The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will.

There are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward different objects is typically experienced as a fundamental indicator of attentional freedom. One can control what one attends to and directing attention is a relatively simple task. In contrast, sustaining attention on a chosen object proves to be difficult as mind-wandering seems to be inevitable. Does the problem of sustaining attention, mean that we are fundamentally unfree? We discuss this issue in light of an introspective study of directing and sustaining attention, looking specifically into the question of whether it is possible to experience the source of attention, i.e., the subject enacting freedom through attention. The study involved six persons performing different attention tasks over the course of about a month. Common experiences and contrasting reports are presented. This forms the basis for a discussion of the method of introspection and in particular of how to approach conflicting reports.

Thinking action as a performative and participative mental awareness.

This paper seeks to evaluate experiential facets of thinking action using first-person phenomenological methods. We begin our considerations using a simple mathematical proof as a case study-and also employ phenomenological contrasts between different types of thinking. They reveal that thinking actions produce performative insights rather than dispositional or remembered knowledge. This distinction allows us to introduce a new mode of thinking that is different from most known types of thinking, namely pure thinking action. The performative nature of this pure thinking action is participative and receptive with respect to concepts and has the quality of being persistent and coherent during its episode of action. Moreover, it is the often unattended source of thinking everyday life.

Training naive subjects in using micro-phenomenological self-inquiry to investigate pain and suffering during headaches.

Micro-phenomenology is a method that generates rich and reliable reports of singular experiences in their pre-reflective dimension. Usually it is employed using a second-person interviewer. In this study we attempted to train naïve subjects in using self-inquiry version of the method. 13 subjects met twice over the course of one week, investigating their experiences of headaches, looking specifically into the pain experience itself, the experience of suffering, and the experience of absence of suffering. The analysis showed that the subject reports increase the richness of description, measured by the increase in the amount of categories described and the number of words needed to give an on target description. The analysis, informed by the participant's ideas, showed that it was possible to distinguish the experience of pain from the experience of suffering. We compare the analysis to other phenomenological studies of headaches. This reveals the strength and weakness of the micro-phenomenological method: By de-focusing on contextual factors it enables in-depth descriptions of singular moments of experience, but the bracketing of interpretations may result in overlooking overarching meaning dimensions. We conclude that micro-phenomenological self-inquiry may potentially be employed successfully in a clinical setting with initially untrained subjects for describing certain kinds of experiences and answering complex phenomenological questions.

First-person access to decision-making using micro-phenomenological self-inquiry.

Micro-phenomenology is a method for improving first-person reports of experience. Usually, micro-phenomenology is conducted using a second-person interviewer who guides someone investigating an experience. This has the advantage that the interviews can be done with untrained subjects. However, it is possible to perform micro-phenomenological self-inquiry, a form of self-interview technique, without a second-person interviewer. This has several advantages, such as being more time and cost effective. Questionable, however, is the possibility for untrained subjects to enquire into their own experience using micro-phenomenology. The present study aims to test the reliability of micro-phenomenological self-inquiry with untrained subjects using a guiding document. We replicated an experimental design that has previously been employed to test whether micro-phenomenology increases the reliability of reports. The experiment did not replicate. Reasons for this may be: (1) a methodological weakness of the previous study; (2) that the way the self-inquiry format employed as part of the present study was ineffective; or (3) that micro-phenomenological self-inquiry requires training. These specific possibilities and the idea of testing the reliability of micro-phenomenological reports in general are discussed. We conclude that the self-inquiry format is not sufficient for conducing micro-phenomenological studies and that training is required.

The physician as a success determining factor in CT-guided pain therapy.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is a common problem and a burden for the patient. MR-morphologically proven pain-causing changes of the spine is often successfully treated utilizing CT-guided pain therapy. The CT-guided execution enables a controlled and reproducible therapy. Nevertheless, treatment results can differ even with the same patient; the physician is a possible influencing factor of the outcome. Accordingly, the present study analyzes the different behaviors and forms of communication of the treating physicians during the course of the intervention as factors influencing the outcome of treatment. METHODS: 67 patients suffering from specific back pain were included in this study. 5 treating physicians (2 female, 3 male) of different age (29-63 years), and experience and a total of 244 CT-guided treatments were included in this study. In every case a psychologist observed the treatment based on a standardized observation protocol. Observed were both the verbal and non-verbal interactions as well as the reaction of patient and physician. The success of the therapy was measured in the course of the treatment using the visual analogue pain scale. The technical comparability of the performed CT-guided periradicular therapy was ensured by the distribution of the drug mixture. RESULTS: The outcome is significantly better if the patient considers the treating physician to be competent (correlation coefficient: 0.24, p < 0.006) and feels understood (correlation coefficient: 0.29, p < 0.001). In addition, the outcome is better when the physician believes that the treatment brings a positive reduction of pain, underlining his belief with positive statements of affirmation before the intervention thus creating a positive atmosphere [correlation coefficient: 0.24 (p < 0.009)]. In contrast, the outcome is worse if the patient complains about pain during the intervention [average pain reduction M = 0.9 (pain group) vs. M = 2.0 (no-pain group)]. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that with comparable implementation of CT-guided periradicular therapy, the outcome of the patient with specific back pain can be significantly improved by certain behavioral patterns of the performing physician and this without side effects and without significant additional time expenditure. Our findings indicate that there is a non-negligible psychological factor linking confidence in therapy to actual therapy success. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was designed as an observational study, therefore a trial registration was not necessary.

