The Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy: A Comparison Between Paper-and-Pencil Versus Online Formats in Italian Samples

The most recent conceptualizations of empathy recognize affective empathy as distinct from cognitive empathy. Consequently, instruments that assess these 2 types of empathy have been developed. Among them, the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) is a particularly promising, relatively new, self-report measure consisting of 31 items. To examine the cross-cultural adaptability of the QCAE, we investigated the psychometric properties of an Italian version in 2 samples and with 2 different formats of administration. Study 1 (n = 407) used archival data collected via paper and pencil; Study 2 (n = 285) used newly collected data, obtained with an online format. In these studies, in addition to the QCAE, 6 other instruments measuring empathy-related constructs (i.e., interpersonal competence, well-being, personality traits, emotion regulation, alexithymia, and emotion recognition) were administered, too. Data analysis focused on factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity. The findings of both studies provide support for the cross-cultural applicability of the QCAE, and reveal interesting associations between empathy and the other constructs under examination.     

提问类型对自传体记忆概括化的影响

自传体记忆概括化程度较高是抑郁症产生与发展的重要影响因素, 探究降低自传体记忆概括化程度的方法以缓解抑郁症状、降低抑郁复发率是心理咨询与治疗中的一个重要研究课题。基于此, 本研究选取344名初中生进行实验, 实验1对比了问题状态组与正常状态组被试的自传体记忆概括化程度, 结果发现, 问题状态组被试的正性、负性自传体记忆得分均显著低于正常组, 两组在中性自传体记忆得分上差异不显著; 实验2对比了问题取向提问和解决取向提问对问题状态下人们自传体记忆概括化程度的影响, 结果发现, 解决取向提问组被试无论是在正性、负性自传体记忆得分上还是在中性自传体记忆得分上均显著高于问题取向提问组和控制组, 问题取向提问组和控制组在各类自传体记忆得分上差异均不显著; 实验3进一步考察了解决取向提问对问题状态下不同归因风格者自传体记忆概括化程度的影响, 结果发现, 内归因组被试的正性、负性自传体记忆得分均显著高于外归因组, 在中性自传体记忆得分上, 两组被试间差异不显著。结论:与抑郁症等精神障碍患者类似, 遭受一般心理困扰个体的自传体记忆概括化程度也较高; 相比问题取向提问, 解决取向提问能较好地降低一般心理困扰者的自传体记忆概括化程度; 对于一般心理困扰者而言, 解决取向提问对内归因者自传体记忆概括化程度改善效果优于外归因者。综上, 解决取向提问可以作为心理咨询师或治疗师降低个案自传体记忆概括化程度的一种有益尝试。     

A circumplex model of interpersonal attributes in middle childhood

This article presents evidence for the validity of the circumplex model to represent how parents and teachers organize interpersonal attributes in children. Study 1 showed that the ratings of adults using interpersonal adjectives to describe 4- to 10-year-old children conformed to a circumplex structure. Eight scales-labeled Interpersonal Adjective Scales for Children (IAS-C)-were developed to represent the circular sequence of children's interpersonal attributes, as ordered around the reference axes of Extraversion and Social Appropriateness. The continuum of interpersonal variables substantially corresponded to Schaefer's model for social and emotional behavior, as follows: Warm-Agreeable, Sociable-Cheerful, Exuberant-Dominant, Impulsive-Aggressive, Egocentric-Irritable, Fearful-Insecure, Shy-Silent, and Mild-Placid. Study 2 demonstrated cross-validity for the IAS-C and how they are related to Big Five measures. Study 3 used data from Studies 1 and 2 in a confirmatory approach to test the circumplex IAS-C structure. Findings are discussed in relation to the adult circumplex model and suggest that the child circumplex has distinctive features that must be kept in due consideration when attempting to assess interpersonal qualities in children validly.     

Internet addiction disorder: an Italian study.

The Italian version of the Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was administered online to a sample of Italian chatters (n = 236) who were different in terms of gender, age, and occupation. Results revealed that young users are more at-risk subjects for Internet addiction than adults, perceiving a compromised social and individual quality of their life that led them to make a compensatory usage of the Internet. Similarly, employed users perceive their social and individual quality of life as more compromised by the Internet than students. Moreover, subjects who declared spending much time online obtained IAT scores higher than others in all the IAT subscales. Finally, nightly users are more at-risk subjects for developing an Internet addiction disorder, diminishing their individual quality of life and disabling their time control.     

