Parent–Infant Synchrony: Biological Foundations and Developmental Outcomes

ABSTRACT— Synchrony—a construct used across multiple fields to denote the temporal relationship between events—has been applied to the study of mother–infant interaction and is suggested here as a framework for the study of interpersonal relationships. Defined as the temporal coordination of micro-level social behavior, parent–infant synchrony is charted in its development across infancy from the initial consolidation of biological rhythms during pregnancy to the emergence of symbolic exchange between parent and child. Synchrony is shown to depend on physiological mechanisms supporting bond formation in mammals—particularly physiological oscillators and neuroendocrine systems such as those involving the hormone oxytocin. Developmental outcomes of the synchrony experience are observed in the domains of self-regulation, symbol use, and the capacity for empathy across childhood and adolescence. Specific disruptions to the parameters of synchrony that may be observed in various pathological conditions, such as prematurity or maternal affective disorder, are detailed. A time-based, micro-analytic behavioral approach to the study of human relationship may offer new insights on intersubjectivity across the lifespan.     

青少年网络游戏行为的心理需求研究

在质的研究及理论分析的基础上,构建了16-24岁青少年网络游戏行为的心理需求模型,然后根据该模型编制问卷,进行了量的研究。探索性与验证性因素分析的结果表明:(1)青少年网络游戏心理需求问卷由现实情感的补偿与发泄、人际交往与团队归属、成就体验三个维度组成,具有良好的信度和效度指标,可以施用;(2)青少年对网络游戏的心理需求程度与其对网络游戏的使用程度显著相关。     

内部动机与外部动机的关系

内部动机与外部动机的关系问题在20世纪90年代重新成为动机研究的热点。该文综述了内部动机与外部动机关系的实验研究与理论研究状况。认为实验研究经历了外部动机削弱内部动机、外部动机与内部动机共存、外部动机能够对内部动机产生促进作用三个阶段,研究者的心理学立场是造成分歧结果出现的重要原因;不同的理论模式各有所长,尤其是自我决定理论的新进展“有机辨证元理论”中关于需要的阐述是近期动机研究的亮点,在更高层次上实现了对内部动机与外部动机关系的整合。并提出探讨内部动机与外部动机具体成分之间的关系,检验特质状态与情境状态中二者的相互作用,及心理需要对情境与动机的中介机制应当成为未来研究的方向     

Transferences Toward the Co-Therapist Couple: Triadic Relationships and Selfobject Needs

This paper examines transferences toward the male/female co-therapists within a developmental context, using concepts from self psychology, intersubjectivity, and infant research. In addition, it proposes that some individuals have selfobject needs specifically related to the parental unit, so triadic relationships can influence one's development. Clinical examples elucidate the repetitive and selfobject dimensions of the transferences within the intersubjective field formed by the triad of a patient and the male and female co-therapists.     

Computer games,self-esteem and gratification of needs in adolescents

Playing computer games has become an increasingly popular leisure time activity amongst adolescents, but concerns have been expressed over possible associated consequences. One research area has investigated reasons for playing, and two prior explanations relate it to the functional concepts of ‘electronic friendship’ and ‘self-esteem’. A questionnaire study was conducted among 120 adolescents to obtain information on a number of measures including gratification of needs and self-esteem. Results showed that playing computer games is equally popular with males and females, but males spend more time on it. Positive correlations between playing and items on the needs scales were obtained. In particular males who were heavy players scored highly on the ‘preference to friends’ need, but interestingly they were also likely to see their friends more often outside school, thus providing no support for the theory that computer games are taking the place of normal social interaction. For females there was evidence of a negative relationship between self-esteem and need gratification through playing computer games. However more adolescents spend much more time watching television than playing computer games. These results are discussed in the context of previous research.     

