Black Jack: Do company benefits and feelings have an impact on my happiness?

The aim of this study was to determine whether casino employees’ benefits and their feelings about the company influence their experienced happiness. A total of 1 502 casino employees were surveyed (females = 57%; males = 43%). They completed a company benefits, feelings and happiness questionnaire within the work context. Data were analysed to predict what company benefits and whether feelings about the company impact on the casino employees’ happiness; and also to test the mediation effects of company benefits on their happiness experienced through feelings about the company. In addition, structural relations between happiness and feelings about the company, and happiness and company benefits were tested. Findings from the regression analyses and structural equation modelling suggest that feelings about the company and company benefits such as staff meals and pension funds do predict personal happiness and positive feelings about the company where they are employed. Moreover, feelings about the company mediated the effect of stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus on happiness. Positive feelings about their company seem to explain employee happiness, particularly with the availability of company benefits such as stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus scheme.     

Superman meets don Quixote: Stereotypes in clinical medicine

Long-established stereotypes tend to dominate the perceptions physicians have of the philosophers and other humanists who serve as medical ethicists. They also alter the views humanists have of physicians, and those that the public have of both. These stereotypes are a formidable barrier to effective working relationships between the two groups of professionals, as well as to public understanding of medical ethics issues. To achieve a better working relationships and to foster more realistic understanding, it is important that the humanists step out of their academic settings, for a time, and become part of the clinical service.     

Effects of suppression, acceptance and spontaneous coping on pain tolerance, pain intensity and distress

Wegner's Theory of Ironic Processes has been applied to study the effects of cognitive strategies to control pain. Research suggests that suppression contributes to a more distressing pain experience. Recently, the acceptance-based approach has been proposed as an alternative to cognitive control. This study assessed the tolerance time, the distress and the perceived pain intensity in three groups (suppression, acceptance and spontaneous coping groups) when the participants were exposed to a cold pressor procedure. Two hundred and nineteen undergraduates volunteered to participate. The suppression group showed the shortest tolerance time and the acceptance group showed the longest tolerance time. The acceptance group showed pain and distress immersion ratings that were significantly lower than in the other two groups, between which the differences were not significant. In the first recovery period, the suppression group showed pain and distress ratings that were higher than in the other two groups. In the second recovery period, although the acceptance group showed pain and distress ratings that were significantly lower than in the other two groups, the suppression and the spontaneous coping groups did not differ. The presence of a 'rebound' of physical discomfort and the effects of suppression on behavioural avoidance are discussed. These results support the acceptance approach in the management of pain.     

Timed performance weaknesses on computerized tasks in pediatric brain tumor survivors: A comparison with sibling controls

With more children surviving a brain tumor, insight into the late effects of the disease and treatment is of high importance. This study focused on profiling the neurocognitive functions that might be affected after treatment for a pediatric brain tumor, using a broad battery of computerized tests. Predictors that may influence neurocognitive functioning were also investigated. A total of 82 pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs) aged 8–18 years (M = 13.85, SD = 3.15, 49% males) with parent-reported neurocognitive complaints were compared to a control group of 43 siblings (age M = 14.27, SD = 2.44, 40% males) using linear mixed models. Neurocognitive performance was assessed using measures of attention, processing speed, memory, executive functioning, visuomotor integration (VMI), and intelligence. Tumor type, treatment, tumor location, hydrocephalus, gender, age at diagnosis, and time since diagnosis were entered into regression analyzes as predictors for neurocognitive functioning. The PBTSs showed slower processing speeds and lower intelligence (range effect sizes .71–.82, p < .001), as well as deficits in executive attention, short-term memory, executive functioning, and VMI (range effect sizes .40–.57, p < .05). Older age at assessment was associated with better neurocognitive functioning (B = .450, p < .001) and younger age at diagnosis was associated with lower intelligence (B = .328, p < .05). Medical risk factors, e.g., hydrocephalus, did not show an association with neurocognitive functioning. Late effects in PBTSs include a broad range of neurocognitive deficits. The results suggest that even PBTSs that were traditionally viewed as low risk for neurocognitive problems (e.g., surgery only, no hydrocephalus) may suffer from decreased neurocognitive functioning.     

Dysfunctional personality traits in adolescence: effects on alerting,orienting and executive control of attention

The present study examined attentional networks performance in 39 adolescents with dysfunctional personality traits, split into two group, Group < 10 and Group ≥ 10, according to the number of criteria they met at the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders. The attentional performance has been tested by means of a modified version of the Attentional Network Test (ANTI-V) which allows testing both phasic and tonic components of the alerting system, the exogenous aspect of the orienting system, the executive network and their interactions. Results showed that the orienting costs of having an invalid spatial cue were reduced in the Group ≥ 10 criteria compared to the Group < 10. Moreover, adolescents included in the Group ≥ 10 showed lower conflict when attention was cued to the target location (valid trials) but showed normal interference when there was no overpowering focus of attention (invalid trials). The results found with ANOVA after splitting the sample into two categorical groups were also observed in a complementary correlation analysis keeping intact the continuous nature of such variables. These findings are consistent with the notion that dysfunctional features of personality disorders may represent the psychological manifestations of a neuropsychological abnormality in attention and executive functioning. Finally, we discuss the implications of this attentional anomaly for dysfunctional personality traits and behaviour.     

Presence and emotions in virtual environments: the influence of stereoscopy.

This study investigates how stereoscopy (the illusion of depth and 3D imaging) affects the sense of presence and the intensity of the positive mood that users feel in virtual environments (VEs). A between-group design was used, and 40 volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (stereoscopy vs. no stereoscopy) and to one of two emotional VEs (relaxation or joy). The participants' emotions were assessed before and after the VR experience. Presence was measured with two postexperiment questionnaires (ITC-SOPI and SUS). Results show that there were no differences between stereoscopic and monoscopic presentations in VEs (neither subjective sense of presence nor emotional reactions). Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed herein.