bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accuracy in Discriminating Blood Glucose Levels in a Sample of Children with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Sagarduy José Luis Ybarra , Roales-Nieto Jesús Gil
Published: April 2014

The present study explores accuracy in estimating blood glucose levels (BGL) in children with type 1 diabetes and analyzes the kinds of symptoms and cues which they use to estimate their BGL. Forty two children with type 1 diabetes completed a SI/IC-3 scale consisting of 28 items (22 symptoms and 6 feelings), indicating those which they perceived at the time and their intensity. They estimated their BGL and gave reasons for their estimation, before having a blood glucose level analysis performed. The results indicated great variability in the accuracy of estimating BGL. They showed failures in the correct discrimination of symptoms of hypoglycemia as well as the presence of false beliefs regarding indicative symptoms of hyperglycemia, and the absence of symptoms as an indicator for euglycemia, beliefs which provoke different and frequent errors in the estimation of BGL. Correct use of external signs is shown to be related to correct estimations of normal BGL, as well as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. We discuss the implications these results could have on designing psychological intervention procedures for diabetics in the form of training programs to discriminate BGL accurately, taking into account these findings and previous studies completed in the same field.
Collectivize Social Support? Elements for Reconsidering the Social Dimension in the Study of Social Support
Authors: Moreno Esteban Sánchez
Published: April 2014

Psychological models of mental disorders play an important role in the explanation of psychological deterioration. Researchers from this area usually study several cognitive and behavioral variables to account for the onset and maintenance of depression. However, many authors have detected the need to include a “social dimension” in the explanation of deterioration. In this sense, social support has become a crucial aspect in the study of mental health, and the psychological literature on this topic has generated an intense debate about several facets of the positive impact of social networks on psychological well-being. In this article, the author defends that this increasing centrality of the concept has been accompanied by a psychological reductionism that is making the role of “social aspects” to explain psychological well-being more problematic. Implications of this reductionism are discussed, and an alternative proposal is made to overcome some theoretical and empirical problems related to social support research.
Psychopathology According to Behaviorism: A Radical Restatement
Authors: Pérez-Álvarez Marino
Published: April 2014

This article is a radical restatement of the predominant psychopathology, which is characterized by nosological systems and by its approach towards a neurobiological conception of the so-called mental disorders. The “radical” sense of this restatement is that of radical behaviorism itself. As readers will recall, “radical” applied to behaviorism means total (not ignoring anything that interests psychology), pragmatic (referring to the practical sense of knowledge), and it also derives from the Latin word for “root” (and thus implies change beginning at a system's roots or getting to the root of things, in this case, of psychological disorders). Based on this, I introduce the Aristotelian distinction of material and form, which, besides being behaviorist avant la lettre, is used here as a critical instrument to unmask the hoax of psychopathology as it is presented. The implications of this restatement are discussed, some of them already prepared for clinical practice.
A Pragmatic Guideline for Evaluation of Social Intervention
Authors: Sánchez Isabel María Herrera , Rubio José María León , Anzano Silvia Medina
Published: April 2014

Considering the many theoretical and methodological viewpoints in the field of evaluation, a guideline was established to facilitate the evaluation of social intervention programs. For this purpose, the goals of the evaluation were taken into account: (a) planning interventions, (b) learning and continuous improvement of interventions, (c) programming policies, and (d) transformation of society. These goals will determine the perspective of the analysis selected (focusing on the evaluand or the context) and the strategies for change employed (focusing on processes or results). The elements that, according to Shadish, Cook, and Levinton (1991), constitute the theory of evaluation (evaluand, value, building of knowledge, and uses) have also been considered. The analysis of all these components led to the elaboration of a guideline to orient the practice of evaluation from a pragmatic perspective, in accordance with the demands and needs of a certain social context.
See red? Turn pale? Unveiling Emotions through Cardiovascular and Hemodynamic Changes
Authors: Montoya Pedro , Campos J. Javier , Schandry Rainer
Published: April 2014

Cardiodynamic and hemodynamic reactions to emotion-eliciting film sequences were investigated. Thirty-two healthy subjects (12 women, 20 men) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the first group, anger was induced using selected scenes of the film “Ragtime.” In the second group, scenes of the film “The Shining” were chosen to elicit fear. A documentary film was used as a baseline stimulus in both groups. EKG, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure were continuously monitored. The two emotional conditions elicited significant differential changes in subjective ratings and cardiovascular indices. Fear was associated with decreased cardiac output, increased total peripheral resistance, and a reduction in stroke volume and myocardial contractility. Anger was associated with an increase of cardiac output and small changes in total peripheral resistance. These results support the hypothesis that discrete emotions such as fear and anger elicit differential patterns of physiological responses.
Lexical Processing of Ambiguous Words: Dominance or Associative Strength?
Authors: Nievas Francisco , Justicia Fernando , Cañas José J. , Bajo M. Teresa
Published: April 2014

