Enhanced perceived responsibility decreases metamemory but not memory accuracy in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Mixed findings have been obtained in prior research with respect to the presence and severity of memory and metamemory deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We tested the hypothesis that experimentally induced increments of subjective responsibility would lead to a disproportionately strong decline of memory confidence and enhanced response latencies in OCD while leaving memory accuracy unaffected. Twenty-eight OCD patients and 28 healthy controls were presented a computerized memory test framed with two different scenarios. In the neutral scenario, the participant was requested to imagine purchasing 15 items from a do-it-yourself store. In the recognition phase, the 15 needed items were presented along with 15 distractor items. The participant was asked to decide whether items were on his or her shopping list or not, graded by subjective confidence. In the responsibility scenario, the general experimental setup was analogous except that the participant now had to envision that he or she was a helper in a region recently struck by an earthquake, dispatched to provide 15 urgently needed goods from a nearby town. In line with prior work by our group, samples did not differ in either condition on memory accuracy in a subsequent recognition task. As hypothesized, OCD participants were less certain in their responses for the high responsibility condition than controls. Whereas patients and controls did not differ in their subjective estimates for memorized items, patients expressed stronger doubt that their earthquake mission was successful. The findings indicate that low memory confidence in OCD may only be elicited in situations where perceived responsibility is high and that patients may share higher performance standards ("good is not good enough") than controls when perceived responsibility is inflated.     

« Dire une chose et en faire une autre » : de la déclaration de liberté dans le paradigme de l'hypocrisie induite

According to induced hypocrisy paradigm, participants were led to advocate a pro-attitudinal position (commitment step), such as to respect the driving rules. Subsequently they were made mindful of their own transgressions (mindfulness step). Afterwards, the target-behavior was administered: spending time in a safety road association. We manipulated the declaration of freedom either within the mindfulness step (study 1), either at the twice steps (study 2). Results indicated that declaration of freedom increased the hypocritical effect. Implications for further research in the area of hypocrisy are discussed.     

Entre neurosciences et neurophilosophie : la psychologie cognitive et les sciences cognitives

The cognitive sciences are all at once a scientific field with far-reaching epistemological implications and the locus of institutional confrontation between several academic disciplines. In this context, cognitive psychology occupies a key historical and theoretical position. It is therefore essential to clearly situate its contribution to the origin and the development of the cognitive sciences. For some, cognitive psychology may end up being dissolved by cognitive neuroscience, with its brain imaging techniques, which in the long run, should solve the age-old problem of brain-mind dualism. For others, this epistemic wager can only be won by reducing cognition to its most elementary states and processes. Here, the problem of mental representation (of meaning and consciousness) is brought to bear to rule out a view that strictly reduces the mind to the brain. Will the cognitive sciences, then, be nothing more than a mere stage in the integration of cognitive psychology into the cognitive neurosciences? Or on the contrary, will the other disciplines in the cognitive sciences be led to recognize the specificity of cognitive psychology and put it at the centre of their research program? The debate is underway, but the scientific and institutional outcome is uncertain.     

希望理论与认知心理治疗的整合

作为传统心理学与积极心理学之间的重要桥梁,希望可以被整合进入认知心理治疗中。咨询实践也证明,将希望理论与先前基于症状减少策略的认知疗法整合,心理治疗不仅可以减少患者的症状,而且能帮助其建立力量感并增加长期的生活满意度。通过界定希望的概念;将希望模型与相关模型进行比较,最后,提出在认知疗法的不同阶段运用希望理论的策略。     

中西方心理治疗思想之比较

中西方文化中都蕴含着丰富的心理治疗思想,相似之处主要表现在二者都重视心理因素等方面;差异主要表现在文化根基、医学基础、心理问题的起因及治疗的理念、方法与途径等方面。在实际的心理治疗和心理健康教育中,应注意心理治疗的文化依存性,积极挖掘整理本土文化心理治疗的理论与方法,实现心理治疗的本土化。     

IAT范式下自尊内隐性的再证明

该研究用IAT测量了被试的内隐自尊,并通过操纵被试在不同的认知负荷条件下进行外显自我评价来考察外显自我评价和内隐自尊之间的关系。得到的结论是,在低认知负荷条件下进行外显自我评价时,外显自我评价和内隐自尊没有表现出一致性;在高认知负荷条件下进行外显自我评价时,外显自我评价和内隐自尊表现出一致性。该研究在IAT范式下表明了内隐自尊和外显自尊的分离,内隐自尊具有无意识性和自动化的特点。     

基于认知理论的测验编制技术—项目生成

传统测验重视统计技术,不重视测量结构的心理学意义,使得它的功能局限于筛选,不能提供更多的信息。由于认知心理学理论、心理计量学以及计算机技术的发展,使得基于认知理论指导下的项目生成技术逐渐成熟。该文从项目生成的概念、方法,及研究的意义和难点等方面对项目生成技术作了一个简要述评,以期推进我国认知心理学与心理测量学相结合的研究工作。     

类皮亚杰数量守恒任务中的负启动效应

采用负启动研究范式,考察九岁儿童在类皮亚杰数量守恒任务中的负启动效应。实验一重复了Houdé等人的实验过程,发现我国儿童在解决类皮亚杰数量守恒任务中也存在负启动效应,负启动量为310.9ms;实验二改进了Houdé等人研究的实验材料,排除实验材料形状的干扰,发现依然存在负启动效应,负启动量为200.04ms。实验结果表明,成功完成类皮亚杰数量守恒任务需要认知抑制过程的参与。     

Use of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Early Identification of Alzheimer's Disease

A growing body of evidence suggests that a preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) exists several years or more prior to the overt manifestation of clinical symptoms and is characterized by subtle neuropsychological and brain changes. Identification of individuals prior to the development of significant clinical symptoms is imperative in order to have the greatest treatment impact by maintaining cognitive abilities and preserving quality of life. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers considerable promise as a non-invasive tool for detecting early functional brain changes in asymptomatic adults. In fact, evidence to date indicates that functional brain decline precedes structural decline in preclinical samples. Therefore, fMRI may offer the unique ability to capture the dynamic state of change in the degenerating brain. This review examines the clinical utility of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI in those at risk for AD as well as in early AD. We provide an overview of fMRI findings in at-risk groups by virtue of genetic susceptibility or mild cognitive decline followed by an appraisal of the methodological issues concerning the diagnostic usefulness of fMRI in early AD. We conclude with a discussion of future directions and propose that BOLD-fMRI in combination with cerebral blood flow or diffusion techniques will provide a more complete accounting of the neurovascular changes that occur in preclinical AD and thus improve our ability to reliably detect early brain changes prior to disease onset.     

Perceived Social Support and Caregiver Strain in Caregivers of Children with Tourette’s Disorder

The research on Tourette’s disorder (TD), a neuropsychological disorder consisting of motor and phonic tics, has largely focused on individuals with TD and not on the caregivers of children with TD. We investigated the effects of several variables on caregiver strain of caregivers of children with TD, including perceived social support, caregiver characteristics, and characteristics of the child’s disorder. An online survey was completed by 140 caregivers of children with TD between the ages of 6 to 18 years. We performed a path analysis to examine the outcome of caregiver strain in relation to the research variables. Our results indicated that caregiver age, symptom severity of the child’s TD, and perceived social support accounted for variance in caregiver strain, and that perceived social support was a partial mediator of child’s symptom severity and caregiver strain. Symptom severity and caregiver strain were also related to the presence of other comorbid disorders, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), anxiety, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when compared to children either having no other comorbid disorders or other types of disorders.