Negative affect and 24-hour ambulatory physiological recordings as predictors of spontaneous improvement of medically unexplained symptoms

The predictive value for spontaneous improvement in individuals suffering from medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) was explored of (1) anxiety and depression obtained from questionnaires, (2) negative affective states obtained from experience-sampling, and (3) ambulatory-assessed real-life physiological recordings. Sixty-seven individuals with MUS and 61 healthy controls were included. Twenty-four hour ambulatory recordings of cardiac autonomic activity, respiration, end-tidal CO(2) and saliva cortisol were combined with experience-sampling of somatic complaints and mood. Complaints were assessed again after one year. Although a reduction in symptoms (25%) was found, this could not be predicted from initial anxiety and depression. Improvement was somewhat related to relatively low diary reports of fatigue, especially in the late-afternoon and evening (3% variance explained). From the physiological measures only relatively high PetCO(2) values in the morning predicted improvement (5% explained). It was concluded that spontaneous recovery from MUS is hard to predict from self-reported distress and ambulatory physiological recordings.     

Equivalent testimonies as a touchstone of coherence measures

Over the past years, a number of probabilistic measures of coherence have been proposed. As shown in the paper, however, many of them do not conform to the intuitition that equivalent testimonies are highly coherent, regardless of their prior probability.     

NONEMPIRICAL REALITY: TRANSCENDING THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL IN THE ORDER OF THE ONE

I describe characteristic phenomena of quantum physics that suggest that reality appears to us in two domains: the open and well‐known domain of empirical, material things—the realm of actuality—and a hidden and invisible domain of nonempirical, non‐material forms—the realm of potentiality. The nonempirical forms are part of physical reality because they contain the empirical possibilities of the universe and can manifest themselves in the empirical world. Two classes of nonempirical states are discussed: the superposition states of microphysical entities, which are nonempirical because observation destroys them, and the virtual states of material systems, which are nonempirical because they are empty. The non‐empirical part to physical reality represents a predetermined and hidden order that exists before it is empirical, and the visible world is an emanation out of it. I discuss consequences for our understanding of human nature, the origin of life, and human values. Reality is an indivisible wholeness that is aware of its processes, like a Cosmic Spirit, and it reveals its awareness in the mindlike properties of elementary processes as well as in the human consciousness. Thus, one is led to G. W. F. Hegel's thesis that the Cosmic Spirit is thinking in us.     

延迟满足：基于未来时间洞察力的自我调节

延迟满足是个体为获得更有价值的奖励结果,坚持目标行为而推迟即时性满足的倾向与行为。其产生机制在很大程度上基于未来取向的自我调节。未来时间洞察力对延迟满足的作用可由期望-价值理论、解释水平理论和自我调节周期模型等多种理论进行解释。除行为层面的机制,未来时间洞察力与延迟满足涉及腹侧额叶-纹状体环路等相似的脑机制。未来研究需深化和丰富延迟满足的理论机制,明确与时间洞察力各维度的复杂关系,探究与时间洞察力相同的生理神经机制,促进其应用于社会实践。     

不同类型美感体验的自主反应特点

不同美感体验类型有何特异的生理反应？美感的生理反应是否类似于积极情绪？本研究以音乐和图片两类材料为刺激,以心率、皮肤电为生理反应指标,测量了不同审美状态下的自主生理反应情况。结果发现：不论是听觉还是视觉通道,优美、壮美、悲剧、喜剧4种审美风格的刺激都使被试心率和皮肤电下降;不同的美感形态所引起的反应不同,喜剧和壮美风格刺激诱发的自主生理反应变化相对于其他两种风格显得更明显,喜剧风格效果尤为突出;不同美感体验类型特异生理反应具有跨通道的一致性;四种美感体验类型的生理反应都不同于消极情绪,而类似积极情绪,从生理反应视角证明了美感体验递属于积极情绪。     

人类性的生理需要及其满足的本质和意义

性活动源于性的需要.人类性的需要包括性的生理、心理和社会需要.性的生理需要是性的心理需要和社会需要的基础.性的生理需要可能是个体优化调节系统功能以维持内环境稳态的基本需要;性的活动能优化人体调节系统功能和人体整体层次的生理功能,从而提高人体对环境变化的适应能力.     

Functional modularity in stereotype representation

We employed the retrieval-practice paradigm to test the hypothesis that stereotypes are organized in a meaningful, valence-based way that promotes evaluative coherence. Replicating previous research, we demonstrated that the rehearsal of traits known to describe a target person produced enhanced recall of those practiced traits and reduced recall of other known but non-practiced traits, relative to baseline. However, both the availability of a group label that united the traits within a stereotype and the evaluative consistency of the practiced and non-practiced traits moderated the nature of these effects: although recall of non-practiced stereotypic traits that were evaluatively inconsistent with the practiced traits showed the typical pattern of inhibition, recall of non-practiced stereotypic traits that were evaluatively consistent with the practiced traits was facilitated relative to baseline. We conclude by discussing how the modular representation implied by these findings is functional, potentially fostering the momentary experience of evaluative consistency in person perception.     

文本阅读中协调性整合的条件

采用移动窗口阅读技术深入探讨文本阅读中协调性整合发生的条件。被试为华南师范大学一年级本科生。实验自变量是主人公特征与其目标句行为的关系,在实验一中有三个水平,一致、协调一致和恢复一致;在实验二中有两个水平,协调一致和恢复一致。实验一采用ANOVA对三种条件下目标句的阅读时间进行统计分析,结果表明,当前信息必须与先前的协调性信息有局部的不一致或不吻合是引发协调性整合的充分必要条件;实验二采用t检验分别对出现于不同位置的两个目标句的阅读时间进行统计分析,结果表明,协调性整合的结 果不仅维持了文本的连贯,而且将相关的信息建构成整体的信息块,文本阅读过程是一个包含流畅性阅读和以协调性整合为重要形式之一的整合性阅读的双加工过程。     

Chisholm on Perceptual Knowledge: Foundationalism versus Coherentism

Abstract: Chisholm refuted phenomenalism as a theory of the justification of perceptual beliefs. He argued, following Thomas Reid, that some perceptual beliefs were justified in themselves, which provided a foundation for empirical knowledge. The question that remains is whether the foundational justification provided offers an adequate explanation of how justification is connected with truth. The search for a truth connection led me from foundationalism to a coherence theory of justification that, contrary to my intentions, was inspired by an observation of Chisholm himself.     

Psychosocial Variables as Predictors of Psychological Stress–Induced Ischemia in the Laboratory

This study examined ischemic reactivity to a psychological stress protocol and whether psychological variables could reliably classify individuals as ischemic reactors. Participants were 54 male Veterans Administration patients who had or were suspected of having CAD. Psychological inventories were administered prior to a psychological stress protocol consisting of a surgical video, the Stroop Color–Word task, an arithmetic task, and discussion of a stressful event. Cardiac functioning was evaluated using an ECG Holter monitor and 23.53% of participants were classified as reactors. Mean differences between reactors and nonreactors were found for State Anger, Health Locus of Control—Powerful Others (MHLC-PO), and Depression. State Anger and MHLC-PO emerged as significant predictors of reactor status in logistic regression analyses. Models based on individual scale items suggested three items could be used to achieve higher classification rates. Implications for revising screening procedures for determining risk and possible mechanisms underlying psychological stress–induced ischemia are discussed.