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Lenhart J, Richter T. Media exposure and preschoolers' social-cognitive development. Br J Dev Psychol 2024; 42:234-256. [PMID: 38406975 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to narratives may have beneficial effects on children's social-cognitive development because narratives provide information about the social world and often require social understanding for story comprehension. In the current study, we examined the influence of narratives presented via different media (books, audiobooks, TV/films) on theory-of-mind performance and mental verb comprehension in a sample of 114 three- to six-year-old preschool children. Parents' reports on the number of (children's) books at home, the overall duration of TV/film and audio media exposure, the frequency of shared book reading, watching children's TV/films and audiobook listening, and parent-child discussions about media content were collected. Children's theory-of-mind performance and mental verb comprehension were measured as dependent variables. When gender, age, language skills and parental education were controlled, only the number of children's books, shared book reading frequency, audio-media exposure and audiobook usage significantly predicted children's theory-of-mind scores. None of the media exposure or the parent-child discussion variables had significant incremental effects above the family and child characteristics on mental verb comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lenhart
- Department of Psychology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Richter
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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2
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Asan AE, Pincus AL, Ansell EB. A Multi-Method Study of Interpersonal Complementarity and Mentalization. J Res Pers 2024; 110:104478. [PMID: 38617900 PMCID: PMC11007865 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Research finds cross-sectional relationships between mentalizing impairments and maladaptive personality traits. The current study connects mentalizing impairments to dynamic interpersonal processes using a multi-method design. A sample of 218 participants completed the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC; Dziobek et al., 2006) to assess mentalizing ability. Subsequently, participants rated their agentic and communal behavior and their perception of interaction partners' agentic and communal behavior over 21-days. Mentalizing ability moderated the within-person relationship between behavior and perception for both agency and communion. Worse performance on the MASC was associated with weaker interpersonal complementarity, suggesting that mentalizing impairments lead to deviations from expected patterns of behavior and perception across interpersonal situations. These findings confirm the assumption of Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory that mentalization impairments can disrupt normative interpersonal processes (Cain et al., 2024; Pincus & Hopwood, 2012).
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Esin Asan
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Aaron L. Pincus
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Emily B. Ansell
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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3
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Beloyianni V, Zbainos D, Karagianni MP. From mindreading to originality: Exploring the relationship between Theory of Mind and Creativity across the lifespan. Br J Dev Psychol 2024; 42:215-233. [PMID: 38379505 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
In the previous psychoeducational literature, many theorists have argued that creativity and originality require the ability to make predictions and assumptions regarding other individuals' ideas. Thus, it has been widely hypothesized that social cognition and theory of mind (ToM) might be a fundamental component or even a prerequisite of creativity. Despite their common grounds, the empirical evidence examining the potential link between ToM and creative thinking throughout their development seems to be indirect, limited, and fragmented. In this respect, this scoping review aimed to collect and synthesize the existing knowledge about the relationship between ToM and creativity at different ages to identify significant literature gaps and generate updated research questions that might guide future research. The search process led to the inclusion, analysis, and collation of 6 relevant studies only, indicating that this research topic has been poorly investigated. Results demonstrated that ToM and creativity are strongly correlated even after partialling out significant mediators, such as age and intelligence. Such a strong association should be further investigated and explained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassiliki Beloyianni
- Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- University of West Attica, Aigaleo, Greece
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4
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Lebowitz MS, Tabb K, Appelbaum PS. Asymmetric genetic attributions for one's own prosocial versus antisocial behavior. J Soc Psychol 2024; 164:273-279. [PMID: 35358028 PMCID: PMC9522892 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2058906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
People tend to rate prosocial or positive behavior as more strongly influenced by the actor's genes than antisocial or negative behavior. The current study tested whether people would show a similar asymmetry when rating the role of genes in their own behavior, and if so, what variables might mediate this difference. Participants were prompted to think about an example of their own behavior from the past year that was either prosocial or antisocial. Those in the prosocial condition rated the role of genetics in causing the behavior as significantly greater than did those in the antisocial condition. A mediation analysis suggested that this asymmetry could be accounted for by a tendency to view prosocial behavior as more natural and more aligned with one's true self than antisocial behavior. These findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that people's reasoning about genetics may be influenced by evaluative judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Lebowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; NY State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 122, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kathryn Tabb
- Philosophy Program, Bard College, P.O. Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, USA
| | - Paul S. Appelbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; NY State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 122, New York, NY 10032, USA
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5
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Tang Y, Gonzalez MR, Deák GO. The slow emergence of gaze- and point-following: A longitudinal study of infants from 4 to 12 months. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13457. [PMID: 37941084 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Acquisition of visual attention-following skills, notably gaze- and point-following, contributes to infants' ability to share attention with caregivers, which in turn contributes to social learning and communication. However, the development of gaze- and point-following in the first 18 months remains controversial, in part because of different testing protocols and standards. To address this, we longitudinally tested N = 43 low-risk, North American middle-class infants' tendency to follow gaze direction, pointing gestures, and gaze-and-point combinations. Infants were tested monthly from 4 to 12 months of age. To control motivational differences, infants were taught to expect contingent reward videos in the target locations. No-cue trials were included to estimate spontaneous target fixation rates. A comparison sample (N = 23) was tested at 9 and 12 months to estimate practice effects. Results showed gradual increases in both gaze- and point-following starting around 7 months, and modest month-to-month individual stability from 8 to 12 months. However, attention-following did not exceed chance levels until after 6 months. Infants rarely followed cues to locations behind them, even at 12 months. Infants followed combined gaze-and-point cues more than gaze alone, and followed points at intermediate levels (not reliably different from the other cues). The comparison group's results showed that practice effects did not explain the age-related increase in attention-following. The results corroborate and extend previous findings that North American middle-class infants' attention-following in controlled laboratory settings increases slowly and incrementally between 6 and 12 months of age. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: A longitudinal experimental study documented the emergence and developmental trajectories of North American middle-class infants' visual attention-following skills, including gaze-following, point-following, and gaze-and-point-following. A new paradigm controlled for factors including motivation, attentiveness, and visual-search baserates. Motor development was ruled out as a predictor or limiter of the emergence of attention-following. Infants did not follow attention reliably until after 6 months, and following increased slowly from 7 to 12 months. Infants' individual trajectories showed modest month-to-month stability from 8 to 12 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyan Tang
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marybel Robledo Gonzalez
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Gedeon O Deák
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
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6
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Correll J, Ma DS, Kenny DA, Palma TA. Examining the Contribution of Physical Cues for Same- and Cross-Race Face Individuation. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2024; 50:694-714. [PMID: 36597585 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221141510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Face individuation involves sensitivity to physical characteristics that provide information about identity. We examined whether Black and White American faces differ in terms of individuating information, and whether Black and White perceivers differentially weight information when judging same-race and cross-race faces. Study 1 analyzed 20 structural metrics (e.g., eye width, nose length) of 158 Black and White faces to determine which differentiate faces within each group. High-utility metrics (e.g., nose length, eye height, chin length) differentiated faces of both groups, low-utility metrics (e.g., face width, eye width, face length) offered less individuating information. Study 2 (N = 4,510) explored Black and White participants' sensitivity to variation on structural metrics using similarity ratings. High-utility metrics affected perceived dissimilarity more than low-utility metrics. This relationship was non-significantly stronger for same-race faces rather than cross-race faces. Perceivers also relied more on features that were racially stereotypic of the faces they were rating.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debbie S Ma
- California State University, Northridge, USA
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7
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Gönül G, Kammermeier M, Paulus M. What is in an action? Preschool children predict that agents take previous paths and not previous goals. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13466. [PMID: 38054272 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Developmental science has experienced a vivid debate on whether young children prioritize goals over means in their prediction of others' actions. Influential developmental theories highlight the role of goal objects for action understanding. Yet, recent infant studies report evidence for the opposite. The empirical evidence is therefore inconclusive. The current study advanced this debate by assessing preschool children's verbal predictions of others' actions. In five experiments (N = 302), we investigated whether preschool children and adults predict agents to move towards their previous goal (that is, show goal-related predictions) or predict agents to move along the same movement path that they pursued before. While Experiments 1a, 1b and 1c presented young children and adults with animated agents, Experiments 2a and 2b presented participants with human grasping action. An integrative analysis across experiments revealed that children were more likely to predict the agent to move along the same movement path, Z = -4.574, p ≤ 0.0001 (r = 0.304). That is, preschool children were more likely to predict that agents would move along the same trajectory even though this action would lead to a new goal object. Thus, our findings suggest that young children's action prediction relies on the detection of spatial and movement information. Overall, we discuss our findings in terms of theoretical frameworks that conceive of action understanding as an umbrella term that comprises different forms and facets in which humans understand others' actions. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We investigated whether preschool children predict agents to move towards their previous goal or to move along the same movement path that they pursued before. Unlike adults, preschool children predicted that agents would move along the same trajectory even though this action would lead to a new goal. Adults' goal-based predictions were affected from contextual details, whereas children systematically made path-based predictions. Young children's action prediction relies on the detection of spatial and movement information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gökhan Gönül
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Cognitive Science Centre, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Marina Kammermeier
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Paulus
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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8
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Berry Z, Lucas BJ. How Much Is Enough? The Relationship Between Prosocial Effort and Moral Character Judgments. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2024; 50:659-678. [PMID: 36575959 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221135954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The amount of effort required to bring about a prosocial outcome can vary from low-handing a stranger the wallet she just dropped-to high-spending days tracking down the owner of a lost wallet. The goal of the current research is to characterize the relationship between prosocial effort and moral character judgments. Does more prosocial effort always lead to rosier moral character judgments? Across four studies (N = 1,658), we find that moral character judgments increase with prosocial effort to a point and then plateau. We find evidence that this pattern is produced, in part, by descriptive and prescriptive norms: exceeding descriptive norms increases moral character judgments, but exceeding prescriptive norms has the opposite effect, which leads to a tapering off of moral character judgments at higher levels of effort.
