Showing 1 - 44 of 44 Items

Date: 2022-04-01

Creator: Syanah C. Wynn, Erika Nyhus

Access: Open access

The primary aim of this review is to examine the brain activity patterns that are related to subjectively perceived memory confidence. We focus on the main brain regions involved in episodic memory: the medial temporal lobe (MTL), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and relate activity in their subregions to memory confidence. How this brain activity in both the encoding and retrieval phase is related to (subsequent) memory confidence ratings will be discussed. Specifically, encoding related activity in MTL regions and ventrolateral PFC mainly shows a positive linear increase with subsequent memory confidence, while dorsolateral and ventromedial PFC activity show mixed patterns. In addition, encoding-related PPC activity seems to only have indirect effects on memory confidence ratings. Activity during retrieval in both the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex increases with memory confidence, especially during high-confident recognition. Retrieval-related activity in the PFC and PPC show mixed relationships with memory confidence, likely related to post-retrieval monitoring and attentional processes, respectively. In this review, these MTL, PFC, and PPC activity patterns are examined in detail and related to their functional roles in memory processes. This insight into brain activity that underlies memory confidence is important for our understanding of brain–behaviour relations and memory-guided decision making. © 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Date: 2012-09-18

Creator: Jedidiah Siev, Hannah E. Reese, Kiara Timpano, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

Pathological skin picking (PSP) refers to chronic skin picking or scratching that causes tissue damage and distress. It is a heterogeneous category of behaviors and may be manifest in the context of various psychological disorders. This chapter presents an overview of the empirical literature on the assessment and treatment of PSP, including (1) a cognitive-behavioral model as heuristic for conceptualizing treatment, (2) assessment tools, (3) a review of the pharmacological and psychosocial treatment outcome literatures, (4) cognitive-behavioral treatment techniques, and (5) future directions. The chapter is intended to introduce the clinician to the assessment and psychological tools used to treat PSP, as well as to provide impetus to advance research in this understudied domain.

• Embargo End Date: 2028-05-18

Date: 2023-01-01

Creator: Thomas Mazzuchi

Access: Embargoed

Date: 2025-01-01

Creator: Yaerin H. Wallenberger

Access: Access restricted to the Bowdoin Community

Date: 2012-01-01

Creator: Alexandre Heeren, Hannah E. Reese, Richard J. McNally, Pierre Philippot

Access: Open access

Social phobics exhibit an attentional bias for threat in probe detection and probe discrimination paradigms. Attention training programs, in which probes always replace nonthreatening cues, reduce attentional bias for threat and self-reported social anxiety. However, researchers have seldom included behavioral measures of anxiety reduction, and have never taken physiological measures of anxiety reduction. In the present study, we trained individuals with generalized social phobia (n = 57) to attend to threat cues (attend to threat), to attend to positive cues (attend to positive), or to alternately attend to both (control condition). We assessed not only self-reported social anxiety, but also behavioral and physiological measures of social anxiety. Participants trained to attend to nonthreatening cues demonstrated significantly greater reductions in self-reported, behavioral, and physiological measures of anxiety than did participants from the attend to threat and control conditions. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Date: 2014-01-01

Creator: Hannah E. Reese, Lawrence Scahill, Alan L. Peterson, Katherine Crowe, Douglas W., Woods, John Piacentini, John T. Walkup, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

In addition to motor and/or vocal tics, many individuals with Tourette syndrome (TS) or chronic tic disorder (CTD) report frequent, uncomfortable sensory phenomena that immediately precede the tics. To date, examination of these premonitory sensations or urges has been limited by inconsistent assessment tools. In this paper, we examine the psychometric properties of a nine-item self-report measure, the Premonitory Urge to Tic Scale (PUTS) and examine the characteristics and correlates of the premonitory urge to tic in a clinical sample of 122 older adolescents and adults with TS or CTD. The PUTS demonstrated adequate internal consistency, temporal stability, and concurrent validity. Premonitory urges were endorsed by the majority of individuals. Most individuals reported some relief from the urges after completing a tic and being able to stop their tics even if only temporarily. Degree of premonitory urges was not significantly correlated with age, and we did not observe any gender differences. Degree of premonitory urges was significantly correlated with estimated IQ and tic severity, but not severity of comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, it was not related to concomitant medication status. These findings represent another step forward in our understanding of the premonitory sensations associated with TS and CTD. © 2013.

Date: 2008-07-01

Creator: Samuel P. Putnam, Mary K. Rothbart, Maria A. Gartstein

Access: Open access

Longitudinal continuity was investigated for fine-grained and factor-level aspects of temperament measured with the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R), Early Childhood Behaviour Questionnaire (ECBQ), and Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ). Considerable homotypic continuity was found. Convergent and discriminant validity of the measures was supported, as all fine-grained dimensions exhibited stability across adjacent measurement periods, and all scales found on both the ECBQ and CBQ were most highly correlated with their equivalent scales. At the factor level, Surgency and Negative Affect factors were stable across all time points, and Effortful Control/Regulatory Capacity was stable across adjacent time periods. High-Intensity Pleasure, Activity Level, and Impulsivity contributed strongly to continuity of Surgency, and Sadness, Frustration, and Falling Reactivity played strong roles in the continuity of Negative Affect. Heterotypic continuity was also found. High levels of Infant Surgency predicted high toddler Effortful Control, whereas high toddler Surgency predicted low Effortful Control in preschoolers. Infant Surgency dimensions especially predicted Toddler Attention Shifting and Low-Intensity Pleasure, and toddler Activity Level was most closely associated with later deficits in Effortful Control. Inverse relations were also obtained between Negative Affect and Effortful Control, with substantial negative connections between toddler Negative Affect and preschool Attention Focusing and Inhibitory Control. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Date: 2022-11-15

