Impulsivity: A view from the behavioral neuroscience and developmental psychology

Impulsivity has been linked to three main factors: performing without direct involvement of the frontal lobe functions, an increase in the speed of response, and the acquisition of immediate gratification. This behavioral inhibition deficit involves a variety of behaviors including aspects of hyperexcitability, behavioral disinhibition and higher order decision making. Although by tradition, the definition of this executive function has been conceptualized from a psychopathological view, currently, the wide variety of neuropsychological, developmental and animal models assessment techniques encourage us to establish dialogues that integrate the knowledge of these theoretical perspectives for the interpretation and understanding of impulsivity.

Behavioral neurosciences in Latin-American psychology journals

Behavioral neurosciences have evolved from other disciplines such as psychology, psychiatry and neurology, becoming a prominent area within general neuroscience. In mainstream psychology, neurosciences currently have an important role. In this paper we documented articles published in four Latin-American psychology journals and we classified these papers as empirical or theoretical. We analyzed the main topics covered in the behavioral neurosciences. Most of reported research used humans and rats as study subjects, although other species have also been used as models. Data suggest behavioral neurosciences currently play a growing and prominent role in Latin American psychology.

determinismo; free will; psychology; science; profession

The discussion about the freewill and determinism con- troversy in human behavior is an old one in philosophy and psychology. Despite the fact that discussions on the topic are abundant, some of its implications seem to go unnoticed by psychologists, and especially by students of psychology. We argue that to the same extent that a psychologist is far from the determinism he imposes -a priori and unnecessary-constraints on the development of psychology as a science and profession. As a result, we suggest that the adoption of determinism as a wor- king hypothesis, is an important attitude for the transformation of psychology into a more effective science and profession.

La génesis de las parafilias sexuales y la homosexualidad egodistónica: el Modelo de los Mecanismos Tensionales

Mediante el desarrollo del Modelo de los Mecanismos Tensionales, basado en el trastorno de evitación experiencial (Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Follette & Stroshal,1996) y en la Teoría de la Terminación Conductual propuesta por McConaghy (1980), el presente artículotrata de exponer una serie de fenómenos que pueden estar pasando desapercibidos a la hora de explicar la génesis y el mantenimiento de las parafilias sexuales y la homosexualidad egodistónica. Para ello se parte del análisis de los testimonios de sujetos parafílicos y homosexuales egodistónicos (que no aceptan su homosexualidad) registrados durante los años 2005 y 2006. Desde una perspectiva de la psicología contextual y haciendo uso del análisis funcional y topográfico de las conductas características de cada trastorno, se observará cómo ambas manifestaciones sexuales tienen aspectos comunes (factores predisponentes, precipitantes y demantenimiento) en su origen y evolución.

Redes institucionais de apoio ao desenvolvimento territorial: estudo de caso a partir da análise da dinâmica territorial do desenvolvimento de um âmbito espacial periférico (Sarandi/RS/Brasil)

Different studies has aimed the understanding of the causes that lead some cities, regions or territories to develop themselves, whereas others remain stagnant or get back. One starts from the presupposed that the development results from the standard of social territorial organization, this one capable to provoke collective territorial innovations, as a result of the institucional density, that is, from the local capacity to constitute relations in chain. The present análisis is centered in the municipality of Sarandi/RS/ Brasil, that from the nineties has enterprised a trajectory of uncomum development. From a serious situation of social economical crisis in the previous decades, its social economical and institutional actors, in a way of chain, were capable to reason a collection of initiatives that resulted in the structure of a microcluster in the department of clothes industry, counting today around 50 companies and the institutions of support minimally necessaries.

A urbanização e os desafios conceituais do ecossistema: uma contribuição à aplicabilidade do desenvolvimento sustentável para o município de Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brasil

Problemas urbanos interconectados e relacionados ao meio ambiente, à sociedade e à economiarefletem o contexto de complexidade urbana inerente à crise da modernidade. Levam-se esforços eimaginação aos desafios conceituais do ecossistema urbano e buscam-se práticas que reconstituamo ambiente para suportar a degeneração socioambiental evocando a sustentabilidade. Contribuiçõesteóricas e concepções cientifícas apontam para práticas sustentáveis e enfatizam a importância dosprincípios sistêmicos para a gestão e o planejamento sustentável das cidades. A complexidade deMorin e a interconexão de Capra encontram eco nas propostas práticas de Newman e Jennings, Register e Roger, que tratam a cidade como sistema ecológico e nas de Rueda e de Odum, quepropõem adaptar a cidade aos moldes da natureza. Valores teóricos e práticos se desdobram emestrategias aplicáveis ao desenvolvimento sustentável para o município de Criciúma, Santa Catarina,Brasil, que podem se estender a outros municípios