bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promoting Functional Activity Engagement at Appropriate Times with People with Multiple Disabilities
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Campodonico F. , Oliva D. , O'reilly M. F. , Groeneweg J.
Published: August 2011

This study was aimed at teaching three persons with multiple disabilities to carry out functional activities at appropriate times independently. To this end, an electronic time system that produced vibratory alarms at preset times and a board with object-cues (instructions for the activities) were used. Data indicated that all three persons learned to perform the scheduled activities at the preset times independent of prompts from staff. Implications of the data and the combination of these activities with structured occupational periods were discussed.
Parietal Lobe Activation in Rapid, Automatized Naming by Adults
Authors: Wiig Elisabeth H. , Nielsen Niels P. , Minthon Lennart , McPeek Donna , Said Karim , Warkentin Siegbert
Published: August 2011

Three automatic naming tasks (Wiig & Nielsen, 1999) were administered to 60 normally functioning adults. The mean time required for naming 40 single-dimension (colors, forms, numbers, and letters) and 40 dual-dimension stimuli (color-form, color-number, and color-letter combinations) were compared in young (17–38 yr.) and older (40–68 yr.) men and women. Analysis of variance for the combined groups indicated significant naming-time differences for age but not foe sex. There were no significant interaction effects. For men there was a significant naming time difference between age groups for forms, and for women for colors and forms. The sex-specific analyses indicated no significant differences in naming time based on age groups for color-form, color-number, or color-letter combinations. In a second study of adult subjects ( n = 14), functional brain activity was measured with regional cerebral blood flow during the performance of the color, form, and color-form naming tasks. One subject was repeatedly measured during the performance of each task, whereas 13 subjects were measured during the performance of color-form naming. In comparison to normal reference values for rest and FAS verbal fluency, blood-flow measurements showed a consistent parietal-lobe activation during form and color-form naming, but only a slight activation during color naming. During all naming tasks, a significant frontal and frontotemporal flow decrease was seen in comparison to both rest and verbal fluency reference values. This functional brain activation pattern of a parietal increase and a frontotemporal decrease was consistently confirmed across subjects during the color-form naming task.
Is Controllability of Imagery Related to Canoe-Slalom Performance?
Authors: MacIntyre Tadhg , Moran Aidan , Jennings Domhnall J.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the relationship of controllability of mental imagery with canoe-slalom performance. Controllability of mental imagery was assessed by an objective test of mental rotation, the Mental Rotations Test. This test was administered to both elite ( n = 19) and intermediate ( n = 12) athletes. Predictive validity of the controllability test was supported by a significant correlation between test scores and race rank order for the elite canoeing group ( rs = 0.42, p<.05); however, it did not distinguish elite from intermediate groups ( t29 = 0.98, p>.05). Researchers should attempt to evaluate vividness of imagery, controllability of imagery, and accuracy of reference to understand more fully the nature of athletes' imagery.
Geophysical Variables and Behavior: XCVIII. Ambient Geomagnetic Activity and Experiences of “Memories”: Interactions with Sex and Implications for Receptive Psi Experiences
Authors: Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

During 96 nonsequential days over a 3-yr. period, a total of 53 men and 86 women were exposed only once for 30 min. to transcerebral, weak complex magnetic fields while they sat alone within a quiet chamber. They were asked to record the frequency of specific experiences after the exposure was completed. There was a significant interaction between sex and global geomagnetic activity for the incidence of experiences attributed to memories. Women reported more experiences attributed to “childhood memories” when geomagnetic activity was less than 20 nT, while men reported more of these experiences when the activity was more than 20 nT. Re-analyses of a database of “paranormal experiences” reported by 395 separate individuals over a 100-yr. period indicated that more men than women reported “precognitive experiences” on days the geomagnetic activity was above 20 nT while women reported such experiences if the geomagnetic activity was below 20 nT. These results suggest that these experiences, be they veridical or illusory, may be influenced by global geomagnetic activity that affect the neuroelectrical or neurochemical processes associated with memory consolidation or the attribution of the serial order of experiences during retrieval.
Commentary on “Urine Alarms and Prompts for Fostering Daytime Urinary Continence in a Student with Multiple Disabilities: A Replication Study” by Lancioni, Van Bergen, and Furniss (2002)
Authors: Luiselli James K.
Published: August 2011

Comments are made on successful use of auditory plus vibratory aids in fostering daytime urinary continence by a 14-yr.-old boy with multiple disabilities, including severe hearing loss.
Colors Associated with Styles of Love
Authors: Neto Félix
Published: August 2011

Colors associated with different love attitudes were examined using the Hendrick and Hendrick Love Attitudes Scale for six love styles 143 college students rated the extent to which each love style reminded them of 12 colors. As expected. Lee's representation of the love-color-analogy was not supported. Each love attitude was associated with relatively distinct colors.
Information Processing of Pictograms and the Visual Field Difference
Authors: Kitagami Shinji , Inoue Tomoyoshi , Nishizaki Yukiko
Published: August 2011

