A translational evaluation of potential iatrogenic effects of single and combined contingencies during functional analysis

Recent research suggests that combining putative reinforcers for problem behavior into a single, synthesized contingency may increase efficiency in identifying behavioral function relative to traditional functional analysis (FA). Other research suggests potential shortcomings of synthesized contingency analysis (SCA), such as the potential for false-positive outcomes. In prior comparisons of traditional FAs and SCAs, investigators could not ascertain with certainty the true function(s) of the participants' problem behavior for use as the criterion variable. We conducted a translational study to circumvent this limitation by training a specific function for a surrogate destructive behavior prior to conducting a traditional FA and SCA. The traditional FA correctly identified the previously established function of the target response in all six cases and produced no iatrogenic effects. The SCA produced differentiated results in all cases and iatrogenic effects (i.e., an additional function) in three of six cases. We discuss these findings in terms of the mechanisms that may promote iatrogenic effects.     

Reduced specificity of autobiographical memories following a negative mood induction

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) to emotional and neutral cue words appears to be a stable cognitive marker of clinical depression. For example, reduced AMS is present in remitted/recovered depressed patients and shows no reliable relationship with current levels of depressed mood in correlational studies. The present study examined whether reduced AMS could be induced in healthy volunteers with no history of depression, using a negative mood manipulation and whether levels of AMS and induced mood were positively correlated. Results showed a reduction in AMS following negative mood induction, compared to a neutral induction, whereas positive mood induction had no effects on AMS. Furthermore, lower happiness following the induction phase correlated positively with reduced AMS, and the extent of happiness reduction from pre- to post-induction correlated positively with reduction in AMS. These results suggest that AMS is, at least in part, a function of current emotion state. The implications for the literature on AMS as a stable marker of clinical depression are discussed.     

The Induction of Mood via the WWW

Five experiments explored the methodology of Web-based mood induction and yielded empirical evidence for its feasibility and its limits. Study 1 examined the suitability of the Velten method and mood-suggestive photographs to induce both positive and negative moods. Negative mood was successfully induced, while the positive mood induction failed. In Study 2, cartoons successfully ameliorated mood, whereas jokes were ineffective. In Study 3, associations with affectively valenced words were not suitable in producing a positive or a negative mood. In Study 4, picture-illustrated emotive texts successfully induced a positive and a negative mood. In Study 5, valence and arousal ratings were obtained for the stimuli used in Study 1 and 3. Based on the results, recommendations for the application of online mood induction procedures are given.     

物体颜色与质地相似度对幼儿归纳推理的影响

设计了3个实验任务,探讨物体颜色相似度与质地相似度对140名4~6岁幼儿和40名成年人的归纳推理的影响。结果发现,在任务1中,当靶物体质地保持不变时,幼儿和成年人在归纳推理中倾向于选择与靶物体在颜色上更相似的物体;在任务2中,当靶物体颜色不变时,幼儿和成年人倾向于选择与靶物体在质地上更相似的物体;在任务3中,当测试物体在颜色相似度和质地相似度上发生相反变化时,4岁幼儿显著地依赖于质地相似度进行归纳,颜色相似度在5~6岁时的重要性明显提高,但仍略低于质地相似性,差异不显著,这表明颜色相似度和质地相似度在幼儿的归纳推理中具有不同程度的重要性。对成年人而言,颜色相似度虽然看起来比质地相似度相对更重要性,但差异不显著。     

Matching theory and induction explain operant performance

Matching theory is a general framework for understanding allocation of behavior among activities. It applies to choice in concurrent schedules and was extended to single schedules by assuming that other unrecorded behavior competes with operant behavior. Baum and Davison (2014) found that the competing activities apparently are induced by the “reinforcers” (phylogenetically important events, e.g., food) according to power functions. Combined with power-function induction, matching theory provides new equations with greater explanatory power. Four pigeons were exposed to conditions in which 7 different schedules of food delivery were presented within each experimental session. We replicated earlier results with variable-interval schedules: (a) a negatively accelerated increase of peck rate as food rate increased in the low range of food rates; (b) an upturn in pecking at higher rates; and (c) a downturn in pecking at extremely high food rates. When the contingency between pecking and food was removed, the food continued to induce pecking, even after 20 sessions with no contingency. A ratio schedule inserted in place of 1 variable-interval schedule maintained peck rates comparable to peck rates maintained by short interval schedules. We explained the results by fitting equations that combined matching theory, competition, and induction.     

