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People can use different internal strategies to manage future intentions, but systematic research on these strategies and their significance for prospective memory (PM; remembering to perform planned intentions) performance is still quite sparse. In the present study, we examined self-reported internal strategy use with a 10-block version of the videogame EPELI in a group of 202 neurotypical adults of 18 to 50 years of age. In the game, the participants perform lists of everyday tasks from memory while navigating in a virtual apartment. Open-ended strategy reports were collected after each EPELI task block, and for comparison also after an EPELI Instruction Recall task and a Word List Learning task assessing episodic memory. On average 45% of the participants reported using some strategy in EPELI, the most common types being grouping, utilizing a familiar action schema, and condensing information. Our pre-registered hypothesis on the beneficial effect of self-initiated strategy use gained support, as strategy users showed better PM performance on EPELI as compared to no strategy users. Grouping could be identified as a clearly effective strategy type. Block-by-block transitions suggested gradual stabilization of strategy use over the 10 EPELI blocks. The proneness to use strategies showed a weak but reliable association between EPELI and Word List Learning. Overall, the present results highlight the importance of internal strategy use for understanding individual differences in PM performance, as well as the potential benefit for internal strategy employment when faced with everyday PM tasks.

In this online survey, we recruit participants who have previous experience with classical psychedelics. We aim to see how different facets of a single psychedelic experience, evaluated retrospectively, map on to functional psychological skills such as psychological flexibility / psychological inflexibility, different metaphysical worldviews, as well as different measures of well-being. Moreover, we examine how overall lifetime exposure to classical psychedelics is related to the aforementioned factors. The dataset is also used to validate a novel Multidimensional Metaphysical Beliefs Questionnaire (MMBQ) as a comprehensive tool to assess metaphysical belief changes facilitated by psychedelics.

What are the contents of psychedelic and meditation experiences, and how are they associated with wellbeing?

Study 1. In this research, the aim is to study associations between psychological well-being and different aspects of mind-wandering. Prior research has shown a negative relationship between meditation and the frequency of mind-wandering, where people who meditate more have less frequent mind-wandering episodes compared to people who do not meditate. Similar frequency-decreasing effects on mind-wandering have been found in psychedelic use. Therefore, this study will also examine the association between meditation, psychedelics, and mind-wandering. Study 2. The main focus of the study is to see whether psychological flexibility is associated with different aspects of mind-wandering when controlling for other covariates that previous research has related to mind-wandering. The secondary aim is to see whether psychological flexibility predicts the frequency of mind-wandering when taking into account the practice of different techniques for altering consciousness.

Previous research indicates positive associations between psychological well-being and spirituality/religiosity (R/S). However, the research has not considered worldview in general, such as philosophical views. The aim of this study is to examine whether worldview is associated with psychological wellbeing. Additionally, the aim is to validate a set of novel questions pertaining to worldview.

In this naturalistic survey study, we compare two groups of chronic pain patients: a) those who use medical cannabis (MC) for pain, and b) those who use opioids for pain. The aim is to find out whether the experienced effects of the two medicines on pain are different. Our hypothesis is that whereas opioids mainly affect the intensity of the pain, MC affects the pain experience in a more holistic way, e.g., affecting functionality, mood, and mindfulness. The hypothesis is based on previous qualitative research and evidence that cannabis has psychedelic properties.

This is a preregistration for the data gathering of a validation study of the web-based virtual reality game EPELI that we use to assess executive functions in people with ADHD vs. controls.

This is a study about how people categorize things. We test whether natural kind terms such as "gold" are ambiguous between two senses.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-qjp-10.1177_1747021820980301 for Stimulus novelty, task demands, and strategy use in episodic memory by Otto Waris, Daniel Fellman, Jussi Jylkkä and Matti Laine in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Pentti Määttänen (Tieteessä tapahtuu 3/2020, 65–69) tarttuu esittämääni väitteeseen, että ”[m]ieltä pidetään […] yleensä läpeensä subjektiivisena, yksityisenä ja mahdottomana havaita empiirisesti”. (Tieteessä tapahtuu 2/2020, 13–20.) Hän pitää tätä ”melkoisena yleistyksenä” ja esittää, että toisinkin on ajateltu. Tämä pitää paikkansa, ja alkuperäinen artikkelini olikin juuri tällaista toisinajattelua. Esitin nimenomaan, että subjektiivinen kokemus on konkreettinen fysikaalinen prosessi, joka voidaan periaatteessa havainnoida ja mallintaa tieteellisesti – tosin vain mallintaa, koska tieteellä ei ole pääsyä mallien ja havaintojen taakse. Määttänen myös väittää, että tekemäni vastakkainasettelu tieteen ja subjektiivisuuden välillä on ”keinotekoinen” ja jatkaa hyökkäämällä dualismia vastaan. Olen aivan samaa mieltä Määttäsen kanssa, että perinteinen substanssi- tai ominaisuusdualismi (väite, että mieli ja materia ovat täysin eri asioita) ei ole hyväksyttävä kanta. Episteemistä tai selityksellistä dualismia ei sen sijaan voi sivuuttaa olankohautuksella; se on yksi keskeisimpiä nykyajan mielenfilosofian ongelmia.

Tietoisuutemme on meille yhtäältä tutuin asia maailmassa ja toisaalta suurin mysteeri. Yhtäältä tietoisuus on luonnonilmiö, josta subjektiivinen olemassaolomme koostuu, toisaalta se on luonnonilmiö, jonka luonne on vaikea ymmärtää tieteellisesti. Psykologia on tieteenala, joka koskee mieltä tai tietoisuutta, mutta miten mieltä voi tutkia tieteellisesti?