bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selbstinstruktionstraining bei visuellem Neglect - Eine einzelfallanalytische Untersuchung
Authors: Brüggemann K. , Ruoß M. , Weber E.
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Patienten mit Neglect sollten sich bei Aufgaben aus dem Bereich der Neglectdiagnostik mit einer Selbstverbalisationstechnik dazu anleiten, die vernachlässigte linke Seite zu beachten. Das methodische Vorgehen sah eine Einzelfallanalyse mit direkter Replikation vor. Pro Person wurden 25 Sitzungen absolviert. Dem Problem der Mehrfachvorgabe von Aufgaben, das sich bei einer Einzelfallanalyse stellt, wurde begegnet, indem Parallelversionen der Testmaterialien erstellt wurden. Das Selbstinstruktionstraining reduzierte die neglecttypischen Fehler signifikant. Die Hypothese, daß die eingeführte Behandlung eine Besserung der Symptomatik bedingt, konnte sich zudem in einer Replikationsstudie bewähren. Offen bleibt, ob die Selbstinstruktionen der Patienten spezifisch auf einen Verhaltensbereich wirkten oder aber auf andere generalisierten.
Zur Simulierbarkeit von neuropsychologischen Defiziten bei Reaktions- und bei Intelligenztests
Authors: Steck Peter , Reuter Bernhard , Meir-Korrell Stefan , Schönle Paul
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: 30 Versuchspersonen absolvierten unter der Instruktion, eine leichte Hirnschädigung zu simulieren, drei Tests am Wiener Reaktionsgerät WRG und den Untertest 3 des Leistungsprüfsystems LPS. Die Reaktionstests wurden nach Aufklärung über die eher gering gradige Auswirkung leichter Hirnschädigung auf die Reaktionsschnelligkeit wiederholt. Zur Kontrolle standen Testergebnisse von 30 Patienten der Neurologischen Rehabilitationsklinik Schmieder zur Verfügung. In allen Teilprüfungen schnitten die Simulanten signifikant schlechter ab als die neurologischen Patienten. Diese Gruppeneffekte blieben auch unter der Bedingung der «aufgeklärten» Simulation erhalten. Die Normabweichungen fielen bei den einfachen sensomotorischen Reaktionszeitmessungen deutlicher aus als im Wahlversuch, in den Reaktionstests insgesamt wichen die Simulanten deutlicher von der Norm ab als im Intelligenztest LPS 3. Die Möglichkeit von Cutoff-Werten zur Differenzierung zwischen simulierten und «echten» Minderleistungen in Reaktionstests wird diskutiert.
Kategorisierungsfähigkeit bei Multipler Sklerose
Authors: Drühe-Wienholt Christiane , König Nicolaus
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: In der internationalen Literatur sind zahlreiche Untersuchungen zur Kategorisierungsfähigkeit bei Multipler Sklerose (MS) zu finden. Eine Differenzierung der Leistungen in Abhängigkeit von der Verlaufsform der Krankheit bleibt jedoch aus. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es, diese Lücke zu schließen. Es wurden 157 MS-Erkrankte mit Hilfe des Computergestützten Kartensortierverfahrens CKV, einer modifizierten Version des WCST untersucht. Alle Patienten zeigten schlechtere Leistungen als eine gesunde Vergleichsstichprobe. Zwischen den einzelnen Verlaufsformen der MS waren keine statistisch bedeutsamen Unterschiede zu objektivieren, MS-Erkrankte mit primär chronisch progredientem Verlauf wiesen jedoch tendenziell die schlechtesten Leistungen auf. Patienten mit schubförmig inkomplett reversiblem und sekundär chronisch progredientem Verlauf zeigten qualitativ und quantitativ vergleichbare Ergebnisse. Neben der Unterscheidung zwischen schubförmigem und chronisch progredientem Verlauf spielt also auch der Beginn der Progredienz eine Rolle.
Klinische Validität der computerunterstützten TAP bei Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen
Authors: Földényi Monika , Imhof Katrin , Steinhausen Hans-Christoph
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Die Studie diente der klinischen Validierung der Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung (TAP) bei Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 20 Jungen mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen und 20 männlichen Kontrollkindern im Alter von 7;5-13;5 Jahren. Die beiden Gruppen wurden bezüglich spezifischer und allgemeiner Aufmerksamkeitsfunktionen verglichen. Allgemein zeigte die Gruppe der Kinder mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe mehr Fehler und Auslassungen und erhöhte intraindividuelle Streuungen der Reaktionszeiten in verschiedenen Subtests. Die Untersuchung der diskriminativen Validität der TAP-Tests ergab, dass durch zwei Testmaße und unter Berücksichtigung des Testalters 90 % der Kinder beider Gruppen richtig klassifiziert werden konnten. Ein spezifisches Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit der Kinder mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen wurde nur in einem Subtest, in dem das Tempo der Reizdarbietung nicht vorgegeben war, d. h. in einer zeitlich wenig strukturierten Aufgabe, festgestellt. Die Untersuchung spricht für die klinische Validität der TAP-Testbatterie zur Untersuchung von Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeits-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen.
The Neuropsychology of Learning Disabilities
Authors: Spreen Otfried
Published: April 2003

