The gist of the abnormal: Above-chance medical decision making in the blink of an eye

Very fast extraction of global structural and statistical regularities allows us to access the “gist”—the basic meaning—of real-world images in as little as 20 ms. Gist processing is central to efficient assessment and orienting in complex environments. This ability is probably based on our extensive experience with the regularities of the natural world. If that is so, would experts develop an ability to extract the gist from the artificial stimuli (e.g., medical images) with which they have extensive visual experience? Anecdotally, experts report some ability to categorize images as normal or abnormal before actually finding an abnormality. We tested the reality of this perception in two expert populations: radiologists and cytologists. Observers viewed brief (250- to 2,000-ms) presentations of medical images. The presence of abnormality was randomized across trials. The task was to rate the abnormality of an image on a 0–100 analog scale and then to attempt to localize that abnormality on a subsequent screen showing only the outline of the image. Both groups of experts had above-chance performance for detecting subtle abnormalities at all stimulus durations (cytologists d' ≈ 1.2 and radiologists d' ≈ 1), whereas the nonexpert control groups did not differ from chance (d' ≈ 0.23, d' ≈ 0.25). Furthermore, the experts’ ability to localize these abnormalities was at chance levels, suggesting that categorization was based on a global signal, and not on fortuitous attention to a localized target. It is possible that this global signal could be exploited to improve clinical performance.     

The Interaction of Three Facets of Concrete Thinking in a Game of Chance

The ratio-bias (RB) phenomenon refers to the perceived likelihood of a low-probability event as greater when it is presented in the form of larger (e.g. 10-in-100) rather than smaller (e.g. 1-in-10) numbers. According to cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST), the RB effect in a game of chance in a win condition, in which drawing a red jellybean is rewarded, can be accounted for by two facets of concrete thinking, the greater comprehension (at the intuitive-experiential level) of single numbers than of ratios, and of smaller than of larger numbers. In a lose condition, in which drawing a red jellybean is punished, the assumption of a third facet of concrete thinking, the “affirmative-representation principle”, is necessary, as many participants reverse their focus of attention from the undesirable red to the desirable white jellybeans. Results supported the CEST explanation of the RB effect by demonstrating a predicted negative linear relation between the magnitude of the RB effect and the magnitude of the probability-ratios in the win condition and a positive linear relation in the lose condition. Support was also found for the associative principle of experiential processing.     

Situational and Personality Factors as Direct or Personal Norm Mediated Predictors of Pro-environmental Behavior: Questions Derived From Norm-activation Theory

Studies that use the norm activation theory (Schwartz, 1977 Schwartz , S. H. ( 1977 ). Normative influences on altruism . In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 10 , pp. 221 – 279 ). New York : Academic Press .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) to explain pro-environmental behavior often focus on personal norms and on two situational activators, i.e., awareness of need and situational responsibility (e.g., Vining &; Ebreo, 1992 Vining , J. , &; Ebreo , A. ( 1992 ). Predicting recycling behavior from global and specific environmental attitudes and changes in recycling opportunities . Journal of Applied Social Psychology , 22 , 1580 – 1607 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The theory's other situational activators, efficacy and ability, and its personality trait activators, awareness of consequences and denial of responsibility, are generally ignored. The current article reports on two studies - a mail survey among the general public (N = 345) and a laboratory experiment among university freshmen (N = 166)–that found that (1) inclusion of additional activators improved the norm activation theory's potential to explain pro-environmental behavior and (2) personal norms significantly mediated the impact of activators on pro-environmental behavior. Theoretical issues and issues concerning environmental management evoked by these results are discussed.     

Ecological Theology: Roots in Tradition, Liturgical and Ethical Practice for Today

Often it is claimed that themes occasionally present in Christianity such as anthropocentrism, ecological alienation, and redemption as a world‐escaping disembodied immortality, translated directly into large‐scale abuse of nature and subsequent ecological crisis. Such a view is too simplistic, however. Instead the present environmental and ecological crisis may be primarily traced to cultural, economic, and technological developments of the last 500 years. Indeed, within Christian monasticism, ecofeminism, covenantal ethics, and cosmic christology, one finds ample resources for the transformation of human attitudes towards nature and a brighter ecological future.     

Teaching Peace in a Time of War

It is difficult to distinguish a time of war from a time of peace in America, because the Bush administration prosecutes its war on terrorism with an ongoing supporting economy. "Teaching Peace" means analyzing realistically the vested interests in perpetuating a state of war.     

An investigation into the possibility of an innovative treatment for weight‐related hyperphagia: Towards a more effective combination of physiological and psychological treatment for clinically obese patients who binge‐eat,category DSM IV EDNOS (Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified)

This paper describes Phase One of a five‐phase doctoral research inquiry into hyperphagia (eating beyond requirement) as experienced in Binge Eating Disorder (BED). It is a response to the need for a treatment plan which combines the opportunity to explore psychological reasons for overeating, as well as to understand physiological reasons for uncontrollable cravings. Three participants, recruited through local gyms, received twelve sessions of integrative counselling combining cognitive behavioural therapy and physiological information with a person‐centred approach and psychodynamic theory to help participants discover for themselves the emotional causes of their overeating. The results informed Phase Two in which a small group addressed the same issues. The outcome of both phases will be used to design a treatment programme (Phase Three) for a larger group as a pilot study (Phase Four), all phases being part of an action research project which will be evaluated in Phase Five. The study is aimed at promoting a better understanding on the part of health professionals and counsellors of the need for sufferers of BED to address emotional causes of overeating and providing such treatment in primary care. Participants in Phase One self‐reported a steady decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) during an interval of one year and achieved an awareness of the way in which their complex relationship with food was underpinned by emotionally painful and avoidant relationships with others.     

Physique Attitudes and Self-Presentational Concerns: Exploratory Interviews with Female Group Aerobic Exercisers and Instructors

The purpose of this study was to explore physique attitudes and self-presentational concerns among women who regularly participate in or instruct group aerobic classes. We were interested in conceptualizations of the ideal body, self-presentational concerns, and the influence of instructors in the group aerobics context. Five instructors and 6 exercisers participated in semi-structured interviews. Two higher order themes were identified from the interview data: (a) perceived body ideals and (b) body image experiences in the group aerobics context. Participants described the ideal body as lean and toned and attainable, but cautioned that being too muscular was unattractive and should be avoided. Exercisers experienced heightened self-presentation during aerobics more than the instructors did. Both exercisers and instructors thought that instructors should serve as body role models.