To Fail or Not to Fail? Implications of Extinction on Creativity and Problem-Solving Behavior

The Psychological Record - According to Epstein (1985), extinction is one of the main processes for creative problem solving. To test this assertion, we present an experiment in which we...     

Initial validation of the Portuguese version of the Interpersonal Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ & IBQ-Self) in the context of exercise: Measurement invariance and latent mean differences

Current Psychology - The aim of the present research is to examine the factor structure of the Interpersonal Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), and the Interpersonal Behavior Questionnaire Self...     

Doddering but dear … even in the eyes of young children? Age stereotyping and prejudice in childhood and adolescence

This study aims to explore age prejudice, and to examine age stereotyping in children and adolescents by adopting the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) as a theoretical framework. It was hypothesised that children are socialised into adopting an ambivalent representation of old age (socialisation hypothesis) and that this cognitive bias becomes weaker in adolescence due to greater cognitive maturity (developmental hypothesis). By analysing representative data from Portugal (European Social Survey; N = 2367), it was ascertained that the ambivalent age stereotype (higher evaluations of warmth than competence for older people) is indeed a shared social representation of older people in Portuguese society. A total of 103 Portuguese children (6–10 year olds) and adolescents (11–15 year olds) were then sampled from a local school and responded to age‐appropriate measures assessing age prejudice as well as age stereotypes. Contrary to previous studies, the findings do not provide evidence for the existence of age prejudice because both children and adolescents reported positive feelings towards older people. However, the socialisation hypothesis was corroborated by showing that the ambivalent old age stereotype was already present in childhood. Contrary to the stipulated developmental hypothesis, the magnitude of this cognitive bias was very similar in adolescence.     

Behavioral variability as avoidance behavior

This study aimed to investigate whether variable patterns of responses can be acquired and maintained by negative reinforcement under an avoidance contingency. Six male Wistar rats were exposed to sessions in which behavioral variability was reinforced according to a Lag contingency: Sequences of three responses on two levers had to differ from one, two or three previous sequences for shocks to be avoided (Lag 1, Lag 2 and Lag 3, respectively). Performance under the Lag conditions was compared with performance on a Yoke condition in which the animals received the same reinforcement frequency and distribution as in the Lag condition but behavioral variability was not required. The results showed that most of the subjects varied their sequences under the Lag contingencies, avoiding shocks with relatively high probability (≥ 0.7). Under the Yoke procedure, responding continued to occur with high probability, but the behavioral variability decreased. These results suggest that behavioral variability can be negatively reinforced.     

Definability and Invariance

In his thesis Para uma Teoria Geral dos Homomorfismos (1944), the Portuguese mathematician José Sebastião e Silva constructed an abstract or generalized Galois theory, that is intimately linked to F. Klein’s Erlangen Program and that foreshadows some notions and results of today’s model theory; an analogous theory was independently worked out by M. Krasner in 1938. In this paper, we present a version of the theory making use of tools which were not at Silva’s disposal. At the same time, we tried to keep in mind, so much as possible, the gist of his standpoint.     

Lactate threshold prediction by blood glucose and rating of perceived exertion in people with type 2 diabetes

The validity of rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in predicting lactate threshold during an incremental test was analyzed in 15 men with type 2 diabetes (M age = 53.4 yr., SD = 12.9). Blood glucose, lactate, and minute ventilation (VE)/VO2 responses identified the lactate, ventilatory, and glucose thresholds. Workloads (W) corresponding to RPEs 12, 13, 14, and 15 were determined. Second-order polynomials fit to VE/W and [lac]/W ratios corresponding to RPEs of 9-10, 12-13, and 16-17 also identified workloads above which there was an overproportional increase in VE and [lac]. These workload breakpoints did not differ, although at RPE 12 underestimated and at RPE 15 overestimated lactate threshold. RPE 13 and 14 and the responses of VE/W and [lac]/W to submaximal exercise accurately predicted lactate threshold.     

Construct representation and definitions in psychopathology: the case of delusion

Background  

Delusion is one of the most intriguing psychopathological phenomena and its conceptualization remains the subject of genuine debate. Claims that it is ill-defined, however, are typically grounded on essentialist expectations that a given definition should capture the core of every instance acknowledged as delusion in the clinical setting.     

Attribution and Social Influence1

This article utilizes an attributional approach to explore genotypic similarities among Raven's (1965) 6 bases of power. Two scenarios describing a successful influence attempt leading to a good or a bad outcome were created. Following a randomized blocks design, 60 subjects in each condition read 6 explanations given by the target of influence that reflected the bases of power of Raven's taxonomy (reward, coercion, legitimate, referent, expert, and informational). Rating scales following each power basis explanation assessed the perceived causal dimensions of locus and controllability attributed to the target of influence's behavior and how much the behavior led, in the good and bad outcome conditions, respectively, to pride (guilt), self-esteem enhancement (decrement), responsibility (as perceived by self and by others), and gratitude (anger). The results revealed that reward, referent, and informational influence are genotypically similar and perceived as more internal and more controllable than expert, legitimate, and coercive influence. These perceptions, in turn, led to higher degrees of affective reactions, confirming the predictions of Weiner's theory (1986). The results are related to Milgram's (1963) obedience studies and Kelman and Hamilton's (1989) crimes of obedience. Comments on why reward and coercive influence were found to be genotypically distinct in this study are also presented. Implications of the actor/observer bias in studies of this nature are indicated.