Abstract: This critical review of the association between learning disabilities (LD) and neurological irnpairrnent ranges from functional studies of the normal brain (PET, fMRI) during reading to studies of neurological signs, soft signs, autopsies, studies of structural (MRI, CT) and functional ahnormalities in dyslexics. Reference is also made to the role of neurological signs for the adult outcome of LD, including academic as weil as personal achievement and adjustment outcome. It is concluded that the presence of neurological signs, including soft signs, is associated with most forms of learning disability. The poor stability of subtypes during childhood and poor outcome at adult age for some subtypes poses a challenge for further research. Future studies may be able to find a better fit between subtypes of LID and neurological abnormalities, on the one hand, and to adolescent and adult outcome on the other.
Der Einfluss von Sexualhormonen auf funktionelle cerebrale Asymmetrien
Authors: Hausmann Markus , Güntürkün Onur
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Die Organisation cerebraler Asymmetrien ist geschlechtsabhängig angelegt. Während bei Männern die meisten lateralisierten Funktionen ausgeprägte Links-Rechts-Unterschiede aufweisen, belegen viele Studien eine symmetrischere Hirnorganisation bei Frauen. Neuere Untersuchungen konnten zahlreiche neuroanatomische Korrespondenzen für diese Geschlechtsunterschiede der cerebralen Asymmetrie nachweisen. Darüber hinaus gibt es vermehrt Hinweise auf kurzfristige Veränderungen der Lateralisation während des Monatszyklus. Diese Daten machen es wahrscheinlich, dass cerebrale Asymmetrien auf einer sehr kurzen Zeitskala durch die Aktivierung von Steroidrezeptoren moduliert werden können. Wir schlagen ein Modell vor, nach dem Lateralisationen aus der gemeinsamen Wirkung anatomischer Hirnasymmetrien und dynamischer, interhemisphärischer Interaktionen resultieren. Wir vermuten, dass vor allem Progesteron während der Midlutealphase des Zyklus die synaptische Effizienz der kortiko-kortikalen Transmission reduzieren und damit die Asymmetrie von Hirnfunktionen Lateralisationen verringern kann.
Working Memory in Schizophrenia as Revealed by Event-Related Potentials
Authors: Brand Andreas , Hildebrandt Helmut , Cabuk Ahmet , Zimmermann Jörg , Basar-Eroglu Canan
Published: April 2003

