International Journal of Psychological Research

Functional Connectivity Analysis of Prej udice Among Colombian Armed Conflict Former Actors
Quiza-Montealegre JJ, Quintero-Zea A, Trujillo N and López JD
Despite institutional efforts, reconciliation among former actors of the Colombian armed conflict has yet to be achieved, with prejudice being one direct driver of this drawback. We present an EEG-based functional connectivity study applied to four groups of former actors who completed an Implicit Association Test designed to measure prejudice toward victims or combatants. We analyzed seven measures of functional connectivity calculated in six different frequency bands and two experimental conditions. In the behavioral task, we found more prejudice toward victims from the same victims and more prejudice of civilians toward combatants. For the connectivity measures, we found differences in theta band among the victims' and ex-paramilitaries' groups concerning the civilians' and ex-guerrillas' groups, and differences in the beta2 band among the victims' and ex-guerrillas' groups concerning the ex-paramilitaries' group. The results help us design more effective socio-cognitive interventions to reduce prejudice.
Validation of the Spanish Version of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) with Sexual Arousal Measures in Men
Sierra JC, Arcos-Romero AI, Granados R, Cervilla O, Mangas P, Muñoz-García LE and Álvarez-Muelas A
Provide new validity evidence of the Spanish version of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ) by associating its scores with measures of sexual arousal.
Is Negative Affect that Bad? The Effect of Affective States on Conventional and Unconventional Creative Thinking in University Students
Rosa PJ, Ribeiro R and Nogueira SI
The role of affective states on the creative process has been receiving the attention of researchers and has led to contradictory results. Most research in creativity has emphasized the role of affective states, mainly positive ones, on creativity levels, namely those resulting from divergent thinking tasks that reveal the unconventional way of thinking in the creative process. However, there are no studies to date that focus on the impact of affective states on conventional and unconventional thinking, during the same creative process, which consider a single creative assessment task. The aim of this experimental study was to analyze the effect of induced affective states on both conventional and unconventional thinking of creativity in adults by using the TCT-DP (Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production).
Editorial for Special Issue "Psychophysiology and Experimental Psychology"
Rosa PJ
The first experimental laboratory in psychology was founded in Leipzig (Germany), where Wilhelm Wundt mainly investigated feelings and sensations by employing experimental methods. Almost a century and half after is debut, experimental laboratories have extremely evolved in terms of apparatus, instruments, and recording techniques. Under a multiand interdisciplinary perspective, we can now better understand human cognitive and affective processes. As current has placed increasing emphasis upon the ecologically valid research, an "out-of-thelab" approach, integrated with both human and nonhuman research, is expected to leverage scientific advances in the field of human behavior.
Chronotype and Time of Day Effects on a Famous Face Recognition Task with Dynamic Stimuli
Bem-Haja P, Silva A, Rosa C, Queiroz DF, Barroso T, Cerri L, Alves MF, Silva CF and Santos IM
Chronotype and Time of Day (ToD) can modulate several aspects of cognitive performance. However, there is limited evidence about the effect of these variables on face recognition performance, so the aim of the present study is to investigate this influence. For this, 274 participants (82.5% females; age 18-49 years old, mean = 27.2, SD = 1.82) were shown 20 short videoclips, each gradually morphing from a general identity unfamiliar face to a famous face. Participants should press the spacebar to stop each video as soon as they could identify the famous face, and then provide the name or an unequivocal description of the person. Analysis of response times (RT) showed that evening-types recognised the faces faster than morning-types. Considering different ToD windows, the effect of chronotype was only significant in the 13h-17h and in the 21h-6h time-windows. Altogether, results suggest an advantage of evening-types on famous face recognition using dynamic stimuli with morning-types, being particularly slower during their non-optimal period.
Intimate Partner Violence Attitudes: Who Tolerates the Most?
Prado Rivera MA, Ortiz Hernandez YA, Motta Tautiva PA, Garay Quevedo O and Guillén Puerto AJ
to identify whether demographic variables, the type and length of romantic relationships, and alcohol consumption were risk factors related to attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV).
