Inhibition and Heart Rate Variability in Experimentally Induced Pain.

Introduction: Pain is a complex experience that requires executive functions (EFs) to be processed. The autonomic outcome of the neural networks involved in the cognitive evaluation of pain is reflected by heart rate variability (HRV), an index of self-regulation abilities. Although some results suggest a relationship between HRV, EFs, and pain, studies focusing on this three-way relationship are still scarce. Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between pain, cognitive, and autonomic mechanisms, hypothesizing an association between resting HRV and both cognitive and motor inhibition as indices of executive functioning. This relationship was investigated after an experimental-induced pain. Methods: Seventy-six young adults were exposed to the Cold Pressure Arm Warp to induce experimental pain. HRV was collected, and cognitive tasks were administered to assess executive performance. Results: The results showed that (1) HRV indices significantly increased during pain stimulation, (2) cognitive inhibition was positively correlated with vagal indices and with pain parameters, (3) both inhibition tasks significantly predicted pain threshold while the performance on the Stroop Task predicted pain tolerance. Conclusion: Results suggest a three-way relationship. Further research would focus on the role of HRV and cognitive strategies in pain management in chronic pain conditions.

The Perception of Water Contamination and Risky Consumption in El Salvador from a Community Clinical Psychology Perspective.

This study was carried out as part of the international cooperation project "Agua Futura" for the improvement of water resource management and the promotion of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behaviors in rural communities of Central America. Given the relevant healthcare problem of water pollution, especially in El Salvador, the aim was to detect some key factors affecting the perception of water contamination and its risky consumption from a community clinical psychological perspective. Ninety rural inhabitants of El Salvador were administered a structured interview exploring their perceptions about water quality and the impact of water consumption on health. Data were analyzed through a computer-aided thematic analysis-complemented by a qualitative analysis-allowing the detection of sense-making processes based on lexical variability. Different themes were identified with regard to the perception of water quality (i.e., mistrust, danger, and safety) and the beliefs about the impact of water consumption on health (i.e., rationalization, denial, awareness, displacement, and isolation of affect). The results showed heterogeneous perspectives about water quality and sanitation. However, the perceived negative impact of water consumption on health was mostly denied or minimized through massive distortions. Overall, the study highlights the role of defensive patterns in facing issues of water contamination, which may prevent the community from adopting healthy behaviors and adequate water management behaviors.

Understanding care relationships in diabetes practice: A psychodynamic interview-based exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the subjective experience of physicians working in diabetic settings about their care relationships in order to find some unique clues contributing to physician professional health and capacity to manage patients' adherence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: An interview-based exploratory study has been carried out involving 18 physicians (77.8% female) with at least 3 years of clinical practice in diabetes care. In-depth interviews about the emotional experience with patients with diabetes were conducted and audio recorded. Interviews transcripts were analyzed through a computer-based text analysis which allowed the identification of thematic domains (Cluster Analysis) and latent factors (Correspondence Analysis) viewed through a psychodynamic and constructivist lens. RESULTS: Six thematic domains emerged respectively referring to: Concern (8.43%), Control (14.42%), Ambivalence (22.08%), Devotion (22.49%), Guilt (19.29%) and Strive for Achievement (13.30%). Moreover, three latent dimensions were taken into account, which explained 69.20% of data variance: Affect Repression (28.50%), Tendency to Repair (22.70%) and Anxiety Pattern (18.00%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results of the present study confirm the challenging nature of diabetes care. In particular, physicians ongoing effort to restore patients' psychological integrity in chronic condition constitute the most novel finding above all. In this regard, the need for emotional labor in physicians' education and training is suggested in order to both prevent burnout symptoms (e.g. depersonalization) and promote shared decision making in care relationships. However, findings should be treated as preliminary given the convenience nature of the sample and its reduced size.

The need to restore generative identity in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology: Development and psychometric validation of the fertility reparation inventory.

