bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovation and Interdependencies in the New Zealand Custom Boat‐building Industry
Authors: Glass Michael R. , Hayward David J.
Published: March 2003

Custom boat building in New Zealand is a globally competing industry comprising a densely interconnected community of small and medium‐sized enterprises. Innovation in product and production processes is an essential feature in the industry's success. This article investigates innovation and interdependencies in the New Zealand boat‐building industry and explores the notion that it is an example of an innovative regional milieu. The study includes a benchmark survey of the industry completed in 1998, which evaluates the sources of information and innovation, as well as a series of intensive interviews with leading firms to ascertain the characteristics of innovation. The peculiar cultural and social factors of New Zealand – and especially of Auckland, where the industry is spatially clustered – are found to have been significant in the growth of the industry. Furthermore, the contemporary prominence of sports and recreational boating has facilitated the industry's recent growth and exporting.

En Nouvelle‐Zélande, la construction navale sur commande est un secteur compétitif au plan mondial, qui intègre une communauté de petites et moyennes entreprises au maillage relationnel très serré. L'innovation des produits et des procédés de fabrication est une caractéristique essentielle de sa réussite. L'article étudie l'innovation et les interdépendances au sein de la construction navale néo‐zélandaise, en envisageant l'idée qu'elle constitue un exemple de milieu régional novateur. Le travail s'appuie sur une étude des performances du secteur réalisée en 1998, laquelle évalue les sources d'informations et d'innovation, ainsi que sur une série d'entretiens intensifs avec les entreprises de premier plan afin d'établir les caractéristiques de l'innovation. Il apparaît que les facteurs culturels et sociaux particuliers à la Nouvelle‐Zélande, notamment à Auckland où l'activité est regroupée géographiquement, ont joué un rôle significatif dans l'expansion de cette industrie. Par ailleurs, l'importance que prend actuellement la navigation sportive et de loisir a facilité sa croissance récente et ses exportations.
Ethnic minority participation in British and French cities: a historical–institutionalist perspective
Authors: Garbaye Romain
Published: March 2003

In this article, I set out to explain cross–national variations between styles of ethnic minority incorporation in the conventional political systems of British and French cities. To this aim, I draw inspiration from, and refine, institutionalist approaches to minority participation. I focus on a comparison of two cases, Birmingham (England) and Lille (France). I construct a parsimonious explanatory framework focused on three institutional factors: central–local relations in each country and local party politics and styles of local government in each city. I argue that these elements combine in different ways in each country to produce different local political environments for the politics of ethnic minorities, thereby shaping patterns of participation and conditioning their success, or absence thereof, in the electoral process of cities. Because of local specificities, my two cases are not entirely representative of other cities, but they provide an illustration of the political processes at work in most cities. In Birmingham, minorities participate successfully in Labour party politics, while in Lille, they are submitted to persistent political exclusion at the hands of a powerful Socialist party machine.

Cet article vise à expliquer les variations transnationales entre les styles d’intégration des minorités ethniques dans les systèmes politiques classiques de villes britanniques et françaises. Dans ce but, il s’inspire, en les affinant, des approches institutionnalistes de la participation des minorités, et s’appuie sur la comparaison de deux cas: Birmingham (Royaume–Uni) et Lille (France). Ce travail élabore un simplifié cadre explicatif reposant sur trois facteurs institutionnels: les relations central–local dans chaque pays, la politique locale/parti, ainsi que les styles de gouvernement local dans chaque ville. Ces éléments se combinent différemment dans chaque pays et génèrent des environnements politiques locaux distincts pour la politique des minorités ethniques, façonnant ainsi des modèles de participation et conditionnant leur réussite ou échec dans le processus électoral urbain. A cause des spécificités locales, les deux cas ne sont pas tout à fait représentatifs d’autres villes, mais ils illustrent les processus politiques opérant dans la plupart d’entre elles. A Birmingham, les minorités participent avec succès à la politique du parti travailliste tandis qu’à Lille, elles sont soumises à une exclusion politique persistante face à la puissante machine du parti socialiste.
Emergent Migration Policy in a Democratic South Africa
Authors: Kotzé Hennie , Hill Lloyd
Published: March 2003

This article sets recent debates on migration policy in South Africa against broader historical realities that have shaped patterns of population movement on the subcontinent since the end of the nineteenth century. During the course of the last century, most forms of population movement were the result of disjointed regional economic development which can be traced to two epochal events at the end of the nineteenth century: the creation of the modern African state system and the discovery of mineral wealth in Southern Africa. Although regulation of migrant labour was a fundamental feature of the colonial period, it was only after 1950, when independent states began to define specific migration priorities, that states began to restrict significantly the flow of transnational labour. From this point notions such as internally displaced person, refugee and illegal immigrant become increasingly appropriate to the study of regional migration.

