bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Changes in Acute Exercise-Induced Feeling States, Self-Motivation, and Adults' Adherence to Moderate Aerobic Exercise
Authors: Annesi James J.
Published: August 2011

A 14-wk. field study was conducted to estimate a correlation between feeling-state changes induced by moderate (50 to 74% VO2 max; 20 to 30 min.) bouts of cardiovascular exercise and attendance in a new exercise program. Three groups of men and women ( ns = 22 to 24) were formed for comparative analysis based upon participants' self-motivation (high, medium, low), as measured by the Self-motivation Inventory. Analysis indicated that for the low self-motivation group, attendance was positively correlated with before-to-after exercise difference scores in the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory subscales of Positive Engagement ( rs = .48), Revitalization ( rs = .47), and Tranquility ( r2 = .41) and negatively correlated with difference scores in the Physical Exhaustion subscale ( rs = −.62). Conversely, for the high self-motivated group generally weaker correlations in the opposite direction were found for each subscale. No definitive pattern was found for the medium self-motivation group. Multiple regression analyses conducted with scores on each Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory subscale supported the moderating effect of Self-motivation Inventory score on exercise attendance; Multiple R2s = .20 to .27. Although limited amounts of the total variance in exercise attendance was explained, practical implications are drawn for prescribing exercise by feeling states. Limitations and replication of results using different types samples and types of exercise are discussed.
Temporal Stability of the Transcendent Actualization Inventory
Authors: Hamel Suzanne , Lefrançois Richard , Leclerc Gilbert , Gaulin Philippe
Published: August 2011

This paper describes a study of the temporal stability of a new inventory, the Transcendent Actualization Inventory, which aims to estimate actualization of psychospiritual potential. For 200 subjects, the test-retest reliability was .84 for Time 1 vs Time 2. Cronbach coefficient α was .81 at Times 1 and 2, as previously reported ( N = 478).
On the Syndrome of the “Spare Limb”: One Case
Authors: Grossi Dario , Di Cesare Gabriela , Tamburro Rosario Paolo
Published: August 2011

We describe a case of a brain-damaged patient who had a peculiar bodily illusion which could not be labelled an hallucination but seemed somatognosically and phenomenologically similar to the phantom limb without amputation. The patient, who showed left hemiplegia, felt a third upper limb (without seeing it) which he himself defined as “spare.” The spare limb was not deformed; it could be moved and controlled by the patient, and there was no sensation of pain. The patient did not show psychopathological or cognitive disorders. A possible interpretation of the phenomenon is as a “phantom movement” of the paralysed limb: the mental representation of the movement of the limb was dissociated from the bodily representation of his own limb and so was still present in his consciousness despite the paralysis.
Teachers' Roles in Supporting Children's Literacy Development through Play
Authors: Saracho Olivia N.
Published: August 2011

This study focused on the roles five kindergarten teachers assumed to promote literacy. Data were collected through systematic videotaped observations during the children's play periods. Saracho's analysis of the transcriptions in identifying the roles of the teachers suggested teachers' roles in the children's literacy-play include director of instructions (instructing students to follow directions and learn concepts), transition director (directing students to make smooth transitions), supporter of learning (acknowledging and praising students' work to promote learning), storyteller (reading or telling a story and encouraging children to respond), and instructional guide (providing instructional guidance for learning).
No Sex Differences in Contrast Sensitivity and Reaction Time to Spatial Frequency
Authors: Solberg Jennifer L. , Brown James M.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the possibility of sex differences in spatial frequency processing by measuring contrast sensitivity and reaction time to spatial frequency in the same 20 men and 20 women. This is the first study to investigate sex differences in reaction time to spatial frequency and the first to study sex differences in contrast sensitivity and reaction time within the same participants. No sex differences were found in either contrast sensitivity or reaction time measures, suggesting that women and men process spatial frequency information similarly.
Self-Reported Anxiety of Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter
Authors: Gabel Rodney M. , Colcord Roger D. , Petrosino Linda
Published: August 2011

