bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived Somatotype as Indicator of Accuracy of Body Image, a Method Using Somatotype Attitudinal Distance
Authors: Sobral Francisco , Vasconcelos Olga
Published: August 2011

A method intended to assess accuracy of body image was applied to 52 Caucasian girls aged 14 and 15 years. Each girl, after being somatotyped by the Heath-Carter anthropometric method, was asked to select, among ten somatotype standard photographs, the one she perceived closest to her own objective somatotype. The purposes of the research were (i) to measure the distance between the objective and subjective judgements, self-perceived somatotypes by means of the somatotype attitudinal distance, and (ii) to assess the stability of the subjective somatotype by a test-retest correlation. The girls were also asked to select the pictures corresponding to the most preferred and aversive somatotypes. The test-retest coefficients were significant for the three somatotype choices. Hence, the method provides adequate stability and may be employed to reproduce the discrepancies between body image and real body build by a quantitative continuous measure.
Perceived Social Class and Gender-Appropriateness of Personal Names
Authors: Joubert Charles E.
Published: August 2011

For 60 boys' and girls' personal names, respectively, rs were .33 and .77 for gender-appropriate means when rated as higher in social class status. For all subjects r = .43.
Comparison of Apprehension about Communication in China and the United States
Authors: Zhang Yanban , Butler Jeff , Pryor Burt
Published: August 2011

A translated version of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension was administered to 688 students at four Chinese colleges and universities. The data were compared with American norms established by McCroskey in 1982 and with the responses of 177 students at a large state university in Florida. The Chinese sample reported a significantly higher mean score on apprehension about communication than the Americans. The findings were discussed with reference to cultural differences.
Use and Misuse of Smoke Detectors in Residential Areas
Authors: Giffen William J. , Haro Elizabet , Lehto Mark R. , Papastavrou Jason D.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the use and misuse of home smoke detectors in three cities in the United States: Dayton, Ohio, Union City, New Jersey, and San Francisco, California. A sample of 300 households, 100 in each city, were reached in telephone interviews which were concluded with a request to test the smoke detector. For the sample, 86% had a smoke detector, and 73% of those smoke detectors were working. Neither the presence of children or whether the smoke detector was preinstalled or purchased and installed by the homeowner were associated with the likelihood of owning a smoke detector or its operating condition. However, ownership varied between cities; 98% of respondents owned detectors in Dayton, OH compared to 72% in San Francisco, CA. Belief that smoke detectors were in good operating condition was strongly correlated with their actual state. Whether the detector was maintained in-house and the interaction between city and whether it was purchased by the resident were also significantly related to whether a smoke detector was working.
Comparison of Two Computer-Animated Imaging Programs for Quantifying Facial Profile Preference
Authors: Giddon Donald B. , Evans Carla A. , Bernier Debbie Lynn , Kinchen Jason A.
Published: August 2011

To establish the physical basis of subjective judgments of facial appearance, two novel computer-imaging programs differing in method of preparation and presentation of 5 features of the facial soft-tissue profile of 4 faces representing 4 different classifications of dental occlusion were compared. Images of facial soft tissue of 5 features were digitized and “animated” from 16 discrete distortions or morphed from the two extremes of each feature. 12 volunteer judges responded to both the “animated” and morphed presentations by pressing the computer mouse button when the image became acceptable and releasing the button when the image was no longer acceptable. They also pressed the mouse button when the most pleasing distortion appeared from either direction. Aggregating responses to counterbalanced trials and features across judges yielded high correlations between the programs for midpoint of acceptability. Although both programs provide reliable and valid measures of subjective acceptability of present and proposed changes in facial morphology, the new morphing program is more user-friendly than the “animated” method.
On Inter- and Intragroup Differences in Schematic and Aschematic Groups' Ratings of Trait Relations
Authors: Hochwälder Jacek
Published: August 2011

It was hypothesized that a subject's personality with respect to having a self-schema in a given personality domain will affect the subject's assumptions about how traits that belong to the given personality domain are interrelated in other persons. Two hypotheses were posed: (1) schematic, as compared to aschematic groups, assume stronger relations (likelihood of co-occurrence) between schema-consistent traits in other persons and (2) schematic persons assume stronger relations between schema-consistent traits, as compared to schema-inconsistent traits and schema-neutral traits in other persons. 82 women made self-ratings on 3 feminine traits, 3 masculine traits, and 3 neutral traits, as well as trait-relation ratings between pairs consisting of feminine traits (F-F relation), masculine traits (M-M relation), and neutral traits (N-N relation). On the basis of the self-ratings subjects were classified into feminine schematic ( n = 14) and aschematic groups ( n = 13). The trait-relation ratings were analyzed through a 2 × 3 (group × type of trait-relation) analysis of variance. The analysis confirmed both hypotheses. Implications of these results for self-schema and implicit personality theory are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Visuospatial Orienting of Attention in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Hsieh Shulan , Hwang Wen-Juh , Tsai Jing-Jane , Tsai Chin-Yi
Published: August 2011

