bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visuomotor Perception in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined Type
Authors: Raggio Donald J.
Published: August 2011

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined Type (ADHD-CT) defined by behavioral characteristics of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity including weaknesses in fine motor coordination and poor motor inhibition frequently exhibit poor handwriting and penmanship. Performance of children on visuomotor tasks is further complicated, as most studies have not excluded children with specific learning disabilities who are known to do poorly on these tests. This study was designed to examine the performance of children diagnosed with this disorder, without learning disabilities on visuomotor tasks. 26 preadolescent patients were administered a battery of tests that included the Bender-Gestalt, Conners' Parent Rating Scale, Continuous Performance Task, and Wide Range Achievement Test-Third Edition. Scores on the Bender-Gestalt test averaged significantly lower than Koppitz normative data. This study lends support to the hypothesis that ADHD-CT children without learning disabilities exhibit deficits on tasks requiring visuomotor perception.
What Self-Monitors Don't Monitor
Authors: Chatterjee Anindya , Hunt James M. , Kernan Jerome B.
Published: August 2011

Snyder's self-monitoring scale, which is designed to assess subjects' ability to modify their self-presentations and to read those of others, may inversely reflect the cognitive effort subjects direct toward other focal information. In an information-processing experiment, low self-monitoring subjects exhibited significantly higher mean recognition scores than high self-monitoring subjects. Many reasons might account for this behavior, but none detracts from its social-psychological import.
The Problem of the Missing Wavelet
Authors: Brigner Willard L.
Published: August 2011

A block face was generated by dividing a drawn face into a matrix of rectangular cells and then making the brightness of each cell equal to the average of the brightnesses within the facial area circumscribed by a cell. A wavelet analysis was performed on the numbers representing the brightnesses of the cells in each row of the matrix, and from each row, the wavelet was deleted which corresponded to the fundamental or the lowest frequency sine wave of a complex wave. The appearance of the block face was not substantially altered by the deletion of the wavelet corresponding to the fundamental.
Sex Differences in Route Learning by Children
Authors: Gibbs Amber C. , Wilson Josephine F.
Published: August 2011

Differences between men and women have been reported with respect to route-learning, but sex differences in children on these and related tasks have not been found. In this study, 51 children ages 5 to 12 years were required to learn a route on a map to criterion and then asked to recall landmarks on that route. Boys made significantly fewer errors and rook less time and fewer trials to reach criterion in learning the route, and girls recalled more landmarks than boys. Significant main effects for age were also noted on all measures of route learning and landmark recall. These results suggest that the patterns of route learning that have been ascribed to women and men are present in girls and boys.
Children's Descriptions of Fractal Shapes
Authors: Vacc Nancy Nesbitt
Published: August 2011

Elementary-school students ( N = 359), who had not been introduced to fractal geometry, examined and described the shape of three fractal sets, i.e., batter-fried chicken, popcorn, and curly leaf lettuce. The data were generated during individual, untimed, semistructured interviews. In general, the children used terminology of classical geometry to describe the shape of the popcorn, and they used adjectives, phrases, created words, and classical geometric terminology to describe the shape of the chicken and lettuce. A framework of terminology that children might use in describing fractal shapes was not discernible from the findings but the results suggest that the children's descriptions may have been influenced by the properties of the different fractal sets.
Nonindependence of Parameters of the Validity and Reliability of Gain Scores
Authors: Williams Richard H. , Zimmerman Donald W.
Published: August 2011

Gain scores can be valid and reliable under certain scenarios stipulating the ratios of pretest and posttest reliability coefficients, the ratios of pretest and posttest variances, and the correlations of pretest and posttest scores with a criterion. Although no assumptions about the size of these ratios can be ruled out in the absence of empirical evidence, one can nevertheless infer from inspection of mathematical formulas and from characteristics of pretest-posttest experimental designs that some scenarios are more likely in practice than others.
Effects of Pattern, Spatial Frequency, Number, and Rate of Stimulus Presentation on the Accuracy of Detection
Authors: Fleming Donovan E. , Schofield Allen C. , Mills Richard H. , Adams Ben G. , Stewart Scott , Greenhalgh Aubree
Published: August 2011

Brief trains of pulsed stimuli were used to assess whether magnocellular or parvocellular visual pathways could be differentiated perceptually. Trains of either one to four sine-wave, square-wave, or checkerboard gratings were presented at three temporal and two spatial frequencies to six observers. The task of the observer was to report the perceived number of stimuli (gratings) in a train. The difference between actual number and perceived number of gratings was recorded as an error score. It was found that neither the pattern nor the spatial frequency of the gratings significantly affected perceptual accuracy. On the other hand, the number of gratings in a train and the interstimulus interval between gratings produced significant differences. Perceptual accuracy was greater when lower numbers of gratings in a train were presented with longer interstimulus intervals. The observers typically reported fewer stimuli than were presented. The source of the discrepancy is discussed in terms of a light adaptive process initiated in the retina.
Attentional Effects on Reaching in Hemispace
Authors: Rabb Casi , Gabbard Carl
Published: August 2011

