Implicit theories of intelligence and IQ test performance in adolescents with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

During the past decade, several studies have reported positive effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of children and adolescents with mental disorders. One of the most important CBT interventions is to teach children and adolescents to challenge negative thoughts that lead to maladjusted behaviors. Based on the implicit theories of intelligence framework, the main purpose of this study was to test whether an incremental theory manipulation could be used to affect IQ test performance in adolescents with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Results showed that patients demonstrated enhanced IQ performance and experienced less state anxiety when they were exposed to an incremental theory of intelligence manipulation. Our findings suggest that incremental theory manipulation provides a useful cognitive strategy for addressing school-related anxiety in adolescents with mental disorders such as GAD.     

A comparison of cognitive-behavior therapy with interpersonal and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy with the combination of cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy on decreasing the excessiveness of pathological worry and increasing happiness of the individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.

Method: The sample consisted of 36 female undergraduate students who referred themselves to the Isfahan University Counseling Center and met the criteria for GAD. They were randomly assigned into three groups; namely, two experimental groups and one control group. Before receiving the interventions all of the groups completed Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Oxford Happiness Inventory. One of the experimental groups underwent cognitive behavior therapy and the other one received the integration of cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy. The control group received no intervention.

Result: The statistical analyses indicated that the differences between the CBT and CBT+ IPT groups on excessive worry and happiness in the post tests were not significant. But significant mean differences were observed in the follow-ups regarding pathological worry and happiness between two groups.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the integration of cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal therapy can be applied as an effective intervention for decreasing the rate of GADs’ relapses after cognitive behavior therapy.     

Dyadic predictors of outcome in a cognitive-behavioral program for patients with generalized anxiety disorder in committed relationships: a "spoonful of sugar" and a dose of non-hostile criticism may help

The present study tested whether pre-treatment levels of partner hostility and non-hostile criticism predicted outcome in an individual cognitive-behavioral therapy package for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Eighteen patients with a principal or co-principal diagnosis of GAD were randomly allocated to a treatment condition (n=8) or a delayed treatment condition (n=10). In addition, the patients and their partners were videotaped discussing the patients’ worries. These videotapes were later coded for levels of partner hostility and non-hostile criticism directed at the patients. Treatment resulted in statistically and clinically significant change at post-test. Finally, partner hostility predicted worse end-state functioning whereas partner non-hostile criticism predicted better end-state functioning.     

大学生一般结果期待对风险决策偏好的影响

以一般结果期待的双维结构观点为基础,按照一般结果期待的乐观期待和悲观期待的水平将184名大学生样本划分为明显乐观、明显悲观、双重倾向和倾向不明四个类型,进而探讨不同类型大学生在创业投资情境下一般结果期待对风险决策偏好的影响。结果表明,风险概率、描述框架与一般结果期待的交互作用显著,在低风险概率、积极框架下,双重倾向型一般结果期待大学生比其他三个类型的大学生表现出明显的风险寻求偏好。     

Quantifying disablers in reasoning with universal and existential rules

People accept conclusions of valid conditional inferences (e.g., if p then q, p therefore q) less, the more disablers (circumstances that prevent q to happen although p is true) exist. We investigated whether rules that through their phrasing exclude disablers evoke higher acceptance ratings than rules that do not exclude disablers. In three experiments we re-phrased content-rich conditionals from the literature as either universal or existential rules and embedded these rules in Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens inferences. In Experiments 2 and 3, we also used abstract rules. The acceptance of conclusions increased when the rule was phrased with “all” instead of “some” and the number of disablers had a higher impact on existential rules than on universal rules. Further, the effect of quantifier was more pronounced for abstract rules and when tested within subjects. We discuss the relevance of phrasing, quantifiers and knowledge on reasoning.     

Varieties of Three-Valued Heyting Algebras with a Quantifier

This paper is devoted to the study of some subvarieties of the variety Qof Q-Heyting algebras, that is, Heyting algebras with a quantifier. In particular, a deeper investigation is carried out in the variety Q ₃ of three-valued Q-Heyting algebras to show that the structure of the lattice of subvarieties of Qis far more complicated that the lattice of subvarieties of Heyting algebras. We determine the simple and subdirectly irreducible algebras in Q ₃ and we construct the lattice of subvarieties (Q ₃ ) of the variety Q ₃ .     

Experience and appraisal of worry among high worriers with and without generalized anxiety disorder

Recent research has revealed that a large number of highly worried individuals do not qualify for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This raises the intriguing question of why some high worriers are more impaired and distressed by their worrying than others, particularly when the severity of their worry is the same. The present investigation sought to address this question by examining whether GAD and non-GAD high worriers differ in their actual worry experiences, their subjective appraisals of worry experiences, or both experiences and appraisals of worry. GAD and non-GAD worriers, selected for matching levels of trait worry severity, completed an attention-focus task with thought sampling before and after a brief worry induction. They also completed questionnaires assessing their experiences during and after the worry induction, as well as their general beliefs about worry. GAD worriers experienced less control over negative intrusive thoughts immediately after worrying, reported greater somatic hyperarousal following worry, and endorsed several negative beliefs about worry more strongly than their worry-matched controls. Results suggest that GAD is associated with unique experiences and appraisals that distinguish it from other forms of severe worry.     

On Ultrafilter Logic and Special Functions

Logics for generally were introduced for handling assertions with vague notions,such as generally, most, several, etc., by generalized quantifiers, ultrafilter logic being an interesting case. Here, we show that ultrafilter logic can be faithfully embedded into a first-order theory of certain functions, called coherent. We also use generic functions (akin to Skolem functions) to enable elimination of the generalized quantifier. These devices permit using methods for classical first-order logic to reason about consequence in ultrafilter logic.Presented by André Fuhrmann     

The structural relationships among generalized anxiety, obsessions-compulsions, and depression at the syndrome and sub-syndrome level

This study explored anxiety's relationship to depression by assessing a group of 592 undergraduate psychology students at Washington State University. Multiple measures of generalized anxiety (GA), obsessions–compulsions (O–C), and depression were used to conduct several confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). A three-factor model of GA, O–C, and depression was found superior in fit to a one-factor “negative-affect” model, a two-factor model of anxiety and depression, and a second-order three-factor model. Further CFAs divided GA, O–C, and depression into six independent symptom category factors utilizing instrument subscales (e.g., worry, somatic anxiety, obsessions, compulsions, cognitive depression, and somatic depression). The fit for this model was superior to three alternative measurement models. The correlations among the six symptom category constructs revealed differential patterns among the cognitive and somatic symptoms.     

Partially Interpreted Relations and Partially Interpreted Quantifiers

Logics in which a relation R is semantically incomplete in a particular universe E, i.e. the union of the extension of R with its anti-extension does not exhaust the whole universe E, have been studied quite extensively in the last years. (Cf. van Benthem (1985), Blamey (1986), and Langholm (1988), for partial predicate logic; Muskens (1996), for the applications of partial predicates to formal semantics, and Doherty (1996) for applications to modal logic.) This is not so with semantically incomplete generalized quantifiers which constitute the subject of the present paper. The only systematic study of these quantifiers from a purely logical point of view, is, to the best of my knowledge, that by van Eijck (1995). We shall take here a different approach than that of van Eijck and mention some of the abstract properties of the resulting logic. Finally we shall prove that the two approaches are interdefinable.