Particular attention is given to current debate on the definition of refugee which forms part of a broader international debate. A number of South African writers have argued that, given the structural imbalances contained in the regional economy, the term “refugee” should be redefined to include economic migrants. This position is not shared by the South African Government, and an analysis of current policy and legislation demonstrates a growing tendency to restrict the influx of undocumented migrants. This is due, in part, to the recent political transition and the institutional compromises that it produced as well as the growth of negative sentiment towards illegal immigrants at both mass and elite levels, as demonstrated by two recent research findings. The article concludes with a summation of recent trends in South African migration policy and an evaluation of the ambiguous position that South Africa occupies within Southern Africa.
Managing International Migration in Developing Countries
Authors: Farrag Mayar
Published: March 2003

IOM’s research project on emigration dynamics in developing countries, launched in 1993, brought together teams of researchers in four regions of the developing world: Sub‐Saharan Africa; South Asia; the Arab region; and Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. The article reports the findings of team members as reported to, and discussed by, 180 participants, including those from 57 governments, at IOM’s twelfth Migration Seminar held in Geneva during April 1997.

The research had been carried out under a common conceptual framework which addressed emigration dynamics through changing economic, demographic, political and ecological circumstances in each country or subregion; the role of networks already established between persons in sending and receiving countries; and the nature of entry restrictions imposed by receiving countries.

A central objective of the research was to try and measure interaction between the variables in specific country and subregional situations and, as far as possible, provide results that could assist policy makers in both developing and developed countries. This objective had been facilitated by workshops held in each region during 1995–96 comprising researchers, officials and policy makers.

Although economic, demographic, political and ecological circumstances varied considerably between countries in the four regions, conference delegates agreed that the approach adopted by the researchers, including contact with officials and policy makers, had provided new insights into the emigration dynamics process.

Recommendations made during conference discussions included the need to establish an effective system of migration information exchange between and across regions; that on the basis of results achieved so far research on emigration dynamics should be continued and broadened; and that there should be sustained dialogue between policy makers, officials, researchers and NGOs.
Migrants and Asylum Seekers: Policy Responses in the United States to Immigrants and Refugees from Central America and the Caribbean
Authors: McBride Michael J.
Published: March 2003

Although the 1990s have witnessed unprecedented immigration and refugee flows, many receiving countries in the West, including the US, have begun to apply more restrictionist policies as a result of perceived threats to their economies and cultural homogeneity.

US immigrant policy has generally responded to economic concerns and domestic pressures, while US refugee policy has reflected foreign policy concerns, especially the desire to embarrass communist systems during the Cold War. These policies have resulted in extensive immigration from Mexico and large numbers of refugees from Cuba and Nicaragua, but limited acceptance of asylum seekers from Haita, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The Welfare Return Act and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 and Proposition 187 movement in California (1994), which were meant to limit assistance to legal immigrants, reduce illegal immigration, and improve the efficiency of asylum process, were influenced significantly by American public opinion which viewed large numbers of immigrants as a threat to the American lifestyle.

This legislation also led to revisions in the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s (INS) procedures including the "expedited removal" process and new guidelines on deportation and detention which many observers believe may lead to arbitrary decisions and possible violations of international guidelines. These policies present special problems for immigrants and refugees from Central America and the Caribbean who make up a large proportion of these cases.

Since US policy results from a complex matrix of actors including the President, executive branch departments, Congress, the courts, state governors and legislatures and numerous interest groups, and is heavily influenced by perceptions of the American public, any attempt to modify these policies will require an extensive outreach programme on the part of UNHCR and other interested organizations.

In addition, US policy makers must be encouraged to integrate immigration and refugee policy into its overall long‐term planning and to participate in efforts at regional cooperation (such as the Puebla process) in order to address the complex problems raised by current and future migration and refugee flows and ensure a more consistent and more humane response to the needs of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Migrants, Refugees and Insecurity. Current Threats to Peace?
Authors: Lohrmann Reinhard
Published: March 2003