CT-guided Interventional Therapy of Back Pain - Predictors of Success in Treatment. / CT-gesteuerte lumbale Schmerztherapie ­ Kann die Verteilung des Medikaments den Erfolg der Behandlung voraussagen?

PURPOSE: The aim of the presented study was to investigate if distribution of the drug-contrast medium mixture in CT-guided periradicular therapy can predict intervention success. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 15-month period, 97 patients admitted to our institution by a pain physician for CT guided periradicular therapy were treated. In 420 CT guided interventions, we measured the relative distribution of the drug mixture in relationship to the neuroforamen. The distribution was correlated to the patient's pain score over time. In addition, dependence of success in treatment with regards to the treating physician was evaluated. RESULTS: Ninety percent of the patients experienced a decrease of pain score under therapy, only 10 % showed no change. On average there was an improvement in pain score from 7.4 (2-10) before therapy to 3.7 (0-9) at the end of therapy. We observed a weak correlation of -0.22 (p < 0.028) between distribution of drug mixture to the neuroforamen and reduction of pain score. The therapy outcome displayed a dependency regarding the treating physician (p < 0.0084). CONCLUSION: CT guided periradicular therapy offers good pain reduction in most of the patients. Drug distribution near the affected nerve and treating physician are factors for clinical success. KEY POINTS: · CT-guided periradicular therapy shows a good or very good improvement in the symptoms in 90 % of the treated patients.. · In addition to technical performance, the treating radiologist is an important parameter determining success.. · The success of CT-guided treatment is only moderately correlated with an absolute distribution of the drug mixture.. CITATION FORMAT: · Stueckle CA, Talarczyk S, Hackert B et al. CT-guided Interventional Therapy of Back Pain - Predictors of Success in Treatment. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 42 - 48.

[Patient satisfaction with radiologists in private practice]. / Patientenzufriedenheit beim niedergelassenen Radiologen.

BACKGROUND: Radiology is an interface discipline. The radiologist must provide answers for various diagnostic questions in a short time by means of various examinations. The patient as well as the referring physician must be adequately and appropriately considered within a reasonable period, at the same time ensuring a high quality of examination with the lowest possible radiation exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a 4-month period, a total of 102 patient interviews and 259 physician-patient interviews on patient satisfaction were randomly analyzed, specifically patient-physician communication and patient expectations and physician satisfaction and patient expectations. A psychologist carried out the questioning of the patients. Four radiologists evaluated their patient interaction using a standardized questionnaire, which was anonymized with regard to the patient data, based on a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: The patients displayed a high level of satisfaction with the discussion of radiologic findings. There was a positive correlation between the satisfaction with the discussion of findings and the clarity about the further steps necessary. Looking at the radiologists, there was also a positive correlation between the satisfaction with the patient interview and the fulfillment of the expectations; overall, physician's satisfaction with the interview was less positive than patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The radiologic patient is generally satisfied with the visit to the radiologist if a brief, understandable explanation of the disease is given, complemented by instructive next necessary steps.

Avoiding "False Alarms" and "Misses" in Psychological Theory Building: Complementing the Principle of Parsimony With the Principle of Tentative Affirmation.

Scientific parsimony is a reliable safeguard against speculative or ideological theorizing. But it can also hamper the advent of novel ideas and advanced paradigms if misapplied within the context of a conservative thinking style. We illustrate how the principle of parsimony is ideally suited to reduce a particular type of errors-namely the premature acceptance of speculative theories. In a signal-detection framework, such errors are called "false alarms"; but signal detection theory also points to another category of errors-namely "misses," that is, the failure to acknowledge a positively existing but elusive phenomenon. The methodological repertoire of our falsification-oriented science does not provide a similarly rigorous tool to avoid this caliber of errors. In this paper, we hence argue for introducing a complementary principle-that of tentative affirmation-to also reduce the risk of "misses." We illustrate this latter principle using the example of conceptual, nonbiological facets of psychological phenomena. We propose a roadmap that consults both principles-parsimony and tentative affirmation-in tandem to help researchers shield their theories against one-sidedness.