Four experiments examined the role of meaning frequency (dominance) and associative strength (measured by associative norms) in the processing of ambiguous words in isolation. Participants made lexical decisions to targets words that were associates of the more frequent (dominant) or less frequent (subordinate) meaning of a homograph prime. The first two experiments investigated the role of associative strength at long SOAs (Stimulus Onset Asynchrony) (750 ms.), showing that meaning is facilitated by the targets' associative strength and not by their dominance. The last two experiments traced the role associative strength at short SOAs (250 ms), showing that the manipulation of the associative strength has no effect in the semantic priming. The conclusions are: on the one hand, semantic priming for homographs is due to associative strength manipulations at long SOAs. On the other hand, the manipulation of the associative strength has no effect when automatic processes (short SOAs) are engaged for homographs.
Structure and Stimulus Familiarity: A Study of Memory in Chess-Players with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Campitelli Guillermo , Gobet Fernand , Parker Amanda
Published: April 2014

A grandmaster and an international chess master were compared with a group of novices in a memory task with chess and non-chess stimuli, varying the structure and familiarity of the stimuli, while functional magnetic resonance images were acquired. The pattern of brain activity in the masters was different from that of the novices. Masters showed no differences in brain activity when different degrees of structure and familiarity where compared; however, novices did show differences in brain activity in such contrasts. The most important differences were found in the contrast of stimulus familiarity with chess positions. In this contrast, there was an extended brain activity in bilateral frontal areas such as the anterior cingulate and the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri; furthermore, posterior areas, such as posterior cingulate and cerebellum, showed great bilateral activation. These results strengthen the hypothesis that when performing a domain-specific task, experts activate different brain systems from that of novices. The use of the experts-versus-novices paradigm in brain imaging contributes towards the search for brain systems involved in cognitive processes.
Alexithymia — State or Trait?
Authors: Martínez-Sánchez Francisco , Ato-García Manuel , Ortiz-Soria Beatriz
Published: April 2014

Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in emotional processing that is manifested by difficulties in identifying and verbalizing feelings and a tendency to focus on and amplify the somatic sensations that accompany emotional arousal. Alexithymia is conceptualized both as an affect-deficit disorder and a continuous personality variable. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the stability levels of alexithymia with regard to changes in emotional distress levels caused by university exams. We tested 20 university students at four different times, before and after the exams. Alexithymic features and self-reported emotional distress (trait anxiety and physical symptoms) were measured. Whereas emotional distress measures changed significantly during the diverse phases, the level of alexithymia remained unchanged. We therefore conclude that alexithymia represents a constant trait.
The Impact of Pavlov on the Psychology of Learning in English-Speaking Countries
Authors: Boakes Robert A.
Published: April 2014

The translation of Pavlov's lectures (Pavlov, 1927) provided English-speaking psychologists with access to the full scope of Pavlov's research and theoretical ideas. The impact this had on their study of the psychology of learning can be assessed by examining influential books in this area. This reveals that Watson (1924) had been highly effective in promoting the misleading idea that Pavlov was a fellow S-R theorist. This assumption was not questioned by Tolman (1932), Hilgard and Marquis (1940) or by Hull (1943). However, this mistake was not made by Skinner (1938), who also provided the strongest arguments against Pavlov's belief that behavioral effects required explanation in terms of physiological processes. Post-1927 most learning research in the English-speaking countries continued to use instrumental, rather than Pavlovian, conditioning procedures. Nevertheless, many of the issues addressed by this research were ones that Pavlov had been the first to raise, so that his major influence can be seen as that of defining a research program for subsequent students of learning.
The Role of Subvocalization in Rehearsal and Maintenance of Rhythmic Patterns
Authors: Pich Jordi
Published: April 2014

This experiment analyzed the influence of subvocal activity in retention of rhythmical auditory patterns. Retention of sixteen percussion sequences was studied. Each sequence (a 4-s “door-knocking” pattern) was followed by one of the following six retention conditions: silence, unattended music (blocking the inner ear, i.e., Gregorian chanting), unattended music (blocking the inner ear, i.e., rock-and-roll), articulatory suppression (blocking the inner voice), tracing circles on the table with index finger (spatial task), and tapping (motor control). After silence, unattended music (chanting), or the spatial task, participants successfully reproduced most patterns. Errors increased with unattended music (rock-and-roll), but significant disruptions only occurred with tapping and articulatory suppression. Whereas the latter case supports the role of an articulatory loop in retention, the production of successive taps or syllables in both interference conditions probably relies on a general rhythm module, which disrupted retention of the patterns.
Is the Breadth of Individualized Ranges of Optimal Anxiety (IZOF) Equal for all Athletes? A Graphical Method for Establishing IZOF
Authors: Pons Diana , Balaguer Isabel , Garcia-Merita M. Luisa
Published: April 2014