Since the early 1980s, international migration has moved beyond humanitarian, economic development, labour market and societal integration concerns, raising complex interactive security implications for governments of migrant sending, receiving and transit countries, as well as for multilateral bodies. This article examines the effects of international migration on varied understandings and perceptions of international security. It discusses why international migration has come to be perceived as a security issue, both in industrialized and developing countries. Questions are raised on the migration‐security nexus and the way in which the concepts ‘security’ and ‘migration’ are used. The real and perceived impacts of international migration upon national and regional security, both in industrialized and developing countries, are analysed. The policies developed by governments and multilateral agencies since the mid‐1980s to mitigate the destabilizing effects of certain kinds of international population movement and human displacement are examined. The conclusions stress the need for the establishment of a comprehensive framework of international cooperation among origin and receiving countries and international organizations to address the destabilizing implications of international migration.
Attitudes of New Immigrant and Veteran‐Resident Israeli Divorced Mothers Toward Single Motherhood
Authors: Katz Ruth
Published: March 2003

The aim of the study is to compare the attitudes of immigrant and veteran‐resident divorced mothers toward single motherhood. The comparison focuses on two dimensions: personal attitudes and perceived social attitudes. Respondents included 100 divorced mothers who emigrated from the former Soviet Union after 1989 and 100 long‐term Israeli divorced mothers. The immigrant divorced mothers, often having divorced following disagreement over the decision to emigrate, are forced to undergo parallel adjustment processes to a new society and to the new lifestyle inherent in single‐parent households. Additionally, they are caught between attitudes toward single parenthood in their culture of origin, where divorce is common, and in Israeli culture, where the family plays a much more stable and central role. Results show that veteran‐resident divorcees express significantly more favourable personal attitudes toward single motherhood, while immigrant divorcees perceive social attitudes as being more favourable. Immigration was found to affect personal and perceived social attitudes significantly, above and beyond demographic attributes.
Migration Movements from and into Poland in the Light of East‐West European Migration
Authors: Iglicka Krystyna
Published: March 2003

This article investigates migratory movements from and into Poland before and after the collapse of communism. The character and scale of these movements are of considerable significance, not only for politicians and societies in the CEE region, but also for European integration. The Polish eastern border is likely to remain one of the few places in Europe where it will be possible to control mobility on the East‐West axis. One cannot discuss East‐West mobility without discussing the emigration of Poles.

Because recent immigration into Poland from the East should also be assessed from the perspective of both Poland and the West, the article examines emigration trends from Poland and immigration into Poland as well as the demographic characteristics of migrants. Only official statistical data are considered.

Migration pressure from the East induced by the collapse of the system, combined with the restricted migration policy of Western Europe towards former USSR countries, were conducive to the formation of the Central European buffer zone. Poland is probably the best example of a buffer zone country. From the Western perspective it is also the most important country because the future of East‐West migration depends on the extension of the visa regime by Poland.

Irrespective of the introduction of new hurdles, there will be other ways of channelling the movement from the East via Poland to the West. Globalization of migration will inevitably increase flows from the East. It is argued that the key to future European migration lies also in the West, more specifically in the employment needs of western labour markets.
The Effect of Linguistic Distance and Country of Origin on Immigrant Language Skills: Application to Israel
Authors: Beenstock Michael , Chiswick Barry R. , Repetto Gaston L.
Published: March 2003

This article is concerned with identifying, for the first time, the separate effects of linguistic distance (language of origin) and country of origin on the destination language proficiency of immigrants. The determinants of Hebrew language proficiency (fluency and literacy) among immigrants in Israel are studied using the 1972 Census of Israel and the Immigration Absorption (panel) Surveys conducted in the 1970s.

Country of origin and language of origin matter for proficiency in Hebrew, especially in the longer term. By country of origin, those from North Africa are the least proficient. By language of origin, Arabic speakers are the most proficient, suggesting a small linguistic distance from Hebrew. Immigrants from English‐speaking origins are the least proficient in Hebrew.

This may reflect a large linguistic distance or, more likely, the unique role of English as the international language, which reduces incentives for investments in Hebrew. Immigrants from dual‐language countries of origin are more proficient in Hebrew than those from single language origins.
Best Practice Options: Romania
Authors: Martin Philip , Straubhaar Thomas
Published: March 2003

The purpose of the Cooperative Efforts to Manage Emigration (CEME) site visit to Timisoara, Romania was to evaluate three hypotheses. First, creating the economic conditions that attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) brings growth and job creation, which in turn can be expected to reduce emigration pressures and speed the acceptance of Romania into the European Union (EU). The foreign investment initially attracted by low wages will create jobs and hope of continued economic improvement, anchoring workers, managers, engineers, and other professionals to Romania. Over time, jobs and wages will rise, further reducing emigration pressures.

Second, Romania has several sizeable ethnic minorities, notably Hungarians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Roma, or Gypsies. All have a propensity to emigrate. Government policies that reduce discrimination against minorities by respecting their languages and cultures, using public institutions such as the police and schools to demonstrate tolerance and sensitivity to minorities, and enforcing Romania’s anti–discrimination laws will reduce emigration pressures in such groups.