OBJECTIVE: This study described the development and psychometric evaluation of the fertility reparation inventory, providing measures of manic and expiatory reparation as symbolic dynamics of restoring one's procreative and generative identity through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). METHODS: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted on female patients undergoing ART (N = 150) and women from the general population (N = 250), respectively. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis assessed construct validity and reliability. Pearson's bivariate correlations were used to provide convergent evidence of validity with omnipotence, perceived infertility-related stress, anxiety, depression, need for reparation, fear of punishment, and hope. RESULTS: The results confirmed a two-factor solution of the 12-item instrument, with adequate fit, a very good internal consistency, and well-supported forms of convergent validity. CONCLUSION: This study provides a meaningful psychodynamic contribution, in both theoretical and empirical terms, for the understanding of emotional dynamics and psychological issues underlying the demand for ART.

Cross-cultural validation and psychometric testing of the counseling center assessment of psychological symptoms: experience of Serbia.

Psychological distress in university students represents a rising public health concern. The complexity of this phenomenon calls for a more in-depth scrutiny, in order to address the wide diversity of mental health issues that may arise in this population. The instrument designed for the purpose of measuring the student-specific distress is needed. An appropriate tool is the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 62 (CCAPS-62), multidimensional scale widely used at many universities. The objective of the present study was to translate, culturally adapt and psychometrically validate CCAPS-62 in Serbian student population. A total of 1326 Belgrade University students were recruited from twelve different faculties. Considering the possible culturally conditioned differences in the quality of distress both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The results of the exploratory factor analysis supported the eight-factor model with the item composition of the factors different to a certain extent from the original version. This measurement model was verified by confirmatory factor analysis. Findings demonstrated good internal consistency for the total scale as well as for the eight subscales applied among Serbian students. Implications are discussed with respect to the cultural context of mental health concerns in student population.

The Broken Heart: The Role of Life Events in Takotsubo Syndrome.

The onset of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as stress cardiomyopathy, is thought to be associated with some life events. This study focuses on clarifying life event characteristics and the role of triggers in the onset of TTS. Participants with TTS (n = 54) were compared to those with acute myocardial infarction (AMI; n = 52) and healthy individuals (n = 54). Using a modified version of the Interview for Recent Life Events, information about general life events perceived as stressful and triggers preceding the onset of a cardiac syndrome was collected. The assessment included the impact of these events as indicated by the participants and estimated by the interviewer; finally, the objective impact was considered. Although the number of events and the objective impact did not differ among the groups, patients with TTS reported a more negative perceived impact. Moreover, 61% of these patients objectively and subjectively reported a more stressful trigger before the onset of the disease (in the 24 h preceding the cardiac event) than those reported by patients with AMI. The dynamic between life events and individual responses could help differentiate TTS from other cardiovascular events, such as AMI. This study suggests that patients' perception of some life events (whether triggers or general life events) could represent a possible marker of TTS.

Teachers' Implicit Attitudes Toward Ethnic Minority Students: A Systematic Review.

Although instruments to assess implicit attitudes were introduced more than 20 years ago, still there are few studies in the field of education that use them, despite the evidence that teachers with negative implicit attitudes can negatively affect the academic performance of their students. This review aims to summarize the results of studies that investigated the relationship between implicit ethnic attitudes of teachers and achievement of students. The review was conducted according to PRISMA-statement through searches in the scientific database PsychINFO, PsycARTICLES, and ERIC. Nineteen studies were included. Results show that overall teachers (from different school levels and different countries) hold negative implicit attitudes toward ethnic minority students, which play an important role in affecting the academic path of these groups of students. This review highlights the need to continue to use implicit attitudes procedures in future researches, in order to identify those factors that may contribute to the formation and expression of implicit attitudes of teachers; and the need to increase awareness of the implicit attitudes and multicultural practices of teachers in teaching programs.

Why do Italian psychology graduates dream of becoming psychotherapists? A study on decision-making in undertaking psychotherapy / ¿Por qué los licenciados en psicología italianos sueñan con convertirse en psicoterapeutas? Un estudio sobre la toma de decisiones para emprender la formación psicoterapéutica

