DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 3 2005
N. Hermanns
Abstract Aims The aims of this study were to examine (1) the prevalence of clinical and subclinical anxiety and affective disorders in a sample of diabetic patients attending a secondary care clinic in Germany and (2) risk factors associated with the occurrence of these disorders. Methods Four hundred and twenty diabetic patients (36.9% Type 1; 24.7% Type 2; 38.4% Type 2 with insulin) participated in a questionnaire-based screening survey. Those who screened positive received a diagnostic interview. Results Prevalence of clinical affective disorders was 12.6%, with an additional 18.8% of patients reporting depressive symptoms without fulfilling all criteria for a clinical affective disorder. The prevalence of anxiety disorders was 5.9%, with an additional 19.3% of patients reporting some anxiety symptoms. The comorbidity rate of affective and anxiety disorders was 1.8%, whereas 21.4% of the diabetic patients reported elevated affective as well as anxiety symptomatology. Logistic regression established demographic variables such as age, female gender and living alone as well as diabetes-specific parameters such as insulin treatment in Type 2 diabetes, hypoglycaemia problems and poor glycaemic control as risk factors for affective disorders. For anxiety symptoms female gender, younger age and Type 2 diabetes were significant independent variables. Conclusion The prevalence of affective disorders in diabetic patients was twofold higher than in the non-diabetic population, whereas prevalence for anxiety disorders was not increased. Analysis of risk factors can facilitate the identification of patients who are at a greater risk for these disorders. [source]

Affective and Adrenocorticotrophic Responses to Photoperiod in Wistar Rats

JOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
B. J. Prendergast
The present study tested the hypothesis that seasonal intervals of exposure to modest changes in photoperiod, typical of those experienced by humans living in temperate latitudes (10,14 h light/day), engage changes in emotional behaviour of Wistar rats, a commonly-used animal model for investigations of affective physiology. Short day lengths (, 12 h light/day) induced behavioural despair in a forced-swim test, exploratory anxiety in an open field arena, and anhedonia in a two-bottle sucrose preference task, relative to longer day lengths. Plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone was lower in short-day relative to long-day rats, but testosterone and corticosterone concentrations were comparable across treatments. In common with animals that engage reproductive responses to day length, reproductively nonresponsive mammals such as Wistar rats exhibit changes in affective state following small changes in day length. Wistar rats may provide an animal model for the study of seasonal mood regulation because the neuroendocrine, depressive, anxious and anhedonic responses of Wistar rats to short days bear similarities to those observed in some human populations. Standard laboratory husbandry practices (exposure to a 12 : 12 h light/dark cycle) may inadvertently deliver a chronic background depressive and anxiogenic stimulus. [source]

Adolescent Behavioral, Affective, and Cognitive Engagement in School: Relationship to Dropout

JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 9 2009
Isabelle Archambault PhD
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: High school dropout represents an important public health issue. This study assessed the 3 distinct dimensions of student engagement in high school and examined the relationships between the nature and course of such experiences and later dropout. METHODS: We administered questionnaires to 13,330 students (44.7% boys) from 69 high schools in the province of Quebec (Canada). During 3 consecutive high school years, students reported their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement to school. Information on later dropout status was obtained through official records. RESULTS: Although many adolescents remained highly engaged in high school, one third reported changes, especially decreases in rule compliance, interest in school, and willingness to learn. Students reporting low engagement or important decrements in behavioral investment from the beginning of high school presented higher risks of later dropout. CONCLUSION: School-based interventions should address the multiple facets of high school experiences to help adolescents successfully complete their basic schooling. Creating a positive social-emotional learning environment promises better adolescent achievement and, in turn, will contribute to a healthier lifestyle. [source]

We Feel, Therefore We Learn: The Relevance of Affective and Social Neuroscience to Education

MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION, Issue 1 2007
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
ABSTRACT, Recent advances in neuroscience are highlighting connections between emotion, social functioning, and decision making that have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the role of affect in education. In particular, the neurobiological evidence suggests that the aspects of cognition that we recruit most heavily in schools, namely learning, attention, memory, decision making, and social functioning, are both profoundly affected by and subsumed within the processes of emotion; we call these aspects emotional thought. Moreover, the evidence from brain-damaged patients suggests the hypothesis that emotion-related processes are required for skills and knowledge to be transferred from the structured school environment to real-world decision making because they provide an emotional rudder to guide judgment and action. Taken together, the evidence we present sketches an account of the neurobiological underpinnings of morality, creativity, and culture, all topics of critical importance to education. Our hope is that a better understanding of the neurobiological relationships between these constructs will provide a new basis for innovation in the design of learning environments. [source]

Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
James J. Gross
One of life's great challenges is successfully regulating emotions. Do some emotion regulation strategies have more to recommend them than others? According to Gross's (1998, Review of General Psychology, 2, 271,299) process model of emotion regulation, strategies that act early in the emotion-generative process should have a different profile of consequences than strategies that act later on. This review focuses on two commonly used strategies for down-regulating emotion. The first, reappraisal, comes early in the emotion-generative process. It consists of changing the way a situation is construed so as to decrease its emotional impact. The second, suppression, comes later in the emotion-generative process. It consists of inhibiting the outward signs of inner feelings. Experimental and individual-difference studies find reappraisal is often more effective than suppression. Reappraisal decreases emotion experience and behavioral expression, and has no impact on memory. By contrast, suppression decreases behavioral expression, but fails to decrease emotion experience, and actually impairs memory. Suppression also increases physiological responding for suppressors and their social partners. This review concludes with a consideration of five important directions for future research on emotion regulation processes. [source]

The Influence of Testosterone Combined with a PDE5-inhibitor on Cognitive, Affective, and Physiological Sexual Functioning in Women Suffering from Sexual Dysfunction

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009
Flip Van Der Made MD
ABSTRACT Introduction., Women with female sexual dysfunction have a reduced sensitivity to sexual stimuli. Activation of central mechanisms may open a window for phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5) to be effective; as a consequence, the combination of testosterone and a PDE5 inhibitor will restore sexual function. Aim., To demonstrate that the combination of testosterone and vardenafil will increase the sensitivity for sexual stimuli and will improve the desire and arousal components of the sexual response. Methods., In a double-blind randomly assigned placebo-controlled crossover design, 28 women with desire and/or arousal disorder underwent four different drug treatments on four separate experimental days. A masked version of the emotional Stroop task with sexual and nonsexual words was used to measure sensitivity for sexual content. Neutral and erotic film fragments were used to determine genital,physiological and subjective reactions. Main Outcome Measures., A masked version of the emotional Stroop task, vaginal pulse amplitude. For subjective measurement, responses were collected continuously with a lever and two self-report measures were used. Results., In two subgroups, which were differentiated on the basis of their initial preconscious attentional bias for sexual cues, a different sexual response profile was found. In an initially low-attention group, preconscious attentional bias for sexual cues increased under the testosterone condition. In these women, the combination of testosterone and vardenafil caused an improvement in genital response and subjective indices of sexual functioning. In the group that had initially a high attention for sexual cues, preconscious attentional bias for sexual cues decreased under the condition of testosterone. In these women, the combination of testosterone and vardenafil had no effect on any of the indices of their sexual functioning. Conclusion., In women suffering from low sexual desire,associated with low attention for sexual cues,the combination of testosterone and vardenafil may be a promising new treatment. van der Made F, Bloemers J, Yassem WE, Kleiverda G, Everaerd W, van Ham D, Olivier B, Koppeschaar H, and Tuiten A. The influence of testosterone combined with a PDE5-inhibitor on cognitive, affective, and physiological sexual functioning in women suffering from sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 2009;6:777,790. [source]

Board Structure, Process and Performance: evidence from public-listed companies in Singapore

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2005
David Wan
Past literature in board research has centred on board structure and company performance. Over the years, empirical studies do not reveal a conclusive relationship between these two variables (Dalton and Daily, 1999. Across the Board, March, 28,32). Until recently, the literature on board processes has been sparse. The reason for insufficient empirical work on board processes possibly is due to the difficulty of gaining access to boards. In this paper, we propose a conceptual model and tested the model on publicly listed companies in Singapore. Based on a sample of 212 company responses and 299 directors, we conclude that board structure does not affect board process while board process is related to board performance. In terms of individual parameters, effort norms, cognitive conflict and the presence and usage of skills are positively related to board roles and board transparency. Also, affective and process conflicts are negatively related to board roles and board transparency. Finally, board process does not mediate the relationship between board structure and board performance. [source]