This is a preliminary investigation of the differences in self-reported anxiety of people who do and do not stutter. Participants and experimental procedures were the same as those used by Gabel, Colcord, and Petrosino in 2001. 10 people who stuttered, all of whom had experience with stuttering therapy, were matched with 10 participants who did not stutter. Each participant in both groups was engaged in a session to evaluate speech in a format similar to a professional diagnostic session for stuttering. Each participant was stopped and asked to rate his anxiety during specific moments during the session. This procedure is similar to in vivo cognitive assessment used in cognitive-behavioral treatments and research. The participants' reports were taken during a baseline period, during a period in which they were thinking about their speech, and during three different speaking tasks. The anxiety reported by the group of people who stuttered was compared to the anxiety reported by the group of individuals who did not stutter. Statistical analyses indicated a significant main effect for the group who stuttered as they reported more anxiety during the entire session. There was no main effect for condition. The interaction of group by condition fell short of significance. Possible explanations and suggestions for research were discussed.
Relationship between Phonemic and Lingual Awareness
Authors: Lohman Patricia , Fucci Donald
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to assess the relationship between knowledge of speech sounds (phonemes) and lingual awareness in normal adult speakers of English. The study also examined subjects' descriptions of lingual contact. 36 subjects ( M age = 19.6, SD = .71) who were enrolled in an undergraduate phonetics class participated. All passed a speech and hearing screening and reported having received no prior speech therapy or classes in articulation, phonetics, or speech science. During the first class meeting, the subjects were given two tests. The measure of phonemic awareness consisted of (a) judging which two (out of three) printed words began (or ended) with the same phoneme, (b) counting, substituting, reversing phonemes in words, and (c) indicating primary stress in two-syllable words. The lingual awareness test consisted of subjects imitating a syllable, then responding to a multiple-choice question regarding (a) tongue position (front to back), (b) tongue height (high to low), (c) contact with the teeth, and (d) contact with other oral cavity structures. Subjects were requested to imitate the syllable prior to answering each question, e.g., “Say tuh. Did you feel your tongue in the front, middle, or back of your mouth?” Seven English phonemes ( t, k, s, sh, r, l, and voiceless th) were presented in a consonant-vowel syllable with the central vowel “uh.” Subjects were aided by a line drawing of the oral cavity. A significant correlation of .53 was found between the two tests, suggesting that individuals who possess greater awareness of speech sounds tend to exhibit heightened lingual awareness. Sound-symbol knowledge was the best predictor of lingual awareness. Subjects had the most difficulty describing lingual contact for phonemes that are often troublesome for children to articulate ( sh, r, l, and s).
A Summary of U.S. Skydiving Fatalities: 1993–1999
Authors: Griffith James D. , Hart Christian L.
Published: August 2011

Between 1993 and 1999, 241 people died while participating in civilian recreational skydives in the United States. A taxonomy of skydiving fatalities was developed and used to categorize the fatalities.
Exercise, Fitness, and Subjective Measures Related to Fitness of Physical Education and other Teachers
Authors: Netz Yael , Raviv Shulamith
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences between physical and nonphysical education teachers in exercise, perceived and actual fitness, self-rated health, and attitudes toward aging. Participants were 307 women, 144 physical education and 163 other teachers, mean age of 40.6 yr. ( SD = 7.6). Factor analysis was performed to assess components of attitudes toward aging. Separate t tests on all variables were used to examine group differences, followed by discriminant analysis as a general model. Analysis indicated that physical education teachers were more active and fit, perceived their fitness as higher and rated their health and the physical component of attitudes toward their aging as more positive than those of nonphysical education teachers. Further exploration was recommended for the influence of early experiences with physical activity on later participation and the relations of physical activity, fitness, and subjective measures of well-being.
Effect of Task Difficulty on Muscle Activation Patterns during Rapid Single-Joint Movements
Authors: Park Sangbum
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the effect of spatial accuracy demands on movement organization by analyzing the amplitude of the agonist and antagonist muscle activities emerging during horizontal elbow-flexion movements toward spatial targets of varying difficulties. 8 subjects performed elbow-flexion movements toward targets of 3 sizes, located at 2 distances, as rapidly and accurately as possible. For each movement, the elbow angles and the activities of biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and lateral and long heads of triceps brachii were measured. Analysis on the kinematic variables indicated that final elbow angle and peak velocity decreased with increasing index of difficulty of the task in both movement-amplitude conditions. However, movement time increased with increasing index of difficulty. The amplitude of agonist and antagonist muscle activities measured for 100 msec. before movement initiation was also shown to decrease with increasing index of difficulty. Agonist and antagonist muscle activities measured during acceleration phase displayed similar patterns with those of premovement. These results suggest that the task difficulty affects movement organization, and the control system decreases the amplitude of agonist and antagonist muscle activities with an increase in the index of difficulty to enhance the controllability of the limb.
Perceptual Analysis in Different Voice Samples: Agreement and Reliability
Authors: Muñoz J. , Mendoza E. , Fresneda M. D. , Carballo G. , Ramirez I.
Published: August 2011

The objective of this study was to estimate the agreement and reliability of voice evaluation by a group of expert listeners using the central portion of a sustained vowel and a fragment of connected speech as voice samples. Ratings were made using Wilson's Buffalo III Voice Screening Profile. Analysis showed that intraindividual listeners' agreement presented variability in the evaluation of both voice samples. In the evaluation of the central portion of the sustained vowel, intraindividual listener agreement was moderate for breathiness, hyponasal resonance, and overall voice rating; in connected speech, agreement was moderate for most voice qualities (breathy, rough, high/low pitch, and hyponasal resonance). Finally, Wilson's Buffalo III Voice Screening Profile presented good reliability values for both voice samples, with overall voice rating achieving higher values (.90) than any other voice-quality variable.
Qualitative Analysis of Lumbar Stabilization Using Point Light and Normal Video Displays
Authors: Pellecchia Geraldine L. , Garrett Gladys E.
Published: August 2011

