The computational brain: Patricia S. Churchland and Terrence J. Sejnowski (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1992); xi, 544 pages, $39.95

1. Resolving Ethical Issues 1.01 Misuse of Psychologists’ Work 1.02 Conflicts Between Ethics and Law, Regulations, or Other Governing Legal Authority 1.03 Conflicts Between Ethics and Organizational Demands 1.04 Informal Resolution of Ethical Violations 1.05 Reporting Ethical Violations 1.06 Cooperating With Ethics Committees 1.07 Improper Complaints 1.08 Unfair Discrimination Against Complainants and Respondents

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

Meta-analytic procedures for social research

This meta-analysis investigates the relationship between individuals' materialistic orientation and their personal well-being. Theoretical approaches in psychology agree that prioritizing money and associated aims is negatively associated with individuals' well-being but differ in their implications for whether this is invariably the case. To address these and other questions, we examined 753 effect sizes from 259 independent samples. Materialism was associated with significantly lower well-being for the most widely used, multifaceted measures (materialist values and beliefs, r = -.19, ρ = -.24; relative importance of materialist goals, r = -.16, ρ = -.21), more than for measures assessing emphasis on money alone (rs = -.08 to -.11, ρs = -.09 to -.14). The relationship also depended on type of well-being outcome, with largest effects for risky health and consumer behaviors and for negative self-appraisals (rs = -.28 to -.44, ρs = -.32 to -.53) and weakest effects for life satisfaction and negative affect (rs = -.13 to -.15, ρs = -.17 to -.18). Moderator analyses revealed that the strength of the effect depended on certain demographic factors (gender and age), on value context (study/work environments that support materialistic values and cultures that emphasize affective autonomy), and on cultural economic indicators (economic growth and wealth differentials). Mediation analyses suggested that the negative link may be explained by poor psychological need satisfaction. We discuss implications for the measurement of materialist values and the need for theoretical and empirical advances to explore underlying processes, which likely will require more experimental, longitudinal, and developmental research.

The relationship between materialism and personal well-being: A meta-analysis.

The Autistic Spectrum: A Guide for Parents and Professionals

The empirical foundation of the ‘placebo effect’ is presented briefly, which is followed by the meta-analysis of the relatively few published reports that have investigated placebo effects in sports performance. Based on the analysis of the fourteen studies included in the meta-analysis, an overall medium effect size (0.4, 95% CI ranged from 0.24 to 0.56) was found. Homogeneity of effect sizes (χ2 (13, N = 196) = 9.35, p = 0.75) and the feasibility of possible explanation models were also tested. In various sports (e.g. cycling, running, weightlifting) the investigation of the placebo effect on various physiological or performance measures (e.g. muscle power, heart rate, running speed) and psychological attributes (e.g. perceived exertion, post-experiment interviews) yielded significant results. Indeed, the common finding of the reviewed studies was that from the point of view of the athletes there is substantial performance enhancement as a result of different forms of placebos. However, the interpretation of some of the results may be limited by methodological shortcomings. Based on the reviewed articles and further questions emerging from them, methodological recommendations as well as possible research ideas are suggested for further inquiries in the area.

Placebo effects in sport and exercise: A meta-analysis

A Scheier es Carver (1985) altal kidolgozott Eletszemlelet Teszt (Life Orientation Test, LOT) a vonasoptimizmus meresere leggyakrabban hasznalt merőeszkoz. Az optimizmus (fizikai) egeszsegre (um. testi tunetek szama, gyogyulas sebessege, mortalitas es immunfunkciok) vonatkozo prediktiv erejet szamos vizsgalatban igazoltak. A merőeszkoz eredeti (LOT), majd annak atdolgozott (LOT–R) valtozatat, valamint az optimizmus konstruktumat azonban sok kritika erte es eri a mai napig, amelyek egy resze a merőeszkoz faktorszerkezetet, masik resze pedig a vonasoptimizmus diszkriminacios validitasat, illetve az ugynevezett harmadik valtozo problemat erinti. A skala es a fogalom, valamint az azokat ert kritikak rovid bemutatasa utan ismertetjuk a LOT–R magyar valtozatanak validitasi, reliabilitasi adatait es a feltaro es konfirmativ faktorelemzessel kapott eredmenyeket. A teszt hazai valtozatanak reliabilitas- es validitasadatai a kulfoldi eredmenyekkel osszhangban jonak adodtak. A LOT–R faktorszerkezetere vonatkozo ered...

