Lack of correlation between digit ratio (2D:4D) and Baron-Cohen’s “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test, empathy, systemising, and autism-spectrum quotients in a general population sample

The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is sexually differentiated and is a likely biomarker for the organisational (permanent) effects of prenatal testosterone on the human brain. Recent research has highlighted a possible role of prenatal testosterone levels in both the etiology of autism-spectrum disorders and in sex and individual differences in cognitive styles of the normal mind (Baron-Cohen’s Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism and Empathising/Systemising Theory). Importantly, autistic children present lower (hypermasculinised) 2D:4D than healthy controls. Based on these accounts, we investigated the relation of 2D:4D with Baron-Cohen’s measures of empathising (“Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test, RMET; Empathy Quotient, EQ), systemising (Systemising Quotient, SQ), and autistic-like traits (Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ) in the general population (N = 423 Austrian adults). Whereas sex differences into the expected direction and of expected size were obtained for all variables and internal scale consistencies tallied to retrievable reference values, 2D:4D was unrelated to RMET, EQ, SQ, and AQ scores. Candidate explanations for this lack of correlation might be possible developmental timing differences in the expression of 2D:4D and empathising/systemising, qualitative (as opposed to quantitative) functional differences between the normal and the autistic mind, or the suboptimal psychometric properties of the measures.     

角膜屈光手术治疗的综合启示

角膜屈光手术是近年发展起来的治疗屈光不正的重要技术.已应用于临床,并取得了令人鼓舞的结果.尤其是准分子激光的实时扫描跟踪技术,并辅之眼前段成像系统与波前相差技术的一体化,极大提高了手术疗效.纵观其发展过程,认识到角膜屈光手术的发展是多学科联合发展的结果.     

Fission and confusion.

Catholic opponents of abortion and embryonic stem cell research usually base their position on a hylomorphic account of ensoulment at fertilization. They maintain that we each started out as one-cell ensouled organisms. Critics of this position argue that it is plagued by a number of intractable problems due to fission (twinning) and fusion. We're unconvinced that such objections to early ensoulment provide any reason to doubt the coherence of the hylomorphic account. However, we do maintain that a defense of ensoulment at fertilization must deny that we're essentially organisms.     

A reconstruction of contemporary Confucianism as a form of knowledge

Traditional Confucianism might be likened to a great tree, with various branches and trends of thought emerging from common roots. Continuing with this metaphor, Confucianism as a form of knowledge might be regarded as a main branch, and the resulting form of Confucianism constitutes the main body of Chinese learning. Due to modern society’s transformation, Confucianism as a form of knowledge has begun to disappear and the form of Confucianism which has its own discourse system and problem consciousness has become a disconnected tradition and an object of study of all the branches of learning in modern times. It is important for the present-day development of Confucianism that we break the rigescent modern academic system, propagate Confucianism as a form of knowledge, and rebuild the Confucian form of knowledge. __________ Translated from Hebei Xuekan 河北学刊 (Hebei Academic Journal), 2005(4) by Yan Xin     

关于情绪与推理的理论与实验研究进展

人们普遍认为情绪会影响推理活动,但长期以来缺乏实证研究的证据。文章总结近年来有关情绪对推理影响研究的实验证据,围绕情绪的两方面因素即情绪状态与情绪信息是否影响逻辑推理的问题,对情绪与推理的关系进行探讨。简要介绍了情绪与推理的理论假设以及其实验范式,主要介绍情绪与推理研究的新进展。     

Are you a “bad driver” all the time? Insights from a weekly diary study on personality and dangerous driving behavior

Research concerning dangerous driving behavior has often favored studying inter-individual differences at the expense of intra-individual ones (especially when verifying its associations with personality factors). Using a 7 weeks diary approach, we aimed at exploring the intra-individual variation of dangerous driving behavior (Errors, Violations and Aggressive driving). Also, we verified if our outcomes could be predicted by both situational variables (weekly km, felt traffic pressure and traffic mood) and dispositional ones (Big-Five personality factors, age and gender). Our findings revealed that Violations, Verbal & Physical aggression and Vehicle aggression had similar intra- to inter-individual variation ratios, with approximately 45% of variance at the intra-individual level. In contrast, Errors had only about 30% of variance at the intra-individual level. Traffic mood was the only significant intra-individual predictor, negatively correlating with all outcomes. Excepting Agreeableness, all personality factors were related to at least one dangerous driving behavior (especially consistent for the association between Extraversion and Aggressive driving). Also, women reported lower levels than men on all outcomes but Errors. Overall, this study raises some questions about the assumed stability of driving behavior, while at the same time confirming several relational patterns between personality factors and dangerous driving.     