The main purpose was to investigate how we process pictograms and to examine the effects of learning on visual field differences when participants overlearn the meaning of each pictogram. 15 students were required to judge whether the referent of each symbol was either larger or smaller than the referent of the standard stimulus (Test 1). Several days later the same task was conducted (Test 2). Although a right visual field advantage was observed in Test 1, it was not apparent at Test 2 after participants had studied the pictogram list repeatedly. These results suggest that pictograms might be processed in much the same way as other ordinary verbal stimuli at a very early stage of learning. Participants could, however, comprehend the pictograms by employing a kind of imagery processing after they were familiar with the symbols.
Soccer Players' and Closed-Skill Athletes' Execution of a Complex Motor Skill
Authors: Zhongfan Lu , Inomata Kimihiro , Takeda Tooru
Published: August 2011

The main purpose of this study was to investigate possible differences in speed and accuracy of motor execution among female soccer players in an Expert Soccer group, a Novice Soccer group, and a Closed-skill Athlete group. There were two main findings. Firstly, both soccer groups performed better than the Closed-skill Athletes on speed and accuracy of motor execution. Secondly, there were no significant differences between Expert and Novice soccer players in the speed and accuracy of motor execution.
Circaseptan Aspects of Self-Assessed Sleep Protocols Covering 70 Nights on 33 Clinically Healthy Persons
Authors: Hecht Karl , Fietze Ingo , Herold Manfred , Cornélissen Germaine , Katinas George , Halberg Franz
Published: August 2011

This study aimed to describe quantitatively some changes in sleep behavior. During 70 consecutive nights, 28 women and 3 men, 30 to 40 years of age and presumably clinically healthy, recorded the time of each awakening. Times of falling asleep were estimated from markings at 10-min. intervals from the times of lying down to sleep as an indication that the subject had not yet fallen asleep. Sleep duration and an index of effective sleep derived there from were analyzed by rhythmometric methods. On a group basis, anticipated components with periods of 1 and 0.5 wk., synchronized with the social schedule, were detected with statistical significance. Until long-term polysomnographic monitoring can readily cover the week automatically rather than only one or a few daily sleep spans, the self-monitoring of sleep behavior, yielding the circaseptan endpoints derived herein, may serve as a cost-effective tool in sleep research. By virtue of their relative simplicity, they could be part of a protocol designed to assess pharmacologic or nonpharmacologic interventions of sleep disturbance aimed at restoring undisturbed sleep.
Assessment of Weight-Error Derivative (Wed) Analysis
Authors: Yamaguchi Makoto
Published: August 2011

Lewandowsky in 1995 made an important contribution to the analysis of connectionist models by proposing WED analysis. Here it is argued that Original WED analysis is not sufficient. An extension which consists of displaying not only the angles but also the norms of vectors is suggested.
Relations of Body Mass Index, Body Fat, and Power of Various Muscles to Sport Injuries
Authors: Dane Şenol , Can Süleyman , Karsan Orhan
Published: August 2011

The aim of the present study was to estimate associations of Body Mass Index, body Fat, and muscle power on sport injuries. In injured and noninjured athletes during a sport season of four months, the differences in Body Mass Index, the percent body fat, and back, leg, and right- and left-hand muscle strength were examined. The subjects were 329 men and 127 women attending classes in the departments of Physical Training and Sport of Atatürk University (Erzurum, Erzincan, and Ağri in Turkey). Body Mass Index was higher in injured athletes than in noninjured ones, but there was no difference in percent body fat between injured and noninjured athletes. The back and leg muscle power were higher for noninjured athletes than for injured ones. The right- and left-hand power was higher for injured athletes in some sports. Because the back and leg muscles function in control of equilibrium, the power of these muscles may be important for control related to avoidance of sport injuries.
Sex Differences in Performance on Three Novel Continuous Response Tasks
Authors: Klavora Peter , Esposito John G.
Published: August 2011

The Dynavision apparatus was used to assess psychomotor differences between men and women first-time users. Subjects, 50 men and 76 women, were tested on three 60-sec. Dynavision response tasks of graded difficulty. An analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that men performed significantly better than women on all tasks. Performances on all tasks were also significantly different from each other within both sexes ( p ≤.05). Furthermore, a significant interaction between sex and task was based on a greater drop in performance on the most complex task for women than for men.
Stimulation Seeking and Hyperactive Behavior in Children with ADHD: A Re-Analysis
Authors: Antrop Inge , Buysse Ann , Roeyers Herbert , van Oost Paulette
Published: August 2011

To examine the stimulation-seeking function of hyperactivity in children with ADHD. Antrop and colleagues analyzed the behavior of 30 hyperactive and 30 nonhyperactive children during a waiting situation, either with or without extra stimulation. The behavior was assessed by frequency measures. In their study it was hypothesized that children with ADHD would show a greater decrease in activity in the presence of stimulation than control children. Since confirmation for this hypothesis was only found for 2 of 25 target behaviors, the present re-analysis included other behavioral measures to assess two relationships: first, how hyperactivity varies under fixed time conditions, using measures of duration and intensity of behavior instead of frequency measures, and second, how the perceived duration of waiting time affects behavior. Analysis indicated that children with ADHD showed a greater decrease in behavior in the presence of stimulation for touching objects and movements of trunk, as reported. Further, children who underestimated the waiting period were more apt to seek additional stimulation in its absence than those who overestimated the waiting period.
Coordination between Breathing and Mental Grouping of Pianistic Finger Movements
Authors: Ebert Dietrich , Hefter Harald , Binkofski Ferdinand , Freund Hans-Joachim
Published: August 2011