Previous evidence notes that attentional information in the form of visually guided stimuli can override motor dominance when programming reaching-to-grasp movements in contralateral hemispace. The present experiment verified these effects for 135 university students, using an auditory stimulus, and the pattern of behavior in the two modalities was quite similar.
Muscle Test Comparisons of Congruent and Incongruent Self-Referential Statements
Authors: Monti Daniel A. , Sinnott John , Marchese Marc , Kunkel Elisabeth J. S. , Greeson Jeffrey M.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated differences in values of manual muscle tests after exposure to congruent and incongruent semantic stimuli. Muscle testing with a computerized dynamometer was peformed on the deltoid muscle group of 89 healthy college students after repetitions of congruent (true) and incongruent (false) self-referential statements. The order in which statements were repeated was controlled by a counterbalanced design. The combined data showed that approximately 17% more total force over a 59% longer period of time could be endured when subjects repeated semantically congruent statements ( p<.001). Order effects were not significant. Over-all, significant differences were found in muscle-test responses between congruent and incongruent semantic stimuli.
Motoric Encoding and Retention of Pictures in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Hart Robert P. , Sautter Scott W.
Published: August 2011

20 patients with Alzheimer's disease were shown line drawings of common objects on two trials. During the second trial they were asked to pantomime an action for the object and then provided a standard motoric cue or were asked to name it and then provided a standard semantic cue. Semantic cueing served as a stimulus-processing control condition. Memory for pictures was assessed at a 48-hr. delay interval using a yes–no recognition-memory procedure. Discrimination of stimulus pictures from distractors at 48 hours was similar for the motoric and control (semantic) encoding condition. These findings suggest that motoric encoding does not enhance long-term retention of episodic memories for pictures in such patients.
Order of Item Difficulty on Picture Arrangement: Extending the Discussion to the Wais—III
Authors: Ryan Joseph J. , Lopez Shane J.
Published: August 2011

Past examinations of the order of item difficulty on the 10-item WAIS–R Picture Arrangement subtest indicated that the items had not been arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Examination of the clinical data for 50 consecutive assessment referrals [means for age, education, Full Scale IQ, and Picture Arrangement subtest scaled score were 46.4 ( SD=10.2), 12.6 ( SD = 11) 96 7 ( SD=12.6), and 10.6 ( SD = 3.3), respectively] on the 11-item WAIS–III subtest suggested that the current order of items may not be in order of increasing difficulty Clinical relevance of these findings and research on the order of item difficulty are discussed.
School Zone Speed Limit Dissenters: An Informal Look
Authors: Trinkaus John
Published: August 2011

Present data for 60 30-min. observations confirm prior studies' report of a compliance rate of about 10% with the 20-mph speed limit posted in a school zone. Also, women driving vans were least compliant.
Perceptual Defense Mechanisms in Crohn's Disease and Panic Disorder
Authors: Rubino I. Alex , Biancone Livia , Zardo Elisa , Zanna Valeria , Saya Anna , Ciani Nicola
Published: August 2011

The defense organization of Crohn's disease and Panic Disorder was studied with a well-validated tachistoscopic paradigm, the Defense Mechanism Test. Three sex- and age-matched groups of 34 subjects (Crohn, Panic, and Nonclinical) were compared on the main codings of defense. Crohn patients were characterized by stereotypy and lack of recognition of the threat. The Panic group presented clearly higher frequencies of protocols with repression, isolation, and disappearance of the threat. Especially was the strongest variant of isolation, barrier-isolation, typical of the defensive substructure of panic patients.
Clarifying the Issues: A Reply to Masling
Authors: Malik Rajesh , Apel Steffan
Published: August 2011

Masling (1998) stated that we did not find the effects of subliminal psychodynamic activation because of experimental artifacts. We reject his assertion that our failure to uncover effects was due to procedural problems and reassert our claim that the method was sound.
Motor Performance with a Simulated Artificial Limb
Authors: Wallace Stephen A. , Anderson David I. , Anderson Duane , Mayo Anthony M. , Nguyen Kimchi T. , Ventre Mariah A.
Published: August 2011

The present study was conducted to examine performance differences on a reaching and grasping task related to an activity of daily living. This involved either the anatomical limb or a simulated artificial limb. College-aged volunteers (2 men and 4 women), one of whom was left-handed, performed the reaching and grasping task. The apparatus, placed on a table before the seated participant, was a square wooden board which contained a starting key and holes for the insertion and removal of a small Fiberglas dowel. At the beginning of the trial the participant depressed the start key, reached forward and grasped the dowel, and then returned the dowel to a finishing hole located directly in front of the start key. The results of 2 (side) × 2 (type of limb) repeated-measures multivariate analyses of variance on the mean and standard deviation of the movement times showed a significant main effect for type of limb (Wilks Λ33= .047 and .079, respectively, p<.05). Analyses of variance on mean total transport time, extension time, flexion time, and their standard deviations showed that times were slower and less consistent with the prosthesis for all measures. These results and those of later research should be focused on the development of training principles for both therapists and individuals with an amputation. In addition, the simulated prosthesis is an excellent experimental model for basic and clinical research in the control and acquisition of coordinated movement.
Effects of Praying and a Working Memory Task in Participants Trained in Meditation and Controls on the Occurrence of Spontaneous Thoughts
Authors: Fabbro Franco , Muzur Amir , Bellen Raffaella , Calacione Roberta , Bava Antonio
Published: August 2011

