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A cognitive intervention program for reduction of stress in parents of children with intellectual and multiple disabilities: the effect on behavior problems and program adaptation through COVID-19 pandemic

Author(s): Alexandru Tiba,Cezar Morar / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2021

Much evidence suggests that parents of children with special needs have elevated levels of stress when confronting with children’s problems. This article presents a validation of a multimodal cognitive program for reducing parental stress in parents and children behavior problems of children with special needs that can be applied during COVID-19 pandemic. A study including 63 parents of children with special needs shows that the program is effective both in reducing parental stress and children’s behavior problems reported by parents. Recommendations for the online use of the program and adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic characteristics are made.

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A cross-cultural comparison for preference for symmetry: Comparing British and Egyptians non-experts

Author(s): Carole Bode,Mai Helmy,Marco Bertamini / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

The aesthetic appeal of symmetry has been noted and discussed by artists, historians and scientists. To what extent this appeal is universal is a difficult question to answer. From a theoretical perspective, cross-cultural comparisons are important, because similarities would support the universality of the response to symmetry. Some pioneering work has focussed on comparisons between Britain and Egypt (Soueif & Eysenck, 1971, 1972), including both experts and naive subjects. These studies confirmed some degree of universal agreement in preferences for simple abstract symmetry. We revisited this comparison after almost half a century. We compared preferences of naïve students in Egypt (n = 200) and Britain (n=200) for 6 different classes of symmetry in novel, abstract stimuli. We used three different measurements of complexity: Gif ratio, Edge length and the average cell size (average blob size, ABS). The results support Soueif & Eysenck’s findings regarding preferences for reflectional and rotational symmetry, however they also throw new light on a greater preference for simplicity in Egyptian participants already noted by Soueif & Eysenck (1971).

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A Longitudinal Study of Factors Explaining Attitude Change Towards Gambling Among Adolescents

Author(s): Ståle Pallesen,Daniel Hanss,Helge Molde,Mark D. Griffiths,Rune Aune Mentzoni / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

No previous study has investigated changes in attitudes toward gambling from under legal gambling age to legal gambling age. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate attitudinal changes during this transition and to identify predictors of corresponding attitude change. Methods: In all 1239 adolescents from a national representative sample participated in two survey waves (Wave 1; 17.5 years; Wave 2; 18.5 years). Results: From Wave 1 to Wave 2 the sample became more acceptant toward gambling. A regression analysis showed that when controlling for attitudes toward gambling at Wave 1 males developed more acceptant attitudes than females. Neuroticism was inversely related to development of acceptant attitudes toward gambling from Wave 1 to Wave 2, whereas approval of gambling by close others at Wave 1 was positively associated with development of more acceptant attitudes. Continuous or increased participation in gambling was related to development of more acceptant attitudes from Wave 1 to Wave 2. Conclusions: Attitudes toward gambling became more acceptant when reaching legal gambling age. Male gender, approval of gambling by close others and gambling participation predicted development of positive attitudes toward gambling whereas neuroticism was inversely related to development of positive attitudes toward gambling over time.

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A new variant of the barberpole effect: Psychophysical data and computer simulations

Author(s): Dejan Todorović / Language(s): English / Issue: 3-4/2002

The classic barberpole effect shows that perceived direction of motion of parallel line segments depends on the orientation of the frame defined by segment end points. A stimulus configuration was created by crossing two oblique barberpoles. Perceived motion in the crossed portion of the configuration is bi-stable, alternating between two oblique directions defined by the two component barberpoles. Ratings of dominance of perceived motion direction in the crossed portion of two barberpoles of different width and orientation revealed a strong preference for the wider component barberpole and a weak preference for the nearer-to-vertical component barberpole. A network model is presented in which each unit inhibits units with different direction sensitivity and co-extensive receptive fields, and excites units with equal direction sensitivity and neighboring receptive fields. Simulations of the temporal evolution of the spatial activity profile exhibit the effect of barberpole width and the bi-stability of percepts. Fatigue of highly adapted units enables the gradual emergence of non-adapted units. Small initial variations can lead to profound differences in the final state of the system, explaining the quasi-random fluctuation between the two perceptual variants.