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9
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Wischnewski M, Hörberg MOY, Schutter DJLG. Electrophysiological correlates of (mis)judging social information. Psychophysiology 2024:e14590. [PMID: 38632827 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Social information can be used to optimize decision-making. However, the simultaneous presentation of multiple sources of advice can lead to a distinction bias in judging the validity of the information. While the involvement of event-related potential (ERP) components in social information processing has been studied, how they are modulated by (mis)judging an advisor's information validity remains unknown. In two experiments participants performed a decision-making task with highly accurate or inaccurate cues. Each experiment consisted of an initial, learning, and test phase. During the learning phase, three advice cues were simultaneously presented and the validity of them had to be assessed. The effect of different cue constellations on ERPs was investigated. In the subsequent test phase, the willingness to follow or oppose an advice cue was tested. Results demonstrated the distinction bias with participants over or underestimating the accuracy of the most uncertain cues. The P2 amplitude was significantly increased during cue presentation when advisors were in disagreement as compared to when all were in agreement, regardless of cue validity. Further, a larger P3 amplitude during outcome presentation was found when advisors were in disagreement and increased with more informative cues. As such, the most uncertain cues were related to the smallest P3 amplitude. The findings hint at the possible role of P3 in judging and learning the predictability of social cues. This study provides novel insights into the role of P2 and P3 components during the judgment of social information validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miles Wischnewski
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael O Y Hörberg
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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10
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Romagnano V, Kubon J, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Braun C, Pavlova MA. Dynamic brain communication underwriting face pareidolia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401196121. [PMID: 38588422 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401196121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Face pareidolia is a tendency to seeing faces in nonface images that reflects high tuning to a face scheme. Yet, studies of the brain networks underwriting face pareidolia are scarce. Here, we examined the time course and dynamic topography of gamma oscillatory neuromagnetic activity while administering a task with nonface images resembling a face. Images were presented either with canonical orientation or with display inversion that heavily impedes face pareidolia. At early processing stages, the peaks in gamma activity (40 to 45 Hz) to images either triggering or not face pareidolia originate mainly from the right medioventral and lateral occipital cortices, rostral and caudal cuneus gyri, and medial superior occipital gyrus. Yet, the difference occurred at later processing stages in the high-frequency range of 80 to 85 Hz over a set of the areas constituting the social brain. The findings speak rather for a relatively late neural network playing a key role in face pareidolia. Strikingly, a cutting-edge analysis of brain connectivity unfolding over time reveals mutual feedforward and feedback intra- and interhemispheric communication not only within the social brain but also within the extended large-scale network of down- and upstream regions. In particular, the superior temporal sulcus and insula strongly engage in communication with other brain regions either as signal transmitters or recipients throughout the whole processing of face-pareidolia images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Romagnano
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Julian Kubon
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Alexander N Sokolov
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Andreas J Fallgatter
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Christoph Braun
- Magnetoencephalography Center, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Marina A Pavlova
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
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11
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Tully LM, Blendermann M, Fine JR, Zakskorn LN, Fritz M, Hamlett GE, Lamb ST, Moody AK, Ng J, Parakul N, Ritter BM, Rahim R, Yu G, Taylor SL. The SocialVidStim: a video database of positive and negative social evaluation stimuli for use in social cognitive neuroscience paradigms. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae024. [PMID: 38597895 PMCID: PMC11015894 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper describes the SocialVidStim-a database of video stimuli available to the scientific community depicting positive and negative social evaluative and neutral statements. The SocialVidStim comprises 53 diverse individuals reflecting the demographic makeup of the USA, ranging from 9 to 41 years old, saying 20-60 positive and 20-60 negative social evaluative statements (e.g. 'You are a very trustworthy/annoying person'), and 20-60 neutral statements (e.g. 'The sky is blue'), totaling 5793 videos post-production. The SocialVidStim are designed for use in behavioral and functional magetic resonance imaging paradigms, across developmental stages, in diverse populations. This study describes stimuli development and reports initial validity and reliability data on a subset videos (N = 1890) depicting individuals aged 18-41 years. Raters perceive videos as expected: positive videos elicit positively valenced ratings, negative videos elicit negatively valenced ratings and neutral videos are rated as neutral. Test-retest reliability data demonstrate intraclass correlations in the good-to-excellent range for negative and positive videos and the moderate range for neutral videos. We also report small effects on valence and arousal that should be considered during stimuli selection, including match between rater and actor sex and actor believability. The SocialVidStim is a resource for researchers and we offer suggestions for using the SocialVidStim in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Mary Blendermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Fine
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Lauren N Zakskorn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Matilda Fritz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Gabriella E Hamlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Shannon T Lamb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anna K Moody
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Julenne Ng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Narimes Parakul
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Bryn M Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Raisa Rahim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Grace Yu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Sandra L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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12
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van Engelen MPE, Louwers P, Fieldhouse JLP, Gossink FT, de Boer SCM, Dols A, Scheltens P, Schouws SNTM, Pijnenburg YAL, Vijverberg EGB, Krudop WA. Social cognition differentiates phenocopy syndrome of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia from behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Psychogeriatrics 2024. [PMID: 38566489 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.13107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients displaying clinical features of behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) but lacking both neuroimaging abnormalities and clinical progression are considered to represent the phenocopy syndrome of bvFTD (phFTD). Extensive clinical overlap between early phase bvFTD and phFTD hampers diagnostic distinction. We aimed to assess the diagnostic value of clinician-rated, self-reported and caregiver-reported symptoms for clinical distinction between phFTD and bvFTD. METHODS There were 33 phFTD and 95 probable bvFTD patients included in the study (total N = 128). Clinician-rated, self-reported tests and caregiver-reported symptoms were compared between phFTD and bvFTD on social cognition, behaviour, mood and activities of daily living (ADL). Scores were compared between groups, followed by multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age and sex. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to assess diagnostic value. RESULTS Using clinician-rated and self-reported tests, phFTD patients performed better on facial emotion recognition and reported more depressive symptoms. Caregiver-reported behavioural symptoms indicated higher behavioural and ADL impairment in phFTD compared to bvFTD. Facial emotion recognition provided highest diagnostic accuracy for distinction of phFTD from bvFTD (area under the curve (AUC) 0.813 95% CI 0.735-0.892, P < 0.001, sensitivity 81%, specificity 74%) followed by depressive symptoms (AUC 0.769 95% 0.674-0.864, P < 0.001 sensitivity 81%, specificity of 63%). CONCLUSION Social cognition tests are most suitable for distinction of phFTD from bvFTD. Caregiver-reported questionnaires and phFTD diagnosis seemed inversely correlated, showing more symptoms in phFTD. Further research is needed on phFTD aetiology and in caregivers taking into account disease burden to assess what explains this discrepancy between clinician-rated and caregiver-based tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Paule E van Engelen
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Paulette Louwers
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jay L P Fieldhouse
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Flora T Gossink
- Reinier van Arkel, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, Hospital and Geriatric Psychiatric Centre, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
| | - Sterre C M de Boer
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Annemieke Dols
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood Anxiety Psychosis Sleep & Stress Program, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- EQT Life Sciences Partners, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sigfried N T M Schouws
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, GGZ inGeest Specialised Mental Health Care, Location De Nieuwe Valerius, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Mental Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yolande A L Pijnenburg
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Everard G B Vijverberg
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Welmoed A Krudop
- Alzheimer Centre Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, GGZ inGeest Specialised Mental Health Care, Location De Nieuwe Valerius, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Brænden A, Coldevin M, Zeiner P, Stubberud J, Melinder A. Neuropsychological mechanisms of social difficulties in disruptive mood dysregulation disorder versus oppositional defiant disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:402-424. [PMID: 37106502 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2205632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Children with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are characterized by irritability and social difficulties. However, the mechanisms underlying these disorders could be different. This study explores differences in social cognition and executive function (EF) across DMDD and ODD and the influence of these factors and their interaction on social problems in both groups. Children with DMDD (n = 53, Mage = 9.3) or ODD (n = 39, Mage = 9.6) completed neuropsychological tasks measuring social cognition (Theory of Mind and Face-Emotion Recognition) and EF (cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory). Parents reported social problems. More than one-third of the children with DMDD and almost two-thirds of those with ODD showed clear difficulties with Theory of Mind. Most children with DMDD (51-64%) or ODD (67-83%) showed difficulties with EF. In children with DMDD, worse EF (β = -.36) was associated with more social problems, whereas in children with ODD, better EF (β = .44) was associated with more social problems. In those with ODD, but not in those with DMDD, the interaction between social cognition and EF contributed to the explained variance of social problems (β = -1.97). Based on the observed interaction pattern, enhanced EF may lead to increased social problems among children with ODD who also exhibit social cognition difficulties. This study suggests the existence of distinct neuropsychological mechanisms underlying the social issues observed in children with DMDD versus those with ODD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Brænden
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit Coldevin
- Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Nic Waals Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål Zeiner
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Stubberud
- Department of Research, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Annika Melinder
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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14
