Effects of two tasks and two levels of difficulty upon surface electrogastrograms

The effects of differentiation, novelty, and difficulty of ability tasks upon electrogastrographic activity of healthy subjects during digestion were investigated. Electrical recording of activity of the stomach by means of surface electrodes was performed in 40 healthy volunteers before and after easy or hard tasks. 20 subjects had to complete puzzles; the others had mental arithmetic. Both groups were matched in terms of scores on easy and difficult tasks. Baseline recordings were performed before each trial. The number of waves with peak amplitude greater than 100 mu v on electrogastrographic recording during each time span was measured, using a visual analysis. There was a significant decrease in number of waves/min, during task performance. A more pronounced decrease was produced by subjects working on puzzles than those working on mental calculation and by subjects working on easy tasks than those working on difficult tasks when the easy preceded the difficult ones. A larger decrease was obtained when the tasks of comparable difficulty were performed first. Emotional correlates such as anger and irritability were suggested to play a role in the interpretation of results.     

The personal norm of reciprocity

Reciprocity is here considered as an internalized social norm, and a questionnaire to measure individual differences in the internalized norm of reciprocity is presented. The questionnaire, Personal Norm of Reciprocity (PNR), measures three aspects of reciprocity: positive reciprocity, negative reciprocity, and beliefs in reciprocity. The PNR has been developed and tested in two cultures, British and Italian, for a total of 951 participants. A cross‐cultural study provides evidence of good psychometric properties and generalizability of the PNR. Data provide evidence for criterion validity and show that positive and negative reciprocators behave in different ways as a function of the valence (positive or negative) of the other's past behaviour, the type of feasible reaction (reward versus punishment), and the fairness of their reaction. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Benign joint hypermobility syndrome: psychological features and psychopathological symptoms in a sample pain-free at evaluation1

30 subjects with BJHS (Hypermobile) (M age = 32.3 yr., SD = 10.4) and two control groups, 25 healthy subjects (Healthy) (M age = 33.9 yr., SD = 9.3) and 30 fibromyalgic patients (Fibromyalgic) (M age = 32.2 yr., SD=9.4), were given the Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Illness Behavior Questionnaire, the Female Functional Symptoms Frequency (FFF) and the Male Functional Symptoms Frequency (MFF), derived from the DSM-III-R, evaluating functional somatic disturbances and their intensity, and the Symptom Questionnaire. The mean scores for the Hypermobile group showed significant psychological distress and increased frequency and intensity of somatic symptoms. Scores on Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms, General Hypochondriasis, Disease Conviction, Affective Disturbance, Denial, and Irritability were significantly higher in the Hypermobile than in the Healthy group. Elevated scores were found for the Fibromyalgic group on the Illness Behavior Questionnaire subscales for Psychological vs Somatic Focus, Disease Affirmation, and Discriminating Factors when compared with the Hypermobile group. Considerable emotional symptoms were detected which should not be underestimated by physicians when establishing an integrated biopsychosocial therapy.     

Studying, Practicing, and Mastering: A Test of the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior (MGB) in the Software Learning Domain

The present study tested the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB). The model proposes that behavioral intentions to perform instrumental behaviors are primarily motivated by desires to perform the acts. In turn, desires mediate the effects of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, and anticipated emotions on intentions. Construct validity for MGB variables is assessed, and the predictive utility of the MGB is compared with that of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). College students ( N = 102) provided measures for MGB and TPB variables while participating in a training program to use statistical software. We focused on two goal-related instrumental behaviors: studying handbooks and practicing with the package. The results show that the MGB accounts for a greater proportion of variance in intentions and instrumental behaviors than does TPB. Although desires mediate most of the effects of other predictors on intentions to perform the instrumental behaviors, it is proposed that when the behavior is normatively relevant, or when self-efficacy appraisals play a major role, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control may directly affect intentions.     

Formal lexical paragraphias in a single case study: how "masterpiece" can become "misterpieman" and "curiosity" "suretoy"

Formal lexical errors are relatively rare in the production of aphasic patients. In this study, we report the case of DW, who makes a high proportion of these errors. A few other cases have previously been reported, but DW shows a number of distinguishing characteristics. First, formal lexical errors are made in spelling and not in spoken speech. Second, they are associated with morphological errors and not with semantic errors. Third, they often combine lexical units in ways which are semantically and morphologically illegal. Finally, the majority of morphological errors involve the insertion, rather than the deletion, of suffixes. This pattern can be explained by hypothesizing that DW's errors arise because of confusions among a cohort of lexical neighbors activated top-down from a phonological input and bottom-up from shared letters. One possible cause of the confusions is lack of proper inhibition among lexical competitors.     

Gastroesophageal reflux disease: attachment style and parental bonding

The attachment styles and parental bonding of 72 patients (M age= 45.3 yr., SD=13.5) suffering from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease were compared with those of 105 healthy subjects (M age =44.9 yr., SD = 5.8). A clinical interview and two questionnaires, the Attachment Style Questionnaire and the Parental Bonding Instrument, showed that the scores on the ASQ Confidence subscale were significantly lower in the clinical group. Similar results were obtained for the Discomfort with Closeness subscale in the subsample with Pure Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. The results indicate Insecure Attachment in the clinical sample. The results obtained from the Parental Bonding Instrument indicate that scores on the Protection Mother scale were significantly higher in the clinical subjects, suggesting a Low Care-High Protection combination (Affectiveless Control), at least for patients with pure Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. These characteristics can be considered important factors in the tendency to somatization. The symptoms may have a paradoxically normalising function while the patient shows an emotional detachment towards intimate relationships. The illness appears to act as a bond through which the relationship with the caregivers is maintained.     

Gastroesophageal reflux disease: alexithymia and attachment style

Alexithymia and its relation with attachment style were evaluated in a group of 69 patients (men, M age = 46.4 yr., SD = 12.6; women, M age = 44.2 yr., SD = 14.4) affected by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Two self-evaluation questionnaires were used for psychological evaluation, the 20 item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). The TAS-20 analysis showed that the clinical sample taken as a whole did not score in the alexithymic range. The inverse correlations between the Confidence ASQ subscale and the Difficulty Communicating Feelings TAS-20 subscale showed that communication of emotions could develop more easily within the framework of a relational context characterized by safety and confidence. In this group of patients this was represented by the referent caregiver.     

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): attachment styles and parental bonding

The attachment styles and parental bonding by 64 patients (M age = 43.2 yr., SD = 13.3) with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) were compared with those of 64 patients (M age = 42.2 yr., SD = 13.5) with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and 126 Healthy participants (M age = 42.2 yr., SD = 12.1). Analysis of scores on the Attachment Style Questionnaire indicated insecure attachment in both the patient and control groups. The Parental Bonding scores indicated perceptions of Affectionless Control by parents in both patient groups. In particular, the mean Father-Protection subscale scores were significantly higher for in the GERD group than in the Healthy and IBD groups.