So-called “intrusive thoughts” appear independently from external stimuli and are the cause of severe disturbances in depressed patients. Following Bad-deley's 1986 discoveries regarding “articulatory suppression,” we investigated the influence of praying and of a working memory task on the number of spontaneous thoughts reported by 20 subjects compared to the control (quiet) state. Two groups of subjects were tested: those trained in meditation and controls. Significant reduction in simultaneous thought arousal was obtained during both the working memory task and the recitation of prayer. In all three experimental conditions, meditation practitioners reported significantly fewer spontaneous thoughts.
Attention and Estimated Line Length
Authors: Masin Sergio C.
Published: August 2011

Whether attention affects the estimated length of a line has been debated for a long time. Some authors have found estimated length to increase with attention; others have found that it decreased. The present study further investigated this problem with two experiments. The first confirmed that estimated length decreased with attention; however, this result had low reliability. The second experiment indicated that estimated length significantly decreased with attention for some participants and significantly increased for others. This finding accounts for the low reliability of the first experiment and for the conflicting results of previous studies. Implications of opposite effects of attention for models of sensory intensity are discussed. An interpretation of these effects in terms of response preferences is proposed.
Gregorc's Cognitive Styles: College Students' Preferences for Teaching Methods and Testing Techniques
Authors: Seidel Laura E. , England Eileen M.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the preferences of liberal arts students for various teaching methods and testing techniques in relation to their cognitive style. 100 students completed the Gregorc Style Delineator and rated preferences for teaching methods and testing techniques commonly used in college classes. Analysis indicated that scores on the Sequential–Random continuum of Gregorc's model are more strongly related to learning style than are those on the Concrete-Abstract continuum. Students who scored high in the Sequential direction of the continuum preferred teaching methods such as structured lectures and independent lab experiments and preferred tests comprised of problems with concrete answers. 86% of the Science majors scored high in the Sequential direction. Students who scored high in the Random direction of the continuum preferred group discussion and group projects and preferred assessment by projects or class discussion. 85% of Humanities majors scored high in the Random direction. With the qualification that the sequential-random continuum dominated, Gregorc's cognitive styles appear related to instructional preferences of liberal arts college students.
“I'm All Right Jack” in Russia Too
Authors: Kondrichin Sergei V. , Lester David
Published: August 2011

The percentage of voters supporting the new constitution for the Russian Federation in 1993 was negatively associated with the death rate in the 55 oblasts and krais (provinces and territories).
Stress and Sleep Patterns of College Students
Authors: Verlander Lorrie A. , Benedict James O. , Hanson David P.
Published: August 2011

The present study investigated the relationship between stress and sleep. A self-report measure was used to assess three domains: environmental events, personality mediators, and emotional responses. It was hypothesized that one or more of the domains would predict seven different aspects of sleep. 227 college students completed the Derogatis Stress Profile and the Sleep Questionnaire. Analysis indicated that scores on emotional response were the best predictor of five different sleep aspects: depth of sleep, difficulties in waking up, quality and latency of sleep, negative affect in dreams, and sleep irregularity. Presence of environmental events was the best predictor for the length of sleep only. It was concluded that research looking at the effects of stress on sleep must consider all three components of stress and that perhaps the emotional response to stress is the best predictor of sleep complaints.
A Path Model of the Relationship between Career Indecision, Androgyny, Self-Efficacy, and Self-Esteem
Authors: Wulff Mary Beth , Steitz Jean A.
Published: August 2011

Utilizing a path model, this study investigated the relationship between Androgyny and career decision-making among 91 high school girls. The constructs included in the model were Androgyny as assessed by the Bern Sex-role Inventory, Self-esteem as assessed by the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Self-efficacy as assessed by the Wulff-Steitz Career Self-efficacy Scale, and Career Indecision as assessed by the Osipow Career Decision Scale. The results indicated that Androgyny scores were significantly associated with those on Self-esteem, Self-esteem with Self-efficacy, and Self-efficacy with Career Indecision. The results are discussed in terms of the usefulness of path models in clarifying complex interrelationships.
Relations between Biased Tonicity of the Body and Vertical Judgement in Poststroke Hemiplegic Persons
Authors: Ishikura Kenji
Published: August 2011