Professionals in many fields use qualitative analysis to improve human movement, in previous research examining the reliability of physical therapists' qualitative assessments of lumbar stabilization, three experienced observers showed substantial agreement when viewing point light displays, but only moderate agreement when observing normal video displays. Replication of these findings in a larger group of less experienced observers would strengthen the notion that point light displays enhance qualitative analysis. The present study examined the reliability of qualitative assessments of lumbar stabilization when novice observers made judgments from two types of video displays. 50 fourth-year physical therapy students viewed either normal or point light video displays to judge lumbar stabilization of individuals performing a floor to waist lift. Multirater kappa coefficients for assessments made from normal displays and point light displays were .30 and .46, indicating fair and moderate agreement, respectively. These results suggest that point light displays may enhance observers' visual perception of human movement.
Comparative Study of Eye Movements in Extent of Central and Peripheral Vision and Use by Young and Elderly Walkers
Authors: Itoh Nana , Fukuda Tadahiko
Published: August 2011

This study compares the visual abilities of young and elderly groups while walking, focusing on differences in the ranges and velocities of eye movements and on differences in the extent and use of their central and peripheral vision. On the basis of two experiments, the following differences between young and elderly walkers in the use of vision, as well as the effect of these differences on walking cadence (the number of steps per minute) were clarified. Elderly subjects depended more on central) vision than younger subjects while they were walking, and their walking cadences were hindered by limited visual range. In contrast, younger subjects made use of both their central and peripheral vision while walking; the clarity of peripheral vision gave them greater control over the process of their walking than elderly subjects had.
Hemispheric Asymmetry in Accessing Word Meanings: Concrete and Abstract Nouns
Authors: Shibahara Naoki , Lucero-Wagoner Brennis
Published: August 2011

The present experiments investigated hemispheric differences in the brain in accessing concrete and abstract word meanings. For this purpose, an automatic semantic priming paradigm was used with a short stimulus onset asynchrony between prime and target (250 msec.) as well as a low proportion of related trials. (20%). Analysis showed that for concrete nouns, priming effects were observed in both hemispheres. There was greater priming in the right hemisphere, suggesting hemispheric differences in accessing semantic representations of concrete nouns. For abstract nouns, on the other hand, priming patterns in the right hemisphere were identical to those in the left hemisphere, suggesting that information about abstract nouns projected to the right hemisphere may be transferred to the dominant left hemisphere for further processing.
Interference between Verbal Concept Formation and Spatial Mental Rotation in Female Subjects
Authors: Makány Tamás , Karádi Kázmér , Kállai János , Nadel Lynn
Published: August 2011

In this study the relation between spatial cognition and verbal intelligence abilities was examined in case of 52 women. Interference between mental rotation performance and verbal intelligence scores was found. Women with good verbal abilities have lower scores in mental rotation tasks than subjects with poorer verbal abilities. This finding is in accordance with some basic models of a dual-coding system. The spatial functions represented in mental rotation interfered with verbal-based concept formation and lexical knowledge in college women.
Articulatory Drift in the Speech of Children with Articulation and Phonological Disorders
Authors: Gibbon Fiona E. , Wood Sara E.
Published: August 2011

This study used electropalatography to identify articulatory drift in alveolar stops (/t/ and /d/) produced by 10 children with functional articulation and phonological disorders. Drift involves an abnormal change in place of articulation that occurs during stop closure. An index was used to measure drift, with higher values indicating greater drift. The results showed that drift was higher for children who produced undifferentiated gestures (articulations with increased tongue-palate contact). Drift is an important characteristic of articulation because it is believed to reflect impaired speech motor control. In addition, drift could explain some perceptually based speech errors that are frequently reported in functional disorders.
Viewing Distance and Estimates of Duration
Authors: Predebon John
Published: August 2011

28 students reproduced the durations of 12- and 18-sec. intervals, which were defined by a moving stimulus on a computer monitor. The monitor was viewed from a distance of either .4 or 2.5 m. Temporal reproductions were significantly greater for the far than for the near distance conditions. Results are considered from the perspective of the change models of timing.
Reply to Shephard's Comments: Exercise, Fitness, and Subjective Perceptions of Fitness among Teachers
Authors: Netz Yael , Raviv Shulamith
Published: August 2011

