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The most recent conceptualizations of empathy recognize affective empathy as distinct from cognitive empathy. Consequently, instruments that assess these 2 types of empathy have been developed. Among them, the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) is a particularly promising, relatively new, self-report measure consisting of 31 items. To examine the cross-cultural adaptability of the QCAE, we investigated the psychometric properties of an Italian version in 2 samples and with 2 different formats of administration. Study 1 (n = 407) used archival data collected via paper and pencil; Study 2 (n = 285) used newly collected data, obtained with an online format. In these studies, in addition to the QCAE, 6 other instruments measuring empathy-related constructs (i.e., interpersonal competence, well-being, personality traits, emotion regulation, alexithymia, and emotion recognition) were administered, too. Data analysis focused on factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity. The findings of both studies provide support for the cross-cultural applicability of the QCAE, and reveal interesting associations between empathy and the other constructs under examination.

Word affective ratings are important tools in psycholinguistic research, natural language processing, and many other fields. However, even for well-studied languages, such norms are usually limited in scale. To extrapolate affective (i.e., valence and arousal) values for words in the SUBTLEX-CH database (Cai & Brysbaert, 2010, PLoS ONE, 5(6):e10729), we implemented a computational neural network which captured how words' vector-based semantic representations corresponded to the probability densities of their valence and arousal. Based on these probability density functions, we predicted not only a word's affective values, but also their respective degrees of variability that could characterize individual differences in human affective ratings. The resulting estimates of affective values largely converged with human ratings for both valence and arousal, and the estimated degrees of variability also captured important features of the variability in human ratings. We released the extrapolated affective values, together with their corresponding degrees of variability, for over 38,000 Chinese words in the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/s9zmd/ ). We also discussed how the view of embodied cognition could be illuminated by this computational model., (© 2023. The Psychonomic Society, Inc.)

Aim: In this study a computer-assisted cognitive training programme (CAT) was compared to a paper-pencil-cognitive training and evaluated in psychiatric patients for its effects on neuropsychological parameters, mood and dysfunctional cognitions., Methods: A total of 29 subjects were randomized either to the computer group or the paper-pencil group. Both groups underwent 20 sessions cognitive training. At the beginning and at the end of the training, both groups were given neuropsychological tests (memory, attention, concentration and information processing speed) and also questionnaires to assess depressive mood, thoughts, negative self communication and locus of control., Results: At the start of the study, both the groups were comparable in demographic, diagnostic, neuropsychological and almost cognitive parameters. Compared to the baseline values, only the computer group improves significantly in mood and increases its positive self-verbalisation. In both groups no remarkable changes were found in the neuropsychological parameters., Conclusion: According to these results a computer-assisted cognitive training programme might primarily have a positive influence on mood than in parameters of performance and thus could be a very interesting therapeutic tool in the treatment of psychiatric patients.

Background: Longitudinal mood instability is the essential feature of bipolar disorder, however most rating scales are cross sectional in nature, and focus on acute symptoms. By contrast, the NIMH Life Chart Methodology (LCM) characterizes in detail the severity, duration, and frequency of mood episodes. Adherence to daily rating, however, tends to be low. In this study an online version of the LCM, designed to enhance adherence, was compared to the standard paper version., Methods: Patients from a mood disorders specialty clinic were randomized to the standard LCM or an online, open-source adaptation. The online version used hypertext links embedded in a daily email as the primary rating interface. Participants rated for 90 days. The total number of days rated and the number of days with complete data were compared for the two groups., Results: Forty-eight patients participated in the study. The online group rated approximately twice as many days compared to the standard group (44.3 versus 20.4, p=.029). The online group also entered complete data for a larger portion of days (55.2% versus 27.7%, p=.039)., Limitations: This was a small, short-term study. The implications for longer-term rating are unclear., Conclusions: Despite the advantages of documenting mood fluctuation on a daily basis, the LCM is not commonly used, in part because ensuring adequate adherence can be resource intensive. An easily accessible online adaptation that utilizes email checking behavior can make this tool available to a wider range of patients.

We developed a paper test utilizing a mechanism for measuring implicit association similar to that used in the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998). The target concepts were buried among positive and negative words on a piece of paper. Examinees marked the targets as "bad" or "good" in one task and conversely in the other, along with the evaluative words. Instead of reaction times, we counted the number of words marked in 20 sec for each task. This procedure allowed group administration. We calculated the implicit measure using the difference in the average number of words marked in the task pairs. The results of a test administered to 82 undergraduates with three different targets showed significant correlations (rs = .26-.35) with the results of IAT administered to the same participants. It also showed significant reliability (rs = .56-.71). We discuss the practical usability of the test with application studies conducted in various areas.

