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This experiment examined whether the tendency for people to adhere to rules or instructions that no longer occasion effective action, depends on the: 1) source (self-versus socially-generated) and/or 2) nature (plys or tracks) of the rule. This was done by providing participants with either instructions (i.e., a ply or track) or no-instructions about the contingencies operating in a Matching To Sample (MTS) task. During the first phase of this task instructed and non-instructed contingencies overlapped. However, halfway through the task, the non-instructed contingencies reversed so that now instructed and non-instructed contingencies conflicted. Overall, the results indicated that after the non-instructed contingency reversal participants adhered more to 1) socially- as opposed to self-generated rules and 2) plys compared to tracks.Keywords Pliance * Tracking * Rule-governed behavior * Insensitivity effect, A defining feature of human behavior is the ability to generate and follow a variety of verbal rules or instructions, such as 'I should stop at a red traffic light [...]

Evaluative conditioning (EC) is the valence change of a (typically neutral) stimulus (CS) that is due to the previous pairing with another (typically valent) stimulus (US). It has been repeatedly shown that EC effects are stronger or existent only if participants know which US was paired with which CS. Knowledge of the CS-US pairings is usually measured temporally close to both the conditioning phase and the CS valence measurement phase. Hence, the relation between EC and knowledge about the pairings could indicate either that participants need to become aware of the pairings at some point or that they need to remember them during the CS valence test. We isolated the impact of memory during the CS valence test in a study that encompassed two sessions. During the first session, participants were presented with CS-US pairings. The valence of the CSs was measured in a second session several days later using both a rating scale and an affective priming procedure. Memory for the pairings was measured both during the first and the second session. Using item-based multilevel analysis, we found that EC in the second session was related to memory for the pairings during the second session, but not to the memory for the pairings measured immediately after the learning phase. For the pairs that were remembered during the first session, but not during the second session, no EC effect was found. These results suggest that memory for CS-US pairings during valence measurement can be relevant for EC effects to occur. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

Objective: Child soldiering can be considered as one of the worst practices of institutionalized child abuse. However, little is known about the scope and nature of this abuse and the consequent experiences of children enrolled in an armed faction. This research aims at enriching the knowledge on the experiences of child soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. Methods: The databases of 4 former Interim Care Centres for returned child soldiers in northern Uganda, comprising socio-demographic information of 8,790 returnees, and additional data from the Rachele Rehabilitation Centre on war-related experiences of 1,995 former child soldiers, are analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance and regression analysis. Results: During on average 1.5 years in captivity, nearly all participants had various war-related experiences, whereby 88% witnessed and 76% forcibly participated in atrocities. Variations in exposure to warfare appear to be mainly associated with age of abduction, duration of captivity, location of captivity, being military trained, and being a rebel's wife. Conclusions: These findings testify to the vastness of abuse lived through by the child soldiers in this study. They fulfilled a multifaceted position in the LRA, which delivers a range of potential direct and indirect consequences. The variables decisive in differential experiences unveil trends in the strategic abduction by the LRA and in differential exposure to warfare among child soldiers. Implications: The variation in exposure to warfare urges for an individualized approach and monitoring of returning child soldiers. In order to address the potential indirect impact of child soldiering, support also needs to be oriented towards the child's network, based on a socio-ecological approach. (Contains 1 figure and 7 tables.)