The influence of muscular tension upon visual vertical judgement in a standing posture was investigated in 16 hemiplegic persons and 12 normal elderly persons. The normal elderly group showed that their judgements of vertically were accurate and stable. In hemiplegic persons, judgements were displaced opposite to the side in which there was high tension in the body. Differences between groups in body tension and the side to which judgement was displaced were significant. The peculiar judgement errors made by hemiplegic persons are thus an overcorrection for tonicity. It was related to one's own body perception.
Allocation of Attention and Practice in the Production of Time Intervals
Authors: Sawyer Thomas F.
Published: August 2011

During a baseline trial, participants attempted to produce a 60-sec. interval while working at either a simple tracing task or others that involved mirror-tracing. Subsequent practice with the assigned task, expected to reduce the need for allocation of attention to mirror-tracing for those groups, produced predictable effects on a second trial of duration producing. Those performing mirror-tracing reduced production rimes on the postpractice trial, while those performing simple tracing showed no change after practice. These results are interpreted within the attentional allocation model of estimation of prospective duration.
Assessment of Calculation and Number Processing by Adults: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Issues
Authors: Deloche Gérard , Souza Ligia , Willadino-Braga Lucia , Dellatolas Georges
Published: August 2011

Calculation and number processing abilities were assessed in normal ( n = 138) and traumatic brain-injured ( n = 15) Brazilian literate subjects. The study aimed (i) to analyse the effects of demographic factors and to provide tentative norms adjusted for the relevant variables, (ii) to examine the factorial structure of the battery and to evaluate its clinical validity for diagnosis purposes, and (in) to question the power of current models to account for effects and dissociations found for these groups. Analysis indicated a main effect of education on most subtests and of sex on three, but none for age. Cut-off scores for normality were defined at Percentile 10 with reference to education. The sensitivity of the battery to the presence of arithmetical impairments was considered satisfactory since 11 out of the 15 patients showed pathological scores. A principal component analysis indicated that the different subtests were grouped into three factors, which were tentatively interpreted with reference to current information-processing models. The multiple single-case analysis of dissociations in patients' performance suggested some limits with respect to anatomo-functional models of calculation and number processing.
Phantom Sensations in a Patient with Cervical Nerve Root Avulsion
Authors: Grouios George
Published: August 2011

This case study reports detailed phantom sensations in a 35-yr.-old man who had his C5 and C6 cervical nerve roots avulsed from the cord during a motorcycle accident at the age of 22 years. The subject, who was left with a paralyzed right deltoid muscle, anesthetic sensation along the upper lateral portion of the right arm, and absent right biceps reflex, became aware of phantom right arm and hand sensations a few months after the original injury. This finding—which has important implications for understanding the process involved in bodily perception as well as the development of these perceptions—provides evidence of a distributed neural representation of the body that has both genetic and experiential determinants. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to recent concepts of phantom limb experiences and related phenomena.
Presentation Context and Perception of Causal Relatedness
Authors: Waddill Paula J. , Fahl Christine
Published: August 2011

In the present experiment, we investigated the extent to which the presentation context influenced the perception of the causal relatedness of sentence pairs. 60 participants were randomly assigned to one of two presentation conditions. Participants in the Blocked condition received sets of sentence pairs, with each set consisting of four possible causes for a given outcome. Participants in the Distributed condition received sets consisting of four unrelated outcomes each paired with a sentence describing a possible cause. Presentation condition had essentially no effect on the perception of causal relatedness.
Performance Suppression from Control Procedures is Not the Basis of the Mozart Effect
Authors: Rideout Bruce E.
Published: August 2011

The suggestion by others that previous replications of the Mozart effect in this laboratory are due to suppression of arousal from a relaxation control procedure is inconsistent with our published data.
Sex Differences on the Hand Mental Rotation Task for 9-Yr.-Old Children and Young Adults
Authors: Karádi Kázmér , Szabó Imre , Szepesi Tímea , Kállai Ján Os , Kovács Beatrix
Published: August 2011

The Hand Mental Rotation task is assumed to activate an egocentric spatial reference frame to realize mental rotation. This study presents significant sex differences in hand mental rotation performances between men and women ( n = 23 and 25, respectively; age: 20.7 yr.). Differences in hand mental rotation in school girls and boys ( ns = 48 and 41, respectively; age: 9 yr) were not significant. Our results suggest that the change in sex differences in egocentric mental rotation may occur with developmental change. This requires further testing with a larger sample so testing can occur at several ages between 9 and 20.7 years.
Time Taken as a Determinant of Advancement in Shotokan Karate Black-Belt Heian Kata Performance
Authors: Layton Clive
Published: August 2011

