An Exploration of the Interaction Between Touch Avoidance and the Pleasant Touch (C-Tactile Afferent) System

Perception ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Hielscher ◽  
Doug Mahar
Keyword(s):  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Afferent System ◽  
Downward Shift ◽  
Ct Afferents ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Touch Avoidance

C-tactile (CT) afferent fibers are optimally stimulated by slow gentle stroking, and an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between stroking velocity and pleasantness ratings of this type of touch. This study investigated whether an additional and potentially important variable, touch avoidance, interacts with this relationship. While a typical U-shaped velocity–pleasantness relationship was expected, those high in touch avoidance were expected to rate CT-targeted touch (1–10 cm/s) as less pleasant than those low in touch avoidance. Thirty-five participants rated the pleasantness of a brush stroked across their forearm at five velocities (0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 cm/s) administered by a custom-built touch stimulator (“the touch device”). Participants also completed two self-report measures of touch avoidance. There was an inverted U-shaped relationship between velocity and pleasantness ratings, and high touch avoidance resulted in a downward shift of this curve. The downward shift was across all velocities, including those that do not maximally engage CT afferents. It appears that touch avoidance reduces the pleasantness of all kinds of touch in a similar way, and it is unlikely to be specifically related to CT afferent functioning. Other potential mechanisms leading to touch avoidance are discussed.

Repressor Personality Styles and EEG Patterns Associated with Affective Memory and Thought Suppression

1995 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler S. Lorig ◽  
Jerome L. Singer ◽  
George A. Bonanno ◽  
Penelope Davis ◽  
Gary E. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Beta Activity ◽  
Threatening Information ◽  
Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
Manifest Anxiety ◽  
Negative Memories

Repressive personality style has often been identified as an important variable governing a variety of individual differences. There is debate, however, concerning the mechanisms by which this style is expressed. One hypothesis suggests that threatening information, after encoding, is suppressed from awareness. Another theory maintains that threatening information is diverted from awareness at a “preconscious” level. The experiment described here attempted to address this debate. Twenty undergraduate subjects selected on the basis of their scores on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale participated. The subjects represented four personality groups based on the intersection of high and low scores on the two tests. Individuals showing low anxiousness-high social desirability were identified as repressors. EEG, cardiovascular, and self-report data were recorded form subjects as they engaged in recall, elaboration, and suppression of positive and negative memories. Results of the analyses of these data indicated that the personality groups differed widely in EEG theta, alpha and beta activity during the completion of these tasks. The pattern of these findings suggest that subjects using a repressive coping style exhibit EEG activity associated with anxiety and also an absence of cognitive activity when faced with the recall of negative memories.

scholarly journals Modifiable Psychological Factors Affecting Functioning in Fibromyalgia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 803
Author(s):  
Myrella Paschali ◽  
Asimina Lazaridou ◽  
Theodoros Paschalis ◽  
Vitaly Napadow ◽  
Robert R. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Pain Catastrophizing ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Patient Reported

Objective: To examine the role of several interrelated, potentially modifiable psychological factors (i.e., mindfulness and catastrophizing) in influencing patient-reported functioning. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 107 patients with fibromyalgia completed self-report assessments of pain severity, functioning and impact of symptoms, mindfulness, and pain catastrophizing. Linear regression and bootstrapping mediation analyses were performed to assess the relationships between these factors. Results: Pain intensity was significantly and positively associated with pain catastrophizing and impact of fibromyalgia on functioning. Linear regression analyses indicated that pain intensity, catastrophizing, and mindfulness affect functioning in fibromyalgia. Follow-up mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of pain catastrophizing on the relationship between pain intensity and fibromyalgia functioning. Conclusion: Individuals with fibromyalgia who have higher levels of pain and catastrophizing, and lower levels of mindfulness, are more likely to experience impaired functioning. Our findings suggest that pain catastrophizing appears to be an especially important variable contributing to reduced functioning in women with fibromyalgia. Therefore, catastrophizing-reducing treatments (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy) are likely to have direct, beneficial impacts on functioning.