Creator: Elizabeth R. Chrastil, Caroline Rice, Mathias Goncalves, Kylie N. Moore, Syanah C. Wynn, Chantal E. Stern, Erika Nyhus

Access: Open access

Active navigation seems to yield better spatial knowledge than passive navigation, but it is unclear how active decision-making influences learning and memory. Here, we examined the contributions of theta oscillations to memory-related exploration while testing theories about how they contribute to active learning. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we tested individuals on a maze-learning task in which they made discrete decisions about where to explore at each choice point in the maze. Half the participants were free to make active decisions at each choice point, and the other half passively explored by selecting a marked choice (matched to active exploration) at each intersection. Critically, all decisions were made when stationary, decoupling the active decision-making process from movement and speed factors, which is another prominent potential role for theta oscillations. Participants were then tested on their knowledge of the maze by traveling from object A to object B within the maze. Results show an advantage for active decision-making during learning and indicate that the active group had greater theta power during choice points in exploration, particularly in midfrontal channels. These findings demonstrate that active exploration is associated with theta oscillations during human spatial navigation, and that these oscillations are not exclusively related to movement or speed. Results demonstrating increased theta oscillations in prefrontal regions suggest communication with the hippocampus and integration of new information into memory. We also found evidence for alpha oscillations during active navigation, suggesting a role for attention as well. This study finds support for a general mnemonic role for theta oscillations during navigational learning. © 2022

Date: 2019-08-01

Creator: Lea Takács, Filip Smolík, Samuel Putnam

Access: Open access

Background Previous studies of relations between parenting self-concepts, parental adjustment and child temperament have been ambiguous regarding the direction of influence; and have rarely followed families from pregnancy through the first year of life. The current study examines change and stability in maternal depressive symptoms, parenting competences and child temperament through the perinatal period until nine months postpartum. Methods Czech mothers (N = 282) participated at three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (Time 1), six weeks (Time 2) and nine months postpartum (Time 3). Questionnaire data concerned depressive symptoms (T1, T2, T3), maternal parenting self-esteem (T1, T2) and sense of competence (T3), and child temperament (T2, T3). A path model was used to examine concurrent and longitudinal relations between these variables. Results The analyses indicated longitudinal stability of all constructs, as well as concurrent relations between them. Longitudinal relations supported child-to-parent, rather than parent-to-child, effects: child difficult temperament predicted decreases in perceived maternal parenting competences, but maternal variables did not predict change in infant temperament. In addition, we observed weak mutual relations between maternal depression levels and parenting competences, such that maternal depression diminished perceived parenting competences that in turn contributed to higher levels of depression. Conclusion Mothers’ confidence in their ability to parent is influenced by their experience with a difficult infant and by their depressive symptoms during the child’s first year of life. Depressive symptoms are, in turn, aggravated by mothers’ low perceived competences in the parenting role.

Date: 2008-07-01

Creator: Samuel P. Putnam, Cynthia A. Stifter

Access: Open access

Through her theoretical and empirical work, Mary Rothbart has had a profound impact on the scientific understanding of infant and child temperament. This special issue honors her contributions through the presentations of original, contemporary studies relevant to three primary themes in Rothbart's conceptual approach: the expansive scope and empirically-derived structure of temperament, the importance of considering developmental change, and the interplay of reactive and regulatory processes. In addition to summarizing these themes, this introductory article acknowledges the ways Mary has spurred progress in the field through methodological advances, institutional service, and pedagogy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Date: 2007-01-01

Creator: Michael W. Otto, Teresa M. Leyro, Kelly Christian, Christen M. Deveney, Hannah, Reese, Mark H. Pollack, Scott P. Orr

Access: Open access

Studies using fear-conditioning paradigms have found that anxiety patients are more conditionable than individuals without these disorders, but these effects have been demonstrated inconsistently. It is unclear whether these findings have etiological significance or whether enhanced conditionability is linked only to certain anxiety characteristics. To further examine these issues, the authors assessed the predictive significance of relevant subsyndromal characteristics in 72 healthy adults, including measures of worry, avoidance, anxious mood, depressed mood, and fears of anxiety symptoms (anxiety sensitivity), as well as the dimensions of Neuroticism and Extraversion. Of these variables, the authors found that the combination of higher levels of subsyndromal worry and lower levels of behavioral avoidance predicted heightened conditionability, raising questions about the etiological significance of these variables in the acquisition or maintenance of anxiety disorders. In contrast, the authors found that anxiety sensitivity was more linked to individual differences in orienting response than differences in conditioning per se. © 2007 Sage Publications.