6 pianists (age 22 to 43 years) performed a simple finger exercise at a spontaneously chosen most comfortable tempo on a Yamaha-Disklavier piano. Five versions of the exercise, notated in quarter notes, were presented with different types of meters: (1) 3/4, (2) 4/4, (3) 5/4, (4) 6/4, and (5) 7/4. The onsets of finger strokes were measured while respiration was recorded in parallel by means of a thermistor placed at the front of the dominant nostril. The chosen tempo (finger-beat-rate) was about 3 Hz on all trials but not exactly constant. Correspondingly, the meter-rate chosen was faster for 3/4 and 4/4 meter (around 1Hz), slower for 5/4, 6/4, and 7/4 meter (around 0.5 Hz). Mean breathing rate while playing the piano (0.38 Hz) was significantly higher than while resting (0.22 Hz, p<.05). Pooling the data of all subjects, the ratios of instantaneous meter and breathing rates clustered around different integer values, depending on the type of meter. Also the individual data indicated integer ratios between instantaneous meter and breathing rates. Even periods of constant phase relations between onsets of the meter and of inspiration could be observed. Thus, the mental process of grouping the same piece of music by various musical meters interacts with unconscious breathing rhythm.
Two-Year Test-Retest Reliability of the Colored Progressive Matrices
Authors: Kazlauskaite Vilte , Lynn Richard
Published: August 2011

The Raven Colored Progressive Matrices was administered to a sample of 259 children in Lithuania and re-administered 2 years later. The test-retest reliability was .499.
Clinicians' Ratings and Self-Reports of Basic Symptoms
Authors: Rubino I. Alex , Romeo Domenico , Scarpellino Angelo , Siracusano Alberto
Published: August 2011

A sample of 34 paranoid or undifferentiated schizophrenic outpatients were given the Rome Basic Disorders Scale, a self-rating questionnaire aimed to the assessment of basic symptoms, as defined by the Bonn Scale. These patients were then interviewed on the same 54 basic symptoms explored with the scale, by two independent clinicians blind to the outpatients' data. Self-ratings compared with clinicians' ratings by Student t for dependent samples yielded only one significant difference ( p<.01) for the item measuring hypersensitivity to light. Present findings suggest that the Rome Basic Disorders Scale may be safely self-rated even by collaborative schizophrenic patients.
Physical Activity, Motor Ability, and School Readiness of 6-Yr.-Old Children
Authors: Oja Leila , Jürimäe Toivo
Published: August 2011

The aim of this investigation was to study the relationships between physical activity, motor ability, and school readiness in 6-yr.-old children. In total, 294 healthy children from Tartu were studied (161 boys and 133 girls). The physical activity of children was reported by parents and teachers using the questionnaire of Harro. The motor ability of children was evaluated using various tests from the Eurofit test battery as well as the 3-min. endurance shuttle run test. The Controlled Drawing Observation test was used as a predictor of school readiness and development of mental abilities. Indoor physical activities predicted 19–25% of total variance in motor scores for these preschool children. Motor ability tests, which demand children's total attention and concentration, appear related to the chosen measures of school readiness.
Repeatability of Mae-Geri-Keage in Traditional Karate: A Three-Dimensional Analysis with Black-Belt Karateka
Authors: Sforza Chiarella , Turci Michela , Grassi Gian Piero , Shirai Yuri F. , Pizzini Giuliano , Ferrario Virgilio F.
Published: August 2011

In karate, performance also depends on a correct body shape, and the repeatability of standardized movements conditions the effectiveness of techniques. The execution of mae-geri-keage (frontal snap kick) was studied in 13 karateka (1st–5th dan). The 3D trajectories of 13 body landmarks were analyzed by an optoelectronic instrument while each karateka performed 10 repetitions of the movement. For each karateka and repetition, the standard deviations of the spatial coordinates x, y, z for each landmark were computed. A total standard deviation of the single participant was also calculated. Two experienced karateka performed with the best repeatability (smaller standard deviation) while executing the studied kick. Generally, the best repeatability was observed in the horizontal plane. The lower variability was observed in hips and head. Ankle and knee of the dominant limb had the worse. The method could detect athletes particularly gifted for the discipline. Moreover, it could help in the identification of those parts of body that do not repeat the movement with the desired precision.
Cognitive Changes following Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in Two Patients with Parkinson Disease
Authors: Moretti Rita , Torre Paola , Antonello Rodolfo M. , Capus Livio , Gioulis Manuela , Marsala Sandro Zambito , Cazzato Giuseppe , Bava Antonio
Published: August 2011

