High magnetic field induction of the formation of twinned dendrites during directional solidification of Al–4.5wt%Cu alloy

It is reported that the application of a high magnetic field is capable of inducing the formation of twinned dendrites during directional solidification of Al–4.5wt%Cu alloy. Numerical results reveal that a unidirectional thermoelectric magnetic force acts on tilted dendrites during directional solidification under a magnetic field. This force should be responsible for the formation of twinned dendrites. The work may initiate a new method for inducing twinned dendrites in Al-based alloys via an applied high magnetic field during directional solidification.     

The Contributions of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Reading Motivation to the Development of Reading Competence over Summer Vacation

This study addressed the role of reading motivation as a potential determinant of losses or gains in reading competence over six weeks of summer vacation (SV). Based on a sample of 223 third-grade elementary students, structural equation analyses showed that intrinsic reading motivation before SV contributed positively to both word and sentence comprehension after SV when controlling for comprehension performance before SV. These effects were mediated by reading amount. Extrinsic reading motivation did not show significant associations with end-of-summer comprehension scores. Taken together, the findings suggest that intrinsic reading motivation facilitates students’ development of reading comprehension over SV.     

Continuous Cognitive Tasks Improve Postural Control Compared to Discrete Cognitive Tasks

Research suggests that postural control synergies are sensitive to cognitive manipulations; however, the impact of different types of cognitive tasks on postural control remains inconclusive. The authors examined the effect of discrete and continuous tasks on postural control. Sixteen healthy young adults (M age = 22.7 ± 2.2 years) stood with feet together on a force platform while performing randomly assigned discrete and continuous cognitive tasks. Results demonstrated marked improvements in the area of 95% confidence ellipse and the standard deviation of the center of pressure in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions for continuous compared to discrete tasks. This reinforces the notion that continuous tasks are sufficient in providing less opportunity to consciously attend to postural control, thereby facilitating automatic postural control.     

Motor Programming

In many activities, the human being must quickly decide on the response to be produced following a change in the environment. In some of these situations, the limb that the individual chooses to carry out a response seems to be a significant element in performance. Thus, if the individual carries out the response with the limb closest to the target, the performance can improve because it will take less time to achieve the goal. However, it seems that in these situations, the human being does not take this decrease in movement time into consideration and that the response is carried out with the dominant hand. Why is this so? It may be because the reaction is faster when there doesn’t have to be a choice as to which limb will carry out the response. The goal of this study was to check this possibility. In order to do so, the subjects performed a two choice reaction-time task. For this task, some subjects knew beforehand which hand they had to use to carry out the response while other subjects were unaware of this fact. The results of two experiments indicate that the choice of the limb which is to carry out the response requires no particular delay when the movement to be produced is externally guided.     

Stimulus congruence and stimulus-response compatibility: Two variables disentangled in an auditory reaction time task

Abstract

Stimulus—response (S-R) compatibility was a tem fmt used by Wtts and Seeger (1953) to describe effcts observed on reaction time (RT) when the stimulus—response relationship was varied, as in the following instructions: “move to tbe right when the stimulus appears on the right” (compatible) or “move to the left when the stimulus appears on the right” (incompatible). This term was later employed in a broader sense (Simon & Rudell, 1967) with paradigms involving elaborate stimuli, such as the verbal command ‘RIGHT’ delivered to the right tar (compatible) or to the left ear (incompatible). In such paradigms. subjects respond faster when the response is delivered on the same side as the stimulus (the so-called “Simon effect”). It has been shown, however, that this effect could be reversed under some circumstanas in the visual domain. In this paper, we report data showing that it can also be reversed in the auditory domain when using the above-mentioned verbal commands. This brings further evidence that stimulus-response compatibility and the Simon effect difier in essence, with the latter effect reflecting the influence of stimulus congruence, the correspondence relationship borne by the two simultaneous characteristics of the stimulus. Stimulus congruence and stimulus-response compatibility had indeed independent influences on RT, which in a serially connected information-processing modcl would imply that they act upon independent stages.     

The Effects of a Multiple Family Therapy on Adolescents with Eating Disorders: An Outcome Study

Multiple Family Therapy (MFT) has gained increasing popularity in the treatment of eating disorders and many programs have been developed over the past decade. Still, there is little evidence in the literature on the effectiveness on MFT for treating eating disorders. The present study examines the effects of a particular model of Multiple Family Therapy on eating disorder symptoms, quality of life, and percentage of Expected Body Weight (%EBW) in adolescents with eating disorders (ED). Eighty‐two adolescents with ED, aged between 11 and 19 years, were assessed before and after treatment using the Eating Disorders Inventory 2 (EDI‐2), the Outcome Questionnaire 45 (OQ‐45) and %EBW. Results showed a significant increase in %EBW between the beginning and end of treatment, with a large effect size. 52.4% of patients achieved an EBW above 85%. Symptoms relative to all EDI dimensions (except for bulimia) significantly decreased during treatment. The three dimensions related to quality of life assessment also improved over the course of MFT. At the end of treatment, 70.7% of patients had a total OQ‐45 score below clinical significance. This study suggests that Multiple Family Therapy may benefit adolescents with eating disorders, with improvement on several outcome measures (%EBW, ED symptoms, and quality of life). However, the lack of a comparison group entails caution when drawing conclusions.     

Emotion in an alliance rupture and resolution sequence: A theory‐building case study

Aims: Alliance rupture and resolution processes are occasions for the client to have his or her core interpersonal patterns activated in the here and now of the therapy and to negotiate them with the therapist. So far, no studies have been conducted on emotional processing, from a sequential perspective using distinct emotion categories, in alliance rupture and resolution therapy sessions. This is the objective of this theory‐building case study. Method: This client underwent a 34‐session long, psychodynamic psychotherapy within the context of an open trial. An alliance rupture‐resolution sequence of two subsequent sessions, along with a third control session, was selected from this case and these sessions were rated using the Classification of Affective‐Meaning States (CAMS), an observer‐rated method to classify distinct emotions, according to current emotion‐focused models. Results: The results indicate that the rupture session was associated, above all, with core maladaptive fear, evoked in the actual here and now of the therapeutic relationship, whereas the resolution session was associated with the expression and experience of adaptive hurt as regards biographical issues of the client. Discussion: These results are discussed with regard to the alliance rupture and resolution model and the exploration of integrating client's emotional processing in the model.     

Adolescent Dating Violence: Application of a U.S. Primary Prevention Program in St. Lucia

The purpose of this study was to examine the Choose Respect dating violence prevention program (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006b , n.d.‐a) with secondary students in St. Lucia. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated that the Choose Respect program had a positive influence on participants’ attitudes about control in relationships. Significant gender and school effects were found. Implications of these findings for primary prevention efforts targeting dating violence in St. Lucia and limitations of the study are discussed.     

THE IMAGO DEI: EVOLUTIONARY AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

This short article provides an introduction to a special section, consisting of six papers on human evolution and the imago Dei. These papers are the result of dialogue between theologians and philosophers of religion at the University of Oxford and the Catholic University of Leuven. All contributors focus on the imago Dei, and consider how this theological notion can be understood from an evolutionary perspective, looking at a variety of disciplines, including the psychology of reasoning, cognitive science of religion, paleoanthropology, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary ethics.