Social reinforcement of somatic versus psychological description of depressive events

The cultural construction of illness model explains the clinical observation that psychological correlates of depression such as sadness and worthlessness are frequently reported in Western cultures, whereas somatic or vegetative complaints are often associated with depression in non-Western cultures. This study employed Portnoy and Salzinger's (J. Gen. Psychol. 70 (1964) 311) verbal conditioning paradigm to determine whether social contingencies, in the form of verbal and non-verbal reinforcement contingent upon verbal responses, affect the reporting of experiences related to depressive events. Using an ABA design, this experimental study (N=36) demonstrated that one's reporting of experiences of hypothetical depressive events, via psychological, somatic, or neutral verbal response classes, can be conditioned by verbal and non-verbal positive social reinforcement, and therefore socially constructed through environmental contingencies. This suggests one pathway by which culture can shape symptom presentation. Implications for clinical interviewing and behavioral assessment, especially in the cross-cultural context, are discussed.     

A critical boundary to the left-hemisphere advantage in visual-word processing

Two experiments explored boundary conditions for the ubiquitous left-hemisphere advantage in visual-word recognition. Subjects perceptually identified words presented directly to the left or right hemisphere. Strong left-hemisphere advantages were observed for UPPERCASE and lowercase words. However, only a weak effect was observed for AlTeRnAtInG-cAsE words, and a numerical reversal of the typical left-hemisphere advantage was observed for words in a visual prototype font (a very unfamiliar word format). Results support the theory that dissociable abstract and specific neural subsystems underlie visual-form recognition and fail to support the theory that a visual lexicon operates in the left hemisphere.     

Functional neuroimaging of cognition: state-of-the-art

This paper presents a brief overview of functional neuroimaging studies of cognitive processes. A "publication profile" is identified for PET and fMRI studies of cognitive functions. It is shown that the number of publications has increased exponentially over the last ten years, and that a set of ten journals accounts for the vast majority of publications. It is argued that the field has moved from a state of explorative character to a state of high theoretical sophistication. With special reference to the contributions in this issue of Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, methodological, topical, regional, and clinical implications of cognitive neuroscientific studies are discussed.     

Posterior superior temporal cortex connectivity is related to social communication in toddlers

The second year of life is a time when social communication skills typically develop, but this growth may be slower in toddlers with language delay. In the current study, we examined how brain functional connectivity is related to social communication abilities in a sample of 12-24 month-old toddlers including those with typical development (TD) and those with language delays (LD). We used an a-priori, seed-based approach to identify regions forming a functional network with the left posterior superior temporal cortex (LpSTC), a region associated with language and social communication in older children and adults. Social communication and language abilities were assessed using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning. We found a significant association between concurrent CSBS scores and functional connectivity between the LpSTC and the right posterior superior temporal cortex (RpSTC), with greater connectivity between these regions associated with better social communication abilities. However, functional connectivity was not related to rate of change or language outcomes at 36 months of age. These data suggest an early marker of low communication abilities may be decreased connectivity between the left and right pSTC. Future longitudinal studies should test whether this neurobiological feature is predictive of later social or communication impairments.     

In defence of loose ends: Psychotherapy process research in the real world

Understanding what transpires in therapeutic conversations is as complex as the humans who are engaged in them. Inspired by the natural sciences, mainstream research in psychotherapy has taken up a positivist epistemology and strives for quantification and verification to produce evidence of the effectiveness of an approach. This paper explores an alternative foundation for therapeutic practices which has implications for how we do research. First, we present some ideas from process philosophy and dialogical perspectives.. In particular we return to the ideas of Henri Bergson who understood change as consisting of interpenetrated continuous and shifting states. In a next step we briefly look into how such ideas have influenced what is referred to as dialogical practices. Such dialogical practices operate through facilitating polyphonic, diverse perspectives that may mediate change in and through an intersubjective process of becoming. Based on this we take another step and make some suggestions for how we may develop research that enables ways of exploring therapeutic conversations as a multi-voiced, interactional and unfinalized process. We offer by way of example a method by which we attempt to integrate a linguistic theory (Systemic functional linguistics) with the dialogical framework and the ideas of Bergson. This paper considers how process philosophy may offer an alternative to the seeking of certainty that occurs in both psychotherapy research and practice, and ideas for making space for the ‘loose ends’ of the inconsistent and the unknown.     

