Effects of interval duration on temporal processing in schizophrenia

INTRODUCTION: Temporal processing has received scant attention in the literature pertaining to cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Previous research suggests that patients with schizophrenia exhibit temporal perception deficits on both auditory and visual stimuli. The current study investigated the effects of interval manipulation to (1) replicate the original findings with a larger sample and an increased number of trials (2) assess the degree to which both patients and controls can differentiate temporal changes in a range of experimental interstimulus intervals, and (3) explore whether different interstimulus interval durations pose different levels of difficulty for the patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Participants were asked to decide whether temporal intervals were shorter or longer than standard intervals on a computer-based auditory temporal perception task. The standard interval remained the same duration throughout the various tasks. The interstimulus interval separating the standard and experimental intervals varied in the range of 500, 1000, or 3000 ms. Data are presented for a sample of 16 patients with schizophrenia and 15 controls. RESULTS: Data suggest that patients with schizophrenia exhibit deficits in differentiating interval durations across all paradigms compared to their control-group peers on a range of auditory tasks (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with a general temporal deficit in schizophrenia. However, the roles of medication and localization are also addressed.     

Work and nonwork stressors,negative affective states,and pain complaints among firefighters and paramedics

Prior research has suggested that occupational stressors may contribute to the etiology, progression, and chronicity of pain problems in workers. This study used anonymous survey methods to assess the prevalence and frequency of self-reported pain symptoms and their relationships to demographic variables, sources of occupational stressors, nonwork stressors and affective distress in a large sample (N2000) of employed career public sector firefighters and paramedics. The findings were consistent with those of previous studies of high strain workers. More than 95% of the firefighter/paramedic sample reported at least one pain complaint (using a 1 week assessment time frame). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis entering demographic, occupational, and nonwork stressors, as well as measures of negative affective states targeting total pain scores, yielded significant relationships. Five occupational stressors were associated with respondent pain complaints. The results also suggest that negative affective states mediated the relationships between work and nonwork variables, and pain complaint outcomes. The implications of these findings for the development of preventive interventions for firefighters and paramedics as well as other emergency service workers are considered.     

Why Women Approve of Affirmative Action: The Study of a Predictive Model

The self-interest model has often been used to predict the reactions of advantaged groups to affirmative action. It is argued that self-interest also plays a role in the genesis of attitudes of disadvantaged groups, such as women. More precisely, it is hypothesised that considerations of personal interest have an impact on considerations of collective interest which in turn have an impact on the sense of collective relative deprivation (CRD). In the past, it was shown that women who felt collectively deprived approved of strategies designed to eliminate systemic barriers. No link was found, however, between CRD and preferential treatment. Women, in majority, were opposed to this strategy. On the basis of a model introduced by Taylor and McKirnan (1984), it is argued that women who have experienced discrimination on the basis of sex in spite of the introduction of affirmative action strategies may support preferential treatment. The hypotheses were integrated in a model and tested using LISREL causal modelling. In total, 197 female francophone workers participated in the study. They were all employed in a large firm where in the last five years attempts were made to reduce sex asymmetries. These efforts however were not successful; the percentage of women in non-traditional jobs increased by only 2%. The proposed model was tested successfully. The results are discussed in light of previous paradigms and practical implications.     

Hemispheric emotional asymmetry in a dichotic listening task.

In a dichotic listening experiment white noise was played to one ear and either music or poetry to the other ear. Subjects rated the stimuli on each of three dimensions. The results showed that both music poetry were judged as more pleasant when heard at the left than the right ear. In addition the music, but not the poetry, was perceived as more soothing at the left ear. The findings are discussed in relation to other indications in the literature that left and right cerebral hemispheres differ in their emotional make-up.     

All in this together? Group representations and policy support

The present research explored the relationship between how Canadians perceived the quality of intergroup contact with Americans and their support for different antiterrorism policies, considering the potential mediating role of intergroup representations specified in the Common Ingroup Identity Model. Canadian students (n = 360) completed questionnaires that assessed their perceptions of the quality of intergroup contact with Americans, group representations, and reactions to various policies tied to the war against terror. Specifically, we tested a model of how perceptions of the quality of intergroup contact, along the dimensions specified by the Contact Hypothesis, predict different representations of the two groups (Canadians and Americans), and then how these different representations predict reactions to antiterrorist policies. Structural equation modeling analysis supported the predictions, revealing the pivotal role of group representations for policy views.     

Marital Problems and Marital Satisfaction Among Brazilian Couples

As the practice of marriage and family therapy is spreading across the world, it is important for knowledge regarding marital processes and patterns to expand to countries outside of North America and Europe. This study examined common marital problems faced by Brazilian couples. The sample consisted of 80 married couples living in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Results showed that money, children, jealousy, and sex were common problems faced by Brazilian couples. There were few gender differences found. Sex and alcohol had a significant impact on marital satisfaction of wives, and sex had a significant impact on marital satisfaction of husbands.     

Maternal parenting stress and mothers' reports of their infants' mastery motivation

Mastery motivation is a psychological force that stimulates an individual to attempt to master a task that is challenging to him or her. This prospective longitudinal study examined the relationship between maternal stress, using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and infant mastery motivation, using the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire, for 150 mother-infant pairs assessed at both 6- and 18-months of age. Infants of mothers with elevated stress levels at 6 months tended to show lower mastery motivation at 18 months (standardized beta=-.46, p=.001). Conversely, infants with lower general competence (standardized beta=-.24, p=.021) and lower persistence during social interactions with other children (standardized beta=-.18, p=.037) at 6 months of age had mothers with elevated total stress at 18 months of age. Implications for programs which simultaneously intervene with child and mother are discussed.     

The effects of stimulus numerosity,retinal location,and rod contrast on perceived duration of brief visual stimuli

The effects of manipulating three stimulus parameters were determined on a standard perceived duration task using 40- and 70-msec visual stimuli. In Experiment 1, it was found that perceived duration increased with increasing number of target dots but decreased as the area that contained the dots also increased. Experiment 2 examined the effect of varying the retinal location (0, 2, or 4 deg from fovea) of the target dot and found perceived target duration to increase with increasing eccentricity. In Experiment 3, the background luminance for a constant red target was varied so as to alter the scotopic contrast of the target. Perceived duration was minimal for the scotopically matched target and background conditions. The results of all three experiments were discussed in terms of important retinal—and even rod—contributions to tasks of perceived duration.     

Neosexism Among Male Managers: Is It a Matter of Numbers?1

In the last 2 decades, the number of women entering the managerial field has increased. However, this increase has not been equally distributed at all levels. The interest of this study lies in understanding how this sudden surge of women in managerial fields and their unequal distribution across levels are associated with men's reactions toward women. Do men feel threatened by the introduction of women as their coworkers, and if so does this change trigger prejudicial views of women? In all, 123 male managers employed in a Canadian federal agency participated in this study. According to the final path model, as the estimate of the representation of female managers increases, so does male managers' feeling of threat. Feeling threatened along with the estimate of an increase of new female recruits is linked to heightened neosexist views. In turn, neosexism is related to a pro-male bias in the evaluation of women's and men's competence. Additionally, neosexism is negatively associated with men's willingness to support women. Theoretical as well as practical implications of results are discussed.     

JEAB AND JABA ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: A REPORT TO READERS

The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) have both established home pages on the World Wide Web. Their addresses are:

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