The True Self. Critique, Nature, and Method.

The history of philosophy gives us many different accounts of a true self, connecting it to the essence of what a person is, the notion of conscience, and the ideal human being. Some proponents of the true self can also be found within psychology, but its existence is mostly rejected. Many psychological studies, however, have shown that people commonly believe in the existence of a true self. Although folk psychology often includes a belief in a true self, its existence is disputed by psychological science. Here, we consider the critique raised by Strohminger et al., stating that the true self is (1) radically subjective and (2) not observable, hence cannot be studied scientifically (Strohminger et al., 2017). Upon closer investigation, the argument that the self is radically subjective is not convincing. Furthermore, rather than accepting that the true self cannot be studied scientifically, we ask: What would a science have to look like to be able to study the true self? In order to answer this question, we outline the conceptual nature of the true self, which involves phenomenological and narrative aspects in addition to psychological dimensions. These aspects together suggest a method through which this concept can be investigated from the first-person perspective. On a whole, we propose an integrative approach to understanding and investigating the true self.

Franz Brentano and the beginning of experimental psychology: implications for the study of psychological phenomena today.

The manifestation of psychology as an academic discipline more than a 100 years ago was accompanied by a paradigm shift in our understanding of psychological phenomena-with both its light and shadow sides. On the one hand, this development allowed for a rigorous and experimentation-based approach to psychological phenomena; on the other, it led to an alienation from the experiential-or qualia-facets as the topics under inquiry were researched increasingly through third-person (e.g., behavioral or physiological) measures. At the turning point of this development stood an eminent but little known European scholar, Franz Brentano, who called for a synthesis of both third-person and first-person research methods in the study of psychological phenomena. On the occasion of his death, a hundred years ago on March 17, 1917 we wish to illustrate the historical background, introduce the reader to Brentano's approach and work and discuss its relevance for experimental psychology today.

Outer and Inner Dimensions of Brain and Consciousness - Refining and Integrating the Phenomenal Layers.

In view of the unresolved mind-brain problem, we examine a number of prototypical research attitudes regarding the question, how the mental and the neuronal realms are related to each other, both functionally and ontologically. By discussing neurophilosophical and neuropsychological positions, the mind-brain problem can be recast in terms of a structural relation between methodological and content-related aspects. Although this reformulation does not immediately lead to a solution, it draws attention to the necessity of searching for a new way of balancing separating and integrating elements regarding content as well as method. As a relatively unknown alternative in this context we investigate an approach by the philosopher Rudolf Steiner. It comprises a firstperson method, along with the theoretical background of what has come to be known as the mirror metaphor - an analogy for the brain as a necessary but not a sufficient basis for mental activity. Through a first-person study, this approach is scrutinized using volitionally controlled perceptual reversals. The results allow for a phenomenological distinction of processual phases which can be summarized as engaging and disengaging forms of mental activity. Finally, we initiate a discussion in view of related philosophical concepts and give an outlook on the next possible research steps.

Does the model of additive effect in placebo research still hold true? A narrative review.

Personalised and contextualised care has been turned into a major demand by people involved in healthcare suggesting to move toward person-centred medicine. The assessment of person-centred medicine can be most effectively achieved if treatments are investigated using 'with versus without' person-centredness or integrative study designs. However, this assumes that the components of an integrative or person-centred intervention have an additive relationship to produce the total effect. Beecher's model of additivity assumes an additive relation between placebo and drug effects and is thus presenting an arithmetic summation. So far, no review has been carried out assessing the validity of the additive model, which is to be questioned and more closely investigated in this review. Initial searches for primary studies were undertaken in July 2016 using Pubmed and Google Scholar. In order to find matching publications of similar magnitude for the comparison part of this review, corresponding matches for all included reviews were sought. A total of 22 reviews and 3 clinical and experimental studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results pointed to the following factors actively questioning the additive model: interactions of various effects, trial design, conditioning, context effects and factors, neurobiological factors, mechanism of action, statistical factors, intervention-specific factors (alcohol, caffeine), side-effects and type of intervention. All but one of the closely assessed publications was questioning the additive model. A closer examination of study design is necessary. An attempt in a more systematic approach geared towards solutions could be a suggestion for future research in this field.

Mindfulness reduces the correspondence bias.

The correspondence bias (CB) refers to the idea that people sometimes give undue weight to dispositional rather than situational factors when explaining behaviours and attitudes. Three experiments examined whether mindfulness, a non-judgmental focus on the present moment, could reduce the CB. Participants engaged in a brief mindfulness exercise (the raisin task), a control task, or an attention to detail task before completing a typical CB measure involving an attitude-attribution paradigm. The results indicated that participants in the mindfulness condition experienced a significant reduction in the CB compared to participants in the control or attention to detail conditions. These results suggest that mindfulness training can play a unique role in reducing social biases related to person perception.