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Alister M, McKay KT, Sewell DK, Evans NJ. Uncovering the cognitive mechanisms underlying the gaze cueing effect. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:803-827. [PMID: 37246917 PMCID: PMC10960327 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231181238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The gaze cueing effect is the tendency for people to respond faster to targets appearing at locations gazed at by others, compared with locations gazed away from by others. The effect is robust, widely studied, and is an influential finding within social cognition. Formal evidence accumulation models provide the dominant theoretical account of the cognitive processes underlying speeded decision-making, but they have rarely been applied to social cognition research. In this study, using a combination of individual-level and hierarchical computational modelling techniques, we applied evidence accumulation models to gaze cueing data (three data sets total, N = 171, 139,001 trials) for the first time to assess the relative capacity that an attentional orienting mechanism and information processing mechanisms have for explaining the gaze cueing effect. We found that most participants were best described by the attentional orienting mechanism, such that response times were slower at gazed away from locations because they had to reorient to the target before they could process the cue. However, we found evidence for individual differences, whereby the models suggested that some gaze cueing effects were driven by a short allocation of information processing resources to the gazed at location, allowing for a brief period where orienting and processing could occur in parallel. There was exceptionally little evidence to suggest any sustained reallocation of information processing resources neither at the group nor individual level. We discuss how this individual variability might represent credible individual differences in the cognitive mechanisms that subserve behaviourally observed gaze cueing effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manikya Alister
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kate T McKay
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - David K Sewell
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nathan J Evans
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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15
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Conson M, Siciliano M, Zappullo I, Baiano C, Trojano L, Salzano S, Santangelo G. Measuring mindreading in preschoolers: The perspective battery (PERBAT). Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 38:763-782. [PMID: 37615423 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2023.2250071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The capacity to take another person's visual perspective is pivotal for solving mindreading tests, such as Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks, but most of them heavily rely on domain-general abilities (e.g., language, executive functions). Here we present a novel battery of visual perspective-taking tests for child neuropsychological assessment, the Perspective Battery (PERBAT), which poses a limited load on domain-general abilities. METHODS The battery includes four tests: i) Block Building; ii) Hide and Seek; iii) Deceptive Figures; iv) Double-Sided Shelf. We administered the PERBAT to 126 typically developing preschoolers (65 males; 3-6-year-old); the participants also performed classical tests of social cognition, language, and nonverbal abstract reasoning. RESULTS The scores of all the PERBAT tests were significantly and positively related with age and scores of the classical social cognition tests, but not with scores of the language and nonverbal abstract reasoning tests. CONCLUSIONS The PERBAT could represent a useful neuropsychological tool providing a comprehensive assessment of visual perspective-taking skills in preschool children. Future investigation is needed to examine the validity of the PERBAT with neurotypical samples across countries, race, ethnicity, and language as well as with clinical populations. Longitudinal studies are also encouraged to examine whether early visual perspective-taking weaknesses are associated with later development of mindreading skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Conson
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | - Mattia Siciliano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Naples, Italy
| | - Isa Zappullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | - Chiara Baiano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
| | - Sara Salzano
- Studies of Integrated Neuropsychological Therapy, Salerno, Italy
- Cognitive-Behavioral School of Psychotherapy 'Serapide SPEE', Naples, Italy
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy
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16
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Schmid F, Henry A, Benzerouk F, Barrière S, Portefaix C, Gondrexon J, Obert A, Kaladjian A, Gierski F. Neural activations during cognitive and affective theory of mind processing in healthy adults with a family history of alcohol use disorder. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1034-1044. [PMID: 37753626 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social cognition impairments are a common feature of alcohol use disorders (AUD). However, it remains unclear whether these impairments are solely the consequence of chronic alcohol consumption or whether they could be a marker of vulnerability. METHODS The present study implemented a family history approach to address this question for a key process of social cognition: theory of mind (ToM). Thirty healthy adults with a family history of AUD (FH+) and 30 healthy adults with a negative family history of AUD (FH-), matched for age, sex, and education level, underwent an fMRI cartoon-vignette paradigm assessing cognitive and affective ToM. Participants also completed questionnaires evaluating anxiety, depressive symptoms, childhood trauma, and alexithymia. RESULTS Results indicated that FH+ individuals differed from FH- individuals on affective but not cognitive ToM processing, at both the behavioral and neural levels. At the behavioral level, the FH+ group had lower response accuracy for affective ToM compared with the FH- group. At the neural level, the FH+ group had higher brain activations in the left insula and inferior frontal cortex during affective ToM processing. These activations remained significant when controlling for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and childhood trauma. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight difficulties during affective ToM processing among first-degree relatives of AUD patients, supporting the idea that some of the impairments exhibited by these patients may already be present before the onset of AUD and may be considered a marker of vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Schmid
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - A Henry
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - F Benzerouk
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
- INSERM U1247, Research Group on Alcohol and Dependences, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - S Barrière
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - C Portefaix
- Radiology Department, Maison Blanche Hospital, Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
- Centre de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (CReSTIC - EA 3804), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - J Gondrexon
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - A Obert
- Laboratoire Sciences de la Cognition, Technologie, Ergonomie (SCOTE - EA 7420), Champollion National University Institute, Albi, France
| | - A Kaladjian
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - F Gierski
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
- INSERM U1247, Research Group on Alcohol and Dependences, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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17
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Gollwitzer A, Martel C, Heinecke A, Bargh JA. Deviancy Aversion and Social Norms. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2024; 50:516-532. [PMID: 36495158 PMCID: PMC10903140 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221131378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
We propose that deviancy aversion-people's domain-general discomfort toward the distortion of patterns (repeated forms or models)-contributes to the strength and prevalence of social norms in society. Five studies (N = 2,390) supported this hypothesis. In Study 1, individuals' deviancy aversion, for instance, their aversion toward broken patterns of simple geometric shapes, predicted negative affect toward norm violations (affect), greater self-reported norm following (behavior), and judging norms as more valuable (belief). Supporting generalizability, deviancy aversion additionally predicted greater conformity on accuracy-orientated estimation tasks (Study 2), adherence to physical distancing norms during COVID-19 (Study 3), and increased following of fairness norms (Study 4). Finally, experimentally heightening deviancy aversion increased participants' negative affect toward norm violations and self-reported norm behavior, but did not convincingly heighten belief-based norm judgments (Study 5). We conclude that a human sensitivity to pattern distortion functions as a low-level affective process that promotes and maintains social norms in society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Gollwitzer
- BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cameron Martel
- Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Anna Heinecke
- AMEOS Klinikum für Forensische Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie Neustadt, Germany
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18
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Simmons GL, Corbett BA, Lerner MD, Wofford K, White SW. Social competence in autism: A structural equation modeling approach. Autism Res 2024; 17:761-774. [PMID: 38481386 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Autistic individuals present with difficulties in social competence (e.g., navigating social interactions and fostering relationships). Clinical interventions widely target social cognition and social behavior, but there is inconsistent understanding of the underlying components of social competence. The present study used structural equation modeling to examine social cognition and social behavior and explore the relationship between these latent constructs. Autistic youth (ages 10-17; n = 219) and their caregivers participated in this study. Constructs of social cognition and social behavior were captured using caregiver-report and self-report rating scales, as well as observational measures and direct clinical assessments (e.g., NEPSY-II). Measurement models of social cognition and social behavior demonstrated adequate to good fit. Correlational models demonstrated adequate to poor fit, indicating latent constructs of social cognition and social behavior are not closely related in autistic youth. Exploratory examination of a subsample of male youth (n = 157) evidenced improved model fit of social behavior, specifically. Findings tease apart social cognition and social behavior as cohesive and separable constructs; results do not support a structural relationship between social cognition and social behavior. Noted treatment implications include consideration of how targeting social cognition and social behavior together or separately may support autistic youth's progress toward reaching their identified therapeutic goals and supporting their self-directed social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Simmons
- TEACCH Autism Program, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - B A Corbett
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - M D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - K Wofford
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - S W White
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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19
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Wald KA, Kardas M, Epley N. Misplaced Divides? Discussing Political Disagreement With Strangers Can Be Unexpectedly Positive. Psychol Sci 2024:9567976241230005. [PMID: 38547166 DOI: 10.1177/09567976241230005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Differences of opinion between people are common in everyday life, but discussing those differences openly in conversation may be unnecessarily rare. We report three experiments (N = 1,264 U.S.-based adults) demonstrating that people's interest in discussing important but potentially divisive topics is guided by their expectations about how positively the conversation will unfold, leaving them more interested in having a conversation with someone who agrees versus disagrees with them. People's expectations about their conversations, however, were systematically miscalibrated such that people underestimated how positive these conversations would be-especially in cases of disagreement. Miscalibrated expectations stemmed from underestimating the degree of common ground that would emerge in conversation and from failing to appreciate the power of social forces in conversation that create social connection. Misunderstanding the outcomes of conversation could lead people to avoid discussing disagreements more often, creating a misplaced barrier to learning, social connection, free inquiry, and free expression.
