Co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury and impulsivity in extreme weight conditions

The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in different eating disorder (ED) groups and morbid obesity, and to investigate whether NSSI in different ED/obesity groups co-occur with impulsivity. We assessed 535 individuals (365 ED and 170 obese patients) by means of a single item assessing lifetime NSSI and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, which measures different dimensions of impulsivity. The results showed that 19.1% of the ED patients engaged in at least one act of NSSI during their life-time. NSSI was more prevalent in Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified compared to Anorexia Nervosa, Restrictive type and morbid obesity. Finally, ED/obese patients who engaged in NSSI scored significantly higher on the attentional, motor and non-planning subscales than patients without NSSI. The implications of these findings for the treatment of NSSI in binge/purging ED patients are discussed.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Functional Impairments During Pregnancy: Some Consequences of Violence Against Women

Despite the high prevalence of violence in the lives of women of reproductive age, and the adverse consequences posed to pregnant women suffering from PTSD, few studies have examined violence-related trauma and PTSD among pregnant women. A structured research interview was administered to a convenience sample of 85 prenatal care women to collect information regarding their experiences of violence victimization, PTSD symptoms related to violence-related traumatic events, and whether these symptoms impaired various aspects of the women's daily functioning. Results indicated that 69% of the women experienced a violent traumatic event, with the majority of events occurring before the current pregnancy and being perpetrated by the women's intimate partners. The traumatized women evidenced high levels of PTSD symptoms during pregnancy, with 58% of the women meeting criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. Moreover, many of the women with PTSD symptoms reported that the symptoms adversely affected aspects of their daily functioning.     

Prior knowledge and recognition

The purpose of this series of experiments was to determine if and when word recognition would depend on the number of related concepts represented in permanent memory. Words defining either large or small rhyme or meaning categories were studied and tested under various conditions. The results indicated that rhyme category size influenced recognition whenever rhyme was emphasized during both study and testing phases. Words belonging to larger rhyme sets were not recognized as well as those belonging to smaller rhyme sets. In contrast, meaning-related set size had no effect on recognition. These and other findings indicate that the breadth of prior knowledge can influence recognition but only under limited conditions that reactivate this knowledge at test.     

Prior knowledge and memory: the influence of natural category size as a function of intention and distraction

Words having larger numbers of related associates are more difficult to recall under conditions of intentional learning. This finding indicates that memory performance is inversely related to natural category size. The purpose of the experiments presented in this article was to evaluate the potential influence of orienting task and attention shifts associated with delayed testing on the natural category size effect. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that it is obtained regardless of task orientation. However, the results of Experiments 2 and 3 indicate that the effect is easily disrupted. Even after only 5 min of solving multiplication problems, words having larger sets of associates are no more difficult to recall than those having smaller sets. These findings suggest that related associates are automatically activated and encoded whenever a familiar concept is experienced in the absence of specific semantic cues. However, words having larger sets will be more difficult to recall only when these related associates are in a state of current activation.