Adult attachment and phenomenological characteristics of autobiographical memory

The aim of the studies undertaken for this thesis was to explore relations between adult attachment and autobiographical memory. Study One investigated how a self-report measure of adult attachment style related to young adults' (N = 211) recall of their earliest memories. Dismissing individuals reported fewer negatively valenced memories than their counterparts in the secure and preoccupied groups. No attachment-related differences were found in the total number of memories (positive, neutral, negative) recalled, or individuals' ratings of the phenomenological properties of the memories. All three groups tended to rate negative memories more highly than neutral/positive memories on the phenomenological characteristics, although preoccupied individuals tended to show least differentiation on the basis of emotional valence. Study Two investigated how attachment state of mind as assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985) related to autobiographical memory in a separate sample (N = 65) of young adults. Autobiographical memory was assessed in terms of recall (a) of one's earliest memory, and (b) of childhood memories in response to attachment-related and non- attachment cues, and this study also controlled for concurrent depressive symptoms and previous experience of trauma. As in Study One, the earliest memory and the cued memories were rated for their phenomenological properties, but data were also collected on latency of recall. No relation was found between A.A.I, classification and any characteristic of the earliest memory. For the cued recall of attachment-related memories, A.A.I, classification independently predicted vividness, emotional intensity at encoding and emotional intensity at recall, with dismissing individuals scoring lowest and preoccupied highest. A.A.I, classification also predicted certain aspects of recall for non-attachment material. In particular, dismissing individuals rated non- attachment memories as less specific and less vivid than did individuals in the secure and preoccupied groups. A.A.I, classification has little impact on individuals’ responses to the attachment-related and non-attachment memories. The only effect of A.A.I, classification was seen on ratings of specificity; somewhat surprisingly, dismissing individuals rated attachment memories as more specific than non- attachment memories, whereas secure and preoccupied individuals did not differ in their ratings of the two types of memory. Study Three investigated how A.A.I, classification related to imagined future events in response to attachment-related and non-attachment cues in the same sample of participants who had taken part in Study Two. Controlling for gender, depressive symptoms and previous trauma (as in Study Two), the results of Study Three showed that A.A.I, classification predicted the reported vividness and self-relevance of attachment-related imagined future events. Compared with secure and preoccupied individuals, those in the dismissing group reported that future attachment-related events were less vivid. There was also a marginally significant trend for dismissing individuals to rate attachment-related future events as less self-relevant. Comparing recall of previous past events with future imagined events, individuals across all A.A.I, categories were slowing at recounting future events than at recalling past events, and rated past events as more vivid and emotionally intense. However, it was future events that were rated as more self-relevant than past events. Study Three also found that there was greater concordance between ratings of past and future events with respect to specific phenomenological properties for insecure individuals than for secure individuals

The Self and Autobiographical Memory: Correspondence and Coherence

Introduces a modified version of Conway and Pleydell-Pearce\u27s Self Memory System (SMS) account of autobiographical memory and the self. Discussion of a fundamental tension between adaptive correspondence and self-coherence; Examination of tension; Application of SMS to personality and clinical psychology

Distinct Genomic Features Characterize Two Clades of <i>Corynebacterium diphtheriae</i>: Proposal of <i>Corynebacterium diphtheriae</i> Subsp. <i>diphtheriae</i> Subsp. nov. and <i>Corynebacterium diphtheriae</i> Subsp. <i>lausannense</i> Subsp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Corynebacterium diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; is the etiological agent of diphtheria, a disease caused by the presence of the diphtheria toxin. However, an increasing number of records report non-toxigenic &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; infections. Here, a &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; strain was recovered from a patient with a past history of bronchiectasis who developed a severe tracheo-bronchitis with multiple whitish lesions of the distal trachea and the mainstem bronchi. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS), performed in parallel with PCR targeting the toxin gene and the Elek test, provided clinically relevant results in a short turnaround time, showing that the isolate was non-toxigenic. A comparative genomic analysis of the new strain (CHUV2995) with 56 other publicly available genomes of &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; revealed that the strains CHUV2995, CCUG 5865 and CMCNS703 share a lower average nucleotide identity (ANI) (95.24 to 95.39%) with the &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; NCTC 11397 &lt;sup&gt;T&lt;/sup&gt; reference genome than all other &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; genomes (&gt;98.15%). Core genome phylogeny confirmed the presence of two monophyletic clades. Based on these findings, we propose here two new &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; subspecies to replace the lineage denomination used in previous multilocus sequence typing studies: &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; subsp. &lt;i&gt;lausannense&lt;/i&gt; subsp. nov. (instead of lineage-2), regrouping strains CHUV2995, CCUG 5865, and CMCNS703, and &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; subsp. &lt;i&gt;diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; subsp. nov, regrouping all other &lt;i&gt;C. diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; in the dataset (instead of lineage-1). Interestingly, members of subspecies &lt;i&gt;lausannense&lt;/i&gt; displayed a larger genome size than subspecies &lt;i&gt;diphtheriae&lt;/i&gt; and were enriched in COG categories related to transport and metabolism of lipids (I) and inorganic ion (P). Conversely, they lacked all genes involved in the synthesis of pili (SpaA-type, SpaD-type and SpaH-type), molybdenum cofactor and of the nitrate reductase. Finally, the CHUV2995 genome is particularly enriched in mobility genes and harbors several prophages. The genome encodes a type II-C CRISPR-Cas locus with 2 spacers that lacks &lt;i&gt;csn2&lt;/i&gt; or &lt;i&gt;cas4&lt;/i&gt; , which could hamper the acquisition of new spacers and render strain CHUV2995 more susceptible to bacteriophage infections and gene acquisition through various mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer

Maternal depression and attachment: the evaluation of mother–child interactions during feeding practice

Internal working models (IWMs) of attachment can moderate the effect of maternal depression on mother-child interactions and child development. Clinical depression pre-dating birthgiving has been found to predict incoherent and less sensitive caregiving. Dysfunctional patterns observed, included interactive modes linked to feeding behaviors which may interfere with hunger-satiation, biological rhythms, and the establishment of children's autonomy and individuation. Feeding interactions between depressed mothers and their children seem to be characterized by repetitive interactive failures: children refuse food through oppositional behavior or negativity. The aim of this study was to investigate parenting skills in the context of feeding in mothers with major depression from the point of view of attachment theory. This perspective emphasizes parents' emotion, relational and affective history and personal resources. The sample consisted of 60 mother-child dyads. Mothers were divided into two groups: 30 with Major Depression and 30 without disorders. Children's age ranged between 12 and 36 months The measures employed were the Adult Attachment Interview and the Scale for the Evaluation of Alimentary Interactions between Mothers and Children. Insecure attachment prevailed in mothers with major depression, with differences on the Subjective Experience and State of Mind Scales. Groups also differed in maternal sensitivity, degrees of interactive conflicts and negative affective states, all of which can hinder the development of adequate interactive patterns during feeding. The results suggest that IWMs can constitute an indicator for the evaluation of the relational quality of the dyad and that evaluations of dyadic interactions should be considered when programming interventions

The 'I' and the 'Me' in self-referential awareness: a neurocognitive hypothesis

The nature of the 'self' and self-referential awareness has been one of the most debated issues in philosophy, psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Understanding the neurocognitive bases of self-related representation and processing is also crucial to research on the neural correlates of consciousness. The distinction between an 'I', corresponding to a subjective sense of the self as a thinker and causal agent, and a 'Me', as the objective sense of the self with the unique and identifiable features constituting one's self-image or self-concept, suggested by William James, has been re-elaborated by authors from different theoretical perspectives. In this article, empirical studies and theories about the 'I' and the 'Me' in cognition and self-related awareness are reviewed, including the relationships between self and perception, self and memory, the development of the self, self-referential stimulus processing, as well as related neuroimaging studies. Subsequently, the relations between self and different aspects of consciousness are considered. On the basis of the reviewed literature and with reference to Block's distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness, a neurocognitive hypothesis is formulated about 'I'-related and 'Me'-related self-referential awareness. This hypothesis is extended to metacognitive awareness and a form of non-transitive consciousness, characteristic of meditation experiences and studies, with particular reference to the notion of mindfulness and other Buddhist constructs

Mindfulness and the cognitive neuroscience of attention and awareness

Mindfulness can be understood as the mental ability to focus on the direct and immediate perception or monitoring of the present moment with a state of open and nonjudgmental awareness. Descriptions of mindfulness and methods for cultivating it originated in eastern spiritual traditions. These suggest that mindfulness can be developed through meditation practice to increase positive qualities such as awareness, insight, wisdom, and compassion. In this article we focus on the relationships between mindfulness, with associated meditation practices, and the cognitive neuroscience of attention and awareness. Mindful awareness is related to distributed attention, phenomenal consciousness, and momentary self-awareness, as characterized by recent findings in cognitive psychology and neuroscience as well as in influential consciousness models. Finally, we outline an integrated neurocognitive model of mindfulness, attention, and awareness, with a key role of prefrontal cortex. © 2010 by the Joint Publication Board of Zygon

The self and autobiographical memory: Correspondence and coherence

accepted for inclusion in Psychology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For mor

Maternal Mind-mindedness, Styles of Interaction, and Mother–Infant Emotion Regulation: Associations With Maternal Mental Health at Infant Age of Three Months

The study evaluated the relationship between maternal anxiety, depression and parenting stress, and maternal mind-mindedness, styles of interaction, and mother–infant emotion regulation. At infant age 3 months, EPDS, STAI, and PSI-SF were administered to 73 mothers to respectively assess depression, anxiety, and parenting stress; mother–infant interaction was coded with the mind-mindedness coding system, the CARE-Index and the Infant Caregiver Engagement Phases (ICEP). Results showed that maternal anxiety had a positive correlation with non-attuned mind-related comments, with mother’s controlling style, and with infant negative and mother negative emotional states. Maternal depression had a positive correlation with mother’s controlling style and with mother–infant dyadic negative emotion regulation. Parenting stress was associated with mother–infant emotion mismatches. To sum up, anxiety was the maternal mental health risk condition that had the greatest effect on the considered dimensions of parenting. Mind-mindedness was shown to be related to mother–infant emotion regulation, but not to sensitive style