Stochastic volatility double-jump-diffusions model: the importance of distribution type of jump amplitude

This research examines whether there exists an appealing distribution for random jump amplitude, in the sense that with which the stochastic volatility double-jump-diffusions (SVJJ) model would potentially have a superior option market fit, meanwhile keeping a sound balance between reality and tractability. We provide a general methodology for pricing vanilla options, using the Fourier cosine series expansion method (i.e. the COS formula, see [F. Fang and C.W. Oosterlee, A novel pricing method for European based on Fourier-cosine series expansions, SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 31 (2008), pp. 826–848], in the setting of Heston's SVJJ (HSVJJ) model that may allow a range of jump amplitude distributions, including the normal distribution, the exponential distribution and the asymmetric double-exponential (db-E) distribution as special cases. An illustrative example examines the implications of HSVJJ model in capturing option ‘smirks’. This example highlights the impacts on implied volatility surface of various jump amplitude distributions, through both extensive model calibrations and implied-volatility impacting experiments. Numerical results show that, with the db-E distribution, the HSVJJ model not only captures the implied volatility smile and smirk, but also the ‘sadness’.     

Screaming, yelling, whining, and crying: Categorical and intensity differences in vocal expressions of anger and sadness in children's tantrums.

Young children's temper tantrums offer a unique window into the expression and regulation of strong emotions. Previous work, largely based on parental report, suggests that two emotions, anger and sadness, have different behavioral manifestations and different time courses within tantrums. Individual motor and vocal behaviors, reported by parents, have been interpreted as representing different levels of intensity within each emotion category. The present study used high-fidelity audio recordings to capture the acoustic features of children's vocalizations during tantrums. Results indicated that perceptually categorized screaming, yelling, crying, whining, and fussing each have distinct acoustic features. Screaming and yelling form a group with similar acoustic features while crying, whining, and fussing form a second acoustically related group. Within these groups, screaming may reflect a higher intensity of anger than yelling while fussing, whining, and crying may reflect an increasing intensity of sadness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of mother–child emotion regulation strategies on children's expression of anger and sadness.

In a sample of 153 children from preschool through second grade, relations between the use of emotion regulation strategy and children's expression of anger and sadness were coded during an observational task in which children were intentionally disappointed in the presence of the mother. Multilevel modeling was used to examine strategy use and current and subsequent expressions of anger and sadness. Results indicate that mothers' use of attention refocusing and joint mother–child cognitive reframing lead to lower intensity of expressed anger and sadness. Younger children expressed more sadness than older children, and maternal attention refocusing was less successful among older children than younger ones. Implications of these results for assessing the socialization of emotion regulation in preschool and school-age children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unresolved anger and sadness: Identifying vocal acoustical correlates.

The authors conducted 2 studies to identify the vocal acoustical correlates of unresolved anger and sadness among women reporting unresolved anger toward an attachment figure. In Study 1, participants (N = 17) were induced to experience and express anger then sadness or sadness then anger. In Study 2, a 2nd group of participants (N = 22) underwent a relationship-oriented, emotion-focused analogue therapy session. Results from both studies showed that, relative to emotionally neutral speech, anger evoked an increase in articulation rate and in mean fundamental frequency (F0) and F0-range, whereas sadness evoked an increase in F0-perturbation. Both F0 and F0-range were larger for anger than for sadness. In addition, results from the mood-induction-procedure study revealed 2 Emotion×Order interactions. Whereas variations in amplitude range suggested that anger evoked less physiological activation when induced after sadness, variations in F0-perturbation suggested that sadness evoked more physiological activation when induced after anger. These findings illustrate the feasibility of using acoustical measures to identify clients' personally and clinically meaningful emotional experiences, and shifts between such emotional experiences, in the context of psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A secret sadness: The hidden relationship patterns that make women depressed.

