Culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT) for Latino women with treatment-resistant PTSD: a pilot study comparing CA-CBT to applied muscle relaxation

We examined the therapeutic efficacy of a culturally adapted form of CBT (CA-CBT) for PTSD as compared to applied muscle relaxation (AMR) for female Latino patients with treatment-resistant PTSD. Participants were randomized to receive either CA-CBT (n = 12) or AMR (n = 12), and were assessed before treatment, after treatment, and at a 12-week follow-up. The treatments were manualized and delivered in the form of group therapy across 14 weekly sessions. Assessments included a measure of PTSD, anxiety, culturally relevant idioms of distress (nervios and ataque de nervios), and emotion regulation ability. Patients receiving CA-CBT improved significantly more than in the AMR condition. Effect size estimates showed very large reductions in PTSD symptoms from pretreatment to posttreatment in the CA-CBT group (Cohen’s d = 2.6) but only modest improvements in the AMR group (0.8). These results suggest that CA-CBT can be beneficial for previously treatment-resistant PTSD in Latino women.     

Effects of age and the relationship between response time measures and psychometric intelligence in younger adults

The major goal of the present study was to investigate the potential influence of age on the relationship among performance measures derived from a Hick reaction time task and general intelligence (psychometric g). Participants were 130 male and 130 female younger adults (mean age: 24.6 years) covering a wide range of individual levels of intelligence. Results from structural-equation modelling analyses clearly indicate that there is no evidence for the notion of a general speed factor underlying psychometric g. A much more sufficient model is provided by the assumption that median reaction time (RTmd) and intraindividual variability of reaction time (RTSD), though highly correlated, reflect two distinct sources of variance for psychometric g. While age was negatively associated with RTmd, no such relationship could be established for RTSD.     

Is there a structural limit to ‘branch’ recursively between more than two tasks?

The term ‘branching’ refers to processes needed for successful reuptake of a task after interruption by another task. Based on a model of human prefrontal cognitive architecture, it has been postulated that people cannot branch recursively between more than two tasks due to a capacity limit built into the cognitive architecture (Koechlin and Hyafil in Science 318:594–598, 2007). As an alternative to a structural limit for recursive branching between more than two tasks we put forward the hypothesis that working memory capacity is the limiting factor in recursive branching. We tested this hypothesis by independently varying working memory load and number of recursive branching steps. Successful branching between up to four tasks was observed, as long as working memory load was kept low. Our data, thus, do not support the proposition of a structural limit to recursive branching beyond two tasks. Instead, they suggest that working memory capacity limit is the most important factor that limits the capacity for branching. We further observed that the requirement to retain task sets and task contents additively contributed to the difficulty of recursive branching. In a broader context, our data thus support working memory models that conceptualize working memory and executive functions not as separate modules, but as tightly interactive processes.     

A Confirmatory Factor-Analytic Evaluation of the Purpose in Life Test: Preliminary Psychometric Support for a Replicable Two-Factor Model

This study’s purpose was to use confirmatory factor analysis to compare published factor-analytic models of the 20-item Purpose in Life test (PIL) to identify the one that provides the best fit to the data. To date many different models have been described, with limited evidence to support whether they are replicable. This study utilized data from undergraduates (N = 620) from a medium-sized university located in the southern United States. Ten different PIL models were tested, with support found for the two-factor model (exciting life, purposeful life) of Morgan and Farsides. Recommendations and implications for research are provided.     

Happiness Around the World the Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires

This is a review of the book “Happiness around the world: the paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires,” written by Carol Graham, and published in 2009 by Oxford University Press Inc., of New York, USA. This book’s major aim is to address what makes people happy from an economic point of view. The aim of the book is twofold: first, to address the shortcomings of economic assumptions and research methodologies and second, to introduce the lessons learned from happiness surveys into policy. The book is recommended to a broader diverse audience, including social scientists and economists. The book could also be of assistance to research methodologies for economists at large.     