The limits of a drug therapy in severe forms of Parkinson disease have led to refining neurosurgery on the basal ganglia. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus has been recognized as one of the most promising techniques to decrease “off” motor symptoms and motor fluctuations, allowing a reduction of drug therapy and limiting side effects of the drugs. There is still open debate on the possible consequences of chronic subthalamic stimulation in other ways, apart from motor symptoms, of general cognitive performance. We examined and followed two patients with Parkinson disease for 9 mo. after surgery for deep stimulation, studying their cognitive performances. There is a general amelioration of cognitive performances, in particular as far as linguistic capabilities is concerned. We discuss the possible significance of these results, reminding strenuously that only two patients were involved, so the potential for generalization is seriously limited.
Test of the Phonological Recoding Hypothesis Using a Letter-Delay Task
Authors: Lee Chang H.
Published: August 2011

In some English words is a silent letter in the letter strings, e.g., PSALM, This type of word provides room to manipulate phonological similarity against the words with a nonsilent letter in the corresponding position, e.g., PASTA, to test the phonological recoding hypothesis. Letter strings excluding the silent letter or the sounding letter, e.g., _salm and a phonological condition, _asta as an orthographic condition, were presented. A “psalm-type word” was processed faster than “pasta-type word,” indicating that phonology plays a leading role in word recognition.
Use of Temperature Variations to Combat Drivers' Drowsiness
Authors: Landström Ulf , Englund Kjell , Nordström Bertil , Stenudd Anita
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of temperature variations as a measure against drivers' drowsiness. A system for regulation of the air temperature in the cab was installed in two trucks. Irregular temperature reductions of about 8°C were introduced. The periods between the temperature reductions varied among 5, 6, 7, and 8 min. The periods for the temperature reductions varied between 2, 4, 6, and 8 min. The system was tested with 6 drivers on 54 trips. The system was applied for periods varying between 30 to 300 min. Changes in wakefulness were analysed using subjective ratings by the lorry drivers. The application of the system significantly improved subjectively rated wakefulness. The wakefulness was rated with a questionnaire completed after 10 min. use of a cooling system and at the end of its use. Analysis showed individual differences in the usefulness of the system: 3 of the 6 truck drivers reported positive reactions to the use of the temperature cooling system.
Relations among Heavy Training Stress, Mood State, and Performance for Male Junior Rowers
Authors: Jürimäe Jaak , Mäestu Jarek , Purge Priit , Jürimäe Toivo , Sööt Terje
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the influence of rapidly increased training volume on performance and recovery-stress state perceived by 10 male junior rowers. The training during the 6-day period amounted to 21.5 ± 2.2 hr., which was equivalent to an average increase in training load by approximately 100% compared to their average training volume during the previous 4 wk. The time to row 2,000 m on a rowing ergometer and resting cortisol level were significantly increased after the 6-day training period. Scores on subscales of the Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes significantly increased for somatic component of stress (Fatigue) and decreased factor indicating recovery (Social Relaxation) after the heavy training period. A correlation of .63 was found between increased training volume and scores on the Conflicts/Pressure subscale at the end of the heavy training period. Correlations were also found between changes in training volume with changes on subscales of Sleep Quality ( r = −.64) and Burnout/Personal Accomplishment ( r = −.66). Changes in resting cortisol levels as a result of heavy training stress were related to the changes in the following stress subscales: Social Stress ( r = .76), Fatigue ( r = .64), Disturbed Breaks ( r = .65), and Fitness/Injury ( r = 67). Changes in performance, perceived recovery-stress state and resting plasma cortisol level reflect increased stress due to high training. These results suggest that the Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes could be used to evaluate the effects of rapidly increased training volume for male junior rowers.
A Note on Stove and Adding Machine Arrangement Preferences as a Function of Sex and Handedness
Authors: Chapanis Alphonse , Shafer John B.
Published: August 2011

Some stove and adding machine arrangements chosen by our subjects were influenced by both their sex and handedness.
Sex Differences on the Serial Color-Word Test
Authors: Rubino T. Alex , Pezzarossa Bianca , Siracusano Alberto
Published: August 2011

The Serial Color-Word Test was administered to nonclinical volunteers of three age strata (17–29, 30–45, 46–65 yr.). Sex differences on the 17 variables of the test were explored for each age stratum. Only six significant intersex differences were found. In all age strata women scored significantly higher on linear regression of reading times in one of the last two subtests, i.e., R4 or R5.
Pictorial versus Textual Information and the Ratio-Bias Effect
Authors: Rudski Jeffrey M. , Volksdorf Jennifer
Published: August 2011

The ratio-bias effect refers to the perception that a low probability event is more likely when presented in the form of a larger, e.g., 10-in-100, than smaller, e.g., 1-in-10, numerical ratio. This phenomenon has been used to help distinguish between rational-analytic versus heuristic-automatic ways of problem solving. In the current study, responding in accordance with the ratio bias was more prevalent when choices were presented pictorially as opposed to textually. Results are discussed with respect to how various factors, including mode of information presentation, may affect whether problems are solved via heuristic, automatic processes as opposed to effortful, analytic strategies.
Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication across Cultures: An Italian Case
Authors: Giles Howard , Ballard Dawna , McCann Robert M.
Published: August 2011