Third, the EU and outside organizations can best help to reduce emigration, transit migration, and trafficking by meeting regularly with Romanian officials and non–governmental actors to discuss migration issues in the context of Romania’s desire to meet the criteria for EU and NATO membership. This will cause Romanians to take more seriously issues such as the need to integrate Roma into Romania’s economy and society, the need to manage borders to prevent trafficking of migrants through the country, and modernizing border management to facilitate the movement of legitimate travellers and goods while discouraging illegal migration.

These hypotheses were borne out by the information gathered at Timisoara, Romania, but actual progress on the measures that would help was found to be very uneven.
Drug Trafficking and Consumption in China: Two Case Studies
Authors: Zhenlai et al. Deng
Published: March 2003

This article discusses the results of a study on drug trafficking and consumption in China, which has increased substantially in recent years. The research has been conducted from existing documentation at a national level and, at a local level, from field surveys in two towns: Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province. It analyses the geographic, economic, and sociological aspects of the phenomenon.
Brazil: Drug Trafficking in the Federal State of Rondônia
Authors: Geffray Christian
Published: March 2003

This article describes some of the main social and political consequences of the emergence of the cocaine trade in Brazilian Amazonia, taking as an example the state of Acre. Drug trafficking, which concerns all sections of society, has, like other illegal networks, become an alternative to the rubber industry, which has been in crisis since the 1980s. Its implications differ, however, in the northern and southern parts of the state. In the latter, especially in the capital, Acre, the development of a local market of urban consumers is closely connected to police corruption and the illegal use of violence by law enforcement agencies. In the former, where machinery for the social redistribution of illegal income seems to be more effective, the cocaine trade is contributing to a degree of prosperity, thanks in particular to recent growth in the service sector. While violence is, comparatively speaking, less necessary as a guarantee of social control in that region, the control exercised by drug barons and business people over the executive branches of the state means that political life as a whole is criss‐crossed by relationships forged in the criminal world.
The International Financial Architecture — Plans for Reform
Authors: Berthelot Yves
Published: March 2003

The nature of international financial crises has changed with the considerable increase in the movement of capital. However, the financial crises of the last decade, following the debt crisis of the 1980s, have stimulated the debate on the reforms that ought to be introduced into the international financial architecture and have led to a number of decisions. After a brief review of the institutions responsible for international financial management and an analysis of the recent crises, it becomes apparent that although the efforts to improve supervision, monitoring and transparency serve a purpose, financial innovation will render them inadequate. Likewise, the facilities set up to forestall and manage crises are no doubt unequal to the task and hampered by too many conditions — incidentally not always justified — to be effective. Two elements are lacking in the current reflection: an indepth debate on conditionality, and recognition of the regional dimension. Besides, the debate leaves out of account the fundamental objective which should be that of any international financial system, namely, the funding of development, and that of the poorest countries in particular.
New social partners of local power in Poland
Authors: Wódz Jacek
Published: March 2003

The period of political change began in Poland in 1989, after years without democratic institutions at the local level. For the first years after 1990 there was a certain “political vacuum” in the country, and only in the second half of the 1990s were the first signs of partnerships between local authorities and local communities. However, this “political vacuum” has already been filled with the activity of political parties, and since the end of the 1990s one can distinguish the social partners of local authorities. There are currently three groups of such potential partners: (1) social experts, who try to identify the social problems of various groups (local, professional, by age, etc.) and who become partners of the administration; (2) young people who are not burdened with the habits of the past and try to express their interests; (3) catholic parishes which, in small municipalities, often organise social life. Sometimes a newly established enterprise, usually an external investor, appears as an additional partner.
Pensions in the European Union: Adapting to Economic and Social Changes
Authors: Reynaud Emmanuel
Published: March 2003

Throughout the European Union, pension schemes are undergoing a process of adaptation to a completely different context. Some of the main stumbling blocks to this process are the great number of issues involved and the diversity of questions that these raise: demographic changes, the labour market, economic growth, social justice, the ways of regulating the established provisions and decision‐making in their regard. These dimensions do not offer ready‐made answers, from the standpoint of pension financing. Apart from the complexity of the situation, however, a fundamental component of European societies is definitely at stake here: the ability to guarantee a decent level of security to all citizens when they reach retirement age.
Does the Privatization of Social security Make Sense for Developing Nations?
Authors: Williamson John B. , Pampel Fred C.
Published: March 2003