Daily playful work design: A trait activation perspective

We introduce the concept of daily playful work design (PWD) and test the factorial validity of a new instrument to assess PWD. Using trait activation theory, we hypothesize that employees who are more open to experiences and playful will be more engaged and creative in their work on the days they playfully design their work activities. We tested the factorial validity of the instrument and our hypotheses in a sample of 88 employees who answered questionnaires during five consecutive workdays (N = 391 observations). The multilevel analyses yielded evidence for the psychometric quality of the PWD instrument and generally supported the hypotheses. The traits openness and playfulness moderated the relationship of daily PWD behaviors with daily work engagement and creativity.     

Understanding and Incorporating God Representations Within Counseling

The religious and spiritual identity of a client may be relevant to the counseling process, and thus counselors should be prepared to integrate these components within treatment. The authors consider the assessment and exploration of God representations (i.e., God images and concepts) to understand and integrate religious and spiritual meanings within the context of a client's presenting concerns. The authors provide examples, strategies, and considerations for how to apply God representations within counseling.     

Observing home-visiting quality across time: A longitudinal reliability study of the Home Visit Rating Scales

Empirical examination of home-visiting quality over time is lacking in the research literature. To this end, this study examined the most recent edition of a widely used observational measure of home-visiting quality, the Home Visit Rating Scales (HOVRS), over four repeated assessments spanning an average of 6 months. Psychometric quality for the HOVRS Total and Home Visitor Practice Scales, including item ratings and calculated scores, across time was demonstrated. Stability indicators for the Family Engagement Scales varied, with superior reliability often indicated for individual ratings over the calculated score. The exploration of interrelationships among family demographics and change in HOVRS scores over time were largely insignificant. Interestingly, a decline in the Home Visitor Practice Scale significantly related to increased symptoms of maternal depression, possibly suggesting that home-visitors’ focus shifted from children's needs to those of parent s when mental health concerns were observed. Although this study is an examination of one program model and poses limited generalizability, it sets the stage for advancing the HOVRS and longitudinal measurement of home-visiting quality.     

Increased visual interest and affective responses to impossible figures in early infancy

This research evaluated infants’ facial expressions as they viewed pictures of possible and impossible objects on a TV screen. Previous studies in our lab demonstrated that four-month-old infants looked longer at the impossible figures and fixated to a greater extent within the problematic region of the impossible shape, suggesting they were sensitive to novel or unusual object geometry. Our work takes studies of looking time data a step further, determining if increased looking co-occurs with facial expressions associated with increased visual interest and curiosity, or even puzzlement and surprise. We predicted that infants would display more facial expressions consistent with either “interest” or “surprise” when viewing the impossible objects relative to possible ones, which would provide further evidence of increased perceptual processing due to incompatible spatial information. Our results showed that the impossible cubes evoked both longer looking times and more reactive expressions in the majority of infants. Specifically, the data revealed significantly greater frequency of raised eyebrows, widened eyes and returns to looking when viewing impossible figures with the most robust effects occurring after a period of habituation. The pattern of facial expressions were consistent with the “interest” family of facial expressions and appears to reflect infants’ ability to perceive systematic differences between matched pairs of possible and impossible objects as well as recognize novel geometry found in impossible objects. Therefore, as young infants are beginning to register perceptual discrepancies in visual displays, their facial expressions may reflect heightened attention and increased information processing associated with identifying irreconcilable contours in line drawings of objects. This work further clarifies the ongoing formation and development of early mental representations of coherent 3D objects.