Date: 2013-10-01

Creator: Brendan Eliot Depue, Nick Ketz, Matthew V. Mollison, Erika Nyhus, Marie T. Banich, Tim Curran

Access: Open access

Although investigations of memory and the dynamics of ERP components and neural oscillations as assessed through EEG have been well utilized, little research into the volitional nature of suppression over memory retrieval have used these methods. Oscillation analyses conducted on the Think/No-Think (TNT) task and volitional suppression of retrieval are of interest to broaden our knowledge of neural oscillations associated not only during successful memory retrieval but also when retrieval is unwanted or suppressed. In the current study, we measured EEG during a TNT task and performed ERP and EEG spectral power band analyses. ERP results replicated other researchers' observations of increases in 500-800 msec parietal effects for items where retrieval was instructed to be elaborated compared with being suppressed. Furthermore, EEG analyses indicated increased alpha (8-12 Hz) and theta (3-8 Hz) oscillations across parietal electrodes for items that were instructed to be suppressed versus those to be elaborated. Additionally, during the second half of the experiment (after repeated attempts at control), increases in theta oscillations were found across both frontal and parietal electrodes for items that were instructed to be suppressed and that were ultimately forgotten versus those ultimately remembered. Increased alpha power for items that were instructed to be suppressed versus elaborated may indicate reductions of retrieval attempts or lack of retrieval success. Increased theta power for items that were instructed to be suppressed versus elaborated may indicate increased or prolonged cognitive control to monitor retrieval events. © 2013 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Date: 2012-04-01

Creator: Larissa M. Gaias, Katri Räikkönen, Niina Komsi, Maria A. Gartstein, Philip A., Fisher, Samuel P. Putnam

Access: Open access

Cross-cultural differences in temperament were investigated between infants (n=131, 84 Finns), children (n=653, 427 Finns), and adults (n=759, 538 Finns) from the United States of America and Finland. Participants from both cultures completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, Childhood Behavior Questionnaire and the Adult Temperament Questionnaire. Across all ages, Americans received higher ratings on temperamental fearfulness than Finnish individuals, and also demonstrated higher levels of other negative affects at several time points. During infancy and adulthood, Finns tended to score higher on positive affect and elements of temperamental effortful control. Gender differences consistent with prior studies emerged cross-culturally, and were found to be more pronounced in the US during childhood and in Finland during adulthood. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2012 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Date: 2008-03-01

Creator: Cynthia A. Stifter, Samuel Putnam, Laudan Jahromi

Access: Open access

Temperament, effortful control, and problem behaviors at 4.5 years were assessed in 72 children classified as exuberant, inhibited, and low reactive as 2-year-olds. Exuberant toddlers were more positive, socially responsive to novel persons, less shy, and rated as having more problem behaviors, including externalizing and internalizing behaviors, than other children as preschoolers. Two forms of effortful control, the ability to delay a response and the ability to produce a subdominant response, were associated with fewer externalizing behaviors, whereas expressing more negative affect (relative to positive/neutral affect) when disappointed was related to more internalizing behaviors. Interaction effects implicated high levels of unregulated emotion during disappointment as a risk factor for problem behaviors in exuberant children. © 2008 Cambridge University Press.

Date: 2021-01-01

Creator: Benjamin M. Simonds

Access: Open access

The present study investigated whether emerging adult religiosity mediated the relationship between high parental religiosity and low levels of offspring externalizing, and whether these pathways are moderated by aspects of authoritative parenting (i.e., acceptance, firm control, and psychological autonomy). Surveys were completed by 275 emerging adults aged 18-25, including scales assessing their religiosity, the religiosity of their parents, the style of parenting in which they were raised, and their own engagement in externalizing behaviors. Results indicated a correlation between high levels of parental and emerging adult religiosity, and a marginal relationship between high parental religiosity and reduced offspring externalizing. However, emerging adult religiosity was not related to externalizing, such that no mediation model could be tested. Psychological autonomy granting moderated the relationship between parental religiosity and emerging adult externalizing: low parental religiosity was associated with high levels of emerging adult externalizing only in parents who exhibited low levels of psychological autonomy granting, while high parental religiosity was related to low emerging adult externalizing regardless of psychological autonomy granting. The results indicate a complex relationship between parenting, externalizing, and religiosity.

Date: 2025-01-01

Creator: Julia Ann DeLuca

Access: Access restricted to the Bowdoin Community

Date: 2009-12-01

Creator: Erika Nyhus, Francisco Barceló

Access: Open access

For over four decades the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) has been one of the most distinctive tests of prefrontal function. Clinical research and recent brain imaging have brought into question the validity and specificity of this test as a marker of frontal dysfunction. Clinical studies with neurological patients have confirmed that, in its traditional form, the WCST fails to discriminate between frontal and non-frontal lesions. In addition, functional brain imaging studies show rapid and widespread activation across frontal and non-frontal brain regions during WCST performance. These studies suggest that the concept of an anatomically pure test of prefrontal function is not only empirically unattainable, but also theoretically inaccurate. The aim of the present review is to examine the causes of these criticisms and to resolve them by incorporating new methodological and conceptual advances in order to improve the construct validity of WCST scores and their relationship to prefrontal executive functions. We conclude that these objectives can be achieved by drawing on theory-guided experimental design, and on precise spatial and temporal sampling of brain activity, and then exemplify this using an integrative model of prefrontal function [i.e., Miller, E. K. (2000). The prefrontal cortex and cognitive control. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 1, 59-65.] combined with the formal information theoretical approach to cognitive control [Koechlin, E., & Summerfield, C. (2007). An information theoretical approach to prefrontal executive function. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11, 229-235.]. © 2009 Elsevier Inc.