406 Anglo-American, Italian-American, and Italian (Northern and Southern Italy) students were asked to evaluate past conversations with same-age peers, i.e., 17 to 30 years, and older adults, i.e., 65 years and older While according older adults more deference, all cultural groups perceived older adults as more rigid and nonaccommodating than younger adults. Exchanges with older adults were reported as having more negative affect than were those with other young adults, and were also more likely to be avoided.
Increased Analgesia to Thermal Stimuli in Rats after Brief Exposures to Complex Pulsed 1 Microtesla Magnetic Fields
Authors: Ryczko M. C. , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

Nociceptive thresholds to a 55°C hot surface were measured for female Wistar rats before treatments and 30 min. and 60 min. after the treatments. After injection with either naloxone or saline following baseline measurements, the rats were exposed for 30 min. to either sham fields or to weak (about 1 microTesla) burst-firing magnetic fields composed of 230 points (4 msec. per point) presented once every 3 sec. The rats that had received the burst-firing magnetic fields exhibited elevated nociceptive thresholds that explained about 50% of the variance. A second pattern, designed after the behaviour of individual thalamic neurons during nociceptive input and called the “activity rhythm magnetic field” produced only a transient analgesic effect. These results replicated previous studies and Suggest that weak, extremely low frequency, pulsed magnetic fields with biorelevant temporal structures may have utility as adjuncts for treatment of pain.
Categorical Independence Tests for Large Sparse R-Way Contingency Tables
Authors: Mielke Paul W. , Berry Kenneth J.
Published: August 2011

A nonasymptotic chi-squared technique is shown to have very useful properties for the analysis of large sparse r-way contingency tables. Examples of analyses of 4 × 5, 5 × 6, 6 × 7. and two 2 × 2 × 2 sparse contingency tables provide comparisons of the nonasymptotic chi-squared technique with asymptotic chi-squared and exact chi-squared techniques. The asymptotic chi-squared analyses yield inflated probability values for the five tables. The nonasymptotic chi-squared technique yields probability values much closer to the exact probability values than the asymptotic chi-squared Technique for the five tables.
Sex Ratio in Chinese Suicide
Authors: He Zhao Xiong , Lester David
Published: August 2011

In the county of Chuanzhou of China, the male/Female sex ratio For suicides was lower in the wealthier districts.
Psychometric Properties of an Adolescent Version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 for a Sample of Italian High School Students
Authors: Fossati Andrea , Barratt Ernest S. , Acquarini Elena , Di Ceglie Antonella
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to extend the development of the Italian version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for use with adolescents. The analyses which led to the development of this version were based on data from 563 high school students. The internal consistency was good (Cronbach a = .78), A confirmatory factor analysis identified six first-order factors which converged into two second-order factors, a General Impulsiveness factor and a Nonplanning Impulsiveness factor. The General Impulsiveness factor included motor and attention or cognition items. The second-order factors differed from those obtained with the adult Italian version as well as the American version. Possible reasons for these differences arc discussed. The new version correlated significantly with self-report measures of aggression and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as well as with frequency of alcohol use and cigarette smoking.
PC Anxiety: Reliability and Validity of a Brief Scale
Authors: Yang Bijou , Lester David
Published: August 2011

A brief six-item scale to measure confidence in the use of personal computers showed Cronbach α of .76 for internal reliability and construct validity ( rpbs of −.16, −.18, −.22 for items of behavioral use).
Test-Retest Stability of Body-Image Scores in a Sample of 12-to 14-Yr.-Olds
Authors: Duncan Michael J. , Woodfield Lorayne A. , O'Neill Stephen J. , Al-Nakeeb Yahya , Nevill Alan M. , Lane Andrew M.
Published: August 2011

The present study investigated test-retest variation in Body Image Questionnaire scores among a sample of British school children. 112 participants from three different school years (aged 12 to 14 years) completed the Body Image Questionnaire on two occasions separated by a 6-wk. period. No intervention designed to change, perceptions of body shape took place, hence, test-retest scores should be stable. Analysis indicated a significantly greater variation among 12- and 13-yr-olds upon retest, but not for 14-yr.-olds. Research is needed investigating factorial and test-retest stability of the measure for use with children aged 12 or under.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study of Plastic Changes of Human Motor Cortex after Repetitive Simple Muscle Contractions
Authors: Hayashi Shikako , Hasegawa Yoshiteru , Kasai Tatsuya
Published: August 2011

Studies of use-dependent changes in neural activation have recently focused on the primary motor cortex. To detect the excitability changes in the primary motor cortex after practice in human subjects, motor-evoked potentials by transcranial magnetic stimulation during motor imagery after just 10 sessions of simple index finger abduction were examined. The present results indicate that width of the output map and amplitudes of motor-evoked potential became progressively larger until practice ended. These flexible short-term modulations of human primary motor cortex seem important and could lead to structural changes in the intracortical networks as the skill becomes more learned and automatic, i.e., ‘adaptation’ as one of the neural mechanisms related to motor learning.
Variables Affecting Naming Latency for Japanese Kanji: A Re-Analysis of Yamazaki, et al. (1997)
Authors: Shibahara Naoki , Kondo Tadahisa
Published: August 2011

