John T. Cacioppo

In support of Bleuler: Objective evidence for increased affective ambivalence in schizophrenia based upon evocative testing

BACKGROUNDnAmbivalence and anhedonia have long been identified as schizophrenic symptoms. However, ambivalence has rarely been studied, and in most evocative studies, schizophrenia participants are not anhedonic. Affective neurosciences posit two evaluative systems (one for Positivity and one for Negativity), the coactivation of which produces ambivalence, and point to two asymmetries in affective processing: Positivity Offset (which measures our capacity to explore the environment) and Negativity Bias (a measure of reactivity to intense threat). These characteristics have not received much attention in schizophrenia research.nnnMETHODSnSixty-four individuals with schizophrenia and 32 non-patient control participants completed an evocative emotional task with pictures, sounds and words of various valences and intensities. Following each presentation, participants rated the level of pleasantness, unpleasantness, and arousal elicited by the stimulus. Finally, participants completed questionnaires on anhedonia, and practical life skills were assessed.nnnRESULTSnSchizophrenia participants showed higher levels of ambivalence, greater arousal, greater Positivity Offset, and non-significantly different hedonic capacities and Negativity Bias. Ambivalence to positive stimuli significantly correlated with duration of illness, current level of psychopathology, anhedonia questionnaires and practical life skills. Schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms did not differ from patients without negative symptoms on computer tasks.nnnCONCLUSIONSnAmbivalence is greater in schizophrenia, and can be understood as a de-differentiation of the activation of the two evaluative systems. Ambivalence to positive stimuli, which may reflect early-stage affective processing is associated with impairments in higher-level emotional processes and in everyday functioning. Future studies should clarify the status of anhedonia in schizophrenia.

Job Insecurity and Change Over Time in Health Among Older Men and Women

OBJECTIVESnWe estimated associations between job insecurity and change over time in the physical and psychological health of older adult men and women.nnnMETHODSnWe conducted secondary analyses of longitudinal data from men and women (N = 190) born between 1935 and 1952 in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study. We used multivariate regression techniques to test the association of job insecurity with changes in physical health (self-reported global health, resting blood pressure, and urinary catecholamines [epinephrine]) and psychological health (depressive symptoms, hostility, loneliness, and personal stress). We controlled for individual characteristics and baseline measures of the outcomes.nnnRESULTSnMen who experience job insecurity rate themselves in significantly poorer physical health and have higher blood pressure and higher levels of urinary catecholamines compared with men who do not experience job insecurity and women who do. Women who experience job insecurity show higher depressive symptoms and report more hostility, loneliness, and personal stress compared with women who do not experience job insecurity and men who do.nnnDISCUSSIONnThe correlation between job insecurity and health is different in men and women but may be clinically significant in both populations and is a potentially important threat to older adults health and well-being.

Visualizing Scientific Data

Data visualization is a vital skill for scientists of all disciplines, affording the ability to generate insights about data and communicate those insights to others. In this talk, we will discuss principles for designing effective visualizations that make complex ideas easy to understand. These principles are rooted in innate human perceptual abilities (and limitations) to parse visual features. We will also examine the importance of displaying variation and uncertainty, visualization strategies for highdimensional data, and common pitfalls when using color. After attending the talk, audience members should feel better prepared to design clearer graphics that communicate their intended message. This talk represents a subset of principles in our 2017 invited chapter in the Handbook of Psychophysiology, 4th Edition, Cambridge University Press.