Subcortical auditory agnosia

A case of generalized auditory agnosia without aphasia secondary to cardiogenic cerebral embolism is reported. The infarcts in this patient were localized within the bitemporal subcortices as confirmed by computerized axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The findings suggested that interruption of both auditory radiations by bilateral subcortical lesions may play an important role in the occurrence of "cerebral auditory disorders."     

The inappropriate smile and zygomatic muscle activity

Long-term recording of activity of the zygomatic muscle, the most important mimic muscle involved in smiling, was performed in 22 disorganized type schizophrenic patients with inappropriate smiles and 15 normal subjects in two separate experiments. During inappropriate smiles, the zygomatic muscle exhibited waxing and waning bursts of activity with an amplitude of 75 to 120 microV, which could not be distinguished from the activity observed during usual smiling in normal subjects. However, the duration of such activity tended to be longer when compared to that in usual smiling by normal subjects as well as by schizophrenic patients. In contrast to usual smiles, inappropriate smiles decreased with personal contact. When asked about their thoughts during smiling shortly after inappropriate smiles, more patients reported that they thought of nothing at all or something not necessarily pleasant rather than something pleasant that would be expected to induce smiling.     

Quantitative evaluation of infant behaviour and mother–infant interaction: An overview of a japanese interdisciplinary programme of research

This paper provides an overview of an interdisciplinary programme of research started more than 20 years ago at the University of Tokyo. A major aim of this programme was (and still is) to develop methods and related forms of quantitative analysis that provide rigorous evaluations of infant behaviour from a particular theoretical perspective. In one part of the programme telethermography is used to measure emotional changes in young infants. Contrary to the accepted view in attachment theory, infants as young as 2–3 months showed evidence of stress following separation from the mother (as indexed by a drop in the skin temperature of the infant's forehead). In another part, we established the presence of interpersonal synchrony between arm movements of the newborn and the speech of the mother and other adults, using computer assisted pattern recognition techniques. On the basis of this finding, we have proposed a simulation model of mother-infant interaction from the perspective of system information theory. In general, our programme of research provides a theoretically driven set of techniques and analytical approaches that may provide deeper insights into early development and parenting.     

The instructional enhancement of the flexibility and originality scores of divergent thinking tests

This investigation was conducted to examine the effects of insturctions designed to enhance ideational origianlity and flexibility, and to test the prediction that flexibility is functionally related to originality. Twenty-nine adolescents received three divergent thinking tests with conventional (inexplicit) instructions, one test with explicit originality instructions, and one test with explicit flexbility instructions. Contrary to expection, results indicated that originality scores were low when the adolescents were given the explicit flexiibility instructions. This suggests that flexibility does not facilitate originality. However, the explicit originality instructions did elicit the highest originality scores, and the explicit flexibility instructions elicited the highest flexibility scores.     

Do Mothers and Fathers Assess their Children's Behavioral Problems in the Same Way as do their Children? An IRT Investigation on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

This study investigated the equivalence of different types of informants, such as children (or early adolescents) and parents, in evaluating child externalizing and internalizing problems. We applied a polytomous item response theory (IRT) model for the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We obtained responses to three subscales—Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, and Emotional Symptoms—from 541 elementary school students aged 10–12 years, fathers for 233 students, mothers for 275 students, and the homeroom teachers for 524 students. Expected values on the individual item calculated by the discrimination and threshold parameters were compared among students, fathers, and mothers as an investigation of differential item functioning (DIF) or differential informant functioning. Assessing either externalizing or internalizing problems were mostly equivalent between fathers and mothers, and most items for externalizing problems functioned equally between students and parents, whereas items for internalizing problems showed DIF between them. IRT also yielded that the intervals of response categories varied across items, particularly for the conduct problems items “fight” and “steal,” and positively worded items showed an extremely low threshold.     

Skin potential activity in rats, cats, and primates (including man): a phylogenetic point of view.

With rats, cats, nonhuman primates, and humans serving as subjects, skin potential activity was measured under waking conditions. In good agreement with the findings of previous workers, skin potential response waveform was always monophasic negative in rats and cats, but in humans it took three forms. By contrast, it was always monophasic positive in simian nonhuman primates, although prosimiae gave monophasic negative waves. A skin potential level-skin potential response relationship could not be observed in any subject except humans. From these results, an attempt was made to relate skin potential activity to the peripheral mechanism involved in these species on the basis of a phylogenetic point of view.     

Does Overgeneralized Autobiographical Memory Facilitate or Inhibit Intrusive Images? Its Relation to Depressive Symptoms

People with high levels of depressive symptoms experience overgeneralized autobiographical memory (OGM) in voluntary recall and intrusive images in involuntary recall. The present study examined the relationship between OGM and intrusive images and the influence of depressive symptoms on this relationship over 1 week. Fifty‐three students completed self‐report questionnaires, autobiographical memory test, and the trauma film paradigm. Subsequently, they reported intrusive images from the trauma film in a diary for 1 week. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms experienced more intrusive images than did individuals with low depressive symptoms. An interaction effect between negative memory specificity and depressive symptoms revealed that number of intrusive images was related to high negative memory specificity (i.e. low OGM) in individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms. These results support the functional avoidance strategy of OGM in analogue trauma stimuli, especially in individuals with higher depressive symptoms.Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Mind of the Scenario Thinker

In the face of increasing uncertainty and changes, corporations must dynamically examine their business environment and activate the knowledge creation process in a future-oriented manner without getting hung up on analyzing their past (much like driving a car using only the rear-view mirror). In the previous article, we discussed the basics of scenario planning. We should not use this tool as a mere technique. Our knowledge of the world and the environment around us is important because it underlies our scenarios. When we look toward the future in an uncertain environment, we necessarily create knowledge proactively. Scenario planning and knowledge creation are commonplace when working on knowledge of innovations that shape the future. In this article we focus on the importance of having “scenario mind,” the philosophy underlying scenario planning. With any managerial tool, you cannot create real knowledge if you use only superficial know-how, like procedures described in manuals, to seek quick results. In the following sections, we discuss how scenario planning must be recognized as a “discipline of knowledge” to be embedded as a way of thinking and behavioral pattern of each individual or organization, not as a mere tool.