Adult age differences in inhibitory processes and their predictive validity for fluid intelligence

According to the inhibition-deficit hypothesis age differences in working memory capacity and fluid intelligence have been attributed to a decline in inhibitory efficiency. Conceptualizing inhibition as multifaceted, 88 participants (49 younger and 39 elderly) completed two versions of the negative priming paradigm (identification and localization), and two variants of the directed forgetting paradigm (listwise and itemwise). Two tasks of the Wechsler Intelligence Test with high loadings on general fluid intelligence (Gf) served as validation criteria. Results revealed task-specific and speed-independent inhibitory deficits in the elderly (lower negative priming in both paradigms; more intrusions in the directed forgetting tasks), as well as higher levels of repetition priming. Significant correlations between measures of inhibition and the Wechsler scores were found in both age groups. Results support the view of multiple inhibitory-like capabilities that play a central role in the decline of higher-order cognitive functions in old age.     

Mortality salience and the desire for offspring

Research on terror management theory (TMT) illustrates that following mortality salience (MS) people defend their cultural worldviews and bolster self-esteem to transcend death. Recently, research additionally showed that MS increased self-reports of the number of children desired in Dutch men but not in Dutch women. We conducted three studies to further investigate the role of desire for offspring in terror management. In Study 1, we conceptually replicated previous findings for Germany and found increased desire for offspring following MS in both men and women. Extending prior research Study 2 revealed that following MS not only was the accessibility of death-related thoughts increased, but also the accessibility of thoughts related to offspring. Finally, Study 3 suggested that the MS effect on ingroup bias was eliminated under conditions of offspring salience. Relating these findings to TMT, anticipated or actual offspring is discussed as a buffer against existential anxiety.     

How are Strouhal number, drag, and efficiency adjusted in high level underwater monofin-swimming?

Strouhal number (St) corresponds to a wake parameter based on the tail kinematics of swimming animals according to St=A.f/U, where f is the stroke frequency, A is the fin-beat peak-to-peak amplitude, and U is the forward speed. St number is a trade-off between amplitude and frequency that generates a forward velocity. This parameter may therefore be affected by swimming technique, which can be evaluated through active drag (AD) and Froude efficiency (eta(F)). The aim of our study was therefore to (1) investigate the range of AD and eta(F) values for high level monofin-swimmers, (2) explore the range of St numbers, and (3) examine to what extent this latter non-dimensional parameter may affect AD and eta(F). To this end, experiments have been conducted on 12 international level monofin-swimmers. St number, eta(F) (calculated according to the elongated-body theory), and AD (computed with velocity perturbation method) were calculated at the same time for an underwater fin-swimming trial, at maximal speed. Lowest values of St numbers (St=0.34) corresponded to fin-swimmers with highest velocities (R=-.77, p<.05), highest efficiencies (R=-.86, p<.001), and lowest active drag (R=.91, p<.001). On the one hand, AD was increased with vertical motion of the fin (R=.84, p<.001), which increased cross-sectional area (R=.78, p<.05). On the other hand, efficiencies showed a tendency to peak at eta(F)=0.82 in a narrow range of St numbers close to 0.4. This St range corresponded to the upper limit of the 0.25-0.4 range usually claimed for maximum efficiency of marine and flying animals. Such results suggest that increasing efficiency and reducing drag improves performance per se (regardless how these parameters are related with St number).     

Extracellular amino acid levels in the paraventricular nucleus and the central amygdala in high- and low-anxiety dams rats during maternal aggression: regulation by oxytocin