The usefulness of the averaging rule in consumer studies: A partial replication with an eye at neuroeconomics

IntroductionInformation Integration Theory models how different pieces of information are combined by people into unified judgments. Its contribution to decision-making and to consumer studies distinctly relies on a set of empirically established algebraic models for reflecting the cognitive structure of judgments and decisions (cognitive algebra). Among these, the averaging model has particular properties, allowing for operationally distinguishing between the elusive notions of psychological value and importance.ObjectivesThe main goal of the paper is to support the applicability and robustness of the averaging model in consumer studies, by partially replicating a published study that documented averaging. Additionally, it tentatively explores potential contributions of the averaging model to neuroeconomics, by simultaneously recording ratings and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses.MethodsTwenty-five participants rated on a satisfaction scale (format 0-20) a set of experimental conditions arising from the full factorial combination of three levels of sneakers’ branded models and three levels of purchase prices, expanded with conditions in which brands were presented in isolation (sub-design). Simultaneous electrophysiological monitoring was performed with an EEG mask (international system 10-20, referenced to the mastoid apophyses). Segmentation and processing of evoked response potentials were done in Matlab. Both ratings and magnitudes of event-related potentials (ERP) components were analyzed through inspection of the factorial plots with the support of repeated-measures ANOVAs.ResultsThe rating responses revealed an averaging model, with equal weighting in a cluster of subjects and differential weighting in another, but more overall importance of the branded model variable in both cases. The only tentative suggestions of relevant neural correlates involved the LPP and P300 components of the ERP and a reduced number of EEG channels (P4, P3, Fz and T3).ConclusionsThe averaging model is robustly applicable and useful in consumer studies, both for measurement (value and importance) and consumer segmentation (cognitively based clusterization) purposes. While calling attention to the later components of the ERP at specific topographies, the paucity of EEG results suggests that ERP peak amplitude may not be a useful measure for the purpose. Apart from that, a functional measurement approach to neuroeconomics seems feasible in principle and an explorable path in the future.     

Behind the wheels with autism and ADHD: Brain networks involved in driving hazard detection

Driving is a cognitively challenging task, and many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle to drive safely and effectively. Previous evidence suggests that core neuropsychological deficits in executive functioning (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) may impact driving in ASD and ADHD. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study compares the brain mechanisms underlying ToM and EF during a hazard perception driving task. Forty-six licensed drivers (14 ASD, 17 ADHD, 15 typically developing (TD)), ages 16–27 years, viewed a driving scenario in the MRI scanner and were instructed to respond to driving hazards that were either “social” (contained a human component such as a pedestrian) or “nonsocial” (physical objects such as a barrel). All groups of participants recruited regions part of the “social brain” (anterior insula, angular gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right cuneus/precuneus, and right inferior frontal gyrus) when processing social hazards, and regions associated with motor planning and object recognition (postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, and supplementary motor area) when processing nonsocial hazards. While there were no group differences in brain activation during the driving task, years licensed was predictive of greater prefrontal and temporal activation to social hazards in all participants. Findings of the current study suggest that high-functioning ASD and ADHD licensed drivers may be utilizing similar cognitive resources as TD controls for decisions related to driving-related hazard detection.     

Personality, anxiety and functional dysphonia

Psychological factors are considered for the predisposition and perpetuation of functional dysphonia. In the present study 61 patients with functional dysphonia were compared with 61 healthy controls, matched by age, sex, and occupation with respect to Cloninger’s personality model, mood, and anxiety.The patients with functional dysphonia presented significantly higher scores than the healthy controls with respect to “harm avoidance” (HA); depressive symptoms; symptoms of unspecific and general anxiety; symptoms of specific anxiety concerning “health”, “illness”, and “extraversion versus introversion”. No significant differences were found in “novelty seeking” (NS), “reward dependence” (RD), “persistence” (PE), or in state-anxiety and anxiety of social situations. These results were found considering univariate and multivariate analyses and confirm the relationship of psychological factors such as personality traits, mood, and anxiety on one hand and conversion disorder in general and functional dysphonia in particular on the other hand. This important relationship should be considered in the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions of functional dysphonia.     

An Examination of a Functional Mixed-Effects Modeling Approach to the Analysis of Longitudinal Data

Growth curve modeling is one of the main analytical approaches to study change over time. Growth curve models are commonly estimated in the linear and nonlinear mixed-effects modeling framework in which both the mean and person-specific curves are modeled parametrically with functions of time such as the linear, quadratic, and exponential. However, when more complex nonlinear trajectories need to be estimated and researchers do not have a priori knowledge of an appropriate functional form of growth, parametric models may be too restrictive. This paper reviews functional mixed-effects models, a nonparametric extension of mixed-effects models that permit both the mean and person-specific curves to be estimated without assuming a prespecified functional form of growth. Details of the model are presented along with results from a simulation study and an empirical example. The simulation study showed functional mixed-effects models performed reasonably well under various conditions commonly associated with longitudinal panel data, such as few time points per person, irregularly spaced time points across persons, missingness, and nonlinear trajectories. The usefulness of functional mixed-effects models is illustrated by analyzing empirical data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999.