Recall and direct methods to determine the individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF) cannot account for potential individual differences in the span of optimal anxiety. Accordingly, an attempt was made to test a graphical technique that could establish the span of optimal anxiety ranges for individuals. State anxiety (STAI; Spielberger, Gorusch, & Lushene, 1970; and CSAI-2; Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1990) was assessed before competitions (10 to 20) in six Spanish golfers during a season. Performance in each match was determined using golf scores and self-ratings. Optimal anxiety ranges were established graphically by plotting individual scores of precompetition anxiety against individual performance values. Optimal ranges were also determined using Hanin's (1986, 1989) direct and recall methods. The efficacy of each method was contrasted by comparing performance between cases in which the golfers possessed optimal or non-optimal anxiety according to each method. More of the golfers performed better when competing within an IZOF established with the graphic procedures than with the other methods.
Life Stressors and Cognitive Styles in Children
Authors: Santostefano Sebastiano , Estévez Mª Angeles Quiroga , Santostefano Susan Rooney
Published: April 2014

To explore the way that children's cognitive functioning relates to stressors they report experiencing in every day life, this study used the approach of cognitive control theory, which defines cognition as a set of mobile functions that, in serving adaptation, shift in their organization. Children (N= 93), ranging in age from 56 to 115 months, were administered individually the Life Stressor Interview and several cognitive control tasks. Children who reported being exposed to arguments and threatening gestures among adults made more errors when focusing attention while distracted by stimuli concerning nurture. Children who reported being upset by shootings and fights had more difficulty remembering test information depicting two persons in a shoot-out. The results are discussed in terms of the potential value of an approach that integrates cognitive activity with personality.
Longitudinal Study of the Stability of Expressed Emotion in Families of Schizophrenic Patients: A 9-Month Follow-Up
Authors: Santos Asunción , Espina Alberto , Pumar Begoña , González Pilar , Ayerbe Ana , García Enrique
Published: April 2014

The goal of this paper is to study attitude stability in schizophrenics' relatives, as reflected in the expressed emotion (EE) construct. For this purpose, the EE of 32 families of schizophrenic patients was assessed by means of the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI, Brown, Birley, & Wing, 1972; Vaughn & Leff, 1976b), both initially and at a 9-month follow-up. The results obtained indicate that EE is stable in fathers, whereas in mothers, high EE seems to be influenced by stressful situations, because, when assessed in crisis, EE was not stable, but in-between crises, it was. These results are discussed, as well as their relevance in family interventions aimed at reducing EE, where clinicians should take into account that mothers' EE may drop because of its instability, and not because of the intervention. On the other hand, clinicians should focus especially on fathers, because their high EE is constant, which is stressful to the patient during the follow-up.
Development of a Child with Joubert Syndrome
Authors: Torres M. Carmen , Buceta M. José , Cajide M. Consuelo
Published: April 2014

The article describes the development of a child with Joubert Syndrome who, since the age of 16 months, has received personalized stimulation therapy at home and in the Early Intervention Unit (EIU) of the Faculty, in each of the five areas considered by the Portage Guide to Early Education: socialization, language, self-help, cognition, and motoricity. Repeated evaluations during the treatment (up to age 40 months) showed slow progress in all developmental areas, as well as in general attitude to and capacity for learning. During treatment, greatest progress was made in the areas of cognition and communication.
Research Trends in Spanish Psychology (1989–1998)
Authors: Fernández Juan
Published: April 2014

The aim of this paper is to present the design of a study for the international dissemination of the research trends of Spanish psychology during the last decade (1989-1998). For this purpose, the international databases MEDLINE, PsycLIT, and ERIC were used, as well as some national databases such as ISBN and PSICODOC98. In addition, letters requesting ratification or rectification of the data were sent to 1,395 faculty members who had tenure at that time in Spain. Data about the specific context of the psychology faculties and the more general context of the Spanish university are also provided. The concrete results of the research trends of the different areas are analyzed in detail in the articles of this special issue.
The Decade 1989–1998 in Spanish Psychology: An Analysis of Research in Statistics, Methodology, and Psychometric Theory
Authors: García-Pérez Miguel A.
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an analysis of research published in the decade 1989–1998 by Spanish faculty members in the areas of statistical methods, research methodology, and psychometric theory. Database search and direct correspondence with faculty members in Departments of Methodology across Spain rendered a list of 193 papers published in these broad areas by 82 faculty members. These and other faculty members had actually published 931 papers over the decade of analysis, but 738 of them addressed topics not appropriate for description in this report. Classification and analysis of these 193 papers revealed topics that have attracted the most interest (psychophysics, item response theory, analysis of variance, sequential analysis, and meta-analysis) as well as other topics that have received less attention (scaling, factor analysis, time series, and structural models). A significant number of papers also dealt with various methodological issues (software, algorithms, instrumentation, and techniques). A substantial part of this report is devoted to describing the issues addressed across these 193 papers–most of which are written in the Spanish language and published in Spanish journals–and some representative references are given.
The Decade 1989–1998 in Spanish Psychology: An Analysis of Research in Development and Educational Psychology
Authors: Sánchez-Miguel Emilio , García-Sánchez Jesús-Nicasio
Published: April 2014