Promoting foot–leg movements in children with multiple disabilities through the use of support devices and technology for regulating contingent stimulation

The present study assessed the possibility of promoting pre-ambulatory foot–leg movements in children with multiple disabilities by motivating their action through contingent stimulation combined with a support device. Two children aged 10 and 8 years participated. Microswitch technology (i.e., pressure sensors under the shoes or optic sensors at the front–inner side of the shoes) served for detecting the foot–leg movements and providing contingent stimulation on their occurrence. Sensor activation produced 5 s of stimulation during intervention. Data showed that both children had significant increases in foot–leg movements during the intervention phases. Implications of the data in terms of skill acquisition and further intervention prospects are discussed.     

A cross-national comparison of Mexican and Mexican American couples using the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (Spanish)

This study examined psychometric properties of the Spanish translation of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R) in a sample of 71 Spanish-speaking couples in Mexico. Results from this sample were compared to findings obtained from 65 Mexican American couples who completed the MSI-R in Spanish. Both the internal consistency and factor structure of the Spanish MSI-R with Mexican couples were found to be comparable to findings on the Spanish MSI-R for Mexican American couples. Moreover, multivariate analysis indicated no significant mean profile differences between these two groups as a function of nationality, gender, or nationality-by-gender interaction. These findings offer initial evidence toward establishing the appropriateness of the Spanish MSI-R for use with Spanish-dominant Mexican couples.     

Attentional blink and attentional capture: endogenous versus exogenous control over paying attention to two important events in close succession

Identification of the second of two targets is impaired if it is presented less than about 500 msec after the first This attentional blink (AB) occurs under dual-task conditions in which observers are required to report both targets. AB magnitude has been estimated by subtracting the accuracy scores in the dual task from the corresponding scores in a single task in which observers are instructed to ignore the first target. Experiment 1 showed this procedure to be inappropriate, because the first target cannot be ignored. The remaining three experiments elaborated on this finding andrevealed separate endogenous and exogenous sources of the second-target deficit. A parallel was drawn between the AB deficit and the deficit observed in attentional capture. Both types of deficit can be explained on the basis of a hybrid input-filtering model in which endogenous and exogenous factors are subserved by different pathways.     

Italian developmental dyslexic and proficient readers: where are the differences?

Italian dyslexic children are characterized by a pervasive reading speed deficit, with relatively preserved accuracy. This pattern has been associated with predominant use of the nonlexical reading procedure. However, there is no evidence of a deficit in the lexical route of Italian dyslexics. We investigated both lexical and nonlexical reading procedures in dyslexic children through two marker effects, namely, the word frequency effect and the effect of contextual grapheme-to-phoneme conversion rules. Although dyslexics were slower and less accurate than controls, they were affected by word frequency, grapheme contextuality, and their interaction in a similar manner as average readers. These results show the use of lexical reading in Italian dyslexics, and refute the claim of a deficit in whole-word processing with consequent over-reliance on the nonlexical route.     

Saccade-stepping interactions revise the motor plan for obstacle avoidance

The authors used a stimulus-response compatibility paradigm to assess the effect of changing the estimated time to obstacle contact. A limb-selection cue was presented in different phases of gait to young (n = 5) and to older (n = 4) adults while they were moving toward a foam obstacle in the walking path. A downward saccade was initiated after the cue; the saccade typically occurred during the stance phase of the target limb (the foot cued to lead the step over the obstacle). The mean saccade-step latency after the cue was on the order of -500 ms in both young and elderly participants. On reaching the obstacle, both groups generated an upward saccade approximately -300 ms before target footlift in both groups. Saccades following the limb-selection cue appeared to direct the gaze toward footfall targets just beyond the obstacle, whereas saccades generated just before obstacle footlift moved the gaze to the forward-looking direction. The elderly had significantly longer saccade-trailing-footlift latencies and prolonged gaze-fixation times than did the younger adults. Transient disruptions in optical flow appeared to be necessary for successful obstacle-avoidance behavior when there was an unexpected change in the estimated time to obstacle contact.