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A Polish adaptation of Monika Ardelt’s Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS)

Author(s): Stanisława Steuden,Paweł Brudek,Paweł Kajetan Izdebski / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2016

The article outlines the results of academic endeavors to develop a Polish adaptation of Monika Ardelt’s Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS). The results obtained using the Polish version are comparable to those obtained using the original research instrument, which proves that the Polish 3D-WS can be successfully used for research purposes. The Polish adaptation consists of 39 items covering four dimensions: Cognitive, Affective, Self-Awareness, and Empathic. The scale testing procedure involved a research sample consisting of 475 people. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .83 for the entire scale and oscillated between .64 and .77 for the subscales. Over the course of the study, it turned out that some subscales of the Polish 3D-WS can be influenced by sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, and education.

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A Unitary Account of Conceptual Representations of Animate/Inanimate Categories

Author(s): Vanja Ković,Kim Plunkett,Gert Westermann / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2010

In this paper we present an ERP study examining the underlying nature of semantic representation of animate and inanimate objects. Time-locking ERP signatures to the onset of auditory stimuli we found topological similarities in animate and inanimate object processing. Moreover, we found no difference between animates and inanimates in the N400 amplitude, when mapping more specific to more general representation (visual to auditory stimuli). These studies provide further evidence for the theory of unitary semantic organization, but no support for the feature-based prediction of segregated conceptual organization. Further comparisons of animate vs. inanimate matches and within– vs. between-category mismatches revealed following results: processing of animate matches elicited more positivity than processing of inanimates within the N400 time-window; also, inanimate mismatches elicited a stronger N400 than did animate mismatches. Based on these findings we argue that one of the possible explanations for finding different and sometimes contradictory results in the literature regarding processing and representations of animates and inanimates in the brain could lie in the variability of selected items within each of the categories, that is, homogeneity of the categories.

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Accepting Test-Anxiety-Related Thoughts Increases Academic Performance Among Undergraduate Students

Author(s): Ibrahim Senay,Mustafa Cetinkaya,Muhammet Usak / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2012

Given that unwanted thoughts are enhanced when suppressed, we tested among college freshmen who were about to take an academic exam if an acceptance strategy consisting of not suppressing intrusive thoughts will improve test performance. This strategy proved superior to students’ own default strategies as much as a modified, alternative strategy, avoiding the antecedents of intrusive thoughts. Moreover, the combination of the two strategies counteracted a stronger, negative effect of test anxiety on test performance as compared with each strategy used alone. The results suggest that not only intrusive thoughts per se but also the suppression of these thoughts can disrupt test performance, and hint that approaching such thoughts with acceptance may not interfere with simultaneously working toward avoiding the antecedents of these thoughts.

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Activation of the attachment system and mentalization in depressive and healthy individuals – an experimental control study

Author(s): Ella Fizke,Anna Buchheim,Florian Juen / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2013

From a developmental and clinical point of view attachment theory and mentalization are closely connected and have become increasingly important to understand the origins of psychopathological development. However, very little is known about how exactly different inner working models of attachment are related to diverse mentalizing abilities and this is particularly true for adult populations – healthy as well as clinical populations. In the present study we investigated this relation with a sample of inpatients diagnosed with depression and a sample of healthy individuals. In an experimental setting the attachment system was activated using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). Mentalization was assessed during activation and in comparison to a control condition using a modified version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). We expected that an activation of the attachment system i) diminishes the capacity to take another’s perspective in individuals with unresolved state of mind, ii) has no impact in individuals with secure attachment representation and iii) is dependent of clinical status in individuals with insecure (but organized) working models of attachment. Overall, these hypotheses were confirmed. However, the impact of clinical status on mentalization in insecure attachment has to be further explored. We summarize that attachment state of mind has a mediating influence on mentalization basically in such situations where the attachment system is activated.