Brain oxytocin (OT) regulates aspects of emotionality and stress coping including maternal behavior and maternal aggression. Maternal aggression correlates with the amount of OT released within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the central amygdala (CeA). OT, a key neurotransmitter or neuromodulator, is likely to modulate other neurotransmitter systems. Here, we investigated the dynamic changes in extracellular concentrations of the amino acids aspartate, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serine, histidine, arginine and taurine in the PVN and CeA in lactating rats bred for high (HAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior under basal conditions and during maternal aggression. Further, to determine whether local OT is involved in the regulation of amino acid release we infused a selective OT receptor antagonist (OTA) via local retrodialysis. Within the CeA, HAB and LAB dams differed in the basal release of glutamate and arginine. Infusion of a selective OTA increased the concentrations of glutamate and aspartate in LAB dams and GABA in HAB dams. In OTA-treated HAB and LAB dams taurine levels increased during maternal aggression. Within the PVN, the highly-aggressive HAB dams showed a more pronounced increase in aspartate and serine levels; the latter being attenuated by local OTA administration. However, OTA did not affect the level of any amino acid in the LAB dams. Thus, the extracellular concentrations of selected amino acids differed between lactating HAB and LAB dams under both basal conditions and following maternal aggression. The effects of OT within the CeA and PVN on maternal aggressive behavior might be related to its regulation of local amino acid release.     

A study in the cognition of individuals' identity: solving the problem of singular cognition in object and agent tracking

This article compares the ability to track individuals lacking mental states with the ability to track intentional agents. It explains why reference to individuals raises the problem of explaining how cognitive agents track unique individuals and in what sense reference is based on procedures of perceptual-motor and epistemic tracking. We suggest applying the notion of singular-files from theories in perception and semantics to the problem of tracking intentional agents. In order to elucidate the nature of agent-files, three views of the relation between object- and agent-tracking are distinguished: the Independence, Deflationary and Organism-Dependence Views. The correct view is argued to be the latter, which states that perceptual and epistemic tracking of a unique human organism requires tracking both its spatio-temporal object-properties and its agent-properties.     

Holding your flag: The effects of exposure to a regional symbol on people's behavior

Research has shown that exposure to the national flag alters people's behavior and political and intergroup judgments. In several field studies conducted in an area of France with a strong regional identity, we examined the effect of the presence of the regional flag versus the national flag versus no flag on behaviors. Various situations (e.g., money solicitation, implicit helping behavior, food tasting) were tested in Brittany, on the French west Atlantic coast. Car drivers, passersby in the street, and patrons in bakeries were exposed to no flag versus the French flag versus the Brittany flag held by requesters or presented on a product or on a car. Findings showed that the regional flag increased helping behavior dramatically. Other studies also revealed that the presence of the Brittany flag reduced aggressiveness and influenced preference for food products. The power of a flag as a symbol that could increase in‐group membership is discussed.     

Saccadic eye movements: what do they tell us about aging cognition?

Although the relationship between age-related cognitive decline and saccadic eye movement (SEM) deficits has been outlined, specific cognitive alterations underlying age-related changes in saccadic performance remain unclear. This study attempted to better understand the nature of aging effects on SEMs. We compared SEMs in younger and older adults in prosaccade (PS) and antisaccade (AS) tasks under gap, step, and overlap conditions. We also examined relationships between these performances and several neuropsychological scores. Twenty-eight younger adults (YA), 24 older adults under 65 years (OA_<65) and 24 over 65 years (OA_>65) of age completed a neuropsychological evaluation, PS and AS tasks. Our results showed that latencies, AS cost, time to correct AS errors, and uncorrected AS, increased with aging. YA showed higher overlap effects than OA_>65 and OA_<65. Importantly, correlations and regressions revealed close relationships not only between latencies and processing speed measures but also between the AS cost and the inhibition process measures. Correct saccades and the time to correct AS errors were closely related to the inhibition process and cognitive flexibility measures. These findings suggest that the progressive age-related decline of processing speed and executive attention are associated with, and can be highlighted though SEMs in PS and AS tasks.     

How are recent changes to primary care mental health provision within the NHS affecting psychodynamic counsellors’ construction and management of their professional identities? A Foucauldian perspective

The research used Foucauldian techniques to explore how counsellors currently working for the NHS construct and manage their professional identities in the face of changes imposed on them by the institution. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with four counsellors and one doctoral student, all with substantial experience working for the NHS. A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis revealed four main subjectivities that were made available; feeling like part of a process at times; the NHS imposes limitations on their practice; feeling able to retain their professional standards despite the limitations and lack of influence; feeling proud of, and satisfied with the work they do. Places in which the participants explored ways of constructing a professional identity were also explored.