Effect of exposure to lithium-paired or amphetamine-paired saccharin solution on open arm avoidance in an elevated plus maze

Recent evidence suggests that drug-induced conditioned taste avoidance may be mediated by conditioned fear (e.g., Parker, 2003). The experiments reported here evaluated the effect of exposure to a drug-paired flavor on open arm exploration in an elevated plus maze (EPM), a measure of fear. When rats were tested on a familiar (trial 2) EPM, but not on a novel (trial 1) EPM, prior exposure to a lithium-paired saccharin solution enhanced open arm activity relative to saline-paired saccharin. On the other hand, when rats were exposed to lithium-paired saccharin during plus maze exposure, they displayed suppressed open arm activity relative to unpaired controls when tested in a familiar maze. The pattern of results was specific to the conditional affective properties of the taste, because exposure to unconditional sickness produced by administration of lithium, and unconditionally unpalatable quinine solution did not produce this pattern. These results were interpreted in terms of the opponent process model of motivation; that is, exposure to a lithium-paired flavor elicits conditioned fear which is immediately followed by conditioned relief when the exposure is terminated. On the other hand, exposure to an amphetamine-paired flavor either before or during EPM testing enhanced open arm exploration. Since the strength of taste avoidance did not differ among amphetamine and lithium conditioned rats, these results provide further evidence that the nature of a saccharin-lithium association differs from that of a saccharin-amphetamine association.     

Automatic emotional information processing and the cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress

Attentional shifting may represent a means of regulating the stress response. Previously, automatic processing of emotional information was predictive of subsequent cortisol levels during a repeated loss stressor (Ellenbogen, Schwartzman, Stewart, & Walker, 2006). The stress induction did not, however, elicit a substantive cortisol increase. Thus, we sought to replicate this finding using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a validated psychosocial stress induction. Seventy-nine students performed a modified spatial cuing task with supraliminal and masked pictorial stimuli during the TSST (n = 36) and a control condition (n = 43). The TSST elicited a greater cortisol response than did the control condition [F(1,76) = 4.6, p < .05]. Attentional shifting during trials with masked angry faces predicted cortisol change during the TSST (β = .76; t = 2.1, p < .05), but not during the control condition. These data suggest that early automatic emotional information processing is important in the regulation of the cortisol stress response, although the direction of effect is not known.     

Examining differences in minority versus majority preschoolers on social categorization and perceived intergroup distance

We examined the differences between majority and minority children (i.e., group membership) on racial categorization and perceived cultural distance, among 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, in low diversified schools. We used a spontaneous social categorization task using pictures of children from three different racial groups broadly represented in France (Europeans, Black‐, and North‐Africans), and an evaluation of the perceived cultural distance between participants' in‐group and the racial group represented in the picture, adapted to children and based on three factors (language, eating habits, and music). Results revealed an effect of age on racial categorization: the older the children, the more successful they are in this task. They showed a significant effect of the racial group represented in the photos on perceived cultural distance: members of minority groups (i.e., Black‐ and North‐Africans) were evaluated as more different compared to those of the majority group on each of the factors. Finally, we got an interaction between participants' in‐group and the racial group represented in the pictures, for the language factor: members of the majority group perceived as more different photographs representing minorities peers than those representing majority peers, while participants belonging to minority groups perceived no differences between photographs, according to the racial criteria.     

An EEG-based neuro-recommendation system for improving consumer purchase experience

The aperture between the marketing domain and the electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain–computer interface (BCI) has been achieved with the inception of neuromarketing. This domain helps access the hidden information of the preferences and tastes of the consumers who intend to purchase. Research scholars have experimented with this emerging area in multiple aspects like designing pricing, promotions, predicting purchase-related activities, new product development, and so on. In this study, we have proposed an innovative use of neuromarketing to build a recommendation system. This recommendation system can potentially suggest suitable products to the consumer based on the past purchase behavior. This proposal carries huge potential in converting visitors to shoppers, increasing average order value, increasing the number of items per order, designing personalized promotions, and so on. The commonality of activated brain signals has been used to build this recommendation system. This neuromarketing-based recommendation system carries the advantage over the traditional recommendation system as this system suggests products based on the actual real-time state of the brain during the purchase. This system successfully initiated the starting point of building a neuromarketing-based recommendation system.     

