The influence of cognitive set on performance and arousal under different noise loads

Three groups of 12 subjects each performed a mental arithmetic task while exposed to continuous white noise in two experimental sessions. In Session I, each group was exposed to a different noise level [56, 72.5, or 85dB(A)], whereas in Session II all had the medium [72.5 dB(A)] intensity. Arithmetic performance deteriorated with increasing noise intensity in Session I, and in Session II each group retained its position relative to the other two groups. Thus, the higher the noise intensity in the first session, the poorer the performance in the second session. These results suggest that the motivation and energy mobilized in Session II were determined by the cognitive set adopted to meet the demands of Session I. Arousal level, as measured by adrenaline excretion and heart rate, was higher during both experimental sessions than in a control session. The rise in adrenaline output was of the same magnitude regardless of the intensity of the noise, which indicates that the subjects adjusted to the increase in total load by slowing down their performance rather than by raising their energy mobilization. Heart rate rose in response to changes in noise level in Session II relative to Session I, regardless of the direction of the change.     

Maximum likelihood estimation of the polychoric correlation coefficient

The polychoric correlation is discussed as a generalization of the tetrachoric correlation coefficient to more than two classes. Two estimation methods are discussed: Maximum likelihood estimation, and what may be called two-step maximum likelihood estimation. For the latter method, the thresholds are estimated in the first step. For both methods, asymptotic covariance matrices for estimates are derived, and the methods are illustrated and compared with artificial and real data.This paper was read at the 1978 European Meeting on Psychometrics and Mathematical Psychology in Uppsala, Sweden, June 1978.Research reported in this paper has been supported by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation under project Structural Equation Models in the Social Sciences, project director Karl G. Jöreskog.     

Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy is effective as relapse prevention for patients with recurrent depression in Scandinavian primary health care

This study examined the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in primary care for patients with recurrent depression (major depressive disorder: MDD). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), MDD is now the leading cause of disease burden in middle‐ and high‐income countries. Patients (N = 45) with three or more previous depressive episodes were recruited to participate in MBCT as a preventative intervention. Using a benchmarking approach, outcome data was compared with data from a recent efficacy study. The methodology is a rigorous approach to assessing effectiveness when evidence‐based UK protocols are transferred into the existing Scandinavian service delivery. Additionally, a person‐centred methodological approach was used to assess clinical significance on the Reliable Change Index (RCI). The analysis revealed comparable or larger effects from pre‐test to post‐test in reduced psychiatric symptoms, increased quality of life and level of mindfulness, and the effects were maintained over 14 months. Analysis of the relapse rate in the current study (16%) compared to the TAU in the efficacy study (68%) yielded an h value of 0.78, a moderate effect size. Only 13% dropped out of the treatment. According to the RCI findings, 65% to 67% of participants in the clinical group improved, no individual worsened, and women showed a significantly greater improvement of depression and anxiety than men. Therapeutic alliance and motivation had no impact on the outcome. The overall result suggests that MBCT can be implemented successfully in Scandinavian primary health care as a preventive intervention for patients with recurrent depression.     

The multidimensional randomized response design: Estimating different aspects of the same sensitive behavior

The conventional randomized response design is unidimensional in the sense that it measures a single dimension of a sensitive attribute, like its prevalence, frequency, magnitude, or duration. This paper introduces a multidimensional design characterized by categorical questions that each measure a different aspect of the same sensitive attribute. The benefits of the multidimensional design are (i) a substantial gain in power and efficiency, and the potential to (ii) evaluate the goodness-of-fit of the model, and (iii) test hypotheses about evasive response biases in case of a misfit. The method is illustrated for a two-dimensional design measuring both the prevalence and the magnitude of social security fraud.     

Foot Without Achilles’ Heel

Philosophia - It is often assumed that neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics postulates an obligation to be a good human being and that it derives further obligations from this idea. The paper argues that...     

