A new method of administering the Grooved Pegboard Test: performance as a function of handedness and sex

The purpose of the present study was twofold: first to examine the influences of sex and handedness on manual performance on the Grooved Pegboard Test; and secondly to provide normative data for two versions (Place and Remove tasks) of the Grooved Pegboard Test, as previous work (Bryden & Roy, 1999) had suggested that the Remove task of the Grooved pegboard may provide a purer measure of motor speed of the two hands than the standard administration of the Grooved Pegboard Test. One hundred and fifty-three (47 males and 106 females) participants completed the Grooved Pegboard Test. Individuals performed the standard version of the Grooved Pegboard Test (Place task) and a novel version of the test (Remove task). In the standard version, participants were timed on their speed for placing the pegs, while in the novel version they were timed on their speed for removing the pegs. Results confirmed previously noted hand and sex differences in the Place task of the Grooved Pegboard Test, as well as the lack of effect of handedness on performance (Bornstein, 1995; Ruff & Parker, 1993). Significant performance differences between the hands were also noted for the Remove task. Findings also indicated that the Remove task was sensitive to sex and handedness effects.     

Patterns of apraxia associated with the production of intransitive limb gestures following left and right hemisphere stroke

The model of apraxia proposed by Roy (1996) states that three patterns of apraxia should be observed across pantomime and imitation conditions. In the present analysis the frequency and severity of each pattern of apraxia were examined in a consecutive sample of left-(LHD) and right-hemisphere-damaged (RHD) patients during the production of intransitive limb gestures. The results indicated that a significant proportion of LHD and RHD patients were selectively impaired in formulating the ideational component of intransitive limb gestures.     

Accidental germ-line modifications through somatic cell gene therapies: some ethical considerations

Proposed somatic cell gene-therapies (especially those involving in utero therapies) may involve a small risk of germ-line modifications; this risk has engendered serious concern, and arguments have been made that such therapies ought not be pursued if such risks exists. We argue here that while pursuing deliberate germ-line modifications in humans would be inappropriate given the current state of the art, the risk of accidental germ-line modifications from most currently proposed in utero gene therapy is no different in kind or degree from other risks regularly taken in medical procedures. Given the possible benefits of such therapies, we argue that the risk of accidental germ-line modifications is well worth taking in these cases.     

Failure of a peripheral muscle relaxant (suxomethonium bromide) to increase the efficacy of flooding (response prevention) in rats

Rats were trained to avoid shock and then were given flooding in conjunction with a peripheral muscle relaxant, suxomethonium bromide. Control groups received injections of distilled water and/or the drug after flooding. The drug acted to change the spontaneous behaviour of the animals during flooding, but had no significant effect on the efficacy of flooding as evidenced in subsequent avoidance-extinction responding. Implications for the relaxation theory of flooding were discussed.     

Moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the role of negative affect in the motivation to drink in alcohol-dependent subjects undergoing protracted withdrawal

In order to understand how emotional aspects evolve and are related to craving for alcohol, different emotion-related variables were examined in relationship to craving during a protracted withdrawal. To this end state affectivity (PANAS), emotional intelligence (EI) (TEIQue), and craving (OCDS) were assessed at the onset (T1: day 1 or 2) and at the end (T2: day 14 to 18) of three-week protracted withdrawal among alcohol-dependent inpatients (DSM-IV, N = 41). A significant decrease in craving and negative affectivity (NA) was observed from T1 to T2 while EI scores remained low. At both baseline and follow-up, there was a significant moderation effect of EI on the link between NA and craving for alcohol. Negative mood at the onset of the cure was linked to craving at the end of the withdrawal period but only among patients with low trait EI scores. The merits of using psychotherapeutic approaches were discussed in the treatment of alcohol addiction.     

In the Therapist's Chair Is Clemmont E. Vontress: A Wounded Healer in Cross‐Cultural Counseling

In this interview, Clemmont E. Vontress, a pioneer of cross‐cultural counseling, reflects on his life and work. He shares personal stories about the people and events in his life that had a major impact on his theory formulation; research and clinical work; and publications in culture, race, ethnicity, and counseling. En esta entrevista, Clemmont E. Vontress, un pionero de la consejería trans‐cultural, reflexiona sobre su vida y su trabajo. Comparte historias personales sobre la gente y los acontecimientos de su vida que tuvieron un impacto significativo en la formulación de su teoría; investigación y trabajo clínico; y publicaciones sobre cultura, raza, etnicidad, y consejería.     

Guilty,free, and wise: Determinism and psychopathy diminish learning from negative emotions

Emotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Three studies found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as inducing participants to disbelieve in free will was associated with reduced learning. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low psychopathy scores, also facilitated learning from emotional experiences (Studies 2 and 3). The degree of learning associated with emotional experiences was measured by self-rating (Study 1), independent evaluations of lessons learned (Study 2), and whether participants joined a campus recycling program (after being made to feel guilty about an environmental transgression; Study 3).     

Why best cannot last: Cultural differences in predicting regression toward the mean

Four studies were conducted to investigate cultural differences in predicting and understanding regression toward the mean. We demonstrated, with tasks in such domains as athletic competition, health and weather, that Chinese are more likely than Canadians to make predictions that are consistent with regression toward the mean. In addition, Chinese are more likely than Canadians to choose a regression‐consistent explanation to account for regression toward the mean. The findings are consistent with cultural differences in lay theories about how people, objects and events develop over time.     

Distinguishing between perceiver and wearer effects in clothing color-associated attributions

Recent studies have noted positive effects of red clothing on success in competitive sports, perhaps arising from an evolutionary predisposition to associate the color red with dominance status. Red may also enhance judgments of women's attractiveness by men, perhaps through a similar association with fertility. Here we extend these studies by investigating attractiveness judgments of both sexes and by contrasting attributions based on six different colors. Furthermore, by photographing targets repeatedly in different colors, we could investigate whether color effects are due to influences on raters or clothing wearers, by either withholding from raters information about clothing color or holding it constant via digital manipulation, while retaining color-associated variation in wearer's expression and posture. When color cues were available, we found color-attractiveness associations when males were judged by either sex, or when males judged females, but not when females judged female images. Both red and black were associated with higher attractiveness judgments and had approximately equivalent effects. Importantly, we also detected significant clothing color-attractiveness associations even when clothing color was obscured from raters and when color was held constant by digital manipulation. These results suggest that clothing color has a psychological influence on wearers at least as much as on raters, and that this ultimately influences attractiveness judgments by others. Our results lend support for the idea that evolutionarily-derived color associations can bias interpersonal judgments, although these are limited neither to effects on raters nor to the color red.