Orienting attention to visual stimuli was studied in 13 patients with Parkinson's disease whose responses were compared to those of a matched control group using a cued reaction-time task which measured cost and benefit effects of orienting of attention. Both groups were screened to exclude dementia, psychiatric disease, and other neurological abnormalities. Although Parkinson patients showed over-all slow mean reaction time, responses showed a pattern of cost and benefit effects similar to that of the control group. The results suggested that Parkinson patients are not impaired on visuospatial orienting of attention on this task.
The Status of Exner's Comprehensive System in Contemporary Research
Authors: Piotrowski Chris
Published: August 2011

Is the Exner Comprehensive System the most frequently used method or approach to Rorschach analysis? In addition to the existing literature on assessment practices, the results of a citation analysis of the PsycLIT database confirms that the Exner system is the most widely used method in research.
Subvocal Speech, Reading Rate, and Comprehension
Authors: Freese Anne Reilley
Published: August 2011

The relationship of subvocal speech and reading rate to comprehension of 25 children, ranging from 8 to 15 years of age, was investigated by means of electromyographic (EMG) recordings taken while the subjects silently read two meaningful passages. The first was orthographically regular, and the second was composed of approximately sixty percent homophones, Labial muscle action recordings, latencies, and comprehension measures were obtained. Variables derived from these measures were used to predict reading age Profiles derived from the EMGs provided information about how each reader processed the information from the reading passages. The empirical results of the study provide strong support for the valuable role of subvocal speech in the extraction of information and the importance of readers demonstrating the ability to use flexibility of the reading process when reading for meaning.
Effects of Response Range in Frequency Judgments of Common versus Uncommon Events
Authors: Yamagishi Kimihiko
Published: August 2011

Frequency estimation of social facts was compared between two methods of response elicitation. In the “narrow range” method, respondents answered questions like: “Out of 100 instances, how many instances belong to category X?”. In the “wide range” method, the same question was asked regarding “Out of 10,000.” A previous study in 1994 showed that judged frequencies were proportionally greater in the narrow condition than in the wide condition when subjects estimated the occurrence of low-frequency events. These results were interpreted to reflect cognitive processes of anchoring, wherein judged frequencies he close to small numbers within particular response ranges. The current work extends this argument to high-frequency events. In such cases, judgments about high-frequency events would be reached by similar cognitive processes operating toward the opposite direction. Hence, I predicted that judged frequencies for high-frequency events would be proportionally greater in the wide than in the narrow condition. Results were mostly consistent with these predictions. The relation to previous research is discussed.
Linguistic Aspects of Magnitude-Estimation Scaling of Instrumental Music, Instrumental Music with Vocal Accompaniment, and Spoken Lyrics
Authors: Fucci Donald , Petrosino Linda , Hallowell Brooke , Banks Molly , Zaums Karen
Published: August 2011

An analysis of variance of magnitude estimates of loudness of three different types of complex auditory stimuli, instrumental music, instrumental music with vocal accompaniment, and spoken lyrics showed, for 100 young adults, no differences for the types of stimuli. The linguistic aspects of these complex auditory stimuli do not differentially influence loudness judgments.
Emotional Information Processing and Visual Evoked Brain Potentials
Authors: Mini Alessio , Palomba Daniela , Angrilli Alessandro , Bravi Stefano
Published: August 2011

Visual evoked potentials to emotional slides presented for 2 sec. were investigated in 13 subjects. 73 emotional slides (pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral) were selected from a standardized set of photographic slides, the 1988 International Affective Picture System of Lang, Öhman, and Vaitl. Visual evoked potentials were recorded from three head locations, frontal, central and parietal (Fz, Cz, and Pz). Analyses were performed in the two latency ranges: 300–400 msec. and 400–500 msec. Analyses showed an arousal effect, as indicated by a quadratic trend, indicating that emotional slides (both pleasant and unpleasant) gave higher cortical positivity than neutral ones, for all components. In addition, in the two latency epochs, larger positivities were found at Pz, compared to Fz and Cz, whereas Fz and Cz did not differ from each other.
Burnout and Managers' Tactics of Influence
Authors: Lamude Kevin G. , Furno-Lamude Diane
Published: August 2011

This research focused on whether perception of burnout, measured by the Cherniss Burnout Scale, is related to managers' self-reported tactics of influence with subordinates. Contrary to expectations, analysis of the scores of 209 managers from 47 organizations indicated rational, ingratiating, and inspirational appeals, consultation, and exchange tactics of influence were positively correlated with burnout, whereas scores on pressure and legitimacy were negatively correlated with burnout scores. Limitations of the study were also mentioned.
Misrepresentation of Sleep-Laboratory Dream Research with Children
Authors: Foulkes David
Published: August 2011