Reviews the book, A secret sadness: The hidden relationship patterns that make women depressed by Valerie Whiffen (see record 2007-04584-000). This book targets the lay audience in an attempt to explain depression from a cognitive perspective. In the introduction and first chapter of the book, the author describes the phenomenon of depression, clarifies some common misunderstandings, and provides a clear rationale for focusing on depressed women's relationships as a way of understanding this pervasive and debilitating disorder. The role of stress in depression is elaborated upon in Chapter 3. In the fourth chapter, the author discusses how culturally prescribed gender roles can lead to depression in women. In Chapters 5-7, the author uses attachment theory to examine how characteristics of the family of origin (harsh parenting practices, neglect, physical and sexual abuse) can influence depression. In the eighth chapter, the author reviews the robust evidence on the association between depression and distress in romantic relationships. The ninth chapter focuses on another key relationship that can be impacted by depression: the mother-child bond. Here again, the author is careful not to draw premature causal links that are not warranted by extant data. In the tenth and final chapter of the book, the author discusses treatment options for depression and summarises the current state of knowledge on effective and efficacious interventions. This book is recommended to depressed clients who have difficulties in their interpersonal lives, as well as to therapists who work with depressed patients and couples/families in distress. It is also a useful resource for the clinical training of graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From unresolved anger to sadness: Identifying physiological correlates.

This study was designed to identify physiological correlates of unresolved anger and sadness, and the shift between these emotions, in a context similar to that of emotion-focused, experiential psychotherapy. Twenty-seven university students reporting unresolved anger toward an attachment figure were induced to experience and express unresolved anger and sadness. Simultaneously, their heart rate variability, finger temperature, and skin conductance levels were monitored. The sequence of emotion induction was counterbalanced. Sympathetic activation, as reflected by finger temperature, increased significantly from anger to sadness, but not from sadness to anger. A follow-up study (N=36) of participants induced to experience and express either anger or sadness in both the 1st and 2nd inductions ruled out an Anger×Time interaction and a sadness-sadness effect, suggesting that the increase in sympathetic activation from anger to sadness was a function of the unique sequence of emotions. These findings represent a first step toward using physiological measures to capture shifts from unresolved anger to vulnerable primary emotions during a therapy-like task and provide evidence for the purported mechanism underlying unresolved anger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Amygdala Activation to Sad Pictures During High-Field (4 Tesla) Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Fear-related processing in the amygdala has been well documented, but its role in signaling other emotions remains controversial. The authors recovered signal loss in the amygdala at high-field strength using an inward spiral pulse sequence and probed its response to pictures varying in their degree of portrayed sadness. These pictures were presented as intermittent task-irrelevant distractors during a concurrent visual oddball task. Relative to neutral distractors, sad distractors elicited greater activation along ventral brain regions, including the amygdala, fusiform gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. In contrast, oddball targets engaged dorsal sectors of frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortices. The amygdala's role in emotional evaluation thus extends to images of grief and despair as well as to those depicting violence and threat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age Differences in Emotional Reactivity: The Sample Case of Sadness.

Past studies have suggested that the intensity of subjective reactions to emotion-arousing stimuli remains stable, whereas the magnitude of autonomic reactions declines with age. The goal of the present studies was to investigate whether this evidence will generalize to newly edited films dealing with age-relevant themes such as the loss of loved ones. In Study 1, greater self-reported sadness was found in older than in younger adults in response to all films. Findings of Study 2, which were based on an independent sample, replicated those of Study 1. In addition, 6 indicators of autonomic nervous system activity were assessed. Young and old adults did not differ in their autonomic reactions to the films. This evidence suggests that when older people are exposed to stimuli featuring themes that are relevant to their age group, they show greater subjective and physiological reactions than would be expected on the basis of past research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Feeling and Believing: The Influence of Emotion on Trust.

The authors report results from 5 experiments that describe the influence of emotional states on trust. They found that incidental emotions significantly influence trust in unrelated settings. Happiness and gratitude--emotions with positive valence--increase trust, and anger--an emotion with negative valence--decreases trust. Specifically, they found that emotions characterized by other-person control (anger and gratitude) and weak control appraisals (happiness) influence trust significantly more than emotions characterized by personal control (pride and guilt) or situational control (sadness). These findings suggest that emotions are more likely to be misattributed when the appraisals of the emotion are consistent with the judgment task than when the appraisals of the emotion are inconsistent with the judgment task. Emotions do not influence trust when individuals are aware of the source of their emotions or when individuals are very familiar with the trustee. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

中国古诗词暮愁主题的美感魅力解读

中国古代诗词艺术世界涉及日暮意象的作品比例较高,多寄予悲愁情怀,贯穿着暮愁主题。其原因起于人与自然物候的感应和体悟,包含着崇拜太阳的宗教理想与感伤时空短暂生命脆弱的文化心态,构成艺术世界一种典型的情感符号,呈现出伤别、乡愁、闺怨、怨弃和悲亡等多种形态,积淀着中华民族文人千古的审美情趣。