In this study, we identified 67 research trends that meet the criteria of this special issue. In the following pages, all the research trends will be reviewed, grouped into five categories: personal and social development, cognitive and linguistic development, developmental and educational contexts, cognition and instruction, and development and learning disabilities. A general overview of the area is obtained by dividing each category into subcategories, thus arranging the identified research trends in a four-level hierarchical structure. Taking into account this analysis, in our Conclusions section, we note the regularities with regard to the issues that have been studied the most, the predominant type of works, and, more important, the most noteworthy imbalances. We reached six conclusions: (1) Research on educational changes predominates over the study of developmental changes; (2) the study of formal education is predominant over informal education; (3) cognitive-linguistic aspects predominate over personal and social aspects; (4) application of knowledge predominates over the generation of new knowledge; (5) new educational-practice proposals predominate over the study of these educational practices; and (6) the study of change is not related to the proposals that promote change.
The Decade 1989–1998 in Spanish Psychology: An Analysis of Research in Psychobiology
Authors: de Tejada Pilar Herreros , Tedó Carmen Muñoz
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we present an analysis of the research published during the 1989-1998 decade by tenured Spanish faculty members from the area of psychobiology. Database search and direct correspondence with the 110 faculty members rendered a list of 904 psychobiological papers. Classification and analysis of these papers led to the definition of at least 70 different research trends. Topics are grouped into several specific research areas: Learning and Memory; Development and Neural Plasticity; Emotion and Stress; Ethology; Neuropsychology; Sensory Processing; and Psychopharmacology. The international dissemination of this research, published in journals of high impact index, and the increasing number of papers are two noteworthy features.
Null Sex Differences in General Intelligence: Evidence from the WAIS-III
Authors: Colom Roberto , García Luis F. , Juan-Espinosa Manuel , Abad Francisco J.
Published: April 2014

There is an increasing number of studies claiming that the sex differences in general intelligence are “real.” The empirical evidence is based on the summation of the standardized sex differences in several cognitive batteries. However, the scientific construct of general ability rests on the correlations among test scores, rather than on their summation. The latter (ability in general) is an arbitrary variable, not a scientific construct. General ability is not a function of any particular cognitive test, but a source of variance evidenced by the correlation between several diverse tests, each of which reflects general ability (g) to some extent, but also group factors and test specificity. Because there are important educational, economic, and social consequences of a group difference in general ability, it is especially germane to evaluate the possibility of an average sex difference in its proxy measures, such as IQ. The Spanish standardization of the WAIS-III is analyzed in the present study. The sample was made up of 703 females and 666 males, aged 15-94, drawn as a representative sample of the population in terms of educational level and geographical location. Although a male advantage of 3.6 IQ points is observed, the difference is in “ability in general,” not in “general ability” (g). Given that the main ingredient of the strong association between IQ and a broad range of social correlates is g, and given that there is no sex difference in g, then the average IQ sex-difference favoring males must be attributed to specific group factors and test specificity.
Is there any Relationship between Sexual Attraction and Gender Typology?
Authors: Fernández Juan , Quiroga María Ángeles , Olmo Isabel Del
Published: April 2014

People can be classified as attracted to both sexes, to men, to women, or to neither sex, and also as instrumental-expressive, instrumental, expressive, or non-instrumental-expressive. The two hypotheses tested herein are, on the one hand, the relative independence between these two typologies and, on the other, the close relation between sexual dimorphism and sexual attraction, in contrast to the relative independence between sexual dimorphism and the instrumental and expressive domains. A total of 503 university students (284 women and 219 men) completed two assessment instruments: The Sexual Attraction Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI, 12 items). Analysis of contingency tables was performed. The results provide empirical support for the hypothesis of independence of the two typologies, solid support for the relation between sexual dimorphism and sexual attraction, and clear support for the independence between the gender domains and sexual dimorphism. The implications of these data for the different outlooks concerning the relations between sex and gender are established.
Affective Priming with Pictures of Emotional Scenes: The Role of Perceptual Similarity and Category Relatedness
Authors: Avero Pedro , Calvo Manuel G.
Published: April 2014