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20
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Nestor BA, Kossowsky J, Nelson SM. Topical Review: Getting into the head of youth with chronic pain: how theory of mind deficits may relate to the development and maintenance of pediatric pain. J Pediatr Psychol 2024; 49:224-230. [PMID: 38366580 PMCID: PMC10954304 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, and mental states of others and is critical for effective social and psychological functioning. ToM deficits have been associated with various psychological disorders and identified in adult pain populations. For youth with chronic pain, ToM deficits may underlie the biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to their experience of pain, but this remains poorly understood. METHODS This topical review explored the extant literature in the areas of ToM and chronic pain, particularly for pediatric populations, with respect to biological, psychological, and social elements of the biopsychosocial model of pain. RESULTS ToM deficits may be present alongside previously identified biological, psychological, and social correlates of pediatric pain, as a vulnerability, mechanism, and/or consequence. Biologically, ToM deficits may relate to cortisol abnormalities and neurobiological substrates of pain processing. Psychologically, ToM deficits may stem from pain-focused cognitions, thus impacting relationships and fueling impairment. Socially, chronic pain may preclude normative development of ToM abilities through social withdrawal, thereby exacerbating the experience of pain. CONCLUSION Taken together, ToM deficits may be associated with increased risk for the development and/or maintenance of pediatric chronic pain, and pediatric chronic pain may similarly confer risk for ToM deficits. Future research should investigate the nature of ToM abilities in youth with chronic pain to test these hypotheses and ultimately inform ToM-focused and pain-based interventions, as this ability has been demonstrated to be modifiable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget A Nestor
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joe Kossowsky
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sarah M Nelson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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21
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Jimenez CA, Meyer ML. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex prioritizes social learning during rest. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309232121. [PMID: 38466844 PMCID: PMC10962978 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309232121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Sociality is a defining feature of the human experience: We rely on others to ensure survival and cooperate in complex social networks to thrive. Are there brain mechanisms that help ensure we quickly learn about our social world to optimally navigate it? We tested whether portions of the brain's default network engage "by default" to quickly prioritize social learning during the memory consolidation process. To test this possibility, participants underwent functional MRI (fMRI) while viewing scenes from the documentary film, Samsara. This film shows footage of real people and places from around the world. We normed the footage to select scenes that differed along the dimension of sociality, while matched on valence, arousal, interestingness, and familiarity. During fMRI, participants watched the "social" and "nonsocial" scenes, completed a rest scan, and a surprise recognition memory test. Participants showed superior social (vs. nonsocial) memory performance, and the social memory advantage was associated with neural pattern reinstatement during rest in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), a key node of the default network. Moreover, it was during early rest that DMPFC social pattern reinstatement was greatest and predicted subsequent social memory performance most strongly, consistent with the "prioritization" account. Results simultaneously update 1) theories of memory consolidation, which have not addressed how social information may be prioritized in the learning process, and 2) understanding of default network function, which remains to be fully characterized. More broadly, the results underscore the inherent human drive to understand our vastly social world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan L. Meyer
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY10027
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22
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Galvez-Merlin A, López-Villatoro JM, de la Higuera-González P, de la Torre-Luque A, McDowell K, Díaz-Marsá M, Leza JC, Carrasco JL. Decreased oxytocin levels related to social cognition impairment in borderline personality disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2024. [PMID: 38477064 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dysfunctions in the oxytocin system have been reported in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Deficits could be related to interpersonal hypersensitivity, which has been previously associated with failures in social cognition (SC) in this disorder, especially in Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. The aim of this work is to study the links between the oxytocin system and SC impairments in patients with BPD. METHOD Plasma oxytocin levels (OXT) and protein expression of oxytocin receptors in blood mononuclear cells (OXTR) were examined in 33 patients with a diagnosis of BPD (age: M 28.85, DT = 8.83). Social cognition was assessed using the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). Statistical associations between biochemical factors and different response errors in MASC were analyzed through generalized linear regression controlling for relevant clinical factors. RESULTS Generalized linear regression showed a significant relationship between lower OXTR and overmentalization in BPD patients (OR = 0.90). CONCLUSIONS This work supports the relationship between alterations in the oxytocin system and ToM impairments observed in BPD patients, enhancing the search for endophenotypes related to the phenotypic features of the disorder to improve current clinical knowledge and address more specific therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Galvez-Merlin
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José M López-Villatoro
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar de la Higuera-González
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro de la Torre-Luque
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Karina McDowell
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Research in Neurochemistry, UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Díaz-Marsá
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C Leza
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Research in Neurochemistry, UCM, Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Carrasco
- Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
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Mack NR, Bouras NN, Gao WJ. Prefrontal regulation of social behavior and related deficits: insights from rodent studies. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01146-6. [PMID: 38490368 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is well known as the executive center of the brain, combining internal states and goals to execute purposeful behavior, including social actions. With the advancement of tools for monitoring and manipulating neural activity in rodents, substantial progress has been made in understanding the specific cell types and neural circuits within the PFC that are essential for processing social cues and influencing social behaviors. Furthermore, combining these tools with translationally-relevant behavioral paradigms has also provided novel insights into the PFC neural mechanisms that may contribute to social deficits in various psychiatric disorders. This review highlights findings from the past decade that have shed light on the PFC cell types and neural circuits that support social information processing and distinct aspects of social behavior, including social interactions, social memory, and social dominance. We also explore how the PFC contributes to social deficits in rodents induced by social isolation, social fear conditioning, and social status loss. These studies provide evidence that the PFC uses both overlapping and unique neural mechanisms to support distinct components of social cognition. Further, specific PFC neural mechanisms drive social deficits induced by different contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129; Current address: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544.
| | - Nadia N Bouras
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129.
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24
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Thibaudeau E, Peyroux E, Franck N, Carling H, Lepage M. Navigating Social Cognitive Impairments in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Protocol for a Pilot Pre-Post Quasi-Experimental Study for Remote Avatar-Assisted Cognitive Remediation Therapy. JMIR Res Protoc 2024; 13:e54251. [PMID: 38477975 DOI: 10.2196/54251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social cognitive impairments are prevalent in schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) and have detrimental effects on functioning. Cognitive remediation (CR) has shown its efficacy in improving social cognitive impairments, although the transfer of these skills to daily life and the personalization of these interventions remain challenging. RC2S (Remédiation Cognitive de la Cognition Sociale dans la Schizophrénie; Cognitive remediation of social cognition in Schizophrenia) is a French CR that combines the learning of strategies and practice using paper-and-pencil exercises and digital relational simulations. This French program was designed as an in-person intervention. OBJECTIVE This project aims to culturally adapt the RC2S program, in French-Canadian and North American English and to assess the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and implementation of a remote version in people with SSD. An exploratory objective is to assess the preliminary effect of remote RC2S on goal attainment, social cognition, and psychosocial outcomes. METHODS We will use a pre-post quasi-experimental design. First, the translation and cultural adaptation in North American English and French-Canadian of RC2S is presented. Then, 20 participants aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of SSD, presenting with a subjective or an objective impairment in social cognition, will be included to receive RC2S. In addition, 5 therapists will be included as research participants to assess their perspective on RC2S. Participants with SSD will undergo a baseline remote assessment of their social cognition, clinical symptoms, and functioning. They will then start remote RC2S for 24 biweekly individual 1-hour sessions with a therapist. Following the case formulation and goal setting, participants will complete personalized paper-and-pencil exercises to develop strategies and integrative digital relational simulations, during which they will help an avatar navigate through a variety of social contexts and relationships. The last 2 sessions are dedicated to the transfer to daily life. All participants will complete in-session questionnaires assessing therapeutic alliance, motivation, acceptability, feasibility, and implementation. Following RC2S, the participants with SSD will repeat the same assessment as the baseline. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the data about acceptability, feasibility, safety, and implementation. To assess the preliminary effect of RC2S, an intention-to-treat approach will be used with linear mixed models for repeated measures with fixed effects of time. RESULTS So far, 45% (9/20) of participants with SSD (mean age 37.9, SD 9.3 years) have completed the project. They received a mean of 20.5 out of 24 (SD 3.5) sessions of RC2S. A total of 5 therapists also completed the project. CONCLUSIONS Improving social cognitive impairments is an important target in SSD to promote functional recovery. Using digital technologies to address these impairments and deliver the intervention is a promising approach to increase the ecological validity of CR and access to the intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05017532; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05017532. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/54251.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Thibaudeau
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Nicolas Franck
- Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Lyon, France
- Université Claude-Bernard-Lyon-I, Lyon, France
| | - Hannah Carling
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Lepage
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Douglas Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
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García I, Martínez O, Amayra I, Salgueiro M, Rodríguez AA, López-Paz JF. Effects of a neuropsychosocial teleassistance intervention on social cognition and health-related quality of life of pediatric patients with neuromuscular diseases. J Pediatr Psychol 2024:jsae013. [PMID: 38452290 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsae013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the effects of a neuropsychosocial teleassistance group-based intervention on improving social cognitive functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric neuromuscular diseases (NMD). METHODS Thirty-five pediatric patients with NMD were assigned to the neuropsychosocial intervention program (n = 20) or waiting list control condition (n = 15). The intervention group received an integrative approach that combines training in social cognition with cognitive behavioral therapy. All participants completed a neuropsychological and clinical assessment at baseline and follow-up, which included tests of social cognition, both for emotion recognition and theory of mind, and HRQoL. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance was used to determine the effects of the teleassistance program. RESULTS Group × Time interactions revealed significant improvements in the intervention group as compared with the control group for different social cognition's indicators (AR NEPSY-II: p = .003, η2p = .24; TM NEPSY: p < .001, η2p = .35; Verbal task: p < .001, η2p = .35; Happé's Strange Stories: p = .049, η2p = .11) and HRQoL (Psychosocial health: p = .012, η2p = .18; Emotional functioning: p = .037, η2p = 0.13; Social functioning: p = .006, η2p = .21; Total: p = .013, η2p = .17), showing medium to large effects. CONCLUSIONS Patients receiving the neuropsychosocial intervention showed improvements in their social cognition performance and psychosocial HRQoL, providing evidence about the positive effects of the program in pediatric patients with NMD. This should be considered in further research and interventions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irune García