Date: 2021-12-01

Creator: Hannah E. Reese, W. Alan Brown, Berta J. Summers, Jin Shin, Grace, Wheeler, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

Abstract: Background: Preliminary research suggests that a mindfulness-based treatment approach may be beneficial for adults with tic disorders. In the present study, we report on the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and symptomatic effect of a novel online mindfulness-based group intervention for adults with Tourette syndrome or persistent tic disorder. Data from this study will directly inform the conduct of a funded randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of this intervention to another active psychological intervention. Methods: One cohort of adults with Tourette syndrome participated in an 8-week online mindfulness-based group intervention. Measures of feasibility, acceptability, and safety were administered throughout and at posttreatment. Self-reported measures of mindfulness and clinician-rated measures of tic severity and impairment were administered at baseline and posttreatment. Results: Data on refusal, dropout rate, attendance, participant satisfaction, and safety suggest that this is a feasible and acceptable intervention. However, participant adherence to home practice was lower than anticipated. Mindfulness, tic severity, and tic-related impairment only modestly improved from baseline to posttreatment. Qualitative analysis of participant feedback revealed aspects of the intervention that were most helpful and also areas for improvement. Conclusions: Data suggest that although this is a feasible and acceptable intervention, it should be modified to enhance participant adherence, more successfully engage the target mechanism, and optimize outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov registration #NCT03525626. Registered on 24 April 2018

Date: 2017-03-06

Creator: Amitai Abramovitch, Lauren S. Hallion, Hannah E. Reese, Douglas W. Woods, Alan, Peterson, John T. Walkup, John Piacentini, Lawrence Scahill, Thilo Deckersbach, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

Tourette's disorder (TS) and chronic tic disorder (CTD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by involuntary vocal and motor tics. Consequently, TS/CTD have been conceptualized as disorders of cognitive and motor inhibitory control. However, most neurocognitive studies have found comparable or superior inhibitory capacity among individuals with TS/CTD relative to healthy controls. These findings have led to the hypothesis that individuals with TS/CTD develop increased inhibitory control due to the constant need to inhibit tics. However, the role of cognitive control in TS/CTD is not yet understood, particularly in adults. To examine the role of inhibitory control in TS/CTD, the present study investigated this association by assessing the relationship between inhibitory control and treatment response in a large sample of adults with TS/CTD. As part of a large randomized trial comparing behavior therapy versus supportive psychotherapy for TS/CTD, a battery of tests, including tests of inhibitory control was administered to 122 adults with TS/CTD at baseline. We assessed the association between neuropsychological test performance and change in symptom severity, as well as compared the performance of treatment responders and non-responders as defined by the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Results indicated that change in symptoms, and treatment response were not associated with neuropsychological performance on tests of inhibitory control, intellectual ability, or motor function, regardless of type of treatment. The finding that significant change in symptom severity of TS/CTD patients is not associated with impairment or change in inhibitory control regardless of treatment type suggests that inhibitory control may not be a clinically relevant facet of these disorders in adults.

Date: 2021-02-01

Creator: Elsa Lucia Escalante-Barrios, Sonia Mariel Suarez-Enciso, Samuel P. Putnam, Helen Raikes, Sergi, Fàbregues

Access: Open access

While the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Very Short Form of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ-VSF) have been assessed in the US and Europe in samples composed of middle-and high-income parents with high levels of education, no studies have tested the instrument in low-income Spanish-speaking populations living in low-and middleincome countries. To fill this gap, our cross-sectional study assessed the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CBQ-VSF version in a sample of 315 low-income and low-educated parents with preschool children living in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. While our findings revealed problems that were similar to those identified in previous assessments of the CBQ-VSF Spanish version, they also showed unique problems related to the sociodemographic characteristics of our sample, containing many individuals with a low income and low educational level. Most of the participants gave extreme responses, resulting in a notable kurtosis and skewness of the data. This article describes how we addressed these problems by dichotomizing the variables into binary categories. Additionally, it demonstrates that merely translating the CBQ-VSF is insufficient to be able to capture many of the underlying latent constructs associated with low-income and low-educated Latino/Hispanic populations.

Date: 2010-01-01

Creator: Sadia Najmi, Hannah Reese, Sabine Wilhelm, Jeanne Fama, Celeste, Beck, Daniel M. Wegner

Access: Open access

Background: The belief that we can control our thoughts is not inevitably adaptive, particularly when it fuels mental control activities that have ironic unintended consequences. The conviction that the mind can and should be controlled can prompt people to suppress unwanted thoughts, and so can set the stage for the intrusive return of those very thoughts. An important question is whether or not these beliefs about the control of thoughts can be reduced experimentally. One possibility is that behavioral experiments aimed at revealing the ironic return of suppressed thoughts might create a lesson that could reduce unrealistic beliefs about the control of thoughts. Aims: The present research assessed the influence of the thought suppression demonstration on beliefs about the control of thoughts in a non-clinical sample, and among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Method: In Study 1, we assessed the effect of the thought suppression demonstration on beliefs about the control of thoughts among low and high obsessive individuals in the non-clinical population (N = 62). In Study 2, we conducted a similar study with individuals with OCD (N = 29). Results: Results suggest that high obsessive individuals in the non-clinical population are able to learn the futility of suppression through the thought suppression demonstration and to alter their faulty beliefs about the control of thoughts; however, for individuals with OCD, the demonstration may be insufficient for altering underlying beliefs. Conclusions: For individuals with OCD, the connection between suppressing a neutral thought in the suppression demonstration and suppressing a personally relevant obsession may need to be stated explicitly in order to affect their obsessive beliefs. © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2009.

