Semantic and associative priming in the cerebral hemispheres: some words do, some words don't ... sometimes, some places

This study investigated spreading activation for words presented to the left and right hemispheres using an automatic semantic priming paradigm. Three types of semantic relations were used: similar-only (Deer-Pony), associated-only (Bee-Honey), and similar + associated (Doctor-Nurse). Priming of lexical decisions was symmetrical over visual fields for all semantic relations when prime words were centrally presented. However, when primes and targets were lateralized to the same visual field, similar-only priming was greater in the LVF than in the RVF, no priming was obtained for associated-only words, and priming was equivalent over visual fields for similar + associated words. Similar results were found using a naming task. These findings suggest that it is important to lateralize both prime and target information to assess hemisphere-specific spreading activation processes. Further, while spreading activation occurs in either hemisphere for the most highly related words (those related by category membership and association), our findings suggest that automatic access to semantic category relatedness occurs primarily in the right cerebral hemisphere. These results imply a unique role for the right hemisphere in the processing of word meanings. We relate our results to our previous proposal (Burgess & Simpson, 1988a; Chiarello, 1988c) that there is rapid selection of one meaning and suppression of other candidates in the left hemisphere, while activation spreads more diffusely in the right hemisphere. We also outline a new proposal that activation spreads in a different manner for associated words than for words related by semantic similarity.     

Transgender Criminal Justice: Ethical and Constitutional Perspectives

People identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC) face increased discrimination, harassment, and victimization compared to cisgender individuals (whose experienced gender matches their sex assigned at birth). Despite these increased discriminatory experiences, TGNC populations report hesitance to seek assistance from the criminal justice system due to concerns regarding revictimization and criminalization. TGNC individuals face an increased risk for interacting with the criminal justice system as a result of homelessness, socioeconomic status, and historical criminalization of their identities. Many TGNC individuals who experience incarceration report not only discrimination and verbal harassment but also physical and sexual abuse at the hands of criminal justice employees and other inmates. Thus, the incarceration experiences of TGNC individuals differ substantially from those of cisgender individuals. The negative implications of this differential are further exacerbated by a noteworthy lack of structured protocols regarding treatment of TGNC inmates. Existing policies violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The present article examines these arguments in relation to the American Psychological Association’s ethics code and relevant specialty guidelines and proposes ways that psychologists working with these institutions could apply their knowledge and skills to reduce human rights violations.     

Riddles in serial murder: A synthesis

This article blends the conclusions of four former law enforcement personnel who have investigated and apprehended serial killers, with pertinent principles derived primarily from the field of psychoanalysis. The four—John Douglas, Roy Hazelwood, Robert Keppel, and Robert Ressler—have written extensively about their investigations of serial killers. In their writings, they have answered many questions about the personality development of serial killers while leaving other questions only partially answered. This article expands the answers to three fundamental questions: What is the origin of the dynamics of serial killing? Why is the aggressive drive so singularly powerful and persistent in serial killers? Why is it that serial killers often reveal their identities to the police? In answering these three riddles, the contributions of four emotional pillars in the personality of killers are emphasized. The pillars include emotional hunger, anxiety and aggression, eroticism, and conscience structure. At times, these pillars merge and drive murderous behavior but the pillars lack the integration needed for healthy personality development. This synthesis offers a fuller understanding of the psychodynamics involved in serial killings.     

On the theoretical error bound for estimating psychometric functions

The theoretical limits to the amount of error, or the Cramer-Rao bounds, were derived for estimating psychometric functions. These theoretical error bounds were compared with the variability of psychometric functions estimated from human as well as computer-simulated observers. For the simulated observers, due to the limited efficiency of the sampling strategies, including the placement of the signals and the distribution of the trials, the variances of the estimated parameters are seven times the theoretical bound for threshold and 22 times that for slope. For the human observers, the variance is 18 times the theoretical bounds for threshold and 80 times that for slope. Therefore, a major portion of the variances (60% for threshold and 73% for slope) for the human observers is associated with factors other than sampling strategies. Further improvement of the accuracy for estimating psychometric functions will depend on not only optimizing the sampling strategy, but also better understanding the various sources of error related to the behavior of human observers.     

