Priming by motion too rapid to be consciously seen

When a rapidly rotating ring of dots was briefly flashed, observers saw only a solid ring with no discriminable rotation. However, when this stimulus served as a prime that was followed by a target that consisted of a clearly rotating ring of dots, response times (RTs) to report the target's rotation were shorter when the prime and target directions were congruent than when they were incongruent. In accord with shape priming data, this priming effect increased monotonically with the prime-target stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA). The prime also biased the perceived direction of an ambiguous apparent motion target, but only at an intermediate SOA. At the same SOA, we also found that target presentations enabled above-chance discrimination of prime's rotation direction. These outcomes demonstrate the processing of motion direction information that is not phenomenally represented. They suggest a common mechanism may mediate the priming of RTs by shape and motion, whereas a different mechanism mediates perceptual measures of motion priming.     

The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus)

Animal Cognition - Birds have been widely used to study spatial orientation. However, since different birds rely on different types of visual information to find goal locations (such as spatial...     

Social identity and the transition to entrepreneurship: The role of group identification with workplace peers

What role does social identity play in the transition from employed work to entrepreneurship? It was expected that social identity affects the cognitive processes that, according to the theory of planned behavior (TPB), underlie the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. Focusing on academic scientists' intentions to commercialize research knowledge, we investigated social identity (scientists' group identification with their workplace peers in academia) as a moderator in the TPB model. Our hypotheses were tested in a sample of 488 German scientists. The data revealed that entrepreneurial intentions were predicted by attitude, social norms, and perceived control and that group identification was negatively associated with perceived control. Multi-group structural equation modeling further showed that group identification moderated the TPB-intention link. Scientists with low group identification based their entrepreneurial intentions not so much on social norms and attitudes but on their self-initiative and control beliefs. Among scientists with high group identification, in turn, entrepreneurial intentions were mainly a function of social norms. These results, in sum, illustrate the long-neglected importance of identification with, and social cohesion within, peer groups at the workplace for the transition to entrepreneurship.     

Alexithymie bei Neurodermitis

Background

The study shows correlations between atopic dermatitis (AD) and alexithymia. Furthermore it examines their influences on skin-related quality of life.

Patients and methods

A total of 62 adult AD patients were compared with a control group (n=62) of skin healthy persons. Alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, TAS-20) and impairment of the skin-related quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index, DLQI) were assessed as well as duration, severity [patients?? self-evaluation based on scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD)] and onset of AD.

Results

The prevalence of alexithymia (TAS-20 ??61) in AD patients was 22.6% (control group 4.9%). Problems with identifying feelings (TAS-20 scale) and also the severity of AD were significant predictors for the impairment of skin-related quality of life.

Conclusions

Atopic dermatitis patients showed a prevalence of alexithymia (22.6%) similar to diseases found in the field of psychosomatic and psychiatric patients (Leweke & Bausch 2009). From a psychotherapeutic point of view the study may provide a further reason for the observance of mental features in AD treatment. A possible indication for a specific psychotherapy in atopic dermatitis is discussed.     

Individual differences in metacontrast masking regarding sensitivity and response bias

In metacontrast masking target visibility is modulated by the time until a masking stimulus appears. The effect of this temporal delay differs across participants in such a way that individual human observers' performance shows distinguishable types of masking functions which remain largely unchanged for months. Here we examined whether individual differences in masking functions depend on different response criteria in addition to differences in discrimination sensitivity. To this end we reanalyzed previously published data and conducted a new experiment for further data analyses. Our analyses demonstrate that a distinction of masking functions based on the type of masking stimulus is superior to a distinction based on the target-mask congruency. Individually different masking functions are based on individual differences in discrimination sensitivities and in response criteria. Results suggest that individual differences in metacontrast masking result from individually different criterion contents.     

Psychosomatik der Kopfschmerzen

Headaches are subdivided into primary and secondary headaches according to the classification of the International Headache Society. While primary headaches represent the disease itself, secondary headaches are a manifestation as symptoms of another primary disease. This results in different therapeutic approaches so that secondary headaches are initially treated according to the actual cause of the headache. In contrast primary headaches have no further causes and necessitate fundamentally different treatment in comparison to secondary headaches. The psychosomatics integrate somatic procedures with psychiatric and social processes. This integration forms the basis of the biopsychosocial model which has the great advantage of being able to offer several approaches to psychiatric processes and accomanying alterations. For primary headaches psychotherapeutic strategies and modifications in the social environment of the patient can be applied in addition to medicinal (i.e. biological somatic) treatment procedures, in order to be able to positively influence the underlying disease. This article presents the most important primary headache diseases, migraine and tension-type headache and demonstrates treatment options which can be used in accordance with the biopsychosocial model presented.