Based on several postmortem morphometric and in vivo imaging studies it has been postulated that brain maturation roughly follows a caudal to rostral direction. In this study, we linked this maturational pattern to psychological function employing a series of well-established behavioral tasks. We addressed three distinct functions and brain regions with a perceptual (contour integration, CI), motor (finger tapping, FT), and executive control (Navon global–local) task. Our purpose was to investigate basic visual integration functions relying on primary visual cortex (V1) in CI; motor coordination function related to primary motor cortex (M1) in FT, and the executive control component, switching, related to the dorsolateral prefrontal region of the brain in the Navon task. 122 volunteer subjects were recruited to participate in this study between the ages of 10 and 20 (females n = 63, males n = 59). Employing conventional statistical methods, we found that 10 and 12 year olds are performing significantly weaker than 20 year olds in all three tasks. In the CI and Navon global–local tasks, even 14 years old perform poorer than adults. We have also investigated the developmental trajectories by fitting sigmoid curves on our data streams. The analysis of the developmental trajectories of the three tasks showed a posterior to anterior pattern in the emergence of the developmental functions with the earliest development in the visual CI task (V1), followed by motor development in the FT task (M1), and cognitive development as measured in the Navon global–local task (DLPC) being the slowest. Gender difference was also present in FT task showing an earlier maturation for girls in the motor domain.

Absztrakt: Bevezetés: Számos tanulmány vizsgálta az emlőrákkal diagnosztizált nők kötődési stílusát, és az eddigi eredmények rámutatnak arra, hogy a betegek életminőségének és a gyógyulás optimális feltételeinek biztosítása érdekében fontos figyelembe venni a kötődési mintázat és a kapcsolati jellemzők közötti összefüggéseket is. Célkitűzés és módszer: A jelen tanulmányban emlőrákkal diagnosztizált nők kötődési stílusát (n = 135) kívánjuk felmérni, és összehasonlítani emlőrákkal nem diagnosztizált nők csoportjával (n = 137) a felnőttkori kötődés, szorongás és elkerülés dimenziói mentén. Vizsgáljuk továbbá a felnőttkori kötődés jellemzőinek összefüggéseit a szubjektív egészségi állapottal, valamint a párkapcsolattal és a szexuális kapcsolattal való elégedettség között. Eredmények: A diagnosztizált csoportra a kötődési mintázat szempontjából magasabb elkerülés, továbbá rosszabb szubjektív egészségi állapot, alacsonyabb kapcsolati és szexuális elégedettség volt jellemző. A magasabb elkerülés és a magasabb szorongás is alacsonyabb kapcsolati elégedettséget jelzett előre, míg a szexuális elégedettség az emlőrák diagnózisával mutatott negatív, a szubjektív egészségi állapottal pedig pozitív összefüggést. Következtetés: Eredményeink arra utalnak, hogy az emlőrákkal diagnosztizált nők kötődési mintázata, emellett pedig szubjektív egészségi állapota is szerepet játszhat párkapcsolati és szexuális elégedettségükben. A páciensek testi, lelki és kapcsolati jellemzőinek figyelemmel kísérése és támogatása hozzájárulhat a jobb életminőség eléréséhez. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(13): 510–518.

Relational accounts of goal striving have barely considered dyadic coping as an element of the process, nor has dyadic coping research utilized the unique advantages of the goal construct (e.g., in form of personal project assessment) so far. Therefore, the primary aim of the present study was to explore stress and dyadic coping experiences associated with the personal projects of partners in a close relationship. Moreover, we approached data analysis in a pattern-oriented way, instead of using variable-centered linear models. We used cross-sectional data from 270 married and cohabiting Hungarian heterosexual couples (mean age 40.1 ± 11.2 and 37.8 ± 10.9 years for male and female partners, respectively). Partners individually completed an adapted version of the Personal Project Assessment procedure. First, they named an important but stressful personal project. Respondents appraised their experiences with the chosen personal project along several predefined aspects. These included: (1) stress experiences; (2) dyadic coping, using the adapted Dyadic Coping Inventory; (3) positive emotions; and (4) sense of community. The Relationship Assessment Scale was also assessed. Cluster analysis of both partners’ stress experiences, positive and negative dyadic coping strategies in their own personal projects revealed six relationship-level clusters. Cluster solutions represented typical variations of the stress and dyadic coping patterns of the couples, and could be arranged in a three- (lower, medium, and higher stress) by-two (positively vs. negatively balanced dyadic coping pattern) array. Further analyses indicated the general trend that couples with lower (vs. higher) stress together with more positively (vs. negatively) balanced dyadic coping may have experienced better functioning in projects (more positive emotions and higher sense of community) and higher relationship satisfaction. Results confirm that the partners’ pursuit of their personal projects is embedded in their relationship, and their functioning in these projects may partly depend on dyadic coping with the stress that arises during the accomplishment of the project. By using a pattern-oriented approach to dyadic data, we were able to distill stress and coping patterns that capture the specific types of couples’ relationships and indicate the non-linear and multidimensional nature of stress and dyadic coping processes.

Investigations into the intimate relationships of people with diverse sexual orientations are proliferating, but often adopt a deficit-oriented and US-centered perspective. In this tri-nation online study with participants from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (N = 571; 59% lesbian/gay, 27% bi-/plurisexual, 14% queer/other; 56% cis-female, 14% cis-male, 29% diverse gender identity) we (i) assessed the construct validity of the German version of a well-known measure for positive minority identity aspects (the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Positive Identity Measure; LGB-PIM), and (ii) explored associations between these aspects (self-awareness, authenticity, community, capacity for intimacy, and social justice) and perceived relationship quality (Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory; PRQC). After mild respecifications, model fit of the German version of the LGB-PIM was deemed acceptable. Higher levels of positive minority identity aspects were associated with higher relationship quality in bivariate analyses (r = .12 for social justice to r = .35 for capacity for intimacy), but only capacity for intimacy was linked to relationship quality in higher-order models when controlling for country, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship length, and psychological distress (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales; DASS-21). Results remained robust in several sensitivity analyses. Our results highlight the need for a positive psychological perspective in research and practice concerning the intimate relationships of people with diverse sexual orientations.