Prime pictures portraying pleasant or unpleasant scenes were briefly presented (150-ms display; SOAs of 300 or 800 ms), followed by probe pictures either congruent or incongruent in emotional valence. In an evaluative decision task, participants responded whether the probe was emotionally positive or negative. Affective priming was reflected in shorter response latencies for congruent than for incongruent prime-probe pairs. Although this effect was enhanced by perceptual similarity between the prime and the probe, it also occurred for probes that were physically different, and the effect generalized across semantic categories (animals vs. people). It is concluded that affective priming is a genuine phenomenon, in that it occurs as a function of stimulus emotional content, in the absence of both perceptual similarity and semantic category relatedness between the prime and the probe.
Emotional Intelligence as Predictor of Mental, Social, and Physical Health in University Students
Authors: Extremera Natalio , Fernández-Berrocal Pablo
Published: April 2014

This study examined the association between emotional intelligence (EI), anxiety, depression, and mental, social, and physical health in university students. The sample was made up of 184 university students (38 men and 146 women). EI was evaluated by the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (Salovey, Mayer, Goldman, Turvey, & Palfai, 1995), which evaluates the three dimensions (Attention, Clarity, and Mood Repair). Anxiety was evaluated with the Trait Anxiety Questionnaire (Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg, & Jacobs, 1983) and depression with the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery, 1979). Mental, social, and physical health were evaluated with the SF-12 Health Survey (Ware, Kosinski, & Keller, 1996). Results showed that high Emotional Attention was positively and significantly related to high anxiety, depression, and to low levels of Role Emotional, Social Functioning, and Mental Health. However, high levels of emotional Clarity and Mood Repair were related to low levels of anxiety and depression, high Role Physical, Social Functioning, Mental Health, Vitality, and General Health. This study confirmed the predictive value of Attention, Clarity and Mood Repair regarding the levels of anxiety, depression, and areas related to mental, social, and physical health in university students.
Psychometric Properties of a European Spanish Version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Authors: Remor Eduardo
Published: April 2014

This paper presents evidence from a heterogeneous sample of 440 Spanish adults, for the reliability and validity of a European Spanish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), designed to measure the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. The European Spanish version PSS (14-item) demonstrated adequate reliability (internal consistency, α = .81, and test-retest,r= .73), validity (concurrent), and sensitivity. Additional data indicate adequate reliability (α = .82, test-retest,r= .77), validity, and sensitivity of a 10-item short version of the PSS.
Is Sexual Attraction Independent of the Instrumental and Expressive Traits?
Authors: Fernández Juan , Quiroga María Ángeles , Olmo Isabel Del
Published: April 2014

Sexual attraction is an essential part of sex, just as the instrumental and expressive traits are the mainstay of gender. Various hypotheses concerning the dimensionality and independence versus dependence/overlapping of these core entities were tested. A group of 423 university students completed the Sexual Attraction Questionnaire (SAQ; Fernández, Quiroga, & Rodríguez, 2006) and the 12-item Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974). Internal consistency and factor analyses (PAF) were conducted. The results support the dimensionality established for the SAQ and reveal some psychometric and conceptual weaknesses of the 12-item BSRI. The results also support the independence of the two cores: sexual attraction and the instrumental and expressive traits. The logical implications for the different viewpoints of the relations between sex and gender are discussed.
Fathers and Gender Traditionalism: Perception of Inequality and Life Roles
Authors: Paterna Consuelo , Martínez Carmen
Published: April 2014

Men's discourse about the paternal role is changing significantly. Despite the fact that men still perceive themselves as being responsible for the family's economical protection and the children's discipline, they face increasing demands for more involvement in childcare. From this perspective, this work analyzes the traditional view of gender roles and the perception of inequality in a sample of 95 employed fathers, as well as the various levels of satisfaction with other life roles and their relevance as a function of some gender and sociodemographic variables. The results show that men do not maintain a very traditional gender ideology with regard to role distribution and they still consider the paternal role and feelings as the most important thing in their lives. However, the couple relationship gives them the most satisfaction. Level of traditionalism and age were the two significant predicting variables of perception of inequality of men and women.
Psychophysiological Training of Operators in Adaptive Biofeedback Cardiorhythm Control
Authors: Suvorov Nikolay
Published: April 2014