正负性情绪的自主生理反应实验研究

随机抽取２４名大学生（男女各半）观看了两段内容不同的录像片段,对观看录像时的主观体验和心率（ＨＲ）、指端脉搏容积（ＦＰＶ）的变化情况做了研究。结果表明：①实验选用的两段录像分别诱发出了正性和负性情绪．②不同情绪下的自主生理反应是不同的。正性情绪下,ＨＲ变化不显著,ＦＰＶ显著下降;负性情绪下,ＨＲ显著增加,ＦＰＶ显著下降。③不同情绪下的生理反应恢复速度没有差异,但不同生理指标的恢复速度有差异,ＨＲ的恢复速度比ＦＰＶ的快．④正性情绪下,ＨＲ和ＦＰＶ之间的相关很低;负情情绪下。两种生理指标之间里显著的负相关．⑤性别只对生理指标的基础值有影响。     

Physiological and symptom responses to hyperventilation: A comparison of frequent and infrequent panickers

Ten subjects with panic disorder and ten subjects with infrequent panic attacks were assessed during 2 min of voluntary hyperventilation using four measures of physiological arousal (heart rate, upper trapezious EMG, skin conductance, and digital skin temperature). Immediately following hyperventilation, subjects were asked to rate their degree of distress on 13 panic symptoms, derived from DSM-III criteria for panic disorder. Results indicated that frequent panickers had significant overall elevations in trapezious EMG, relative to infrequent panickers, and demonstrated a slight increase in muscle tension following hyperventilation. In contrast, infrequent panickers showed a trend toward greater vasodilation preceding and during hyperventilation, with subsequent vasoconstriction upon resumption of normal breathing. Increases in skin conductance and heart rate were noted for both samples during hyperventilation, as reported in prior research. Symptom distress ratings indicated that the infrequent panickers reported significantly greater distress from dizziness and trembling in response to overbreathing, contrary to prediction. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of current accounts of cognitive and physiological factors in the etiology of panic attacks and panic disorder.This research was supported by Biomedical Research Support Grant #507RR07147, National Institutes of Health.     

Aesthetic interaction as fit between interaction attributes and experiential qualities

Designing an aesthetic interaction is an important issue for Interaction Design (ID) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). While a number of frameworks exist, the experimental study of potential underlying principles remains rare. In this paper, we suggest that particular interaction attributes (e.g., “fast”) are systematically related to particular experiential qualities (e.g., “feeling competent”) and that interaction “feels better” if interaction matches the intended experience. A laboratory study (N = 32) explores this notion by testing two different ways of interacting within the same activity (opening a wine bottle) in two different experiential scenarios (focusing on relatedness, focusing on competence). Two corkscrews with different interaction profiles were used: one assumed to support a feeling of competence and the other to support relatedness. As expected, we found systematic shifts in preferences for specific corkscrews, differences in affective experience and in the relationships between interaction attributes and experiential qualities depending on the fit of interaction to the experience.     

Gun attitudes on campus: United and divided by safety needs

All people share a need for safety. Yet people’s pursuit of safety can conflict when it comes to guns, with some people perceiving guns as a means to safety and others perceiving guns as a threat to safety. We examined this conflict on a U.S. college campus that prohibits guns. We distinguished between people (N = 11,390) who (1) own a gun for protection, (2) own a gun exclusively for reasons other than protection (e.g., collecting, sports), and (3) do not own a gun. Protection owners felt less safe on campus and supported allowing guns on campus. They also reported that they and others would feel safer and that gun violence would decrease if they carried a gun on campus. Non-owners and non-protection owners felt the reverse. The findings suggest that protection concerns, rather than gun-ownership per se, account for diverging perceptions and attitudes about guns and gun control.     

Supervisor ostracism and defensive silence: a differential needs approach

This study investigates the sequential mediating effects of threats to efficacy needs and defensive silence between supervisor ostracism and emotional exhaustion, explained through need-threat/need-fortification framework. We collect time-lagged data at two measurement points from 300 employees working in service sector organizations in Pakistan. We find that supervisor ostracism threatens employees’ efficacy needs which results in reduced evaluation of resources. Consequently, employees seek to fortify these endangered needs through defensive silence, a proactive and self-protective behaviour. However, defensive silence affects employees’ trust, morale, motivation and eventually elicits emotional exhaustion. Our results show that supervisor ostracism, threat to efficacy needs and defensive silence contribute towards emotional exhaustion, and we offer several corrective options. We believe that one direct path involves actions that discourage supervisor ostracism through training and role plays. Another indirect step highlights competence of firm to create a perception of high status and influence. It may even involve managers to improve employees’ perception of work control through job redesign. Finally, we propose that supervisors may anticipate motives for defensive silence and plan targeted strategies to facilitate employees’ psychological safety.