Comments and brief explanation for each of Shephard's four criticisms of our paper are presented.
Preliminary Remarks on Type of Task and Delay in Children's Prospective Memory
Authors: Nigro Giovanna , Senese Vincenzo Paolo , Natullo Ornella , Sergi Ida
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the extent to which the type of task influences children's prospective memory performance. 80 subjects, aged 7 to 11 yr. participated in an experiment in which the type of task (time-based vs event-based) and the retention interval (5 min. vs 10 min.) varied. The prospective memory task was embedded in a principal task lasting about 15 min. and required subjects perform an action at a given time or in response to a specific cue. Analysis indicated that the delay was associated with prospective memory performance only on a time-based task in which the intention has to be performed after 10 min. but not age. Analysis indicated also that time monitoring was associated with shorter latency between the target time and the execution of the intention on the time-based task. Implications were discussed.
Apparent Distance in Actual, Three-Dimensional Video-Recorded, and Virtual Reality
Authors: Hayashibe Keikichi
Published: August 2011

This study examined how well reality was reproduced in several conditions of virtual reality, by mutually comparing the perception of distance in actual 3-dimensional space and 3-dimensional video-recorded space. Apparent distances in both indoor and outdoor situations were estimated by 10 adolescents. Analysis showed that relations between apparent distance and physical distance in the actual spaces both in indoor and outdoor situations arc described by 0.95 and 1.01 power exponents, respectively. On the other hand, the underestimations of the apparent distance are shown in the 3-dimensional video-recorded and the virtual reality spaces both in indoor and outdoor situations whose exponents ranged from .53 to .80.
Effects of Voluntary Activation on Neuromuscular Endurance Analyzed by Surface Electromyography
Authors: Yamada Hiroshi , Kaneko Kimihiro , Masuda Tadashi
Published: August 2011

The purpose was to examine the relation between voluntary muscle activation and neuromuscular endurance of individual subjects based on the pattern of surface electromyography (EMG). The voluntary muscle activation was estimated from the relation between voluntary force and tetanic force superimposed on the voluntary force (twitch interpolation technique). 11 male subjects (10 regular exercisers and 4 sedentary; 21–29 years old) were divided into a High Voluntary Activation group and a Low Voluntary Activation group. A significant positive correlation of .72 (p<.01) was found between maximum voluntary torque and voluntary activation. A fatigue test was conducted during isometric contractions of 60% and 20% maximum voluntary torque. The endurance time was significantly longer for the Low Voluntary Activation group than the High Voluntary Activation group. The mean power frequency of voluntary EMG obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle decreased consistently whereas the average rectified value increased. The final change of mean power frequency relative to the initial value was significantly greater in the 60% Fatigue task than in the 20% Fatigue task. For the 60% Fatigue task, the final change of mean power frequency and average rectified value relative to the initial value was significantly greater in the Low Voluntary Activation group than in the High Voluntary Activation group. These results suggest that the individual differences in voluntary activation determine the neuromuscular performance usually evaluated as maximum voluntary torque and endurance time and that the voluntary activation may depend on the daily exercise.
The Physical Education Climate Assessment Instrument
Authors: Curtner-Smith Matthew D. , Todorovich John R.
Published: August 2011

This paper describes the Physical Education Climate Assessment Instrument designed for systematic observation and to quantify variables associated with different types of objective motivational climates created by teachers and coaches in physical education and sports practices. The theoretical framework which guided the development is outlined with recording procedures and methods by which data can be summarized. In addition, estimates of validity, reliability, and feasibility are reported.
“Dark Shading” of Words in the Diary of a Suicide
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

The use of dark-shading words declined over time in the diary of a suicide, a result opposite to that predicted.
Role of Duration and Interval in Perception of Force Pulses
Authors: Williams L. R. T. , Walmsley A.
Published: August 2011

Three experiments investigated the perceptual threshold for a pulsed force stimulation of the middle phalanx of the forefinger. The first experiment ( N=5) manipulated duration of the pulse, and the second (N=6) manipulated the interval between pulses. Both experiments held magnitude constant. The results confirmed high reliability and indicated that perceptual threshold decreased as both Duration and Interval increased. Although subjects responded consistently, they described the sensation as “muscular” and “diffuse.” Exp. 3 ( N=12) covaried Duration and Interval and found effects similar to those of the first two studies. Also, Duration and Interval were independent. Additional research is needed to clarify the relations of duration, interval, and magnitude in contributing to conscious perception of the presence of applied force. Treating pulse magnitude as a dynamic variable by varying its rate of change within a train of force pulses could further our understanding of how perception of force changes depend upon rate.
Do Landmarks Help or Hinder Women in Route Learning?
Authors: Gwinn Heather M. , Fernando Shona , James Sufiy , Wilson Josephine F.
Published: August 2011