30 experienced black-belt subjects were individually timed on each of the five Heian kata. Significant relationships were found between years of training and increased performance time on all the kata and for four with age controlled. The multiple correlation was significant.
Kr-Withdrawal and Self-Paced Motor Performance
Authors: Travlos Antonios K.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of KR-withdrawal on performance and the chronological profile of KR-delivery following the self-paced procedure and the blank trial technique. 120 participants were randomly separated into 12 groups and practiced finding an 8-in. line with no fixed starting and ending points. Appropriate 12 × 3 (groups by blocks of trials) analyses of variance and a prior contrasts were conducted to analyze all dependent variables (absolute error, variable error, movement time, KR-delay, post-KR interval, and KR-delay by post-KR interval ratio). The results indicated that (a) accuracy decreased significantly when KR was withdrawn early in practice, while the effects of KR-withdrawal later in practice affected accuracy differently. (b) Early in practice, participants performed at the same level of consistency even when KR was withdrawn; however, later in practice, the participants were less variable, (c) Movement time, KR-delay, and post-KR-interval were affected differently during early and later stages of practice, (d) Moderate to high correlations between absolute error and post-KR intervals may indicate the development of mechanisms for error detection.
Dynamic Capture of Sound Motion by Light Stimuli Moving in Three-Dimensional Space
Authors: Kitajima Noriyuki , Yamashita Yukio
Published: August 2011

A moving light stimulus produced a sensation of motion for a stationary sound stimulus presented simultaneously, which was called the dynamic visual capture by Mateeff, Hohnsbein, and Noack in 1985 The present study examined whether the moving light stimulus might induce a perceptual shift in the velocity, that is, the speed and the direction, of a moving sound stimulus. This type of the visual capture was explored in the directions where the sound stimulus moved along the motion tracks of the light stimulus: first in a horizontal and a vertical orientation and secondly in a depth orientation. Moreover, perceptual distortion of the direction of movement of the sound stimulus was investigated when the direction from which a sound stimulus moved deviated from the motion tracks of a light stimulus. It was found that the dynamic visual capture was inducible in all of three orientations, appearing more strongly in the vertical and the depth orientations than in the horizontal orientation. The perceived direction of the moving sound stimulus was greatly influenced by the direction where the light stimulus moved simultaneously and was often the same as the physical direction of the light stimulus, even when the physical motion directions of those two stimuli were perpendicular or opposite each other.
Perception of Time: Delay of Estimation under Auditory and Visual Tasks with Type-A Measures
Authors: Vitulli William F. , Rowe Jennifer L.
Published: August 2011

The perception of time is likely to be lengthened when estimates of duration are delayed rather than given immediately as reported by Vitulli and Crimmins in 1999. The present study sought boundary conditions for this robust effect. A multivariate analysis of variance showed a reliable main effect for delay of estimation, yet comparisons between auditory versus visual short-term memory tasks showed no differences in time estimations. The analysis showed weak interactions between sex and delay of estimation and between sex and delay of estimation on Jenkins Activity Survey-Job Involvement scores.
Dysfunction in Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements and History of Childhood Trauma
Authors: Irwin Harvey J. , Green Melissa J. , Marsh Pamela J.
Published: August 2011

Several commentators recently have advocated the view that a deficit in the performance of a smooth pursuit eye-movement task is a biological marker of the genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. This study considered the possibility that such an impairment is due in part to experiential or acquired characteristics, and specifically, to a history of childhood trauma. A sample of 100 Australian adults performed a visual tracking task and completed a self-report measure of childhood trauma. Although the effect size was small, a relationship was found between eye-tracking performance and a childhood history of physical and emotional abuse. This finding suggests that eye-tracking performance may not be governed entirely by genetic factors, a possibility that has implications for the use of indices of smooth pursuit eye movement as a purely genetic marker of proneness to schizophrenia. Further investigation is needed to clarify the basis of the association between these deficits and childhood abuse.
Suggesting Strategies Improves Creative Visual Synthesis
Authors: Antonietti Alessandro , Martini Eleonora
Published: August 2011

An experiment assessed whether a figural or an interpretative strategy can enhance creative visual synthesis. 45 undergraduates were presented a set of simple figures and asked to imagine combining them to obtain a whole pattern corresponding to a creative product. In the figurative condition participants were instructed to combine figures in unusual ways; in the interpretative condition they were induced to look for unusual meanings embedded in the combinations; in the control condition no strategy was suggested. Results showed that certain strategies induced a more flexible visual synthesis
Structure of the Mini-Mental State Examination: A Comparison between Normal and Clinical Subjects
Authors: Pezzuti Lina
Published: August 2011

The Mini-Mental State Examination was administered to a sample of 133 Italians ranging from 60 to 80 years of age. From a Principal Components Analysis three factors were retained, being results of both varimax and oblimin rotations. These were labeled (1) Memory, (2) Verbal Comprehension, and (3) Attention. These factors are similar to those obtained with normal elderly Americans, but they are different from the factors based on clinical samples. No age differences in the factor scores were found among the normal elderly subjects when education was considered. In contrast, significant differences were found between a group of 25 demented patients and a matched group randomly extracted from the normal sample.
Driving-Induced Stress in Urban College Students
Authors: Rasmussen Charles , Knapp Terry J. , Garner Laura
Published: August 2011