The Conscious Nematode: Exploring Hallmarks of Minimal Phenomenal Consciousness in
Becerra D, Calixto A and Orio P
While subcellular components of cognition and affectivity that involve the interaction between experience, environment, and physiology -such as learning, trauma, or emotion- are being identified, the physical mechanisms of phenomenal consciousness remain more elusive. We are interested in exploring whether ancient, simpler organisms such as nematodes have minimal consciousness. Is there something that feels like to be a worm? Or are worms blind machines? 'Simpler' models allow us to simultaneously extract data from multiple levels such as slow and fast neural dynamics, structural connectivity, molecular dynamics, behavior, decision making, etc., and thus, to test predictions of the current frameworks in dispute. In the present critical review, we summarize the current models of consciousness in order to reassess in light of the new evidence whether , a nematode with a nervous system composed of 302 neurons, has minimal consciousness. We also suggest empirical paths to further advance consciousness research using .
SynchroLINNce: Toolbox for Neural Synchronization and Desynchronization Assessment in Epilepsy Animal Models
Rodrigues SMAF and Cota VR
Epilepsy is a worldwide public health issue, given its biological, social, and economic impacts. Considering several open questions about synchronization and desynchronization mechanisms underlying epileptic phenomena, the development of algorithms and computational toolboxes for such analysis is highly relevant to their research. Moreover, given the recent developments of neurotechnology for epilepsy, it is essential to understand that proposals like computational tools may provide consistent data for closed-loop control systems, necessary in neuromodulation treatment alternatives, and for real-time monitoring systems to predict the occurrence of epileptic seizures. In the present work, SynchroLINNce, a freely distributable MATLAB toolbox designed to be used by epilepsy neuroscientists, including software-untrained), is proposed. Among its features, several functionalities such as recording visualization, digital filtering, and correlation analysis, as well as more specific methodologies, such as mechanisms for the automatic detection of epileptiform spikes, morphology analysis of these spikes, and their coincidence between channels are presented.
Monitoring Learning in Nursing using the Electroencephalogram and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory-IMI
Cardoso K and Zaro MA
The objectives of this study were to develop the Laboratory of Immersive Learn ing in Health and Nursing - LIASE, based on the main themes of biosafety in health, and to evaluate the learning process of undergraduate nursing students from a public federal university through portable Electroencephalogram (EEG) Emotiv Insight 2.0, observation, and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. The present research contains a qualitative-quantitative, exploratory, and experimental methodology from a pilot virtual laboratory, developed in the Immersive Virtual World - IVW, represented in this study by Second Life - SL. The sample consisted of 17 students who agreed with the inclusion criteria of the study. Among them, 9 students had stable EEG signals. Those students were observed during the monitoring of brain activity by the EEG, and at the end of the proposed learning pathway, they filled out the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The results were obtained through triangulation of the different collec tion instruments and the following variables: Stress, Enthusiasm/Excitement, Engagement, Focus/attention, and Relaxation, measured and verified by the Emotiv algorithm's brain wave analysis, which algorithm which correspond to the metrics of brain performance.
Unveiling Visual Physiology and Steady-State Evoked Potentials using Low-Cost and Transferable Electroencephalography for Evaluating Neuronal Activation
Henao Isaza V, Cadavid Castro V, Salas Villa E, González Cuartas S and Ochoa JF
The ability to see and process images depends on the function of the eyes and the processing of visual information by neurons in the cerebral cortex, something that could be measured through electroencephalography (EEG). Although the EEG is used to evaluate visual pathways in children and demyelination diseases, the limited utilization of brain recording techniques in other applications like therapy is primarily due to budget constraints. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate results from studying brain aspects of vision, utilizing measurements based on oscillatory activity analysis, low-cost, portable equipment, and a processing pipeline relying on Python's open-source libraries. These studies involve healthy subjects who wear glasses to assess changes in visual perception.