We discuss the privatization schemes of Chile and Argentina following a review of three alternatives to privatization. Our major conclusions are as follows: (1) the Chilean scheme has performed very well during much of the past 15 years, but it is not yet clear what will happen during an extended period of economic stagnation and declining financial markets; (2) for many countries it would make more sense to reform existing public pension schemes than to replace them with privatized schemes, at least until one has a better idea how privatized schemes perform in adverse financial environments; (3) privatized schemes have important distributional effects that deserve more attention.
Benefit Dependency and the Dynamics of the Welfare State: Comparing Sweden and the Netherlands
Authors: Einerhand Marcel , Eriksson Ingemar , Van Leuvensteijn Michiel
Published: March 2003

In this article we analyse the dynamics of the welfare state, focusing on the Netherlands and Sweden. The basic question is whether the different social systems of these countries result in differences in persistency of benefit dependency. We conclude that although benefit dependency at a macroeconomic level is more or less the same, patterns of mobility of individuals between benefits and jobs are different. These different patterns are partly explained by overrepresentation of benefits with a high degree of persistency in the Netherlands. This overrepresentation is, however, not sufficient to account for the large differences observed in dynamics. Characteristics of the welfare state account for that.
Southeast Asia’s social security systems: Need for a system–wide perspective and professionalism
Authors: Asher Mukul G.
Published: March 2003

This paper provides an assessment of the social security arrangements in Southeast Asian countries, and suggests broad directions for reform. Noting the absence of functioning multitier social security systems in these countries, the analysis highlights wide variations in various characteristics of systems in Southeast Asia. The paper underscores the need to enhance professionalism in the performance of core functions of the provident and pension fund organizations in these countries; and to take a system–wide perspective. It recommends constituting a Provident and Pension Fund Authority (PPFA) in each of the Southeast Asian countries to undertake the above tasks.
Regulierung versus Deregulierung im Öffentlichen Personennahverkehr – Das Modell eines Nutzerklubs
Authors: Meyer Dirk
Published: March 2003

Network effects, economies of scope as well as irreversibilities and subadditive cost functions are characteristics of public passenger transport systems. The proposal of a user club shows that a collective requirement to act can be covered even without state regulations. The club bears the responsibility for a sufficient public transport supply, which local jurisdictions can supplement by their own means. In a public tendering, the club confers the actual supply planning to the management company, which in turn chooses qualified bidders for the carrying out of the public transport services. The different problems of long-run irreversible investments (railway system), an appropriate structure of transport fares to prevent a cherry-picking by outsiders, the stability of the club as well as the role of the state are treated separately.
The effect of sight levels on daily stressors and coping styles
Authors: Matsunaka Kumiko , Inoue Akihiro , Miyata Yo
Published: March 2003

The structures of daily stressful events of visually impaired people are reported, and the effects of the sight levels of the subjects on these structures are examined. Sixty‐nine visually impaired people (22 males, 47 females) were interviewed and divided into three groups according to their sight levels. Subjects provided examples of stressful events for three coping styles (Don’t, Do by others, Do by oneself). Statistical analyses of the data indicated that the sight levels of visually impaired people are related to the structure of stressful events and coping styles.
The status of the concept of intelligence
Authors: Hunt Earl
Published: March 2003

Psychometric studies have shown that “general intelligence” should be broken down into the ability to apply learned solutions to new problems (crystallized intelligence) and the ability to deal with novel intellectual problems (fluid intelligence). This distinction has been amplified upon by studies of individual differences in information processing. Crystallized intelligence depends on the problem‐solving schema that people have acquired and upon their efficiency in accessing information in long‐term memory. Fluid intelligence is associated with the ability to access and manage relatively large amounts of information in working memory. Measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence are important predictors of objectively measured workplace performance. Studies of actual and simulated workplaces have shown that this is largely due to differences in people's ability to manage information and the speed with which the details of a job can be grasped.
Rhythmic information in working memory: effects of concurrent articulation on reproduction of rhythms
Authors: Saito Satoru , Ishio Atsuko
Published: March 2003