Date: 2014-01-01

Creator: Thilo Deckersbach, Tina Chou, Jennifer C. Britton, Lindsay E. Carlson, Hannah E., Reese, Jedidiah Siev, Lawrence Scahill, John C. Piacentini, Douglas W. Woods, John T. Walkup, Alan L. Peterson, Darin D. Dougherty, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

Tourette's disorder, also called Tourette syndrome (TS), is characterized by motor and vocal tics that can cause significant impairment in daily functioning. Tics are believed to be due to failed inhibition of both associative and motor cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical pathways. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which is an extension of Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), teaches patients to become more aware of sensations that reliably precede tics (premonitory urges) and to initiate competing movements that inhibit the occurrence of tics. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural changes associated with CBIT treatment in subjects with TS. Eight subjects with TS were matched with eight healthy controls in gender, education, age, and handedness. Subjects completed the Visuospatial Priming (VSP) task, a measure of response inhibition, during fMRI scanning before and after CBIT treatment (or waiting period for controls). For TS subjects, we found a significant decrease in striatal (putamen) activation from pre- to post-treatment. Change in VSP task-related activation from pre- to post-treatment in Brodmann's area 47 (the inferior frontal gyrus) was negatively correlated with changes in tic severity. CBIT may promote normalization of aberrant cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical associative and motor pathways in individuals with TS.

Date: 2015-11-01

Creator: Robert S. Ross, Paolo Medrano, Kaitlin Boyle, Andrew Smolen, Tim Curran, Erika Nyhus

Access: Open access

Recognition memory is defined as the ability to recognize a previously encountered stimulus and has been associated with spatially and temporally distinct event-related potentials (ERPs). Allelic variations of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) have recently been shown to impact memory performance. Common variants of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) of the SLC6A4 gene result in long (l) and short (s) allelic variants with carriers of the s allele having lowered transcriptional efficiency. Thus, the current study examines the effects polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene have on performance and ERP amplitudes commonly associated with recognition memory. Electroencephalogram (EEG), genetic, and behavioral data were collected from sixty participants as they performed an item and source memory recognition task. In both tasks, participants studied and encoded 200 words, which were then mixed with 200 new words during retrieval. Participants were monitored with EEG during the retrieval portion of each memory task. EEG electrodes were grouped into four ROIs, left anterior superior, right anterior superior, left posterior superior, and right posterior superior. ERP mean amplitudes during hits in the item and source memory task were compared to correctly recognizing new items (correct rejections). Results show that s-carriers have decreased mean hit amplitudes in both the right anterior superior ROI 1000-1500. ms post stimulus during the source memory task and the left anterior superior ROI 300-500. ms post stimulus during the item memory task. These results suggest that individual differences due to genetic variation of the serotonin transporter gene influences recognition memory. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Date: 2019-05-01

Creator: Sarena Sabine

Access: Open access

Previous research has shown that experiences in nature are predictive of increased connection to nature, well-being, and pro-environmental behavior. The current study investigated whether daily exposure to indoor nature imagery would also improve well-being and eco-conscious behaviors, and whether personally relevant images would enhance this hypothesized effect. Participants completed a test assessing baseline connection to nature and well-being, specifically satisfaction with life, positive and negative emotions, and stress. In the 2 (Nature vs. Built) X 2 (Familiar vs. Unfamiliar) study design, 125 participants either received a poster from a photo that they submitted (a personally-relevant nature scene or personally-relevant built scene) or a poster of an unfamiliar natural or built scene. After four weeks of daily exposure to this new poster in their home, participants completed a post-test which included the same measures of well-being and connection to nature, along with a novel eco-conscious behaviors measure involving environmental petitions. The nature intervention significantly improved participants’ satisfaction with life. The personal relevancy of images did not enhance well-being, either alone nor in interaction with image content. The finding that daily exposure could lead to improved well-being has implications for addressing mental health concerns.

Date: 2020-02-11

Creator: Elizabeth A. Hoge, Hannah E. Reese, Isabelle A. Oliva, Caroline D. Gabriel, Brittany M., Guidos, Eric Bui, Naomi M. Simon, Mary Ann Dutton

Access: Open access

Although mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have garnered empirical support for a wide range of psychological conditions, the psychological processes that mediate the relationship between MBIs and subsequent symptomatic improvement are less well-understood. In the present study we sought to examine, for the first time, the relationship between mindfulness, negative interpretation bias as measured by the homophone task, and anxiety among adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Forty-two individuals with GAD completed measures of mindfulness, interpretation bias, and anxiety before and after treatment with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Contrary to prior research, we did not find evidence of an indirect relationship between baseline levels of mindfulness and anxiety via negative interpretation bias. MBSR did result in significant reductions in negative interpretation bias from baseline to post-treatment; however, we did not find evidence of an indirect relationship between changes in mindfulness and changes in anxiety via changes in interpretation bias. Taken together, these results provide minimal support for the hypothesized relationship between mindfulness, negative interpretation bias, and anxiety among adults with GAD. Limitations and specific suggestions for further inquiry are discussed.

Date: 2021-12-01

Creator: Lea Takács, Samuel P. Putnam, Catherine Monk, Hannah G. Dahlen, Charlene, Thornton, František Bartoš, Anastasia Topalidou, Lilian L. Peters

Access: Open access

The aim of this prospective longitudinal study was to examine the association between Cesarean section (CS) and child development and behavior. The sample consisted of 256 children who were born at term without serious perinatal pathologies. Their development and behavior was assessed at the age of four using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), Children’s Behavior Questionnaire and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between CS and child outcomes. CS was associated with better scores in the Problem Solving domain of the ASQ in the whole sample. After stratifying by child sex, the positive association between CS and the Problem Solving domain was significant in boys, while no association was found in girls. Girls were rated less optimally in the Gross Motor domain of the ASQ when born via CS. Mode of birth was not associated with behavioral outcomes.