Previous research on route learning has demonstrated that men learn routes faster and with fewer errors than women, whereas women are able to recall more landmarks along the route. The present study was aimed at investigating whether landmarks help of hinder women when they learn a route. 47 female and 37 male undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, in which they learned a route on a map with landmarks (the Landmark condition) or with no landmarks (the No-Landmark condition). Men outperformed women in the Landmark condition, learning the route in less time, with fewer errors, and in fewer trials than women did. In contrast, in the No-Landmark condition, no significant differences were found between men and women on the route-learning measures. Men learned the route faster and more accurately when landmarks were present than when they were not, but the performance of women was not affected by the presence or absence of landmarks. These results surest that men and women may employ landmarks differently when learning a route Men may use the positions of landmarks to make distance and direction judgments, whereas women may label the landmarks and memorize these labels, which interferes with learning the route.
Crossed Hand-Eye Dominance in Male Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Giotakos Orestis
Published: August 2011

Increased incidence of left-eye and crossed hand-eye dominance have been considered as indicating left hemispheric dysfunction in many neuropsychiatric disorders. This study investigates the incidence of left-eye and crossed hand-eye dominance in patience with schizophrenia ( n = 68), panic disorder ( n = 62), personality disorder ( n = 35), heroin addiction ( n = 54), and mental retardation ( n = 33), in comparison with controls ( n = 944). All psychiatric groups, except the group with panic disorder, had significantly greater frequency of left-eye dominance than the control group. Furthermore, all psychiatric groups, except the personality-disordered group, had significantly greatest frequency of crossed hand-eye dominance than the control group. These findings further support the evidence of an anomaly in hemispheric lateralization among different psychiatric populations, particularly among those with psychotic symptoms and cognitive deficits.
Human Pupil and Eyelid Response to Intense Laser Light: Implications for Protection
Authors: Stamper David A. , Lund David J. , Molchany Jerome W. , Stuck Bruce E.
Published: August 2011

Natural ocular protective measures induced by laser glare at 514 nm were evaluated concomitant with the performance of a tracking task. Light-induced eyelid and pupil responses of 5 volunteers, 1 woman and 4 men, ages 23 to 60 years, were recorded as they tracked a target moving at 0.3°/sec. with an optical sight. Frame-by-frame analysis of video images of the eye allowed assessment of the eyelid response (squint and blink) and measurement of the pupil diameter. Three laser exposure durations (0.1, 1.0, and 3.0 sec.) were used during bright and dim ambient light conditions. All laser exposure trials produced a pupillary constriction with a latency, i.e., the time from the onset of the laser exposure until the pupil began to constrict, of approximately 100 msec. In a representative 3-sec. exposure, the total intraocular energy was reduced by 69% as the pupil diameter decreased from 6.0 to 2.5 mm. For the 0.1-sec. exposures at 1.6 mW/cm2, a blink reflex was observed on 2 of 10 trials under the dim ambient conditions and not observed on 9 trials under bright conditions. For 1- and 3-sec. exposures at 0.33 mW/cm2, a blink reflex was observed on four (3 bright and 1 dim) of the 38 trials. For conditions evaluated, pupillary constriction was consistent and provided some protection when the exposure duration exceeded the pupillary latency period; however, a blink reflex was observed on only a limited number of trials, possibly due to the exposure dose, the small retinal irradiance diameter produced by the laser exposure, and the volunteers' attention to the demanding performance task.
Hand Preference, Susceptibility to Motion Sickness, and Differential Vulnerability to Psychiatric Admission
Authors: Mirabile Charles S. , Teicher Martin H.
Published: August 2011

Nonright-handers ( n = 192) were more common within an inpatient psychiatric population of 792 than in a control nonpatient population of 559. Vulnerability of nonright-handers to admission appears to be associated with an intermediate extent of susceptibility to motion sickness.
Sleep EEG Patterns and Fatigue of Middle-Aged and Older Female Family Caregivers Providing Routine Nighttime Care for Elderly Persons at Home
Authors: Sato Reiko , Anan Mitoko , Kanda Katsuya , Watanuki Shigeaki
Published: August 2011

The sleep EEGs and fatigue of 9 female family caregivers (age M = 65 yr.) and 9 female noncaregivers (age M = 67 yr.) were measured during two successive nights at their houses. Perceived quality of sleep was measured by the Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Fatigue was measured by a self-rated questionnaire, the Perceived Symptoms of Fatigue, and by critical flicker fusion (CFF) frequency. The caregivers had a significantly higher percentage of Stage 1 and a lower percentage of Stage 2 during the 2nd cycle and a higher percentage of Stages 3+4 during the 3rd cycle than those of the noncaregivers. Caregivers had significantly higher percentages of EEG waves of 7–9 Hz in the 1st cycle and 6–9 Hz in the 2nd cycle and significantly lower percentages of 2–3 Hz in the 1st cycle than those of the noncaregivers. The caregivers reported a lower quality of sleep and higher perceived fatigue symptoms and also lower CFF frequency (increased physiological fatigue) than noncaregivers. The caregivers' sleep EEGs were associated with their higher sleep needs and fatigue.
Hand Preference and Length of Psychiatric Hospital Stay by Month of Admission
Authors: Mirabile Charles S. , Teicher Martin H.
Published: August 2011