MENTAL HEALTH AND JUVENILE ARRESTS: CRIMINALITY, CRIMINALIZATION, OR COMPASSION?,

CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
PAUL HIRSCHFIELD
Juveniles in secure confinement allegedly suffer from more mental health problems than their peers. This may reflect background and behavioral characteristics commonly found in clients of both mental health and juvenile justice systems. Another explanation is that mental disorders increase the risk of arrest. These interpretations were tested on a sample of Pittsburgh boys (n = 736). Findings indicate that arrested youth exhibit more attention deficit hyperactivity (ADH) problems, oppositional defiant (OD) problems, and nondelinquent externalizing symptoms prior to their first arrests compared to their never-arrested peers. However, arrested and nonarrested youth score similarly on prior affective and anxiety problems and internalizing symptoms. Net of delinquency, substance use, and other selection factors, internalizing problems lower the risk of subsequent arrest, whereas OD problems and nondelinquent externalizing symptoms increase it. ADH problems have no effect on arrest net of delinquency and substance use. These findings lend only partial support to the criminalization hypothesis. Whereas some mental health symptoms increase the risk of arrest, others elicit more cautious or compassionate official responses. [source]

Adult Learning Experiences from an Aquarium Visit: The role of Social Interactions in Family Groups

CURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007
Adriana Briseño-Garzón
Based on a larger empirical work,1 this paper reports on the nature and character of adult learning within a family group context while visiting the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre (Canada), and the longitudinal effects of such experience in the weeks following the visit. In this study a multiple or collective instrumental case study approach was employed to examine the learning experiences of the adult members of 13 family groups; this approach demonstrates that adults visiting the aquarium as part of a family group are active social learners and not merely facilitators of the experience for younger visitors or caregivers. Our outcomes also indicate that the adult members of the participant family groups learned in a multiplicity of domains including the cognitive, the social, and the affective, as a result of their visit to the Vancouver Aquarium. In addition, we discuss the longitudinal impacts of the aquarium visit and provide valuable insights as to the relevance of these experiences in visitors' everyday lives. [source]

Clinical characteristics of inpatient adolescents with severe obsessive,compulsive disorder

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 2 2006
Gal Shoval M.D.
Abstract Obsessive,compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common disorder in adolescents, usually treated in the outpatient setting. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of adolescents with severe OCD that required hospitalization. A total of 342 patients consecutively admitted to a psychiatric adolescent inpatient unit and 87 healthy volunteers were assessed by a semistructured interview for clinical diagnosis, suicide risk factors, aggression, ego defense mechanisms, and intelligence. Patients with OCD (n=40) were compared to other four diagnostic patient groups with psychotic, affective, conduct, and eating disorders, as well as to normal controls. Adolescent inpatients with OCD experienced less separation anxiety than all the other psychiatric groups (P < .01) and were less impulsive than controls (P < .001). They differed in aggressive/impulsive traits and hospital-related behaviors from other diagnostic groups. Adolescent inpatients with OCD consist of a unique subgroup in the inpatient unit in terms of their clinical characteristics and risk factors for suicide. These characteristics should be taken into account when developing a treatment plan for these difficult-to-treat inpatients. Depression and Anxiety 23:62,70, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

The stability of correlates of labour force activity

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009
G. Waghorn
Objective:, To investigate the stability of correlates of labour force activity among people with affective and anxiety disorders, compared with healthy adults, between 1998 and 2003. Method:, Secondary analyses of multi-stage probability samples of community residents (n1998 = 37 580 and n2003 = 36 088) obtained from repeat administrations of an Australian population survey. Results:, Proportionally, fewer people with affective or anxiety disorders were employed compared with well controls. Extent of employment restrictions, sex, age left school, country of birth, age and educational attainment were strong correlates of labour force participation and current employment. These effects were stable despite improved labour market conditions in 2003. Conclusion:, These results can inform decisions about access to substantial forms of employment assistance. Subgroups of people with anxiety and depression, with severe employment restrictions, low education, low language proficiency, aged 15,24 years, or aged 55 years or more, may require greater access to substantial employment assistance. [source]