A recent article by Resnick, et al. misrepresents the methods and findings of sleep-laboratory dream research with children, and, hence, the significance of their own findings. Since these misrepresentations remain almost totally unretracted, I here undertake to correct them, so that the literature more accurately may reflect the current status of laboratory studies of children's dreaming.
Academic Performance is Not a Viable Determinant of Physical Therapy Students' Burnout
Authors: Balogun Joseph A. , Hoeberlein-Miller Teresa M. , Schneider Estelle , Katz Joanne S.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the proposed link between students' academic performance and burnout. We found no significant correlations between students' cumulative grade point average and ratings of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment.
Gender Differences in Physical Fitness in Old Age
Authors: Netz Yael , Aegov Esther
Published: August 2011

That scores of women ages 60 to 89 years may deteriorate faster than those of men on 9 measures was documented for 55 men and 197 women.
Dispositional Optimism and Coping with Academic Examinations
Authors: Lai Julian C. L. , Wan Wendy
Published: August 2011

Correlations between scores on dispositional optimism and four categories of coping strategies for academic examinations for a group of 248 Hong Kong undergraduates were .25 for Self-encouragement and -.20 for Cognitive Avoidance. These results lend partial support to the association of adaptive coping and optimism, measured by the Life Orientation Test.
Distal Contexts, Proximal Conditions, and Attainment of Social Status
Authors: Marjoribanks Kevin
Published: August 2011

This study examined to what extent relations between distal contexts, individual characteristics and young adults' attainment of social status were mediated by perceptions of proximal family conditions. Data were collected from 300 Australian 21-yr -olds as part of a longitudinal investigation. The findings indicated that the mediating effect of proximal conditions varied for differing outcomes and differed between females and males.
Youth Cohort Size and Suicide Rates
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

Youth suicide rates by state in 1970 were positively associated with their proportion in the population but not in 1989 Changes in the youth suicide rate over the 20-yr. period were not associated positively with changes in their cohort size.
Laterality Patterns and Visual-Motor Coordination of Children
Authors: Iteya Misaki , Gabbard Carl
Published: August 2011

This study examined the association between laterality patterns of eye-hand and eye-foot described as congruent or cross-lateral, and visual-motor coordination skill (target throwing and kicking) by 606 4- to 6-yr.-olds. Speculation derived from contemporary reports of hand preference and motor coordination provided the hypothesis that persons exhibiting congruent patterns of eye and limb laterality such as right-eye and hand or right-eye and foot pattern would perform better than peers who exhibited other laterality patterns. To the contrary, this study yielded no significant differences in motor performance between groups with different patterns of preference. In view of past studies and present results, additional inquiry seems warranted before any consensus regarding the association between laterality and motor coordination can be established.
Effect of Viewing the RPE Scale on the Ability to Make Ratings of Perceived Exertion
Authors: Abadie B. R.
Published: August 2011

7 subjects exercised while viewing and not viewing the Rating of Perceived Exertion scale during exercise to assess whether ratings of perceived exertion are influenced by viewing the scale itself. Analysis suggested that monitoring moderate to high intensity exercise without viewing the RPE scale may result in an underestimation of exertion.
Demands during Maze Learning in Limbic Epileptic Rats: Selective Damage in the Thalamus?
Authors: Cook Lisa L. , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

A qualitatively evident enhancement of chromolytic neurons within the lateral posterior thalamus of rats in which limbic seizures had been induced by lithium and pilocarpine and who were later trained for spatial memory was assessed quantitatively. The significant increase in the numbers of chromolytic neurons and the decrease in the numbers of normal neurons for these rats compared to the reference brains suggested these morphological changes were recent. The hypothesis that excessive stimulation of the lateral posterior nucleus by daily training in a radial maze may have facilitated the necrosis was supported by the inverse relationship between a linear combination of the numbers of normal neurons and oligodendroglia and the rate of learning during the earlier but not the later sessions. An implication for iatrogenic effects from rehabilitation of humans following brain injury was suggested.
Heuristics and Memory Strategies Used by Mathematicians
Authors: Algarabel Salvador , Dasí Carmen
Published: August 2011

The paper presents a survey of a sample of 41 students with master's degrees in mathematics about the difficulty and types of strategies used to study technical material, including mathematical proofs. In addition, students were asked to rate the frequency of use of several heuristics strategies in problem solving in the fields of Linear Algebra, Geometry, Differential Calculus, and Statistics.
Language Style and Evaluation of a Female Speaker
Authors: Hawkes Katharine C. , Edelman Harris S. , Dodd David K.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the effect of style of speech (“tentative” vs assertive) used by a female speaker upon the evaluations made by college students. Both men and women evaluated the assertive speaker more favorably than the tentative speaker. The hypothesis that men would devaluate the assertive woman was not supported.
Specificity and Variability of Practice with Young Children
Authors: Graydon Jan , Griffin Martin
Published: August 2011