Virtually compliant: Immersive video gaming increases conformity to false computer judgments.

Real-life encounters with face-to-face contact are on the decline in a world in which many routine tasks are delegated to virtual characters-a development that bears both opportunities and risks. Interacting with such virtual-reality beings is particularly common during role-playing videogames, in which we incarnate into the virtual reality of an avatar. Video gaming is known to lead to the training and development of real-life skills and behaviors; hence, in the present study we sought to explore whether role-playing video gaming primes individuals' identification with a computer enough to increase computer-related social conformity. Following immersive video gaming, individuals were indeed more likely to give up their own best judgment and to follow the vote of computers, especially when the stimulus context was ambiguous. Implications for human-computer interactions and for our understanding of the formation of identity and self-concept are discussed.

The animal in you: animalistic descriptions of a violent crime increase punishment of perpetrator.

Criminal acts are sometimes described using animal metaphors. What is the impact of a violent crime being described in an animalistic versus a non-animalistic way on the subsequent retribution toward the perpetrator? In two studies, we experimentally varied animalistic descriptions of a violent crime and examined its effect on the severity of the punishment for the act. In Study 1, we showed that compared to non-animalistic descriptions, animalistic descriptions resulted in significantly harsher punishment for the perpetrator. In Study 2, we replicated this effect and further demonstrated that this harsher sentencing is explained by an increase in perceived risk of recidivism. Our findings suggest that animalistic descriptions of crimes lead to more retaliation against the perpetrator by inducing the perception that he is likely to continue engaging in violence.

Virtually numbed: immersive video gaming alters real-life experience.

As actors in a highly mechanized environment, we are citizens of a world populated not only by fellow humans, but also by virtual characters (avatars). Does immersive video gaming, during which the player takes on the mantle of an avatar, prompt people to adopt the coldness and rigidity associated with robotic behavior and desensitize them to real-life experience? In one study, we correlated participants' reported video-gaming behavior with their emotional rigidity (as indicated by the number of paperclips that they removed from ice-cold water). In a second experiment, we manipulated immersive and nonimmersive gaming behavior and then likewise measured the extent of the participants' emotional rigidity. Both studies yielded reliable impacts, and thus suggest that immersion into a robotic viewpoint desensitizes people to real-life experiences in oneself and others.

The effect of mindfulness meditation on time perception.

Research has increasingly focussed on the benefits of meditation in everyday life and performance. Mindfulness in particular improves attention, working memory capacity, and reading comprehension. Given its emphasis on moment-to-moment awareness, we hypothesised that mindfulness meditation would alter time perception. Using a within-subjects design, participants carried out a temporal bisection task, where several probe durations are compared to "short" and "long" standards. Following this, participants either listened to an audiobook or a meditation that focussed on the movement of breath in the body. Finally, participants completed the temporal bisection task for a second time. The control group showed no change after the listening task. However, meditation led to a relative overestimation of durations. Within an internal clock framework, a change in attentional resources can produce longer perceived durations. This meditative effect has wider implications for the use of mindfulness as an everyday practice and a basis for clinical treatment.

The function of regressions in reading: backward eye movements allow rereading.

Standard text reading involves frequent eye movements that go against normal reading order. The function of these "regressions" is still largely unknown. The most obvious explanation is that regressions allow for the rereading of previously fixated words. Alternatively, physically returning the eyes to a word's location could cue the reader's memory for that word, effectively aiding the comprehension process via location priming (the "deictic pointer hypothesis"). In Experiment 1, regression frequency was reduced when readers knew that information was no longer available for rereading. In Experiment 2, readers listened to auditorily presented text while moving their eyes across visual placeholders on the screen. Here, rereading was impossible, but deictic pointers remained available, yet the readers did not make targeted regressions in this experiment. In Experiment 3, target words in normal sentences were changed after reading. Where the eyes later regressed to these words, participants generally remained unaware of the change, and their answers to comprehension questions indicated that the new meaning of the changed word was what determined their sentence representations. These results suggest that readers use regressions to reread words and not to cue their memory for previously read words.

Mobilizing unused resources: using the placebo concept to enhance cognitive performance.

People have significant psychological resources to improve their well-being and performance, but these resources often go unused and could be better harnessed. In the medical domain, it is well established that these resources can be mobilized under certain conditions, for example in the context of the placebo effect. Here we explored whether the placebo principle can be used to enhance cognitive performance. To do so, we employed a modified placebo induction--a bogus priming method that we told participants would unconsciously enhance their knowledge and that they should hence trust their skills in an upcoming knowledge test. Participant performance was indeed enhanced, compared to a group that did not think the priming process would improve their knowledge. The study documents the relevance of the placebo effect outside the medical and therapeutic setting.