Research

Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen. The Problem of Defining Psychopathology and Challenges to Evolutionary Psychology Theory. In: The Evolution of Personality and Individual Differences. Oxford University Press 2010 ISBN 9780195372090. pp 451-479

Wannebo, Wenche; Wichstrøm, Lars. Are high school students living in lodgings at an increased risk for internalizing problems? Journal of Adolescence 2010;33(3);439-447

DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.06.007

This study aimed to investigate whether leaving home to live in lodgings during senior high school can be a risk factor for the development of internalizing problems. Utilizing two large-scale prospective community studies of 2399 and 3906 Norwegian students (age range 15–19 years), respectively, the difference in internalizing symptoms between adolescents living in lodgings and adolescents living with their parents during senior high school was examined. Female students living in lodgings had higher scores on internalizing problems than female students living at home, whereas no differences were found for males. Living in lodgings did not predict later internalizing problems, and prior internalizing problems did not predict moving into lodgings. It is therefore suggested that the negative effect of living in lodgings on high school students' well-being is temporary.

Zhao, Xin-Cheng; Berg, Bente Gunnveig. Arrangement of Output Information from the 3 Macroglomerular Units in the Heliothine Moth Helicoverpa assulta: Morphological and Physiological Features of Male-Specific Projection Neurons. Chemical Senses 2010;35(6):511-521

DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjq043

Helicoverpa assulta is exceptional among heliothine species studied so far as concerns composition of the pheromone blend. Previous reports have accordingly pointed out distinct characteristics in the male-specific olfactory pathway of this species, peripherally by an unusual distribution of 2 sensillum categories and centrally by a particular anatomical arrangement of the male-specific glomeruli constituting the macroglomerular complex (MGC). In order to determine the physiological tuning of the 3 MGC units in this species, we have characterized male-specific antennal-lobe projection neurons morphologically and physiologically by use of the intracellular recording and staining technique combined with confocal microscopy. The results show 2 projection neuron types of equal numbers, one that responds to the primary pheromone component, cis-9-hexadecenal, and arborizes in the cumulus and one that responds to the interspecific signal, cis-9-tetradecenal, and arborizes in the dorsomedial unit. A third type responded to the secondary pheromone component, cis-11-hexadecenal, and innervated the smaller ventral unit. The results complement previous findings from tracing of physiologically identified receptor neurons and determine for the first time the functional specificity of each glomerulus in the MGC of H. assulta. The results are particularly interesting because heliothine moths are attractive objects for comparative studies addressing questions concerning divergence of male-specific olfactory characteristics related to speciation.

Drottz Sjøberg, Britt-Marie. Perception of Nuclear Wastes across Extreme Time Perspectives. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy 2010;1(4):231-253

An empirical study, financed by the Swedish Radiation Authority (SSI), on perception of time, time periods, and responsibilities related to the final repository for spent nuclear fuel was conducted in 2002. Citizens of the Oskarshamn and Östhammar municipalities (N=1,501) responded to a postal questionnaire regarding their participation in site-specific investigations for the building of the Swedish repository, administered by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB). Approximately 41% of the sampled citizens responded to an eight-page questionnaire, which included tasks of time estimates of specified historic events (e.g., when the first human landed on the moon, the development of Homo sapiens) and possible future events (e.g., a new glacial ice period, a radiation leakage from canisters in the repository). Some questions asked for risk estimations in relation to the repository, i.e., for oneself and for others in the community. Other questions inquired about perceptions of risks and responsibilities related to future generations. SSI was especially interested in the respondents' ratings of the importance of the authority's reviews of SKB's research programs for specified time periods, i.e., during operation, in a thousand years, ten thousand years, hundred thousand years, and up to a million years. The overall results showed rather restricted time horizons among the respondents. Risk estimations relating to nuclear wastes were not extremely high, and as usual the risk to others rated higher than the risk to oneself. Regarding the importance of SSI's review of SKB's research programs, people emphasized the importance of such reviews in the near future in contrast to the distant future, i.e., while under operation and up to 1,000 years, rather than for the longer time periods of relevance for the reviews. People also perceived the consequences to be much more severe in the shorter time perspectives than in the longer ones, given a leakage from the canisters in the repository. The importance of future generations' life situations was reported as high, and perceived to be of greater importance to oneself than to others. The construction of a safe final repository for spent nuclear fuel ranked the highest on a list of topics when respondents indicated the responsibilities of current generations. Ranked second and third were the items "to fight criminality" and "to give children and youth a good education." The responsibility for depositing spent nuclear fuel in a reassuring manner was mainly attached to the entrepreneur, SKB, closely followed by the authorities (SSI and the Swedish Nuclear Safety Authority, SKI). The discussion focuses on the apparent paradox involving participants rather short time horizons, especially into the future, decreasing risk estimates across long time perspectives, and very high ratings regarding current generations' responsibilities for the life situations of future generations.

Jacobsen, Karl Henry; Svendsen, Birgit. Emosjonsregulering og oppmerksomhet - grunnfenomener i terapi med barn og unge. Fagbokforlaget 2010 (ISBN 978-82-450-0786-2) 270 s.

Hvorfor snakkes det så lite om emosjoner i behandling av barn og unge? Har vi blitt for opptatt av strukturerte utredninger, diagnoser og behandlingsprogrammer som skal redusere symptomtrykket? Er det tilstrekkelig med symptomreduksjon som tegn på vellykket behandling, eller er det nødvendig å se at barnets vitalitet og livskraft har kommet tilbake? Emosjonsregulering er den mest komplekse prosessen i utviklingen og involverer alle deler av hjernen. Også oppmerksomhet styres fra alle deler av hjernen og av et samspill mellom emosjon og kognisjon. Forfatterne viser at utvikling av disse funksjonene er en følge av barnets konstitusjon og samspill med andre fra fødselen av, og at dysfunksjoner i emosjonsregulering og oppmerksomhet antas å ligge i bunnen av alle psykologiske problemer.