Employee proactivity in organizations: A comparative meta‐analysis of emergent proactive constructs

This meta‐analysis of 103 independent samples provides a comparative evaluation of the relationships associated with four emergent proactive constructs including proactive personality, personal initiative, voice, and taking charge. This study investigates comparative relationships among these focal proactive constructs and key organizational variables (i.e., job performance), personality traits (i.e., the Big Five), and individual variables (i.e., work experience). Results reveal significant correlations between proactivity and performance, satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, and social networking. Results also provide evidence that differentiates focal proactive constructs from the Big Five as well as individual differences in work experience, age, and general mental ability. Current progress towards a more integrative understanding of proactivity research is discussed.     

Increased brain serotonin turnover in panic disorder patients in the absence of a panic attack: reduction by a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Since the brain neurotransmitter changes characterising panic disorder remain uncertain, we quantified brain noradrenaline and serotonin turnover in patients with panic disorder, in the absence of a panic attack. Thirty-four untreated patients with panic disorder and 24 matched healthy volunteers were studied. A novel method utilising internal jugular venous sampling, with thermodilution measurement of jugular blood flow, was used to directly quantify brain monoamine turnover, by measuring the overflow of noradrenaline and serotonin metabolites from the brain. Radiographic depiction of brain venous sinuses allowed differential venous sampling from cortical and subcortical regions. The relation of brain serotonin turnover to serotonin transporter genotype and panic disorder severity were evaluated, and the influence of an SSRI drug, citalopram, on serotonin turnover investigated. Brain noradrenaline turnover in panic disorder patients was similar to that in healthy subjects. In contrast, brain serotonin turnover, estimated from jugular venous overflow of the metabolite, 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid, was increased approximately 4-fold in subcortical brain regions and in the cerebral cortex (P < 0.01). Serotonin turnover was highest in patients with the most severe disease, was unrelated to serotonin transporter genotype, and was reduced by citalopram (P < 0.01). Normal brain noradrenaline turnover in panic disorder patients argues against primary importance of the locus coeruleus in this condition. The marked increase in serotonin turnover, in the absence of a panic attack, possibly represents an important underlying neurotransmitter substrate for the disorder, although this point remains uncertain. Support for this interpretation comes from the direct relationship which existed between serotonin turnover and illness severity, and the finding that SSRI administration reduced serotonin turnover. Serotonin transporter genotyping suggested that increased whole brain serotonin turnover most likely derived not from impaired serotonin reuptake, but from increased firing in serotonergic midbrain raphe neurons projecting to both subcortical brain regions and the cerebral cortex.     

Improving access to psychological therapy: Initial evaluation of two UK demonstration sites

Recently the UK Government announced an unprecedented, large-scale initiative for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for depression and anxiety disorders. Prior to this development, the Department of Health established two pilot projects that aimed to collect valuable information to inform the national roll-out. Doncaster and Newham received additional funds to rapidly increase the availability of CBT-related interventions and to deploy them in new clinical services, operating on stepped-care principles, when appropriate. This article reports an evaluation of the new services (termed ‘demonstration sites’) during their first thirteen months of operation. A session-by-session outcome monitoring system achieved unusually high levels of pre to post-treatment data completeness. Large numbers of patients were treated, with low-intensity interventions (such as guided self-help) being particularly helpful for achieving high throughput. Clinical outcomes were broadly in line with expectation. 55-56% of patients who had attended at least twice (including the assessment interview) were classified as recovered when they left the services and 5% had improved their employment status. Treatment gains were largely maintained at 10 month follow-up. Opening the services to self-referral appeared to facilitate access for some groups that tend to be underrepresented in general practice referrals. Outcomes were comparable for the different ethnic groups who access the services. Issues for the further development of IAPT are discussed.     

The catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic disorder.

In the catastrophic misinterpretation model of panic Clark [Behav. Res. Ther. 24(1986)1461] proposes that panic attacks result from the misinterpretation of autonomic arousal stimuli as precursors to a physical or psychological emergency. The model has been widely examined, with many researchers suggesting that this specific cognitive bias is implicated in both the phenomenon of panic, and the aetiology and maintenance of panic disorder. Various research methodologies have provided only partial or inconclusive support for the model as being uniquely associated with panic, and as a cognitive process underpinning the experience of panic. This paper reviews the body of existing evidence and its implications for the model and proposes future research directions. The influence of implicit operational definitions of key terms in the catastrophic misinterpretation literature (e.g. 'catastrophe', 'threat', 'anxiety-related') are examined, and clarifications proposed. Inconsistencies and limitations in the measurement of catastrophic misinterpretation are highlighted, and subsequently developments to measurement instruments are proposed.