Antipredator behavior of Swiss-Webster mice in a visible burrow system

Swiss-Webster mice living in a visible burrow system (VBS) reacted to presentation of a live cat in the surface area of the VBS by retreat to the burrows and reductions in nondefensive behaviors such as eating and drinking. Live eat-exposed subjects remained in the burrows 14 hr or more, while subjects exposed to a toy (plush) cat prior to live cat exposure reemerged almost immediately and made many contacts with the toy cat. However, subjects exposed first to the cat and later to a toy cat showed intermediate surface reemergence times and cat contacts during toy cat tests, indicating strong sensitization effects of prior live cat exposure. Previous studies indicated that rats in this situation show retreat to the burrows, surface avoidance, and reduction in nondefensive behaviors. The mouse pattern was similar, with the notable exception that in the first 5min block after cat presentation, mice rapidly alternated retreat to the burrow chambers with reappearance in the tunnel segment near the surface, to scan the surface visually and sniff. Movement during this time block involved a stretch attend posture characteristic also of risk assessment activities in rats. Such visual and olfactory inspection of the cat is not seen in rats in the VBS. This difference may be related to the finding that rats, but not mice, emit ultrasonic “alarm cries” during and after cat exposure. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Offensive and defensive bite-target topographies in attacks by lactating rats

The attacks by resident lactating Wistar rats on sexually naive conspecifics of both sexes were examined. Male and female intruders were equally attacked in terms of frequency and number of bites, but the topographies of biting seen in these encounters were different. Similarly to male-male agonistic interactions, females were attacked in a fashion which avoided bites to the head and snout (“offensive” attack), whereas males were frequently bitten on such vulnerable regions (“defensive” attack). This dichotomy in bite pattern suggests that different motivations and functions underlay maternal aggression in these situations. The defensive attack on males may be a deterrent to infanticide since only male intruders counterattack lactating females and kill their pups. The attack on females may be concerned with resource competition.     

Dispositional optimism as a predictor of men's decision-related distress after localized prostate cancer.

This study investigated prospectively the relationship between optimism, threat appraisal, seeking support and information, cognitive avoidance, physical treatment side effects, and decision-related distress in 111 men with localized prostate cancer. Men were assessed at diagnosis and 2 and 12 months after treatment. Baseline decision-related distress predicted distress 2 and 12 months after treatment. Optimism was a significant prospective and concurrent predictor of decision-related distress, with the effect mediated by proximal cancer threat appraisal. Seeking support and information and cognitive avoidance were not associated with decision-related distress at any time point. For physical treatment side effects, concurrent urinary symptoms were predictive of decision-related distress 2 months after treatment. Results suggest that decision-related distress is generated by similar processes to that of the psychological distress that follows a cancer diagnosis. Screening for men with high decision-related distress for referral to in-depth decision support is suggested. Outcome expectations may present as a therapy target to increase the effectiveness of decisional support that is utility based.     

Developmental phenomenology: examples from social cognition

Continental Philosophy Review - We explore relationships between phenomenology and developmental psychology through an in-depth analysis of a particular problem in social cognition: the most...     

Straight to heaven: Rectitude as spatial representation of morality

Abundant literature in cognitive sciences has shown that morality is grounded in bodily experience. Four studies tested the perceptual association between the spatial dimension of straightness and the abstract concept of morality. Study 1 (n = 61) employed an IAT and revealed an association between straight figures and moral related words. Study 2 (n = 83) employed a similar paradigm and further revealed that the effect we found in Study 1 cannot be attributable to the general association between straight figures and positivity. Study 3 (n = 64) revealed that participants showed a stronger preference for straight figures after recalling moral (vs. immoral) deeds. Study 4 (n = 183) showed the specific role of morality, in this sense, as recalling sociable (vs. unsociable) deeds had no significant influence on figure preferences. A small‐scale meta‐analysis confirmed the robustness of our findings. Results are discussed in light of the embodiment theory.     

Die institutionelle und die innere Familie des Analytikers

The author postulates the existence of an intense interaction between the analyst’s two families, the historical one of his infancy and the institutional one of his psychoanalytic education. In his opinion they both step into the analyst’s work with his patient on the level of his inner fantasy and to different degrees according to the various moments in the work. He points out that the common element between the infantile experience and the analytic one is the enormous opportunity for profound introjection. There are important moments that favor introjection in the young analyst’s training course which establish and constitute the cultural, theoretical and clinical foundations of his working ego and of his working self. The importance of a thoroughly analyzed separation process from the personal analyst and from the supervisors during the analysis is strongly emphasized.     

Observation of large-scale inhomogeneities in a granular metal

Abstract

Thick films of granular aluminium dispersed in a tellurium-rich matrix have been formed by co-deposition of the pure elements. Correlation of Rutherford backscattering and superconducting critical-field measurements demonstrates that the films are subdivided into compositionally and electrically distinct layers typically 400–600 Å thick extending across large areas of the specimens. Comparison with the superconducting properties of granular Al: Al₂O₃ supports earlier suggestions that similar layering is present in that system.