It has previously been suggested that paradigms investigating schema theory should include tests of the effects of variability of practice on tasks experienced during the acquisition of learning. The present aim was to test this effect using a sports-related task. Two groups of children ( n = 13 each) aged between 3 and 5 yr. old were pretested on an aiming task. They then received ten practice trials per day for ten days. One group (designated the specific group) practised only at the specified target distance, while another group (designated the specific plus variable group) practised at the target distance and at distances around the target. At the end of the practice period both groups were again tested. The data were analysed for distance and lateral errors, using two-way (group × time) analyses of covariance with one repeated measure on the latter factor. The interaction of groups × time was significant for the distance errors, indicating that at the end of the practice period the specific plus variable group had improved more than the specific group. This finding extends previous work on a similar variability paradigm to a sports-related setting.
Issues in Development of a Protocol to Evaluate Children's Reasoning about Ability and Effort in Sport
Authors: Whitehead Jean , Smith Alan G.
Published: August 2011

This study developed a protocol to identify in a sporting activity the developmental stages in differentiating effort and ability derived by Nicholls in 1978 from cognitive tasks. 32 boys aged 8 to 13 years were shown videoclips depicting two performers on a split-screen shooting at off-screen baskets with unequal effort. False scores were presented to indicate that the sporadic worker scored the same as or higher than the consistent worker. Subjects were then interviewed about the performers' ability and effort, and their responses were categorized using Nicholls' criteria for developmental level. The responses showed the same developmental stages derived from cognitive tasks, with some new interpretations specific to this psychomotor task. Issues of generalizability are discussed and alternative protocols recommended.
Tolerance of Ambiguity and Fear of the Paranormal
Authors: Houran James , Lange Rense
Published: August 2011

Houran, et al.'s model for haunting phenomena predicts that fear of “paranormal phenomena” is associated with intolerance of ambiguity. Consistent with this prediction, ratings by 86 undergraduates (14 men and 72 women) showed a correlation of .33 between the scores on the Anomalous Experiences Inventory and the Rydell-Rosen Ambiguity Tolerance Scale.
Effects of Handedness and Script Types on Visual-Field Differences in the Mental Addition Task
Authors: Yoshizaki Kazuhito , Hatta Takeshi , Toyama Kumiko
Published: August 2011

The effects of handedness and script types on the difference in performance in a mental addition task by visual field were examined. Right-handers, nonfamilial left-handers, and familial left-handers who were all native speakers of Japanese were asked to add two numbers presented in the visual half-fields tachistoscopically. The two numbers were displayed either to one visual field (left or right visual field) or to the center. The numbers were displayed in Arabic, in Kanji, or in Arabic and Kanji numerals (one in Arabic and the other in Kanji: Mixed stimuli). The subjects were asked to add the two numbers and to state the sum orally. In the righthanders group, a right visual-field advantage was found for the Arabic condition but not for the Kanji or Mixed stimuli. On the other hand, in the nonfamilial and familial left-handers group, no visual-field difference in any of the conditions was found. These findings suggest that pattern of cerebral lateralization for familial and nonfamilial left-handers is the same but it is different from that of right-handers.
Relationship between Narcissistic Tendencies and Psychiatric Conditions in Patients Undergoing Physical Rehabilitation
Authors: Fukunishi Isao , Aoki Takayuki
Published: August 2011

This study examined the relationship between psychiatric conditions and narcissism in 78 patients with physical rehabilitation for illnesses such as cerebrovascular disease. The frequency of psychiatric disorders (Major Depression and Adjustment Disorder) was significantly higher for the patient group than for the healthy control group. The patients had significantly higher scores on measures of psychiatric symptoms including depression and lower scores on a narcissistic factor (Self-sufficiency) than the controls. In the patient group, the Self-sufficiency scores were significantly and positively correlated with Vigor scores In the patient and control groups, although the correlation coefficient was not high and no significant difference was noted, the Self-sufficiency scores were negatively correlated with the Depression scores. These findings suggest that, in patients undergoing physical rehabilitation, poor Self-sufficiency is related to a decrease in vigor as a depressive symptom, perhaps due to the loss of physical functioning.
Effects of Men's Attitudes about Male Roles on Lifestyle Decisions
Authors: Oliver Nancy A.
Published: August 2011