Environmental complexity and central nervous system development and function

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 2 2004
Mark H. Lewis
Abstract Environmental restriction or deprivation early in development can induce social, cognitive, affective, and motor abnormalities similar to those associated with autism. Conversely, rearing animals in larger, more complex environments results in enhanced brain structure and function, including increased brain weight, dendritic branching, neurogenesis, gene expression, and improved learning and memory. Moreover, in animal models of CNS insult (e.g., gene deletion), a more complex environment has attenuated or prevented the sequelae of the insult. Of relevance is the prevention of seizures and attenuation of their neuropathological sequelae as a consequence of exposure to a more complex environment. Relatively little attention, however, has been given to the issue of sensitive periods associated with such effects, the relative importance of social versus inanimate stimulation, or the unique contribution of exercise. Our studies have examined the effects of environmental complexity on the development of the restricted, repetitive behavior commonly observed in individuals with autism. In this model, a more complex environment substantially attenuates the development of the spontaneous and persistent stereotypies observed in deer mice reared in standard laboratory cages. Our findings support a sensitive period for such effects and suggest that early enrichment may have persistent neuroprotective effects after the animal is returned to a standard cage environment. Attenuation or prevention of repetitive behavior by environmental complexity was associated with increased neuronal metabolic activity, increased dendritic spine density, and elevated neurotrophin (BDNF) levels in brain regions that are part of cortical,basal ganglia circuitry. These effects were not observed in limbic areas such as the hippocampus. MRDD Research Reviews 2004;10:91,95. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

A cognitive and affective pattern in posterior fossa strokes in children: a case series

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 7 2010
MANOELLE KOSSOROTOFF
Aim, Posterior fossa strokes account for about 10% of ischaemic strokes in children. Although motor and dysautonomic symptoms are common, to our knowledge cognitive and affective deficits have not been described in the paediatric literature. Our aim, therefore, was to describe these symptoms and deficits. Method, In a retrospective study, we included all cases of posterior fossa strokes in children occurring at a single centre between 2005 and 2007, and investigated cognitive and affective deficits. Results, Five males aged 3 to 14 years met the inclusion criteria. They all presented very early with mood disturbances: outbursts of laughter and/or crying and alternating agitation or prostration that disappeared spontaneously within a few days. Persistent cognitive deficits were also diagnosed in all five: initial mutism, then anomia, followed by comprehension deficiency and deficiencies of planning ability, visual,spatial organization, and attention. Despite early and intensive rehabilitation, recovery from these cognitive deficits was slow and sometimes incomplete, and on follow-up they proved to be more disabling than the motor symptoms. Interpretation, These findings are similar to the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome described in adults, and quite similar to the language and affective deficits observed in children after surgery for posterior fossa tumour. This is consistent with the role of the cerebellum and brainstem in affective and cognitive processes from early development. [source]

Affective and anxiety disorders in a German sample of diabetic patients: prevalence, comorbidity and risk factors

Comparison of four groups of substance-abusing in-patients with different psychiatric comorbidity

ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2001
J. Hättenschwiler
Objective: ,Comparisons of different groups of dual patients are rare, yet potential differences could have therapeutic implications. In this study, four groups of psychiatric in-patients with substance use disorder were compared to each other: patients with no psychiatric comorbidity, patients with comorbid schizophrenia and patients with affective and personality disorder. Method: ,Apart from sociodemographic, therapy-related variables and a detailed survey of their substance use, all subjects were assessed with BPRS and SCL-90-R. Results: ,No differences were found in the patients' demography, psychosocial adjustment and substance consumption career. Significant differences were found in regard to some therapy variables reflecting adherence to treatment and global outcome and to the level of psychopathology. Conclusion: ,Both substance use and comorbid psychiatric disorder have a variable impact on distinct areas of patients' general condition and functioning. The group with comorbid affective disorder appeared to be the most difficult to treat and the therapeutic approach to this disorder deserves reconsideration. [source]

Measurement and reporting of the duration of untreated psychosis

EARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2008
Matthew Large
Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the demographic, illness and methodological factors associated with mean and median duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published studies of DUP and an examination of available DUP distributions. Results: DUP was longer in samples with a higher proportion of patients with schizophrenia and was shorter in samples that included affective psychosis. Sex, age, and the methods of measuring the onset and end-point of DUP and the type of service in which the studies were performed did not contribute to the heterogeneity of the mean or median DUP values. Mean DUP is significantly prolonged by a small number of patients, and the median DUP is a poor indicator of the rate at which patients present. Conclusions: The DUP of patients with affective and non-affective psychosis should be examined separately in order to make measures of DUP more meaningful and comparable, and DUP should be reported using more comprehensive measures. We suggest a method of reporting DUP based on the rate of presentation of first-episode psychosis patients rather than the length of DUP. [source]