Abstract: In this study, we compared working memory (WM) functions for simple actions of healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients by means of behavioral and ERP measures. Healthy subjects showed a large frontal N2 amplitude in the hard WM task with updating demands of temporal sequence, but not in the easy WM and the control task. Schizophrenic patients had large frontal N2 amplitudes in all tasks without difference indicating that the patients had to activate the frontal cortex in tasks in which healthy subjects use automatized routines which do not involve the frontal cortex. Strong negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients were associated with small N2 amplitudes thus supporting the hypothesis of joint causes of cognitive and psychopathological features.
The Neuropsychology of Schizophrenia: A Selective Review
Authors: Snitz Beth , Daum Irene
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Although neuropsychological investigations of schizophrenia are methodologically challenging and often reveal inconsistent and wide-ranging deficits, convergent themes in the literature can be found regarding abnormalities of attention, memory and executive functions. Deficits in memory and executive functions also show the best correspondence to date with neuropathological and neuroimaging evidence of temporal-lobe and frontal-lobe dysfunction. The combination of cognitive paradigms and neuroimaging techniques will continue in the future to play an essential role in determining the nature of brain dysfunction in schizophrenia. Neuropsychological data may also help resolve the question of heterogeneity of the disorder.
Psychomotor Performance Under Neuroleptic Treatment in Schizophrenia
Authors: Soyka Michael , Dittert Sebastian , Schäfer Martin , Gartenmaier Andreas , Laux Gerd , Winter Catja , Möller Hans-Jürgen
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Cognitive dysfunction has been recognized as an important clinical feature of schizophrenia. The possible pharmacological effect of neuroleptics on cognitive and psychomotor function including driving ability is crucial for rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients. Atypical neuroleptics such as risperidone have been shown to improve cognitive deficits in schizophrenics. We conducted a naturalistic nonrandomized clinical study to determine the effect of risperidone on psychomotor function compared to haloperidol in schizophrenic patients. In this study the psychomotor performance of 26 patients, who met the ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, was assessed by means of ART-90, a computer-based Act & React Testsystem. 11 patients were on risperidone (mean dosage 4.0 mg) and 15 patients on haloperidol (mean dosage 10.5 mg). Patients were examined at discharge after psychopathological stabilization. In some relevant items the patients in the haloperidol group showed more impaired performance compared to the patients in the risperidone group. These preliminary data indicate a possible beneficial effect of risperidone compared to haloperidol on psychomotor performance and driving ability. Further randomized trials are necessary.
Lack of Insight and Concomitant Neuro- psychological Deficits in Schizophrenia
Authors: Sartory Gudrun , Thom Anja , Griese Judith , Young Donald , Butorac Mario , Pokraja-Bulian Allessandra , Sendula Martina
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Lack of insight is a core pathological feature of schizophrenia. It has been assumed to be part of the dysregulation of executive dysfunction evident in this disorder. Lack of insight has also been found to be associated with amnestic disorders. As schizophrenia is additionally characterized by memory deficits, we investigated which of the two cognitive impairments - executive dysfunction or memory deficits - accounted better for lack of insight in this disorder. Eighty-one chronic schizophrenic patients and 38 healthy control probands took part in the study. The patients were recruited in Canada, the UK, Germany and Croatia. Patients were assessed with regard to clinical symptoms and the awareness of mental illness; both groups were administered neuropsychological tests of verbal memory, verbal learning, and executive function. Schizophrenic patients performed less well than healthy controls in all areas of cognitive function. Multiple regression analyses revealed that lack of awareness of schizophrenic disorder is best accounted for by poor verbal memory and disorganization.
Does a Neurodevelopmental Lesion Involving the Hippocampus Explain Memory Dysfunction in Schizophrenia?
Authors: Wood Stephen J. , Pantelis Christos
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that has been associated with structural abnormalities of the medial temporal lobes and with impairments of memory function. The evidence for this association is weak. Many analyses have not investigated whether the impairment of memory is over and above the recognized impairments of global cognitive function, attention or working memory, all of which are disturbed in schizophrenia. Another difficulty evident in studies to date is that the construct of memory has rarely informed the selection of neuropsychological tests used. Lastly, an understanding of the normal development of cognitive functions has not guided interpretation of results. In this review we examine the evidence for a hippocampal memory deficit in schizophrenia, and suggest that an appreciation of these three points can explain the impairments described. In particular, we propose that the effect of a neurodevelopmental lesion will have different consequences for functions that normally develop early in life, such as memory, compared with functions developing later, such as executive functions. The latter develop post-pubertally during the period of peak incidence of schizophrenia, and it is these functions that are most impaired in this disorder.
Malfunctional Reorganization in the Developing Limbo-Prefrontal System in Animals: Implications for Human Psychoses?
Authors: Teuchert-Noodt Gertraud , Dawirs Ralf R.
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Neuroplasticity research in connection with mental disorders has recently bridged the gap between basic neurobiology and applied neuropsychology. A non-invasive method in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculus) - the restricted versus enriched breading and the systemically applied single methamphetamine dose - offers an experimental approach to investigate psychoses. Acts of intervening affirm an activity dependent malfunctional reorganization in the prefrontal cortex and in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and reveal the dopamine position as being critical for the disruption of interactions between the areas concerned. From the extent of plasticity effects the probability and risk of psycho-cognitive development may be derived. Advance may be expected from insights into regulatory mechanisms of neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus which is obviously to meet the necessary requirements to promote psycho-cognitive functions/malfunctions via the limbo-prefrontal circuit.
Training der Selbstbeobachtung (“self-monitoring training”) nach Schädel-Hirn-Trauma
Authors: Keller Ingo
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: An einem Einzelfall wird exemplarisch die Anwendung eines Selbstbeobachtungstrainings zur Verbesserung der Verhaltenskontrolle nach Schädel-Hirn-Trauma dargestellt. Das Zielverhalten bestand aus stereotypem Schütteln beider Hände und Ergreifen der Brille. Das fünfstufige Training bestand darin, dass zunächst der Therapeut und später der Patient selbst die Häufigkeit des unerwünschten Verhaltens zählten und protokollierten. Die Auftretenshäufigkeit des Zielverhaltens konnte durch das Training signifikant um zwei Drittel von ungefähr 30 Stereotypien/Stunde auf durchschnittlich 10 Stereotypien/Stunde gesenkt werden und stieg nach Absetzen der Therapie nur geringfügig auf 14 Stereotypien/Stunde wieder an. Die Einführung einer Belohnung führte zu einer zusätzlichen Verbesserung. Die wesentlichen Vorteile des dargestellten Selbstbeobachtungstrainings gegenüber anderen Methoden der Verhaltensmodifikation bestehen darin, dass es von Patienten und Angehörigen ethisch besser akzeptiert wird und in nahezu allen Alltagssituationen angewendet werden kann. Allerdings erscheint eine teilweise erhaltene bewusste Verhaltenskontrolle eine notwendige Voraussetzung für den Erfolg dieser Methode zu sein.
Selbstbeurteilung von Aufmerksamkeitsdefiziten bei Alzheimer-Kranken mit sehr leichter Demenz
Authors: Theml T. , Romero B.
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Die Selbstbeurteilung von Aufmerksamkeitsdefiziten wurde bei 14 Patienten mit Alzheimer-Demenz in einem sehr frühen Stadium (MMST > 24) und 14 hinsichtlich Geschlecht, Alter und Schulbildung gematchten sowie hinsichtlich der Depressivität vergleichbaren Kontrollpersonen psychometrisch erfaßt. Als Meßinstrument wurde der “Fragebogen Erlebter Defizite der Aufmerksamkeit (FEDA)” ( Zimmermann, Messner, Poser & Sedelmeier, 1991 ) eingesetzt. Es zeigte sich, daß die nicht-depressiven Patienten mit beginnender Alzheimer-Demenz signifikant stärker ausgeprägte Beschwerden angaben als gesunde Ältere. Mit Hilfe des FEDA-Gesamtwertes konnten 12 Patienten und 11 Kontrollpersonen richtig zugeordnet werden, die Trefferquote betrug somit 82 %. Die Ergebnisse dieser explorativen Studie weisen darauf hin, daß die psychometrisch erfaßte Selbstbeurteilung von Aufmerksamkeitsdefiziten in der Früherkennung einer Demenz bei Alzheimer-Krankheit neben anderen Befunden diagnostisch relevante Information beitragen kann.