Resumen El estudio es cuali-cuantitativo y utiliza métodos mixtos y el reclutamiento de una muestra accidental. Se administró un cuestionario en línea (con preguntas abiertas sobre el reconocimiento de problemas/necesidades, búsqueda de información, evaluación de alternativas, compras y resultados post-compra) a psicólogos graduados interesados en la formación o ya formados en psicoterapia (como tipos de participantes encuestados), con 549 participantes (86 % mujeres, Medad = 36.27 años). La estrategia de análisis incluyó el análisis del texto (utilizando el software T-Lab) para examinar las respuestas e identificar los temas principales de cada pregunta abierta. El siguiente paso implicó el desarrollo y la aplicación de categorías de contenido para codificar respuestas textuales en las diferentes preguntas. Luego, se realizó un análisis de conglomerados para agrupar a los participantes a partir de los temas identificados. El papel de las motivaciones en la formación psicoterapéutica es un tema que recibe gran atención en la investigación en psicoterapia. Esto es particularmente relevante en el contexto italiano, donde el panorama general de la formación psicoterapéutica parece ser bastante complejo, dada la situación muy diferente sobre la disponibilidad y las modalidades de formación en psicoterapia, el exceso de oferta en relación con la demanda y los consiguientes problemas de subempleo y dificultades económicas para los psicoterapeutas. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar las expectativas asociadas con la formación psicoterapéutica de los graduados de psicología italianos, contribuyendo así a mejorar la oferta educativa de formación en psicoterapia de las escuelas públicas y privadas y a proporcionar mayor información, transparencia y calidad de servicio. En concreto, este estudio examina el proceso de toma de decisiones para emprender la formación psicoterapéutica, incluyendo el uso de fuentes de información, el análisis de las opciones formativas, los factores clave de compra y la potencial satisfacción con las elecciones realizadas. El estudio es cuali-cuantitativo y utiliza métodos mixtos y el reclutamiento de una muestra accidental. Se administró un cuestionario en línea (con preguntas abiertas sobre el reconocimiento de problemas/necesidades, búsqueda de información, evaluación de alternativas, compras y resultados post-compra) a psicólogos graduados interesados en la formación o ya formados en psicoterapia (como tipos de participantes encuestados), con 549 participantes (86 % mujeres, Medad = 36.27 años). La estrategia de análisis incluyó el análisis del texto (utilizando el software T-Lab) para examinar las respuestas e identificar los temas principales de cada pregunta abierta. El siguiente paso implicó el desarrollo y la aplicación de categorías de contenido para codificar respuestas textuales en las diferentes preguntas. Luego, se realizó un análisis de conglomerados para agrupar a los participantes a partir de los temas identificados. En general, los resultados mostraron un enfoque débil en el desarrollo de la carrera (tema informado por solo el 50.6 % de los participantes), ya que la toma de decisiones está determinada principalmente por intereses personales y características individuales y se basa en la brecha percibida en la formación académica previa. Asimismo, los resultados sugirieron el uso de estrategias rígidas que orientan el proceso de toma de decisiones, una demanda indefinida y confusa de formación de posgrado y el predominio de preocupaciones logísticas, económicas y aspectos organizacionales dentro de una lógica de costo-beneficio. A través del análisis de conglomerados se identificaron tres grupos de participantes (respectivamente de 14.6 %, 51.2 % y 34.2 %), que eran diferentes en edad [F (2, 455) = 11.878, p < .001] y tipo de encuestados [χ² (4, N = 459) = 27.588, p < .001]. Dichos grupos se caracterizaron por diferentes factores clave para seleccionar una escuela de psicoterapia, preferencias de orientación y motivaciones para la formación en psicoterapia (p < .05, con un nivel de confianza del 95 %). Es necesario reconocer algunas limitaciones con respecto al presente estudio, como su carácter exploratorio, el uso de una muestra accidental y el potencial sesgo de autoselección, que no permiten la generalización de los resultados. En cuanto a las implicaciones teóricas, se subraya la relevancia de los intereses y motivaciones personales en las decisiones para la formación psicoterapéutica. El uso de constructos de adaptabilidad de carrera y reparación podría ser fructífero para comprender hasta qué punto tales elecciones están realmente orientadas a desarrollar recursos y conocimientos personales o implican patrones defensivos para remediar una identidad profesional defectuosa como psicólogos. Sobre las implicaciones prácticas, también se trazan algunas recomendaciones para la mejora de la provisión de formación en psicoterapia.

