Distributed and focused attention: neuropsychological evidence for separate attentional mechanisms when counting and estimating

Evidence is presented for 2 modes of attention operating in simultanagnosia. The authors examined visual enumeration in a patient, GK, who has severe impairments in serially scanning across a scene and is unable to count the numbers of items in visual displays. However, GK's ability to judge the relative magnitude of 2 displays was consistently above chance, even when overall luminosity did not vary with the number of items present. In addition, several variables had a differential impact on GK's counting and magnitude estimation. Magnitude estimation but not counting was facilitated by using elements that grouped more easily and by presenting the elements in regular configurations. In contrast, counting was facilitated by placing the elements in different colors while magnitude estimation was disrupted. Also GK's performance on magnitude estimation tasks was disrupted by asking him to count the elements present. The data suggest that GK can process visual stimuli in either a focused or distributed attention mode. When in a focused attention mode, performance is limited by poor serial scanning of attention due to an impaired explicit representation of visual space.     

Transverse diffusivity of cerebral parenchyma predicts visual tracking performance in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

This study investigated the relation between cerebral damage related to multiple sclerosis (MS) and cognitive decline as determined by two classical mental tracking tests. Cerebral damage in 15 relapsing–remitting MS patients was measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Fractional anisotropy, longitudinal and transverse diffusivity were defined in the cerebral parenchyma. Cognitive performance of the MS patients was assessed with the oral response format of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). A significant correlation was found between performance on the SDMT and the fractional anisotropy in the brain. This correlation was predominantly induced by transverse diffusivity. Transverse diffusivity refers to the diffusion across fibers rather than along the fibers and is believed to be a specific marker for axonal loss and demyelination associated with MS. No significant association between DTI-measures and PASAT performance was found and this negative finding was mainly attributed to psychometric qualities. These results indicate that diffusivity along the non-principal diffusion direction, a possible signature of MS-related white matter pathology, contributes to information processing speed as measured with the SDMT, a task that requires close visual tracking and a widely used clinical marker for cognitive decline in MS.     

The role of maternal emotion regulation in controlling parenting during toddlerhood: an observational study

Motivation and Emotion - This study investigated the protective role of maternal adaptive emotion regulation in applying controlling parenting practices while assisting their toddler in completing...     

Can I dismiss the stereotype – as my teacher did? Influence of stereotype activation and an immigrant teacher on student learning

Social Psychology of Education - Lower vocabulary in German is repeatedly reported for students with Turkish migration background attending school in Germany. We investigated whether in students of...     

Phase-field simulations of the interaction between a grain boundary and an evolving second-phase particle

We performed phase-field simulations to analyse the interaction of a migrating grain boundary with an evolving second-phase particle. It is found that depending on the difference between the interfacial energies of the particle–matrix interface for the two grain orientations involved and the driving force for grain boundary movement, particles with a particle size well above the critical limit can dissolve due to passage of the boundary.     

Cognitive Differences Between Patients with Left-sided and Right-sided Parkinson’s Disease. A Review

At disease onset, patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) typically report one side of the body to be more affected than the other. Previous studies have reported that this motor symptom asymmetry is associated with asymmetric dopaminergic degeneration in the brain. Research on the cognitive repercussions of this asymmetric degeneration has yielded inconsistent results. Here, we review studies that reported on the cognitive performance of patients with left-sided (LPD) or right-sided (RPD) motor symptom predominance. We present evidence that patients with RPD typically experience problems with language-related tasks and verbal memory, whereas patients with LPD more often perform worse on tasks of spatial attention, visuospatial orienting and memory and mental imagery. In general, no differences were found between both groups on tasks measuring attention and executive function. The association between motor asymmetry and cognitive performance indicates that PD does not lead to one typical cognitive profile. The effect of symptom laterality on the cognitive complaints should be considered in the assessment and treatment of each individual patient.     

Job autonomy and workload as antecedents of workplace bullying: A two‐wave test of Karasek's Job Demand Control Model for targets and perpetrators

The current study aims to test the hypotheses that are central to Karasek's Job Demand Control Model in relation to workplace bullying. Particular contributions are, first, the focus upon both targets and perpetrators of workplace bullying, and second, the two‐wave design with a 6‐month time lag. We assume that (a) workload at Time 1 associates positively with being a target/perpetrator at Time 2, (b) job autonomy at Time 1 associates negatively with being a target/perpetrator at Time 2, and (c) the positive relationship between workload at Time 1 and being a target/perpetrator at Time 2 is stronger under the condition of low (vs. high) job autonomy at Time 1 (i.e., interaction between workload and job autonomy). Moderated hierarchical regression analyses (N= 320) revealed lagged main effects for being a target, and interaction effects for being a perpetrator. In particular, Time 1 workload was positively and Time 1 job autonomy negatively associated with being a target at Time 2. Job autonomy at Time 1 reduced the positive relationship between workload at Time 1 and being a perpetrator at Time 2. Overall, our results suggest that high strain jobs relate to both being a target and to being perpetrator of workplace bullying, yet through different processes: main effects and interactions, respectively.     

The role of job resources in the relation between perceived employability and turnover intention: A prospective two-sample study

We hypothesize that the relationship between perceived employability (PE) and turnover intention is stronger when job resources (job control, social support from the supervisor and colleagues) are low. Results from a prospective study one year apart were similar in samples of Finnish university (N = 1314) and hospital workers (N = 308). The interaction between PE and job control related significantly to turnover intention at Time 2 in both samples, and in the hospital sample also when controlling for turnover intention at Time 1: PE related positively to turnover intention when job control was low. Furthermore, PE at Time 1 was not significantly related and job resources at Time 1 were negatively related to turnover intention at Time 2. For social support from colleagues in particular, this relationship held when controlling for Time 1 turnover intention. Thus, PE does not present a risk of turnover intention, unless job control is low.     

Objective Threat of Unemployment and Situational Uncertainty During a Restructuring: Associations with Perceived Job Insecurity and Strain

Purpose  

This study investigates objective threat of unemployment and situational uncertainty following restructuring in relation to perceived job insecurity and associated strain.     

Differences between multimedia and text-based assessments of emotion management: An exploration with the multimedia emotion management assessment (MEMA)

People process emotional information using visual, vocal, and verbal cues. However, emotion management is typically assessed with text based rather than multimedia stimuli. This study (N?=?427) presents the new multimedia emotion management assessment (MEMA) and compares it to the text-based assessment of emotion management used in the MSCEIT. The text-based and multimedia assessment showed similar levels of cognitive saturation and similar prediction of relevant criteria. Results demonstrate that the MEMA scores have equivalent evidence of validity to the text-based MSCEIT test scores, demonstrating that multimedia assessment of emotion management is viable. Furthermore, our results inform the debate as to whether cognitive saturation in emotional intelligence (EI) measures represents “noise” or “substance”. We find that cognitive ability associations with EI represent substantive variance rather than construct-irrelevant shared variance due to reading comprehension ability required for text-based items.