scholarly journals The Demographic Psychosocial Inventory: A New Instrument to Measure Risk Factors for Adjustment Problems Among Immigrants

Refuge ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 8-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ritsner ◽  
Jonathan Rabinowitz ◽  
Michael Slyuzberg
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Psychosocial Risk Factors ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychosocial Risk ◽  
Background Characteristics ◽  
General Index ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Adult Immigrants

Objective-The purpose of this study was to develop and test the Demographic Psychosocial Inventory (DPSI), a self-report questionnaire that assesses demographic and background characteristics of immigrants, and psychosocial risk factors of demoralization. Method-Based on a review of instruments used to study immigrants, and researchers' experience in this area, an 85-item questionnaire was developed that includes 10 scales and three general indices. Subjects are asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with various aspects of their lives, their reasons for immigration, and problems they had encountered since they immigrated. Results-DPSI (Demographic Psychological Inventory) was tested on 1,200 adult immigrants who came to Israel from the former USSR since 1989. The reliability of the scales and general indices was generally high as measured by Cronbaeh's Alpha. For one general index and two scales it was above .78, for one general index and two scales it was between .60 and .73, for one general index and two scales between.41 and .55, and for one scale .23. The general indices were highly correlated with the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview Demoralization Scale (PERI-D) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). The results suggest that the greatest risk factors of demoralization are a greater number of distress sources, difficulty in dealing with conflict, greater discrepancy between actual difficulties encountered and those expected, and more reasons for immigration. The single most important variable in predicting a demoralization case was the number of distress sources. We developed DPSI cutting points for caseness based on comparisons to BSI and PERI-D. For the BSI, DPSI cutting points are .44 for males, and .48 for females. These cutting points recognize about 61% of those who are cases according to BSI, and about 72% of those who are not cases according to BSI. For the PERI-D, DPSI cutting points for caseness are .42 for males and .44 for females. These cutting points recognize about 63% of those who are demoralized according to PERI-D and about 68% of those who are not demoralized according to PERI-D. DPSI tends to recognize slightly more cases as being at risk of demoralization than those who are demoralized according to PERI-D, and slightly less than those identified as cases according to BSI. Conclusions-DPSI is a promising instrument for gathering demographic and background characteristics of immigrants, and for studying psychosocial risk factors for development of demoralization. DPSI is available in English, Hebrew, and Russian.

scholarly journals Examining implicit beliefs in a replication attempt of a time-reversed priming task

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Marilyn Schlitz ◽  
Arnaud Delorme
Keyword(s):  
Response Times ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Implicit Association ◽  
Implicit Beliefs ◽  
Implicit Association Task ◽  
Priming Task ◽  
Priming Word ◽  
Controversial Area

Background: Psi research is a controversial area of science that examines telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis (mind over matter). Central to the debate over the existence of psi is of whether independent investigators can replicate reportedly successful psi experiments. One important variable involves the beliefs of experimenters and participants. A preregistered experiment is presented that sought to replicate and extend previously published parapsychology experiments suggestive of precognition by examining implicit beliefs. Methods: On each trial of the standard (non-psi) priming task, a pleasant or unpleasant word (the "prime") is briefly shown on computer screen, followed immediately by a pleasant or unpleasant picture. Trials on which the image and the priming word have different valences are termed “Incongruent”; trials on which the picture and the priming word share a common valence are termed “Congruent”. Participants in such experiments typically respond more slowly on Incongruent trials than on Congruent trials. In this "time-reversed" psi version of the experiment, the presumed cause-effect sequence is reversed so that the prime is not flashed until after the participant has already recorded his or her judgment. The experimental hypothesis remains the same: response times will be longer on trials with Incongruent prime/picture pairs than on trials with Congruent prime/picture pairs. Additionally, the study assesses expectations of success on the psi task of 32 experimenters—each testing 12 participants—using self-report questionnaires and the Implicit Association Task (IAT). Results: A significant correlation was found between the Implicit Association Test (IAT) effect and the participants’ reported beliefs in psi, with the effect in the direction opposite to the hypothesized correlation. Conclusions: This study offers an innovative approach to the role of beliefs in psi in a precognition study and speaks to the challenges of replication in controversial science.

