The effects of self-focused attention, performance demand, and dispositional sexual self-consciousness on sexual arousal of sexually functional and dysfunctional men

Sexually functional (N=26) and sexually dysfunctional heterosexual men with psychogenic erectile disorder (N=23) viewed two sexually explicit videos. Performance demand was manipulated through verbal instruction that a substantial genital response was to be expected from the videos. Self-focused attention was manipulated by introducing a camera pointed at the participant. Dispositional self-consciousness was assessed by questionnaire. Performance demand was found to independently inhibit the genital response. No main effect of self-focus was found. Self-focus inhibited genital response in men scoring high on general and sexual self-consciousness traits, whereas it enhanced penile tumescence in low self-conscious men. Inhibition effects were found in both volunteers and patients. No interaction effects of performance demand and self-focus were found. Subjective sexual arousal in sexually functional men was highest in the self-focus condition. In sexually dysfunctional men, subjective sexual response proved dependent on locus of attention as well as presentation order.     

Influence of seasonally adjusted exposure to cold and darkness on cognitive performance in circumpolar residents

The effects of seasonally adjusted 24-h exposure to cold and darkness on cognitive performance in urban circumpolar residents was assessed in 15 male subjects who spent three 24-h periods in a climatic chamber at 65° latitude during the winter (January–March) and/or summer (August–September). Each subject was exposed to three different environmental conditions in random order: (1) 22 °C temperature and 500 lx lighting; (2) 10 °C temperature and 500 lx lighting; and (3) 10 °C temperature and 0.5–l lx lighting. Accuracy on an addition-subtraction task was significantly greater in the summer than in the winter ( p = 0.038), while accuracy on a repeated acquisition task was significantly greater in the winter than in the summer ( p < 0.001). Independent of season, exposure to cold and darkness was significantly associated with a decline in response time on five cognitive tests, an improvement in accuracy on three tests measuring complex cognitive tasks, and a decline in accuracy on two tests measuring simple tasks. Increased performance on complex tasks may result from increased arousal in response to the combination of cold temperatures and dim light characteristic of the winter in urban circumpolar settings.     

Visual evoked potentials to the geometric forms in the randomized presentation

Two outlined geometric figures, an equilateral triangle and a circle, of equal contour length, were randomly presented at a fixed position in the lower or upper part of the visual field (LVF and UVF). Transient visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded monopolarly from the inion (I), 5, 10, 15 cm above it (I5, I10, I15) and Fz, for 12 subjects. Grand-averaged VEPs were computed. A negative (N) wave (averaged peak latency 155 ms) was identified in the LVF and a positive (P) wave (130 ms) in the UVF. In the LVF, the N amplitude of the triangle was significantly larger than that of the circle at I5 and I. Regarding the P wave in the UVF, the triangle was of a significantly longer latency than the circle at I15, I10 and I5. The enhancement of the N amplitude for the triangle in the LVF is not attributable to the arousal caused by the preparatory state for the figure, since the subject could not predict the figure to be presented next or its position.     

弱智儿童在上课时和自由活动时的行为表现

研究了４１名弱智儿童。采用时间样本的方法收集材料,以期从动态角度了解弱智儿童在上课时和自由活动时的行为表现。按园别和智力落后程度两个方面对被试在上课时的８大类行为和自由活动时的７大类行为进行了分析。结果发现：班级人数、不同教学方法和智力落后程度与弱智儿童的行为表现有关。还对收集材料的方法、园别和智力落后程度与弱智儿童的行为表现的关系、高频率的自娱活动等,进行了讨论。最后,根据研究结果对教师提出了教学建议。     

Update on master's genetic counseling training programs: Survey of curriculum content and graduate analysis summary