Date: 2021-06-01

Creator: Lea Takács, Jiří Štipl, Maria Gartstein, Samuel P. Putnam, Catherine, Monk

Access: Open access

Objective: Exposure to stress in pregnancy has been shown to affect fetal development with short- and long-term physiological and behavioral consequences for the offspring. Although social support is known to lower perceived stress, no prior study has investigated the buffering role of social support in the context of prenatal stress effects on infant temperament. The aim of this study was to examine interactive effects of prenatal stress and social support on several dimensions of infant temperament at 9 months postpartum. Study design: A total of 272 mothers completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Perceived Social Support Scale in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Infant temperament was assessed by mothers at 9 months postpartum using the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire. Linear regression models were performed to assess the effects of perceived stress, social support, and their interaction on infant temperament. Results: Prenatal stress interacted with social support, such that prenatal stress increased infant unpredictability when social support was below -0.5 SD. Conclusions: Prenatal stress was found to be a risk factor for infant temperamental unpredictability when combined with low social support perceived by the mother during pregnancy. Support of others, not previously examined in this context, can reduce the impact of prenatal stress.

Date: 2016-01-01

Creator: Maria A. Gartstein, Samuel P. Putnam, Rachel Kliewer

Access: Open access

Examined relationships between temperament, measured via parent report at 4 months and structured laboratory observations at 12 months of age, and a school readiness battery administered at about 4 years of age (N =31). Scores on the School Readiness Assessment of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) were related to infant Positive Affectivity/Surgency (PAS), with infants described as demonstrating higher levels of PAS at 4 months of age later demonstrating greater school readiness in the domains of color, letter, and number skills. Regulatory Capacity/Orienting (RCO) at 4 months also predicted color skills, with more regulated infants demonstrating superior pre-academic functioning in this area. Analyses involving laboratory observations of temperament provided additional information concerning the importance of infant Positive Affectivity/Surgency, predictive of letter skills and overall school-readiness scores later in childhood. Results are discussed in the context of implications for theory and research, as well as early education settings.

Date: 2015-05-01

Creator: Emily C. Weinberger

Access: Open access

Selective attention and justice sensitivity (JS), a personality trait reflecting individual differences in perceptions of injustice, have been shown to affect how people assign punishments. In the present study peoples’ decision-making processes were investigated to better understand the inconsistencies in legal punishment decisions, particularly when using retributive versus restorative justice. Subjects participated in three phases of the experiment. First, subjects completed a justice sensitivity scale and then rated the appropriateness of punishment options to handle a criminal scenario. Second, participants’ selective attention was indicated by their recall of pertinent features from three ambiguous criminal scenarios. Finally, participants were primed with either restorative justice or neutral control words, and rated the appropriateness of punishment options to handle a new criminal scenario. Results revealed no significant associations between JS and ratings of punishment options, although patterns suggested negative relationships between observer JS and retributive justice ratings, and victim JS and restorative justice ratings. Results did show a significant effect of JS in predicting the facts remembered, such that as observer JS increased, more restorative justice facts were recalled, and as victim JS increased, fewer restorative justice facts were recalled. No significant effect of the restorative justice prime was observed. These results may contribute to better understanding of criminal justice policy in the United States.

Date: 2018-02-01

Creator: Erika Nyhus

Access: Open access

Evidence from fMRI has consistently located a widespread network of frontal, parietal, and temporal lobe regions during episodic retrieval. However, the temporal limitations of the fMRI methodology have made it difficult to assess the transient network dynamics by which these distributed regions coordinate activity. Recent evidence suggests that beta oscillations (17-20 Hz) are important for top-down control for memory suppression. However, the spatial limitations of the EEG methodology make it difficult to assess the relationship between these oscillatory signals and the distributed networks identified with fMRI. This study used simultaneous EEG/fMRI to identify networks related to beta oscillations during episodic retrieval. Participants studied adjectives and either imagined a scene (Place Task) or judged its pleasantness (Pleasant Task). During the recognition test, participants decided which task was performed with each word (“Old Place Task” or “Old Pleasant Task”) or “New.” EEG results revealed that posterior beta power was greater for new than old words. fMRI results revealed activity in a frontal, parietal network that was greater for old than new words, consistent with prior studies. Although overall beta power increases correlated with decreased activity within a predominantly parietal network, within the right dorsolateral and ventrolateral pFC, beta power correlated with BOLD activity more under conditions requiring more cognitive control and EEG/fMRI effects in the right frontal cortex correlated with BOLD activity in a frontoparietal network. Therefore, using simultaneous EEG and fMRI, the present results suggest that beta oscillations are related to postretrieval control operations in the right frontal cortex and act within a broader postretrieval control network. © 2017 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Date: 2022-06-01

