Research with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Adults.

The past 5 years of research with the adult Wechsler scales is critically reviewed. Most investigators used the most recently developed scale, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Topical coverage includes: comparative validity; short forms; special populations and applications; refinements and critiques; personality correlates; investigations of diagnostic value; special diagnostic groups; and scatter, patterns, and diagnosis. The 197 articles reviewed show that there is no diminution in the number of researches in the area. While the quality of the research has improved, too many investigators repeat the errors contained in earlier studies, despite the periodic publication of these critical reviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychophysical correlates of intratympanic reflex action.

A review is presented of research on the intratympanic muscle reflexes. Among topics covered are a discussion of the methods employed for observation of reflex action, discussion of the natural protection against traumatic noise afforded by the reflexes and its limitation, and discussion of various types of stimulation (especially acoustic and cutaneous) which may be used to elicit the reflexes. Also described are possible practical uses of artificial reflex elicitation to provide enhanced protection against noise and for certain kinds of clinical diagnosis. Implications for damage risk criteria and for certain areas of psychological and physiological research are discussed. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological correlates of overall quality of figure drawings.

The aim of this study was to identify psychological correlates of overall quality (OAQ) of figure drawings. The drawings of 75 female and 62 male psychiatric patients were rated for OAQ on a 9-point scale. Psychological test data, interview and behavioral ratings, and information regarding social background and adjustment were also available for many of the Ss. Results were as follows: (1) OAQ was not related to specific aspects of psychopathology, improvement in clinical condition, nor to a wide variety of personality trait ratings. (2) Low, but statistically significant, relationships were found between OAQ and 3 independently obtained indexes of adjustment in specific situations. (3) OAQ was related positively with vocabulary intelligence and father's occupational level and negatively with age. (36 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generality and behavioral correlates of cognitive styles.

Factorial confirmation of 2 cognitive styles, defined as relationships between abilities within individuals, was sought in the within-individual variations of task performances. The cognitive styles, 1 termed "Conceptual versus Perceptual-motor Dominance," the other, "Strong versus Weak Automatization," were factorially isolated in each of 2 samples of adult normal males, and in 1 sample of adolescent male and female twins. The results are similar to those obtained by British factor analysts using hierarchical group factor method. Examination of the relationships of the factors to education and occupational levels in the adult normals revealed that the Strong Automatizers had higher occupational levels than the Weak Automatizers although the 2 groups of Ss did not differ in general intelligence or education. (35 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological correlates of blood pressure.

As a physiological measure of emotion, blood pressure has been relatively neglected in recent years. This review considers 3 questions: Do certain stimuli produce replicable changes in blood pressure? Do cognitive states influence blood pressure reactivity? Is there a causative relationship between personality and high blood pressure? Available research indicates that the 1st 2 questions can be answered affirmatively, though there are a number of methodological problems yet to be resolved. No direct evidence is available for the 3rd question and tangential studies offer conflicting results. (78 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychological correlates of mental illness and mental health.

If there is ever to be a single comprehensive theory and/or research program concerned with the etiology of mental illness, the widely diversified empirical and theoretical findings will have to be meaningfully integrated. The present paper critically reviews theories and research from the environmental-demographic level and the interpersonal level. The large number of phenotypical relationships reported have led only to vaguely formulated and speculative interpretations suggesting the need for a reformulation which will suggest genotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining the neural correlates of choice behavior in a gambling task using steady state topography.

The present study investigated the behavioral and neuropsychological characteristics of decision-making behavior during a gambling task as well as how these characteristics may relate to the Somatic Marker Hypothesis and the Frequency of Gain model. The applicability to intertemporal choice was also discussed. Patterns of card selection during a computerized interpretation of the Iowa Gambling Task were assessed for 10 men and 10 women. Steady State Topography was employed to assess cortical processing throughout this task. Results supported the hypothesis that patterns of card selection were in line with both theories. As hypothesized, these 2 patterns of card selection were also associated with distinct patterns of cortical activity, suggesting that intertemporal choice may involve the recruitment of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for somatic labeling, left fusiform gyrus for object representations, and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for an analysis of the associated frequency of gain or loss. It is suggested that processes contributing to intertemporal choice may include inhibition of negatively valenced options, guiding decisions away from those options, as well as computations favoring frequently rewarded options. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing the neural basis of decision making in social dilemmas of people with different social value orientations, a fMRI study.

Using functional MRI, we investigate the neural correlates of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation to cooperate by comparing people who differ in the personality trait Social Value Orientation. Participants (n = 28) played several one-shot prisoner's dilemma games (offering weak cooperative incentives) and coordination games (offering strong cooperative incentives) with anonymous partners while they were under the scanner. Behavioral results indicate that proself individuals adjust their behavior toward more cooperation when extrinsic incentives were present, while prosocials' decisions are not affected by game context. The neurological data is consistent with a priori developed hypotheses regarding different behavioral strategies, and suggest that extrinsically motivated proself strategies are driven by calculation and a situation-by-situation approach. Increased activation was found in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), and precuneus. Intrinsically motivated prosocials' strategies reflect norm compliance, routine moral judgment, and social awareness. Increased activation was found in lateral orbitofrontal cortex, anterior STS, and inferior parietal lobule. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of victimization in Chinese children's peer groups.

This study reports a cross-sectional investigation of the behavioral and academic correlates of victimization in Chinese children's peer groups. The participants were 296 children (161 boys and 135 girls; mean age?=?11.5 years) from Tianjin, China. Multi-informant assessments (peer nominations, teacher ratings, and self-reports) of peer victimization, aggression, submissiveness-withdrawal, assertiveness-prosociability, and academic functioning were obtained. Structural equation models indicated that peer victimization was associated with poor academic functioning, submissive-withdrawn behavior, aggression, and low levels of assertive-prosocial behavior. These findings suggest that there is considerable similarity in the social processes underlying peer group victimization across Chinese and Western cultural settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The neural correlates of infant and adult goal prediction: Evidence for semantic processing systems.

The sequential nature of action ensures that an individual can anticipate the conclusion of an observed action via the use of semantic rules. The semantic processing of language and action has been linked to the N400 component of the event-related potential (ERP). The authors developed an ERP paradigm in which infants and adults observed simple sequences of actions. In one condition the conclusion of the sequence was anticipated, whereas in the other condition the conclusion was not anticipated. Adults and infants at 9 months and 7 months were assessed via the same neural mechanisms—the N400 component and analysis of the theta frequency. Results indicated that adults and infants at 9 months produced N400-like responses when anticipating action conclusions. The infants at 7 months displayed no N400 component. Analysis of the theta frequency provided support for the relation between the N400 and semantic processing. This study suggests that infants at 9 months anticipate goals and use similar cognitive mechanisms to adults in this task. In addition, this result suggests that language processing may derive from understanding action in early development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)