Trial-to-trial Carryover Effects on Spatial Attentional Bias

Visual Probe Tasks (VPTs) have been extensively used to measure spatial attentional biases, but as usually analysed, VPTs do not consider trial-to-trial carryover effects of probe location: Does responding to a probe on, e.g., the location of a threat cue affect the bias on the subsequent trial? The aim of the current study was to confirm whether this kind of carryover exists, using a novel task version, the diagonalized VPT, designed to focus on such trial-to-trial interactions. Two versions of the task were performed by a sample of college students. In one version cues were coloured squares; in the other, cues were threat-related and neutral images. Both versions included partially random positive or negative response feedback and varying Cue-Probe Intervals (200 or 600 ms). Carryover effects were found in both versions. Responding to a probe at the location of a cue of a given colour induced an attentional bias on the subsequent trial in the direction of that colour. Responding to a threat-related cue induced an attentional bias towards threat on the subsequent trial. The results provide evidence that trial-to-trial carryover effects on spatial attentional bias indeed exist. A methodological implication is that previous probe location could be considered in analyses or re-analyses of spatial visual attention tasks

Age differences in intertemporal choice among children, adolescents, and adults

When choosing between sooner–smaller and later–larger rewards (i.e., intertemporal choices), adults typically prefer later–larger rewards more often than children. Intertemporal choice preferences have been implicated in various impulsivity-related psychopathologies, making it important to understand the underlying mechanisms not only in terms of how reward magnitude and delay affect choice but also in terms of how these mechanisms develop across age. We administered an intertemporal choice paradigm to 60 children (8–11 years), 79 adolescents (14–16 years), and 60 young adults (18–23 years). The paradigm systematically varied amounts and delays of the available rewards, allowing us to identify mechanisms underlying age-related differences in patience. Compared with young adults, both children and adolescents made fewer later–larger choices. In terms of underlying mechanisms, variation in delays, absolute reward magnitudes, and relative amount differences affected choice in each age group, indicating that children showed sensitivity to the same choice-relevant factors as young adults. Sensitivity to both absolute reward magnitude and relative amount differences showed a further monotonic age-related increase, whereas no change in delay sensitivity occurred. Lastly, adolescents and young adults weakly displayed a present bias (i.e., overvaluing immediate vs. future rewards; nonsignificant and trend, respectively), whereas children showed a nonsignificant but opposite pattern, possibly indicating that specifically dealing with future rewards changed with age. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the development of patience. By decomposing overt choices, our results suggest that the age-related increase in patience may be driven specifically by stronger sensitivity to amount differences with age.</p

Vertebral artery dissection: an important differential diagnosis of vertigo

Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Otorrinolaringol & Cirurg Cabeca & Pescoco, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Otorrinolaringol & Cirurg Cabeca & Pescoco, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The neurocomputational link between defensive cardiac states and approach-avoidance arbitration under threat

Avoidance, a hallmark of anxiety-related psychopathology, often comes at a cost; avoiding threat may forgo the possibility of a reward. Theories predict that optimal approach-avoidance arbitration depends on threat-induced psychophysiological states, like freezing-related bradycardia. Here we used model-based fMRI analyses to investigate whether and how bradycardia states are linked to the neurocomputational underpinnings of approach-avoidance arbitration under varying reward and threat magnitudes. We show that bradycardia states are associated with increased threat-induced avoidance and more pronounced reward-threat value comparison (i.e., a stronger tendency to approach vs. avoid when expected reward outweighs threat). An amygdala-striatal-prefrontal circuit supports approach-avoidance arbitration under threat, with specific involvement of the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) in integrating reward-threat value and bradycardia states. These findings highlight the role of human freezing states in value-based decision making, relevant for optimal threat coping. They point to a specific role for amygdala/dACC in state-value integration under threat

Predictive cues and spatial attentional bias for alcohol: manipulations of cue-outcome mapping

Previous studies suggest that cues predicting the outcome of attentional shifts provide a measure of anticipatory alcohol-related attentional bias that is correlated with risky drinking and has high reliability. However, this is complicated by potential contributions of visual features of cues to reliability, unrelated to their predictive value. Further, little is known of the sensitivity of the bias to variations in cue-outcome mapping manipulations, limiting our theoretical and methodological knowledge: Does the bias robustly follow varying cue-outcome mappings, or are there automatic cue-related associative processes involved? The current studies aimed to address these issues. Participants performed variations of the cued Visual Probe Task (cVPT) in which cues were non-predictive; in which there were multiple cue pairs, used simultaneously and serially; and in which the cue-outcome mapping was reversed. The major findings were, first, that previously found reliability cannot be attributed to aspects of the cues not related to outcome-prediction; second, that reliability of the bias does not survive deviations from a simple, consistent cue-outcome mapping; third, that all predictive versions of the task showed a bias towards alcohol; fourth, that the bias did not simply follow awareness of the cue-outcome mapping; and finally, that only in the case of simultaneous multiple cue pairs, an association with risky drinking was replicated. The results provide support for the reliability of the anticipatory attentional bias for alcohol, suggest that relatively persistent associative processes underlie the bias in the alcohol context, and provide a foundation for future work using the cVPT

Formal Models of Differential Framing Effects in Decision Making Under Risk

An intriguing finding in the decision-making literature is that, when people have to choose between sure and risky options of equal expected value, they typically take more risks when decisions are framed as losses instead of gains (Tversky &amp; Kahneman, 1981). This framing effect is robust and has important implications for health, finance, and politics. However, theoretical debate exists on the origins of this effect. Moreover, pronounced task-related, individual, and developmental differences exist in the magnitude of the effect. These two issues—theoretical debate and differential framing effects— can be solved together, as an adequate theory of the framing effect should both describe the effect itself and describe differences therein. Therefore, we compare four theories on their capacity to describe differential framing effects: cumulative prospect theory (CPT), fuzzy trace theory (FTT), dual process theory, and a hybrid theory (HT) incorporating elements from lexicographic theory and fuzzy trace theory. First, in a theoretical analysis and empirical review, we build on recent advances in the fields of decision making, brain– behavior relationships, and cognitive development. Second, in an empirical study, we directly compare these theories by using a new experimental task and new analytic approach in which we use hierarchical Bayesian model-based mixture analysis of theories. Taken together, results indicate that differential framing effects are best described by the notion that the majority of decision makers decide according to the hybrid theory, and a sizable minority according to cumulative prospect theory and fuzzy trace theory. We discuss implications of these results for our understanding of the framing effect, and for decision making in general.</p

O discurso das Tiddas: dramaturgas aborígenes australianas

Todas as indígenas compartilham a experiência de serem mulheres e indígenas numa sociedade que as deprecia. Consequentemente, existirão temas comuns, característicos e dominantes no posicionamento das mesmas. Tais temas incluem o compartilhamento do legado da desapropriação, racismo e sexismo, assim como anos de resistência e substituição das imagens depreciativas, construídas sobre elas, por imagens que as definam e que sejam construídas por elas mesmas; além da continuação do ativismo como mães, irmãs, tias, filhas, avós e líderes comunitárias, bem como a negociação de políticas sexuais através e entre culturas. Tal ponto de vista não nega a diversidade de experiências das indígenas, visto que experiências concretas diferentes moldam as suas relações com essas questões centrais. Levantar uma perspectiva sobre a mulher indígena também requer a consciência, o respeito e o cumprimento do protocolo cultural indígena.  (Aileen Moreton-Robinson)