The Simon Effect With Wheel-Rotation Responses

The authors examined clockwise and counterclockwise wheel-rotation responses to high- or low-pitched tones presented in participants' (N = 96, Experiment 1; N = 48, Experiment 2; N = 48, Experiment 3) left and right ears. In Experiment 1, a Simon effect (fastest responding when tone location and direction of wheel turn corresponded) was obtained when participants' hands were at the top or middle of the wheel but not at the bottom. With line bottom hand placement, a Simon effect was induced by instructions emphasizing hand movements but not by instructions emphasizing wheel movements (Experiment 2), and by a visual cursor controlled by the wheel but not one triggered by the response (Experiment 3). The results of the experiments showed that the nature of the task and the instructed action goal influence the direction of the Simon effect.     

The effects of initial movement dynamics on human responses to postural perturbations

Falls are a major cause of injury, and often occur while turning, reaching, or bending. Yet, we have little understanding of how an ongoing feet-in place activity at the onset of imbalance, and its associated cognitive and biomechanical demands, influence our ability to recover balance. In the current study, we used an ankle-rocking paradigm to determine how the nature of the baseline task influences the balance recovery response to a backward support surface translation. Fourteen participants were instructed to “recover balance without stepping” and were perturbed at vertical while standing quietly (“S”), while ankle rocking and moving forward (“A_f”), or while ankle rocking and moving backward (“A_b”). The results showed that changes in rocking velocity at the time of the perturbation elicited changes in the incidence of stepping, magnitude of trunk angular displacements (p < .01), and the onset latencies of distal muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus, both p < .01) used to recover balance. In addition, plots of onset latencies across all muscles showed that onset latencies appeared to occur earlier in many muscles when participants held a static position compared to when they performed a dynamic task at the onset of the perturbation. The results suggest that muscle activities used to recover balance are tailored to the nature of the perturbation and the ongoing task, and that onset latencies are later when participants are performing a dynamic as opposed to static task at the time of a perturbation. These findings support previous research suggesting that automatic postural responses are highly adaptable to environmental, situational, and task demands.     

Negative life events and symptoms of depression and anxiety: stress causation and/or stress generation

Background and Objectives: Stressful life events are known to contribute to development of depression; however, it is possible this link is bidirectional. The present study examined whether such stress generation effects are greater than the effects of stressful life events on depression, and whether stress generation is also evident with anxiety. Design: Participants were two large age cohorts (N = 732 aged 44 years; N = 705 aged 63 years) from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study. Methods: Stressful life events, depression, and anxiety symptoms were measured twice five years apart. Cross-lagged panel analysis examined the mutual influences of stressful life events on depression and on anxiety over time. Results: Life events predicted later depressive symptomatology (p = .01), but the depression predicting life events relationship was less strong (p = .06), whereas earlier anxiety predicted life events five years later (p = .001). There was evidence of sex differences in the extent to which life events predicted later anxiety. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of stress causation for depression and weaker evidence for stress generation. In contrast, there was strong evidence of stress generation for anxiety but weaker evidence for stress causation, and that differed for men and women.     

Perceptions of stressful life events as turning points are associated with self-rated health and psychological distress

Abstract

We test the hypothesis that changes in physical and psychological health are associated with construals of stressful life events. At two points in time, approximately 10 years apart, participants (n=1038) rated their physical health and psychological distress. At the second assessment, participants also reported their most stressful life event since the first assessment and indicated whether they considered the event a turning point and/or lesson learned. Lower self-ratings of health and higher ratings of psychological distress, controlling for baseline health and distress, and relevant demographic factors, were associated with perceiving the stressful life event as a turning point, particularly a negative turning point. The two health measures were primarily unrelated to lessons learned. How individuals construe the most stressful events in their lives are associated with changes in self-rated health and distress.     

Coping Responses and Emotional Distress in Fathers of Children with Special Needs and “Redreaming” as a Creative Intervention

Abstract

Parents dream that their children will have every benefit possible to survive and thrive in the world. When their children have special needs, these dreams are challenged. Parents must adjust to the needs of their child and to the loss of this aspect of their dream. Common challenges and considerations when working with fathers of children with special needs are presented. “Redreaming,” an intervention to facilitate positive reappraisal, and creative approaches are also presented.     