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Adverse cardiovascular effects of inhalatory marijuana use among human subjects

Author(s): Florin Mitu,Vasile Chiriță,Livia Andreea LUPȘA / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2017

Marijuana is the most largely used drug worldwide, its users counting more than 200 million people globally. Known since antiquity, cannabis has been used for its psychoactive effects, but also for its analgesic and antiemetic properties. Currently, in the USA it is legal to use it both medically and for recreational purposes, similar tendencies being observed in the European Union as well. The current wave of decriminalisation has the potential of increasing recreational use of cannabis, at least in the short and medium term, therefore both cardiologists and psychiatrists are encouraged to carefully look for adverse cardiovascular outcomes, due to their increasing frequency in the population. This study sought to target the cardiovascular effects of inhaled marijuana among human subjects, this being the main route of administration in the EU and the US. Temporal associations between marijuana use and the onset of important adverse effects have been found, including acute myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, strokes, transient ischemic attacks, cannabinoid arteritis, changes in blood pressure and heart rate. In conclusion, it is important to note that the current legalisation policy dynamics observed globally impose the need for increasing research efforts regarding safety of marijuana administration and particular attention over its potential side effects.

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Aesthetic Experience and the Emotional Content of Paintings

Author(s): Slobodan Marković / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2010

In this study we investigated the relationship between aesthetic experience and other emotional qualities judged in paintings. Aesthetic experience was defined as an exceptional state of mind in which a person is focused on a particular object, transcending its everyday uses and meanings and losing the awareness of surroundings and even of himself/herself. In this state a person has an exceptional emotional experience, that is a feeling of unity with the object. Our basic idea is that aesthetic experience is not reducible to pleasure or a positive hedonic tone, but a person can equally be fascinated with both pleasant and unpleasant objects. In preliminary studies we specified the stimulus set of figural and semi-figural paintings, and a set of descriptors of emotions, feelings and aesthetic experience. Participants judged the paintings on descriptors (seven-point scales). Factor analysis revealed two large factors: the bipolar factor Affective Tone (descriptors on the positive pole: lovely, charming, cheerful, etc; descriptors on the negative pole: scary, disgusting, hateful etc.) and Aesthetic Experience (descriptors: exceptional, profound, unique, etc.). Additional analyses have shown no significant correlation between the two factors. These findings confirmed our idea that aesthetic experience is independent of pleasure or affective attraction, and that it can be induced by both pleasant and unpleasant paintings.

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Aesthetic Experience of Dance Performances

Author(s): Maja S. Vukadinović,Slobodan Marković / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2012

In this study the aesthetic experience of dance performances is investigated. The study includes construction of an instrument for measuring the aesthetic experience of dance performances and an investigation of the structure of both dancers’ and spectators’ aesthetic experience. The experiments are carried out during eight different performances of various dance forms, including classical ballet, contemporary dance, flamenco and folklore. Three factors of aesthetic experience of dance performances are identified: Dynamism, Exceptionality and Affective Evaluation. The results show that dancers’ aesthetic experience has a somewhat different factorial structure from that of the spectators’. Unlike spectators’ aesthetic experience, dancers’ aesthetic experience singles out the Excitement factor. The results are discussed within the context of dancers’ proprioception and spectators’ exteroception since these findings confirm the idea of a significant role of proprioception in dancers’ aesthetic experience.

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Affect and self-efficacy infuse the experience of ambivalent photographs

Author(s): Claudia Muth,Sabine Albrecht,Claus-Christian Carbon / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

Ambivalent pictures offer several interpretations of different valence—e.g., some photographs by Claudia Otto document scenes which can be perceived as sad or happy, dangerous or sweet, and so on. We show that task experiences influence the experienced valence of these images. Previous work already documented that responses to images are task-dependent and self-created insights heighten pleasure. A resulting positive mood and high self-efficacy might broaden attention to positive valence. In contrast, low self-efficacy leads to the prediction of negative task experiences and strengthens the salience of a positive experience. In our study, participants rated the valence of ambivalent photographs to be more positive after positive feedback regarding the accomplishment of a precedent puzzle. We revealed a trend of positive feedback being more effective when it followed negative experiences. The experience of ambivalent images is strongly linked to mood and self-efficacy and both is influenced by task experiences in psycho-aesthetic studies.