The ontogenesis of moods and the process that establishes them is addressed. Moods arise out of normal developmental processes at both a macro- and micro-developmental level. Moods are part of normal development as well as a component of pathological processes and they are a ubiquitous presence that gives meaning to experience in infant and adult during daily life and therapy. In this first part of a two-part paper I will address the normal development of moods; in the second part I will to address issues related to psychopathology and therapy, especially depression and the intergenerational transfer of mood. I argue that moods are dyadic phenomena--something that develops out of the chronic co-creative interactions of two individuals--rather than solely being an intrapsychic process. I will also argue, especially when one considers the development of moods in infants, that moods make sense of the world as components of states of consciousness that give unique meaning to the individual's engagement with the world and further that moods function to bring the past into the present.

In the Round Table discussion after the keynote lecture given by anthropologist Laura Lakshmi Fjord, presentations were given by Anna-Lena Tvingstedt, psychologist, PhD and research fellow, Malmö University College, Sweden; by Brita Edlund, Sign Language teacher and chair of the Finnish/Swedish association for parents of deaf children, Finland; by Dusan Kuhar, psychologist and family therapist at the Education center for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Ljubljana, Slovenia and by Felicity Gifford, teacher of the deaf, State Coordinator of Services to Deaf and Hearing Impaired students, Department of Education, Tasmania, Australia. The focus of the session was set on needs and processes in a family when the diagnosis of a deaf child has just been given. This paper is a summary of the four presentations.

The use of computerized psychological assessment is a growing practice among contemporary mental health professionals. Many popular and frequently used paper-and-pencil instruments have been adapted into computerized versions. Although equivalence for many instruments has been evaluated and supported, this issue is far from resolved. This literature review deals with recent research findings that suggest that computer aversion negatively impacts computerized assessment, particularly as it relates to measures of negative affect. There is a dearth of equivalence studies that take into account computer aversion's potential impact on the measurement of negative affect. Recommendations are offered for future research in this area.

Background: Individuals with idiopathic adult-onset isolated cervical dystonia (CD) may have cognitive difficulties and increased mood challenges. Social cognition and executive functioning may be particularly affected., Objective: To explore social cognition and executive functioning performance in individuals with CD, using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), as previous research has used traditional, nondigital neuropsychological assessments. We sought to investigate the relationships between social cognition, executive functioning, mood, and disability in individuals with CD., Methods: We recruited 37 individuals with CD, including 26 women with an age range of 33 to 69 years (M = 56.64, SD = 8.31) from a dystonia clinic in a hospital neurology department. The individuals completed selected tasks from the CANTAB measuring social cognition and executive functioning. We compared the individuals' performance with CANTAB normative data. Depression, anxiety, disease severity, and disability were measured., Results: The individuals with CD had significantly lower scores than the CANTAB normative data in both social cognition and executive functioning tasks, with the largest differences evident in problem-solving, attention, and positive emotion bias tasks. Poorer emotion recognition was associated with increased difficulties in problem-solving tasks. The individuals demonstrated a bias toward identifying happiness in facial affect, which was related to a poorer recognition of emotions. Cognitive performance was not related to CD severity or disability or to current mood symptoms., Conclusion: Difficulties with both social cognition and executive functioning were identified in the individuals with CD, and are likely important targets for clinical interventions., Competing Interests: M.H. has received research grants from Dystonia Ireland, Merrion Neuroscience Foundation, and the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Profile of Mood States was printed on four different colors of paper (yellow, red, green, blue) and white to test whether the color of paper would influence mood state scores of 246 college students. Univariate analyses of variance identified color effects only on the Fatigue scale.

Our objective was to evaluate a new electronic visual analogue scale (VAS) system for logging subjective motivation to eat ratings. In total, 10 men and 10 women completed both electronic and traditional pen and paper versions of the questionnaire every hour of the waking day. Subjects consumed a standard medium-fat diet, which was fixed at 1.6.BMR. Correlation coefficients for scores obtained by both methods were significant for all questions, with R(2) values ranging from 67 to 87%. However, Bland and Altman plots and paired t-tests identified significant bias between the two methods for five of the nine individual questions. These were questions that tended to be scored more towards the ends of the VAS. The new electronic VAS produces comparable, but not interchangeable, results to the traditional pen and paper method in the study of appetite and mood, while offering advantages of improved reliability in data collection.

This study compared changes in cognitive, affective and postural aspects of interaction during shared mother and child book reading on screen and on paper. Readers commonly express strong preferences for reading on paper, but several studies have shown marginal, if any, effects of text medium on cognitive outcomes such as recall. Shared reading with a parent is an engaging, affective and embodied experience across time, as well as a cognitive task, so it is important to understand how paper vs. screen affects broader aspects of these shared experiences. Mid-childhood sees a steep rise in screen use alongside a shift from shared to independent reading. We assessed how the medium of paper or screen might alter children’s shared reading experiences at this transitional age. Twenty-four 7- to 9-year-old children and their mothers were videotaped sharing a story book for 8 minutes in each of 4 conditions: mother or child as reader, paper or tablet screen as medium. We rated videotapes for interaction warmth and child engagement by minute and analysed dyadic postural synchrony, mothers’ commentaries and quality of children’s recall, also interviewing participants about their experiences of reading and technology. We found no differences in recall quality but interaction warmth was lower for screen than for paper, and dropped over time, notably when children read on screen. Interactions also differed between mother-led and child-led reading. We propose that mother - child posture for paper reading supported more shared activity and argue that cultural affordances of screens, together with physical differences between devices, support different behaviours that affect shared engagement, with implications for the design and use of digital technology at home and at school. We advocate studying embodied and affective aspects of shared reading to understand the overall implications of screens in children’s transition to independent reading.

