Prefrontal social cognition network dysfunction underlying face encoding and social anxiety in fragile X syndrome

Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) commonly display characteristics of social anxiety, including gaze aversion, increased time to initiate social interaction, and difficulty forming meaningful peer relationships. While neural correlates of face processing, an important component of social interaction, are altered in FXS, studies have not examined whether social anxiety in this population is related to higher cognitive processes, such as memory. This study aimed to determine whether the neural circuitry involved in face encoding was disrupted in individuals with FXS, and whether brain activity during face encoding was related to levels of social anxiety. A group of 11 individuals with FXS (5 M) and 11 age-and gender-matched control participants underwent fMRI scanning while performing a face encoding task with onlineeye-tracking. Results indicate that compared to the control group, individuals with FXS exhibited decreased activation of prefrontal regions associated with complex social cognition, including the medial and superior frontal cortex, during successful face encoding. Further, the FXS and control groups showed significantly different relationships between measures of social anxiety (including gaze-fixation) and brain activity during face encoding. These data indicate that social anxiety in FXS may be related to the inability to successfully recruit higher level social cognition regions during the initial phases of memory formation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding the WTA–WTP gap: Attitudes, feelings, uncertainty and personality

We present an experiment designed to study the psychological basis for the willingness to accept (WTA)–willingness to pay (WTP) gap. Specifically, we conduct a standard WTA–WTP economic experiment to replicate the gap and include in it five additional instruments to try to follow the psychological processes producing it. These instruments are designed to measure five psychological constructs we consider especially relevant: (1) attitudes, (2) feelings, (3) familiarity with the target good, (4) risk attitudes, and (5) personality. Our results provide important new insights into the psychological foundations of the WTA–WTP disparity, which can be used to organize some major previous results and cast serious doubts on the claim that the gap might be just a consequence of inappropriate experimental practice.

Film och mening : En receptionsstudie om spelfilm, filmpublik och existentiella frågor

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, thirteen interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. Summarizing the interviews some existential matters dominated. Matters of immanent orientation were in the foreground. Transcendental questions received much less attention. Summarizing the schema-based theoretical question, assessing which cognitive schema structures the narratives were processed through, the study found an emphasis on a combination of two main cognitive structures, person schema and self schema. Detailed person schematic cognitive processes about fictitious characters on the screen and their role model behaviour were combined by the respondents with dynamic cross-references to detailed self schematic introspections about their own characteristics, related to existential matters at some very specific moments in their lives. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.

Movies and meaning : studying audience, fiction film and existential matters

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, focus group and individual interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.

The effects of accounting students` ethical reasoning and personal factors on their ethical sensitivity

Purpose – Rest posited that to behave morally, an individual must have performed at least four basic psychological processes: moral sensitivity; moral judgment; moral motivation; and moral character. Though much ethics research in accounting has been focused on component two, ethical judgment, less research has been undertaken on the other three components. The purpose of this study is to focus on component one, ethical sensitivity, of Rest's four-component model.
Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 156 accounting undergraduates was employed to investigate the ethical sensitivity of accounting students and the effects of their ethical reasoning and personal factors on their ethical sensitivity.
Findings – Results of this study show that accounting students vary in their ability to detect the presence of ethical issues in a professional scenario. There is no significant relationship between accounting students' ethical sensitivity and their ethical reasoning (P-score). Accounting students characterized as “internals” are more likely to show an ability to recognize ethical issues than those characterized as “externals.” The results also indicate that an accounting ethics intervention may have positive effect on accounting students' ethical sensitivity development. Hence, an individual who possesses the ability to determine what is ethically right or wrong (high ethical reasoning) may fail to behave ethically due to a deficiency in identifying ethical issues (low ethical sensitivity) in a situation.
Originality/value – Whilst much research has concentrated on ethical reasoning and ethics education to enhance the ethical conduct of accountants, it is important that the profession and researchers also direct their attention and efforts to cultivating the ethical sensitivity of accountants. The findings of this study provide additional evidence to support Rest's theory of a more comprehensive cognitive model of ethical decision-making and suggest a more balanced research effort in evaluating the ethical development of individuals.