- Neuro-e-Motion Research Team, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Spain
| | - Oscar Martínez
- Neuro-e-Motion Research Team, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Spain
| | - Imanol Amayra
- Neuro-e-Motion Research Team, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Spain
| | - Monika Salgueiro
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Spain
| | - Alicia Aurora Rodríguez
- Neuro-e-Motion Research Team, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Spain
| | - Juan Francisco López-Paz
- Neuro-e-Motion Research Team, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, Spain
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Peng X, Hou WP, Ding YS, Wang Q, Li F, Sha S, Yu CC, Zhang XJ, Zhou FC, Wang CY. Independent effects of early life adversity on social cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1343188. [PMID: 38505800 PMCID: PMC10948615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1343188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of early life adversity on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, with a focus on social cognition (SC). Methods Two groups of patients with schizophrenia were recruited and matched on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. One group consisted of 32 patients with a history of childhood trauma (SCZ-ct), and the other group consisted of 30 patients without a history of childhood trauma (SCZ-nct). In addition, 39 healthy controls without a history of childhood trauma (HC-nct) were also recruited. The intelligence of the three groups was assessed using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WAIS-RC) short version. The cognitive function evaluation was conducted using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and early life adversity was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ) and Bullying Scale for Adults (BSA). Results Patients with schizophrenia endosed significantly higher scores on the CTQ (F=67.61, p<0.001) and BSA (F=9.84, p<0.001) compared to the HC-nct. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and post-hoc analyses revealed that SCZ-ct (F=11.20, p<0.001) exhibited the most pronounced cognitive impairment among the three groups, as indicated in MCCB total scores and in the domain score of SC. CTQ exhibited a negative correlation with MCCB (r=-0.405, p< 0.001); SC was negatively correlated with physical abuse (PA) of CTQ (r=-0.271, p=0.030) and emotional abuse (EA) of BSA (r=-0.265, p=0.034) in the whole patient sample. Higher SC performance was significantly predicted by CT_total (Beta =-0.582, p<0.001, 95% CI -0.96-0.46), and years of education (Beta=0.260, p =0.014, 95% CI 0.20-1.75) in schizophrenia. Conclusions Besides familial trauma, schizophrenia patients appear to have a higher likelihood of experiencing bullying in their early life. These experiences seem to contribute significantly to their severe impairments in SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Peng
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Peng Hou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Shen Ding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Fengtai Mental Health Center, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Sha Sha
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xiu-Jun Zhang
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, China
| | - Fu-Chun Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan-Yue Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Smaldino PE, Moser C, Pérez Velilla A, Werling M. Maintaining Transient Diversity Is a General Principle for Improving Collective Problem Solving. Perspect Psychol Sci 2024; 19:454-464. [PMID: 37369100 PMCID: PMC10913329 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231180100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Humans regularly solve complex problems in cooperative teams. A wide range of mechanisms have been identified that improve the quality of solutions achieved by those teams on reaching consensus. We argue that many of these mechanisms work via increasing the transient diversity of solutions while the group attempts to reach a consensus. These mechanisms can operate at the level of individual psychology (e.g., behavioral inertia), interpersonal communication (e.g., transmission noise), or group structure (e.g., sparse social networks). Transient diversity can be increased by widening the search space of possible solutions or by slowing the diffusion of information and delaying consensus. All of these mechanisms increase the quality of the solution at the cost of increased time to reach it. We review specific mechanisms that facilitate transient diversity and synthesize evidence from both empirical studies and diverse formal models-including multiarmed bandits, NK landscapes, cumulative-innovation models, and evolutionary-transmission models. Apparent exceptions to this principle occur primarily when problems are sufficiently simple that they can be solved by mere trial and error or when the incentives of team members are insufficiently aligned. This work has implications for our understanding of collective intelligence, problem solving, innovation, and cumulative cultural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Smaldino
- Department of Cognitive & Information Sciences, University of California, Merced
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico
| | - Cody Moser
- Department of Cognitive & Information Sciences, University of California, Merced
| | | | - Mikkel Werling
- Department of Cognitive & Information Sciences, University of California, Merced
- Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University
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Filipčíková M, Quang H, Cassel A, Darke L, Wilson E, Wearne T, Rosenberg H, McDonald S. Exploring neuropsychological underpinnings of poor communication after traumatic brain injury: The role of apathy, disinhibition and social cognition. Int J Lang Commun Disord 2024; 59:433-448. [PMID: 36541559 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysarthria, aphasia and executive processes have been examined for their role in producing impaired communicative competence post traumatic brain injury (TBI). Less understood is the role of emotional dysregulation, that is, apathy and disinhibition, and social cognition, that is, reading and interpreting social cues. METHODS & PROCEDURES In this study, we examined 49 adults with moderate to severe TBI and 18 neurologically healthy adults. We hypothesised that apathy and disinhibition would predict communication outcomes as would social cognition. We also predicted that apathy and disinhibition would influence social cognition. Communication outcomes were measured by the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) and the Social Skills Questionnaire-TBI (SSQ-TBI). Apathy and disinhibition were measured by the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). We measured four aspects of social cognition: emotion perception and theory of mind using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) and the Complex Audio-Visual Evaluation of Affect Test (CAVEAT), empathy using the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) and the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES), and alexithymia using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Consistent with predictions, the LCQ and SSQ-TBI were associated with disinhibition and the LCQ was also associated with apathy. The LCQ was associated with the full range of social cognition constructs although the SSQ-TBI was not. Finally, apathy and disinhibition predicted a number of social cognition measures. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results are discussed in relation to understanding the nature of communication disorders following TBI and how they are measured, as well as the interrelation between emotion dysregulation and social cognition. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS What is already known on this subject The role of emotional dysregulation and social cognition in producing impaired communicative competence post traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not well understood. Although most adults with severe TBI have minimal or possibly no language impairment, they often struggle with functional communication in everyday situations. Many have been reported to be overtalkative, insensitive, childish and self-centred, displaying an inappropriate level of self-disclosure and making tangential and irrelevant comments. Conversely, some speakers with TBI have been noted to have impoverished communication, producing little language either spontaneously or in response to the speaker's questions and prompts. What this paper adds to existing knowledge We found that both apathy and disinhibition were strongly associated with the Latrobe Communication Questionnaire both empirically and conceptually, despite the LCQ being developed from a different, pragmatic orientation. Disinhibition was also associated with the Social Skills Questionnaire for TBI. We also found that poor social cognition scores predicted communication difficulties. Finally, we found that behavioural dysregulation itself, i.e., both apathy and disinhibition, predicted poor social cognition. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Our findings highlight the central role that apathy and disinhibition play in both communication and social cognition. These insights point to the importance of remediation to target behavioural and autonomic dysregulation as a means to improve everyday social function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Halle Quang
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anneli Cassel
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lilly Darke
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emily Wilson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Travis Wearne
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah Rosenberg
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Skye McDonald
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Warren WH, Falandays JB, Yoshida K, Wirth TD, Free BA. Human Crowds as Social Networks: Collective Dynamics of Consensus and Polarization. Perspect Psychol Sci 2024; 19:522-537. [PMID: 37526132 PMCID: PMC10830891 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231186406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
A ubiquitous type of collective behavior and decision-making is the coordinated motion of bird flocks, fish schools, and human crowds. Collective decisions to move in the same direction, turn right or left, or split into subgroups arise in a self-organized fashion from local interactions between individuals without central plans or designated leaders. Strikingly similar phenomena of consensus (collective motion), clustering (subgroup formation), and bipolarization (splitting into extreme groups) are also observed in opinion formation. As we developed models of crowd dynamics and analyzed crowd networks, we found ourselves going down the same path as models of opinion dynamics in social networks. In this article, we draw out the parallels between human crowds and social networks. We show that models of crowd dynamics and opinion dynamics have a similar mathematical form and generate analogous phenomena in multiagent simulations. We suggest that they can be unified by a common collective dynamics, which may be extended to other psychological collectives. Models of collective dynamics thus offer a means to account for collective behavior and collective decisions without appealing to a priori mental structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Warren
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - J Benjamin Falandays
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - Kei Yoshida
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - Trenton D Wirth
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - Brian A Free
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
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Parker S, Ramsey R. What can evidence accumulation modelling tell us about human social cognition? Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:639-655. [PMID: 37154622 PMCID: PMC10880422 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231176950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Evidence accumulation models are a series of computational models that provide an account for speeded decision-making. These models have been used extensively within the cognitive psychology literature to great success, allowing inferences to be drawn about the psychological processes that underlie cognition that are sometimes not available in a traditional analysis of accuracy or reaction time (RT). Despite this, there have been only a few applications of these models within the domain of social cognition. In this article, we explore several ways in which the study of human social information processing would benefit from application of evidence accumulation modelling. We begin first with a brief overview of the evidence accumulation modelling framework and their past success within the domain of cognitive psychology. We then highlight five ways in which social cognitive research would benefit from an evidence accumulation approach. This includes (1) greater specification of assumptions, (2) unambiguous comparisons across blocked task conditions, (3) quantifying and comparing the magnitude of effects in standardised measures, (4) a novel approach for studying individual differences, and (5) improved reproducibility and accessibility. These points are illustrated using examples from the domain of social attention. Finally, we outline several methodological and practical considerations, which should help researchers use evidence accumulation models productively. Ultimately, it will be seen that evidence accumulation modelling offers a well-developed, accessible, and commonly understood framework that can reveal inferences about cognition that may otherwise be out of reach in a traditional analysis of accuracy and RT. This approach, therefore, has the potential to substantially revise our understanding of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Parker