Attitudes about the traditional male role were compared with lifestyles for 267 men. The men were well educated and held positions in administration or management. Their lifestyle choices about traditional/modern attitudes, personal adornment, projection of self, and active/inactive recreations were significantly related to their attitudes about the traditional male role.
Effects of Music on Assertive Behavior during Exercise by Middle-School-Age Students
Authors: Mills Brett D.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to assess the association of a particular style of music and assertive behavior in middle-school-aged students during exercise. Participants were students enrolled in a public middle school (Grades 6, 7, and 8, N = 502). A statistically significant relationship was found between the number of assertive behaviors occurring while listening to fast tempo music and grades and between difference scores and grades. Difference scores were obtained by subtracting the number of assertive behaviors occurring while listening to fast tempo music from those while listening to slow tempo music. Discriminant function analysis showed the number of assertive behaviors when listening to fast tempo music, and difference scores were predictive of membership by grade. The higher the grade the more assertive behaviors were emitted when listening to fast tempo music.
Goal Orientations and Perceived Purposes of Training among Elite Athletes
Authors: Ommundsen Yngvar , Roberts Glyn C.
Published: August 2011

The goal perspective theories of motivated behavior are primarily concerned with the social, psychological, and behavioral antecedents and consequences of two goal perspectives of task orientation and ego orientation. According to Nicholls, goal perspectives may also influence the way individuals perceive the purpose of their involvement in achievement contexts. This study examined among elite athletes the relation of goal orientations to perceived purposes of their involvement in training. Canonical correlation analysis showed that ego-oriented athletes strongly endorsed status reasons for participation in training, whereas those task-involved reported a high preference for social purposes. The results suggest that the personal utility value of practicing in sport as perceived by elite athletes to some extent is different dependent upon their motivational goal perspectives.
Weak, but Complex Pulsed Magnetic Fields May Reduce Depression following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Baker-Price L. A. , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

Many patients who display psychological depression following a traumatic brain injury do not respond completely to antidepressant drugs. We hypothesized that this type of depression is strongly correlated with subclinical, complex partial seizure-activity within the hippocampal-amygdaloid region that continues for months to years after apparent neurological and behavioral “recovery.” Four depressed patients who had sustained traumatic brain injuries and who exhibited mild to moderate brain impairment according to standardized tests received 30 min. of weak (1 μT) burst-firing magnetic fields across the temporal lobes once per week for 5 weeks. There was a significant improvement of depression and reduction of phobias while physical symptoms and other complaints were not changed.
The Localization of Pain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on a Pain Drawing According to Grid Areas
Authors: Líndal Eiríkur , Bergmann Sverrir , Thorlacius Sigurður , Stefánsson Jon G.
Published: August 2011

23 women with chronic symptoms of fatigue and pain used a gridded form to localize pain. Most frequent experiences of pain were in the neck and right buttock (44% of subjects), upper parts of the chest, left calf, and lower back by 40%.
Random and Cognitive Responders on the Matching Familiar Figures Test: Alternatives for Users
Authors: Solís-Cámara R. Pedro
Published: August 2011

Testing of a probabilistic model for the analysis of the Reflective-Impulsive cognitive styles was carried out on 178 school-age children. The model allows the sample be split into two groups of Cognitive Responders and Random Responders. Comparisons were made between groups at three age levels (8-yr., 10-yr., and 12-yr.-olds). Analysis indicated that Cognitive Responders scored better than Random Responders on a variety of measures, and group differences were related to children's developmental status. These results replicate and extend previous research with this model. Implications of random responses for research on reflection-impulsivity and the distinction between cognitive styles and cognitive development are discussed.
Gender Differences during Processing of the Stroop Task
Authors: Mekarski J. E. , Cutmore T. R. H. , Suboski W.
Published: August 2011

An assertion was made that “There are no sex differences in Stroop interference” (MacLeod, 1991, p. 203) in spite of some evidence to the contrary (e.g., Sarmany, 1977). To resolve the discrepancy, this study examined the nature of gender differences in the context of other variables. 8 men and 8 women were tested, using response speed and errors made as dependent measures. Independent variables were gender, perceptual input (Stroop) task, congruency of stimuli, manual response output, and trial block. Contrary to MacLeod, men were consistently slower than women over trial blocks by some 46 msec., although their error rates did not differ significantly. Response output interacted with gender, with Stroop task, and with trial block. Congruent stimuli were processed faster than incongruent ones. Differences may be ascribed to greater verbal and fine motor abilities of women and greater spatial ability of men.
Influence of Preconception on Body Image
Authors: Brodie D. A. , Drew S. C. , Jackman C.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to establish whether preconceived body images influence quantitative perceptions of body shape. 59 healthy female subjects were subdivided into four groups by amount of activity and body mass index. The body shape of the same person, dressed differently to appear like a model, a student, and a cook, was classified by reference to an adiposity scale based on line drawings. A significant difference was shown between the representations of the types of occupation with the model viewed consistently as the slimmest and the cook as the fattest. The obese women classified all three occupational groups as slimmer than the nonobese, and the active groups as slimmer than the inactive. The implications of this work relate to a better understanding of body-image distortion, to treatment for eating disorders, and a recognition that people retain preconceived perceptions developed on the basis of experience.
Attachment Style and Recognition of Emotionally-Laden Drawings
Authors: Kirsh Steven J.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the relation between attachment style and memory for emotionally-laden drawings by 180 students in introductory psychology. Attachment style was assessed using the Hazan and Shaver Attachment Style Questionnaire. Memory for 24 emotionally-laden drawings was assessed using a forced-choice recognition procedure. Analysis indicated that adults classified as having an Avoidant attachment style remembered the depictions of anger significantly better than those reporting either a Secure or Anxious/Ambivalent attachment style.
Manual Action in Infant Chimpanzees: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Itakura Shoji
Published: August 2011