Background: Negative interpersonal interactions are associated with acute increases in ambulatory blood pressure (ABP). Yet, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear., Purpose: This study tested whether negative interpersonal interactions predict higher ABP both in the moment and during subsequent observations, and whether increases in negative mood mediate these relations. These associations were tested among Black and Hispanic urban adults who may be at higher risk for negative interpersonal interactions as a function of discrimination. Race/ethnicity and lifetime discrimination were tested as moderators., Methods: Using a 24-hr ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design, 565 Black and Hispanic participants (aged 23-65, M = 39.06, SD = 9.35; 51.68% men) had their ABP assessed every 20 min during daytime accompanied by an assessment of negative interpersonal interactions and mood. This produced 12,171 paired assessments of ABP and self-reports of participants' interpersonal interactions, including how much the interaction made them feel left out, harassed, and treated unfairly, as well as how angry, nervous, and sad they felt., Results: Multilevel models revealed that more intense negative interpersonal interactions predicted higher momentary ABP. Mediation analyses revealed that increased negative mood explained the relationship between negative interpersonal interactions and ABP in concurrent and lagged analyses. Discrimination was associated with more negative interpersonal interactions, but neither race/ethnicity nor lifetime discrimination moderated findings., Conclusions: Results provide a clearer understanding of the psychobiological mechanisms through which interpersonal interactions influence cardiovascular health and may contribute to health disparities. Implications include the potential for just-in-time interventions to provide mood restoring resources after negative interactions., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The papers in this issue provide an excellent example of how pertinent distinctions which emerge from analysis of significant data sets can be communicated to colleagues and used to make sense of observations. The distinctions are vividly described, illustrated and exemplified, and used to chart maturation in student use of examples from middle school, through high school and into university. Curiously, no corresponding maturation was detected in students' choice of examples to use for themselves. Contrast was detected between the way students used the same examples for comprehending a conjecture and testing its validity, and the way that some mathematicians used specifically constructed examples for locating underlying structure. What emerged for me from reading these papers is confirmation of the central role of attention, the productiveness of engaging students at the earliest ages and throughout their schooling with the detection and expression of generality, and the importance of being explicit about the scope of generality encompassed by a claim. Purposeful use of examples by students could be expected to develop as teachers explicitly use examples purposefully with and for students. A reasonable conjecture might be that getting students to be explicit about the scope of generality, of possible variation of which they are aware, might shed light on obstacles and barriers to reasoning which might otherwise lead to proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On ten loose handwritten folios dating back from April 1679, Leibniz gradually devised, in the course of three days, a full-blown theory of thought that nonetheless remained unpublished and still has received little attention from scholars. Conceiving of affectūs as the driving forces that set the mind in motion from one thought to another and passiones as the inertia opposing such movement, this manuscript results in a systematic psychology understood as a dynamics of thoughts modelled on the mechanical laws of motion for solid bodies. Delving into Leibniz's working papers to witness the unfolding of his thoughts, I propose to pay attention to the many intellectual operations that paved the way for his metaphysics. From his reading notes on Descartes to his syllogistically redefining a set of concepts and propositions, Leibniz here defines an affective theory of cognition and sets the first foundations of a combinatorial ontology: his socalled scientia generalis. Focusing on the material practices that govern his use of paper, I would like to show that Leibniz's conceptual mechanization of cognition is materially dependent on a practical automation of reasoning reduced to a propositional calculus on paper. Eventually, this contribution is a plea for a media-historical reading of Leibniz's working papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a performative effort to move with and through the expressive and theoretical spaces of an interest in rhythm. This interest emerges initially from the middle of an encounter with the 5 Rhythms™, a contemporary somatic practice that uses rhythm to facilitate and catalyse expressive movement. Rather than seeking to excavate representational meaning from an encounter with the practice or using it to critically diagnose the corporeal politics of contemporary society, this paper apprehends the creative movement emerging from an encounter with/in the non-representational, performative potential of the 5 Rhythms™. By becoming a deliberately playful effort to hold onto the lines of movement emergent from the affective, kinaesthetic territories of this practice, the paper works to avoid either falling back upon a representational ethics that stops this movement dead in its tracks or becoming seduced by an aesthetics of weightless escape. This effort draws particular support from Deleuze and Guattari''s writing on the refrain, a concept that provides a vehicle through which the lines of an interest in rhythm gain expressive and theoretical consistency. Because the territories of the refrain open onto lines of movement that are as much figural as discursive, the paper works to animate the lines of movement emerging from an encounter with the 5 Rhythms™ through a series of non-representational diagrammatic interventions. Finally, in drawing the diagrammatic lines of this movement in-between, the paper becomes not so much a series of lines about moving, but a series of lines moving about. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]