Abstract The role of potential motivations for psychotherapy training is receiving growing attention in the context of psychotherapy research. The present study examines the entire decision-making process for undertaking psychotherapy training in Italian psychology graduates. This is a quali-quantitative study using mixed methods and recruiting from a convenience sample. An on-line questionnaire - with open-ended questions about problem/need recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase, and post-purchase outcomes - was administered to psychology graduates interested in, undertaking or having already completed psychotherapy training (as types of respondents), overall including 549 participants (86 % females, Mage = 36.27 years). The strategy of analysis consisted of computer-aided text analysis (by using T-Lab software) and content analysis for examining responses and identifying the main themes for each open-ended question. Then, a cluster analysis was performed for grouping respondents from the previously detected themes. Three different clusters of participants were detected (respectively composed of 14.6 %, 51.2 % and 34.2 %) that were different by age, F (2, 455) = 11.878, p < .001, and type of respondents, χ² (4, N = 459) = 27.588, p < .001. Such clusters were mainly featured by different key factors for selecting a psychotherapy school, orientation preferences and motivations for psychotherapy training (p < .05, at 95 % confidence level). Overall, the results highlighted the perception of a gap in previous academic training, a reduced focus on professional development and the use of rigid strategies as critical issues related to the decision to undertake psychotherapy training.

The Cognitive Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Members of the General Population in Italy: A Preliminary Study on Executive Inhibition.

The pandemic period which has characterized the last two years has been associated with increasingly worsening psychological conditions, and previous studies have reported severe levels of anxiety, mood disorder, and psychopathological alteration in the general population. In particular, worldwide populations have appeared to present post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Surprisingly, no studies have evaluated the effect of COVID-related PTSS on cognitive functioning. This study focused on the association between high levels of PTSS related to COVID-19 and alterations in executive functioning by considering executive inhibitions in populations not infected by the virus. Ninety respondents from the Italian population participated in the study. A higher percentage of PTSS was reported. Moreover, respondents with high post-traumatic symptomatology presented deficits in the inhibition of preponderant responses, demonstrating an executive deficit which could be expressed by a difficulty in controlling goal-directed actions. This was underlined by worse performances in elaborating incongruent stimuli in the Stroop task and no-go stimuli in the Go/No-Go task. This report presents preliminary findings underlining the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive functions. The results confirmed a persistently higher post-traumatic symptomatology related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Italian population and highlighted an association with cognitive inhibition impairment.

The Night Side of Blood Pressure: Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping and Emotional (dys)Regulation.

Introduction: The dipping phenomenon is a physiological drop in blood pressure (around 10-20%) during sleep and represents an event related to the circadian blood pressure trend. This phenomenon, in some cases, is characterized by some alterations that can be expressed by an increase (extreme dipping), a decrease (non-dipping), or a reverse (i.e., higher blood pressure during sleep compared to awake state; reverse-dipping) physiological decline of blood pressure. Few studies focused on the association between the circadian variation of blood pressure and psychological variables, although this information could help understanding how psychological characteristics (e.g., emotional regulation or dysregulation) interact with individuals' physiological processes. Given the association between emotional dysregulation and essential hypertension, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and dipping status in a sample of healthy and hypertensive adults in the absence of other medical conditions. Methods: Two hundred and ten adults took part in the study and were classified, according to ambulatorial blood pressure measure (ABPM), into three groups: dippers (n = 70), non-dippers (n = 70), and extreme dippers (n = 70). The participants completed a socio-demographic and anamnestic interview and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20). Results: The ANOVAs on the TAS-20 subscales showed that the groups differed in the difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings. In both the subscales, dippers showed lower scores than non-dippers and extreme dippers. The ANOVA on the global score of TAS-20 confirmed that dippers were less alexithymic than both extreme dippers and non-dippers. Conclusions: This study confirms that some psychological factors, like alexithymia, could represent a characteristic of patients who fail to exhibit an adaptive dipping phenomenon. Moreover, an association between an excessive reduction of BP (extreme dipping) or a lack of the decrease of BP during sleep (non-dipping) and a worse emotional regulation, considering alexithymia construct, was highlighted for the first time, confirming the relevant role of the emotional process in the modulation of an essential psychophysiological process such as the circadian variation of BP.

The Night Effect of Anger: Relationship with Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping.