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Ramsey
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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31
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Norberg J, McMains S, Persson J, Mitchell JP. Frontotemporal contributions to social and non-social semantic judgements. J Neuropsychol 2024; 18:66-80. [PMID: 37255262 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Semantic judgements involve the use of general knowledge about the world in specific situations. Such judgements are typically associated with activity in a number of brain regions that include the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, previous studies showed activity in brain regions associated with mentalizing, including the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), in semantic judgements that involved social knowledge. The aim of the present study was to investigate if social and non-social semantic judgements are dissociated using a combination of fMRI and repetitive TMS. To study this, we asked participants to estimate the percentage of exemplars in a given category that shared a specified attribute. Categories could be either social (i.e., stereotypes) or non-social (i.e., object categories). As expected, fMRI results (n = 26) showed enhanced activity in the left IFG that was specific to non-social semantic judgements. However, statistical evidence did not support that repetitive TMS stimulation (n = 19) to this brain region specifically disrupted non-social semantic judgements. Also as expected, the right TPJ showed enhanced activity to social semantic judgements. However, statistical evidence did not support that repetitive TMS stimulation to this brain region specifically disrupted social semantic judgements. It is possible that the causal networks involved in social and non-social semantic judgements may be more complex than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim Norberg
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Jonas Persson
- Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
- Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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Hutchings RJ, Freiburger E, Sim M, Hugenberg K. Racial Prejudice Affects Representations of Facial Trustworthiness. Psychol Sci 2024; 35:263-276. [PMID: 38300733 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231225094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
What makes faces seem trustworthy? We investigated how racial prejudice predicts the extent to which perceivers employ racially prototypical cues to infer trustworthiness from faces. We constructed participant-level computational models of trustworthiness and White-to-Black prototypicality from U.S. college students' judgments of White (Study 1, N = 206) and Black-White morphed (Study 3, N = 386) synthetic faces. Although the average relationships between models differed across stimuli, both studies revealed that as participants' anti-Black prejudice increased and/or intergroup contact decreased, so too did participants' tendency to conflate White prototypical features with trustworthiness and Black prototypical features with untrustworthiness. Study 2 (N = 324) and Study 4 (N = 397) corroborated that untrustworthy faces constructed from participants with pro-White preferences appeared more Black prototypical to naive U.S. adults, relative to untrustworthy faces modeled from other participants. This work highlights the important role of racial biases in shaping impressions of facial trustworthiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Hutchings
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington
| | - Erin Freiburger
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington
| | - Mattea Sim
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington
| | - Kurt Hugenberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington
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Duits AA, de Ronde EM, Vinke RS, Vos SH, Esselink RAJ, Kessels RPC. The impact of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on facial emotion recognition in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neuropsychol 2024; 18 Suppl 1:134-141. [PMID: 37353988 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is successful in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) but may worsen cognitive outcome, including facial emotion recognition (FER). Data-analyses on 59 consecutive PD patients with complete pre- and postoperative assessments, using a sensitive FER test, showed no changes in FER 1 year after STN-DBS surgery, both after group and individual analyses. These findings do however not exclude the impact of FER in and on itself on the outcome after STN-DBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelien A Duits
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Eva M de Ronde
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - R Saman Vinke
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra H Vos
- Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-related Cognitive Disorders, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne A J Esselink
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-related Cognitive Disorders, Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain. Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Vlasceanu M, Dyckovsky AM, Coman A. A Network Approach to Investigate the Dynamics of Individual and Collective Beliefs: Advances and Applications of the BENDING Model. Perspect Psychol Sci 2024; 19:444-453. [PMID: 37489814 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231185776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Changing entrenched beliefs to alter people's behavior and increase societal welfare has been at the forefront of behavioral-science research, but with limited success. Here, we propose a new framework of characterizing beliefs as a multidimensional system of interdependent mental representations across three cognitive structures (e.g., beliefs, evidence, and perceived norms) that are dynamically influenced by complex informational landscapes: the BENDING (Beliefs, Evidence, Norms, Dynamic Information Networked Graphs) model. This account of individual and collective beliefs helps explain beliefs' resilience to interventions and suggests that a promising avenue for increasing the effectiveness of misinformation-reduction efforts might involve graph-based representations of communities' belief systems. This framework also opens new avenues for future research with meaningful implications for some of the most critical challenges facing modern society, from the climate crisis to pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alin Coman
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University
- School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
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Bala A, Olejnik A, Mojżeszek M, Rysz A, Kunert P. Navigating Social Waters: Understanding Theory-of-Mind Challenges in Patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. J Clin Med 2024; 13:1410. [PMID: 38592233 PMCID: PMC10932399 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13051410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common neurological disease that affects many areas of patients' lives, including social competence. The aim of the study was to assess theory of mind in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and to investigate the demographic and clinical factors associated with this function. Methods: A total of 65 participants took part in the study, which included 44 patients with epilepsy and 21 demographically matched healthy individuals. The following neuropsychological tests were used to examine theory of mind: the Faux Pas Test, the Hinting Task, the Emotion Comprehension Test, and a cognitive function screen, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Results: Patients with epilepsy scored lower on all measures of the theory-of-mind tests. Moreover, in the clinical group, numerous moderate and strong correlations were found between the theory-of-mind tests and education, age at onset of epilepsy, lateralization of epileptic focus, cognitive status, and, to a lesser degree, number of anti-epileptic drugs, frequency of seizures, and age. In contrast, in the control group, significant correlations were found mostly between the theory-of-mind tests and sex, and, to a lesser degree, age. Education and cognitive functioning were not associated. Conclusions: Patients with epilepsy experience difficulties in theory of mind, which may have a negative impact on the quality of their social relationships. The level of theory-of-mind abilities correlates with particular clinical and demographic indicators. Recognizing these issues allows clinicians to implement tailored interventions, potentially improving patients' quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Bala
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Olejnik
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Mojżeszek
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Rysz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Przemysław Kunert
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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Lyu 吕奕洲 Y, Su 苏紫杉 Z, Neumann D, Meidenbauer KL, Leong 梁元彰 YC. Hostile Attribution Bias Shapes Neural Synchrony in the Left Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex during Ambiguous Social Narratives. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1252232024. [PMID: 38316561 PMCID: PMC10904091 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1252-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Hostile attribution bias refers to the tendency to interpret social situations as intentionally hostile. While previous research has focused on its developmental origins and behavioral consequences, the underlying neural mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the neural correlates of hostile attribution bias. While undergoing fNIRS, male and female participants listened to and provided attribution ratings for 21 hypothetical scenarios where a character's actions resulted in a negative outcome for the listener. Ratings of hostile intentions were averaged to measure hostile attribution bias. Using intersubject representational similarity analysis, we found that participants with similar levels of hostile attribution bias exhibited higher levels of neural synchrony during narrative listening, suggesting shared interpretations of the scenarios. This effect was localized to the left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and was particularly prominent in scenarios where the character's intentions were highly ambiguous. We then grouped participants into high and low bias groups based on a median split of their hostile attribution bias scores. A similarity-based classifier trained on the neural data classified participants as having high or low bias with 75% accuracy, indicating that the neural time courses during narrative listening was systematically different between the two groups. Furthermore, hostile attribution bias correlated negatively with attributional complexity, a measure of one's tendency to consider multifaceted causes when explaining behavior. Our study sheds light on the neural mechanisms underlying hostile attribution bias and highlights the potential of using fNIRS to develop nonintrusive and cost-effective neural markers of this sociocognitive bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Lyu 吕奕洲
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
| | - Zishan Su 苏紫杉
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
| | - Dawn Neumann
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, Indiana
| | | | - Yuan Chang Leong 梁元彰
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
- Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, Illinois
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Telesca A, Vergallito A, Consonni M, Mattavelli G, Ferrario A, Grazzi L, Usai S, Romero Lauro LJ. Social cognition abilities in patients with primary and secondary chronic pain. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1315682. [PMID: 38596340 PMCID: PMC11002902 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1315682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous evidence suggested that chronic pain is characterized by cognitive deficits, particularly in the social cognition domain. Recently, a new chronic pain classification has been proposed distinguishing chronic primary pain (CPP), in which pain is the primary cause of patients' disease, and chronic secondary pain (CSP), in which pain is secondary to an underlying illness. The present study aimed at investigating social cognition profiles in the two disorders. We included 38 CPP, 43 CSP patients, and 41 healthy controls (HC). Social cognition was assessed with the Ekman-60 faces test (Ekman-60F) and the Story-Based Empathy Task (SET), whereas global cognitive functioning was measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Pain and mood symptoms, coping strategies, and alexithymia were also evaluated. Correlations among clinical pain-related measures, cognitive performance, and psychopathological features were investigated. Results suggested that CSP patients were impaired compared to CPP and HC in social cognition abilities, while CPP and HC performance was not statistically different. Pain intensity and illness duration did not correlate with cognitive performance or psychopathological measures. These findings confirmed the presence of social cognition deficits in chronic pain patients, suggesting for the first time that such impairment mainly affects CSP patients, but not CPP. We also highlighted the importance of measuring global cognitive functioning when targeting chronic pain disorders. Future research should further investigate the cognitive and psychopathological profile of CPP and CSP patients to clarify whether present findings can be generalized as disorder characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Telesca