Startle cue,reactivity differentiates between light and heavy smokers

ADDICTION, Issue 10 2009
Anne K. Rehme
ABSTRACT Aims It was assumed that the startle amplitude in smokers is reduced while viewing pictures of smoking, suggesting that smoking cues are appetitive. The goal of the present study was to investigate (i) whether smoking scenes induce appetitive cue effects in smokers, and (ii) whether smoking intensity is related to cue,reactivity. Design Smokers and non-smokers participated in a single session. Participants A total of 62 individuals participated: 36 smokers and 26 non-smokers. Measurements Participants took part in an acoustic affective startle experiment using standardized pleasant, neutral and unpleasant scenes from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), as well as pictures of smoking. The effect of smoking cues was assessed by comparing neutral and smoking scenes (termed cue-related startle suppression, CSS). Findings While there was no overall difference between smokers and non-smokers regarding the CSS, light smokers showed significantly increased cue,reactivity towards smoking-related cues, as compared with heavy smokers and non-smokers. In addition, light smokers also displayed stronger appetitive responses towards positive stimuli. Conclusions These data support recent theories which discriminate between habit-based and incentive-based drug abuse. This distinction may have consequences for the assessment and treatment of drug-addicted subjects. Furthermore, incentive-based light smoking seems to have general effects on the reward system. [source]

Four Bases of Family Business Successor Commitment: Antecedents and Consequences

ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2005
Pramodita Sharma
Although successor commitment toward family business has been identified as a key desirable attribute, commitment has been treated as a unidimensional construct in family business research. Drawing on the organizational commitment literature, we propose four bases of successor commitment to family firm,affective (based on perceived desire), normative (based on perceived sense of obligation), calculative (based on perceived opportunity costs involved), and imperative (based on perceived need). A model of antecedents and expected behavioral outcomes of each of these bases of commitment is developed. Related propositions are presented, as are the contributions to the literature, research and practical implications. [source]

Depression and Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric Epilepsy

EPILEPSIA, Issue 5 2005
Rochelle Caplan
Summary:,Purpose: This study examined affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicidality in children with epilepsy and their association with seizure-related, cognitive, linguistic, family history, social competence, and demographic variables. Methods: A structured psychiatric interview, mood self-report scales, as well as cognitive and language testing were administered to 100 children with complex partial seizures (CPSs), 71 children with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), and 93 normal children, aged 5 to 16 years. Parents provided behavioral information on each child through a structured psychiatric interview and behavior checklist. Results: Significantly more patients had affective and anxiety disorder diagnoses (33%) as well as suicidal ideation (20%) than did the normal group, but none had made a suicide attempt. Anxiety disorder was the most frequent diagnosis among the patients with a diagnosis of affective or anxiety disorders, and combined affective/anxiety and disruptive disorder diagnoses, in those with suicidal ideation. Only 33% received some form of mental health service. Age, verbal IQ, school problems, and seizure type were related to the presence of a diagnosis of affective or anxiety disorder, and duration of illness, to suicidal ideation. Conclusions: These findings together with the high rate of unmet mental health underscore the importance of early detection and treatment of anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation children with CPSs and CAE. [source]

Parietal Lobe Epilepsy: The Semiology, Yield of Diagnostic Workup, and Surgical Outcome

EPILEPSIA, Issue 6 2004
Dong Wook Kim
Summary: Purpose: To characterize the clinical features, the prognostic value, and diagnostic sensitivities of various presurgical evaluations and the surgical outcomes in parietal lobe epilepsy (PLE), we describe 40 patients who were diagnosed as having PLE, including 27 surgically treated patients. Methods: The diagnosis was established by means of a standard presurgical evaluation, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorodeoxyglucose,positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), ictal single-photon emission tomography (SPECT), and scalp video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring, with additional intracranial EEG monitoring in selected cases. Results: Among the 40 patients, 27 experienced at least one type of aura. The most common auras were somatosensory (13 patients), followed by affective, vertiginous, and visual auras. The patients had diverse manifestations. Eighteen patients showed simple motor seizure, followed by automotor seizure, and dialeptic seizure. Two patients manifested generalized tonic,clonic seizures only, and 19 patients experienced more than one type of seizure. The surgical outcome was favorable in 22 of 26 patients including 14 who were seizure free. Patients with localized MRI abnormality had a higher probability to be seizure free, with marginal significance (p = 0.062), whereas other diagnostic modalities failed to predict the surgical outcome. In the seizure-free group, localization sensitivity was 64.3% by MRI, 50% by PET, 45.5% by ictal SPECT, and 35.7% by ictal EEG. The concordance rate of the various diagnostic modalities was higher in the seizure-free group than in the non,seizure-free group, although it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Seizures, in the case of PLE, can manifest themselves in a wider variety of ways than was previously thought. Surgical outcome was favorable in most of the patients. MRI abnormality and concordance of different diagnostic modalities were associated with high seizure-free rate. [source]

