Background and Objectives. The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) was developed for assessing reactions to ambiguous situations, uncertainty, and future events. The IUS has been validated in different languages, but equivocal factor structures, in combination with highly interrelated items and factors, resulted in a redundancy of the items of the English version. In the current study, the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the IUS were examined, and compared with the shortened 12-item version (IUS-12).Methods. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to investigate different factor structures of both the full and short version of the IUS. Results. Results indicated that the IUS-12 model with two factors (ProspectiveAnxiety and Inhibitory Anxiety) provides the best fit. The reduced measure has equally good internal consistency, and is highly correlated with the full version.Limitations. Future research could investigate whether the current findings generalize to clinical populations. Conclusion.To summarize, the usage of the short 12-item version of the IUS should be encouraged in future research concerning intolerance of uncertainty.

The primary aim of the current study was to experimentally test whether pain-related fear can be acquired through observational learning, whether extinction occurs after actual exposure to the aversive stimulus, and whether pain-related fear was associated with increased pain ratings. During an observation phase, female volunteers watched a video showing models performing cold pressor tasks (CPT), of which the color served as a conditioned stimulus (CS). In a differential fear conditioning paradigm, each of two colors were either paired with models' painful (CS+) or neutral (CS-) facial expressions. Exposure consisted of participants performing CPTs of both colors (10°C). Self-reported fear of pain, and expected pain ratings were obtained after the observation period, while actual pain and avoidance measures were obtained during and after exposure. Results show that after observing another person performing the CPT associated with the painful faces, subjects report more fear of pain and expect more intense and unpleasant pain as compared to the CPT associated with the neutral faces. This effect of observational learning on pain-related fear persisted until after exposure.During and after exposure no stimulus type effect for pain ratings was found. This study provides preliminary evidence for observational learning of pain-related fear in humans.Observational learning and pain-related fear 3 Perspective:Fear of pain can be more disabling than pain itself, and is a risk factor for chronic pain.Knowledge about the acquisition of pain-related fear may help developing novel pain management programs. This study is one of the first to demonstrate the effects of observational learning on pain-related fear.

No abstract

The nature of putative semantic anomalies in schizophrenia is controversial. Metaphor interpretation and use provide a useful methodology with which to probe semantics since metaphors are critical in reasoning processes and in how conceptual knowledge is organized.The first study examined free speech for figurative language. The second study explored whether emotional versus non-emotional metaphorical language interpretation elicits differences in the tendencies to produce idiosyncratic (bizarre) or literal interpretations or use of other metaphors to describe the meaning of a metaphor. The third study examined the interpretation of time metaphors. We expected the time perspective in ambiguous sentences to be differentially influenced by previously presented unambiguous sentences of a specific perspective, either events moving relative to a stationary observer (moving-time) or an observer moving relative to a stationary event (moving-ego). First, we found that patients used a similar amount of figurative language as control participants. Second, we did not find any difference between the groups in terms of idiosyncratic interpretations, although patients did interpret more metaphors literally and controls utilized more figurative language. Third, we did not find evidence of a difference between the groups in terms of time perspectives influencing ambiguous target sentences differentially. As operationalized here, the interpretation and use of metaphors is similar in patients with schizophrenia to that of healthy control participants. To the extent that metaphors recruit semantic processes this area of cognition is generally intact in schizophrenia.

BackgroundPrevious research has demonstrated that pain-related fear can be acquired through observation of another’s pain behaviour during an encounter with a painful stimulus. The results of two experimental studies were presented, each with a different pain stimulus, of which the aim was to investigate the effect of observational learning on pain expectancies, avoidance behaviour, and physiological responding. Additionally, the study investigated whether certain individuals are at heightened risk to develop pain-related fear through observation. Finally, changes in pain-related fear and pain intensity after exposure to the feared stimulus were examined.MethodsDuring observational acquisition, healthy female participants watched a video showing coloured cold metal bars being placed against the neck of several models. In a differential fear conditioning paradigm, one colour was paired with painful facial expressions, and another colour was paired with neutral facial expressions of the video models. During exposure, both metal bars with equal temperatures (-25° or +8° Celsius) were placed repeatedly against participants’ own neck.ResultsResults showed that pain-related beliefs can be acquired by observing pain in others, but do not necessarily cause behavioural changes. Additionally, dispositional empathy might play a role in the acquisition of these beliefs. Furthermore, skin conductance responses were higher when exposed to the pain-associated bar, but only in one of two experiments. Differential pain-related beliefs rapidly disappeared after first-hand exposure to the stimuli.ConclusionsThis study enhances our understanding of pain-related fear acquisition and subsequent exposure to the feared stimulus, providing leads for pain prevention and management strategies.