Yamazaki, Ellis, Morrison, and Lambon Ralph in 1997 demonstrated that written and spoken age-of-acquisitions had a stronger effect on the naming latency of single Kanji words than any other variable including familiarity. The present study was designed to reanalyze Yamazaki, et al.'s data, using the ratings of written and spoken age-of-acquisitions and visual and auditory familiarities taken from the NTT lexical database. This analysis showed that visual familiarity exerted a stronger independent effect on naming latency than two types of age-of-acquisitions.
Interest Value, Meaningfulness, and Familiarity of Words: Relations with other Word Properties
Authors: Campos Alfredo , Marcos José Luis , González María Ángeles
Published: August 2011

Evaluation of different properties of words and the relations among them is of value for understanding languages and as a basis for research. In the present study we investigated relations among interest value, familiarity, and meaningfulness of words. We also investigated the relations of these properties with imagery, concreteness, emotionality, frequency, date of entry into the language, word length, and amplitude of skin conductance response. A total of 85 university students received a list of 25 word pairs, each pair comprised of a concrete and an abstract noun with related meanings, e.g., “friend” and “friendship,” and rated the interest value, familiarity, and meaningfulness of each word. Familiarity correlated significantly with meaningfulness and interest value.
Effects of Order of Report and Stimulus Type on Multidimensional Identification
Authors: Shieh Kong-King , Chen Fen-Fen
Published: August 2011

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of order of report and stimulus type on multidimensional stimulus-identification performance. Analysis showed that the proper order of reporting dimensional attributes depended on stimulus type. If the dimensions were independent heterogeneous attributes, the effect of order of report was not significant. If homogeneous attributes were involved, they should be reported consecutively. The order in which the color attributes should be reported depended on the characteristics of the stimulus dimensions. If there was a natural language-appropriate order of reporting the dimensional attributes, the color attribute should be used as an adjective and reported first. Otherwise, reporting color attribute later seemed to have an advantage because color is less vulnerable to memory deterioration.
Attention Can Be Oriented to Intermediate Locations within the Large Area of the Visual Field
Authors: Ando Soichi , Kokubu Masahiro , Ktda Noriyuki , Oda Shingo
Published: August 2011

The present study examined whether attention can be evenly distributed within the large area of the visual field. The stimulus was presented at one of four locations on the horizontal meridian (0°, 10°, 20°, and 30° to the right). In the Fixed Location condition, the stimulus appeared repeatedly at the same location. In the Random Location condition, the stimulus appeared at one of four locations as determined randomly with equal probability. Reaction times (RTs) in the Random Location condition were significantly Longer than those in the Fixed Location condition at the 0° and 30° locations, while there were no significant differences at the 10° and 20° locations. The differences in the RT between conditions were significantly larger at the 0° and 30° locations than those at the 10° and 20° locations. These results suggest that attention was oriented to intermediate locations within the large area of the visual field.
A Monte-Carlo Estimation of Effect Size Distortion Due to Significance Testing
Authors: Bradley M. T. , Smith D. , Stoica G.
Published: August 2011

A Monte-Carlo study was done with true effect sizes in deviation units ranging from 0 to 2 and a variety of sample sizes. The purpose was to assess the amount of bias created by considering only effect sizes that passed a statistical cut-off criterion of α = .05. The deviation values obtained at the .05 level jointly determined by the set effect sizes and sample sizes are presented. This table is useful when summarizing sets of studies to judge whether published results reflect an accurate appraisal of an underlying effect or a distorted estimate expected because significant studies are published and nonsignificant results are not. The table shows that the magnitudes of error are substantial with small sample sizes and inherently small effect sizes. Thus, reviews based on published literature could be misleading and especially so if true effect sizes were close to zero. A researcher should be particularly cautious of small sample sizes showing large effect sizes when larger samples indicate diminishing smaller effects.
Hand Preference and Diagnosis in Major Mental Illness
Authors: Mirabile Charles S. , Teicher Martin H.
Published: August 2011

A sample of 1,671 patients in a long-term psychiatric inpatient hospital were polled for hand preference in writing. Nonright-handers ( n = 420) were more often diagnosed schizophrenic than Right-handers ( n 1,251), but the overall proportion of psychotic illness was the same in both handedness groups, suggesting the possibility that nonright-handedness may be associated with a change in the expression of psychotic illness so it is somewhat more likely to be manifest as thought disorder than mood disorder.
Regional Variation of Divorce in Germany
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

The correlates of provincial divorce rates in Germany in 1966 were marriage rates, birth rates, population density, and formerly East versus West Germany.
More on Magnitude of Priming in Implicit Memory Tasks
Authors: Soler Maria José , Ruiz Juan Carlos , Dasí Carmen
Published: August 2011