Urban college student commuters ( N = 407) were surveyed about their experiences with stress induced by driving. Of the participants 23.6% reported becoming angry at another driver more than once per day. They rated stress from other drivers as equal to the stress experienced during a college examination but gave slightly lower ratings to traffic congestion, road construction, and finding a parking place as sources of stress. Slow drivers, a child not restrained, and a vehicle following too closely were the highest rated annoying situations. Of participants, 21.6% had reported another driver to the police; nearly 22% said they carried a weapon for protection from other drivers (5.4% said a gun). Men were more than twice as likely as women to carry a weapon and three times as likely to carry a gun. Of the total sample, 19.1% feared being shot by another driver. Most participants (75.8%) said drivers were more aggressive and dangerous than they were five years ago.
Behavioral Lateralization during Spontaneous Smelling Tasks
Authors: Millot Jean-Louis , Brand Gerard
Published: August 2011

The smelling behavior of 52 right-handed subjects was videotaped during tasks involving identification and recognition of different odors. Analysis showed that men more often used the right nostril than the left whatever the odor. There was no significant difference for the women. These results support a more marked cerebral asymmetry in men than in women and a main involvement of the right cerebral hemisphere in the olfactory processes at least by right-handed men.
Culture and Self-Presentation as Predictors of Shyness among Japanese and American Female College Students
Authors: Jackson Todd , Flaherty Shannon R. , Kosuth Robert
Published: August 2011

Self-presentation theories of shyness have been supported in North American samples but have not been evaluated cross-culturally. This study examined the relative influence of cultural and psychological variables on self-reported shyness among Japanese and American college students. 35 female Japanese-born and 47 United States-born Euro-American female students completed the Shyness Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire, Sensitivity to Rejection Scale, and Individualism–Collectivism Scale, and a demographic data sheet. After statistically controlling for Individualism–Collectivism, psychological measures, especially perceived interpersonal competence and sensitivity to rejection, combined for Adjusted R2 =.32 in shyness. Findings suggest that similar factors are central to experiences of shyness for both samples. Researchers should assess the stability of such findings in larger, heterogeneous samples and evaluate whether treatment strategies that reduce expectations of rejection and increase perceived interpersonal competence have comparable efficacy in reducing shyness across cultures.
State Anxiety, Performance Accuracy, and Work Pace in a Simulated Pharmacy Dispensing Task
Authors: Schell Kraig L. , Grasha Anthony F.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the effects of scores on state anxiety on overall accuracy of performance and speed of working in a simulated pharmacy dispensing task. 75 undergraduates worked in a simulated pharmacy environment, designed by Schell and Grasha in 1998, to fill 42 mock orders for simulated pharmacy items. Participants' accuracy and work pace in the simulation, presimulation stress, and postsimulation perceived workload and state anxiety were measured. Analysis indicated that state anxiety and overall accuracy were strongly related. State anxiety appears to be one of the best predictors of errors in the simulated pharmacy dispensing task found so far, while the lack of relationship between work pace and accuracy was confirmed. Work pace predicted accuracy, indirectly, but only after statistically removing the effects of anxiety, task frustration, significant-other stress, and grade point average.
Towers of Hanoi and London: Is the Nonshared Variance Due to Differences in Task Administration?
Authors: Welsh Marilyn C. , Revilla Veronica , Strongin Dawn , Kepler Michelle
Published: August 2011

Although it has been assumed that the Tower of Hanoi and Tower of London are more or less interchangeable tasks dependent on executive function, a series of studies in our laboratory have indicated substantial nonshared variance between the performances on the two tasks. The purpose of the present study was to examine how much methods of administration, such as number of trials per problem, contribute to this nonshared variance. A new one-trial version of the Tower of Hanoi was developed to be identical to the Tower of London in four procedural characteristics. The one-trial version of the Tower of Hanoi was administered to 39 normal adults along with the traditional Tower of Hanoi and the Tower of London–Revised in two test sessions 5–7 weeks apart. The correlations between the two tasks were in the same range as found previously with the traditional task, indicating that administration differences do not account for the nonshared variance between the tasks. A reliability analysis of the one-trial tasks showed poor internal consistency. Also, the internal consistency of the 6-trial tower was artificially inflated by aspects of the administration and scoring procedures. Moreover, this task exhibited a ceiling effect on repeated testing. These results suggest that it would be of value to redesign the one-trial Tower of Hanoi systematically to increase its reliability and, potentially, its validity as a measure of executive functions.
Environmental Influences on Perceptual and Motor Skills of Children from Immigrant Ethiopian Families
Authors: Rosenblum Sarah , Katz Noomi , Hahn-Markowitz Jeri , Mazor-Karsenty Tal , Parush Shula
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine environmental influences on perceptual and motor skills of children from immigrant Ethiopian families in Israel in comparison with those of Israeli-born children. The subjects were divided into groups based on age (6- to 8-yr.-olds and 10- to 12-yr.-olds) and length of time in Israel. The results of this study show that the perceptual and motor performance of 6-to 8-yr.-old, less recent Ethiopian immigrants is similar to that of the recent Ethiopian immigrants of the same age A difference exists between those two groups and the Israeli-born children of the same age. In the 10- to 12-yr.-old age group, there is a marked difference between the performance of the two groups of Ethiopian immigrants. The difference between the less recent immigrants and the Israeli-born children is smaller for most tasks; however, the less recent immigrants' performance is still poorer than that of the Israeli children. These results are compatible with those of other studies describing the difficulties encountered by children who had not studied in formal educational settings and those who have had that experience.
The Groningen Enjoyment Questionnaire: A Measure of Enjoyment in Leisure-Time Physical Activity
Authors: Stevens Martin , Moget Petra , De Greee Mathieu H. G. , Lemmink Koen A. P. M. , Rispens Piet
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop a short and easily used questionnaire to measure enjoyment in leisure-time physical activity. The first part of the study involved the questionnaire's composition. A set of 30 positively formulated potential items was generated and subsequently completed by 59 subjects. We used these results to trim the questionnaire to 10 items. In the second part of the study, the questionnaire was administered to 82 subjects and research was done into reliability and validity. The results indicate that the Groningen Enjoyment Questionnaire can be considered reliable and valid.
Influences of Occlusion, Color, and Luminance on the Perception of Fragmented Pictures
Authors: Brown James M. , Koch Christopher
Published: August 2011