Perioden- und Lebenszeitprävalenzen von affektiven und Angststörungen bei Patienten mit einem Schlaganfall
Authors: Schöttke Henning , Springer Ute , Grimsehl Anke , Lütje Dieter , Loew Michael , Wetzig Lutz , Brandes Udo , Schlüter Susanne , Wiedl Karl Heinz
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Der Gegenstand der Studie ist die Häufigkeit (Perioden- und Lifetimeprävalenz) ausgewählter psychischer Störungen bei Schlaganfallpatienten zum Zeitpunkt der stationären Rehabilitation. Von den 180 Patienten weisen 38 % ein depressives Syndrom und 10 % mindestens eine Angststörung nach dem Schlaganfall auf. Bei keinem der Patienten kann eine akute Alkoholabhängigkeit oder -mißbrauch festgestellt werden. Die am häufigsten beobachtete Angststörung ist die Agoraphobie ohne Panikstörung (6 %). Insgesamt weicht die Perioden- von der Lifetimeprävalenz ab in einer Erhöhung für die Major Depression, für die sich in Remission befindende Major Depression und nur leicht in der Erhöhung der Minor Depression. Als bedeutsame Risikofaktoren für die PSD können vor und/oder nach dem Schlaganfall entwickelte Angststörungen identifiziert werden.
Emotion und Hemisphärendominanz
Authors: Hartje Wolfgang
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Es werden empirische Studien zum Thema der Hemisphärendominanz für emotionale Prozesse im Überblick referiert. Die Befunde werden im Hinblick auf drei Hypothesen erörtert: 1. Allgemeine Dominanz der rechten Hemisphäre für Emotionen, 2. Differentielle Dominanz der rechten bzw. linken Hemisphäre für Emotionen mit negativer bzw. positiver Valenz, 3. Valenzabhängige differentielle Dominanz der Frontalhirnregionen für das Entstehen und Erleben von Emotionen, bei gleichzeitig valenzunabhängiger Dominanz posteriorer Regionen der rechten Hemisphäre für die perzeptuelle Emotionsverarbeitung. Die Synopsis der Ergebnisse stützt die erstgenannte Hypothese, wobei sich die Dominanz der rechten Hemisphäre vorwiegend bei negativen Emotionen manifestiert und möglicherweise speziell die Arousal-Komponente der Emotionen betrifft.
Diagnostik affektiver Störungen bei hirngeschädigten Patienten
Authors: Gauggel Siegfried , Konrad Kerstin
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: In diesem Beitrag geben wir eine Übersicht über die Diagnostik und Differentialdiagnostik affektiver Störungen bei hirngeschädigten Patienten. Detailliert werden die entsprechenden im Diagnostische und Statistische Manual der Psychischen Störungen (DSM-IV) und im Internationalen Klassifikationssystem für Krankheiten - Kapitel V (ICD-10) vorhandenen Diagnosekategorien vorgestellt. Abschließend werden mögliche Probleme diskutiert, die die Diagnose einer affektiven Störung bei hirngeschädigten Patienten erschweren.
Störungen der Stimmung und des Antriebs nach erworbenen Hirnschädigungen im Kindesalter
Authors: Konrad Kerstin , Gauggel Siegfried
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: In diesem Beitrag wird eine Übersicht über Störungen der Stimmung und des Antriebs bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit erworbenen Hirnschädigungen unterschiedlicher Ätiologie (Hirntumoren, Schädel-Hirn-Trauma) gegeben. Obwohl es in den letzten Jahren immense Fortschritte im Bereich der Diagnostik und Therapie von kindlichen Depressionen gegeben hat, stellen die depressiven Symptome nach Hirnschädigungen im Kindesalter ein noch weitgehend unerforschtes Gebiet dar. Ausgehend von den bislang vorhandenen empirischen Studien werden Vorschläge für Diagnostik und Therapie von organisch bedingten Stimmungs- und Antriebsstörungen im Kindesalter gemacht.
Psychologische Interventionen bei hirngeschädigten Patienten mit depressiven Störungen
Authors: Pössl Josef , Schellhorn Anne
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Depressive Störungen wirken sich auf den Verlauf und auf das Resultat neuropsychologischer Behandlungsmaßnahmen negativ aus. In einigen Literaturbeiträgen wird deshalb neben pharmakologischen Interventionen ein kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutisches Vorgehen als ein möglicher Therapieansatz vorgeschlagen. Allerdings liegen noch wenig Erfahrungen zur Umsetzbarkeit dieses psychotherapeutischen Konzepts im Rahmen der Rehabilitation bei Patienten mit einer erworbenen Hirnschädigung vor. In diesem Beitrag werden deshalb klinische Erfahrungen mit der Anwendung kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischer Behandlungselemente vorgestellt. Unter Berücksichtigung, dass das formale therapeutische Vorgehen an das Störungsbild angepasst werden muss, bildet dieses Behandlungskonzept mit den Elementen Modifikation depressionsfördernder situativer Bedingungen, Aktivitätsaufbau, Verbesserung sozialer Kompetenzen und Veränderung dysfunktionaler Kognitionen eine praktikable Basis für eine wirksame Unterstützung hirngeschädigter Patienten mit depressiven Verstimmungen.
Analyse und Normierung von zwei Durchführungsvarianten eines verbalen Gedächtnistests (Bielefelder Kategorielle Wortlisten BKW)
Authors: Lux Silke , Reich Cordula , Hartje Wolfgang , Skreczek Wolfhard
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Eine Wortlisten-Lernaufgabe mit zwei Paralleltestformen, bei der 15 Wörter jeweils mit zugehörigen Oberbegriffen dargeboten werden, wurde in zwei Durchführungsvarianten mit unterschiedlicher Aufgabenschwierigkeit an Stichproben von 172 und 108 gesunden Personen im Alter zwischen 40 und 94 bzw. 30 und 69 Jahren erprobt: Bei Variante 1 wurde die Gedächtnisabfrage durch die Vorgabe der einzelnen Oberbegriffe gestützt, während bei Variante 2 ein freier Abruf ohne Vorgabe der Oberbegriffe verlangt wurde. Auf der Basis einer Itemanalyse wurden die Parallelformen unter beiden Durchführungsvarianten hinsichtlich Äquivalenz und Reliabilität geprüft. Es werden vorläufige Normen für jeweils zwei Altersgruppen sowie Berechnungsmöglichkeiten für eine kombinierte Alters- und Bildungsanpassung individueller Testwerte mitgeteilt.
Selbstbeurteilungen der Aufmerksamkeit: Ein Vergleich zwischen Hirngeschädigten und Gesunden
Authors: Bühner Markus , Schmidt-Atzert Lothar , Richter Sabine , Grieshaber Edmund
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Ein neu konstruierter Fragebogen zur Selbstbeschreibung der Aufmerksamkeit wurde N = 111 Studenten und N = 45 hirngeschädigten Patienten vorgegeben. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war die Prüfung der Validität von verhaltensnahen Selbstbeschreibungen der Aufmerksamkeit. Es wurde überprüft, ob hirngeschädigte Patienten gegenüber Studenten eine stärkere Beeinträchtigung ihrer Aufmerksamkeit angeben. Zusätzlich wurden Korrelationen mit objektiven konstruktkonvergenten Leistungstests ermittelt. Es zeigte sich, dass Patienten gleich hohe oder geringere Aufmerksamkeitsdefizite als Studenten angeben. Die Korrelationen mit objektiven Leistungstests waren gering. Selbstbeschreibungen der Aufmerksamkeit scheinen vom Situationskontext abzuhängen, in dem sich der Patient befindet. Verschiedene Gründe für diese Abhängigkeit werden diskutiert. Als Konsequenz ergibt sich, dass Selbstbeschreibungen der Aufmerksamkeit gruppenspezifisch normiert werden sollten.
Neuropsychologie affektiver Störungen: Eine selektive Übersicht
Authors: Gauggel Siegfried , Rathgeber Katrin
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Dieser Artikel beschäftigt sich mit den Erkenntnissen, die neuropsychologische Forschungsstudien für das Verständnis der Psychopathologie affektiver Erkrankungen gebracht haben. Im ersten Teil des Artikels wird die Logik und der Rahmen des neuropsychologischen Forschungsansatzes vorgestellt. Anschließend geben wir eine selektive Übersicht über die wichtigsten neuropsychologischen Untersuchungsergebnisse bei affektiven Störungen. Dabei werden nicht nur einzelne Studien und Befunde berichtet, sondern es wird auch auf Problembereiche hingewiesen, die mit dazu beitragen, dass momentan erst ein sehr grobes Bild über psychopathologische Mechanismen affektiver Störungen gewonnen werden konnte. Es zeichnet sich aber ab, dass bei Patienten mit affektiven Störungen spezifische Defizite im Bereich der Aufmerksamkeit, des Gedächtnisses und der exekutiven Funktionen nachweisbar sind. Diese Störungen deuten auf Dysfunktionen in fronto-striären und fronto-temporalen Systemen hin. Zukünftige Studien müssen spezifischere neuropsychologische Modelle der Affektregulation entwickeln, damit eine genauere Analyse kognitiver und affektiver Prozesse bei Patienten mit affektiven Störungen möglich wird.
An ordination approach to the quantification of smokers' readiness to change 1This research was supported by a grant fromSociété de Tabacologie, Paris, and partially supported byLa Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer.
Authors: Noël Yvonnick
Published: April 2003