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Neuroalgology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Monica Consonni
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Neuroalgology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Mattavelli
- ICoN Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessia Ferrario
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Neuroalgology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Licia Grazzi
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Neuroalgology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Susanna Usai
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Neuroalgology Unit, Milan, Italy
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Ishikawa K, Oyama T, Tanaka Y, Okubo M. Perceiving social gaze produces the reversed congruency effect. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024:17470218241232981. [PMID: 38320865 DOI: 10.1177/17470218241232981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that the gaze of others produces a special attentional process, such as the eye contact effect or joint attention. This study investigated the attentional process triggered by various types of gaze stimuli (i.e., human, cat, fish, koala, and robot gaze). A total of 300 university students participated in five experiments. They performed a spatial Stroop task in which five types of gaze stimuli were presented as targets. Participants were asked to judge the direction of the target (left or right) irrespective of its location (left or right). The results showed that the social gaze targets (i.e., human and cat gaze) produced a reversed congruency effect. In contrast to the social gaze targets, the non-social gaze (i.e., fish and robot) target did not produce the reversed congruency effect (Experiments 2, 2B, 3, and 4). These results suggest that attention to the gaze of socially communicable beings (i.e., humans and cats) is responsible for the reversed congruency effect. Our findings support the notion that the theory of mind or social interaction plays an important role in producing specific attentional processes in response to gaze stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Ishikawa
- Department of Psychology, Senshu University, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Takato Oyama
- Graduate School of Humanities, Senshu University, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Tanaka
- Graduate School of Humanities, Senshu University, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Matia Okubo
- Department of Psychology, Senshu University, Kawasaki, Japan
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Vergallito A, Gramano B, La Monica K, Giuliani L, Palumbo D, Gesi C, Torriero S. Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with training to improve social cognition impairment in schizophrenia: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1308971. [PMID: 38445059 PMCID: PMC10912559 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1308971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental disorder that profoundly impacts patients' everyday lives. The illness's core features include positive and negative symptoms and cognitive impairments. In particular, deficits in the social cognition domain showed a tighter connection to patients' everyday functioning than the other symptoms. Social remediation interventions have been developed, providing heterogeneous results considering the possibility of generalizing the acquired improvements in patients' daily activities. In this pilot randomized controlled trial, we investigated the feasibility of combining fifteen daily cognitive and social training sessions with non-invasive brain stimulation to boost the effectiveness of the two interventions. We delivered intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Twenty-one patients were randomized into four groups, varying for the assigned stimulation condition (real vs. sham iTBS) and the type of cognitive intervention (training vs. no training). Clinical symptoms and social cognition tests were administered at five time points, i.e., before and after the treatment, and at three follow-ups at one, three, and six months after the treatments' end. Preliminary data show a trend in improving the competence in managing emotion in participants performing the training. Conversely, no differences were found in pre and post-treatment scores for emotion recognition, theory of mind, and attribution of intentions scores. The iTBS intervention did not induce additional effects on individuals' performance. The methodological approach's novelty and limitations of the present study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bianca Gramano
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Kevin La Monica
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Giuliani
- Department of Psychiatry, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Palumbo
- Department of Psychiatry, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Camilla Gesi
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Torriero
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
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Papeo L. What is abstract about seeing social interactions? Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00031-7. [PMID: 38632008 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Liuba Papeo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod -UMR5229, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France.
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Taddei M, Bulgheroni S, Erbetta A, Faccio F, Giorgi C, Riva D. Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome with long-term features of autism spectrum disorder: evidence in a 9-year-old girl after vermian medulloblastoma surgery. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38362660 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2302691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The time course of socio-communicative disturbances in children after posterior fossa tumor resection is variable in clinical reports, and its assessment may help to understand the role of the cerebellum in the pathogenesis of socio-communicative disorders and improve rehabilitation plans. We report the 3-year cognitive-behavioral follow-up of a female patient (LZ) who underwent surgical ablation of the vermis due to medulloblastoma at age 9. LZ developed a severe post-operative Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome (CCAS) with cognitive-executive dysfunctions and behavioral alterations resembling an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)-like syndrome. The lack of empathy and reduced ability to recognize others' intentions and mental states persisted at follow-up evaluations, as did language alterations. The present case report evidenced that lesions affecting cerebellar and vermal lobules may cause severe CCAS and impairment of social skills overlapping with that observed in ASD. This case is significant in its clinical features, revealing long-term social impairment, while the cognitive, linguistic, and executive functioning improved over time. Prospective case studies should plan the evaluation of symptoms of ASD within the clinical longitudinal assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Taddei
- Unit for Neurogenetic syndromes with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Bulgheroni
- Unit for Neurogenetic syndromes with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Erbetta
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Faccio
- Unit for Neurogenetic syndromes with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Giorgi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daria Riva
- Unit for Neurogenetic syndromes with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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Coma Gonzalez AA, Vilella E, Gutiérrez-Zotes A. Social cognition in women with borderline personality disorder based on an exhaustive analysis of the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) categories. J Clin Psychol 2024. [PMID: 38363876 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
A significant number of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms are manifested in the interpersonal context. This can be explained by the difficulties in attributing the mental states of oneself and others, which constitutes social cognition. Errors in social cognition are interrelated with the affective, cognitive, impulsive, and interpersonal areas of the person with BPD. The aims of this study was to analyze social cognition in women with BPD compared with a control group and to analyze social cognition in BPD based on BPD symptoms and its severity. To assess social cognition, we used a full range of social cognition categories provided by the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC): correct theory of mind (ToM); attribution of mental states (thoughts, emotions, or intentions); errors of mentalization; types of ToM; and attribution of mental states through perceptive or cognitive cues and through hot or cold emotions. The MASC has high ecological validity and has been validated in Spanish. The sample comprised 79 women, including 47 women with BPD and 32 healthy women. Worse social cognition performance was observed in women with BPD. More severe borderline symptoms were related to worse functioning in the correct ToM and to errors of no mentalization. Involvement of the cognitive area in borderline symptoms was associated with worse functioning in correct ToM and worse social cognition in cognitive areas as well as with hypermentalization. This is the first study that uses all the MASC categories and considers BPD heterogeneity and its severity to study social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisabet Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Reus, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV)-CERCA, Tarragona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
- Centro deinvestigación biomédica en red en salud mental (CIBERSAM), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Zotes
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, Reus, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV)-CERCA, Tarragona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
- Centro deinvestigación biomédica en red en salud mental (CIBERSAM), Salamanca, Spain
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Laumer IB, Winkler SL, Rossano F, Cartmill EA. Spontaneous playful teasing in four great ape species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232345. [PMID: 38351806 PMCID: PMC10864999 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Joking draws on complex cognitive abilities: understanding social norms, theory of mind, anticipating others' responses and appreciating the violation of others' expectations. Playful teasing, which is present in preverbal infants, shares many of these cognitive features. There is some evidence that great apes can tease in structurally similar ways, but no systematic study exists. We developed a coding system to identify playful teasing and applied it to video of zoo-housed great apes. All four species engaged in intentionally provocative behaviour, frequently accompanied by characteristics of play. We found playful teasing to be characterized by attention-getting, one-sidedness, response looking, repetition and elaboration/escalation. It takes place mainly in relaxed contexts, has a wide variety of forms, and differs from play in several ways (e.g. asymmetry, low rates of play signals like the playface and absence of movement-final 'holds' characteristic of intentional gestures). As playful teasing is present in all extant great ape genera, it is likely that the cognitive prerequisites for joking evolved in the hominoid lineage at least 13 million years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. B. Laumer
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Haines Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Development and Evolution of Cognition, Konstanz, Germany
| | - S. L. Winkler
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Haines Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - F. Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - E. A. Cartmill
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Los Angeles, Haines Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
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Vicente U, Ara A, Palacín-Lois M, Marco-Pallarés J. Neurophysiological correlates of interpersonal discrepancy and social adjustment in an interactive decision-making task in dyads. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1272841. [PMID: 38420174 PMCID: PMC10899479 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1272841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The pursuit of convergence and the social behavioral adjustment of conformity are fundamental cooperative behaviors that help people adjust their mental frameworks to reach a common goal. However, while social psychology has extensively studied conformity by its influence context, there is still plenty to investigate about the neural cognitive mechanisms involved in this behavior. Methods We proposed a paradigm with two phases, a pre-activation phase to enhance cooperative tendencies and, later, a social decision-making phase in which dyads had to make a perceptual estimation in three consecutive trials and could converge in their decisions without an explicit request or reward to do so. In Study 1, 80 participants were divided in two conditions. In one condition participants did the pre-activation phase alone, while in the other condition the two participants did it with their partners and could interact freely. In Study 2, we registered the electroencephalographical (EEG) activity of 36 participants in the social decision-making phase. Results Study 1 showed behavioral evidence of higher spontaneous convergence in participants who interacted in the pre-activation phase. Event related Potentials (ERP) recorded in Study 2 revealed signal differences in response divergence in different time intervals. Time-frequency analysis showed theta, alpha, and beta evidence related to cognitive control, attention, and reward processing associated with social convergence. Discussion Current results support the spontaneous convergence of behavior in dyads, with increased behavioral adjustment in those participants who have previously cooperated. In addition, neurophysiological components were associated with discrepancy levels between participants, and supported the validity of the experimental paradigm to study spontaneous social behavioral adaptation in experimental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Unai Vicente
