Comparative analysis of the persistence of a conditioned passive avoidance reflex in rats with different forms of inherited hypertension

The characteristics of anxiety behavior and reproduction of a conditioned passive avoidance reflex acquired in response to a single combination with an unconditioned aversive stimulus were studied in NISAG rats with inherited stress-sensitive arterial hypertension and spontaneously hypertensive SHR rats. SHR rats were characterized by hyperactive behavior, very low levels of anxiety, and poor reproduction of the conditioned reflex as compared with NISAG and control Wistar and WAG rats. Intermediate-anxiety NISAG rats showed no difficulties in acquiring and subsequently retaining the conditioned reflex. These differences in the ability to undergo single-combination learning in rats with different forms of hypertension suggest that memory processes are independent of elevated arterial blood pressure. The effects of the genetic characteristics of behavior and emotional status of these animals on memory are discussed. __________ Translated from Rossiiskii Fiziologicheskii Zhurnal imeni I. M. Sechenova, Vol. 92, No. 4, pp. 440–448, April, 2006.     

自信心心理训练对社交焦虑障碍患者社交回避与苦恼及社会的支持影响

目的 探讨自信心心理训练对社交焦虑症患者社交回避与苦恼以及社会支持的影响.方法 将80例16～30岁社交焦虑症患者随机分为自信心训练治疗组（研究组）和空白组（对照组）,研究组每周进行两次自信心训练,每次3小时,持续5周,共10次;对照组不采取任何治疗手段.干预前与干预结束3个月后分别对两组进行社交回避与苦恼（SAD）以及社会支持评定量表（SSRS）评定,了解患者社交回避与苦恼及社会支持的改善状况.结果 入组时两组SAD评定无差异（t=-0.242,P＞0.05）,SSRS评定无差异（t=0.208,P＞0.05）;两组心理干预后SAD比较有显著性差异（t=-3.326,P＜0.001）;SSRS有显著性差异（t =2.390,P＜0.05）.结论 自信心心理训练可以明显改善社交焦虑症患者的社交回避与苦恼症状,并可有效提高患者的社会支持水平.     

广东省高中生网络成瘾影响因素研究

目的揭示高中生社会支持、自尊及社会回避与社会苦恼对网络成瘾的影响作用。方法以广东省一普通中学502名高一、高二学生为研究对象,采用中学生网络成瘾量表考察高中生网络成瘾现状,同时也考察是否网络成瘾与领悟社会支持、社会回避及苦恼、自尊之间的关系。结果①网络成瘾检出率为5.2%;②不同年级(χ2=0.01,P>0.05)和是否离异家庭(2χ=0.02,P>0.05)在网络成瘾上差异不显著;③网络成瘾性别差异显著(χ2=4.62,P<0.05);④领悟社会支持和社会回避—苦恼等分别可预测高中生网络成瘾的倾向。结论①男生比女生更容易上瘾,社会支持越少;②社会回避—苦恼倾向越高的学生,网络成瘾的倾向越大。     

积极独处及其心理学意义

本文在总结前人研究的基础上提出了积极独处这个概念。积极独处是一种人格特征,指个体在拥有良好的人际交往的同时,也喜欢为自己保留一些时间独处的行为倾向。积极独处与孤僻和社交回避不同,它是个体一种有目的的主动选择并且伴有积极的情感体验。     

The effects of human following behaviours on decision making during aperture crossing scenarios

BackgroundEveryday locomotion often requires that we navigate crowded and cluttered environments. Individuals navigating through nonconfined space will require a deviation from the straight path in order to avoid apertures smaller than 1.4 times their shoulder width. When in a crowd, humans will follow the behaviours of those directly in front of them, making changes to their walking speed and direction heading based on the changes made by the people they are following.Research QuestionThe current study aimed to discover whether the decisions made by young adults regarding the passability of an aperture would be influenced by the presence of a leader completing the same nonconfined aperture crossing task.MethodsParticipants (N = 24) walked in a virtual reality environment along a 6.5 m pathway towards a goal while avoiding two virtual poles which created an aperture (0.8–1.8 times the participants’ shoulder widths). For some trials, a sex-matched avatar (shoulder width of 0.8, 1.0, or 1.2 times the participants’ shoulder widths) completed the aperture crossing task, using its own body-scaled information, ahead of the participant.ResultsParticipants walked through apertures smaller than 1.4 times their shoulder width (i.e. critical point) regardless of avatars’ independent behaviours. Participants began to deviate 3.69 m from the aperture on all trials that required a deviation and approached their goal at a slower speed when the avatar was present.SignificanceThis study demonstrates that during a nonconfined aperture crossing task, individuals are not influenced by human following behaviours and will continue to make decisions based on their own body-scaled information.     

The effects of different environments on older adults’ ability to successfully cross a closing gap in virtual reality

BackgroundTo navigate through dynamically changing environments and to avoid collisions with stationary and moving obstacles, older adults tend to over rely on their visual system because it is a more reliable source of information. Aging affects both visuomotor integration and visual perception, often resulting in the inability to produce appropriate adaptive locomotor actions in a timely manner.Research questionDoes peripheral visual information in the environment affected older adults’ ability to complete a gap-crossing task with a set of closing doors at different rates (0.6–1.2 m/s)?MethodsFifteen older adults (65–74 years) completed the study inside a virtual environment with three different levels of peripheral visual information: 1) empty; 2) stationary avatars; and 3) moving avatars. Kinematic data was collected using an Optotrak camera system to track the older adults’ body movements during the task.ResultsThe results demonstrated that regardless of the environment or closing door speed, older adults maintained consistent approach speeds. However, older adults collided with the fastest moving doors a significant number of times at the fastest door closing rates for the empty and moving avatar conditions.SignificanceAlthough it appears that older adults are able to attend on a central task (i.e., passing through closing doors) and maintain constant behaviours regardless of the visual information from peripheral environment, richness of the peripheral environment provides accurate feedback about self-motion affects success rates.     

Action capability constrains visuo-motor complexity during planning and performance in on-sight climbing

The capability to adapt to changing conditions is crucial for safe and successful performance in physical activities and sports. According to the affordance-based control perspective, individuals act in such a way as to take into account the limits of their capability to act. However, it is not clear how strength interacts with skill in shaping performer-environment interactions. We, therefore, determined whether fingertip strength influences patterns of gaze and climbing behavior on new routes of ever-increasing difficulty. We expected that comparatively weaker climbers would show less complex behavior because of an inability to perceive and act. Stronger climbers would show more complex visuo-motor behavior because more opportunities for action remain, even as route difficulty increases. For very strong climbers the route would not be challenging enough, and less complex patterns suffice. Twenty climbers, ranging from lower grade to elite level participated. Maximum fingertip strength was obtained. Participants previewed and then climbed two separate 3 m long traverses, gradually decreasing in edge depth. Gaze and hip positions were collected for subsequent computation of gaze transition entropy (during preview) and hip displacement entropy (during climbing). Data revealed statistically significant curvilinear relationships between both fingertip strength and gaze transition entropy, and fingertip strength, and hip displacement entropy. Visuo-motor complexity is scaled by how close the individual must act relative to boundaries of what the environment affords and does not afford for action given the individual constraints. Future research should examine in greater detail relationships between action capabilities and functional movement variability.