scholarly journals Disposisi Berpikir Terbuka secara Aktif: Definisi, Pengukuran, dan Kaitannya dengan Prestasi Akademik

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anindito Aditomo
Keyword(s):  
Construct Validity ◽  
Rasch Analysis ◽  
Scale Validation ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Available N ◽  
Trait Level ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
The Rasch Model

This study seeks to evaluate the validity of a scale intended to measure actively open-minded thinking (AOT), and to explore the relationships between AOT and academic performance. The Rasch model was applied to evaluate the scale’s construct validity through the mirt package in R. Scale validation was based upon a sample of university students in Surabaya (N=424), while regression analysis to predict academic achievement was based on a sub-sampel for which data was available (n=220). Rasch analysis results suggested that the 10-item self-report scale had good construct validity, especially when measuring participants from the lower end of the trait level spectrum. AOT was found to be positively and moderately correlated with conscientiousness and openness to experience. AOT also predicted higher performance in a course which assessed students’ ability to analyse and evaluate arguments, as well as overall performance assessed by their grade point average (GPA) 18 months later. These results suggest that AOT is an important variable that can be adequately measured using a self-report instrument. Further work should focus on creating items which are more difficult to endorse.

scholarly journals Disposisi Berpikir Terbuka secara Aktif: Definisi, Pengukuran, dan Kaitannya dengan Prestasi Akademik

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Anindito Aditomo
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Scale Validation ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Available N ◽  
Trait Level ◽  
Thinking Disposition

This study seeks to evaluate the validity of a scale intended to measure actively open-minded thinking (AOT), and to explore whether AOT can predict academic performance. The Rasch model was applied to evaluate the scale’s construct validity through the mirt package in R. Scale validation was based upon a sample of university students in Surabaya (N=424), while regression analysis to predict academic achievement was based on a sub-sampel for which data was available (n=220). Rasch analysis results suggested that the 10-item self-report scale had good construct validity, especially when measuring participants from the lower end of the trait level spectrum. AOT was found to be positively and moderately correlated with conscientiousness and openness to experience. AOT also predicted higher performance in a course which assessed students’ ability to analyse and evaluate arguments, as well as overall performance assessed by their grade point average (GPA) 18 months later. These results suggest that AOT is an important variable that can be adequately measured using a self-report instrument. Further work should focus on creating items which are more difficult to endorse.Keywords: Thinking disposition, intellectual character, item-response theory, Big 5 personality, academic achievement Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan mengevaluasi validitas sebuah skala disposisi berpikir terbuka secara aktif, serta mengeksplorasi kaitan disposisi tersebut dengan prestasi akademik. Validasi skala dilakukan pada sampel mahasiswa sebuah universitas di Surabaya (N=424), sedangkan regresi untuk memprediksi prestasi akademik dilakukan pada sub-sampel (n=220). Validasi dilakukan dengan model Rasch menggunakan paket mirt di program R. Hasil pemodelan Rasch menunjukkan bahwa skala disposisi berpikir terbuka-aktif memiliki validitas konstruk yang baik, terutama untuk sampel dengan tingkat disposisi yang rendah. Disposisi berpikir terbuka-aktif juga terbukti berkorelasi positif moderat dengan dimensi kepribadian openness to experience dan conscientiousness. Selain itu, disposisi tersebut juga terbukti memprediksi prestasi belajar pada mata kuliah yang mengukur kemampuan analisis/evaluasi argumen, serta pada indeks prestasi secara keseluruhan 18 bulan kemudian. Dalam disimpulkan bahwa disposisi berpikir terbuka-aktif merupakan konstruk yang perlu diperhatikan oleh peneliti maupun praktisi pendidikan. Pengembangan skala perlu diarahkan pada penulisan butir-butir yang memiliki tingkat kesulitan lebih tinggi.