A Volumetric Deep Architecture to Discriminate Parkinsonian Patterns from Intermediate Pose Representations
Portilla J, Rangel E, Guayacán L and Martínez F
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, with over 6.2 million registered cases. Gait analysis plays a fundamental role in evaluating motor abnormalities associated with this disease. However, current methods, such as marker-based systems, are intrusive and expert-dependent. Markerless alternatives, like video sequence analysis, have been proposed, but they tend to provide overall classification scores and lack the ability to interpret joint kinematics in detail. An innovative technique is presented using volumetric convolutional networks that can learn intermediate postural patterns and distinguish between Parkinson's patients and control subjects. This approach utilizes activations and then applies hierarchical convolution to minimize classification. In tests conducted with 14 Parkinson's patients and 16 control subjects, this method achieved a classification accuracy of 98%.
Relationship Between Self-efficacy and Attention using QEEG with Students from IUE
López Ríos E
Self-efficacy is related to the judgments and beliefs that a person has about him or her own capability to achieve goals, in which she or he also needs to be able of planning, organizing, and executing tasks to achieve that milestone. In this study, we are investigating if attention has a relevant role in self-efficacy. The participants were students at Institución Universitaria de Envigado (N=25), aged between 18 and 40 years old. They filled out the informed consent, the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSS), Digits and Symbols (DS), the Brief Attention Test (BTA), and the Theta-Beta ratio (TBR) using EEG at points C3-C4 of the cerebral cortex. The results were as follows: mean GSS, 31.56 (SD=4.5) (max. 40 points); mean DS direct score, 45.16 (SD=8.6) (max. 120 points); mean total BTA, 9.4 (SD = 3.31) (max. 20 points); mean TBR C3 eyes open, 5.5 (SD = 1.7); TBR C4 eyes open, 5.2 (SD = 2). A negative correlation was found between the TBR C4 eyes open and the result of the Digits and Symbols DS test, which was statistically significant, using Spearman correlation, (-.529); however, there was no significant correlation between GSS self-efficacy and the three measures of attention (DS, BTA, QEEG). The conclusion of this study is that there is no clear statistically significant relationship between high self-efficacy and a high level of attention. However, a sig nificant negative correlation was found between the DS test and the QEEG measures, which indicates that the neurophysiological technique of attentional measurement is related to the psychometric measurement.
Brains are Probabilistic, Electrophysiologically Intricate and Triune: A Biased- Random Walk Perspective on Computational Neuroscience
Gómez-Molina JF
The pursuit of a unified theory that captures the intricacies of the brain and mind continues to be a significant challenge in theoretical neuroscience. This paper presents a novel, triune framework that utilizes the concept of collective biased random walk (cBRW). Our approach strives to transcend biological specifics, offering a high-level abstraction that remains general and applicable across various neural phenomena. Despite the solid traditional foundation of computational neuroscience, the intricate delicacy of neural processes calls for a renewed probabilistic approach. We aim to utilize the intuitive nature of probability concepts -such as the probability of localization and state, and uniform probability distribution- to study the stochastic organization of electric charges and signals in the brain. This electrophysiological intricacy emerges from the seemingly paradoxical reality that tiny electric events, while random, collectively give rise to predictable, long-range oscillations. These oscillations manifest in three groups of activation states. Our framework categorizes the brain as a triune system, accommodating classical, semiclassical, and non-classical interpretations of both probabilistic phenomena and cBRW models, alongside three groups of states. We conclude that by appreciating, rather than overlooking, the tiny random walks of electric charges and signals in the brain, we can gain a triune mathematical foundation for theoretical brain science, the powerful capabilities of this organ, and the electromagnetic interfaces we can develop.
Flexible Management, Subjectivity, and Paradoxical Work Experiences: The Case of Lean Management in Chilean Retail
Garcés Ojeda M and Stecher A
This article presents the findings of a study that seeks to explore how im plementing Lean Management, a widely used form of flexible management, influences employees' subjective experiences at work. The study focuses on the changes and innovations by Lean Management in the technical and social aspects of work after its introduction in the Chilean retail industry. The study, which is both descriptive and analytical, is based on 26 interviews with industry consultants, managers, department heads, and union leaders. Using a work-clinic and socio-phenomenological framework, it illustrates how the industry's unique characteristics play a crucial role in understanding the process of work reorganization and the paradoxical realms of subjective experience it has created. The article also discusses how these contradictions are influenced by the broader social, labor, and business context of neoliberal modernization in Chilean society.