In human infants, index finger extension is shown frequently even from 3 months old, and it is considered that such pointing develops into deictic and communicative pointing; however, there are many reports that chimpanzees do not point with the index finger. In the present study the manual actions of two infant chimpanzees were observed when the experimenter was trying to make eye contact with them. The result shows that pointing was shown very rarely by these infant chimpanzees even morphologically.
Syntactic Abilities of Neurologically Normal and Suspect Preterm Children
Authors: Holdgrafer Gary
Published: August 2011

This study examined the syntactic abilities of neurologically normal and suspect preterm children at preschool age to characterize their language skills and to assess specific differences between groups. The Index of Productive Syntax was used to score language transcripts. The children exhibited reduced syntactic performance, particularly in the use of questions, negatives, and complex sentence structure. Children considered to be neurologically suspect had more difficulty with development of verb phrases than did neurologically normal children.
A Visual Orientation System for Promoting Indoor Travel in Persons with Profound Developmental Disabilities and Visual Impairment
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Oliva D. , Gnocchini F.
Published: August 2011

A visual orientation system was employed for promoting independent indoor travel for two young adults with profound developmental disabilities and visual impairment. The system was a portable device subjects wore and light sources that marked the routes to the various destinations. Data showed that the system was useful in helping the subjects orient and move independently in their daily environment and in a new (generalization) setting. The visual orientation system is discussed in relation to other systems previously developed.
Word Recall in Deaf Students: The Effects of Different Coding Strategies
Authors: Novack Lesley Lazin , Bonvillian John D.
Published: August 2011

This study examined whether instructions to use specific word coding strategies affected deaf students' immediate and delayed final free recall of English word lists. Both the word-coding strategy and the visual imagery value of the words were important factors in word recall. 44 deaf students participated. Those who received instructions to produce the sign language equivalent of each stimulus word tended to recall more words over-all than those students instructed to fingerspell each word or those instructed to form a sign language sentence that included the stimulus word. Stimulus words rated high in imagery value were recalled more frequently than words with low-imagery values across coding strategies and in both immediate and delayed memory. In addition, analyses of serial position indicated pronounced primacy and recency effects in immediate recall of words and a primacy effect in delayed final recall. These findings are discussed in relation to current conceptualizations of memory and language processing in deaf students.
Free Voluntary Reading and Vocabulary Knowledge in Native Speakers of Spanish
Authors: Rodrigo Victoria , McQuillan Jeff , Krashen Stephen
Published: August 2011

Significant correlations were found between reported free reading and performance on a test of vocabulary knowledge in Spanish as a first language for 19 adults.
Event-Related Brain Potentials and Attention during Simultaneous Performance of Two Tasks
Authors: Sullivan Christopher
Published: August 2011

Subjects were required to perform simultaneously a compensatory manual tracking task and an auditory discrimination task. Four behavioral measures, root-mean-square-tracking-error, reaction-time, Sensitivity and Response Bias, and two physiological measures, peak amplitudes and peak latencies of the “negative difference” event-related brain potential, were used to assess the distribution of attention during task performance Approximately 200 msec. after stimulus onset (peak latency M = 206.6 msec.), the negative difference potential's peak amplitude was more positive for tones irrelevant to the discrimination task and less positive for tones relevant to the discrimination task. This pattern of change suggests that irrelevant tones receive less attention during simultaneous performance of the tasks than during performance of the discrimination task alone. Moreover, the data suggest that the redistribution of attention while simultaneously performing the tasks directly affects processing in the sensory areas of the auditory cortex.
Class Differences and Traffic Deaths
Authors: Krus David J. , Nelsen Edward A.
Published: August 2011

The transition of the East European countries from socialist to capitalist economies is marked by an exponential rise in traffic-related deaths. This increase is routinely ascribed to the rising numbers of privately owned cars; however, this explanation does not take into account the fact that, while in the Western societies the number of cars on the road and number of traffic deaths are positively correlated, in the postcommunist countries this correlation is negative. This finding is discussed within the framework of an hypothesis that class differences and related feelings of superiority contribute to homicides related to moving vehicles.
Formulas for Reliable and Abnormal Differences in Raw Test Scores
Authors: Charter Richard A.
Published: August 2011

