Individuals with Fear of Blushing Explicitly and Automatically Associate Blushing with Social Costs

To explain fear of blushing, it has been proposed that individuals with fear of blushing overestimate the social costs of their blushing. Current information-processing models emphasize the relevance of differentiating between more automatic and more explicit cognitions, as both types of cognitions may independently influence behavior. The present study tested whether individuals with fear of blushing expect blushing to have more negative social consequences than controls, both on an explicit level and on a more automatic level. Automatic associations between blushing and social costs were assessed in a treatment-seeking sample of individuals with fear of blushing who met DSM-IV criteria for social anxiety disorder (n = 49) and a non-anxious control group (n = 27) using a single-target Implicit Association Test (stIAT). In addition, participants’ explicit expectations about the social costs of their blushing were assessed. Individuals with fear of blushing showed stronger associations between blushing and negative outcomes, as indicated by both stIAT and self-report. The findings support the view that automatic and explicit associations between blushing and social costs may both help to enhance our understanding of the cognitive processes that underlie fear of blushing

Ultrasound markers for prediction of complex gastroschisis and adverse outcome: longitudinal prospective nationwide cohort study

Objectives: To identify antenatal ultrasound markers that can differentiate between simple and complex gastroschisis and assess their predictive value. Methods: This was a prospective nationwide study of pregnancies with isolated fetal gastroschisis that underwent serial longitudinal ultrasound examination at regular specified intervals between 20 and 37 weeks' gestation. The primary outcome was simple or complex (i.e. involving bowel atresia, volvulus, perforation or necrosis) gastroschisis at birth. Fetal biometry (abdominal circumference and estimated fetal weight), the occurrence of polyhydramnios, intra- and extra-abdominal bowel diameters and the pulsatility index (PI) of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were assessed. Linear mixed modeling was used to compare the individual trajectories of cases with simple and those with complex gastroschisis, and logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the strength of association between the ultrasound parameters and outcome. Results: Of 104 pregnancies with isolated fetal gastroschisis included, four ended in intrauterine death. Eighty-one (81%) liveborn infants with simple and 19 (19%) with complex gastroschisis were included in the analysis. We found no relationship between fetal biometric variables and complex gastroschisis. The SMA-PI was significantly lower in fetuses with gastroschisis than in healthy controls, but did not differentiate between simple and complex gastroschisis. Both intra- and extra-abdominal bowel diameters were larger in cases with complex, compared to those with simple, gastroschisis (P < 0.001 and P < 0.005, respectively). The presence of intra-abdominal bowel diameter ≥ 97.7th percentile on at least three occasions, not necessarily on successive examinations, was associated with an increased risk of the fetus having complex gastroschisis (relative risk, 1.56 (95% CI, 1.02–2.10); P = 0.006; positive predictive value, 50.0%; negative predictive value, 81.4%). Conclusions: This large prospective longitudinal study found that intra-abdominal bowel dilatation when present repeatedly during fetal development can differentiate between simple and complex gastroschisis; however, the positive predictive value is low, and therefore the clinical usefulness of this marker is limited

Signal value and interpersonal implications of the blush

Introduction Blushing is a highly common response and most people blush at least occasionally (Edelmann, 1990). A remarkable feature of the blush is that it may occur in many different types of situations: when spilling coffee on someone’s trousers, when making a stupid remark during a meeting, when construction workers start whistling at you as you’re passing, when being praised by your boss, when getting caught as you are about to leave the shop without paying, when someone bluntly asks if you have had sex lately, when being stared at, or just when the neighbour says hello to you. One may wonder: what is the common factor? And if there is a common factor, what is the meaning of the blush? Does it convey any relevant information about the blushing actor, about his or her traits or state, or about the situation in which the blush occurred? And if so, is the blush consistently associated with a particular mental/motivational state or just loosely coupled? Is it sufficiently consistent (within a particular context) to be useful for observers to infer relevant information about the actor? In an attempt to arrive at some answers to all of these questions, we will first evaluate to what extent the blush can be considered as a meaningful, reliable signal. Subsequently, we will address the issue of what might in fact be signalled by the sudden reddening of the face: what type of information may be provided by a blush, what mental/motivational state can be inferred? Then we will discuss the potential social implications of displaying a blush. In the final section we will critically evaluate the empirical support for the signalling properties of the blush.</p