Voluntary Ethanol Intake and Anxiety Behavior in Wistar-Uis Rats
Mendoza ET, Villada M and Velásquez-Martínez MC
Ethanol consumption is among the first five substances with higher risk associated with diseases, disability, and death in the world. Anxiety behavior has been linked to ethanol-addictive conduct. The aim of the present study was to evaluate three strains with differential anxiety behavior: a Wild-type strain; a "Reactive" strain, with an increase in anxiety-related behaviors; and a "Non-Reactive" strain, with lower anxiety-related behaviors, before and after the voluntary consumption of ethanol (10%) protocol. To evaluate anxiety, animals were exposed to the elevated plus-maze 24 h before and after the consumption protocol. On the voluntary consumption of ethanol protocol, the animals were exposed to a water and an ethanol bottle. The weight of the liquid consumed daily for 40 days was registered. Results: all strains increased ethanol vs water consumption: Wild-type: day 8; R: day 10; NR: day 31. Ethanol consumption reduced the number and percentage of open arms entries only on the Wild-type strain. Conclusion: anxiety can predispose to an increase in ethanol consumption and to the maintenance of anxiety-related behaviors.
EEG-Based Alcohol Detection System for Driver Monitoring
Vassbotn M, Nordstrøm-Hauge IJ, Soler A and Molinas M
Today, alcohol drinking frequently accompanies socialising as a routine activity in various groups of society. 84.0% of individuals aged 18 and above in the United States have drunk alcohol at some point in their life (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & US, 2023). Similarly, 81.7% of Norwegians in the age group 16 to 79 have drunk alcohol in 2021 (Bye, 2018). Driving after the consumption of alcohol is a worldwide problem, causing a large number of deaths and injuries a year. This work proposes the first steps towards developing an electroencephalography (EEG)-based alcohol detector conceived with the idea to prevent people from driving under the influence of alcohol. This includes the design of an experimental protocol for EEG data collection, during which participants performed the Flanker task, and their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured. The resulting data set consists of two sessions per participant, both while they are affected and not-affected by alcohol. Statistical analysis of the Flanker task indicated that participants were affected by alcohol and, therefore, their EEG signals were expected to be affected as well. The collected EEG signals were used as input for intra-subject and inter-subject models, both based on the EEGNet architecture. The intra-subject model obtained a mean classification accuracy of 90.7% and the inter-subject model a mean classification accuracy of 62.9%. The result suggest that alcohol can be detected with high accuracy when developing individual models and above the change accuracy when using a general model. Therefore, the work presented here could be used as the first steps towards the development of an EEG-based alcohol detector for drivers.
Attitudes towards Sexual Behaviour: an Ex ploratory Analysis of a Comprehensive Model
Velo Higueras C and Ruiz Díaz MÁ
A theoretical model of self-oriented cognitive schemata of sexual behaviour (SO-CSSB) was proposed after a previous disambiguation review on the definition and research of sexual attitudes. A quantitative exploration of the proposal may add real-world information regarding the internal structure and the adequacy of the defined factors. Consequently, the present study aims to 1) develop a questionnaire based on the theoretical review and 2) explore the structure of the SO-CSSB model.
Visual Coding along Multiple Brain Areas
de Araújo Xavier V, da Silva Melo N, Ribeiro S and de Vasconcelos NAP
This study focuses on understanding visual coding in multiple brain areas and its implications for neural processing in the visual system. It highlights the use of simultaneous recordings of large neuronal populations to inves tigate how visual information is encoded and processed in the brain. By studying the activity of multiple brain areas, the paper aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying brain-wide visual perception and provide insights into the neural basis of visual processing. The findings of this research contribute to the broader field of neuroscience and have implications for understanding visual disorders and developing therapeutic interventions.
Comparison of the Identification of Emotional Facial Expressions from Full Faces with only the Eyes and the Mouth Regions in Young Indian Adults: an Exploratory Study
Bandyopadhyay A, Samanta S and Mukherjee A
Identification of emotional facial expressions (EFEs) is important in interpersonal communication. Six 'universal' EFEs are known, though accuracy of their identification varies. EFEs involve anatomical changes in certain regions of the face, especially eyes and mouth. But whether other areas of the face are just as important in their identification is still debated. This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of identification of universal EFEs under full-face and partial face conditions (only showing the eyes and the mouth regions).