The paper argues that the problem of estimating a “readiness-to-change” score for smokers from processes of change measures is closely related to dating problems in archaeology. It amounts to finding a joint ordination of both smokers (“sites”) and processes of change (“tools”) in a common space, so that smokers be located close to processes they use most, in some sense. Properties of Correspondence Analysis as a reciprocal averaging technique are first briefly summarized, and its capability of recovering nonlinear structures is recalled. Application to processes of change data in smoking cessation leads to a solution which first axis is interpreted as a cognitive-behavioral continuum. Processes are shown to be scaled in a way that is in good convergence with longitudinal data previously reported ( Prochaska et al., 1991 ), and subjects' locations to be significantly related to actual quitting. Finally, it is shown how new responses profiles could be projected on the obtained solution to get a practical estimation of probability to quit.
Attitudes towards smoking and the subjective importance of attributes: Implications for changing risk-benefit ratios
Authors: van Harreveld Frenk , van der Pligt Joop , de Vries Nanne K.
Published: April 2003

This study examines the role of attribute importance in expectancy-value models. Attitudes towards smoking were assessed by a) a direct attitude measure (four semantic differentials) and b) a series of 15 attribute statements. These attributes (negative and positive consequences of smoking) were rated in terms of their probability and desirability. Attitude scores were derived by summing (over the various possible attributes) the perceived probability multiplied by the desirability of each attribute. Subsequently, participants were asked to select the five attributes they considered to be most important to their attitude towards smoking. Results show that smokers and non-smokers differ considerably in their selection of important attributes, and vary in the importance assigned to the positive and negative outcomes of smoking. Smokers tend to emphasize short-term benefits, while non-smokers stress the longer-term health consequences. Moreover, attitudinal differences between the two groups were more pronounced when focusing on individually selected important attributes then when using all attributes or the remaining less important attributes. Finally an attitude score based on the five important attributes is as predictive of attitude and behaviour as a measure based on all attributes and much more predictive than a measure based on the ten non-selected attributes. It is argued that a measure of attribute importance can provide additional insight in the structure of attitudes of smokers and non-smokers. Implications for attitude change programs with respect to smoking are discussed.
Role of pinnae and head movements in localizing pure tones 1The authors would like to thank Mr. Remi Humbert for implementing the experiment in Turbo Pascal and for his further assistance.
Authors: Muller Barbara S. , Bovet Pierre
Published: April 2003