scholarly journals Examining implicit beliefs in a replication attempt of a time-reversed priming task

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Marilyn Schlitz ◽  
Arnaud Delorme
Keyword(s):  
Response Times ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Implicit Association ◽  
Implicit Beliefs ◽  
Implicit Association Task ◽  
Priming Task ◽  
Priming Word ◽  
Controversial Area

Background: Psi research is a controversial area of science that examines telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis (mind over matter). Central to the debate over the existence of psi is of whether independent investigators can replicate reportedly successful psi experiments. One important variable involves the beliefs of experimenters and participants. A preregistered experiment is presented that sought to replicate and extend previously published parapsychology experiments suggestive of precognition by examining implicit beliefs. Methods: On each trial of the standard (non-psi) priming task, a pleasant or unpleasant word (the "prime") is briefly shown on computer screen, followed immediately by a pleasant or unpleasant picture. Trials on which the image and the priming word have different valences are termed “Incongruent”; trials on which the picture and the priming word share a common valence are termed “Congruent”. Participants in such experiments typically respond more slowly on Incongruent trials than on Congruent trials. In this "time-reversed" psi version of the experiment, the presumed cause-effect sequence is reversed so that the prime is not flashed until after the participant has already recorded his or her judgment. The experimental hypothesis remains the same: response times will be longer on trials with Incongruent prime/picture pairs than on trials with Congruent prime/picture pairs. Additionally, the study assesses expectations of success on the psi task of 32 experimenters—each testing 12 participants—using self-report questionnaires and the Implicit Association Task (IAT). Results: A significant correlation was found between the Implicit Association Test (IAT) effect and the participants’ reported beliefs in psi, with the effect in the direction opposite to the hypothesized correlation. Conclusions: This study offers an innovative approach to the role of beliefs in psi in a precognition study and speaks to the challenges of replication in controversial science.

Cultural and Sex Differences in Touch Avoidance

1988 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 544-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S. Remland ◽  
Tricia S. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Self Report ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Touch Avoidance ◽  
Eastern Cultures ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Far Eastern ◽  
Report Measure

250 male and female respondents from American, Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and Far Eastern cultures completed a self-report measure of touch-avoidance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated factors for opposite-sex and same-sex touch-avoidance. These factors were used as dependent variables in a 4 × 2 (culture by sex) multivariate analysis of variance which yielded a significant interaction of culture by sex on opposite-sex touch-avoidance and a main effect of the respondents' sex on same-sex touch-avoidance.

Opening the Manager's Door: State Probation Officer Stress and Perceptions of Participation in Workplace Decision Making

2003 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Risdon N. Slate ◽  
Terry L. Wells ◽  
W. Wesley Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Probation Officer ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Participatory Management ◽  
Relationship Of

Stress can be costly not only to individuals but also to organizations. Participatory management has been recommended as a means for reducing probation officer stress. This article via self-report surveys of probation personnel in a southern state considers the relationship of a number of demographic variables with employee perceptions of participation in workplace decision making, job satisfaction, and organizational and physical stress levels. Construction of a structural model revealed that employee perceptions of participation in workplace decision making was an important variable in relation to job satisfaction and its influence on both reported organizational and physical symptoms of stress. The results lend further credence to the use and development of participatory management schemas within probation organizations.

Classical social reward signatures in infants with later ASD

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodora Gliga ◽  
Mayada Elsabbagh
Keyword(s):  
Early Development ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Socially Motivated

Abstract Autistic individuals can be socially motivated. We disagree with the idea that self-report is sufficient to understand their social drive. Instead, we underscore evidence for typical non-verbal signatures of social reward during the early development of autistic individuals. Instead of focusing on whether or not social motivation is typical, research should investigate the factors that modulate social drives.

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