Long-delay taste aversion learning in an unpoisoned rat: Exposure to a poisoned rat as the unconditioned stimulus

M. J. Lavin, B. Freise, and S. Coombes (Behavioral and Neural Biology, 1980, 28, 15–33) have shown that if two rats consume a flavored solution and one is poisoned, the unpoisoned partner will also exhibit a flavor aversion during a later preference test. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that a sufficient condition for obtaining this aversion is that the poisoned partner be present with the unpoisoned rat after it has consumed the flavored solution. It is not necessary that the poisoned partner be present when the flavored solution is consumed or indeed have had any exposure to the flavored solution. Experiment 3 showed that the unpoisoned partner can exhibit a flavor aversion when there is a temporal gap of as long as 6 hr between consumption of the flavored solution and exposure to the poisoned rat.     

Language lateralization in English-French bilinguals

Forty English-French bilinguals divided into equal numbers of nonfluent and fluent subjects took part in a dichotic listening test involving both intralingual and interlingual conditions. No difference in lateralization was found between primary and secondary language in either condition. In the intralingual condition, however, fluent bilinguals showed a significantly lower right ear advantage than did their nonfluent counterparts. In the interlingual condition, French-dominant subjects were found to be more ambilateral than English-dominant subjects, while both groups tended to respond preferentially to French words. These results suggest that growing bilingual proficiency does increase left ear/right hemisphere participation, but in intralingual situations only. Moreover, when both languages are contrasted, French appears to be more salient than English.     

Confirmation of linear system theory prediction: Rate of change of Herrnstein's kappa as a function of response-force requirement

Four human subjects worked on all combinations of five variable-interval schedules and five reinforcer magnitudes (¢/reinforcer) in each of two phases of the experiment. In one phase the force requirement on the operandum was low (1 or 11 N) and in the other it was high (25 or 146 N). Estimates of Herrnstein's κ were obtained at each reinforcer magnitude. The results were: (1) response rate was more sensitive to changes in reinforcement rate at the high than at the low force requirement, (2) κ increased from the beginning to the end of the magnitude range for all subjects at both force requirements, (3) the reciprocal of κ was a linear function of the reciprocal of reinforcer magnitude for seven of the eight data sets, and (4) the rate of change of κ was greater at the high than at the low force requirement by an order of magnitude or more. The second and third findings confirm predictions made by linear system theory, and replicate the results of an earlier experiment (McDowell & Wood, 1984). The fourth finding confirms a further prediction of the theory and supports the theory's interpretation of conflicting data on the constancy of Herrnstein's κ.     

Pure timing in temporal differentiation

Temporal control appears to depend on whether the critical durations are those of stimuli or those of responses. Stimulus timing (temporal discrimination) supports Weber's law, whereas response timing (temporal differentiation) indicates decreasing relative sensitivity with longer time intervals. The two types of procedure also yield different conclusions in scaling experiments designed to study the functional midpoint of two or more durations (temporal bisection procedures). In addition, the fractional-exponent power relation between emitted and required duration usually found with animals in differentiation experiments conflicts with deductions from formal analyses. The experiment reported here derived from considering differentiation arrangements as schedules of reinforcement. When analyzed from this perspective, the procedures are tandem schedules involving a required pause followed by a response, and it is the pause alone that involves temporal control. A choice procedure separated timing from responding, and enabled observations of pause timing in isolation. Pure temporal control in differentiation consisted of linear overestimation of the standard duration, and Weber's law described sensitivity. These results indicate that the two problems, the fractional-exponent power relations and the apparently different nature of sensitivity in differentiation and discrimination, disappear when temporal control is observed alone in differentiation.     

Mentoring in Caribbean Theological Education

This article addresses the issue of mentoring in theological education, drawing against the context of the Caribbean and the insights of Pan‐African Women, such as in the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, as well as support and accountability groups such as Caribbean Women Theologians for Transformation and the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission. Drawing on biblical models of mentoring, the article argues that while the ways that individuals are mentored during their theological education programmes can and will vary, women in leadership can be sounding boards, cheerleaders, advocates, facilitators, coaches, guides, role models, and even critics as they help to shape and develop other women leaders in the church.     

L’accès aux médicaments : quelles contributions des règles sur les brevets de l’Accord de partenariat transpacifique global et progressiste ?

Enhanced protection for patents in free trade agreements would undermine access to medicines and show difficulties for developing countries with respect to public health issue. In the context of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, however, after the withdrawal of the United States, the legal regime applicable to patents seems less rigid and, therefore, more favorable to access to medicines. This results, on the one hand, from certain flexibilities contained in this agreement itself; and on the other hand, the suspension of some material and procedural obligations. This article aims to analyze these two sides to justify the contribution of this agreement to ensure access to medicines.     

Sexual well-being and perceived stress in couples transitioning to parenthood: A dyadic analysis

Background/ObjectiveThe transition to parenthood encompasses several psychological and relational changes that might contribute to couples’ high levels of stress postpartum. Although common across the postpartum, couples’ sexual changes are frequently overlooked.MethodWe surveyed 255 mixed-sex new parent couples to examine the associations between sexual well-being—sexual satisfaction, desire, and postpartum sexual concerns—and perceived stress postpartum. Couples completed self-report questionnaires assessing perceived stress and sexual well-being.ResultsFor both mothers and fathers, greater sexual satisfaction was associated with their partners’ lower perceived stress and, for fathers, this was also associated with their own lower perceived stress. For mothers, greater partner-focused sexual desire was associated with their own lower perceived stress whereas, for fathers, greater partner-focused sexual desire was associated with their partners’ higher perceived stress. In addition, greater solitary sexual desire and postpartum sexual concerns were associated with both parents’ own higher perceived stress.ConclusionsThis study highlights the association between sexual well-being and couples’ postpartum stress, suggesting that more positive sexual experiences are linked to lower perceptions of stress across this vulnerable period. Couples’ sexual well-being may be an important target for interventions aimed at helping postpartum couples cope with stress.     

Les objets connectés et applications de santé : étude exploratoire des perceptions,usages (ou non) et contextes d’usage

In a contemporary context of major health challenges, the market of digital technologies has increasingly developed in past years. This article aims to explore main profiles of use in relation to connected objects and health apps, as well as attitudes related to uses, non-uses and contexts of use. Therefore, our objective is to contribute to the scientific debate by proposing an empirical study in psychology that focusses on the perspectives of consumers and non-consumers of these technologies in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. To do this, a survey was conducted among participants of a large public health exhibition (n = 760). According to our results, the majority of respondents declare not having a connected object/health app and a third of non-users does not intend to acquire such technologies. Also, there is a trend among younger generations to have a connected object/health app. Concerning the contexts of use, such technologies are employed to self-track physical activity and eating practices. The degree of satisfaction of such use is rather high. Given these results, our analyses point out a divide within our sample, between individuals who seem resistant and declare not willing to have this kind of technology and those who use it in the long run. These results cast new light upon concrete uses and contexts of use among consumers and non-consumers of connected objects/health apps beyond techno-scientific promises that prevail today in our societies.