Contextual effects on prejudiced attitudes: When the presence of others leads to more egalitarian responses

In the present paper, we tested the hypothesis that the physical presence of other ingroup members may ameliorate Whites’ spontaneous affective responses toward Blacks. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that IAT-assessed attitudes toward Blacks were indeed less negative when participants were tested in small groups rather than individually. Study 2 shed light on the underlying processes by demonstrating that respondents at the presence of others displayed increased accessibility to egalitarian-related concepts after Black primes, as compared to respondents tested individually. Overall, results point to the wide malleability of spontaneous affective responses and to the possibility that contextual factors, like the presence of other individuals, might automatically activate egalitarians goals. Results are discussed in relation to current models of automatic intergroup bias and preconscious control over it.     

Psychometric evaluation and further validation of the Hagedoorn et al. modified EVLN measure

The aim of the present study was to evaluate and further validate a modified Exit, Voice, Loyalty and Neglect (EVLN) instrument (Hagedoorn, Van Yperen, Van de Vliert & Buunk, 1999), in a Swedish sample (n= 792). To test the underlying scaling assumptions, the convergent and divergent validity, a multitrait/multi-item analysis was conducted and factor analyses were used to evaluate the factor structure. The concurrent validity was tested by using the modified EVLN instrument as predictor and three different forms of justice as criteria in the analysis. The criterion-related validity was tested and an association between exit behavioral response and actual exit behavior was found (predictive validity). The results showed that the instrument may be considered to be a valid measure with the exception of the aggressive voice scale.     

幼儿自我调控的中日比较

实验以中日77名大班幼儿为被试(其中中国幼儿40名,日本幼儿37名).在实验中,根据幼儿园的日常生活,设置幼儿与同伴间矛盾场面(抑制场面和主张场面)的测试问题,采用逐张呈现图片并一对一询问的方式进行实验.根据幼儿在测试问题上的情绪反应与行为反应数据,比较中日幼儿自我调控的特征,结果表明:(1)在与同伴间的矛盾场面中,中国幼儿发生情绪反应的人数比率显著小于日本幼儿;(2)在表现出情绪反应的幼儿中,不论在抑制场面还是在主张场面,日本幼儿都比中国幼儿有更多的"自我抑制"或"自我抑制"倾向,而中国幼儿比日本幼儿出现了更多的"依赖教师"和"冲动行为"倾向;(3)中国幼儿的行为反应因情绪反应强度的变化表现出了差异,而日本幼儿的行为反应没有随着情绪反应强度的不同表现出差异.     

感觉寻求对工读生病理性网络使用的影响机制

采用感觉寻求量表、压力性生活事件量表、非适应性问卷和病理性网络使用量表对519名工读生进行调查,考察了工读生病理性网络使用的情况以及感觉寻求对工读生病理性网络使用的影响及作用机制。结果表明：（1）工读生病理性网络使用的比例为51.1%,工读生病理性网络使用的问题很严重;（2）感觉寻求对工读生病理性网络使用的影响是有中介的调节效应,具体而言,感觉寻求会增加工读生病理性网络使用;压力性生活事件对感觉寻求与工读生病理性网络使用之间关系具有调节作用;压力性生活事件的调节效应以非适应性认知为中介变量。研究结果对工读生病理性网络使用的预防和干预具有重要价值。     

压力、感恩和基本心理需要满足对工读生毒品使用的影响机制

采用压力性生活事件量表、感恩问卷、基本心理需要量表、毒品使用问卷对585名工读生进行调查,分析了工读生毒品使用情况,以及压力性生活事件、感恩、基本心理需要满足与工读生毒品使用的关系。结果显示:(1)工读生的毒品使用行为严重,41.7%的工读生曾使用过毒品;(2)基本心理需要满足在压力性生活事件与毒品使用之间具有完全中介作用;(3)感恩调节了压力性生活事件通过基本心理需要满足对毒品使用的中介过程;(4)感恩与工读生的毒品使用显著负相关。研究结论对青少年毒品使用的预防干预有重要参考价值。