Collusive induction in perverse relating: Perverse enactments and bastions as a camouflage for death anxiety

The author argues that one of the main functions of perverse relatedness is to induce the analyst into becoming the patient's unconscious accomplice in a “perverse pact” against the analytic work aimed at disavowing intolerable aspects of reality. The intense power of collusive induction in perverse relating leads the analyst to participate in transference‐countertransference enactments and to the crystallization of a silent and chronic unconscious collusion between the patient and analyst in the analytic field, stagnating the process (bastion; Baranger and Baranger). The author claims that analysis of perverse pathology should not be limited to interpretation of the patient's intrapsychic functioning but should also focus on the information obtained by the analyst through his participation in collusive enactments; the analyst should also take a “second look” at the analytic “field” to detect underlying bastions. The author reviews the main psychoanalytic contributions that have clarified the phenomenon of collusive induction in perverse relating and as an illustration, describes the analysis of a man with a perverse character; in this patient, one of the main functions of his perverse relatedness was to induce the analyst to become an accomplice in his disavowal of his terror of death. The author highlights the influence of death anxiety in the bastions that develop in the treatment of perverse patients.     

术前右美托咪定滴鼻对全麻诱导期的影响

观察新型α2肾上腺素受体激动剂右美托咪定(Dex)对全麻诱导期NTI及应激反应的影响.择期全麻手术患者40例,ASA Ⅰ级～Ⅱ级,随机分为两组,D组(n=20):患者入室后Dex1μg/kg滴鼻;C组(n=20)作为对照组,滴入相同容积的生理盐水.30min后进行诱导,观察NTI、改良清醒镇静评分(MOAA/S)、平均动脉压(MAP)、心率(HR)、血氧饱和度(SpO2),记录给药前(T0),给药后10min(T1),给药后20min(T2),给药后30min(T3),插管前(T4),插管即刻(T5)各项值变化.D组T1～T3与T0比较,NTI值、MOAA/S逐渐降低(P＜0.05)且显著低于C组(P＜0.05);D组T2、T3与T0比较,HR明显减慢(P＜0.05);麻醉诱导期间,C组T5与T4比较,MAP、HR均显著升高(P＜0.05),D组T5与T4比较,MAP、HR虽有所升高,但差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).Dex以1μg/kg滴鼻可明显镇静,使NTI值降低,诱导期血流动力学更加稳定,减少插管时应激反应.     

术前右美托咪定滴鼻对全麻诱导期的影响

观察新型α2肾上腺素受体激动剂右美托咪定（Dex）对全麻诱导期NTI及应激反应的影响.择期全麻手术患者40例,ASA Ⅰ级～Ⅱ级,随机分为两组,D组（n=20）：患者入室后Dex1μg/kg滴鼻;C组（n=20）作为对照组,滴入相同容积的生理盐水.30min后进行诱导,观察NTI、改良清醒镇静评分（MOAA/S）、平均动脉压（MAP）、心率（HR）、血氧饱和度（SpO2）,记录给药前（T0）,给药后10min（T1）,给药后20min（T2）,给药后30min（T3）,插管前（T4）,插管即刻（T5）各项值变化.D组T1～T3与T0比较,NTI值、MOAA/S逐渐降低（P＜0.05）且显著低于C组（P＜0.05）;D组T2、T3与T0比较,HR明显减慢（P＜0.05）;麻醉诱导期间,C组T5与T4比较,MAP、HR均显著升高（P＜0.05）,D组T5与T4比较,MAP、HR虽有所升高,但差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）.Dex以1μg/kg滴鼻可明显镇静,使NTI值降低,诱导期血流动力学更加稳定,减少插管时应激反应.