Ventral encoding of functional affordances: A neural pathway for identifying errors in action

Functional tool usage is a critical aspect of our daily lives. Not only must we know which tools to use for a specific action goal, we must also know how to manipulate those tools in meaningful way to achieve the goal of the action. The purpose of this study was to identify the regions of the brain critical to supporting the process of understanding errors in tool manipulation. Using fMRI, neural activations were recorded while subjects were presented with images demonstrating typical action scenes (screwdriver used on a screw), but with the tool being manipulated either correctly (screwdriver held by handle) or incorrectly (screwdriver held by bit rather than handle). Activations in fMRI for identifying correct over incorrect tool manipulation were seen along the canonical parietofrontal action network, while activations for identifying incorrect over correct tool manipulation were primarily seen at superior temporal areas and insula. We expand our hypotheses about ventral brain networks identifying contextual error to further suggest mechanisms for understanding functional tool actions, which collectively we regard as functional affordances. This proposes a fundamental role for ventral brain areas in functional action understanding.     

Negotiating safer sex: A detailed analysis of attitude functions,anticipated emotions,relationship status and gender

Objective : Because interpersonal discussion about condom use can encourage subsequent condom use, this project aims to examine the psychological antecedents of intentions to discuss or request the use of condoms with a sexual partner.

Method : The data were collected from 849 heterosexual college students in the USA through an online survey. The survey contained several measures related to attitude functions (i.e. motivations), efficacy, norms and intentions to discuss condom use with a sexual partner.

Results : Participants’ attitude functions weakly predicted intentions to discuss condom use. Communication efficacy was a more important predictor of intentions for females (vs. males) and for those in other relationships or not in a relationship (vs. long-term monogamous relationships). Anticipated negative emotions were a stronger predictor of intentions for those in long-term monogamous relationships (vs. other relationships or not in a relationship).

Implications : Future research needs to consider more detailed attitude functions and anticipated emotions. Furthermore, background variables (e.g. gender and relationship status) can be moderators in addition to being distal predictors.     

Perceived behavioural control,subjective norms,attitudes and intention to use condom: A longitudinal cross-lagged design

Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the purpose of this investigation was to examine the directionality of the association among condom use, intention, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. The present study investigated the nature of these relationships using a longitudinal cross-lagged design applied to data from a cohort of 958 randomly selected Italian adults. Using structural equation modelling, two cross-lagged panel analyses revealed reciprocal relationships between intention and attitudes and between intention and condom use. Contrary to expectations, baseline subjective norms and perceived behavioural control did not predict subsequent intention to use condom when controlled for the autoregressive effect of intention at T1 on the same variable at T2. Also, perceived behavioural control at T1 did not influence condom use at T2 after controlling for the effect of baseline intention. The possibility of reciprocity was also tested for all relations and significant results were found. The moderation effect of perceived behavioural control on the relationship between intention and condom use was not significant. The differences in age, gender and partnership status were taken into account in the analyses.     

A survey of smoking status and cancer risk perceptions among participants attending a hospital-based head and neck screening program

Abstract

Screening for head and neck cancer is underutilized. Given that lack of knowledge of the risk factors may partially account for screening underutilization. we surveyed subjective risk and knowledge of risk factors for head and neck cancer among 124 individuals who attended a free. hospital-based head and neck cancer screening. Few participants were current smokers. Most attendees perceived their risk as similar to others of their age and sex. Personal health habits comprised almost all of the risk-decreasing factors, yet less than half of the risk-increasing factors. generated. Personal habits were less frequently endorsed than factors such as pollution and heredity. Those who mentioned a risk behavior, or a family cancer history, reported higher subjective risk. Those who mentioned a personal health habit reported lower subjective risk. Results highlight needed efforts to increase screening among high-risk individuals through targeted education messages.     

