Capturing conceptual implicit memory: The time it takes to produce an association

Conceptual implicit memory is demonstrated when, in the absence of explicit retrieval, performance on a task requiring conceptual processing benefits more from prior conceptual encoding than from prior nonconceptual encoding. In the present study, we sought to provide an improved measure of conceptual implicit memory by minimizing contamination from explicit retrieval. On a modified word association test, participants free-associated to the actually studied items, with response time to produce any associate serving as the dependent measure. Experiment 1 varied whether words were read or generated at study and showed that generated words were associated to more quickly than were read words. Experiment 2 varied level of processing at study and showed that words processed semantically were associated to more quickly than were words processed nonsemantically. With modifications to ensure its implicit nature, a conceptual implicit test can be consistently affected by the same encoding manipulations as those that affect conceptual explicit memory tests.     

Improving Service Evaluation in Clinical Genetics: Identifying Effects of Genetic Diseases on Individuals and Families

Outcome measurement in clinical genetics is challenging. Outcome attributes used currently have been developed by service providers or adapted from measures used in other areas of healthcare. Many of the ‘patients’ in clinical genetics are healthy but at risk of developing or transmitting a condition. Usually no pharmacological or surgical treatment is offered, although information-giving is an objective of most consultations. We argue that services should be evaluated on the basis of how well they alleviate the effects of disease, from a patient perspective. This paper describes a qualitative study using seven focus groups with health professionals, patients and patient representatives. Social and emotional effects of genetics diseases were identified. Some differences emerged between the effects identified by health professionals and those identified by patients. These findings will be used to inform the evaluation of existing outcome measures and develop robust measures of outcome for clinical genetics services.     

Internet-delivered assessment and manipulation of anxiety-linked attentional bias: Validation of a free-access attentional probe software package

It recently has been established within the laboratory that the attentional probe methodology not only can sensitively assess the threat attentional bias associated with anxiety vulnerability, but also can be configured to yield training tasks capable of modifying emotional vulnerability by manipulating such attentional selectivity. In order to appraise and exploit the potential practical applications of such procedures, it is desirable that clinical investigators without specialist equipment should become able to deliver such tasks within field settings. The present research program involved development of a fully customizable attentional probe software package, that delivers assessment and training versions of the probe task across the Internet. Two experimental studies served to validate the assessment and training efficacy of resulting probe task variants, completed remotely by GAD sufferers and nonclinical populations using their own computers. We advise fellow researchers how to freely download this software package for use within their own investigations.     

Relative speed of processing determines color–word contingency learning

In three experiments, we tested a relative-speed-of-processing account of color–word contingency learning, a phenomenon in which color identification responses to high-contingency stimuli (words that appear most often in particular colors) are faster than those to low-contingency stimuli. Experiment 1 showed equally large contingency-learning effects whether responding was to the colors or to the words, likely due to slow responding to both dimensions because of the unfamiliar mapping required by the key press responses. For Experiment 2, participants switched to vocal responding, in which reading words is considerably faster than naming colors, and we obtained a contingency-learning effect only for color naming, the slower dimension. In Experiment 3, previewing the color information resulted in a reduced contingency-learning effect for color naming, but it enhanced the contingency-learning effect for word reading. These results are all consistent with contingency learning influencing performance only when the nominally irrelevant feature is faster to process than the relevant feature, and therefore are entirely in accord with a relative-speed-of-processing explanation.     

Capable Guardians in the Digital Environment: The Role of Digital Literacy in Reducing Phishing Victimization

In this study, we use Routine Activities Theory to explore the role of digital literacy, a measure of guardianship, in the receipt of and response to phishing. Data for the study come from a nationally representative survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons. The analysis results in two conclusions. First, respondents with higher levels of digital literacy report receiving phishing e-mails more often, but report responding to them less. Second, the social position of a respondent matters, but largely for the receipt of phishing. These findings indicate that digital literacy significantly effects the receipt of and response to phishing.     