Twelve blindfolded subjects localized two different pure tones, randomly played by eight sound sources in the horizontal plane. Either subjects could get information supplied by their pinnae (external ear) and their head movements or not. We found that pinnae, as well as head movements, had a marked influence on auditory localization performance with this type of sound. Effects of pinnae and head movements seemed to be additive; the absence of one or the other factor provoked the same loss of localization accuracy and even much the same error pattern. Head movement analysis showed that subjects turn their face towards the emitting sound source, except for sources exactly in the front or exactly in the rear, which are identified by turning the head to both sides. The head movement amplitude increased smoothly as the sound source moved from the anterior to the posterior quadrant.
Positive feelings and cooperative support in project groups
Authors: Bierhoff Hans Werner , Müller Günter F.
Published: April 2003

This study examined the question how feelings mediate cooperative support in temporary work units, i.e. project groups. Tests and questionnaires were administered on three occasions during projects. Data were gathered from 150 undergraduate students who worked together in 39 project groups. Required tasks were to plan, conduct, analyze, and report an empirical study within a period of 3 to 4 months. The groups were led by members of the educational staff who monitored the progress of task accomplishment. It was established that cooperative support within the groups was strongly influenced by positive mood and group atmosphere, thus confirming the conceptual framework of organizational spontaneity. Implications for research and application are discussed.
Is diachronic thought a specific reasoning ability? 1The authors are grateful to Fawzia Campana, Florence Dokic, Stéphanie Jaccard, Rachel Luternauer, Isabelle Maeder, Delphine Rinaldi and Lise Rubin for their important help during the collection and analysis of the data. They also wish to thank the children who participated in the experiment and their teachers for their cooperation.
Authors: Pons Francisco , Montangero Jacques
Published: April 2003

Several experiments have shown that cognitive abilities involved in the representation and understanding of change over time (what we term “diachronic thought”) develop strikingly in various domains between the ages of 8 and 12 years. Do these abilities simply reflect the child's general cognitive level or are they specific reasoning competencies related to change over time? The present research deals with this question and studies the relationships between three tasks assessing diachronic thought (Qualitative transformation, Temporal dissociation and Dynamic synthesis) and two tasks assessing the children's operatory level (Probabilistic reasoning and Spatial reasoning). Each set of tasks was presented during a separate session to 45 children aged 8, 10 and 12 years. As expected, a significant development in the subjects' answers to diachronic and operatory tasks was observed. Moreover, the results revealed that there was a significant correlation between two diachronic tasks and the operatory tasks as long as the effect of age was not controlled, but that only the correlation between tasks in the same set (either diachronic or operatory) remained significant when the age effect was controlled. We interpret these results as showing that diachronic thought, as assessed with our three tasks, can be considered as a specific reasoning ability.
The relationship between the self and the ingroup: When having a common conception helps 1The authors wish to thank Anne Maass, Luigi Castelli, Luciano Arcuri and Jeff Kiesner for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.
Authors: Cadinu Maria Rosaria , De Amicis Leyla
Published: April 2003

Consistent with balance theory, it was predicted that a balance is reached when the self and the ingroup are perceived in a similar way, leading participants to more rapid judgments and fewer errors judging the self and the ingroup. The goal of this study was to replicate and extend the results obtained by Smith and Henry (1996) who concluded that ingroup attributes become part of the self-image, thus facilitating the accessibility of self-information. In the present study, we included a condition measuring reaction times for ingroup ratings (as opposed to self-ratings) and found that both ingroup and self-ratings were facilitated when the self- and the ingroup descriptions matched. Therefore it is proposed that a common self-ingroup representation facilitates the access to both the self and the ingroup.
Affordances in social judgment: Experimental proof of why it is a mistake to ignore how others behave towards a target and look solely at how the target behaves
Authors: Beauvois Jean-Léon , Dubois Nicole
Published: April 2003