The measurement of optimism: the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT–R)

Both neurobiological and cognitive psychological evidence suggests that dreams reflect the affective concerns and emotional balance of the dreamer. Moreover, there is increasing evidence for the thesis that dreams take part in the process of emotional regulation by creating narrative structures and new associations for memories with emotional and personal relevance and giving birth to a reduced emotional arousal or balanced mood state during post-dreaming wakefulness. As health means a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, it is reasonable to assume that it is reflected in the quality of dream experiences. These theoretical considerations are exemplified by significant associations between dream emotions and health indexes emerging after the preliminary analysis of the Hungarostudy epidemiological database. Results suggest that items of the Dream Quality Questionnaire correlate with self-rated health, days spent on sick leave and most prominently with well-being. Negative dream emotions are negative predictors of health, while the opposite is true for positive ones. This effect is only partially explained by the illness intrusiveness index, the effect of dreams on daytime mood or well-being as measured by the well-being scale of the World Health Organization (WHO). Our results indicate that simple practical questions regarding habitual dream-affect, nightmares and nightterror-like symptoms convey information on the general mental and physical health of the subjects, which could be useful in medical practice.

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Dreaming and health promotion: a theoretical proposal and some epidemiological establishments

Tanulmanyunk az „ondeterminacios elmelet” (Deci, Ryan, 1985, 2000) tesztelesere kidolgozott „Aspiracios Index” kerdőiv hazai adaptacios eredmenyeit mutatja be. Az elmelet feltevese szerint a szemelyisegműkodes egeszseges vs. patologias kimenetelenek fontos meghatarozoja az alapvető intrinzik es extrinzik eletcelok rendszerenek mintazodasa. Az eddigi empirikus adatok tanusaga szerint nemtől, kul­tu­­ratol, szociookonomiai statustol fuggetlenul magasabbak a jollet es testi-lelki egeszseg mutatoi intrin­zik motivacios dominancia eseten, es alacsonyabbak extrinzik motivacios dominancia eseten. Sajat vizsgalataink a korabbi nemzetkozi tapasztalatokat megerősitő eredmenyeket hoztak: 1. Az Aspiracios Index kerdőivvel mert motivacios (cel)rendszeren belul tisztan elkulonulnek az intrinzik es extrinzik faktorok. 2. Az altalunk hasznalt validalo kerdőivek (a depresszio meresere BDI, a szemelyiseg vonasszerkezetenek feltarasara NEO-PI-R es TCI) ugyancsak az intrinzik motivaciok dominanciaja eseten jeleztek egeszsege...

Az aspirációs index hazai alkalmazásával szerzett tapasztalatok

While an increasing number of research is devoted to the understanding of placebo effects in sports, athletes' experiences with and attitudes towards the use of placebo for performance enhancement remain poorly understood. In this study, 79 elite athletes from different sports were surveyed on five issues related to placebo use in sports. Results showed that 47% of the athletes have experienced placebo effects in the past. A majority of the athletes (82%) thought that placebos could affect their sports performances. A wider use of placebos in sport settings was endorsed more by those who have experienced placebo effects in the past than those who did not (P = .005). Regardless of past experience with placebo, more than half of the athletes (53%) would accept an unknown but legitimate substance from the coach, and 67% of them would not mind a placebo-linked deception if that was effective. These findings confirm that most elite athletes believe in the power of placebos in enhancing sports performance, and those having a positive past experience exhibit slightly more favourable attitudes in contrast to those without such experiences.

Márk Bérdi

Papers

Placebo effects in sport and exercise: A meta-analysis

The measurement of optimism: the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT–R)

Dreaming and health promotion: a theoretical proposal and some epidemiological establishments

Az aspirációs index hazai alkalmazásával szerzett tapasztalatok

Elite athletes’ attitudes towards the use of placebo-induced performance enhancement in sports