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Age differences in the Irrelevant Sound Effect: A Serial Recognition Paradigm

Author(s): Helene Schwarz,Sabine Schlittmeier,Annette Otto,Malte Persike,Maria Klatte,Margarete Imhof,Bozana Meinhardt-Injac / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2015

In adults, the disrupting effect of irrelevant background sounds with distinct temporal-spectral variations (changing-state sounds) on short-term memory performance was found to be robust. In the present study, a verbal serial recognition task was used to investigate this so-called Irrelevant Sound Effect (ISE) in adults and 8– to 10-year-old children. An essential part of the short-term memory impairment during changing-state speech is due to interference processes (changing-state effect) which can be differentiated from the deviation effect of auditory distraction. In line with recent findings (Hughes et al., 2013), our study demonstrates that the changing-state effect is not modulated by task difficulty. Moreover, our results show that the changing-state effect remains stable for children and adults. This suggests that the differences in the magnitude of the ISE as reported by Elliott (2002) and Klatte et al. (2010) are most likely related to the increase in attentional control during childhood.

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Aging in Online Communities: A Systematic Literature Review of Design Recommendations

Author(s): Ana Isabel Veloso,Sónia Ferreira,Liliana Vale Costa,Óscar Mealha,Carlos Santos / Language(s): English / Issue: 26 (2)/2020

The increase of computer-mediated communication use and the aging population has led to a renewed interest in online communities and social networks for active aging and social support in daily living. However, a systematic understanding of the design recommendations in Senior Online Communities is still lacking in scientific documentation. The aim of this paper is to identify the design recommendations used in online communities that support active aging. In addition, this paper highlights some of the benefits of using online communities by older adults. Twenty-three papers published between January 2015 and May 2020 in English-language, peer-reviewed publications, met inclusion criteria. The review presents a set of recommendations for designing online communities to enhance older adults’ social interactions. A process that aims for “engagement” is suggested to strategically guide the design of Senior Online Communities: Interacting – Sense of Belonging (Role-playing, Storytelling, and Legacy) – Engaging.

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Aktualne spoznaje u konceptualizaciji, mjerenju i istraživanju problematične uporabe interneta

Author(s): Josip Razum,Renata Glavak Tkalić,Tihana Brkljačić,Ines Sučić,Anja Wertag / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 4/2021

Problematic use of the Internet (PUI) generally refers to use of different types of Internet content which is not under control and leads to difficulties in everyday functioning. It involves generalised PUI but also specific forms such as problematic use of videogames, social media, and pornography. The main aim of this paper is to offer a basic review of current trends in defining, measurement and research of PUI. The review of available papers points at methodological problems related to determining the prevalence of PUI, and insufficient direct investigation of postulates of existing models regarding the onset and maintenance of PUI. Moreover, this paper offers a critical review of existing instruments for measuring PUI and its specific forms, and recommends the most appropriate instruments. A short review of PUI research methodology and important findings is given. Finally, guidelines for future research in this area are provided, which enable us to investigate these phenomena of contemporary society in a comprehensive and sound way.

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ALMANYA’DA MÜZİK TERAPİ ALANINDA GERÇEKLEŞTİRİLEN BİLİMSEL YAYINLARIN İNCELENMESİ (2010-2019)

Author(s): Duygu DURAN ORLOWSKİ,Ümit Kubilay Can,Hakan Bağci / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 33/2021

The healing power and effect of music are well-known by many cultures throughout history. Thanks to the recent technological developments, it has been proved that beyond its soothing and calming properties, music is a powerful cognitive stimulant. It can reach an individual’s inner world deeper where the oral communication falls short, and it is a motivation source for motoric movements. Because of these researches and their outcomes, the music therapy field occurred in psychology. Germany initiated research on music therapy with psychiatric patients in a clinical environment after WWII. The field of music therapy has been gaining popularity among researchers from different disciplines, and new interdisciplinary studies have been emerging. In the field of music therapy in Germany, the types of publication, subject fields, distribution of scientific studies, publication fields, years and what they are were determined as the problem of the research in the field of music therapy in 2010-2019. The aim is to investigate and study of these publications that are published in Germany. The surveying method is used to denounce the problem of this study.