A Deep Cascade Architecture for Stroke Lesion Segmentation and Synthetic Parametric Map Generation over CT Studies
Florez S, Gómez S, Garcia J and Martínez F
Stroke, the second leading cause of death globally, necessitates prompt diagnosis for effective prognosis. CT imaging has limitations, especially in identifying acute lesions. This work introduces a novel deep repre sentation that uses multimodal inputs from CT studies and perfusion parametric maps, to retrieve stroke lesions. The architecture follows an autoencoder representation that forces attention on the geometry of stroke through additive cross-attention modules. Besides, a cascade train is herein proposed to generate synthetic perfusion maps that complement multimodal inputs, refining stroke lesion segmentation at each stage of processing and supporting the observational expert analysis. The proposed approach was validated on the ISLES 2018 dataset with 92 studies; the method outperforms classical techniques with a Dice score of .66 and a precision of .67.
FamFac - A Database of Famous Faces for Psychology Experiments
Monteiro F, Rodrigues P, Santos IM, Bem-Haja P and Rosa PJ
High variation in the low-level proprieties of visual stimuli and varying degrees of familiarity with famous faces may have caused a bias in the results of investigations that tried to disentangle the processes involved in familiar and unfamiliar face processing (e.g., temporal differences in the detection of the first event-related potentials specialized in face processing may have been caused by different methods of controlling variance in the low-level proprieties of visual stimuli).
Gaslighting Exposure During Emerging Adulthood: Personality Traits and Vulnerability Paths
Bellomare M, Giuseppe Genova V and Miano P
Among the many forms of psychological violence, gaslighting is a particularly insidious manipulative behaviour that includes acts aimed at controlling and altering one's own partner's sensations, thoughts, actions, affective state, self-perception, and reality-testing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the experience of gaslighting and dysfunctional aspects of the partner's personality. Gaslighter personality facets were assessed using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Informant Form-Adult (PID-5-IRF), while gaslighting behaviours were assessed using a 25-item questionnaire, based on the three categories of glamour, good-guy, and intimidator (Stern, 2007). The sample was made up of a group of 177 Italian emerging adults aged between 19 and 26 (49.2% male, 50.8% female; M = 21.88, SD = 1.75), enrolled at University, who participated voluntarily in the research. In fact, none of them received any form of direct or indirect incentive. In our study, we applied a beta regression model mapping the Likert scale into the open interval (0,1). The main results show (a) good-guy gaslighting is positively associated with manipulativeness and negatively associated with deceitfulness; (b) glamour gaslighting has a negative association with separation insecurity and manipulativeness, but it is positively associated with irresponsibility; (c) intimidator gaslighting has a positive association with separation insecurity and distractibility and a negative association with eccentricity and perceptual dysregulation; (d) all three gaslighting categories are negatively associated with anhedonia and impulsivity. Based on what emerged from the data, aspects such as separation insecurity, irresponsibility, and distractibility can be seen as serious risk factors for gaslighting. For this reason, with regard to clinical implications, an early recognition of dysfunctional traits in potential abusers should be fostered in order to protect both potential abusers and their partner from aggressive conduct within an intimate relationship.
Effect of Subtitles on Gaze Behavior during Shot Changes: An Eye-tracking Study
Joy J and Padakannaya P
The study provides a comprehensive picture of the effect of subtitles on the gaze behavior of the participants while watching continuity editing and discontinuity editing style cinema. Three video clips (with English subtitles and without subtitles) of continuity editing and discontinuity editing styles were presented to participants. The video clips came from English movies and the participants were not native English speakers. Entry time, dwell time, first fixation time, scan path, and average fixation duration were taken as dependent variables in this within-group study. The eye-tracking data gathered were subjected to repeated measures of two-way ANOVA and paired -test. Results revealed that the appearance of subtitles at the bottom of the screen changed the eye movement pattern of the participants during the shot changes. Timing of the subtitle starting point (before the cut or after the cut) also affected the gaze behavior. The editing style, however, did not make any difference in the gaze behavior of participants while watching subtitled video clips. Further, participants preferred reading subtitles to seeing visual images even if the subtitles were presented during the shot changes.