Length of psychiatric hospital stay is higher for patients admitted in the months of April and May. This effect was strongly associated with handedness and was greatest for left-handers. The duration of hospitalization of left-handed subjects admitted in April and May was, on average, 88.5% longer than for left-handed subjects admitted during any other period. In contrast, length of stay for right-handed patients differed by no more than 16% between any months compared.
College-Age Males' Ability to Produce the Acoustic Properties of an Aging Voice: Some Suggestions for Further Exploration
Authors: Whiteside S. P.
Published: August 2011

Manning, et al. recently reported on the ability of college-age males to imitate the voice of an aging male. This commentary briefly discusses how their data could be extended to support their published findings.
Visual Search Strategies in Experienced and Inexperienced Gymnastic Coaches
Authors: Moreno F. J. , Reina Raúl , Luis Vicente , Sabido Rafael
Published: August 2011

The visual search strategies employed by gymnastic coaches with different levels of expertise were investigated. Expert ( n = 3) and novice coaches ( n = 3) watched 9 video sequences of 3 gymnastic techniques and were required to highlight errors in performance. Visual search patterns were monitored by an ASL-5000SE eye-tracking system during observation. Expert participants showed longer and fewer visual fixations than the novice group.
Achievement in Chemistry Problem-Solving as a Function of the Mobility-Fixity Dimension
Authors: Stamovlasis Dimitrios , Kousathana Margarita , Angelopoulos Vasileios , Tsaparlis Georgios , Niaz Mansoor
Published: August 2011

The present studies explored the relation between students' achievement in chemistry problem-solving and the Mobility—Fixity dimension. Fixity characterizes consistency of function of field-independent subjects in a field-independent fashion, while Mobility provides for variation according to circumstances. The effect of this cognitive variable was examined as a function of the type and the complexity of the problem. Two kinds of problems were used, chemical equilibrium problems with varying mental demand and logical structure, and organic synthesis problems with varying mental demand. The subjects had to carry out different mental tasks, such as manipulation of logical schemata, applying algorithmic procedures, solving nonalgorithmic problems. In all cases, Mobile subjects demonstrated higher achievement than Fixed subjects. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the Mobility—Fixity dimension can serve as a predictor variable of students' performance on chemistry problem-solving.
Unidimensionality of the Chinese Version of the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale
Authors: Hsiao Tsung-Yuan
Published: August 2011

Previous research showed the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale is reliable and valid for assessing reading anxiety in groups of American college students beginning study of French, Japanese, or Russian. Because Saito, Horwitz, and Garza (1999) reported that reading anxiety tends to vary with the target language, the present investigation examined the factorial validity of the Chinese version of the scale in college students of English as a foreign language in Taiwan. Confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood method supports the unidimensionality of the scale, which is reliable and valid for eliciting reading anxiety of Chinese college foreign language learners and for predicting their global language performance. This study suggests exploring how language proficiency, culture, and topic familiarity may be related to such anxiety.
Metamorphological Awareness and EFL Students' Memory, Retention, and Retrieval of English Adjectival Lexicons
Authors: Zhang Lawrence Jun
Published: August 2011

Research has shown that foreign or second language learners' metalinguistic awareness has important effects on their acquisition of the target language. Important among a multitude of the concerns are problems these learners encounter when they have to process the morphological features of individual words, particularly in the acquisition of literacy skills. Nevertheless, for students who learn English as a foreign of second language for academic purposes, one of the biggest challenges in their advanced study is how they can effectively remember, retain, and retrieve the colossal number of newly learnt English vocabulary, including adjectival lexicons, to enhance their academic success. Results from the present report on the effects of metamorphological awareness of 65 adult Chinese EFL learners' memory, retention, and retrieval of adjectival lexicons show that, although the subjects in the two groups did not differ significantly in their performance on a pretest designed to check their lexical knowledge and no sex difference was observed, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in both conditions (immediate and delayed retrievals) on a posttest. The experimental group and women predominantly performed better in the memory-retention-retrieval tasks assigned to them. Implications for educational research and practices are also discussed.
Gestalt Concept of Closure: A Construct without Closure
Authors: Wasserstein Jeanette
Published: August 2011

This comment reviews the original Gestalt literature which introduced the concept of ‘closure’. It is argued that the meaning of ‘closure’ was confounded in the source literature and, thus, the term connotes more than it denotes. Research based on different measures of this ambiguous construct inevitably may not always converge.
Blood Type and Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Zonda Tamas , Lester David
Published: August 2011

Type I bipolar patients in Budapest were reported to have type O blood more often and types A and B blood less often than Type II bipolar patients.
Idiosyncratic Reality Claims, Relaxation Dispositions, and Abc Relaxation Theory: Happiness, Literal Christianity, Miraculous Powers, Metaphysics, and the Paranormal
Authors: Smith Jonathan C. , Karmin Aaron D.
Published: August 2011