The study addressed a previously neglected issue in the concept of working memory, namely whether or not rhythmical information is coded and maintained in a phonological loop. Thirty subjects engaged in a task which required them to reproduce the temporal sequence of rhythm. The results showed that the reproduction of rhythm was dramatically reduced by a concurrent articulation, and that the deterioration of rhythm reproduction was larger than that obtained with a concurrent spatial task which would not diminish the activity of the phonological loop directly. An articulatory component of the working memory apparently plays an important role in memorizing rhythms. Furthermore, the sparse‐dense rhythm (a pattern which started with sparse temporal structure and ended with a dense one) allowed better memorization than a dense‐sparse pattern. The sources of the sparse‐dense superiority effect are discussed in terms of the working memory for rhythmic information.
The latent four‐zone structure in classroom seating space
Authors: Kitagawa Toshiaki
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to extract a latent space structure of classrooms from students seating preferences, and to determine whether classroom division on the basis of latent space structure is useful in predicting actual seating behaviors. The actual seating positions of 151 female junior college students were observed in classrooms once a week for one semester; then students were asked to estimate their seating preference among 49 seating positions in an imaginary classroom. Students did have different preferences for seating positions. A factor analysis suggested that classroom seating space should be divided into four zones: rear, front, center, and sides. A multiple discriminant analysis suggested that the seating positions that students actually took reflected a four‐zone structure. Classroom division based on the four‐zone structure proved useful in understanding students' seating behaviors.
Assessing the cross‐cultural content validity of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension scale (PRCA‐24)
Authors: Pribyl Charles B. , Keaten James A. , Sakamoto Masahiro , Koshikawa Fusako
Published: March 2003

Despite its popularity in the USA, the most common communication apprehension (CA) measurement scale, the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension scale (PRCA‐24), has been used in just three studies in Japan. Further, validity analyses have not been reported for Japanese samples. This article attempts to analyze the content validity of the PRCA‐24 on Japanese college students. Results indicate that the PRCA‐24 may be of use in determining some, but not all, types of CA among Japanese students. Suggestions for future CA research in Japan are offered.
Variation in arm‐choice strategies of rats in radial‐maze tasks
Authors: Haga Yasuaki
Published: March 2003

Rats were trained with three delay‐interpolated tasks in a radial‐arm maze. The tasks differed in the post‐delay bait conditions. When every arm was baited in the post‐delay free choices (Task E8B), rats made adjacent‐arm choices frequently. When only the four arms unvisited in the pre‐delay forced choices were baited after delay (Task U4B), rats chose unvisited arms preferentially, with frequent arm investigations. When four quasi‐randomly selected arms were baited after delay (Task R4B), rats did not choose adjacent arms as frequently as the rats in Task E8B did, and made fewer arm investigations. These results indicate that the rats developed different arm‐choice strategies in accordance with tasks. As for the effects of rewarding, post‐delay choice behavior was not affected by the pre‐delay bait conditions.
Effects of room tilting on body sway: Adaptation and strategies for maintaining a standing posture
Authors: Hoshikawa Takashi
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tilting room on body sway across a series of trials. Sixteen subjects were instructed to maintain an upright position in the tilting room, and their body sway was measured by a force plate. After the experimental session, subjects were interviewed about awareness, strategies and impressions. The results indicated that the forward‐tilting room induced forward body sway, as would a moving room. The center of gravity in the pre‐tilting period in the first trial was significantly more forward than in the following trials. From the analysis of strategy, subjects were divided into two groups: maintaining‐standing strategy group and other‐strategies group. While subjects who used the maintaining‐standing strategy swayed more in the first trial, they had significantly reduced their body sway compared with the other group by the ninth and tenth trials. Based on these results, the effects of a moving room for adult subjects as related to the context‐dependent weighting of new inputs are discussed.
Distractor effect on the latent inhibition of conditioned flavor aversion in rats
Authors: Ishii Kiyoshi , Haga Yasuaki , Hishimura Yutaka
Published: March 2003

Using a conditioned flavor aversion procedure with rats as subjects, the effect of the addition of a distractor stimulus on the magnitude of the latent inhibition effect was examined. Experiment 1 showed that latent inhibition to vinegar was attenuated by the addition of sucrose during preexposure. On the other hand, sucrose added during conditioning to vinegar did not attenuate latent inhibition. It was also found that the degree of latent inhibition to the vinegar‐sucrose compound solution was less when vinegar alone was preexposed (i.e., when sucrose was added only during conditioning) than when the compound solution was preexposed (i.e., when sucrose was added both during preexposure and during conditioning). Experiment 2 gave similar results but with sucrose assigned as the target flavor and vinegar as the distractor. These findings are in full agreement with the generalization decrement account of latent inhibition.
The effect of word repetition on evoked magnetic responses in the human brain
Authors: Sekiguchi Takahiro , Koyama Sachiko , Kakigi Ryusuke
Published: March 2003

Stimulus repetition improves performance on word recognition tasks. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate the brain areas associated with this word repetition effect. The participants were eight men and six women. The stimuli were 162 Japanese words each consisting of four katakana letters. The task was to read the words silently and memorize them for a subsequent recognition test. The words were presented one by one and repeated once after eight intervening words. Recordings were taken from bilateral temporal sites of the brain and the responses to the second presentations of the words were compared with those to the first presentations of the same words. Clear magnetic responses were observed in both the left and right hemispheres. In both hemispheres, the responses to the second words were significantly smaller than those to the first words, 250–600 ms after the stimulus onset. Multidipole source analyses showed that the activities were reduced by repetition in the bilateral peri‐Sylvian areas, the bilateral medial temporal lobes, and the left angular gyrus.
Depth capture by generic‐view motion
Authors: Kitazaki Michiteru
Published: March 2003

