Search

Background Metaphors may provide clarity or identify hidden similarities between two ideas, and their use in cognitive restructuring can help maximise the effect of therapy information. This study aimed to determine whether metaphorical cognitive restructuring would produce a greater intervention effect in targeted mood and cognition than non-metaphorical restructuring. Methods Eighty-eight participants chose 25 problems of interest and wrote a self-report distress problem and were then randomly divided into a metaphorical restructuring group (N = 29), a literal restructuring group (N = 30), or a no restructuring problem restating group (N = 29). Participants first read a description of psychological distress ("problem") and then read a solution within one micro-counseling scenario. They were asked to evaluate their insightfulness during the intervention and evaluated mental distress and self-efficacy before and after the intervention. Results The mental distress of the metaphorical restructuring group significantly decreased after the intervention. Further, this group had greater insightfulness during the intervention, and this insightfulness could predict the reduction of negative affect after the intervention. Conclusions The use of metaphors can be of great value in eliciting a salient cognitive restructuring process and in alleviating mental distress.

Insight is a salient psychotherapeutic progress but has rarely been measured in a controlled experimental setting. This study aimed to assess whether textual micro-counseling dialogue could validly evoke insight and to explore the characteristics of insight. The guessing riddle of cognitive psychology was used as a reference of the experimental paradigm. Specifically, textual micro-counseling dialogues applying cognitive restructuring techniques were presented. The participant first read a description of a psychological distress ("problem") and then an explanation ("solution"). Zero-, low-, and high-restructuring solutions were randomly matched to the problems and it was expected that they would trigger different levels of insight experiences. Experts and students evaluated the adaptability and emotional valence of problems, and the insightfulness, novelty, adaptability, and emotional valence of solutions. For both experts and students, different intensities of insightfulness were produced across high-, low- and zero-restructuring solutions. Novelty significantly discriminated the high-restructuring solutions from the other two solution types. Adaptability and emotional valence could discriminate the high- and low-restructuring solutions types from the zero-restructuring solution. Insightfulness had high correlations with novelty and adaptability. These results indicated that textual micro-counseling dialogues with a high-restructuring solution could validly produce the greatest insightfulness and the features of high-restructuring solutions may have reference meaning for improving psychotherapeutic effect.

Our previous study showed that placebo expectations can develop in a transferable manner; for example, a placebo expectation developed within an analgesic experience may lead to reduced anxiety. Considering that activities in such emotion-responsive areas as the amygdala and insula can be detected through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we used fMRI to further study the transferable placebo anxiolytic effect. A main-effect analysis showed that activity in the amygdala and insula was reduced in the placebo condition, whereas an interaction analysis showed activity in the two regions was selectively attenuated in the placebo condition when unpleasant pictures were viewed. We also observed greater activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex under placebo conditions when either emotionally negative or neutral pictures were viewed. These data suggest that the anxiety-relieving placebo effect arose from a reward-related response underpinned by the participants' expectations.

Past studies indicate that the placebo expectation established by analgesic treatment significantly relieves pain perception, while ataractic treatment significantly alleviates unpleasant arousal evoked by negative picture processing. But it is unclear whether the placebo effect can be transferred from one domain to the other, namely from pain to emotion. In this study we led participants to believe in the analgesic effect of magnetic treatment equipment (the placebo) by secretly reducing the intensity of pain stimulus. Then, we examined if this placebo could significantly alter participants' negative affect evoked by watching unpleasant pictures. Our results indicated a significant transferable placebo effect that alleviated negative feelings. EEG recordings showed the transferable placebo treatment induced decreased P2 amplitude and increased N2 amplitude, with source location near the posterior cingulate.

The effect of extraordinary degradation of phenol organics on the SnO 2 -Sb 2 O 3 /Ti electrode is investigated through experimental research and theoretical analysis. The phenol organics contained 4-chloro-phenol, 4-bromo-phenol, and 2-iodo-phenol. At a current density of 4 mA cm -2 and an electrolysis time of 12 h, the degradation efficiency of the phenols was over 98% with a relatively short degradation time, whereas the degradation time of the PbO 2 /Ti electrode surpassed 40 h while delivering 100% disposal efficiency. Therefore, the effectiveness of electrochemical (EC) oxidation by the SnO 2 -Sb 2 O 3 /Ti was superior to that of the PbO 2 /Ti electrode. At the same time, the SnO 2 -Sb 2 O 3 /Ti had higher oxygen generation potential and lower electron consumption than the other electrodes. This was mainly due to the effect of the middle Sb 2 O 3 layer, which due to its high porosity and good catalytic effect, contributed to a better catalysis than the SnO 2 part.