How beliefs influence the relative magnitude of pleasure and pain

Loss aversion is an economic assumption about utility—people value giving up a good more than they value getting it. It also has hedonic meaning—the pain of a loss is greater in magnitude than the pleasure of a comparable gain. But value and pleasure are not necessarily identical. We test the hedonic interpretation of loss aversion in experimental markets. With hedonic forecasts, sellers imagine the pain of losing their endowment, and buyers imagine the pleasure of being endowed. With hedonic experiences, sellers rate the pleasure of having the endowment, and buyers rate the pain of being without it. Contrary to loss aversion, predicted pleasure is greater in magnitude than predicted pain, and experienced pleasure surpasses experienced pain. We show that the relative magnitude of pleasure and pain depends on beliefs about the likelihood of outcomes, as well as utilities. Surprise makes gains more pleasurable and losses more painful. With surprising gains and expected losses, pleasure can surpass pain. But when gains and losses are equally likely (or losses are surprising and gains are expected), the opposite pattern can occur. Finally, within‐group and between‐group prices are significantly correlated with hedonic experiences. Sellers who feel better with their endowments assign higher selling prices, and buyers who feel worse about the absence of endowment assign higher buying prices. Despite the fact that hedonic experiences deviate from loss aversion, these emotions predict the endowment effect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

子宫内膜异位症引起的盆腔疼痛的诊断和治疗

子宫内膜异位症(endometriosis,EMT)是妇科最常见的疾病之一,且发病率呈逐年上升趋势,盆腔疼痛是它常见的症状之一,其发病机制尚未明确,易复发,成为妇科研究的热点和难点。随着对EMT引起盆腔疼痛的发病机理的不断认识,其诊治也相应得到完善和发展。本文从哲学的角度以认识和实践等观点对EMT引起盆腔疼痛的诊断和治疗进展进行综述,以助于临床诊治。     

急腹症疼痛管理新观念——早期止痛

从早期止痛的意义,早期止痛的依据以及传统止痛观念的成因等三个方面论述急腹症早期止痛的必要性和合理性,并探讨早期止痛的策略。提醒医务人员要更新观念,对急腹症患者应尽早实施止痛干预。     

La pratique physique,un moyen de circonscrire les effets délétères du confinement en milieu carcéral : impact d’un programme d’activités physiques sur la santé perçue et le bien-être psychologique de détenus

To be in prison consists in enduring the enticements of multiple stressors and constraints leading to an unpredictable and often uncontrollable situation. This generates serious health troubles and distress in the population living in prison. Physical Exercise (PE) is well acquainted for its benefits in terms of health and as such it seems reasonable to suggest its contribution in ameliorating life conditions among detainees, although the literature on the subject is quite scanty. The present report shows that moderate PE may contribute actively in ameliorating the health status. Notably perceived stress and other psychological factors are significantly improved in a small and particular population of detainees, sex offenders.     

疼痛条件下时间目标对时距估计的影响

本研究采用冷压任务引发疼痛,以健康大学生为被试,试图探讨在疼痛条件下时间目标对时距估计的影响。结果发现：疼痛条件下的时距估计值小于非疼痛条件下时距估计值,疼痛条件下具体时间目标的时距估计值显著大于无目标时距估计值。临床上给患者提供具体的时间目标或许有助于他们应对疼痛。     

基于神经生理学的疼痛测量

疼痛是一种受多重因素影响的复杂主观感受。临床上,疼痛测量主要依赖于患者的主观评价。然而,这种传统的疼痛测量方法具有多方面的局限。近年来,研究者借助生理记录、脑电和功能磁共振等技术,揭示疼痛的神经生理、心理机制,挖掘与疼痛相关的神经生理指标,进而构建有效、客观和精确的疼痛评价体系。在基础研究和临床实践中,这些技术有望弥补传统疼痛测量方法的不足,从而极大推动疼痛测量及其治疗等相关领域研究的发展。     

Physical growth delays and stress dysregulation in stunted and non-stunted Ukrainian institution-reared children

To study the effect of institutional rearing on physical growth and stress regulation we examined 16 institution-reared children (3–6 years old) in Ukraine and compared them with 18 native family-reared children pair-matched on age and gender. Physical growth trajectories were examined on the basis of archival medical records and current measurements of height, weight, and head circumference. Stress regulation was studied on the basis of diurnal salivary cortisol sampled six times during 1 day. 31% of institution-reared children were stunted at 48 months whereas none of the family-reared children were. Substantial delays in physical growth were observed in institution-reared children especially during the first year of life. From 24 months onwards a tendency for improvement in physical growth was evident among the temporarily stunted institution-reared children, with complete catch-up in weight and partial catch-up in height by the time of assessment. Chronically stunted institution-reared children demonstrated persistent severe growth delays. Institution-reared and family-reared children showed similar patterns of diurnal cortisol production with decreases over the day. However, temporarily stunted institution-reared children had a significantly higher total daily cortisol production than both chronically stunted institution-reared children and family-reared children. These data confirm previous findings regarding physical growth delays and stress dysregulation associated with institutional care, but also point to differences in cortisol production between stunted and non-stunted institution-reared children.     

Sociocultural Predictors of Physical Appearance Concerns among Adolescent Girls and Young Women from China

This research assessed the extent to which sociocultural predictors of body dissatisfaction implicated in Western studies extend to the prediction of physical appearance concerns among young women and adolescent girls in Southwest China. In Study 1, 408 Chinese university-age women completed measures of fatness concern (FC), facial appearance concerns (FAC), sociocultural influence (i.e., appearance pressure, comparison, teasing), and demographics. In hierarchical regression analyses, appearance pressure and comparison predicted both FC and FAC, independent of other factors. In Study 2, effects of appearance pressure and comparison were replicated among middle school (n = 346) and high school (n = 563) girls. Together, findings suggest that appearance pressure and social comparison correspond with specific body image concerns of young females in China.     

Intent Attributions and Aggression: A Study of Children and their Parents

This research aimed to further clarify the relationship between children's self-reported hostile intent attributions (for ambiguous instrumental or relational provocations) and peer-reported aggression (physical and relational) in 500 fourth-grade children. In addition, we examined whether parents' intent attributions might predict children's intent attributions and aggression. Both parents (mothers and fathers) in 393 families completed intent attribution questionnaires. Results showed, consistent with past research, that boys' instrumental intent attributions were related to physical aggression. Children's relational intent attributions, however, were not associated with relational aggression. Contrary to expectations, most children responded with hostile intent attributions for relational provocations. Finally, in regard to parent-child connections, maternal intent attributions correlated with children's intent attributions whereas paternal intent attributions corresponded with children's relational aggression.     

Optimism and pessimism as predictors of physical and psychological health among grandmothers raising their grandchildren

This study examines the role of personality in predicting psychological and physical health among grandmothers who are coping with a non-normative non-traumatic stressor, i.e. serving as primary caregivers for their grandchildren. Using the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), a measure of personality disposition, we examine the contributions of both optimism and pessimism to health outcomes. ANOVAs and regression analyses of the LOT-R and self reports of health in 67 African American and Latino grandmothers revealed psychological (obsessive compulsive symptoms, depression, hostility) and physical (sleep disorder, hypertension) health outcomes are differentially predicted by optimism and pessimism among older and younger age-groups of grandmothers. Implications for grandmothers’ response to caregiving stress and for future studies of personality’s relation to health are discussed.