The relationship between dissociation and binge eating

Despite research findings demonstrating a relationship between dissociation and binge eating, the psychological processes that may underlie this association remain unclear. The present study examined 2 potential explanations: (a) that dissociation disinhibits behavioral control over eating and (b) that dissociation interferes with self-awareness and undermines body image. A total of 151 female university students completed measures of dissociation, body dissatisfaction, impulsivity, internalization of the thin ideal, body comparison, and binge eating. Correlations confirmed the presence of a relationship between dissociation and binge eating, and regression analyses revealed that this relationship is limited to body-specific (somatic) symptoms of dissociation. Path analyses identified body dissatisfaction, comparison, and impulsivity as significant mediators of this relationship. However, inclusion of all 3 mediated paths in a full model revealed that only body dissatisfaction is a unique mediator. The relevance of somatic symptoms, and the unique contribution of body dissatisfaction as a mediator, are consistent with an explanation of the relationship between dissociation and binge eating that is based on a vulnerability of body image. The results emphasize the need for future research to consider the relation of dissociation to a broader range of disordered eating symptoms than simply binge eating.

Changes in quality of life and coping among people with multiple sclerosis over a 2 year period

There is a need to investigate the impact of different coping strategies on quality of life (QOL) of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), in order to better inform intervention programs for this population. This study evaluated the relationship between QOL and coping over a 2 year period among people with MS. Participants were 382 people with MS (144 male, 238 females) and 291 people without a neurological or other chronic illness from the general population (101 males, 190 females). People with MS experienced lower QOL than the control group in the domains of global QOL, independence, social and spiritual QOL scales, as well as the problem solving and social/emotional support coping scales. Interestingly, people with MS experienced higher psychological QOL than the general population, and higher detachment and focusing on the positive coping. Over time, people with MS demonstrated increases in their global QOL as well as in their social/emotional support coping. Women demonstrated higher levels than men of global QOL and Social/emotional support coping. The results of these findings have implications for information and intervention programs for people with MS.

On the relationship between dissociation and disordered eating

This thesis investigated the psychological processes that underlie the relationship between dissociation and disordered eating. Although previous theories have emphasized that dissociation undermines behavioural self-control and, in turn, contributes to disordered eating, present findings indicate that dissociation may also influence disordered eating via disturbances to one's sense of identity.

Mindfulness in forensic mental health : does it have a role?

Treatment and rehabilitation in forensic settings have been largely based on cognitive behavioural models and therapies. In the past decade, “third wave” approaches have developed in cognitive behavioural therapy, strongly influenced by spiritual and contemplative traditions such as Buddhism. Mindfulness is the most analysed and researched of such approaches. In this paper, we ask whether mindfulness is relevant to therapeutic work with offenders in forensic mental health and criminal justice services. We review the known criminogenic and other needs of offender groups and discuss whether the psychological processes affected by mindfulness are relevant to reducing risk, alleviating distress and facilitating coping. We conclude that they are. Finally, we address some of the problems that may arise in implementing mindfulness interventions in forensic settings.

Prosecutors’ perceptions on improving child witness interviews about abuse

This edited volume reviews the latest research on investigative interviewing in order to provide insights on the psychological processes of the person being interviewed as well as to offer guidelines for conducting credible and useful ...

O desenvolvimento psíquico na idade de transição e a formação da individualidade para-si: aportes teóricos para a educação escolar de adolescentes

Pós-graduação em Educação Escolar - FCLAR

Escoriação psicogênica: aspectos psicológicos e fatores de personalidade

Pós-graduação em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e Aprendizagem - FC

A educação escolar e a relação entre o desenvolvimento do pensamento e a apropriação da cultura: a psicologia de A. N. Leontiev como referência nuclear de análise

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Esporte escolar e emancipação humana: reflexões à luz da ontologia marxiana

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O afetivo para a psicologia histórico-cultural: considerações sobre o papel da educação escolar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)