Features of the selectivity for contrast polarity in contour integration revealed by a novel tilt illusion

We studied a novel illusion of tilt inside checkerboards due to the role of contrast polarity in contour integration. The preference for binding of oriented contours having same contrast polarity, over binding of opposite polarity ones (CP rule), has been used to explain several visual illusions. In three experiments we investigated how the binding effect is influenced by luminance contrast value, relatability of contour elements, and distance among them. Experiment 1 showed that the effect was indeed present only when the CP rule was satisfied, and found it to be stronger when the luminance contrast values of the elements are more similar. In experiment 2 the illusion was reported only with relatable edges, and its strength was modulated by the degree of relatability. The CP-rule effectiveness, thus, seems to depend on good continuation. The intensity of contrast polarity signals propagating from an oriented contour might be the less intense, the more its direction deviates from linearity. In experiment 3 we estimated the distance threshold and found it to be smaller than the one found for other illusions, arising with collinear fragments. This seems to show that the reach of the contrast polarity signal inside the association field of a contour unit is shorter along non-collinear orientations than along collinear ones.     

A brief inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex using nonparametric item response theory: introducing the IIP-C-IRT

Nonparametric item response theory methods were applied to the responses of 1,000 college students on the 64 items of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex (IIP-C; Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990) to develop an abbreviated 32-item version of the instrument. In a separate validation sample of 981 students, the newly selected scale items did not show evidence of differential item functioning across males and females. There was high convergence found between the new scales and IIP-C parent scales, along with commensurate or improved fits to the circular structural model relative to the full scale and its existing brief derivatives-the IIP-32 and the IIP-SC. Results provide evidence that the new brief scales can improve the level of precision and information yielded in brief assessments of interpersonal problems without gender bias.     

Healing the Healers: A Profile of Strengths and Weaknesses of Catholic Priests in Gozo,Malta

This exploratory study of Roman Catholic secular priests examined their psycho-spiritual well-being and vocational challenges. With a 52% response rate, this population study indicated that most respondents had a balanced ministry life and healthy spirituality. However, pastoral and vocational satisfactions, together with mandated celibacy, remain contentious issues. An initial instrument was developed to discern what contributes to priests’ vocational satisfaction. Psycho-spiritual well-being, intrinsic religion, vocational frustrations, and celibacy emerged as four key domains. Results were scrutinized to determine how they could serve as a platform for a future and more robust scale. This paper also contains a discussion of the pastoral implications of this study, and how the church could be more true to its calling.     

The roles of autonomous motivation and self-control lapses in concurrent adherence to a gluten-free diet and a self-chosen weight loss plan in adults with coeliac disease

Objective: Examine the correspondence between autonomous motivation, self-control lapses, and adherence, to a gluten-free diet (GFD) and weight loss plan in adults with coeliac disease; and assess the impact of the interaction of motivation style and self-control lapses on adherence to both diets.

Design: Cross-sectional survey in 519 adults with coeliac disease, 238 of whom were also attempting weight loss.

Main outcome measures: Adherence, motivation style, frequency of temptation and self-control lapses (e.g. when tired, stressed, happy) for GFD and weight loss plan.

Results: Autonomous motivation was higher, and amotivation lower, for the GFD than weight loss; adherence to the two diets was unrelated. Similar circumstances led to temptation and self-control lapses across diets; both were less frequent for the GFD than weight loss. Motivation and self-control lapses explained 21% and 35% of the variance in adherence, respectively; the interaction between motivation and lapse frequency did not explain additional variance for either diet.

Conclusions: There are clear benefits to developing autonomous motivations and strategies to resist temptation for both the GFD and weight loss. Understanding how these processes differ and interact across diets may lead to the design of interventions to improve adherence and weight outcomes in coeliac disease.