The present study investigated the spatial interaction between the generic view and accidental view. First, the generic‐view principle was applied to the three‐dimensional motion of a wire‐frame cube. Second, the effects of inner rotating dots and generic/accidental views of inner bars on an accidental view of a cube were investigated to show the spatial interaction between generic and accidental views. This investigation revealed that the generic view of a rotating cube generated a clearer three‐dimensional perception than the accidental view, which is consistent with the generic‐view principle. Both the unambiguous three‐dimensional cue of inner dots and the generic view of inner bars “captured” the depth perception of the accidental view of the rotating cube. This finding suggests that the generic‐view principle not only works locally, but then propagates globally. Further, it indicates how the visual system implements the generic‐view principle to incorporate more complicated scenes.
Oculomotor responses of stereo‐anomalous observers to pulse and ramp disparities
Authors: Shimono Koichi , Nakamizo Sachio , Kondo Michiaki
Published: March 2003

We examined oculomotor responses to binocular disparities of one stereo‐normal and three stereo‐anomalous observers, who were identified through a stereoscopic depth‐discrimination task, in two experimental conditions. In the pulse disparity condition, crossed and uncrossed disparities (1–6°) were briefly presented (for .25–2.0 s). In the ramp disparity condition, disparities were varied continuously with constant velocities (.7–2.0°/s) and with an amplitude of 10°. The stereo‐normal observer showed vergence responses to both pulse and ramp disparities. The three stereo‐anomalous observers showed a marked reduction or absence of vergence responses to pulse disparities but showed vergence responses to ramp disparities. The results suggest the existence of separate sub‐systems mediating disparity vergence eye movements.
Effects of attention and external stimuli on duration estimation under aprospective paradigm
Authors: Kojima Yoshiko , Matsuda Fumiko
Published: March 2003

The study examined whether there are two independent cognitive factors affecting duration estimation. In two experiments, we manipulated simultaneously and independently two variables, namely, the level of attention to the lapse of time and the quantity of perceived changes, and examined their effects on duration estimation under a prospective paradigm. The duration was estimated to be longer when subjects attended to the lapse of time than when they attended to tasks during the target interval (Experiments 1 and 2). The characteristics of external stimuli irrelevant to the tasks, namely, the rate of presentation of sounds (Experiment 1) and the velocity of moving dots (Experiment 2), affected duration estimation, even though the attention level was little changed by these stimuli. These findings suggest that there are at least two independent cognitive factors that affect duration estimation.
Influence of vowel context on the audio‐visual speech perception of voiced stop consonants
Authors: Shigeno Sumi
Published: March 2003

The work reported here investigated whether the extent of McGurk effect differs according to the vowel context, and differs when cross‐modal vowels are matched or mismatched in Japanese. Two audio‐visual experiments were conducted to examine the process of audio‐visual phonetic‐feature extraction and integration. The first experiment was designed to compare the extent of the McGurk effect in Japanese in three different vowel contexts. The results indicated that the effect was largest in the /i/ context, moderate in the /a/ context, and almost nonexistent in the /u/ context. This suggests that the occurrence of McGurk effect depends on the characteristics of vowels and the visual cues from their articulation. The second experiment measured the McGurk effect in Japanese with cross‐modal matched and mismatched vowels, and showed that, except with the /u/ sound, the effect was larger when the vowels were matched than when they were mismatched. These results showed, again, that the extent of McGurk effect depends on vowel context and that auditory information processing before phonetic judgment plays an important role in cross‐modal feature integration.
Length illusions and attentional deployment
Authors: Kersten Bernd
Published: March 2003

Length illusions are caused by the systematic manipulation of size ratios. The principle of relational determination (i.e., framing ratio) holds for different classical illusional displays and is described as a failure of selective attention that facilitates size constancy. Implementing a spatial distance (D) between the focal stimulus (of length F) and the contour marks (of length B) leads to illusions that contradict the description in terms of a simple framing ratio. The stimulus configuration rather than the framing ratio determines the illusions (two different ratios are independently effective, D/F and B/F). The relational determination of length illusions contradicts explanations in terms of either efferent readiness or attentional deployment. In a developmental approach, it was shown that a failure of selective attention to the length of the focal stimulus due to relational determination holds only for adults (aged 21–32 years). The B/F ratio tended to effectiveness in determining the illusions for children aged 7–9 years, but not for children aged 5–6 years. The absolute size of D, regardless of F, determined the illusional trends of both groups of children. The failure of selective attention, which facilitates size constancy, in judging length illusions seems to develop first for contour size and later for spatial distance.
The assumed effects of positive feedback paired with success on motivation to do a task: The cases of characters with high and low initial levels of interest
Authors: Tanaka Sachiyo
Published: March 2003