Creator: Syanah C. Wynn, Erika Nyhus, Ole Jensen

Access: Open access

To successfully encode information into long-term memory, we need top-down control to focus our attention on target stimuli. This attentional focus is achieved by the modulation of sensory neuronal excitability through alpha power. Failure to modulate alpha power and to inhibit distracting information has been reported in older adults during attention and working memory tasks. Given that alpha power during encoding can predict subsequent memory performance, aberrant oscillatory modulations might play a role in age-related memory deficits. However, it is unknown whether there are age-related differences in memory performance or alpha modulation when encoding targets with distraction. Here we show that both older and younger adults are able to encode targets paired with distractors and that the level of alpha power modulation during encoding predicted recognition success. Even though older adults showed signs of higher distractibility, this did not harm their episodic memory for target information. Also, we demonstrate that older adults only modulated alpha power during high distraction, both by enhancing target processing and inhibiting distractor processing. These results indicate that both younger and older adults are able to employ the same inhibitory control mechanisms successfully, but that older adults fail to call upon these when distraction is minimal. The findings of this study give us more insight into the mechanisms involved in memory encoding across the lifespan. © 2020 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Date: 2009-12-01

Creator: Vivian Caroline Klein, Samuel P. Putnam, Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares

Access: Open access

International research has increasingly considered temperament as a relevant personal variable in child developmental pathways. The purpose of the present study was to describe the methodology for translation to Portuguese (Brazil) of three child temperament assessment instruments based on Rothbart's theoretical approach. An original translation was modified, based on feedback by two professional translators, three bilingual psychologists, and a sample of 15 Brazilian mothers. A backtranslation by a professional translator was then assessed by the authors of the original (English language) instruments. For the final version of the measure, authors of the original instrument judged that 100% of items were consistent with the original items, and a second sample of 15 Brazilian mothers identified no problems with the Portuguese items.

Date: 2006-07-01

Creator: Samuel P. Putnam, Maria A. Gartstein, Mary K. Rothbart

Access: Open access

This article describes the development, reliability, and factor structure of a finely differentiated (18 dimensions) parent-report measure of temperament in 1.5- to 3-year-old children, using a cross-sectional sample (N = 317) and a longitudinal sample of primary (N = 104) and secondary (N = 61) caregivers. Adequate internal consistency was demonstrated for all scales and moderate inter-rater reliability was evident for most scales. Longitudinal stability correlations were primarily large over 6- and 12-month spans and moderate to large from 18 to 36 months. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of Surgency/Extraversion, Negative Affectivity, and Effortful Control. In both samples and for both primary and secondary caregivers, older children received higher scores for Attention Focusing, Discomfort, Inhibitory Control, and Positive Anticipation. Primary caregivers rated females higher in Fear, and lower in High-intensity Pleasure, than males; secondary caregivers rated females higher than males in several aspects of Effortful Control. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Date: 2017-11-01

Creator: Joyce Weeland, Alithe Van den Akker, Meike Slagt, Samuel Putnam

Access: Open access

When interacting with other people, both children's biological predispositions and past experiences play a role in how they will process and respond to social–emotional cues. Children may partly differ in their reactions to such cues because they differ in the threshold for perceiving such cues in general. Theoretically, perceptual sensitivity (i.e., the amount of detection of slight, low-intensity stimuli from the external environment independent of visual and auditory ability) might, therefore, provide us with specific information on individual differences in susceptibility to the environment. However, the temperament trait of perceptual sensitivity is highly understudied. In an experiment, we tested whether school-aged children's (N = 521, 52.5% boys, Mage = 9.72 years, SD = 1.51) motor (facial electromyography) and affective (self-report) reactivities to dynamic facial expressions and vocalizations is predicted by their (parent-reported) perceptual sensitivity. Our results indicate that children's perceptual sensitivity predicts their motor reactivity to both happy and angry expressions and vocalizations. In addition, perceptual sensitivity interacted with positive (but not negative) parenting behavior in predicting children's motor reactivity to these emotions. Our findings suggest that perceptual sensitivity might indeed provide us with information on individual differences in reactivity to social–emotional cues, both alone and in interaction with parenting behavior. Because perceptual sensitivity focuses specifically on whether children perceive cues from their environment, and not on whether these cues cause arousal and/or whether children are able to regulate this arousal, it should be considered that perceptual sensitivity lies at the root of such individual differences.

Date: 2018-05-01

Creator: Ava Alexander

Access: Open access

Although traditional stage theories (e.g., Piaget, 1965) postulate that preschool age children are guided entirely by punishment avoidance and absolute deference to authority, more recent research suggests that their concepts of adult authority are complex and vary based on social cognitive domain and the content of the commands (e.g., Tisak, 1986). Also, although past studies have shown that the majority of children will reject adult authority in certain contexts, much individual variation between children has been observed (e.g., Laupa, 1994). The current study expanded upon past research by exposing children to multiple typical and atypical commands across domains, while also testing for individual differences based on two forms of parental authoritarianism. Results showed that children as young as four reject commands that go against established moral or conventional norms, and sometimes reject commands in the personal domain. This pattern grew stronger with age. High right-wing authoritarianism was a significant predictor of more authoritarian parenting style, and also predicted lower child support for authority in typical conventional scenarios.