Preference judgements involve a network of structures within frontal, cingulate and insula cortices

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 5 2009
Amir M. Chaudhry
Abstract Environmental stimuli constantly compete for human attention and in many cases decisions are made based on the affective meaning they convey. Although the network of structures involved in processing affective value has been well described, the specific contribution of these structures to the process by which affective value guides decision making is less well understood and is the focus of the present study. Thus, subjects read descriptions of individually tailored holidays, varying in incentive value and then made preference judgements, cognitive judgements or no decision. Choices made from an affective perspective, compared with those made from a cognitive perspective, activated a region of the anterior insula/operculum and also the anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, activity in perigenual, anterior cingulate cortex was correlated with subjective ratings of incentive value. In contrast, medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and a region of posterior ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), bordering on the insula, were found to be more active when affective stimuli guided response selection than when no selection was made. However, only the activity in the ventrolateral PFC was specific to response selection based on affective compared with cognitive judgements. It is proposed that the necessary introspection required to make subjective preference judgements is provided by the insula and cingulate cortices, while the medial OFC and posterior ventrolateral PFC/insula cortices contribute to stimulus evaluation and motivational aspects of response selection, respectively. [source]

Dental trait anxiety and pain sensitivity as predictors of expected and experienced pain in stressful dental procedures

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 6 2004
Ulrich Klages
A prevailing hypothesis suggests that exaggerated pain expectations in dentally anxious and pain-sensitive patients might usually be disconfirmed by a lower level of pain experienced during treatment. The present study was conducted to investigate whether this contention also holds during stressful dental procedures. Patients reporting high and low levels of dental fear and of pain sensitivity were compared in their expected and experienced pain and in the concordance between the two measures. Participants were 97 patients undergoing extraction and root canal treatment. The measuring instruments used were the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), the Pain Sensitivity Index (PSI), affective and sensory pain descriptor scales, and a numerical pain-intensity scale. The results demonstrated that patients, in general, expected more pain than they subsequently experienced. Subjects with a high DAS score both expected and experienced more pain than those with a low DAS score. Within the group of subjects with a high DAS score, those indicating high pain sensitivity expected and experienced more pain than their counterparts; additionally, only those reporting low pain sensitivity disconfirmed their high pain expectancies. The results suggest that during stressful dental procedures, patients indicating dental anxiety and pain sensitivity above median levels are especially at risk of stabilizing exaggerated pain expectations and dental fear. [source]

Expected consequences of anger-related behaviours

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 2 2006
Hermina Van Coillie
Abstract In a study with 140 participants (66 men, 74 women), we investigated behaviour outcome expectancies (cognitive, affective and relational) regarding a broad group of anger-related behaviours (e.g. hit someone, run away). Results of a three-mode component analysis indicated that behaviour outcome expectancies vary considerably, depending on the behaviour (aggressive versus nonaggressive ones), the consequence (consequences related to the self versus consequences for the anger) and the individual. The findings are discussed in the context of catharsis theory, emotion regulation and functionalistic accounts of emotion-related behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Self-esteem: a behavioural genetic perspective

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2002
Michelle B. Neiss
Self-esteem, the affective or evaluative appraisal of one's self, is linked with adaptive personality functioning: high self-esteem is associated with psychological health benefits (e.g. subjective well-being, absence of depression and anxiety), effective coping with illness, and satisfactory social relationships. Although several pathways have been hypothesized to effect within-family transmission of self-esteem (e.g. parenting style, family relationship patterns), we focus in this article on genetic influences. Genetic studies on both global and domain-specific self-esteem and on both level and stability of self-esteem converge in showing that (i) genetic influences on self-esteem are substantial, (ii) shared environmental influences are minimal, and (iii) non-shared environmental influences explain the largest amount of variance in self-esteem. We advocate that understanding of current issues in self-esteem research will be enriched by including behavioural genetic approaches. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Spinoza on the Problem of Akrasia

