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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Enduring cognitive dysfunction in unipolar major depression: A test–retest study using the Stroop paradigm

Hammar, Å., Sørensen, L., Årdal, G., Oedegaard, K.J., Kroken, R., Roness, A. & Lund, A. (2009). Enduring cognitive dysfunction in unipolar major depression: A test–retest study using the Stroop‐paradigm. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. The aim of the study was to investigate automatic and effortful information processing with the Stroop paradigm in a long term perspective in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients were tested at two test occasions: at inclusion with a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score >18, and after 6 months, when most patients had experienced symptom reduction. The Stroop paradigm is considered to measure aspects of attention and executive functioning and consists of three conditions/cards: naming the color of the patches (Color), reading of the color‐words (Word) and naming the ink color of color‐words (Color‐Word). The Color‐Word condition is proved to be the most cognitive demanding task and requires the proband to actively suppress interference and is therefore considered to require more effortful information processing, whereas naming the color of the patches and reading the color‐words are expected to be more automatic and less cognitive demanding. A homogenous group of 19 patients with unipolar recurrent MDD according to DSM‐IV and a HDRS score of >18 were included in the study. A control group was individually matched for age, gender and level of education. Depressed patients performed equal to the control group on the Color and Word cards at both test occasions. However, the patients were impaired compared with the control group on the Color‐Word card task at both test occasions. Thus, the depressed patients showed no improvement of effortful attention/executive performance as a function of symptom reduction. The results indicate that the depressed patients showed impaired cognitive performance on cognitive demanding tasks when symptomatic and that this impairment prevailed after 6 months, despite significant improvement in their depressive symptoms.