This study examined idiosyncratic reality claims, that is, irrational or paranormal beliefs often claimed to enhance relaxation and happiness and reduce stress. The Smith Idiosyncratic Reality Claims Inventory and the Smith Relaxation Dispositions Inventory (which measures relaxation and stress dispositions, or enduring states of mind frequently associated with relaxation or stress) were given to 310 junior college student volunteers. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation identified five idiosyncratic reality claim factors: belief in Literal Christianity; Magic; Space Aliens; After Death experiences; and Miraculous Powers of Meditation, Prayer, and Belief. No factor correlated with increased relaxation dispositions Peace, Energy, or Joy, or reduced dispositional somatic stress, worry, or negative emotion on the Smith Relaxation Dispositions Inventory. It was concluded that idiosyncratic reality claims may not be associated with reported relaxation, happiness, or stress. In contrast, previous research strongly supported self-affirming beliefs with few paranormal assumptions display such an association.
Effects of Appropriate and Inappropriate Odors on Product Evaluations
Authors: Schifferstein Hendrik N. J. , Michaut Anne M. K.
Published: August 2011

In accounting for an odorant's effect on the evaluation of a product, both the odor's intrinsic pleasantness and its appropriateness for that particular product are relevant. When comparing the effects of pleasant smells, consumers are likely to prefer products with appropriate smells 10 those with an inappropriate smell. We investigated the effect of adding congruent and incongruent odorants on product evaluations for each of three product categories: food (tea, instant whip, cake mix), personal care (shampoo, deodorant, lip balm), and household products (cream cleaner, air freshener, furniture wax), In a between-subjects design, 96 respondents judged scented and unscented products presented in commercial packages of major national brands. The respondents assessed the overall evaluation, 14 to 19 beliefs about the product, buying intention, and the frequency of use for each product. Respondents were instructed to evaluate each product as they would in a store. Although congruency ratings between odor and product show that the manipulation of congruency was successful, no main effect was found for the congruency on overall evaluations of the products. To account for this unexpected finding, we speculate that congruency between odor and product may be more important during product consumption or product use than during its selection. In addition, the odor's effects may have been attenuated in our experiment because we asked our respondents to rate each product on the attribute ‘has a nice smell’.
Effect of Teaching with Mirrors on Body Image and Locus of Control in Women College Ballet Dancers
Authors: Radell Sally A. , Adame Daniel D. , Cole Steven P.
Published: August 2011

This preliminary study assessed the effect of mirrors in dance instruction on body image and locus of control of women college ballet dancers. With the same instructor in two beginning ballet classes 8 women were taught using mirrors and 13 women were taught without mirrors. Subjects completed the Cash 69-item Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, and the 40 item Adult Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale during the first and last classes of a 14-wk. semester. Body-areas Satisfaction increased for the nonmirror class yet decreased for the class taught with mirrors. For the nonmirror class, there were significant increases in Appearance Orientation and Externality. Analysis suggested that the use of a mirror in the teaching of ballet may be an element which contributes to the low body-image scores of the 21 women ballet dancers. Replication with a much larger sample is required to draw conclusions.
Judgments of Grammaticality of Japanese Sentences Lacking an Argument or an Adjunct
Authors: Nagata Hiroshi
Published: August 2011

This study explored Japanese speakers' linguistic intuition in judging the grammatically of isolated simple sentences which lacked an argument or an adjunct. The argument is often required to be included in a sentence while the adjunct is not in the Japanese language. 36 participants ( M age = 21.4 yr.) judged the grammaticality of (a) sentences with or without an argument or (b) sentences with or without an adjunct. Findings indicated that speakers judged the sentences without an argument as less grammatically correct than those with an argument and those with or without an adjunct. However, the grammaticality of the sentences without an argument was judged not as low as predicted by the Chomskyan linguistic analysis that adopts an all-or-none dichotomy as a criterion for grammatically. The findings suggest that the state of actual speakers' knowledge of language differs significantly from that of idealized speakers.
Are Mechanisms for Perception of Biological Motion Different from Mechanisms for Perception of Nonbiological Motion?
Authors: Poom Leo , Olsson Henrik
Published: August 2011

