Salient Value Similarity, Social Trust, and Risk/Benefit Perception

It was postulated that shared values determine social trust in institutions and persons related to a technology: One has trust in people holding similar salient values. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that social trust has a positive influence on perceived benefits and a negative impact on perceived risks. Results of a survey of University of Zürich students indicated that the proposed causal model explained perception of pesticides, nuclear power, and artificial sweetener very well. When social trust was controlled, the relation between risks and benefits perceived diminished. Results indicate that social trust is a key predictive factor of the perceived risks and benefits of a technology, and provide support for the salient values similarity theory of social trust.     

Theory and Practice of Systemic‐Dialogical Therapy

Systemic‐dialogical therapy originates from an evolution of Milan systemic therapy, through a reflection on Bakhtinian dialogue and on power and knowledge dynamics in therapeutic sessions. The model considers both emergent patterns in human interaction and the dialogical nature of human exchanges in which emotions play a relevant part. Such theoretical considerations prompted the creation of specific practices, such as emotional micro‐hypothesising, considering heteroglossia in the session, dialogue with the context, finding one's place in the relational network, and fostering relational responsibility in both therapist and clients. The practice of systemic‐dialogical therapy is illustrated by a clinical case study.     

(Un)Disciplined futures: Women of color feminism as a disruptive to white affect studies

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how women of color feminism predates and disrupts dominant dialogues in the field of White affect studies. I introduce the concept of White affect studies as an arena of inquiry that draws from Western-European theories and literatures and architects a sociopolitical structure of affect that positions White affects as universal. Scholars contributing to the field of White affect studies posit theories of affect, embodiment, subjectivity, phenomenology, violence, war, and more, while disregarding the theoretical contributions made by women of color feminism in thinking through these notions and social issues. This is done by engaging in a citational practice that results in an epistemic erasure of women of color feminist thought. The voices of women of color feminists are thus disqualified, and their theoretical contributions are not acknowledged as significant or relevant in conceptualizing affect, affective economies, and the social. By turning to the writings of women of color feminists, I demonstrate how their theories on embodiment, subjectivity, and social structures predate the institutionalization of White affect studies. Feminists of color from the past and present have and continue to theorize through a language of self their experiences as subjects embedded within matrices of violence, power, and pleasure. Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla write about the ways in which lesbian and queer women of color institute different affects that counter dominant structures of emotion, systems of power, and heterosexual modes of being. In developing conceptual methodologies, Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla are able to weave into the dominant discursive logic a language of self that both introduces new queer subjectivities, while reinterpreting existing forms of thought, thereby contesting mainstream economies of White affects and White affect studies. It is through a language of self that Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla develop an ethic of survival that countermobilizes against White hegemonic apparatuses.     

Caring for Individuals with Chronic Illness and Minor Depression: Latino Perceptions of Caregiver Burden

ABSTRACT

Informal caregiving can be fundamental to disease management. Yet, the psychosocial, physical, and financial burden experienced by caregivers can be significant. In the US, Latinos experience increasing rates of chronic conditions, the highest uninsured rates in the country, and a growing dependence on informal caregivers. This article explores the impact of caregiving on caregivers of individuals with comorbid chronic disease and depression. Findings highlight the impact of caregiving on financial insecurity, balancing competing demands, increased emotional distress, and community supports. Findings support the inclusion of caregivers in disease management programs to enhance psychosocial outcomes for both caregivers and their patients.     

Psychosocial Profile of Children Having Participated in an Intervention Program for Their Sexual Behavior Problems: The Predictor Role of Maltreatment

This study sought to verify if a history of maltreatment may predict the psychosocial profile of children who participated in an intervention program aiming at reducing sexual behavior problems. Data were collected at both the beginning and the end of the intervention program using a clinical protocol and standardized tests selected on the basis of the intervention targets. In general, the results indicate that children who had experienced maltreatment display a psychosocial profile that is similar to that of children who had not experienced maltreatment. However, children who had experienced psychological abuse or neglect may display greater externalized or sexualized behaviors, whereas children who have a parent who had been a victim of sexual abuse may display fewer sexualized behaviors.     

