A Norwegian translation of the self–liking and competence scale

Although global self-esteem has historically been assumed to be a unidimensional construct, recent theory and research has challenged this assumption. Instead, it has been suggested that self-esteem might more fruitfully be viewed as a two-dimensional construct composed of: (a) self-liking, based on our perceptions of feedback from our social environment; and (b) self-competence, based on our internal conceptions of success and failure in performing tasks. The Self-Liking and Competence Scale (SLCS) is a self-esteem measure that has recently been developed based on this two-dimensional conceptualization of self-esteem. The purpose of the present research was to validate a Norwegian translation of the SLCS. 372 participants were given a translated version of the SLCS, and the translated scale exhibited psychometric properties similar to those of the original English version of the scale.     

Behaviors of Swiss-Webster and C57/BL/6N sin mice in a fear/defense test battery

When confronted by an approaching threat stimulus (experimenter or laboratory rat), Swiss-Webster mice show initial flight, followed by freezing and defensive vocalization and biting, the latter only when escape is blocked. These defense patterns resemble those of the wild rat, suggesting that mice of this strain do not show the reductions in flight and defensive threat/attack that are typical of laboratory rats. C57/BL/6N Sin strain mice showed fewer avoidances to an approaching predator, as well as reduced vocalization and defensive biting, a pattern more similar to that of laboratory rats. As with rats, female mice appeared to be more defensive to a predator. They showed greater reactivity to dorsal contact and more frequent defensive biting and jump attacks than males of the same strains. These patterns of defensive behaviors suggest that, although strain differences in defense are substantial, laboratory mice are suitable for, and may offer several advantages in, the study of the genetic, endocrine, and pharmacological basis of antipredator defense. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Learning from people, things, and signs

Starting from the observation that small children can count more objects than numbers—a phenomenon that I am calling the “lifeworld dependency of cognition”—and an analysis of finger calculation, the paper shows how learning can be explained as the development of cognitive systems. Parts of those systems are not only an individual’s different forms of knowledge and cognitive abilities, but also other people, things, and signs. The paper argues that cognitive systems are first of all semiotic systems since they are dependent on signs and representations as mediators. The two main questions discussed here are how the external world constrains and promotes the development of cognitive abilities, and how we can move from cognitive abilities that are necessarily connected with concrete situations to abstract knowledge.

Mindfulness as a moderator of the effect of implicit motivational self-concept on day-to-day behavioral motivation

Drawing from theories regarding the role of awareness in behavioral self-regulation, this research was designed to examine the role of mindfulness as a moderator between implicit motivation and the motivation for day-to-day behavior. We hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness (Brown and Ryan, J Pers Soc Psychol, 84, 822–848, 2003) would act to modify the expression of implicit autonomy orientation in daily behavioral motivation. Using the Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al. J Pers Soc Psychol, 74, 1464–1480, 1998), Study 1 provided evidence for the reliability and validity of a new measure of implicit autonomy orientation. Using an experience-sampling strategy, Study 2 showed the hypothesized moderating effect, such that implicit autonomy orientation predicted day-to-day motivation only for those lower in dispositional mindfulness. Those higher in mindfulness showed more autonomously motivated behavior regardless of implicit orientation toward autonomy or heteronomy. It also showed that this moderating effect of awareness was specific to mindfulness and was primarily manifest in spontaneous behavior. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for dual process theory and research.

高中生考试焦虑的团体辅导干预研究

通过对高一、高二学生被试实验组13人进行为期一周的考试焦虑团体辅导、控制组14人进行一般性团体辅导,探讨团体辅导对高中生考试焦虑水平的改善作用。结果表明,经过干预训练后,实验组被试的考试焦虑水平显著低于控制组被试、对考试重要性的认识显著优于控制组被试,但在考试策略上不存在显著差异。这意味着考试焦虑的团体辅导干预能有效地降低考试焦虑水平、提升对考试重要性的合理认识程度。     

实验室检验失血与医源性贫血——ICU的潜在危机

所有的住院患者均需采血进行实验室检测,而ICU中的危重患者则更为频繁。有很多原因促使医生开立检验单,以明确疾病的诊断和治疗,但由此而产生的失血却往往易被忽视。病情的危重程度和器官功能障碍程度是检验失血量的主要影响因素,但同时采血技术、检验分析仪性能以及医生开立检验单的目标和规范性等欠佳会增加血液标本的浪费。积极地进行规范的医疗管理和实验室仪器设备的改进等,在满足患者病情治疗需要的前提下尽量降低检验性失血,需要全社会的努力。     

归类不确定时人们的推理方式研究

该研究采用集中呈现样例的研究范式,探讨了归类不确定情况下,人们的推理方式。实验1控制特征联结频次,考察人们的推理方式是否是基于类别的推理。实验2控制类别中特征的基本概率,考察人们推理方式是否是基于特征联结的推理。实验结果表明,特征推理前不预先归类直接推理时,人们的推理根据目标特征与预测特征联结的频次进行,是基于特征联结的推理;特征推理前预先要求被试归类时,人们的特征推理是基于类别的推理。     

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Language in Epilepsy

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has revolutionized our understanding of functional networks and cerebral organization in both normal and pathological brains. In the present review, we describe the use of fMRI for mapping language in epilepsy patients prior to surgical intervention including a discussion of methodological issues and task design, comparisons between fMRI and the intracarotid sodium amobarbital test, fMRI studies of language reorganization, and the use of fMRI laterality indexes to predict outcome after anterior temporal lobectomy.     

Information processing biases and panic disorder: relationships among cognitive and symptom measures

To test cognitive models of panic disorder, a range of information processing biases were examined among persons with panic disorder (N=43) and healthy control participants (N=38). Evidence for automatic associations in memory was assessed using the Implicit Association Test, interference effects related to attention biases were assessed using a modified supraliminal Stroop task, and interpretation biases were assessed using the Brief Body Sensations Interpretation Questionnaire. In addition, the relationship between information processing biases and clinical markers of panic (including affective, behavioral, and cognitive symptom measures) was investigated, along with the relationships among biases. Results indicated more threat biases among the panic (relative to control) group on each of the information processing measures, providing some of the first evidence for an implicit measure of panic associations. Further, structural equation modeling indicated that the information processing bias measures were each unique predictors of panic symptoms, but that the bias indicators did not relate to one another. These findings suggest that cognitive factors may independently predict panic symptoms, but not covary. Results are discussed in terms of their support for cognitive models of panic and the potential for automatic versus strategic processing differences across the tasks to explain the low relationships across the biases.     

Explicit and implicit cognition: a preliminary test of a dual-process theory of cognitive vulnerability to depression

Two studies were conducted to test a dual-process theory of cognitive vulnerability to depression. According to this theory, implicit and explicit cognitive processes have differential effects on depressive reactions to stressful life events. Implicit processes are hypothesized to be critical in determining an individual's immediate affective reaction to stress whereas explicit cognitions are thought to be more involved in long-term depressive reactions. Consistent with hypotheses, the results of study 1 (cross-sectional; N=237) showed that implicit, but not explicit, cognitions predicted immediate affective reactions to a lab stressor. Study 2 (longitudinal; N=251) also supported the dual-process model of cognitive vulnerability to depression. Results showed that both the implicit and explicit measures interacted with life stress to predict prospective changes in depressive symptoms, respectively. However, when both implicit and explicit predictors were entered into a regression equation simultaneously, only the explicit measure interacted with stress to remain a unique predictor of depressive symptoms over the five-week prospective interval.