Date: 2023-01-01

Creator: Karis Treadwell

Access: Open access

This study proposes a novel mediational model to investigate the relationship between sociocultural orientations and mental illness stigma by exploring empathy and controllability attributions as mediators. Past literature suggests that understanding these variables may contain important implications for guiding stigma-reducing efforts. Questionnaires assessing sociocultural orientations, empathy, blaming attributions, and general mental illness stigma were administered to 109 students at a small liberal-arts college in the northeast United States. The sample consisted of 80 female-identifying participants, 28 male-identifying participants, and 1 non-binary participant. Questionnaires administered included the Individualism and Collectivism scale (Triandis & Gelfand, 1998), the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (Reniers et al., 2011), a modified version of the Attribution Questionnaire (Corrigan et al., 2003), and Day’s Mental Illness Stigma Scale (Day et al., 2007). Analysis showed that vertical sociocultural orientations were associated with more blameful attributions and heightened stigma. Horizontal collectivism was associated with increased empathy and less blameful attributions, but empathy did not mediate this relationship. Controllability attributions, but not empathy, partially mediated the relationships between both vertical orientations and stigma. These findings demonstrate the importance of sociocultural orientations, particularly the equality preference dimension, as predictors of mental illness stigma. Efforts to counter societal stigma should consider the role of sociocultural orientations and their interaction with empathy and blaming tendencies.

Date: 2014-05-01

Creator: Lauren Pashkowski

Access: Access restricted to the Bowdoin Community

Date: 2014-11-26

Creator: Amitai Abramovitch, Hannah Reese, Douglas W. Woods, Alan Peterson, Thilo, Deckersbach, John Piacentini, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm

Access: Open access

The gold-standard measure of tic severity in tic disorders (TD), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), is a semistructured clinician-administered interview that can be time consuming and requires highly trained interviewers. Moreover, the YGTSS does not provide information regarding frequency and intensity of specific tics because all motor and all vocal tics are rated as a group. The aim of the present study is to describe and test the Adult Tic Questionnaire (ATQ), a measure for the assessment of tic severity in adults, and to report its preliminary psychometric properties. The ATQ is a brief self-report questionnaire that provides information regarding frequency, intensity, and severity of 27 specific tics. In addition, the ATQ produces total frequency, intensity, and severity scores for vocal and motor tics, as well as a global total tic severity score. Results showed that the ATQ demonstrated very good internal consistency and temporal stability. The total, vocal, and motor tic severity scales of the ATQ showed strong correlation with corresponding subscales of the YGTSS, indicating strong convergent validity. Weak correlations with measures of severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, indicated strong discriminant validity. The ATQ, a promising measure for the assessment of tic severity in adults with TD, may be a valuable supplement to the current recommended assessment battery for TD. Furthermore, the ATQ enables clinicians and researchers to track changes in the frequency and intensity of specific tics, which is important given their complex and dynamic nature.

Date: 2021-08-01

Creator: Lea Takács, Samuel P. Putnam, František Bartoš, Pavel Cepický, Catherine, Monk

Access: Open access

Objective Cesarean section (CS) rates are rising rapidly around the world but no conclusive evidence has been obtained about the possible short- and long-term effects of CS on child behavior. We evaluated prospectively the association between CS and infant temperament across the first 9 postpartum months, controlling for indications for CS and investigating parity and infant sex as moderators. Methods The sample consisted of mothers and their healthy infants. Infant temperament was measured using the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire completed by the mothers at 6 weeks (n = 452) and 9 months (n = 258) postpartum. Mode of birth was classified into spontaneous vaginal birth (n = 347 for 6 weeks sample; 197 for 9 months sample), CS planned for medical reasons (n = 55; 28) and emergency CS (n = 50; 33). Results Multiple regression analysis revealed no main effects of birth mode, but showed a significant interaction between birth mode and parity indicating that emergency CS in firstborn infants was associated with more difficult temperament at 6 weeks. There were no significant associations between indications for CS and infant temperament, although breech presentation predicted difficult temperament at 9 months. Conclusion We largely failed to support the association between CS and infant temperament. Although our results suggest that emergency CS may be associated with temperament in firstborns, further research is needed to replicate this finding, preferably using observational measures to assess child temperament.

Date: 2010-10-01

Creator: Hannah E. Reese, Richard J. McNally, Sadia Najmi, Nader Amir

Access: Open access

Cognitive theorists propose that attentional biases for threatening information play an important role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. If attentional biases for threat figure in the maintenance of anxiety, then the experimental reduction of the bias for threat (attention training) should reduce anxiety. We randomly assigned 41 spider-fearful individuals to receive either attention training (n=20) or control procedures (n=21). We used a modified dot-probe discrimination paradigm with photographs of spiders and cows to train attention. Training reduced attentional bias for spiders, but only temporarily. Although both groups declined in spider fear and avoidance, reduction in attentional bias did not produce significantly greater symptom reduction in the training group than in the control group. However, reduction in attentional bias predicted reduction in self-reported fear for the training group. The reduction in attentional bias for threat may have been insufficiently robust to produce symptom reduction greater than that produced by exposure to a live spider and spider photographs alone. Alternatively, attention training may be an unsuitable intervention for spider fear. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Date: 2008-09-04

Creator: Richard J. McNally, Hannah E. Reese

Access: Open access

Experimental psychopathologists have used cognitive psychology paradigms to elucidate information-processing biases in the anxiety disorders. A vast literature now suggests that patients with anxiety disorders are characterized by an attentional bias for threatening information and a bias toward threatening interpretations of ambiguous information. A memory bias favoring recall of threatening information occurs in panic disorder, but rarely in other anxiety disorders. New treatments involving the experimental modification of cognitive biases are promising.

• Restriction End Date: 2026-06-01

Date: 2023-01-01

Creator: Grace Cross

Access: Access restricted to the Bowdoin Community

• Embargo End Date: 2028-05-16

Date: 2023-01-01

Creator: Tara M. D. Mullen

Access: Embargoed

Date: 2014-05-01

Creator: Marissa C Rosenthal

Access: Access restricted to the Bowdoin Community