Two Modulatory Inputs Exert Reciprocal Reinforcing Effects on Synaptic Input of Premotor Interneurons for Withdrawal in Terrestrial Snails

A cluster of serotonergic cells in the rostral part of pedal ganglia of the terrestrial snail Helix lucorum was shown previously to participate in modulation of withdrawal behavior, and to be necessary for elaboration of aversive withdrawal conditioning in intact snails. In the present experiments local extracellular stimulation of the serotonergic cells elicited a pairing-specific increase (difference between paired and explicitly unpaired sessions was significant, P<0.01) of synaptic responses in the premotor interneurons involved in withdrawal to paired nerve stimulation. Intracellular stimulation of only one Pd4 cell from the pedal group of serotonergic neurons increased (P<0.05) synaptic responses to contingent test nerve stimulation significantly in the same premotor interneurons for 2–3 hr.     

Recognition failure of words with a single meaning

Recognition failure of recallable words was demonstrated with single-meaning target words after a 7-day retention interval. When overall levels of recognition were equated, the magnitude of the effect was the same as that observed with high-frequency words of multiple meanings in other experiments. It was concluded that, contrary to suggestions of Reder, Anderson, and Bjork (1974), encoding specificity is not limited to words that have several semantic senses. The experiment also provided evidence contrary to the hypothesis that recall of unrecognized items comes about because of additional learning opportunities afforded by the recognition test.     

Impact of the format of user instructions on the handling of a wrist blood pressure monitor

Cognitive Processing - Few studies have focused on procedural documents in the field of home medical devices, although incorrect use and usability problems can have important consequences for the...     

“Now you are the body of Christ,and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:27): Pentecostalism and its Mission

The paper presents Pentecostalism that is primarily a mission movement more than a hundred years old. It reflects on the place and role in World Christianity of this still young and growing church tradition, and the relationships between Pentecostalism and the ecumenical movement. The challenges that Pentecostalism is facing are discussed, with special attention to the Eastern European context.     

Life Satisfaction and Job‐Seeking Behavior of the Unemployed: The Effect of Individual Differences in Justice Sensitivity

This study examines the effect of justice sensitivity on the life satisfaction and job‐seeking behavior of unemployed individuals and considers the likelihood of experiencing long‐term unemployment. We focus on two facets of dispositional justice sensitivity that reflect individual differences in perception and reactions to perpetrating injustice against others (perpetrator sensitivity) or suffering from the injustice of others as an innocent victim (victim sensitivity). We hypothesised that the negative effect of unemployment on life satisfaction is stronger among individuals with higher levels of victim sensitivity and perpetrator sensitivity. The former are more likely to perceive themselves as victims of an unjust situation, such as fate or the employer's decisions, whereas the latter are more likely to perceive themselves as perpetrators against the rules of social justice. Using survey data from approximately 400 participants, we found that unemployed individuals were less satisfied with life than employed individuals and that this relationship was stronger for perpetrator‐sensitive individuals. Unemployed perpetrator‐sensitive individuals were more likely to engage in active job‐seeking behavior and faced a lower likelihood of long‐term unemployment. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of justice‐related personality aspects of unemployed individuals for their well‐being and labor market outcomes.     

Gender‐Related Psychological Characteristics and Situational Determinants of Psychophysiological Stress Reactivity1

This study examined the influence of gender‐related psychological characteristics and situational demands on physiological and affective responses to stressful tasks. While physiological and affective responses were monitored, 44 medical students (26 men, 18 women) performed an emotion‐oriented speech task and an action‐oriented speech in a counterbalanced design. Conventionally masculine instrumental and feminine expressive characteristics were measured using the Personal Attributes Questionnaire. Systolic blood pressure and respiratory reactions to the action‐oriented task were positively associated with expressivity. Expressivity was also associated with greater subjective tension during the action‐oriented task, and with perceptions of greater task difficulty. The results are consistent with the notion that physiological and affective stress reactions in men and women are determined in part by traditionally gender‐related psychological characteristics, with greater reactions when the situational demands are not congruent with preferred modes of behavior.     

Emotional intelligence in women caregivers with depressive symptoms

The emotional intelligence of a sample of 59 women caregivers (M age = 51.1 yr.) with depressive symptoms was compared with that of a sample of adult women from the general population (M age = 50.7 yr.). No group differences were observed on the Trait Meta-Mood Scale's three dimensions of emotional intelligence across age, socioeconomic status, or education level. Compared with the general population sample, the caregivers group scored significantly lower on Attention to Feelings and Mood Repair.     

Via Kundalini: Psychosomatic excursions in transpersonal psychology

Abstract

A model of psychosomatic mysticism (PM) is proposed that reintroduces the body into transpersonal psychology. The argument for PM develops links between transpersonal psychology and neuroimmunology and includes scientific notions of the mind as embodied not just in the brain but more widely throughout the body, as well as the comparative analyses of perspectives on the body in various spiritual traditions. PM is used to examine how transpersonal psychology can integrate the body, thus meeting the goals of the clinician, the standards of the researcher, and the emerging needs of psychosomatic medicine. The core principles of PM are explicated, such as: 1) decentralized consciousness, 2) structural phenomenological correlations between the psyche and the body, 3) in‐depth understanding of energy as intentionality, and 4) the possibility of actualizing cosmic awareness in the individual psyche. Examples of the clinical use of psychospiritual practices of PM show practical applications of these principles. It is concluded that the studies of the embodied consciousness and subtle energies through PM can help to develop both transpersonal theory and applications.