A CRISPR New World: Attitudes in the Public toward Innovations in Human Genetic Modification

The potential to genetically modify human germlines has reached a critical tipping point with recent applications of CRISPR-Cas9. Even as researchers, clinicians, and ethicists weigh the scientific and ethical repercussions of these advances, we know virtually nothing about public attitudes on the topic. Understanding such attitudes will be critical to determining the degree of broad support there might be for any public policy or regulation developed for genetic modification research. To fill this gap, we gave an online survey to a large (2,493 subjects) and diverse sample of Americans. Respondents supported genetic modification research, although demographic variables influenced these attitudes—conservatives, women, African-Americans, and older respondents, while supportive, were more cautious than liberals, men, other ethnicities, and younger respondents. Support was also was slightly muted when the risks (unanticipated mutations and possibility of eugenics) were made explicit. The information about genetic modification was also presented as contrasting vignettes, using one of five frames: genetic editing, engineering, hacking, modification, or surgery. Despite the fact that the media and academic use of frames describing the technology varies, these frames did not influence people’s attitudes. These data contribute a current snapshot of public attitudes to inform policy with regard to human genetic modification

MECHANISMS OF VISUAL ATTENTION

Current theories of visual attention generally fall within one of two broad classes: Late Selection theories and Early Selection theories. They are typically seen as exhaustive alternatives. In this paper, however, I argue that these theories are inadequate. Several studies are reviewed that provide strong evidence for parallel stimulus identification. Such findings are consistent with predictions of late selection theory. On the other hand, experiments are presented here that do not support the central claims of late selection. It is shown that when subjects must report a stimulus item according to its location, selection of that item occurs early in stimulus processing, prior to identification. In order to reconcile these findings, several logically distinct issues in visual attention must be clarified. I distinguish between the issues of (1) parallel versus serial identification of stimulus items, (2) the temporal locus of selection, (3) voluntary control over stimulus processing, and (4) capacity limits. Several experiments are presented that investigate the nature of capacity limits on multi-stimulus identification. Specifically, capacity limits are evidenced by a superior performance when multiple stimuli are presented in successive frames compared to simultaneous presentations. The performance advantage for successive presentations is found to be an increasing function of the interval between successive frames. There is no effect, however, of predictability of stimulus exposure sequence. Effects of stimulus exposure sequence and predictability are used to argue against various forms of reallocatable capacity limits. A formulation is proposed which attributes capacity limits to the disruptive effects of spurious activation of letter detectors by multiple stimuli. Finally, a theoretical alternative to early and late selection theories is presented which integrates many findings reported here and in the literature

Measuring adherence and competence of dynamic therapists in the treatment of cocaine dependence

This article presents the development of a new 82-item rating scale of therapist adherence and competence for supportive-expressive (SE) dynamic psychotherapy for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Sixty- four items are rated for adherence, appropriateness, and quality of prescribed interventions. As part of the pilot/training phase of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Collaborative Cocaine Treatment Study, two independent expert judges rated 32 audiotapes of SE therapy sessions with cocaine-dependent patients, 10 tapes of cognitive therapy (CT) sessions, and 10 tapes of individual drug counseling (IDC) sessions. Reliability was acceptable for adherence but poor for quality and appropriateness. SE therapists used more expressive (interpretative) techniques than did either CT therapists or IDC counselors, and they used more supportive techniques than did IDC counselors