The impact of information about the prevalence of AIDS-Preventive behavior among men and women: The mediating role of social norms

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine the effect of information about the high prevalence of safe sex on condom use intention, and to investigate the possible mediating role of the perceived social norm of friends, and the perceived social norm of future. sexual partners. Participants were provided with gender specific prevalence information, that is with the information that most men have exclusively safe sex, or with the information that most women exclusively engage in safe sexual behavior. The results show some gender differences. Information about the high prevalence of safe sex among men tends to increase women's condom use intention, and this effect seems to be mediated by the paceived social norm of future sexual partners. Men's intention, on the other hand, seems to be unaffected by high prevalence information of safe sex. Implications for research and prevention are discussed     

Perceiving vocal age and gender: An adaptation approach

Aftereffects of adaptation have revealed both independent and interactive coding of facial signals including identity and expression or gender and age. By contrast, interactive processing of non-linguistic features in voices has rarely been investigated. Here we studied bidirectional cross-categorical aftereffects of adaptation to vocal age and gender. Prolonged exposure to young (~ 20 yrs) or old (~ 70 yrs) male or female voices biased perception of subsequent test voices away from the adapting age (Exp. 1) and the adapting gender (Exp. 2). Relative to gender-congruent adaptor-test pairings, vocal age aftereffects (VAAEs) were reduced but remained significant when voice gender changed between adaptation and test. This suggests that the VAAE relies on both gender-specific and gender-independent age representations for male and female voices. By contrast, voice gender aftereffects (VGAEs) were not modulated by age-congruency of adaptor and test voices (Exp. 2). Instead, young voice adaptors generally induced larger VGAEs than old voice adaptors. This suggests that young voices are particularly efficient gender adaptors, likely reflecting more pronounced sexual dimorphism in these voices. In sum, our findings demonstrate how high-level processing of vocal age and gender is partially intertwined.     

Psychometric Properties of the Locus of Control of Behaviour Scale (LCBS) among Australians Seeking Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Treatment

Despite a paucity of studies evaluating the psychometric properties of the Locus of Control of Behaviour Scale (LCBS), it continues to be widely used in behavioural research. The present study sought to redress this gap in the literature. The 17‐item LCBS was administered to 373 Australians attending Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) treatment agencies in the northern metropolitan region of Perth. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted in order to determine which of several plausible measurement models provided the best fit for the data. A unidimensional model, recommended by the authors of the LCBS, and a two‐dimensional (Internal Locus of Control vs External Locus of Control) model provided poor fits. Other multidimensional models, differing only in the dimensionality of the externality factor, were also tested. A multidimensional model consisting of an Internal Locus of Control factor and four component External Locus of Control factors provided the best fit; however, the fit is probably best described as “reasonable” rather than “good.” A subsequent exploratory factor analysis using parallel analysis indicated a cohesive internality factor; however, the externality factor showed a tendency to fragment into smaller components. Results were discussed in terms of the problematic externality factor.     

Perceptions of alcohol risk among people on antiretroviral treatment in South Africa: a qualitative study

This study explored perceptions of alcohol abuse risk among people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) who self-identified as alcohol users. Twenty six people receiving ART from an out-patient setting were interviewed on their alcohol abuse risk perception. Data were thematically analysed. Findings suggest participants developed routines to drink alcohol around the times they took their antiretroviral medications to reduce adverse impact. They also reported alcohol abuse risk reduction strategies such as reducing alcohol use because of the event of an HIV positive diagnosis and/or getting on antiretroviral treatment, and alcohol use reduction following health education or counselling by health care staff. These findings suggest a need for alcohol interventions tailored to ART patients.     

Responding to Terrorism in the USA

Abstract

In this article, career firefighters from Oklahoma City, New York City, and Arlington County, VA, and volunteer firefighters from Pennsylvania, share their on-site experiences and the emotional aftermath of responding to terrorism. The authors acted as facilitators, compilers, and organizers so that major themes firefighters have raised are presented to inform the work of first responders and others seeking to understand the experiences of firefighters during and after terrorist incidents. The authors conclude by presenting survey data indicating high levels of firefighter job satisfaction and the major sources of emotional support they use following exposure to terrorism.