INTRODUCTION: The circadian pattern of blood pressure is characterized by a physiological drop occurring after sleep onset. The alteration of this phenomenon (non-dipping, extreme dipping, or reverse dipping) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Besides altered autonomic and endocrine circadian rhythms, psychological aspects seem to play a role in this modification. However, the few studies that have analyzed the influence of psychological dimensions on the dipping phenomenon have reported inconsistent results. This study aimed to examine the relationship between anger expression and blood pressure (BP) dipping. METHODS: We obtained 24 h ambulatory BP measurements from 151 participants and used them to define three groups according to their dipping status: Dippers (N = 65), Non-Dippers (N = 42), and Extreme Dippers (N = 44). Sociodemographic and anamnestic information was collected, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory was used to assess anger. RESULTS: Analysis of variance evidenced significant higher scores for Trait Anger Temperament and Anger Expression in Extreme Dippers than in both Dippers and Non-Dippers. However, after controlling for confounding variables, there was no significant relationship with trait anger, and only the result concerning the suppression of anger was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the analysis of some psychological factors, such as anger, could be necessary to better understand differences in nocturnal BP alterations. Trait anger and suppression of anger may contribute to the description and classification of patients who exhibit a maladaptive dipping phenomenon. However, modifiable (i.e., cigarette consumption) and unmodifiable (i.e., age) risk factors appear to mediate this relationship. Although further studies are necessary to explore this association, these results highlight that some aspects of anger can represent risk factors or markers of maladaptive modulation of the dipping phenomenon.

What About Fertility Staff Emotions? An Explorative Analysis of Healthcare Professionals' Subjective Perspective.

Infertility-related psychological research is traditionally oriented to analyze the wellbeing of couples undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), than to study the job-related effects on the healthcare fertility staff. This piece of research aims at understanding the subjective perspective of the fertility professionals and contribute to identify their emotional dynamics in their work environment. An in-depth explorative research study was conducted on 12 healthcare professionals of an Italian ART hospital clinic. Structured interviews with open-ended questions were administered to explore their deep feelings about their professional experience. Emotional text analysis was then conducted to analyze the textual corpus of their narratives to grasp their affective symbolizations. Statistical multidimensional techniques were used to detect some thematic domains (cluster analysis) and latent factors organizing the contraposition between them (multiple correspondence analysis). Five thematic domains were detected which refer to different emotional dimensions, as follows: performance anxiety (Cluster 1), ambivalence between omnipotence and powerlessness (Cluster 2), care burden (Cluster 3), feeling of duty (Cluster 4), and sense of interdependence (Cluster 5). Then, four latent factors were identified dealing with the laborious attempt to remedy, the realistic sense of limitation, the incumbent feeling of pressure and the restorative sense of justice, respectively. The results are discussed based on the existing literature and some useful recommendations for staff education, training and clinical supervision are provided accordingly.

Giving a Voice to Gambling Addiction: Analysis of Personal Narratives.

Gambling addiction (GA) is now considered a worldwide health issue. Although the topic of disorder awareness is a central issue in clinical practice, there are few studies examining this dimension in relation to GA. To bridge this gap, we conducted a qualitative study, administering interviews focused on awareness of GA and eliciting narratives of both the disorder and the whole life of participants. We adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, using computer-aided content analysis. We administered to a sample of 15 treatment-seeking gamblers the Psychiatric Interview for Gambling Addiction and performed a qualitative analysis of the text using the T-Lab software. Five main thematic domains and four factors emerged, shedding light on specific aspects underlying the development of and recovery from GA. Specifically, the results suggested that dissociation processes, materialistic thinking and difficulties in social achievement underlie the subjective experience of GA. Moreover, closeness in interpersonal relationships and awareness of the disorder emerged as core features in the process of change. As a whole, the results highlight the specificities of disorder awareness in addicted gamblers. We discuss these results within the context of previous research and suggest clinical implications for the treatment of GA.

Extreme Desire for Motherhood: Analysis of Narratives From Women Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

The problem of infertility and its consequent treatment (denoted as Assisted Reproductive Technology or ART) represent an increasing phenomenon, especially in industrialized countries. Confronting with one's own procreative limitations can generate strong negative emotional reactions. This study aims at understanding how the desire for motherhood manifests itself in infertile women undergoing ART, studying their emotional and subjective perspective. An in-depth explorative research study was conducted on 17 infertile women attending an Italian hospital clinic for fertility treatment. Emotional text analysis was conducted to analyze the corpus of their interviews, allowing the identification of four thematic domains (clusters) which refer, respectively, to the following emotional dimensions: an inclination to self-sacrifice, seen as the price to be paid for the desired success of the treatment (Cluster 1), pursuit of inclusion in the world of procreative mothers (Cluster 2), precarious equilibrium between the deep desire for a baby and the withdrawal from the treatment (Cluster 3), surrender to any possible consequence in order to obtain the desired mother-child relationship (Cluster 4). The witness of the couples' suffering for their condition of infertility and their strong desire for parenting can represent a source of high pressure for the fertility care staff, as they are the only ones responsible for the fulfillment of the great dream of biological parenthood. For these reasons, a multidisciplinary approach, which involves psychological as well as medical experts all working together, could benefit both the patients and the healthcare professionals and improve the quality of the reproductive healthcare services.