The formulas for reliable and abnormal differences used for analyzing the difference between two test scores are useful when the scores come from distributions having the same mean and standard deviation. This paper presents formulas that can be used for unstandardized scores.
A Problem in Measuring the Stroop Facilitation and Interference Effects: Implications for Measuring Performance Change in General
Authors: Chen Jenn-Yeu
Published: August 2011

The Stroop facilitation and interference effects as observed in the Stroop color-naming task are typically measured as the difference in naming time between the congruent or the conflicting condition and the neutral condition. The measure assumes the regression function relating the congruent or conflicting naming time to neutral naming time is linear with a slope of one and a nonzero intercept. Instead, analysis showed that the regression function subserving the facilitation effect, in fact, had a slope of less than one with a zero intercept. Analysis also showed that the regression function subserving the interference effect had a zero intercept with a greater than one slope. These results suggest that the Stroop facilitation and interference effects are the consequence of a multiplicative process by which each stage of the naming process is reduced or increased by a constant proportion. Also the appropriate measure of the Stroop effect is the ratio of the congruent (for facilitation) or the conflicting (for interference) naming time over the neutral naming time.
Investigation of the Contextual Interference Effect in the Manipulation of the Motor Parameter of Over-All Force
Authors: Goodwin Jeff E. , Meeuwsen Harry J.
Published: August 2011

This investigation examined the contextual interference effect when manipulating over-all force in a golf-putting task. Undergraduate women ( N = 30) were randomly assigned to a Random, Blocked-Random, or Blocked practice condition and practiced golf putting from distances of 2.43 m, 3.95 m, and 5.47 m during acquisition. Subjects in the Random condition practiced trials in a quasirandom sequence and those in the Blocked-Random condition practiced trials initially in a blocked sequence with the remainder of the trials practiced in a quasirandom sequence. In the Blocked condition subjects practiced trials in a blocked sequence. A 24-hr. transfer test consisted of 30 trials with 10 trials each from 1.67 m, 3.19 m, and 6.23 m. Transfer scores supported the Magill and Hall (1990) hypothesis that, when task variations involve learning parameters of a generalized motor program, the benefit of random practice over blocked practice would not be found.
Effects of Training in Monitoring Accuracy on Processing Speed in Mental Retardation
Authors: Brewer Neil , Smith Glen , Kennedy Leanne
Published: August 2011

Monitoring accuracy during choice RT allows subjects to maintain fast, safe RT bands and avoid overly fast, unsafe RT bands. 5 retarded adults received trial-by-trial feedback on accuracy over a number of sessions to train monitoring of accuracy and to improve RT performance. Training was introduced according to a multiple-baseline-across-subjects (with reversal) design. Training had no significant effect on subsequent RT performance, suggesting that inefficient monitoring of accuracy may be a structural characteristic of mental retardation.
Effect of Information at Different Stages of Users' Training
Authors: Swider Cathy B. , Ye Nong
Published: August 2011

To operate a computer software system computer users need to obtain information about the system at five levels of abstraction, from concrete to abstract: physical, logical, functional, conceptual, and objective. The five levels of information may be presented at different stages of users' training, with each stage involving only a certain kind of information. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of physical + logical information versus functional + conceptual information given at different stages on users' performance. Subjects with no prior knowledge of a computer database received two stages of training to learn how to construct queries of the computer database. At the preliminary stage, only one kind of information was provided. After two stages, the subjects were asked to perform query tasks using the database. The statistical analysis of subjects' accuracy showed no significant effects of information at either stage and no significant interaction. Explanations of this finding are provided.
Effects on Eye Movements of Requiring an Immediate Reporting Response during Human Vigilance
Authors: Takahashi Masaharu
Published: August 2011

12 subjects performed a vigilance task in which signals were presented in two squares of a display according to two variable-time schedules. The subjects reported any detections of the signals by pressing a key. Latencies of the reported responses should be less than 0.3 sec. or 1.2 sec. to be reinforced. Half of the subjects were informed of the signal frequencies while the other half were not. The former subjects showed longer durations of fixation for the squares providing more signals. Such differentiations were larger under the 0.3-sec. condition than the 1.2-sec. condition. The latter group of subjects showed neither of these effects. The results suggested that different degrees of immediacy of responding might engender different patterns of eye movements.
Right-Left Orientation, Mental Rotation, and Perspective-Taking: When Can Children Imagine What People See from Their Own Viewpoint?
Authors: Rigal Robert
Published: August 2011