The contribution of the magnocellular (M) pathway to perceptual completion and depth processing was examined by comparing performance under black-and-white conditions with isoluminant color and diffuse red background conditions expected to suppress M pathway activity. Participants identified the repeated figure in pictures where only fragments of the figures were visible. The fragments were presented either alone (unoccluded) or with an occluder (occluded) filling the space between them. Identification with an occluder involved amodally completing the fragments behind it, i.e., depth processing. All unoccluded versions were easy to identify indicating perceptual completion of the fragments was not influenced by suppressing M pathway activity. Black-and-white occluded versions were also easy to identify. The significantly longer identification times for occluded versions under isoluminant and diffuse red background conditions indicates amodal completion of the fragments was hindered when M pathway activity was reduced, supporting the importance of M pathway activity for depth processing.
A Dutch Version of the Social Support for Exercise Behaviors Scale
Authors: Stevens Martin , Bakker-Van Dijk Anita , De Greef Mathieu H. G. , Lemmink Koen A. P. M. , Rispens Piet
Published: August 2011

We studied the reliability of a Dutch version of the Social Support for Exercise Behaviors Scale, originally developed by Sallis, Grossman, Pinski, Patterson, and Nader, using a sample of 461 older adults between 55 and 65 years of age. Cronbach alpha for the three subscales was calculated, respectively, as .69, .71, and .26, which are lower than the alphas reported in the original study. This may be due to the cultural differences between The Netherlands and the United States and differences between the samples of the two studies.
Feeling-Of-Knowing Judgments and Strategy Selection in Spelling
Authors: Kreiner David S. , Green Angela G.
Published: August 2011

Metacognitive processes, such as monitoring one's knowledge and selecting appropriate strategies, may be important in skilled spelling. We hypothesized that skilled spellers have knowledge of which words they know how to spell and also that the accuracy with which people monitor their knowledge should be related to the spelling strategies they select. College students provided Feeling-of-Knowing ratings about the spellings of words and also spelled the same words and indicated whether they sounded out or remembered the spellings. Feeling-of-Knowing ratings were moderately correlated with Spelling Accuracy and were more strongly predictive of Spelling Accuracy when Feeling-of-Knowing ratings and spellings were done as part of the same task rather than as separate tasks. Analyses indicate that those who were better at monitoring their knowledge of spelling also chose more congruent spelling strategies. The results suggest that skilled spellers can monitor which words they know how to spell, but this ability to monitor is far from perfect and varies considerably. Further, the results suggest that ability to monitor spelling knowledge is related to strategy selection in spelling.
Temporal Changes in the Excitability of the Reciprocal Inhibitory Interneurones Preceding Cocontraction of the Antagonistic Muscle in the Human Wrist
Authors: Kato Takashi , Kasai Tatsuya
Published: August 2011

The supraspinal control of reciprocal inhibitory interneurones preceding cocontraction of antagonistic muscles in the human wrist was investigated in 5 subjects. The method combined a reaction-time task paradigm and a technique for conditioning the H-reflex. Unconditioned H-reflexes were elicited from flexor carpi radialis (FCR) and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles by using electrical stimulation to median and radial nerves. The conditioned H-reflex of the FCR muscle was obtained by simultaneous electrical stimulation to the median and the radial nerves. While subjects performed the bilateral isometric cocontraction task, excitabilities of the alpha motoneurone pools and that of the reciprocal inhibitory interneurones were assessed by the unconditioned and conditioned H-reflex, respectively. Alpha mononeurone pools of FCR and ECR muscles were facilitated starting from approximately 50 msec. preceding EMG activities. Reciprocal inhibitory interneurones which suppressed FCR alpha motoneurones were disinhibited at almost same time. The present results suggested that supraspinal control of the reciprocal inhibitory interneurones preceding antagonist cocontraction is different from that of preceding agonist contraction.
Continuity between Waking Life and Dreaming: Are All Waking Activities Reflected Equally Often in Dreams?
Authors: Schredl Michael
Published: August 2011