Biased information search in homogeneous groups: confidence as a moderator for the effect of anticipated task requirements

When searching for information, groups that are homogeneous regarding their members' prediscussion decision preferences show a strong bias for information that supports rather than conflicts with the prevailing opinion (confirmation bias). The present research examined whether homogeneous groups blindly search for information confirming their beliefs irrespective of the anticipated task or whether they are sensitive to the usefulness of new information for this forthcoming task. Results of three experiments show that task sensitivity depends on the groups' confidence in the correctness of their decision: Moderately confident groups displayed a strong confirmation bias when they anticipated having to give reasons for their decision but showed a balanced information search or even a dis confirmation bias (i.e., predominately seeking conflicting information) when they anticipated having to refute counterarguments. In contrast, highly confident groups demonstrated a strong confirmation bias independent of the anticipated task requirements.     

The learning of two similar complex movement sequences: does practice insulate a sequence from interference?

Panzer et al. [Panzer, S., Wilde, H., & Shea, C. H. (2006). The learning of two similar complex movement sequences: Proactive and retroactive effects on learning. Journal of Motor Behavior, 38, 60-70] found evidence to indicate that the memory state(s) underpinning the production of a movement sequence that was practiced for one day was essentially "overwritten" when another similar sequence was subsequently practiced on the next day. An interference paradigm was used to determine if additional practice on the first sequence would insulate it from retroactive interference arising from learning a new similar sequence. Participants produced the sequences by moving a lever with their right arm/hand to sequentially presented target locations. The experimental group practiced one 16-element movement sequence (S1) for two consecutive days. A second 16-element sequence (S2) was practiced on Day 3. The sequence practiced on Day 3 was created by switching the positions of 2 of 16 elements in the sequence practiced on the first day. Control groups received either two days of practice on S1 or one day of practice on S2. Contrary to our earlier findings (Panzer, Wilde, & Shea, 2006) of strong retroactive interference when S1 was only practiced for one day, we found no evidence of retroactive interference when S1 was practiced for two days prior to the switch to S2 practice. Interestingly, but also contrary to our earlier findings, we found the learning of S2 was facilitated by the prior practice of S1. This proactive facilitation was observed in S2 acquisition and on the S2 retention test.     

Intra-individual reaction time variability in schizophrenia, depression and borderline personality disorder

Intra-individual reaction time variability (IIV) in neuropsychological task performance reflects short term fluctuations in performance. Increased IIV has been reported in patients with schizophrenia and could be related to a deficient neural timing mechanism, but the role of IIV in adult patients with other psychiatric disorders has not been established. Therefore, we compared IIV measures obtained in a Go/Nogo task from patients with schizophrenia, major depression and borderline personality disorder. IIV was increased for patients with schizophrenia. When correcting for differences in mean reaction time, depressive and borderline patients also showed increased IIV. Importantly, all groups showed a strong association between IIV and accuracy of task performance. This suggests that increased IIV might be a sensitive marker for the efficiency of top-down attentional control in all diagnostic groups. Aside from these similarities, the complete results including measures of IIV, mean reaction time and accuracy show differential patterns for patients with schizophrenia compared to those with borderline personality disorder or depression. These results are discussed with respect to common versus disorder-specific neural mechanisms underlying increased IIV.     

Neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of reflexive and voluntary saccades in non-human primates

A multitude of cognitive functions can easily be tested by a number of relatively simple saccadic eye movement tasks. This approach has been employed extensively with patient populations to investigate the functional deficits associated with psychiatric disorders. Neurophysiological studies in non-human primates performing the same tasks have begun to provide us with insights into the neural mechanisms underlying many cognitive functions. Here, we review studies that have investigated single neuron activity in the superior colliculus (see glossary), frontal eye field, supplementary eye field, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate (see glossary) cortex and lateral intraparietal area associated with the performance of visually guided saccades, anti-saccades and memory-guided saccades in awake behaving monkeys.