A new individual computerized technique for psychophysiological training of operators before performing psychomotor activity on a computer model (psychomotor concentration and spatial orientation test) was developed. Qualitative criteria for the prediction of safe operator activity were formulated. Preliminary testing of operators' activity quality showed great dispersion of individual results: The amount of errors ranged from 0 to 56 and the rate of information processing varied from 1.01 up 3.56 bit/s. Subjects with initially identified respiratory sinus arrhythmia or synchronization caused by respiratory movements committed minimal recognition errors in initial stages at a high rate of information processing. The number of errors remained unchanged after the biofeedback cardio-training cycle, with the rate of information processing increasing noticeably. Subjects without inherent harmonics developed harmonics after sessions of cardiorhythm biofeedback control, and their operator activity quality improved significantly, making fewer mistakes and increasing the rate of information processing. Biofeedback control led not only to the restoration of respiratory sinus arrhythmia, a favorable diagnostic sign, as revealed by cardiorhythmograms, but also resulted in improvement of the quality of operator activity.
Lightness Compression and Hue Changes
Authors: Lillo Julio , Moreira Humberto
Published: April 2014

Two experiments were performed to relate the Bezold-Brücke (B-B) and lightness compression effects. The first used a calibrated screen to present an achromatic luminance staircase. In addition, it reproduced, the methodology and the essential aspects the lightness compression effect discovered by Cataliotti and Gilchrist (1995). That is, observers perceived a truncated grey scale (from white to medium grey) when the staircase was the only stimulation in the near background (Gelb condition), but not when presented on a Mondrian background, because of the high articulation level provided by this background. Experiment 1 design also included two other backgrounds that produced a partial compression effect. In Experiment 2, two chromatic staircases were used. Employing a naming task, changes in hue perception were only observed for the susceptible staircase. The observed changes were of two types. First, for the full staircase presentations, a Gelb background produced maximum lightness compression (more similarity in the lightness of the staircase stimuli) and, also, a minimum B-B effect (fewer differences in hue). Second, only for the Gelb condition, there were changes in the hue of the lowest luminance staircase stimuli depending on the staircase extension. Results are discussed in the framework of the anchoring theory of lightness perception.
Visual Distance Estimation in Static Compared to Moving Virtual Scenes
Authors: Frenz Harald , Lappe Markus
Published: April 2014

Visual motion is used to control direction and speed of self-motion and time-to-contact with an obstacle. In earlier work, we found that human subjects can discriminate between the distances of different visually simulated self-motions in a virtual scene. Distance indication in terms of an exocentric interval adjustment task, however, revealed linear correlation between perceived and indicated distances but with a profound distance underestimation. One possible explanation for this underestimation is the perception of visual space in virtual environments. Humans perceive visual space in natural scenes as curved, and distances are increasingly underestimated with increasing distance from the observer. Such spatial compression may also exist in our virtual environment. We therefore surveyed perceived visual space in a static virtual scene. We asked observers to compare two horizontal depth intervals, similar to experiments performed in natural space. Subjects had to indicate the size of one depth interval relative to a second interval. Our observers perceived visual space in the virtual environment as compressed, similar to the perception found in natural scenes. However, the nonlinear depth function we found can not explain the observed distance underestimation of visual simulated self-motions in the same environment.
The Theory of Thinking and the Capacity to Mentalize: A Comparison of Fonagy's and Bion's Models
Authors: Lagos Carla Mantilla
Published: April 2014

This paper presents a comparison of two psychoanalytic models of how human beings learn to use their mental capacities to know meaningfully about the world. The first, Fonagy's model of mentalization, is concerned with the development of a self capable of reflecting upon its own and others' mental states, based on feelings, thoughts, intentions, and desires. The other, Bion's model of thinking, is about the way thoughts are dealt with by babies, facilitating the construction of a thinking apparatus within a framework of primitive ways of communication between mother and baby. The theories are compared along three axes: (a) an axis of the theoretical and philosophical backgrounds of the models; (b) an axis of the kind of evidence that supports them; and (c) the third axis of the technical implications of the ideas of each model. It is concluded that, although the models belong to different theoretical and epistemological traditions and are supported by different sorts of evidence, they may be located along the same developmental line using an intersubjective framework that maintains tension between the intersubjective and the intrapsychic domains of the mind.
Factor Structure of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in a Sample from Mexico
Authors: Ramírez Mónica Teresa González , Hernández René Landero
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to analyze the cultural adaptation of the European Spanish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kamarak, & Mermelstein, 1983), for its use in Mexican samples. Using a random sample of students, internal consistency was analyzed and the factor structure of the Spanish version of the PSS was compared with the factor structure found in the English version. Internal consistency was adequate (α = .83) and confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the factor structure. Factor 1 explained 42.8% of the variance and Factor 2 accounted for 53.2%. The goodness-of-fit measures also revealed an adequate fit. The cultural adaptation of the PSS was also evaluated with satisfactory results.
Effects of Prime Task on Affective Priming By Facial Expressions of Emotion
Authors: Aguado Luis , Garcia-Gutierrez Ana , Castañeda Ester , Saugar Cristina
Published: April 2014