Training Genetic Counsellors to Deliver an Innovative Therapeutic Intervention: their Views and Experience of Facilitating Multi-Family Discussion Groups

Innovations in clinical genetics have increased diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of inherited genetic conditions (IGCs). This has led to an increased number of families seeking genetic testing and / or genetic counselling and increased the clinical load for genetic counsellors (GCs). Keeping pace with biomedical discoveries, interventions are required to support families to understand, communicate and cope with their Inherited Genetic Condition. The Socio-Psychological Research in Genomics (SPRinG) collaborative have developed a new intervention, based on multi-family discussion groups (MFDGs), to support families affected by IGCs and train GCs in its delivery. A potential challenge to implementing the intervention was whether GCs were willing and able to undergo the training to deliver the MFDG. In analysing three multi-perspective interviews with GCs, this paper evaluates the training received. Findings suggests that MFDGs are a potential valuable resource in supporting families to communicate genetic risk information and can enhance family function and emotional well-being. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is feasible to train GCs in the delivery of the intervention and that it has the potential to be integrated into clinical practice. Its longer term implementation into routine clinical practice however relies on changes in both organisation of clinical genetics services and genetic counsellors’ professional development.     

Personality disorder and future-directed thinking in parasuicide

Parasuicide patients have been found to lack positive expectations for the future. The aim of the present study was to look at variations in this lack of positive future-thinking as a function of personality status. A sample (N = 442) of repeat parasuicide patients was assessed on positive and negative future-thinking and the presence of personality disorder or personality difficulty. Those with a Cluster B personality disorder (borderline or dissocial) were significantly lower in positive future-thinking than those with no Cluster B symptoms or those with Cluster B personality difficulty. Neither Cluster A nor Cluster C symptomatology was related to positive future-thinking. Negative future-thinking was not significantly related to any type of personality disorder or difficulty. The results are interpreted as evidence of the importance of personality status in influencing positive future-thinking and gives some indications of why those with Cluster B personality disorder have such high rates of recurrent self-harm.     

Contrasting two accounts of anxiety-linked attentional bias: selective attention to varying levels of stimulus threat intensity

Previous research has established that clinical anxiety patients and nonclinical populations with high levels of anxiety vulnerability characteristically orient attention toward moderately threatening stimuli. In contrast, populations with low levels of anxiety vulnerability typically orient attention away from such stimuli. The differing experimental predictions generated by 2 classes of hypothetical explanation for this anxiety-linked attentional discrepancy were tested, using attentional probe methodology to compare the attentional responses of high and low trait anxious individuals to facial stimuli of differing threat intensities. The results support the view that all individuals orient attention away from mildly threatening stimuli and toward strongly threatening stimuli, with differences in anxiety vulnerability reflecting the intensity of stimulus threat required to elicit the attentional vigilance response.     

Re-exposure to studied items at test does not influence false recognition

In two experiments, we investigated whether re-exposure to previously studied items at test affects false recognition in the DRM paradigm. Furthermore, we examined whether exposure to the critical lure at test influences memory for subsequently presented study items. In Experiment 1, immediately following each studied DRM list, participants were given a recognition test. The tests were constructed such that the number of studied items preceding the critical lure varied from zero to five. Neither false recognition for critical lures nor accurate memory for studied items was affected by this manipulation. In Experiment 2, we replicated this pattern of results under speeded conditions at test. Both experiments confirm that exposure to previously studied items at test does not affect true or false recognition in the DRM paradigm. This pattern strongly suggests that retrieval processes do not influence false recognition in the DRM paradigm.     

Selective attention and emotional vulnerability: assessing the causal basis of their association through the experimental manipulation of attentional bias

Although it is well-established that vulnerability to negative emotion is associated with attentional bias toward aversive information, the causal basis of this association remains undetermined. Two studies addressed this issue by experimentally inducing differential attentional responses to emotional stimuli using a modified dot probe task, and then examining the impact of such attentional manipulation on subsequent emotional vulnerability. The results supported the hypothesis that the induction of attentional bias should serve to modify emotional vulnerability, as revealed by participants' emotional reactions to a final standardized stress task. These findings provide a sound empirical basis for the previously speculative proposal that attentional bias can causally mediate emotional vulnerability, and they suggest the possibility that cognitive-experimental procedures designed to modify selective information processing may have potential therapeutic value.