Right-left orientation, mental rotation, and perspective-taking were examined in a group of 406 subjects ranging from 5 to 11 yr. of age with equal numbers of children in each age group. Immediate recognition was not a difficult task as even young children succeeded adequately on the three tasks involving different images Right-left identification, where right and left terms are used, was harder even for the oldest subjects when associated with mental rotation. When children had to identify which image a person would see from another viewpoint, they succeeded when the person was looking away in the same direction as they were looking. When the person was facing the children (in the opposite direction or “forward”), three different behaviors emerged which indicated absence or presence of mental rotation in perspective-taking. Young subjects chose images as if the figures in the image were seeing from the subject's viewpoint; this percentage diminished slowly across increased ages. As subjects' ages increased, more chose the correct image. Even at 11 years of age, however, only half of the subjects chose correctly. Finally, an equal percentage of subjects among the different age groups understood that the person was seeing a different orientation of the persons but did not associate this with the correct right-left position of the persons on the image. This transition most probably reflects the slow evolution of cognitive processes which determine the way the child will use references to internal or external frameworks. It illustrates as well the passage from egocentrism to geocentrism with the ability to consider viewpoints other than one's own.
Are Childhood Misbehavior and Physical Illness Factors in the Development of Self-Defeating Personality
Authors: Schill Thomas , Michels Jennifer
Published: August 2011

49 undergraduate men and 45 women took Schill's 1990 Self-defeating Personality Scale and answered questions about their physical health and misbehavior as children and the amount of attention such behavior elicited from their parents. No support was found for the idea that individuals who currently score more self-defeating had been more likely to engage in such behavior or had been able to gain attention thereby. In fact, these people reported getting less rather than more attention from parents when they were physically ill. Results were discussed as consistent with prior findings wherein self-defeating individuals have described their parents as being nonsupportive, inconsistent, and rejecting.
Changes in Scores on the Profile of Mood States following a Single Bout of Physical Activity: Heart Rate and Changes in Affect
Authors: McGowan Robert W. , Talton Billy Jack , Thompson Mark
Published: August 2011

28 college age students participating in a weight lifting class exhibited significant decreases in negative affect and increases in positive affect. Changes in affect were correlated with average exercise heart rates. Higher heart rates were correlated with reductions in negative affect and increases in positive affect. Correlations of .37 and .40 suggest that, in accordance with earlier studies, exercise intensity may be indirectly related to exercise.
Operant Conditioning of the Pain Experience
Authors: Lousberg R. , Groenman N. H. , Schmidt A. J. M. , Gielen A. A. C. M.
Published: August 2011

Two experiments were carried out to study operant conditioning of pain report. Further, it was investigated whether pain-related psychophysiological and psychological measures (skin conductance response and magnitude matching) could also be conditioned operantly. In both experiments subjects received 12 painful electric shocks of equal intensity. In Exp. 1 healthy subjects were assigned to either a control group or an up-conditioning group. Up-conditioning occurred by verbally rewarding increases in pain report and punishing decreases. Analyses indicated that up-conditioning of both pain report and the pain-related psychophysiological measures succeeded. To rule out alternative explanations of the results (attention shift towards pain and conditioning of anxiety) the verbal punishments were adjusted in Exp. 2. A down-conditioning group was also added. The attempt to replicate the results of Exp. 1 failed and down-conditioning of the pain report could not be established. These inconsistent results are most probably due to modified punishment of responses. The consequences for the results of Exp. 1 are discussed. Based on the results of post hoc analyses, some suggestions are made for operant conditioning studies of pain.
Attention-Focusing Instructions and Training Times in Competitive Youth Swimmers
Authors: Sewell D. F.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the effects of three different types of attention-focusing instructions on the training times of 10 competitive youth swimmers. Mean times indicated that conditions emphasising positive imaging and stroke counting led to faster times than a control condition. Instructions to concentrate on technique did not appear to result in faster times. Subjective assessments of effort indicated the swimmers seemed to feel they had not increased their effort significantly in any condition. These results confirm the potentially positive effects of psychological interventions with swimmers and are discussed in relation to previous work in the field and their implications for coaching.
A Generalized Measure of Homogeneity for Nominal Categorical Data
Authors: Kvålseth Tamld O.
Published: August 2011

I recently proposed a new and simple measure of homogeneity for nominal categorical data. This paper presents a generalized homogeneity measure which is a parameterized family of measures. My original measure is a particular member of this family. Another member is also specifically discussed.
Gender Differences in Perceptions of Family Roles by Chinese University Students
Authors: Xie Xiaolin , Lin Shan
Published: August 2011

In this study, 144 Chinese unmarried female students enrolled in South China Normal University in Guangzhou, China, agreed more than 70 unmarried male students that household chores and tasks should be equally shared between marital partners and believed women were entitled to careers as equal to those of men. Women expressed significantly higher acceptance than the men for using professional counseling services. These women were less accepting of premarital sexual relationships and extramarital affairs than the men.