Priming of affective word evaluation by pictures of faces showing positive and negative emotional expressions was investigated in two experiments that used a double task procedure where participants were asked to respond to the prime or to the target on different trials. The experiments varied between-subjects the prime task assignment and the prime-target interval (SOA, stimulus onset asynchrony). Significant congruency effects (that is, faster word evaluation when prime and target had the same valence than when they were of opposite valence) were observed in both experiments. When the prime task oriented the subjects to an affectively irrelevant property of the faces (their gender), priming was observed at SOA 300 ms but not at SOA 1000 ms (Experiment 1). However, when the prime task assignment explicitly oriented the subjects to the valence of the face, priming was observed at both SOA durations (Experiment 2). These results show, first, that affective priming by pictures of facial emotion can be obtained even when the subject has an explicit goal to process a non-affective property of the prime. Second, sensitivity of the priming effect to SOA duration seems to depend on whether it is mediated by intentional or unintentional activation of the valence of the face prime.
Cognitive Biases in Human Causal Learning
Authors: Maldonado Antonio , Catena Andrés , Perales José César , Cándido Antonio
Published: April 2014

The main aim of this work was to look for cognitive biases in human inference of causal relationships in order to emphasize the psychological processes that modulate causal learning. From the effect of the judgment frequency, this work presents subsequent research on cue competition (overshadowing, blocking, and super-conditioning effects) showing that the strength of prior beliefs and new evidence based upon covariation computation contributes additively to predict causal judgments, whereas the balance between the reliability of both, beliefs and covariation knowledge, modulates their relative weight. New findings also showed “inattentional blindness” for negative or preventative causal relationships but not for positive or generative ones, due to failure in codifying and retrieving the necessary information for its computation. Overall results unveil the need of three hierarchical levels of a whole architecture for human causal learning: the lower one, responsible for codifying the events during the task; the second one, computing the retrieved information; finally, the higher level, integrating this evidence with previous causal knowledge. In summary, whereas current theoretical frameworks on causal inference and decision-making usually focused either on causal beliefs or covariation information, the present work shows how both are required to be able to explain the complexity and flexibility involved in human causal learning.
Self-Starvation in the Rat: Running versus Eating
Authors: Boakes Robert A.
Published: April 2014

Rats given the combination of unrestricted access to an activity wheel and restricted access to food can lose weight to the extent that they will die unless removed from these conditions. Although this has been known for forty years, why this happens has remained unclear. The phenomenon is paradoxical in that one might expect such rats to eat more as their weight decreases, but in fact they eat less than resting controls. This lecture first examines some of the factors than influence whether self-starvation will occur, such as age, time of food access, type of food and ambient temperature. It then compares competing explanations such as circadian adaptation, thermo-regulation and food aversion learning. As so often in psychology, it turns out that self-starvation results from a combination of many separate factors. The general implications of this research are examined, including whether it provides a useful animal model for human anorexia nervosa.
Triad Model of Education (II) and Instructional Engineering
Authors: Vargas E. A.
Published: April 2014

Despite the money and sweat that go into new instructional technologies, they do not produce the overall high level of student performances that societies seek. More effective teaching calls for a profound solution. It requires a coordinate triad of factors: a proper science, the correct organizational structure, and an engineering instructional technology. This second of a series of articles on the Triad Model of Education concentrates on instructional engineering. The instructional engineering drawn from the science is contingency-based. Contingency-based instructional systems always handle the inevitable two components of instruction: the repertoires of students and the setups that shape those repertoires. The setup component features five elements: subject matter, objectives, quality control, presentation modes, and logistics. The repertoire component consists of the governance of repertoires—event and lingual governed, the type of repertoire—knowing, solving, and creating, and the variability of the repertoire—convergent and divergent. These elements, and their required engineering, reveal an instructional task more complex than previously considered. Progress with such complexity occurs only when all components of the triad are in place.
Social Risk Factors in Spanish Youth and their Impact on Self-Concept Construction
Authors: Moreno Esteban Sánchez , de Roda Ana Barrón López
Published: April 2014

This paper presents evidence from a psychosocial framework about the relationship among youth, work, and identity construction. The aims of this research were twofold. The first one was to analyze the working conditions of Spanish youth and their impact on individuals' biographies. The second one was to examine the effect of labor-related variables on construction / change of identity elements in Spanish youth. For this purpose, two research techniques were used: the Delphi method (103 experts sample from several entities and organizations closely related to our topic) and deep interviews (15 interviews with youths classified according to their relationship with the work market).
A Comparison of Implicit Memory Tests in Schizophrenic Patients and Normal Controls
Authors: Soler María José , Ruiz Juan Carlos , Fuentes Inmaculada , Tomás Pilar
Published: April 2014