Response style analysis with threshold and multi‐process IRT models: A review and tutorial

Two different item response theory model frameworks have been proposed for the assessment and control of response styles in rating data. According to one framework, response styles can be assessed by analysing threshold parameters in Rasch models for ordinal data and in mixture‐distribution extensions of such models. A different framework is provided by multi‐process item response tree models, which can be used to disentangle response processes that are related to the substantive traits and response tendencies elicited by the response scale. In this tutorial, the two approaches are reviewed, illustrated with an empirical data set of the two‐dimensional ‘Personal Need for Structure’ construct, and compared in terms of multiple criteria. Mplus is used as a software framework for (mixed) polytomous Rasch models and item response tree models as well as for demonstrating how parsimonious model variants can be specified to test assumptions on the structure of response styles and attitude strength. Although both frameworks are shown to account for response styles, they differ on the quantitative criteria of model selection, practical aspects of model estimation, and conceptual issues of representing response styles as continuous and multidimensional sources of individual differences in psychological assessment.     

Infants' visual and auditory communication when a partner is or is not visually attending

In the current study we investigated infants' communication in the visual and auditory modalities as a function of the recipient's visual attention. We elicited pointing at interesting events from thirty-two 12-month olds and thirty-two 18-month olds in two conditions: when the recipient either was or was not visually attending to them before and during the point. The main result was that infants initiated more pointing when the recipient's visual attention was on them than when it was not. In addition, when the recipient did not respond by sharing interest in the designated event, infants initiated more repairs (repeated pointing) than when she did, again, especially when the recipient was visually attending to them. Interestingly, accompanying vocalizations were used intentionally and increased in both experimental conditions when the recipient did not share attention and interest. However, there was little evidence that infants used their vocalizations to direct attention to their gestures when the recipient was not attending to them.     

A critique of foundationalist conceptions of comprehensive doctrines in the religion in politics-debate

This paper comprises a critical examination of foundationalist conceptions of comprehensive doctrines in the religion in politics-debate. I argue that John Rawls, the towering figure of this debate, operates with a foundationalist conception of comprehensive doctrines that has shaped the debate’s view of relevant alternatives (often referred to as exclusivism and inclusivism). However, there are several problems with foundationalist conceptions, and the most serious is that they are empirically inadequate in relation to modern Western societies. I conclude that participants of the exclusivist/inclusivist debate ought to look closer at alternative, non-foundationalist conceptions, and I supply a brief sketch of one such approach, inspired by American pragmatism.     

Graphical regression models for polytomous variables

When modeling the relationship between two nominal categorical variables, it is often desirable to include covariates to understand how individuals differ in their response behavior. Typically, however, not all the relevant covariates are available, with the result that the measured variables cannot fully account for the associations between the nominal variables. Under the assumption that the observed and unobserved variables follow a homogeneous conditional Gaussian distribution, this paper proposesRC(M) regression models to decompose the residual associations between the polytomous variables. Based on Goodman's (1979, 1985)RC(M) association model, a distinctive feature ofRC(M) regression models is that they facilitate the joint estimation of effects due to manifest and omitted (continuous) variables without requiring numerical integration. TheRC(M) regression models are illustrated using data from the High School and Beyond study (Tatsuoka & Lohnes, 1988). This article was accepted for publication, when Willem J. Heiser was the Editor ofPsychometrika. This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (#SBR96-17510 and #SBR94-09531) and the Bureau of Educational Research at the University of Illinois. We thank Jee-Seon Kim for comments and computational assistance.     

Psychosocial effects associated with dental fear in adult dental patients with avoidance behaviours

Abstract

The most obvious consequence of a genuine dental phobic reaction is the avoidance of necessary dental care. Previous research has indicated that such avoidance has adverse effects on an individual's oral health status, and also reduces the quality of life. However, systematic investigations in this area of dentistry are few and clinical observations and interviews may often fail to elicit information regarding the impairment created outside the dental situation. The present investigation assessed the presence and levels of emotional and social life effects among dental phobic patients with regard to the prevalence of dental and general fears and the length of time for which dentistry had been avoided. It was shown that a majority of the patients felt that they had to curtail their social relations, and many, especially long-term avoiders, reported wide-spread negative social life effects. Often this had extended into feelings of loneliness or to overt social isolation. It remains to be seen whether fear of dentistry itself produces disadvantage or whether these effects are mainly related to personality factors, which can also promote the development of dental fear. Alternatively, poor dental health, which is probably more frequent in anxious patients, may be perceived by these patients and thus impair social relationships.