Psychology

When people clap to music, sing, play a musical instrument, or dance, they engage in temporal entrainment. We examined the effect of music training on the precision of temporal entrainment in 57 children aged 10–14 years (31 musicians, 26 non-musicians). Performance was examined for two tasks: self-paced finger tapping (discrete movements) and circle drawing (continuous movements). For each task, participants synchronized their movements with a steady pacing signal and then continued the movement at the same rate in the absence of the pacing signal. Analysis of movements during the continuation phase revealed that musicians were more accurate than non-musicians at finger tapping and, to a lesser extent, circle drawing. Performance on the finger-tapping task was positively associated with the number of years of formal music training, whereas performance on the circle-drawing task was positively associated with the age of participants. These results indicate that music training and maturation of the motor system reinforce distinct skills of timed movement.

Reference: Braun-Janzen, T., Thompson, W.F., Ammirante, P., & Ranvaud, R. (2014). Timing skills and expertise: discrete and continuous timed movements among musicians and athletes. Frontiers in Psychology: Cognition. ISSN: 1664-1078.

Abstract: Movement-based expertise relies on precise timing of movements and the capacity to predict the timing of events. Music performance involves discrete rhythmic actions that adhere to regular cycles of timed events, whereas many sports involve continuous movements that are not timed in a cyclical manner. It has been proposed that the precision of discrete movements relies on event timing (clock mechanism), whereas continuous movements are controlled by emergent timing. We examined whether movement-based expertise influences the timing mode adopted to maintain precise rhythmic actions.

Drawing besides being a recreational activity is also a form of communication, being adopted as a methodological
strategy in environmental perception studies. Data collection was carried out in the framework of Children's
Environmental Education Project in Public Square (EAPP). It occurred from December 2012 to July 2013 and it was
developed in parallel to the swap and sustainability event "Let it go" in Edmundo Rego Square. The methodology
consisted of a facilitator using appropriate language, he asked children to draw a marine environment on a blank sheet.
Behind every drawing sheet, he made notes on what the child expressed in the drawing. A semi-structured interview
was applied to children and their parents. Both the content analysis of the speeches of interviews and children drawings
were based on previously delineated categories, according to the theoretical framework. The sample added up to
drawings of 82 children. Children belonged to a range of 4-12 years; most of them were girls and all residents of the
city of Rio de Janeiro. They were originating in most from North Zone (89%), where the work was developed (Grajaú
neighborhood). 54 macro elements were identified, of which 34% were biotic and 85% natural ones. Children see the
marine environment as a natural site with organisms in it. Conversely, it is observed there is little presence of artificial
elements. The results obtained from the analysis of the drawings show that the perception of children on the marine
environment is shaped mainly by their family relationships.

Stage fright is considered by psychologist as “a form of performance anxiety” (Todd, 2012). Stage fright often occurs when one feels threatened by concerns of performing poorly in front of an audience and receiving negative feedback and consequences from the audience. This paper focuses on the explaination of stage fright using various theory.

Objects of Psychiatrty. Between thing-making, reification & personhood Zurich, June 8 – 11, 2016.

International Conference organised by the interdisciplinary research project: “Schizophrenia”: Reception, seman-tic shift, and criticism of a concept in the 20th century. University of Zurich, Psychiatric Hospital Zurich University.

The concept of belief is the topic of extensive scholarly discussion, and the association between music and belief has a long history. Because music is abstract and mysterious, many beliefs are held about the function and power of music itself: its power to heal illness, influence society, or make us smarter. Music also accompanies cultural practices that embed and reflect systems of belief. When music accompanies the communication of religious, political, or social assertions, the ideas conveyed are perceived to have more gravitas and credibility. In this article, the complex relationship between music and beliefs is outlined, and reasons given for this strong connection. Reference: Thompson, W.F. (2014). Belief. In Thompson, W.F. (Ed.). Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Encyclopedia. Sage Publications Inc., New York. ISBN: 9781452283036

On Aug. 7, the American Psychological Association overwhelmingly approved a sweeping ban on any involvement by psychologists in national security interrogations conducted by the U.S. government. This ban includes even non-coercive interrogations. The vote was a knee-jerk reaction that some members felt was sorely needed to restore the organization’s reputation after an independent investigation led by David H. Hoffman, a Chicago-based lawyer. The probe found that some association officers and other prominent psychologists shielded APA members who participated in the CIA and Pentagon’s harsh interrogation programs during the George W. Bush administration. These programs involved “soft” torture and “enhanced” interrogation techniques and allowed the government to shield itself from claims of torture by saying health providers were overseeing what was being done. The new APA ban forbids psychologists from conducting, supervising, being in the presence of or otherwise assisting in national security interrogations for military or intelligence entities, including private contractors working on their behalf. Psychologists also may not advise on conditions of confinement insofar as these might facilitate such interrogations. Psychologists are permitted to consult with the government on broad interrogation policy but may not become involved in interrogations or consult on the specific detention conditions for detainees.