The intentional spring: a strategy for modeling systems that learn to perform intentional acts

In motor task learning by instruction, the instructor's skill and intention, which, initially, are extrinsic constraints on the learner's perceiving and acting, eventually become internalized as intrinsic constraints by the learner. How is this process to be described formally? This process takes place via a forcing function that acts both as an anticipatory (informing) influence and a hereditary (controlling) influence. A mathematical strategy is suggested by which such intentions and skills might be dynamically learned. A hypothetical task is discussed in which a blindfolded learner is motorically instructed to pull a spring to a specific target in a specific manner. The modeling strategy involves generalizing Hooke's law to the coupled instructor-spring-Learner system. Specifically, dual Volterra functions express the anticipatory and hereditary influences passed via an instructor-controlled forcing function on the shared spring. Boundary conditions (task goals) on the instructor-spring system, construed as a mathematical (self-adjoint) operator, are passed to the learner-spring system. Psychological interpretation is given to the involved mathematical operations that are passed, and mathematical (Hilbert-Schmidt's and Green's function) techniques are used to account for the release of the boundary conditions by the instructor and their absorption by the learner, and an appropriate change of their power spectra.     

Analysis of Pelvis-Thorax Coordination Patterns of Professional and Amateur Golfers during Golf Swing

The aim of this research was to quantify the coordination pattern between thorax and pelvis during a golf swing. The coordination patterns were calculated using vector coding technique, which had been applied to quantify the coordination changes in coupling angle (γ) between two different segments. For this, fifteen professional and fifteen amateur golfers who had no significant history of musculoskeletal injuries. There was no significant difference in coordination patterns between the two groups for rotation motion during backswing (p = 0.333). On the other hand, during the downswing phase, there were significant differences between professional and amateur groups in all motions (flexion/extension: professional [γ] = 187.8°, amateur [γ] = 167.4°; side bending: professional [γ] = 288.4°, amateur [γ] = 245.7°; rotation: professional [γ] = 232.0°, amateur [γ] = 229.5°). These results are expected to be a discriminating measure to assess complex coordination of golfers' trunk movements and preliminary study for interesting comparison by golf skilled levels.     

BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF LIFE IN BRAZIL,ARGENTINA, AND URUGUAY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Teachers’ conceptions about the origin of life in three Latin American countries with contrasting levels of secularism were analyzed: Argentina (Catholic constitution), Brazil (formally secular but not in practice), and Uruguay (consolidated secularism). A European survey questionnaire was used and the interpretation of the results drew on Barbour's four categories concerning the relationships of science and religion. A large majority of Argentinian and Uruguayan teachers were clearly evolutionist, even when believing in God (Independence or Dialogue category), with no difference between Argentina and Uruguay. The majority of Brazilian teachers assumed a religious position about the origin of life, being creationist (Conflict or Independence categories) or evolutionary creationist (Dialogue or Integration categories). Differences of Brazilian teachers’ conceptions may result from the higher percentage of evangelicals and lower proportion of agnostics/atheists. Brazilian Catholic teachers were more creationist than their Catholic colleagues in Argentina and Uruguay. Distinct patterns were found, but further research is needed to understand possible classroom impacts.     

Once More about Boesch’s Ontological Predication in Focus

In this article I address some more aspects regarding Boesch’s ontological predication aiming to clarify mistaken comprehensions as appeared in Perez-Campos” (2017) detailed work on my former paper about this issue (Simão 2016b). With this purpose, the following three aspects will be approached: the philosophical roots of my former proposal; the place of Boesch’s symbolic action theory in that proposal and the relevance of this discussion for the relationship between ontology and psychology.     

Blocking incidental frustration during bargaining

The current study examined the effects of an intervention aimed at blocking the transfer of frustration from a previous experience (i.e. recall task) to a subsequent and unrelated task (i.e. ultimatum bargaining task). Participants who went through the intervention were more likely to accept unfair offers in the ultimatum bargaining task than those who did not go through the intervention. These results show that participants who were blocked from transferring their feelings of frustration from the recall task to the subsequent bargaining task (no-transfer condition) more likely accepted unfair offers than those who inadvertently transferred their feelings of frustration (transfer condition). The effect of conditions on accept-reject decisions in the ultimatum bargaining was mediated by reported feelings of frustration.     

Parental Attachment and Adjustment to Higher Learning Institutions: The Role of Stress for a Malaysian Sample of Late Adolescents

The current study examined the mediating role of stress in the linkages between attachment to parents and adjustment to attending higher learning institutions in another country. Self‐reports from 114 Malaysian late adolescents studying in Singapore supported the primacy of stress for adjustment; more pertinent, stress mediated all the attachment‐adjustment linkages that met the conditions for mediation testing, although this mediating role of stress applied mostly to the late adolescent girls and was also dependent on parent gender.     

Differential efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention versus pharmacological treatment in the management of fibromyalgic syndrome

Given that studies about the differential efficacy of existing treatments in fibromyalgia syndrome are scarce, the aim of this study was to compare the differential efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral and a pharmacological therapy on fibromyalgia. Using a randomized controlled clinical trial, 28 fibromyalgic patients were assigned to one of following experimental conditions: (a) pharmacological treatment (i.e., cyclobenzaprine), (b) cognitive-behavioral intervention (i.e., stress inoculation training), (c) combined pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatment and (d) no treatment. The results show the superiority of cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce the severity of fibromyalgia both at the end of the treatment and at follow-up. We conclude that cognitive-behavioral interventions must be considered a primary treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.     

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging methods for the evaluation of bipolar disorder

This article reviews the current state of magnetic resonance imaging techniques as applied to bipolar disorder. Addressed are conventional methods of structural neuroimaging and recently developed techniques. This latter group comprises volumetric analysis, voxel-based morphometry, the assessment of T2 white matter hyperintensities, shape analysis, cortical surface-based analysis, and diffusion tensor imaging. Structural analysis methods used in magnetic resonance imaging develop exponentially, and now present opportunities to identify disease-specific neuroanatomic alterations. Greater acuity and complementarity in measuring these alterations has led to the generation of further hypotheses regarding the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Included in the summary of findings is consideration of a resulting neuroanatomic model. Integrative issues and future directions in this relatively young field, including multi-modal approaches enabling us to produce more comprehensive results, are discussed.