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Amodalno kompletiranje poluzaklonjenih figura: Efekat orijentacije konture

Author(s): Slobodan Marković,Vasilije Gvozdenović / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 3/2003

In present study the temporal dimension of amodal completion in visual occlusion was investigated. We supposed that the visual system prefers to complete normally (vertically-horizontally) oriented contours than the oblique ones. Using the prime-matching paradigm we investigated the strength of amodal primes effects on processing speed of relating test figures. Both, prime and test stimuli were presented in normal and oblique (45o ) orientations. The primes were pairs of identical figures: CC (truncked squares), SS (hexagons) and AA (amodal patterns: circle occludes either amodal C or amodal S). Temporal distribution of stimuli: prime 400ms, ISIs 20ms and test figures until response. Test figures were the “same” pairs, CC and SS, and the “different” pairs, SC and CS. Each “same” test figures had its identical prime (CC => CC or SS => SS) and its amodal prime (AA => CC and AA => SS). The subjects were asked to answer wether the figures in test stimuli were same or different. The “same” RTs were analysed. The effect of amodal prime was systematically weaker (longer RT) than the effect of identical primes. Orientation was not significant factor. The significant partial interaction prime x orientation was obtained for C test figures: the effect of amodal prime was closer to effect of identical prime when the contour was normally oriented. In the case of S test figures the interaction was not obtained. We concluded that the more symmetric test figure (S) was resistent to the prime effect.

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Analysis of Burnout Level of Police Officers: Evidence from Malatya, Turkey

Author(s): Recai Aydin,Mehmet Ali Tekiner / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2016

Burnout, a relatively new concept, is defined as feeling cold and distant about one’s job or profession due to extreme stress or low level of job satisfaction. Police profession is considered to be one of the most likely places to observe burnout for obvious reasons. There are numerous empirical studies conducted in highly stressful or dangerous professions. They find that burnout level increases with age, lower level of job satisfaction and length of service. This study investigates the current situation burnout among Turkish police officers using a sample surveyed in the province of Malatya. The study compares the stress and burnout levels of police employees with respect to their gender, position and length of service; and finds that burnout level is higher among ordinary police officers, male police employees and more experienced police employees.

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Analysis of depth percepts induced by mobile two-dimensional stimuli

Author(s): Sunčica Zdravković / Language(s): English / Issue: 3-4/2002

In two experiments the depth effect induced by motion of two dots was investigated by estimations of length and angle of inclination of the perceived rod that moves in 3-D space. A third control experiment assessed the corresponding 2-D percepts with static stimuli. In Experiment 1 the dots moved on straight paths, and in Experiment 2 they moved on elliptical paths. The results were compared with predictions from Johansson's frontal-parallel principle. The principle was confirmed for dots moving on convergent paths, the results were inconclusive for straight paths, and the principle was disconfirmed for divergent paths.

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Analyzing Data from Memory Tasks – Comparison of ANOVA, Logistic Regression and Mixed Logit Model

Author(s): Milica Popović Stijačić,Ljiljana Mihić,Dušica Filipović-Đurđević / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2018

We compared three statistical analyses over binary outcomes. As applying ANOVA over proportions violates at least two classical assumptions of linear models, two alternatives are described: the binary logistic regression and the mixed logit model. Firstly, we compared the effects obtained by the three methods over the same data from a previous memory research. All three methods gave similar results: the effects of the tasks and the number of sensory modalities were observed, but not their interaction. Secondly, by using the bootstrap estimates of the parameters, the efficacy of each method was explored. As predicted, the bootstrap parameter estimates of the ANOVA had large bias and standard errors, and consequently wide confidence intervals. On the other hand, the bootstrap parameter estimates of the binary logistic regression and the mixed logit models were similar – both had low bias and standard errors and narrow confidence intervals.

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