We compared the integration of information over space and time for perceiving different configurations of moving dots: a walking person (biological motion), rigid three-dimensional shapes, and unidirectional coherent motion of all dots (translation). No performance differences in judging walking direction and coherent translation direction were obtained in conditions with constant presentation times and varying number of target dots (integration over space). Depending on the speed of the two-dimensional configurations judgments were either worse or better than the judgments of walking direction. The results for conditions with different presentation times (integration over time) show that information about biological motion is integrated over time that increases with increasing gait period, while two-dimensional unidirectional motion is integrated over constant time independent of speed. The effect is not due to the oscillatory nature of the biological motion since information about a rigid three-dimensional shape is summed over a constant time independent of the period of the motion cycle. This could be interpreted as different neural mechanisms mediating the temporal summation for walking direction compared to detecting the orientation of rigid structure, or the direction of two-dimensional unidirectional motion. Since biological motion is characterized by nonrigidity, it is possible that the form itself is integrated over time and not the motion pattern.
Experiences from Active Membership and Participation in Decision-Making Processes and Age in Moral Reasoning and Goal Orientation of Referees
Authors: Proios Miltiadis , Doganis George
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of experiences of active membership and participation in decision-making processes and age on moral reasoning and goal orientations of referees in sport. The sample consisted of 148 referees of whom 56 judged soccer, 55 basketball, and 37 handball. Their ages ranged from 17 to 50 years ( M = 36.6, SD = 7.4). Of the total number of referees, 8.3% have no experiences from active membership and participation in decision-making processes in organizations (social, athletic, political), 53.1% were simply active members, and 38.6% were involved in decision-making in their respective organizations. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance showed an interaction between experiences and age on moral reasoning and goal orientation of referees.
Relation between Social Cohesion and Team Performance in Soccer Teams
Authors: Tziner Aharon , Nicola Nicola , Rizac Anis
Published: August 2011

Investigations of the influence on team performance of team composition, in terms of task-related attributes, e.g., personality traits, cognitive abilities, often assumes this relation to be mediated by the strength (intensity) of the interpersonal relations (social cohesion) among team members. However, there has been little empirical examination of how much social cohesion actually affects team outcomes. This preliminary study sought to examine this issue using soccer teams, which have been held to resemble workplace teams. Perceptions of team cohesion were collected from 198 Israeli soccer players (comprising 36 national league teams) during the week preceding their weekly games. A significant correlation was found between the perceptions of social cohesion and the results of the soccer matches, indicating a link between team social cohesion and team performance. Implications of the results, as well as the study's limitations, are discussed, and avenues for research are suggested.
Self-Monitoring, Need for Cognition, and the Stroop Effect: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Koch Christopher
Published: August 2011

The color-word Stroop task requires an individual to ignore one piece of information (word) while responding to another (color). Since self-monitors are good at adapting their responses to fir a situation and those high in need for cognition carefully think through information before responding, this study explored the relationship between self-monitoring and need for cognition using Stroop interference. It was anticipated that self-monitoring would reduce Stroop interference, while need for cognition would increase Stroop interference. 23 General Psychology students (10 men, 13 women, Mage = 18.8 yr.) participated. Participants were given the Self-monitoring Scale, the Need for Cognition Scale, and the Stroop Color-Word Test. Analysis indicated that Need for Cognition was not correlated with Stroop interference ( r = .31) but higher scores on Self-monitoring were correlated with lower Stroop interference ( r = .43), Implications for research are suggested.
Neuropsychological Sequelae of Chronic Recreational Gasoline Inhalation
Authors: Couvier WM. Drew , Prejean Joseph G.
Published: August 2011

Brief summary test profiles are described for two cases of long-term inhalation recreationally of gasoline.
Cognitive Strategy and Ability in Endurance Activities
Authors: Antonini-Philippe Roberta , Reynes Eric , Bruant Gérard
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether elite athletes utilize associative strategies and, on the other hand, if nonelite athletes prefer to use dissociative strategies. 60 athletes were interviewed and the Schomer's 1986 method of measurement was used to measure association and dissociation. Analysis showed no significant differences in the total associative and dissociative scores among the three different abilities. However, a significant difference was found concerning the use of dissociative strategy between men and women.
Hostility Disturbs Learning
Authors: Shimojima Yumi , Tujii Takeo , Yanagisawa Atsuo , Tajino Kazuhiro , Kanda Hiroko , Yamagami Masako
Published: August 2011

Many studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between hostility and coronary artery disease; however, the pathogenic mechanisms by which hostility causes coronary artery disease have not been identified. Several studies have shown that hostility is associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress. Sloan and colleagues used mental arithmetic and the Stroop Color-Word Task as psychological stressors and suggested that hostility is associated with diminished cardiac vagal control. It is supposed that the diminished cardiac vagal control results in uncontrollability of increased heart rate under stressful conditions so performance on mental stress tasks is poor. However, performance was not analyzed on the Stroop Color-Word Task. If hostility influences the autonomic nervous system, the performance of this mental stress task may also differ according to extent of hostility. In the present study, whether hostility disturbed performance of a mental stress task and the practice on it was examined. Subjects completed the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale and were divided into three groups (High, Middle, and Low) by their total scores and three subscales (Cynicism, Hostile Affect, and Aggressive Responding), They also completed the Stroop Color-Word Task. Analysis showed practice by High and Middle scoring groups on Aggressive Responding had a significantly smaller effect than that by Low scoring groups. The pathogenic mechanisms by which hostility may underlie coronary artery disease were discussed.