This study investigated the effects of positive feedback paired with success on motivation to do a task, and examined whether this differed according to whether the person performing the task had a high or low initial level of interest in that task. Subjects (448 junior college students) were asked to rate (from 0–10) the level of motivation of characters in four different stories. Subjects believed that positive feedback would encourage the character to do a task regardless of initial level of interest. However, when positive feedback could not be expected, ratings for motivation fell. Ratings for motivation were further analyzed when no positive feedback could be expected, either after an earlier experience of positive feedback paired with success or after success only (no feedback). In the case of a low initial level of interest, it was assumed that motivation would be increased after positive feedback, but in the case of a high initial level of interest motivation was assumed to be decreased by an earlier experience of positive feedback paired with success. These results suggest that the effect of positive feedback paired with success will differ according to the level of a person's initial interest.
Marginal maximum likelihood estimation of item response theory (IRT) equating coefficients for the common‐examinee design
Authors: Ogasawara Haruhiko
Published: March 2003

A method of estimating item response theory (IRT) equating coefficients by the common‐examinee design with the assumption of the two‐parameter logistic model is provided. The method uses the marginal maximum likelihood estimation, in which individual ability parameters in a common‐examinee group are numerically integrated out. The abilities of the common examinees are assumed to follow a normal distribution but with an unknown mean and standard deviation on one of the two tests to be equated. The distribution parameters are jointly estimated with the equating coefficients. Further, the asymptotic standard errors of the estimates of the equating coefficients and the parameters for the ability distribution are given. Numerical examples are provided to show the accuracy of the method.
Absence of perceptual segmentation in image generation by normals
Authors: Okubo Matia , Takano Yohtaro
Published: March 2003

We used kanji characters (Chinese ideographic characters) and hiragana characters (Japanese phonographic characters) in the transfer‐appropriate processing paradigm to examine whether or not people without brain damage conduct perceptual segmentation while generating a visual mental image. Ninety‐six participants were divided into three study conditions: (a) seeing hiragana characters and generating a mental image of the corresponding kanji characters; (b) seeing the kanji characters; and (c) seeing the hiragana characters without generating the image of the kanji characters. Generating an image of a kanji character did not transfer at test to the decision as to whether the visually presented kanji character was vertically segmented or not, whereas it did transfer to a semantic decision as to whether the kanji character had a concrete or abstract meaning. Seeing a kanji character transferred to both decisions. Seeing hiragana characters without generating an image of the kanji characters transferred to neither decision. These results suggest that perceptual segmentation is not routinely conducted by normals in the process of image generation.
A descriptive analysis of early word combinations in deaf children's signed utterances
Authors: Torigoe Takashi , Takei Wataru
Published: March 2003

The use of pointing and its place in word combinations and the organization of sentences were examined in children acquiring Japanese Sign Language as a first language. Subjects were three deaf children of signing deaf parents, and were aged from 1 year 9 months to 3 years 1 month at the time of observation. They were observed and videotaped periodically in free play settings. Pointing gestures were observed frequently in the earlier utterances in the development of sign language. It was also found that some pointing was referentially redundant and had a fixed position at the end of a sentence. This suggests that pointing, as well as being used referentially, plays a grammatical role in organizing the sentence.
Re‐acquisition of upright vision while wearing visually left–right reversing goggles1
Authors: Yoshimura Hirokazu
Published: March 2003

Abstract:  The present research aimed to identify the important factor that makes it difficult to re‐acquire upright vision when wearing visually transposed goggles. The author wore left‐right reversing goggles and up‐down reversing goggles each for 14 days in 1986 and in 1990, respectively. When lying on one side with the left‐right reversing goggles on, the observer could get upside‐down vision, which made it possible to compare the difficulty of attaining upright vision when wearing up‐down reversing goggles. The only difference between the two situations is the dimension of the body image to be exchanged: The observer had to exchange the left and right halves of his body in the former situation and had to exchange along the top‐bottom axis of body in the latter situation. Introspective data revealed that attaining an upright sense is easier in the former situation; this means that the asymmetrical structure of our body in the top‐bottom dimension is an important factor in the difficulty of re‐acquiring upright vision.