In this article, we propose a comprehensive conception of what personality traits are and what they mean in lay personology. Our conception is a pragmatic one that relies on the ecological concept of affordance and the theory of dual knowledge. It is not based on the same knowledge-building process as other pragmatic conceptions in that it distinguishes evaluative knowledge, produced by the generalization of affordances, from descriptive knowledge, deemed to be of limited importance in trait usage. It posits that an essential component of the meaning of traits is how others act towards the persons who possess these traits. We present a compilation of ten experimental studies in various areas of interest (statistical studies of trait/behavior associations, semantic decision-making, person memory, judgments at zero acquaintance) to prove the importance of the evaluative component composed of others' behaviors (OBs). These experiments show that the evaluative component 1. includes a repertoire of behaviors that is just as reliable for encoding traits as the repertoire of behaviors ascribed to the target; 2. can be just as accessible as the descriptive component for highly evaluative traits; 3. is very powerful in structuring mental representations of persons; 4. is more highly activated in social contexts, especially in workevaluation situations, and 5. is more discriminative than the descriptive component in immediate appraisals of persons.
Rewards characteristics and intrinsic motivation: An exploratory study on homeostatic mechanisms
Authors: Salamin Alain
Published: April 2003

A limited number of studies have addressed the effects of pay characteristics on both intrinsic and extrinsic types of motivations within an organizational setting. While the relationships have been documented in a number of studies, research has been confined to academic and laboratory settings, and a number of key questions remain unanswered. Based on a sample of 400 employees from a large Swiss financial institution, quantitative and qualitative results show that material rewards have no unilateral effect on intrinsic/extrinsic and total motivation. Instead, homeostatic mechanisms keep the intrinsic/extrinsic and total motivational level from varying beyond an equilibrium, while the structure of motivations among employees differs significantly depending on pay characteristics. A new conceptualization of motivational phenomena is presented.
Motion perception modified by eye movements 1This research was partly supported by the Grant-In-Aid for Developmental Scientific Research (63810002, 02610045, and 10301005) by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan to K.K. The article is based on a presentation given by K.K. at the Joint Swiss-Japanese Scientific Seminar Human Motion Perception. Eye Movements, and Orientation in Visual Space, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation in cooperation with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, in Gunten (Switzerland) May 19-21, 1999.
Authors: Koga Kazuo
Published: April 2003

Evidence is presented that eye movements have a strong modulation effect on perceived motion of an object in an induced motion situation. It was investigated whether pursuit eye movements affect motion perception, particularly target velocity perception, under the following stimulus conditions: (1) laterally moving objects on the computer display, (2) recurrent simple target motion and, (3) a unilaterally scrolling grid. The observers' eye movements were recorded and, at the same time, their responses with respect to their velocity perception were registered and analyzed in synchronization with the eye movement data. In most cases, when pursuit eye movements were synchronized with the movement of the target, the velocity of the target was judged to be slow or motionless. An explanation of the results is presented which is based on two sources of motion information: (1) A displacement detector in terms of retinal coordinates, and (2) a proprioceptive sensing unit associated with the eye movements. The veridicality of the judgments of the velocity of the object motion was determined by the complexity of the processes for integrating the signals from the two channels.
Locus of control and perceptions of environmental risk factor: Inhabitants of slums facing domestic garbage
Authors: Larose François , Ponton Martin
Published: April 2003

The status that the locus of control plays as a moderator variable in relation to exposure to environmental stressors, has been widely discussed in the recent scientific literature. Nevertheless, little research has been done in developing countries to establish the predictive qualities of this variable regarding the proactive attitudes or avoidance behaviours that certain populations could adopt in relation to the management of specific stress factors. In the research reported here we have tried to identify some variables which distinguish the propensity to identify the presence of domestic garbage as a nuisance or as a health risk factor, among inhabitants of certain ghettos in the Dominican Republic. The methodological considerations relating to the construction, validation and use of questionnaires among potentially illiterate populations are discussed.
Interviewing techniques in sexual abuse cases - a comparison of a day-care abuse case with normal abuse cases 1I thank Jim at the University of Texas, El Paso, USA for letting me participate in his project, for his support, comments and suggestions.
Authors: Schreiber Nadja
Published: April 2003

In sexual abuse cases children's testimony plays an important role. To evaluate the quality of a witness' statement, the interviewing techniques and the context of the investigative interview have to be considered. The interviewing techniques from the highly publicized day care abuse cases during the 1980s have been repeatedly found to be directive and suggestive. Many of these interviewing techniques, such as positive and negative reinforcement, inducing stereotypes and repeated questioning within and between interviews, have been shown empirically to elicit false statements from young children. Many different interview guidelines point to this problem and suggest alternative interviewing techniques. Overall, there are few quantitative studies of interviewer behavior in sexual abuse cases. None of these has compared the interviewer behavior in a day care abuse case with interviewer behavior in “normal” sexual abuse cases by the Child Protective Service (CPS) in the USA. A first study compared behavior in these two contexts and confirmed the notion that the amount of suggestive interviewing techniques is significantly higher in a sample of day care abuse interviews than in a sample of CPS interviews. These results support the former statements of Ceci & Bruck (1995) that interviews with child witnesses in sexual abuse cases, especially in day care ritual abuse cases, include suggestive interviewing techniques. These have to be discussed considering their impact on statements of child witnesses.
Social comparison and differentiation strategies in social representations of intelligence
Authors: Poeschl Gabrielle
Published: April 2003