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY, Issue 1 2010
Eugene Marshall
Though each is intuitive in a certain way, they both fail as explanations of the most interesting cases of akrasia. Spinoza's own thoughts on bondage and the affects follow, from which a Spinozist explanation of akrasia is constructed. This account is based in Spinoza's mechanistic psychology of cognitive affects. Because Spinoza's account explains action asissuing from modes of mind that are both cognitive and affective, it captures the intuitions that motivate the two traditional views while avoiding the pitfalls that result from their one-sided approaches. This project will allow us a fuller understanding of Spinozist moral psychology. In addition to this historical value, the Spinozist theory may offer a satisfactory explanation of certain hard cases of akrasia while avoiding the problems be set by other theories. For this reason, the Spinozist account could also be seen as a useful contribution to our philosophical understanding of the phenomenon of akrasia. [source]

The similarity,attraction relationship revisited: divergence between the affective and behavioral facets of attraction

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
Estelle Michinov
In contemporary attitudes-and-attraction research, attraction has been viewed as a multidimensional construct. Moreover, the effects of dissimilar and similar attitudes have been shown to vary with the facets of attraction measured. The hypotheses tested are that (1) only the proportion of similar attitudes relevant to the social context or interaction goals affects behavioral attraction (i.e. interpersonal distance between the participant and targets), and (2) the proportion of similar attitudes influences affective attraction (i.e. Byrne's attraction measure), regardless of attitude relevance. Two experiments were conducted with classroom activities (Experiment 1) and a writing workshop (Experiment 2) as the social contexts. The results of both experiments supported the hypotheses. Clearly, a solely affective measure of attraction seems inadequate for understanding the similarity,attraction relationship. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

A Two-Factor Model for Predicting When a Couple Will Divorce: Exploratory Analyses Using 14-Year Longitudinal Data,

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2002
John Mordechai Gottman Ph.D.
This article examines 14-year longitudinal data and attempts to create a post hoc model that uses Time-1 data to "predict" the length of time the marriage will last. The sample consists of the 21 couples (of 79 studied) who divorced over a 14-year period. A two-factor model is proposed. One factor is the amount of unregulated volatile positive and negative affect in the marriage, and this factor predicts a short marriage length for the divorcing couples. A second factor is called "neutral affective style," and this factor predicts a long marriage length for the divorcing couples. This model is compared to a Time-1 model of ailing marriage in which Time-1 marital satisfaction is used to predict the timing of divorce. [source]

Toward development of a generalized instrument to measure andragogy

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2009
Elwood F. Holton III
Andragogy has emerged as one of the dominant frameworks for teaching adults during the past 40 years. A major and glaring gap in andragogy research is the lack of a measurement instrument that adequately measures both andragogical principles and process design elements. As a result, no definitive empirical test of the theory has been possible. The purpose of this article is to report on initial attempts to develop a survey instrument that corrects this shortcoming in the andragogy research literature. The instrument developed for this study was part of a comprehensive examination of andragogical principles and process design elements and their effect on student satisfaction and learning outcomes in a postsecondary education setting. It was administered to 404 adults enrolled in an adult-oriented postgraduate degree program. Exploratory factor analysis revealed promising scales to measure five of the six andragogical principles and six of the eight process design elements. This instrument is the most successful attempt to date to measure andragogical principles and elements. It holds promise for advancing research on andragogy, and subsequently advancing the field of HRD by explaining affective and cognitive responses to andragogical instructional strategies across a spectrum of learning environments. Additional implications for future research to strengthen the instrument are also discussed. [source]

Employee affective and behavioral reactions to the spatial density of physical work environments

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005
Douglas R. May
This field study of a medical clinic found that employees in spatially dense work areas (i.e., those with little space available per person) experienced higher levels of perceived crowding, transfer intentions, and tardiness, as well as lower work area satisfaction, than employees in low-density areas. Crowding perceptions explained the relations between spatial density and the measures of work area satisfaction and tardiness. Finally, when employees had high workloads and their jobs required physical movement, spatial density had weaker relations to crowding perceptions and area satisfaction than in other conditions. Implications of these findings for human resource practitioners are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]