Anxiety levels predict fracture risk in postmenopausal women assessed for osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: There has been increasing interest in the association of psychiatric disorders with fracture risk. This study aimed at investigating the role of severity of anxiety in bone health. METHODS: Multiple clinical risk factors for fractures, the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool score, the bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores, Beck Depression Inventory scores, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores for evaluation of the quality of life were determined, and x-ray vertebral morphometry was carried out in postmenopausal women referred for osteoporosis. RESULTS: Of the 192 women recruited (mean age 67.5 ±â€Š9.5 years), participants allocated to the tertile of the lowest HAMA scores (HAMA-1) showed a lower probability of fracture than did participants with the highest scores (HAMA-3) (20.44 ±â€Š9.3 vs 24.94 ±â€Š13%, respectively; P = 0.01), and the same trend was observed when comparing the HAMA-2 and HAMA-3 tertiles. Women in the HAMA-3 group exhibited lower lumbar T-score vales in the lumbar spine than did women in the HAMA-1 group (-2.84 ±â€Š1.4 vs -2.06 ±â€Š1.2 SD, respectively; P < 0.001) and a lower T-score value in the femoral neck (-2.21 ±â€Š0.9 vs -1.93 ±â€Š0.6 SD, respectively; P < 0.05). Lower T-score values were observed in HAMA-3 than in HAMA-2. A higher prevalence rate of vertebral fractures was observed in HAMA-3 than in HAMA-1, but the difference was not significant. Anxiety levels were significantly related to age, menopausal age, years since menopause, and depressive symptoms, and a multiple regression analysis was predictive of reduced BMD in the lumbar spine (ß = -0.00672, SE = 0.001, P = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: In postmenopausal women, anxiety levels were associated with BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck.

AIDS as social construction: text mining of AIDS-related information in the Italian press.

Given the relevance of AIDS as a public health problem in the Italian context and of the role of mass media in the social construction of the phenomenon, the aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to explore the main AIDS-related themes in the Italian popular press; (2) to analyse the temporal trends of AIDS representations over the last decades. For the research, we decided to consult Italian newspaper articles produced between 1985 and 1990 and between 2005 and 2010 using the archives of the main two national newspapers (La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera), resulting in an overall sample of 446 newspaper articles. A computer-aided content analysis allowed the detection of five different thematic domains (clusters), respectively focused on: Medical care (7.47%), Family support (37.03%), Science and religion debate (27%), Social exclusion (17.6%) and Healthcare policies (10.9%). These thematic domains are conceived along two main latent dimensions (factors) which explain 72.47% of the data variance which respectively deal with: (1) Attitudes towards people with AIDS (care versus avoidance) and (2) Social mandate on AIDS (powerlessness versus control). The study results also reveal the potential evolution of representations of people with AIDS over time: from stigmatised subjects who represent a risk for the entire society within a climate of social control to people progressively symbolised as frail subjects that need to be taken care of.

Imagining Future Internship in Professional Psychology: A Study on University Students' Representations / Imaginando el futuro en la práctica de la psicología profesional: un estudio de las representaciones de estudiantes universitarios

