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The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) have been implied in emotional decision making, because it seems to have a role in affective reversal learning, risk proneness, and impulsive behaviour. The variety of connections of the VMPFC with several cortical and subcortical areas, as the amygdala, make likely that it can play a significant function in the control y regulation of human behaviour. In this work we reviewed studies on the Iowa Gambling task, the affective reversal learning task, lottery tasks designed to measure risk propensity, and reward delayed tasks designed to measure impulsivity. These tasks have been applied to VMPFC patients, patients with damages in other prefrontal areas, and controls. The patterns of behavioural y brain activity data can be best accounted for assuming that the VMPFC build up a representation of the expectation of reinforcement. Reinforcement amount, delay, and variance are integral parts of the representation of an expected reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental research in Psychology is characterized by ensuring a method that guarantees objectivity, reliability, validity and replication of results. In this theoretical study we propose a set of criteria for the preparation and review of quasi-experimental and experimental research manuscripts, which follows such methodological objective dictates. These criteria are based on a review of structural aspects in experimental research, in the modern theory of psychological theorization, and in the validity theory of scientific research. All these aspects are complemented with those proposed in revisions about empirically-based, statistically-based peer-review systems, and recently refined according to the expert judgment approach. We distinguish between essential, obligatory, complementary, and methodological criteria. These norms are organized according to a measuring tool -the ExperimenCheck2 system-, including report characteristics, antecedents, theoretical development, design, analysis and interpretation of results, format and bibliographical sources, also summarized in the form of a conceptual map. We also introduce the general guidelines of a reviewing process that fulfils scientific criteria, using the proposed evaluative guideline as the main organizing principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present ex post facto prospective investigation analyses the association between habitual sleep duration and depressed mood state in college students. The sample was composed of 141 healthy students of both sexes, 19 with short sleep pattern (sleeping 6 hours or less per night), 64 with intermediate sleep pattern (sleeping 7-8 hours per night) and 58 with long sleep pattern (sleeping more than 9 hours per night). Depressed mood was evaluated with the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and the depression subscale of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The scores for depressed mood state were higher for individuals with short and long sleep pattern than for those with intermediate sleep pattern. The item analysis of specific depression symptoms indicated that short sleepers differ from intermediate sleepers in the somatic symptoms of depressed mood, whereas the differences between long and intermediate sleepers are observed in cognitive aspects. Some explicative hypothesis about the mechanisms that could be mediating relations between sleep duration and depressed mood are discussed. The development of educational initiatives destined to optimise students' sleep habits may be useful to prevent future depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]