Psychology Commons^™

Laboratory Animal Research Ethics: A Practical, Educational Approach., Jennifer Perry, Nancy Dess

Nancy K Dess

Engaging in research of any kind is a privilege that carries with it weighty ethical responsibilities and opportunities. Laboratory (“lab”) animal research is a scholarly enterprise that has played an important role in the development of psychology as a science, including the development of its ethical dimensions. Much has been written on the subject, and a thorough review is beyond the scope of this chapter. Here, we articulate a practical, educational approach to the ethical care and use of lab animals in psychology in the United States. The usefulness of our suggestions will vary depending on readers’ prior knowledge, as …

Relational Self-Construal And The Process Of Forming New Relationships, Shawn Butcher, Jonathan Gore

Jonathan Gore

The present study examined the relationship between relational self-construal and the types of questions and answers that an individual gives upon first meeting another person. We predicted that a participant’s relational self-construal would positively correlate with the amount of relational questions asked and negatively with the amount of superficial questions asked, as well as positively correlating with word count, relational answers, and emotional answers. A negative correlation between participant’s relational self-construal and factual answers was also predicted. One hundred fourteen participants were asked to select 10 questions from a list of questions that would allow them to get to know …

Sitting At The Nexus Of Epistemological Traditions: Narrative Psychological Perspectives On Self-Knowledge, Jonathan Adler

Jonathan M. Adler

To inquire about self knowledge implicitly suggests that there is a self that can be known in a verifiable way. Several psychological disciplines have developed creative and innovative methods for identifying and overcoming barriers to assessing the self in an objective manner. Yet from the perspectives adopted by the growing field of narrative psychology, the very mission of identifying objective self-knowledge is fraught. One of the most exciting elements of the field of narrative psychology is its location at the nexus of two epistemological traditions. On the one hand, narrative psychologists share many of the same concerns with validity, reliability, …

Subtle Cognitive Impairment In Elders With Mini-Mental State Examination Scores Within The ‘Normal’ Range, Tim Friedman, G Yelland, S Robinson

Dr Tim Friedman

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is commonly used as a screening test for dementia, yet MMSE scores above the cut-off for dementia (24–30) are widely thought to have limited utility, particularly in older persons. The study investigates whether scores within this range can be indicative of pre-symptomatic levels of cognitive impairment. Ninety-six community-dwelling older persons aged 62–89 years (mean = 75.2 years), who had obtained MMSE scores between 25 and 30, were tested on the computer-based Subtle Cognitive Impairment Test (SCIT). Compared with individuals who obtained a perfect score of 30 on the MMSE, individuals with scores of 28–29 made …

Autism Spectrum Traits Predict The Neural Response To Eye Gaze In Typical Individuals., Lauri Nummenmaa, Andrew Engell, Elisabeth Von Dem Hagen, Richard Henson, Andy Calder

Andrew Engell