The effects of word frequency, length of the word, and type of word Fragment in a fragment-completion test were investigated with 57 undergraduate students, 19–22 years. Priming with better performance on studied than on nonstudied words in this task was greater for low frequency words than for high frequency words and greater for fragments without the first letter than for fragments with the first letter. It was inferred that characteristics of fragments should be considered in any implicit memory task when the magnitude of priming is of interest. In general, word fragment-completion processes appear to be based on sources of information available in visual identification tasks.
The Brain Matrix and Multifocal Brain Damage following a Single Injection of Ketamine in Young Adult Rats: Conspicuous Changes in Old Age
Authors: Persinger M. A. , St-Pierre L. S.
Published: August 2011

Male rats were seized with lithium and pilocarpine and then injected within 30 min. with either acepromazine or ketamine. These rats as well as age-matched normal rats were observed daily for one year. The rats which had received the ketamine after the seizures were significantly heavier than either the normal rats or the other group of seized rats. The bulk of this increased weight was due to the marked increase in white, extremely dense adipose tissue. Compared to the acepromazine-treated rats, the ketamine-treated rats did not exhibit spontaneous seizures and exhibited cerebral widths comparable to normal rats. These results suggest that the multifocal, graded neuronal loss associated with this seizure model may allow other “configurations” to emerge that can support normal behaviors as well as new characteristics.
Kandinsky's Questionnaire Revisited: Fundamental Correspondence of Basic Colors and Forms?
Authors: Jacobsen Thomas
Published: August 2011

Kandinsky postulated a fundamental correspondence between color and form. Using a variant of his historical questionnaire. 200 (92 men, 108 women) nonartist university students were divided into two groups and asked to assign the colors yellow, red, and blue to the triangle, square, and circle in a one-to-one fashion. One group worked under a mere color-form correspondence instruction, the other under an aesthetic-correspondence one, i.e., this latter group was asked to make the most beautiful color-form assignment. Participants' assignments showed a clear, stable group preference. About half of the students assigned red to the triangle, blue to the square, and yellow to the circle, respectively. This preferred assignment stood regardless of variation in instruction. Frequently, world knowledge associations were stated in the rationale for an assignment choice. The red triangle resembled a traffic sign, a warning triangle, and the yellow circle resembled the sun. Kandinsky's assignment, however, was the least preferred one. It is argued that color-form assignments as well as the motivation to produce them are due to a multitude of factors. World knowledge, education, historical change, societal, group-specific, and individual leitmotifs are all influences.
Relation of Reading Rate and Rapid Automatic Naming among Third Graders
Authors: Huff Elisa , Sorenson Jody , Dancer Jess
Published: August 2011

The relation of reading rate and rapid automatic naming (RAN) for pictures was investigated for 31 third graders. Reading rate was measured as the number of seconds required for reading aloud a third-grade passage. Rapid automatic naming was assessed with the RAN portion of the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. A moderate correlation of −.61 between the sets of scores suggests RAN assessment may be useful in screening for reading deficits in third-grade children.
Social Desirability Bias and Direction Modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2
Authors: Smith Dave , Driver Simon , Lafferty Moira , Burrell Clare , Devonport Tracey
Published: August 2011

This study examined the relation between social desirability bias and responses to the direction modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 for male soccer players (37 professionals, 40 semiprofessionals, and 40 varsity players; M age = 24.5 yr., SD = 3.7) who completed the inventory and Reynolds' 13-item short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale one hour prior to a competitive match. Intraclass correlations were calculated to assess the relation between the two sets of scores. Out of the 18 correlations calculated, i.e., 6 subscales X 3 skill levels, 17 were significant ( p <.05), ranging from .38 to .70. The highest correlations were found among professional players and the lowest amongst the varsity players, but most of the differences were not statistically significant. These results indicate that scores on both the Intensity and Direction subscales of this anxiety inventory are significantly related to the tendency to self-report socially desirable answers. Therefore, care should be taken when interpreting data from studies using the inventory, and social desirability measures should be taken whenever using this questionnaire.
Effects of Daily or Weekly Thermal (Footpad) Stress upon Manifestation of Melanoma Tumours
Authors: Duggan Gillian , Peredery Oksana , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

A total of 48 C57 mile and female mice received thermal stimulation to their footpads either daily, weekly, or never. After either two or three weeks of this treatment the mice were injected to discern if the initiation of carcinogenic cell proliferation during a stressful period would influence the rate of development of the tumour. The latency in days for the onset of a discernable node over the injection site was measured. A statistically significant interaction between the temporal pattern of treatments and sex explained about 25% of the variance in the latency of the appearance of tumours. Post hoc analysis showed the source of interaction involved the group that had not received the thermal stress. The results may suggest that either weekly or daily thermal stress may have reduced the females' resistance to tumorigenesis. However, this pattern and type of stress did not influence the first appearance of these skin tumours in the males.
Dynamics of Brain Electric Field during Recall of Salpuri Dance Performance
Authors: Park Jong Ran , Yagyu Takami , Saito Naomi , Kinoshita Toshihiko , Hirai Takane
Published: August 2011

