LTM). Considerable evidence indicates that retrieval of a consolidated memory returns it to a labile state that requires it to be restabilized. Consolidation of new fear memories has been shown to require de novo RNA and protein synthesis in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA). We have previously shown that de novo protein synthesis in the LA is required for reconsolidation of auditory fear memories. One key question is whether protein synthesis during reconsolidation depends on already existing mRNAs or on synthesis of new mRNAs in the amygdala. In the present study, we examined the effect of mRNA synthesis inhibition during consolidation and reconsolidation of auditory fear memories. We first show that intra-LA infusion of two different mRNA inhibitors dose-dependently impairs long-term memory but leaves short-term memory (STM) intact. Next, we show that intra-LA infusion of the same inhibitors dose-dependently blocks post-reactivation long-term memory (PR-LTM), whereas post-reactivation short-term memory (PR-STM) is left intact. Furthermore, the same treatment in the absence of memory reactivation has no effect. Together, these results show that both consolidation and reconsolidation of auditory fear memories require de novo mRNA synthesis and are equally sensitive to disruption of de novo mRNA synthesis in the LA.