Anomalous experiences and schizotypy: which comes first? The Hermit Crab syndrome hypothesis

This study confirms findings of previous research as they state that some triggering events or anomalous experiences can give rise to a disruption of cognitive processes and emotional changes in a predisposed person. Furthermore, our research states that the cognitive process and change of world view (paradigm shift (PS)) accompanying some paranormal experiences (PEs) could facilitate the development of a schizotypal personality structure. For the purposes of this study, 675 young people aged between 13 and 25 years old (M?=?16.8, SD?=?1.9) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Revised and Modified Paranormal Belief Scales, the measurement of eight kinds of PE and a self-reported measurement of change of world view. The results confirm the mediating role of PS between paranormal practices and schizotypy as the cognitive process contributing to symptom formation as well as to symptom maintenance. The said results also confirm the existence of cognitive–emotional stages, also called Hermit Crab syndrome, in the process of the “paranormalisation” of reality.     

Atypical Neuropsychological Profile in a Boy with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Keywords:

In this article the general and specific cognitive impairments of the boy R.H. with a de novo deletion 22q11.2 are described. His full-scale IQ was 73, and he obtained only slightly better verbal than non-verbal subtest scores. Neuropsychological assessment revealed specific impairments in perceptual categorization of objects presented suboptimal, matching of unfamiliar faces, and verbal learning and memory. In contrast, he performed in accordance with his intelligence level on other visual perceptual tasks, on non-verbal learning and memory tasks, and on attention tasks. Voxel-wise statistical comparison of a high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance image of R.H’s brain with similar images obtained from 14 normal control children revealed as major abnormalities a reduction of the right inferior parietal and superior occipital lobe, and a bilateral reduction of deep white matter behind the inferior frontal gyrus. These cognitive impairments and MRI abnormalities are not commonly described in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and may indicate a larger heterogeneity in the neurocognitive phenotype than currently evidenced. At least in this boy the microdeletion seems to have interfered with the development and functioning of particular neural subsystems, while the structure and functioning of other subsystems was left intact.     

Extended cognition and the space of social interaction

The extended mind thesis (EM) asserts that some cognitive processes are (partially) composed of actions consisting of the manipulation and exploitation of environmental structures. Might some processes at the root of social cognition have a similarly extended structure? In this paper, I argue that social cognition is fundamentally an interactive form of space management—the negotiation and management of “we-space”—and that some of the expressive actions involved in the negotiation and management of we-space (gesture, touch, facial and whole-body expressions) drive basic processes of interpersonal understanding and thus do genuine social-cognitive work. Social interaction is a kind of extended social cognition, driven and at least partially constituted by environmental (non-neural) scaffolding. Challenging the Theory of Mind paradigm, I draw upon research from gesture studies, developmental psychology, and work on Moebius Syndrome to support this thesis.     

Parent Alienation Syndrome: A Two Step Approach Toward a Solution

This paper deals with the steps involved in mediation before or while legal action and the courts intervene to force a solution by law to often tragic, acrimonious human interaction between former partners. Professionals such as qualified psychologists or psychiatrists should be able to offer a full course of mediation before partners begin divorce proceedings or decisions regarding the placement of children with one party or the other. A 10-year study involving 16 cases provides evidence that the initial use of mediation may well be superior to the initial use of the adversarial system on its own.     

Measuring Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness: preliminary reliability of a caregiver attitudes and beliefs survey

Recent estimates of Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness suggest that approximately half of all American adults have not heard of the often devastating risks of shaking an infant. Using a sample of 288 undergraduate students, we developed a measure of attitudes around infant care practices. A total of 264 community participants completed a revised survey. Between-group comparisons, exploratory factor analyses, and internal consistency tests were employed to determine the directionality and reliability of any scale structure present in the data. A five factor structure fits the data reliably, and each of these factors seems to represent a unique dimension. Implications for using this measure clinically and preventatively are discussed.     

Social skills in women with Turner Syndrome

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a group of women with Turner Syndrome (TS) in interpersonal situations where several social skills were required, and to compare the results with unaffected sisters. Fifty-two TS females aged 15-35 years and 33 sisters aged 16-43 were evaluated using Del-Prette Social Skills Inventory (SSI) and individual interviews. Thirty mothers to subjects and sisters answered questionnaires. It was found that TS girls' performance in SSI was as good as their sisters' and even better in meeting new people and facing unknown situations (p = 0.020). Older TS women scored better than younger ones, differently from their sisters. There were no significant correlations between total score of TS women and their age at diagnosis, time of follow-up and height z-score. Mothers reported having more problems with TS girls than with sisters. Although TS girls demonstrated having social difficulties, just a few of them spontaneously complained about interpersonal problems in the interview. Results suggest that social difficulties may not cause TS girls major problems nor make them unhappy with their social lives, and/or TS girls may not be able to perceive their own difficulties. Good performance in SSI also suggests that TS girls can identify adequate skills in presented situations and answer in a way to obtain good scores, but they may not necessarily use their skills due to other factors like anxiety and shyness. They may also have a tendency to answer SSI in a way they consider socially desirable, masking their real difficulties.