Periodicity pitch perception and its upper frequency limit in cats

We have established a procedure for behavioral assessment of periodicity pitch perception in the cat. This procedure requires the training of cats to make a differential response to two different pure tones, and then testing for the transfer of learning when complex stimuli known to produce periodicity pitch sensations in humans are substituted for the pure tones. Complex stimuli consisted of three to five harmonically related frequencies of the same amplitude and phase. Eight cats were the subjects of these experiments. Two of them were controls. It is demonstrated here that cats do perceive periodicity pitch. We also used this procedure to measure the upper frequency limit of periodicity pitch perception for two cats. The frequencies tested were 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 900, and 1,200 Hz. The data indicate that the upper frequency limit of periodicity pitch perception in the cat is on the order of 600 to 800 Hz. There is a trend of decreasing prominence of the perception of periodicity pitch as the component frequencies are increased. These results are parallel to the human psychophysical data.     

Alliance-Outcome Associations in a Community-Based Social Skills Intervention for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Although the alliance is a consistent predictor of treatment outcomes in psychosocial interventions, few studies have examined this association among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, youth-therapist alliance has never been examined in social skills interventions (SSIs), a common modality for this population. In this study, thirty-four youth with ASD (M_age = 12.41; 79% male) participated in a community-delivered, group-based SSI in a summer camp format led by eight Head Therapists (M_age = 32.12; 50% male). Early alliance and change in alliance over the course of the treatment were assessed via self- and observer-reported measures. Both self- and observer-rated alliance were associated with positive treatment outcomes as reported by parents (decreased problem behaviors) and other peers in the group (reciprocated friendship and social preference). These results provide the first evidence of the role of the alliance in an SSI for youth with ASD and add to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the importance of assessing and addressing the alliance in treatment for this population.     

替代性创伤与具身情绪

具身情绪是在近年来大热的具身认知领域影响下提出的便于研究情绪的理论,主要表现为情绪是由生理反应及情境等共同作用影响的; 而替代性创伤是用以描述心理工作者因长期接触创伤后患者对其进行危机干预,而出现类似的创伤反应和身心不良症状的概念。这两者在形成结构上存在相似之处。本文对这两个概念进行介绍,从具身的视角描述了替代性创伤的成因,最后结合实际对未来研究探讨与展望。     

未来时间洞察力与大学生职业决策自我效能感的关系:领悟社会支持与自尊的链式中介

为考察未来时间洞察力对大学生职业决策自我效能感的影响及其作用机制,本研究采用未来时间洞察力量表、领悟社会支持量表、自尊量表和职业决策自我效能感量表,对756名高校学生进行调查。结果表明:(1)未来时间洞察力、领悟社会支持、自尊、职业决策自我效能感两两之间存在显著正相关;(2)社会支持和自尊在未来时间洞察力与职业决策自我效能感之间起显著的中介作用。具体为三条中介路径:一是社会支持的单独中介作用; 二是自尊的单独中介作用; 三是社会支持和自尊的链式中介作用。研究揭示了未来时间洞察力与大学生职业决策自我效能感的关系及其作用机制,拓展了大学生职业决策自我效能感的影响因素,对大学生的职业指导具有一定的现实意义。     

Midline Thalamic Damage Associated with Alcohol-Use Disorders: Disruption of Distinct Thalamocortical Pathways and Function

Neuropsychology Review - The thalamus, a significant part of the diencephalon, is a symmetrical and bilateral central brain structure. The thalamus is subdivided into three major groups of nuclei...     

Parental and Child Characteristics Predicting Asian immigrants’ Feeding Practices

To explore parenting style, child effortful control, parenting stress, and their associations with maternal use of pressure to eat among Asian U.S. immigrant families with preschoolers. One hundred and nine Asian immigrant mothers with 3-to-5-year-old children in Maryland, United States rated their authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles, frequency of pressuring their child to eat, perceived parenting stress, and child’s effortful control. Two proposed moderated mediation models were tested using conditional process modeling. Effortful control mediated the association between authoritative parenting style and pressure to eat practices, αβ?=??0.07, p?<?0.05, and the association between authoritarian style and pressure to eat, αβ?=?0.12, p?<?0.05. Moreover, parenting stress moderated the association between child effortful control and maternal pressure to eat in the authoritarian style model, but not in the authoritative style model. Specifically, higher effortful control was associated with less use of pressure to eat at low and mean levels of parenting stress. Our findings revealed potential mechanisms underlying the associations between parenting styles and controlling feeding practices. Importantly, information learned from the present study may guide transdisciplinary efforts to design and implement culturally sensitive and family-based interventions targeting Asian immigrants’ wellbeing and obesity in the United States.