Journal of abnormal psychology
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As a commentary for the special section on Reconceptualizing the Classification of Mental Disorders, this article begins with a description of the impetus for the U. S. National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative and provides an update of progress on that initiative to date. ⋯ The commentary then considers how Patrick's iterative "construct-network" method can be applied to RDoC construct validation, highlighting several aspects that are particularly useful. One aspect of this work involves determining subject inclusion and exclusion criteria that provide an appropriate range of variance. Finally, this commentary considers the Bilder group's article, explicating the ways in which multilevel models can foster development of hypotheses and informatics approaches needed for further RDoC progress.
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Formal thought disorder (FTD), or disorganized speech, is one of the central signs of schizophrenia. Despite extensive research, the cognitive processes associated with FTD are still unclear. ⋯ Specifically, FTD is strongly associated with impaired executive functioning and with impaired processing of semantic information. Their review indicates that previous research has not yet supported an association between FTD and either an increase in spreading activation or an impairment within the language production system.
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Personality traits that may contribute to somatization are reviewed. Negative affectivity is associated with high levels of both somatic and emotional distress. Agreeableness and conscientiousness may influence interactions with health care providers that lead to the failure of medical reassurance to reduce distress. ⋯ More proximate influences on the selective amplification of somatic symptoms include repressive style, somatic attributional style, and alexithymia; however, data in support of these factors are scant. Most research on somatoform disorders confounds mechanisms of symptom production with factors that influence help seeking. Longitudinal community studies are needed to explore the interactions of personality with illness experience and the stigmatization of medically unexplained symptoms.