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Social and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Ara
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- BRAMS: International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - María Palacín-Lois
- Department of Social and Quantitative Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Marco-Pallarés
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
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Alexander ED, Chung VHA, Yacovelli A, Sarmiento I, Andersson N. Social media and postsecondary student adoption of mental health labels: protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e078193. [PMID: 38355173 PMCID: PMC10868259 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many postsecondary students use social media at an age when mental health issues often arise for the first time. On social media, students describe their mental states or social interactions using psychiatric language. This is a process of mental health labelling as opposed to receiving a formal diagnosis from a psychiatrist. Despite substantial literature on psychiatric labelling effects such as stigma, little research has addressed the mechanisms and effects of labelling through social media. Our objective is to summarise the existing evidence to address this gap. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This review includes articles in English published since 1995 on how postsecondary students interact with mental health labels in their use of social media. We will consider empirical studies and theses. The search strategy includes SCOPUS, PubMed, OVID MEDLINE (to access APA PsycINFO), Web of Science and ProQuest Global Dissertations and Theses. This scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extensions for protocols and Scoping Reviews guidelines. The artificial intelligence application, Connected Papers, will assist in identifying additional references. The outcomes of interest are labelling by self or others and changes in self-concept and presentation associated with these labels. Two researchers will independently identify the included studies and extract data, solving disagreements with a third opinion. We will produce tables and narrative descriptions of the operationalisation and measurement methods of labelling and social media use, reported effects and uses of labelling, and explanatory mechanisms for the adoption of labels. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This literature review does not require ethics approval. The researchers will present their findings for publication in an open-access peer-reviewed journal and at student/scientific conferences. Potential knowledge users include university students, social media users, researchers, mental health professionals and on-campus mental health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Dylan Alexander
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Van-Han-Alex Chung
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alexandra Yacovelli
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ivan Sarmiento
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- GESTS, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Neil Andersson
- CIET-PRAM, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad Autonoma de Guerrero, Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
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Dubois-Sage M, Jacquet B, Jamet F, Baratgin J. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Could Interact More Easily with a Robot than with a Human: Reasons and Limits. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:131. [PMID: 38392485 PMCID: PMC10886012 DOI: 10.3390/bs14020131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder show deficits in communication and social interaction, as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Interacting with robots could bring benefits to this population, notably by fostering communication and social interaction. Studies even suggest that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder could interact more easily with a robot partner rather than a human partner. We will be looking at the benefits of robots and the reasons put forward to explain these results. The interest regarding robots would mainly be due to three of their characteristics: they can act as motivational tools, and they are simplified agents whose behavior is more predictable than that of a human. Nevertheless, there are still many challenges to be met in specifying the optimum conditions for using robots with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Dubois-Sage
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
| | - Baptiste Jacquet
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Frank Jamet
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
- UFR d'Éducation, CY Cergy Paris Université, 95000 Cergy-Pontoise, France
| | - Jean Baratgin
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
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D'Iorio A, Baiano C, Roldan-Tapia MD, Santangelo G. Editorial: Theory of mind. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1370048. [PMID: 38406305 PMCID: PMC10884303 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1370048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonsina D'Iorio
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Chiara Baiano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
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Hackel LM, Kalkstein DA, Mende-Siedlecki P. Simplifying social learning. Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00004-4. [PMID: 38331595 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Social learning is complex, but people often seem to navigate social environments with ease. This ability creates a puzzle for traditional accounts of reinforcement learning (RL) that assume people negotiate a tradeoff between easy-but-simple behavior (model-free learning) and complex-but-difficult behavior (e.g., model-based learning). We offer a theoretical framework for resolving this puzzle: although social environments are complex, people have social expertise that helps them behave flexibly with low cognitive cost. Specifically, by using familiar concepts instead of focusing on novel details, people can turn hard learning problems into simpler ones. This ability highlights social learning as a prototype for studying cognitive simplicity in the face of environmental complexity and identifies a role for conceptual knowledge in everyday reward learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leor M Hackel
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Green MF, Wynn JK, Eisenberger NI, Horan WP, Lee J, McCleery A, Miklowitz DJ, Reavis EA, Reddy LF. Social cognition and social motivation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: are impairments linked to the disorder or to being socially isolated? Psychol Med 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38314526 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with schizophrenia on average are more socially isolated, lonelier, have more social cognitive impairment, and are less socially motivated than healthy individuals. People with bipolar disorder also have social isolation, though typically less than that seen in schizophrenia. We aimed to disentangle whether the social cognitive and social motivation impairments observed in schizophrenia are a specific feature of the clinical condition v. social isolation generally. METHODS We compared four groups (clinically stable patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, individuals drawn from the community with self-described social isolation, and a socially connected community control group) on loneliness, social cognition, and approach and avoidance social motivation. RESULTS Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 72) showed intermediate levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social approach motivation between the isolated (n = 96) and connected control (n = 55) groups. However, they showed significant deficits in social cognition compared to both community groups. Individuals with bipolar disorder (n = 48) were intermediate between isolated and control groups for loneliness and social approach. They did not show deficits on social cognition tasks. Both clinical groups had higher social avoidance than both community groups. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that social cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, and high social avoidance motivation in both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are distinct features of the clinical conditions and not byproducts of social isolation. In contrast, differences between clinical and control groups on levels of loneliness and social approach motivation were congruent with the groups' degree of social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Rehabilitation R&D Center on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Rehabilitation R&D Center on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - William P Horan
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Karuna Therapeutics, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Amanda McCleery
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - David J Miklowitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eric A Reavis
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Rehabilitation R&D Center on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - L Felice Reddy
- VA Rehabilitation R&D Center on Enhancing Community Integration for Homeless Veterans, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Leichsenring F, Fonagy P, Heim N, Kernberg OF, Leweke F, Luyten P, Salzer S, Spitzer C, Steinert C. Borderline personality disorder: a comprehensive review of diagnosis and clinical presentation, etiology, treatment, and current controversies. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:4-25. [PMID: 38214629 PMCID: PMC10786009 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) was introduced in the DSM-III in 1980. From the DSM-III to the DSM-5, no major changes have occurred in its defining criteria. The disorder is characterized by instability of self-image, interpersonal relationships and affects. Further symptoms include impulsivity, intense anger, feelings of emptiness, strong abandonment fears, suicidal or self-mutilation behavior, and transient stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms. There is evidence that BPD can be reliably diagnosed and differentiated from other mental disorders by semi-structured interviews. The disorder is associated with considerable functional impairment, intensive treatment utilization, and high societal costs. The risk of self-mutilation and suicide is high. In the general adult population, the lifetime prevalence of BPD has been reported to be from 0.7 to 2.7%, while its prevalence is about 12% in outpatient and 22% in inpatient psychiatric services. BPD is significantly associated with other mental disorders, including depressive disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, bulimia nervosa, and other personality disorders. There is convincing evidence to suggest that the interaction between genetic factors and adverse childhood experiences plays a central role in the etiology of BPD. In spite of considerable research, the neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder remain to be clarified. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for BPD. Various approaches have been empirically supported in randomized controlled trials, including dialectical behavior therapy, mentalization-based therapy, transference-focused therapy, and schema therapy. No approach has proved to be superior to others. Compared to treatment as usual, psychotherapy has proved to be more efficacious, with effect sizes between 0.50 and 0.65 with regard to core BPD symptom severity. However, almost half of the patients do not respond sufficiently to psychotherapy, and further research in this area is warranted. It is not clear whether some patients may benefit more from one psychotherapeutic approach than from others. No evidence is available consistently showing that any psychoactive medication is efficacious for the core features of BPD. For discrete and severe comorbid anxiety or depressive symptoms or psychotic-like features, pharmacotherapy may be useful. Early diagnosis and treatment of BPD can reduce individual suffering and societal costs. However, more high-quality studies are required, in both adolescents and adults. This review provides a comprehensive update of the BPD diagnosis and clinical characterization, risk factors, neurobiology, cognition, and management. It also discusses the current controversies concerning the disorder, and highlights the areas in which further research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Leichsenring
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nikolas Heim
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Otto F Kernberg
- Personality Disorders Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank Leweke
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simone Salzer
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Spitzer
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christiane Steinert
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany
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