This paper presents a case study of 213 university students of Clinical Psychology that explores affective symbolizations, which structure their relationship with hosting bodies in internship experience. This is in order to detect students' main representations about their role as interns, professional activities and functions they have to comply with and the perceived integra' tion between university education and real work contexts. A questionnaire was administered for the analysis of students' motivational dynamics and expectations activated by imagining their future internship. Four clusters of students have been identified, through multivariate statistical techniques, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and cluster analysis (CA). Re' sults were as follows: a general powerlessness, distrust and disinvestment toward internship (17.7%); affiliation with hosting bodies in order to gain increasing acceptance and power (33.8%); high pragmatism, task-orientation and compliance with what the hosting bodies propose (30.8%) and a demand for recognition without any negotiation (17.7%). No relationship is detected between clusters and some illustrative variables related to sex and indicators of academic success, problems and participation. These clusters are conceived along three latent dimensions, which explain 57.9% of the total variance and refer to: disengagement/involvement toward internship experience; powerlessness/omnipotence about using competences and de' valuation/idealization of the hosting body in relation to university training. Overall, two critical issues emerge: the first refers to a gap between university training and internship, the second one deals with discontinuity between the internship and the labor market. Some reflections and implications for practice are discussed.

El estudio explora simbolizaciones afectivas que estructuran las relaciones de los estudiantes en la experiencia de prácticas. Con el fin de detectar las principales representaciones de 213 estudiantes universitarios de Psicología Clínica sobre su papel como pasantes, las actividades profesionales, las funciones que tienen que cumplir y la integración entre la educación universitaria y los contextos reales de trabajo, se aplicó un cuestionario para el análisis de la dinámica y las expectativas generadas por la imaginación de su futuro. A través de técnicas estadísticas multivariantes, análisis de correspondencia múltiple (ACM) y análisis de conglomerados (AC), se identificaron cuatro grupos. Los resultados fueron los siguientes: falta de poder en general, desconfianza y desmotivación hacia prácticas (17.7%); afiliación a organismos de alojamiento con el fin de obtener el aumento de la aceptación y poder (33.8%); alto pragmatismo, orientación a la tarea y el cumplimiento de lo que los cuerpos de alojamiento proponen (30.8%) y demanda de reconocimiento sin ninguna negociación (17.7%). No se detectó ninguna relación entre los clústeres y algunas variables ilustrativas relacionadas con el sexo y los indicadores de éxito académico, los problemas y la participación. Estas agrupaciones se conciben como dimensiones latentes que explican el 57.9% de la varianza total y se refieren a: la desconexión/implicación hacia la experiencia de prácticas; impotencia/omnipotencia sobre el uso de las competencias y la devaluación/idealización del cuerpo de alojamiento en relación con la formación universitaria. Surgen dos cuestiones fundamentales: la brecha entre la formación universitaria y las prácticas, la segunda se ocupa de la discontinuidad entre las prácticas y el mercado laboral. Se discuten algunas reflexiones e implicaciones para la práctica.

Dysphonic newborn cries allow prediction of their perceived meaning.

Can adults attribute different meanings to the cries produced by the newborns on the basis of physical-acoustic cues in different communication conditions? In order to test this hypothesis, 20 females were asked to evaluate (according to four scales: anguish, anger, annoyance, care-seeking) 24 cries from 12 healthy full-term newborns (4-7h old): 6 newborns previously exposed to tactile communication (Group 1); 6 newborns without communication (Group 2). Annoyance category was not reliable and it was excluded from analyses. The 20 females attributed a higher rate of anger and anguish to the cries from Group 2, and a higher rate of care-seeking to the cries from Group 1. They attributed different meanings to the cries from Group 1, and undifferentiated meanings to the cries from Group 2. Consistent with bivariate analyses, Dysphonic Cry was the strongest predictor of anger/anguish. Although the Hyperphonic Cry was quantitatively not relevant, its absence was the first predictor for care-seeking.

Communication and crying in newborns.

Few studies have analysed newborns' crying behaviour in relation to the communicative context. In the present study, duration, latency and dysphony of newborns' cry were analysed in three different communicative conditions: absent, continuous and discontinuous tactile communication. Thirty newborns were randomly assigned to three tactile communicative procedures. Subsequently they were presented with two visual stimuli, face (social-stimulus) and square (non-social-stimulus). The study showed that newborns cried only during visual stimuli presentation both in absent and continuous communication conditions. Newborns with absent communication cried more, with shorter latency and more dysphony than newborns with continuous communication. No significant differences were found in duration, latency and dysphony of newborns' cry between the two stimuli. Newborns in the discontinuous communicative condition did not cry either during tactile communication or during visual stimuli presentation. Different communicative contexts affected the newborns' crying behaviour during stimuli presentation. Different interpretations are discussed here in order to explain the results.