Effect of Sexual Arousal on Cortical Coupling During Performance of the Tower of Hanoi Task in Young Men

Sexual arousal affects cognitive processing, which depends on the coordinated functioning among cortical areas. The aim of this research was to determine whether previous observation of videos with sexual content affects the degree of cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) coupling during performance of an executive task. Cortical EEG correlations were calculated in three groups of heterosexual men under three conditions: at rest; during observation of a video with neutral, aggressive, or erotic content; and while performing the Tower of Hanoi task (TOH). Based on self-reports, it was shown that the erotic video induced general and sexual arousal, while the aggressive video affected valence and general arousal. Task performance was similar in all three groups. During performance of TOH, only the erotic group showed a decreased correlation between prefrontal areas with an increased correlation between parietal and prefrontotemporal areas, specifically in the slow bands. It is likely that these changes in the degree of cortical coupling could be associated with the cognitive strategies or functional adaptations that participants require to adequately solve the task during a state of sexual arousal. These data could contribute to improving our understanding of the central nervous mechanisms that underlie the effect of sexual arousal on the cognitive processes involved in tasks like TOH.     

Mapping Colombian Citizens’ Views Regarding Ordinary Corruption: Threat,Bribery, and the Illicit Sharing of Confidential Information

A few studies conducted in France, Latin America, China and Sub-Saharan Africa have examined the extent to which specific behaviors by politicians, state officials, professionals or simple citizens were considered by the public either as corrupt/intolerable or acceptable/tolerable. These studies have shown a great diversity of positions among participants, ranging from “zero tolerability” to “non-zero tolerability”, to high tolerance to favoritism, and to complete tolerability. The present study analyzed Colombian lay persons’ views as a function of three separate factors characterizing acts of corruption: (a) the current status or position in society of the person who behaved in a corrupt way (politician, judge, entrepreneur or ordinary citizen), (b) the motive behind the act of corruption (nepotism or monetary gain), and (c) the means used for obtaining the underserved benefit (threatening the person, bribery or illicitly sharing of confidential information). As expected, four qualitatively different perspectives were identified. The first one (60 % of the participants) was the expected Zero Tolerance view because all acceptability ratings were extremely low. The second one (32 %) was called Never Very Tolerable because ratings, although always low, varied as a function of the means used: Threat and bribery were considered as more intolerable than use of information. The third one (7 %) was called Depends on Means because the ratings were affected by the means used to a larger extent than in the preceding case. The fourth one (1 %) was called Always Tolerable because in all cases, the ratings were high. In no cases did acceptability depend much on the status of the person performing the corrupt act or of the motives behind the act. Although only a small minority of participants agreed with the last two views, it is probably enough to create a climate of suspicion in the country.     

How Manual Object Exploration is Associated with 7‐ to 8‐Month‐Old Infants’ Visual Prediction Abilities in Spatial Object Processing

The present experiment examined whether infants’ visual prediction performance of the appearance of objects moving in space is related to their manual object exploration ability. Fifty‐five 7‐ to 8‐month‐old infants were tested. A visual object prediction paradigm was developed during which a three‐dimensional object was presented in a live eye‐tracking setting. During familiarization, the object rotated back and forth along the vertical axis. While the object was moving, two target parts of it were briefly occluded from view and uncovered again as the object changed its direction of motion. In the test phase, the entire object was rotated around 90° and now rotated along the horizontal axis. We recorded infants’ eye movements directed at the target locations and analyzed the prediction rates. All of the infants also participated in a manual object exploration task, in which they freely explored five toy blocks. Infants with a higher level of object exploration skill had higher prediction rates during test trials as compared to infants with less proficient object exploratory actions. The results support the interpretation that advanced manual object exploration experience is associated with infants’ advanced visual prediction ability of the appearance of objects moving in space.     

Study of the association between gait variability and physical activity

Background

Gait variability can be considered an indirect measure of gait stability, in particular regarding temporal or spatial variability assessment. Physical activity, such as walking, is advised for the elderly and can be improved by gait stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between gait stability and physical activity in women of different age ranges.

Methods

Forty-two healthy women of different age ranges (18-40 yrs. and 65-75 yrs.) were recruited in the study. To assess physical activity, the subjects wore a multi-sensor activity monitor for a whole week, inferring the time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). MVPA were analysed in bouts of at least 10 subsequent minutes (MVPA_bouts) and in overall minutes (MVPA_tot). A kinematic analysis was performed with an optoelectronic system to calculate gait variability - expressed as standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variability (CV) of step width, stride length, stance and swing time (during treadmill walking at different speeds).

Results

Elderly women, with high walking speed (5 km/h), and moderate step width variability (CV = 8–27%), met the recommended levels of physical activity (MVPA_tot and MVPA_bouts). Furthermore, gait variability, adjusted for age and number of falls, was significantly and negatively associated with MVPA_tot only at 3.5 km/h, and with MVPA_bouts only at 4 km/h.

Conclusions

In a population of healthy elderly women, gait variability was significantly and negatively associated with the level of physical activity. Healthy elderly women, with moderate gait variability (step width variability), and high preferred walking speed, seem to be able to meet the recommended levels of physical activity.