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Personality Structure Through the Lens of the HEXACO Model

Across 5 different samples, totaling more than 1,600 participants from India, Indonesia, Oman, Romania, and Thailand, the authors address the question of cross-cultural replicability of a personality structure, while exploring the utility of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) as a data analysis technique in cross-cultural personality research. Personality was measured with an alternative, non–Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality framework, provided by the HEXACO–PI (Lee &; Ashton, 2004 Lee, K., &; Ashton, M. C. (2004). Psychometric properties of the HEXACO personality inventory. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39, 329–358.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The results show that the HEXACO framework was replicated in some of the investigated cultures. The ESEM data analysis technique proved to be especially useful in investigating the between-group measurement equivalence of broad personality measures across different cultures.     

Thermoelectric power in low-density interstitial-free iron-aluminium alloys

Thermoelectric power (TEP) studies on low-density interstitial-free iron-aluminium alloys reveal that the TEP decreases with increase in the aluminium content on account of the introduction of lattice dispersion centres. The TEP coefficients, determined from the Nordheim-Gorter law, for 6.8 and 8.1?wt.% aluminium additions to α-iron are found to be higher than values reported in previous literature for small aluminium additions. The grain size has a very weak effect on the TEP of these alloys.     

The War Experience of Lebanese Adolescents: July 2006

Lebanon has been experiencing conflicts (internal and external) since 1960, and Lebanese from all regions have been affected by them through either exposure to shelling or combat, displacement, bereavement, emigration, separation from parents, or being a witness or even a victim of violent acts (Macksoud & Aber, 1996). This research investigates the war experience of 549 Lebanese adolescents from 4 main regions in Lebanon (i.e., Beirut, southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and northern Lebanon) after the war in 2006. It looks at 10 main experiences that are spread over 3 subscales labeled active involvement, passive involvement, and loss. Results have shown that shelling and combat were mostly experienced by adolescents from the Bekaa Valley, and deprivation was experienced equally by adolescents from southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Furthermore, involvement in combat and injuries were only significantly associated with religious affiliation. This being said, region had a significant effect on all types of war traumas except emigration. Further research examining specific psychological factors needs to be conducted to gain a better understanding of these war experiences and their impacts.     

Understanding the experimenter's intention improves 16-month-olds’ observational learning of the use of a novel tool

Our aim was to investigate why 16-month-old infants fail to master a novel tool-use action via observational learning. We hypothesized that 16-month-olds’ difficulties may be due to not understanding the goal of the observed action. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether showing infants an explicit demonstration of the goal of the action before demonstrating the action would improve observational learning compared with a classic demonstration of the target action. We examined 16-month-old infants who observed a tool-use action consisting of grasping a rake-like tool to retrieve an out-of-reach toy, under five conditions. Only when infants were shown the goal of the action before demonstration did they show some success.     

Similarity Index: A New Approach to Measuring Doctor–Patient Communication

This study was designed to measure quality of communication between doctors and patients taking a new bi-directional approach by applying similarity index. Further, this study verified the efficacy of such new measurement in distinguishing the established influence of quality of communication on clinical adherence. A sample of 300 patients with primary hypertension along with 30 doctors were administered the Health Communication Checklist-Parallel Form. Clinical adherence of these patients was rated by Hypertension Compliance Scale. Results found higher adherence in patients belonging to high quality of communication indicating the efficacy of similarity index method. This method requires the use of tailored checklist of parallel form to suit the context of the disease. It helps in evaluative research in the field of biopsychosocial approach to health and well-being.