The field of genetic counseling is a recognized specialty in medical genetics with the primary practitioners being masters degree prepared individuals. Since the inception of the first master's degree genetic counseling (MGC) training program in 1969, more than 1000 genetic counselors have graduated from established training programs in United States and Canada. The MGC programs involve a 2-year academic curriculum of both didactic course work and supervised clinical field work (clinical praticums). A recent survey of 17 existing MGC training programs (16 U.S. and 1 Canadian) reveals that MGC graduates average a total of 1349 actual contact hours (range 854–1952 hours) during their 2-year degree program course of study. Clinical experience gained through clinical practica accounts for 58% of required coursework, followed by didactic coursework in basic science (21%) and counseling (16%), respectively. A few programs also have requisite laboratory practica, which accounts for 5% of overall content hours. The 17 existing MGC programs produce approximately 100 graduates annually. Although the number of programs has grown since inception of the first MGC program in 1969, the mean number of graduates per program remains fairly constant. By year 2002, the estimated total number of master's degree trained genetic counselors will approach 2200.     

Interactive effects of self-concept and social context on perceived cohesion in intensive care nursing

Group cohesion is critical in the workplace, especially when individual and contextual constraints coexist but high performance is essential. We assess the source of variation in group members' perceptions of cohesion. Using an interactional psychology perspective, and within the context of intensive care, this study examines the interactive effects of nurses' self-concept and the objective social context within which they are embedded. Individual- and unit-level factors are investigated because they jointly shape the degree to which nurses perceive their intensive care units as cohesive. A multisource, multilevel study of approximately 140 nurses employed in 20 units across Denmark demonstrates the role self-concept plays in easing and enhancing the constraints workplaces impose on cohesion. Implications for research on emergent states and interactional psychology are discussed.     

Disentangling the facilitating and hindering effects of threat-related stimuli – A visual search study

Although large body of research has demonstrated the attention-grabbing nature of threat-related stimuli, threat could also facilitate attentional processes. Previous studies suggest a linear relationship between the facilitating effect of the arousal level conveyed by threat and performance on visual search tasks. Due to the temporal competition bias favouring stimuli with higher arousal level, this could be more pronounced for shorter onset times. Here, through two experiments we aimed to disentangle the two effects by using a visual search paradigm that allowed us to separate the emotional stimuli and the cognitive task. We manipulated stimulus onset time and threat intensity. Participants saw neutral and threatening pictures as priming stimuli, and then, they had to find numbers in ascending order in a matrix array. We measured the reaction time for finding the first number, and search time for finding all the numbers. Our results showed that when the priming stimulus is presented, longer threatening pictures produced longer reaction times compared to neutral ones, which was reversed with increase in arousal. We did not find any significant effects for the shorter onset time. Further theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.     

情绪对联合行动中共同表征能力的影响机制

采用联合Simon任务通过3个实验探究不同情绪维度对联合任务中共同表征能力的影响机制。实验1a、1b分别考察在高、低唤醒度条件下不同效价对个体共同表征能力的影响; 实验2在此基础上进一步探索动机维度在其中的作用。结果发现：无论效价高低, 高唤醒度都是提高个体共同表征能力的关键因素, 且动机强度在其中起一定调节作用; 而在低唤醒度条件下, 高效价会起一定补偿作用。上述结果很好地支持了参照编码假说, 也澄清了情绪不同维度对联合动作表征的影响机制。     

Hemisphere Specialization as an Aid in Early Infancy

In order that different directions of attention can be organized, they have to be labeled and assessed. A statement of a general problem can be regarded as a label for a general direction of attention. Hope about it, as the perceived probability of sufficient success, on the basis of work done, can be regarded as an assessment. It can be argued that a young infant meets an impasse arising from the work on 2 incompatible general problems, (1) that of raising hope of certainty about the environment (linked to the arousal system because repeated stimulation has less effect), and (2) that of raising hope of producing effects (linked to the activation system because here some effect must be produced before activity can cease). A certainty–right hypothesis, that the right hemisphere deals with the certainty problem and the left deals with the producing-effects problem, and hence keeps work on the two problems apart in early infancy while the corpus callosum is undeveloped, and that a matching specialization continues in later life, is supported.