Obesity is becoming more common in western cultures. Because the genetic component linked to obesity remains the same as it has in the past, there is an increased concern about the cultural and environmental causes of overeating (Lissner, 1997). Affluent western cultures have higher incidences than cultures that have more limited resources. Western cultures also […]
The current study aimed to improve understanding of the behavioral indicators of social anxiety in the Free Speech Task. Building on the current theoretical knowledge about social anxiety, we developed a rating system to maximize the sensitivity of the behavioral anxiety assessment in the Free Speech Task. Participants with social anxiety and a control group […]
The ability to choose an evidence-based psychotherapy on the base of scientific knowledge has been a negligible factor in the evolution of the human brain. One could argue that empirical science itself fosters a style of thinking that is counter-intuitive for many of us. Personally I believe that the human way of trying to identify […]
Internet-based psychotherapy is a hot topic since a few years. The main advantage is money: Computers are much cheaper to run than licensed psychotherapist. So if a computer could achieve the same or nearly the same treatment outcome as a human expert this would be a huge advantage, as computer systems can be replicated almost […]
[http://www.vrphobia.com](http://www.vrphobia.com) (which turned up as #1 in Google) is an organization that is called Virtual Reality Medical Center. They treat all kinds of anxiety related disorders, but seem to focus mainly on specific phobias. After the intake session the client is taught skills to suppress automatic fear reactions. In the following sessions the client is […]
While research has found differences between novice and expert therapists those differences do not seem to be significant for treatment outcome. A crucial factor in this finding is that certain processes keep the psychotherapist from learning effectively. One of those processes is the lack of good feedback (on the macro and the micro level). If […]
Heterotypical continuity means that an underlying (developmental) process or impairment stays the same, but the manifestations do not stay the same. For example a child with autism might first show impairments of non-verbal skills and problems in eye-contact. In a later developmental stage the manifestations would be different, such as stereotypical behaviour or language problems. […]
In medicine, diseases are classified according to the physiological problem that is presumed to have caused the disease. Classification is guided by advanced biological and chemical theories that have proven to have explanatory value. For mental illnesses that is a different story, because the working mechanism is mostly unknown and there is no unified scientific […]
Charman et al. (2005) found that non-verbal behaviour was relatively robust and reliable on the different measurements over time, whereas the other indicators where not so reliable. In that light non-verbal behaviour might be a good indicator for the development of language and communication skills specifically and quality and frequency of social interactions in general […]
The study of developmental psychopathology is a multidisciplinary approach for studying factors that contribute or impede mental health. These factors can be internal (for example genes) or external (environment) and are conceptualized not as directly influencing mental health, but as building vulnerabilities or enhance adaptation. It is assumed these factors differ in their mechanics according […]
In terms of psychopharmacology, nicotine acts directly on nicotine cholinergic receptors, which are located in part on mesolimbic dopamine neurons. By stimulating the nicotine receptor, dopamine is released from the mesolimbic neurons, accompanied by a sense of reward and pleasure. Whereas other drugs, such as cocaine, that act on the same neurons, block the dopamine […]