The brain wave activity of a professional Salpuri dancer was observed while the subject recalled her performance of the Salpuri dance when sitting in a chair with closed eyes. As she recalled the feeling of the ecstatic trance state induced by the dance, an increase in alpha brain activity was observed together with marked frontal midline theta activity. Compared to a resting state, the dynamics of the electrical activity in the brain showed an increase in the global field power integral and a decrease in generalized frequency and spatial complexity.
Applying Contextual Interference to Snowboarding Skills
Authors: Smith Peter J.K.
Published: August 2011

This investigation was designed to apply contextual interference to acquisition of snowboarding skills. 20 participants completed several acquisition stages lasting about 2 hours while either alternating the direction of the turn within each stage or completing the whole stage while attempting turns in one direction, then repeating the stage for the other direction of turn. Following acquisition, all participants returned 1 wk. later for a retention test. Alternating practice yielded better performance during acquisition and retention as measured by the arc and form attained within the turns. Because this differs from typical contextual interference effects, it is suggested that the relation between the skills may have affected the results. Negative transfer operating within blocked practice and increased between-task comparisons within alternating practice may be related to the similarity between the tasks.
Effect of Practice on Hand Preference on a Color Visual Discrimination Task by Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus Apella)
Authors: Tavares Maria Clotilde H. , Aguiar Letícia , Tomaz Carlos
Published: August 2011

Effects of practice on hand preference in nonhuman primates have indicated an initial right-hemispheric advantage in new tasks that can be reversed or disappear after a long period of training. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 6-mo. practice on hand preference in capuchin monkeys ( Cebus apella) performing a color visual discrimination task which requires attention and learning or memory processes. For this purpose, an early period of practice (first 200 trials) was compared with a late period of practice (the last 200 trials after 6 mo. practice). No population-level biases were observed between the use of hands either early in training or after 6 mo. of practice. Individual analysis indicated that two of the five subjects tested strengthened their initial hand preference but three subjects changed their preference with the practice. No correlation was observed between hand use and performance. These results suggest that hand preference in capuchin monkeys can be influenced by practice and is not only a direct function of hemispheric specialization.
An Assessment of the Validity and Reliability of Two Perceived Exertion Rating Scales among Hong Kong Children
Authors: Leung Mee-Lee , Chung Pak-Kwong , Leung Raymond W.
Published: August 2011

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Chinese-translated (Cantonese) versions of the Borg 6–20 Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale and the Children's Effort Rating Table (CERT) during continuous incremental cycle ergometry with 10- to 11-yr.-old Hong Kong school children. A total of 69 children were randomly assigned, with the restriction of groups being approximately equal, to two groups using the two scales, CERT ( n = 35) and RPE ( n = 34). Both groups performed two trials of identical incremental continuous cycling exercise (Trials 1 and 2) 1 wk. apart for the reliability test. Objective measures of exercise intensity (heart rate, absolute power output, and relative oxygen consumption) and the two subjective measures of effort were obtained during the exercise. For both groups, significant Pearson correlations were found for perceived effort ratings correlated with heart rate ( rs ≥ .69), power output ( rs ≥ .75), and oxygen consumption ( rs ≥ .69). In addition, correlations for CERT were consistently higher than those for RPE. High test-retest intraclass correlations were found for both the effort ( R = .96) and perceived exertion ( R = 89) groups, indicating that the scales were reliable. In conclusion, the CERT and RPE scales, when translated into Cantonese, are valid and reliable measures of exercise intensity during controlled exercise by children. The Effort rating may be better than the Perceived Exertion scale as a measure of perceived exertion that can be more validly and reliably used with Hong Kong children.
Note on Kazlauskaite and Lynn's Paper on Retest Reliability of the Colored Progressive Matrices
Authors: Charter Richard A. , Lopez Michael N.
Published: August 2011

A reanalysis of the retest reliabilities for the Colored Progressive Matrices indicates Kazlauskaite and Lynn's conclusions (2002) were not accurate.
Jaw and Finger Movement Accuracy under Visual and Nonvisual Feedback Conditions
Authors: De Nil Luc F. , Lafaille Sophie J.
Published: August 2011

The present study revisited the issue whether the presence of added visual feedback differentially affects the accuracy of finger and jaw movements. 15 men were instructed to move either the index finger on the dominant (right) hand, or the jaw, to a predefined target position with the highest precision possible. During execution of the task, on-line visual feedback of the moving articulator was either present or removed In contrast to previous findings, significant improvement was observed for both finger and jaw movements in the visual feedback condition. Movement error in the nonvisual condition was proportionally greater for finger than for jaw movements which may have reflected a speed-accuracy trade-off because finger movements in the nonvisual condition were executed significantly faster than those of the jaw. The present findings support the beneficial effects of adding visual feedback during dynamic oral and finger movements that require a high spatial precision. Such findings support current methods of clinical intervention in speech-language pathology and other disciplines. Furthermore, the results contribute to our understanding of the role of various modalities of feedback during motor execution.