Brief Version of the Revised-Abbreviated Eysenck Personality Questionnaire in a Spanish Young Adult Population
Juarros-Basterretxea J, Rodríguez-Franco L, Herrero J and Rodríguez-Díaz FJ
Eysenck's PEN model is one of the most relevant and fruitful models with empirical support, and continues eliciting a large research corpus. Neverthe less, the systematic limitations regarding the psychoticism dimension and questionable inclusion of social desirability as a personality dimension have limited the model. The current research aimed to estimate an alternative PEN model including social desirability as a control and test its validity and reliability. This sample consists of 2969 Spanish young adults. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to test the fitting of four different models to the data. Once the best-fitting model was obtained, multiple-group analyses were carried out to assess the configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the model across sexes. The results showed that the three-dimension PEN model and two-dimension EN model controlling social desirability best fit the data and were invariant across sexes. Despite the apparent appropriateness of both models, the EN model controlling for social desirability is more appropriate due to the weakness of the P dimension.
Stress, a Brief Update
Valencia-Florez KB, Sánchez-Castillo H, Vázquez P, Zarate P and Paz DB
Stress is fundamental for health and adaptation; it is an evolutionarily conserved response that involves several systems in the organism. The study of the stress response could be traced back to the end of the nineteenth century with George Beard's or Claude Bernard's work and, from that moment on, several studies that have allowed the elucidation of its neurobiology and the consequences of suffering from it were consolidated. In this theoretical review, we discuss the most relevant researches to our knowledge on the study of stress response, from the concept of stress, its neurobiology, the hormonal response during stress, as well as its regulation, the effects of acute and chronic stress, stress from cognition, the different stress responses during life, as well as its relationship with different psychiatric disorders. Taken together, the reviewed research updates the classic perspective on stress, increasing the factors that should be considered in research to explore the effects of stress on health.
Dating Violence in University Students: Validation of the DVQ-VP Scale In Bolivia
Alfaro-Urquiolai AL, Roth E, Herrero Diez J, Bringas Molleda C, Herrero Olaizola JB and Rodríguez-Díaz FJ
Dating violence is an increasingly studied subject as it is related to the initial stages of what could later become intimate partner violence and even intrafamily violence. It is believed that love can cause behavioral patterns that will eventually become habits.
Basal Forebrain Modulation of Olfactory Coding
Venegas JP, Navarrete M, Orellana-Garcia L, Rojas M, Avello-Duarte F and Nunez-Parra A
Sensory perception is one of the most fundamental brain functions, allowing individuals to properly interact and adapt to a constantly changing environment. This process requires the integration of bottom-up and topdown neuronal activity, which is centrally mediated by the basal forebrain, a brain region that has been linked to a series of cognitive processes such as attention and alertness. Here, we review the latest research using optogenetic approaches in rodents and electrophysiological recordings that are shedding light on the role of this region, in regulating olfactory processing and decisionmaking. Moreover, we summarize evidence highlighting the anatomical and physiological differences in the basal forebrain of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, which could underpin the sensory perception abnormalities they exhibit, and propose this research line as a potential opportunity to understand the neurobiological basis of this disorder.
Validity and Internal Consistency of a Spanish Version of the Cognitive Flexibil ity Scale (CFS)
López MB, Arán Filippetti V and Krumm GL
This study presents a Spanish version of the Cognitive Flexi bility Scale (CFS), a subjective and brief instrument to measure Cognitive Flexibility (CF), and analyzes its psychometric characteristics.
Analysis of some Demographic and Psy-chosocial Factors that Influence in the Perception of the Workplace Violence
Cañavate-Buchón G and Meneghel I
The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of psychosocial risks based on the demographic variables of sex, age, and seniority, on the perception of workplace violence in a group of workers from Spanish companies.
Guest Editorial. Interdisciplinary Approaches for Human Cognition: Expand ing Perspectives on the Mind
Riascos Salas JA, Rosa Cota V, Villota H and Betancur Vasquez D