The present study investigated the frequency of cognitive activities such as writing, reading, and using a computer in comparison to activities like walking or talking with friends. Analysis indicated that focused thinking activity occurs rarely in dreams. The findings, thus, are consistent with the theory which holds that dreams reflect emotional concerns of the dreamer.
The Repeatability of Choku-Tsuki and Oi-Tsuki in Traditional Shotokan Karate: A Morphological Three-Dimensional Analysis
Authors: Sforza Chiarella , Torci Michela , Grassi Gianpiero , Fragnito Nicola , Pizzini Giuliano , Ferrario Virgilio F.
Published: August 2011

The aim of the study was to quantify the repeatability of the displacement of selected body landmarks while performing two different basic karate attacks. Seven karateka (three men, four women) with different levels of training and knowledge of karate were filmed with an optoelectronic computerized instrument (sampling rate 100 Hz) that allows the three-dimensional reconstruction of the movements of selected body landmarks. Thirteen landmarks (head, hips, upper and lower limbs) were analyzed while performing 10 repetitions each of choku-tsuki (straight punch) and oi-tsuki (lunge punch). For each karateka and punch, the average time of execution was calculated, and the standard deviations of each of the three spatial coordinates x, y, z were computed for each landmark. A total standard deviation of the single karateka and punch was also calculated. For all karateka, the execution of oi-tsuki took longer than the execution of choku-tsuki. For both punches and almost all landmarks, the largest repeatability (smallest standard deviation) was found in the vertical direction, while the smallest was found in the anteroposterior direction (direction of movement). In all karateka, oi-tsuki had a total standard deviation about 3 to 6 times larger than that measured during the performance of choku-tsuki. On average, women had a larger repeatability than men. The method employed in the current study allowed the quantitative analysis of the repeatability of two basic attacks in Shotokan karate by using a landmark-based approach. The method could offer valuable help to karateka during training indicating which parts of the body do not repeat a selected movement with sufficient accuracy, thus assisting in the achievement of the most correct body form.
Left Turning Traffic Procrastinators: Another Look
Authors: Trinkaus John
Published: August 2011

Replication of an earlier study indicated operators of lead vehicles moved out more slowly when someone was waiting behind them, especially women driving vans.
Fundus Pigmentation and Equiluminant Moving Phantoms
Authors: Brown James M.
Published: August 2011

Visual phantoms are a perceptual completion illusion wherein contours and surfaces are seen where none physically exist. The visibility of moving phantoms was measured with equiluminant and near equiluminant chromatic inducing gratings for observers having a fundus classified as either darkly or lightly pigmented. Phantom visibility was greatest for observers with a lightly compared to a darkly pigmented fundus with the two groups showing differences in visibility as a function of background luminance. The results are discussed relative to equiluminant stationary phantom findings and a proposed relationship between phantom visibility and magnocellular pathway activity.
Influence of Age, Sex, and Balance on Mature Skipping by Children in Grades K-8
Authors: Loovis E. Michael , Butterfield Stephen A.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the contributions of age, sex, and balance on maturity of skipping by children in Grades K–8. The subjects were 379 boys and 337 girls (ages 4–14 years) enrolled in a medium-size school system in southeastern Maine. Each subject was individually assessed on skipping as well as static and dynamic balance. To assess the independent statistical contributions of age, sex, static balance, and dynamic balance within each grade, data were subjected to multiple regression analysis. Development of mature form in skipping was related to balance in two isolated but unaccountable instances.
Test of the Validity of the Judged Sensory Ratio of 1:2
Authors: Masin Sergio C. , Tommasi Marco
Published: August 2011

Garner found that observers judged the sensory ratio of 1:2 invalidly; however, it is possible that in Garner's experiment judgments were influenced by the different sets of variable stimuli used for the test. This paper reports an experiment designed to test the validity of the judged sensory ratio of 1:2 without using different sets of variable stimuli. Bipolar continua of brightness and darkness were used. Participants first adjusted a brightness so that it was the double of a standard brightness located between the middle and the black end of the brightness continuum and subsequently adjusted a brightness so that it was the double of this double (the quadruple of the original standard brightness), or adjusted a darkness so that it was the double of a standard darkness located between the middle and the white end of the darkness continuum and subsequently adjusted a darkness so that it was the double of this double (the quadruple of the original standard darkness). Participants reported quadruples of each standard even if such quadruples could not exist on the bipolar continuum. This confirms that participants judged the sensory ratio of 1:2 invalidly.