The objective of the current study was to compare the performance of schizophrenic patients and normal controls on implicit memory tests. Two neuropsychological tasks were administered to 29 patients and normal participant samples. The implicit tests were: Word fragment completion and Word production from semantic categories. The priming score was the variable of interest. Priming effects are obtained in normal subjects and schizophrenia patients, regardless of the implicit test used. However, a dissociation in priming between normal and patient groups was observed, depending on the test used. For word fragment test, priming was identical between the two groups. However, for word production, priming obtained in schizophrenics was lower than priming in normal controls. Results confirm a dissociation effect in implicit memory tests. These results could be explained in the context of the Roediger and Blaxton (1987) distinction between data-driven and conceptually-driven processing. This evidence suggests that a complete neuropsychological assessment of memory in schizophrenia should include different kinds of implicit memory tests (procedural, perceptual, and conceptual tasks).
Effects of Trophic Poisoning with Methylmercury on the Appetitive Elements of the Agonistic Sequence in Fighting-Fish (Betta Splendens)
Authors: Gouveia Amauri , de Oliveira Caio Maximino , Romão Cynthia Ferreira , de Brito Thiago Marques , Ventura Dora Fix
Published: April 2014

The aggressive display in Betta splendens is particularly prominent, and vital to its adaptation to the environment. Methylmercury is an organic variation of Hg that presents particularly pronounced neuro-behavioral effects. The present experiments aim to test the effect of acute and chronic poisoning with methylmercury on the display in Bettas. The animals were poisoned by trophic means in both experiments (16 ug/kg in acute poisoning; 16 ug/kg/day for chronic poisoning), and tested in agonistic pairs. The total frequency of the display was recorded, analyzing the topography of the agonistic response. The methylmercury seems to present a dose- and detoxification-dependent effect on these responses, with a more pronounced effect on motivity in acute poisoning and on emotionality in the chronic poisoning. It is possible that this effect could be mediated by alteration in the mono-amino-oxidase systems.
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: Translation and Validation in University Students
Authors: Martín-Albo José , Núñez Juan L. , Navarro José G. , Grijalvo Fernando
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to translate into Spanish and to validate the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), completed by 420 university students. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the model that best fit the data, both in the total sample and in the male and female subsamples, was the one-factor structure with method effects associated with positively worded items. The results indicated high, positive correlations between self-esteem and the five dimensions of self-concept. The scale showed satisfactory levels of internal consistency and temporal stability over a four-week period. Lastly, gender differences were obtained. These findings support the use of the RSES for the assessment of self-esteem in higher education.
Highly Automated Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy Elemental Quantification
Authors: Narayan Raman D. , Weiss J. K. , Rez Peter
Published: April 2014

A model-based fitting algorithm for electron energy-loss spectroscopy spectra is introduced, along with an intuitive user-interface. As with Verbeeck & Van Aert, the measured spectrum, rather than the single scattering distribution, is fit over a wide range. An approximation is developed that allows for accurate modeling while maintaining linearity in the parameters that represent elemental composition. Also, a method is given for generating a model for the low-loss background that incorporates plural scattering. Operation of the user-interface is described to demonstrate the ease of use that allows even nonexpert users to quickly obtain elemental analysis results.
Der geeignete Zeitpunkt für eine Herzklappenintervention – Zusammenfassung der europäischen Richtlinien
Authors: Sündermann Simon H. , Reser Diana , Czerny Martin , Falk Volkmar
Published: April 2014

Die häufigsten Herzklappenvitien in den westlichen Industrienationen sind die Aortenklappenstenose und die Mitralklappeninsuffizienz. Seltener liegt eine Aortenklappeninsuffzienz oder eine Mitralklappenstenose vor. Noch seltener sind Vitien der Trikuspidalklappe oder der Pulmonalklappe. Die einzig kurative Therapie – im Sinn einer Sanierung der Grunderkrankung – ist bei Vorliegen einer schweren Herzklappenerkrankung die chirurgische Intervention. Der richtige Zeitpunkt des Eingriffes ist vor allem bei asymptomatischen Patienten entscheidend für das Ergebnis, da bei fehlenden Beschwerden das Krankheitsbewusstsein naturgemäss nicht ausgeprägt ist. 2012 wurden von der Europäischen Gesellschaft für Herz-Thoraxchirurgie (EACTS) und der Europäischen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie (ESC) Leitlinien zur Therapie der Herzklappenvitien publiziert. In diesem Artikel werden die Empfehlungen der Guidelines zu den häufigsten Vitien bezüglich des Zeitpunkts der Operation zusammengefasst.