The two studies presented here analyse the effect of conditions of social comparison on the organisation of social representations of intelligence. In order to induce the comparisons, participants were asked successively to describe either the intelligence of humans and that of animals (Study 1), or the intelligence of men and that of women (Study 2). Results indicate that a comparison between species leads to maximising the differences between the two forms of intelligence, by increasing the relevance of the categories' most typical dimensions in the descriptions of their respective forms of intelligence. The induction of a comparison between male intelligence and female intelligence produces effects that differ according to participants' own sex. Whereas male participants are led to accentuate the differences between the two forms of intelligence, female participants seem to look for similarity rather than for difference. The differentiations produced suggest, moreover, that the structure of the representations resulting from a comparison between two categories of unequal status tends to legitimate their respective positions in the social structure.
Social norms, social value, and judgments of responsibility 1Preparation of this paper was supported by a Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship. We thank Jessica Kadis for her valuable help in putting the finishing touches to this paper.
Authors: Devos-Comby Loraine , Devos Thierry
Published: April 2003

We investigated the impact of social norms on responsibility attribution. We hypothesized that an actor would be held more responsible for a negative outcome when adopting a counternormative, rather than normative, conduct. Under these circumstances, judging someone responsible consists of casting the negative social value of the conduct onto the actor. In three experiments, we found that an HIV-positive person was judged more responsible for the infection when his or her conduct transgressed a social norm than when it did not. As expected, this effect was mediated by the social value attributed to the actor, but not by the affective reactions toward him or her. In addition, we ruled out several alternative interpretations of these findings. In Experiment 1, judgments of responsibility were unrelated to causal inferences. In Experiment 2, the salience of the counternormative conduct did not affect the impact of the social norm on responsibility attribution. In Experiment 3, the validation (commonness) of the conduct did not moderate the effect of its normativeness. Overall, the results provide strong support for the idea that responsibility attribution is based on the social desirability of behaviors.
Personal goals at age 25 in three generations of the twentieth century: Young adulthood in historical context 1This research was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation within the Swiss Priority Program “Switzerland: Towards the Future” (Project no. 5004-47766). We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and Christian Staerklé for valuable advice.
Authors: Bangerter Adrian , Grob Alexander , Krings Franciska
Published: April 2003

The possibility of a historically determined shift in developmental tasks of young adulthood was investigated. Personal goals at age 25 of participants from three cohorts spanning twentieth-century Swiss history were studied in an interview combining current and retrospective measures. Members of the oldest cohort (Between the Wars) were born beween 1920 and 1925. Members of the middle cohort (Early Baby Boomers) were born between 1945 and 1950. Members of the youngest cohort (Generation X) were born between 1970 and 1975. Results show significant shifts in goal content which reflect well-documented historical changes. For example, BTW participants mainly mention work- and family-related goals (corresponding to classical developmental tasks). However, GEX participants mention more goals related to education and leisure, and less family-related goals than earlier generations. This suggests that classical formulations of developmental tasks of young adulthood (e.g. starting work, founding a family) may be less adequate today.
Effects of social-cognitive training on students' empathy 1The study is a part of the project “Evaluation of cognitive skills training in the county of Hordaland”. The training program was initiated and funded by the National Education Office of Hordaland County, which also initiated the evaluation. This latter stage has been funded by a grant from the Royal Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs in Norway.
Authors: Manger Terje , Eikeland Ole-Johan , Asbjørnsen Arve
Published: April 2003

The study evaluated the effect of a school-based social-cognitive training program on 14- and 15-year-old students'empathy. Two instruments were used, an empathy subscale derived from Gresham and Elliot's Social Skills Rating System and Olweus' Empathic Responsiveness Questionnaire. Significant shifts in the direction of higher empathy were found for students in the training condition but not for students in the comparison condition. No interaction effects between condition (training or comparison) and students' sex were found.
Costs and benefits in Wason's selection task: The Social Conditional Model 1The author wants to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments about an earlier draft of this paper.
Authors: Wagner-Egger Pascal
Published: April 2003

This paper proposes a synthesis of two contrasting theories formulated to explain the content effect in Wason's selection task (1966) , namely the Pragmatic Reasoning Schema Theory ( Cheng & Holyoak, 1985 , 1989 ) and the Social Contract Theory ( Cosmides, 1989 ; Gigerenzer & Hug, 1992 ). Although the authors have attempted to refute their competitors' theory, we can postulate that pragmatic schemas and utilities (costs and benefits) are in fact additional factors that influence performance in the thematic selection task. Using tasks from both models, the four studies presented here indicate that utilities influence responses within the structure of a pragmatic schema. Studies 1-3 suggest that the more costly the consequences of cheating, and the more probable cheating is, the better the cheater-detection. Study 4 indicates an effect of the actual benefit in a social situation. A more complex model distinguishing different kinds of utilities is proposed to account for these results: the Social Conditional Model (SCM).