bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Reorganization after Training of Alertness in Two Patients with Right-Hemisphere Lesions
Authors: Longoni Francesca , Sturm Walter , Weis Susanne , Holtel Christiane , Specht Karsten , Herzog Hans , Willmes Klaus
Published: April 2003

Funktionelle Reorganisation nach Alertness-Training bei zwei Patienten mit Läsionen der rechten Hemisphere

Zusammenfassung: Bei Patienten mit Alertness-Defiziten nach rechtshemisphärischer vaskulärer Schädigung wurde die individuelle Veränderung des funktionellen Netzwerkes für Alertness nach einem spezifischen Training in einer PET-Aktivierungsstudie untersucht. Die Patienten wurden mit dem Unterprogram Alertness aus dem computergestützten AIXTENT Aufmerksamkeitstraining behandelt. Vor und nach dem Training erfolgte jeweils eine PET- und eine neuropsychologische Untersuchung zur Erfassung von Aufmerksamkeitsstörungen und Hemineglect. In dieser Arbeit präsentieren wir zwei Patienten, von denen einer signifikante Leistungsverbesserungen nach dem Training erzielte. Bei diesem Patienten zeigte sich nach dem Training eine teilweise Restitution des rechtshemisphärischen funktionellen Netzwerks, welches sich bei Gesunden als relevant für die intrinsische Alertness-Kontrolle erwiesen hat. Bei dem zweiten Patienten, der keine Verbesserung zeigte, ergab sich nach dem Training lediglich eine deutliche linkshemisphärische Aktivierung im PET.
Eye Movement Strategies in Schizophrenia: A Window to Frontal Lobe Dysfunctions?
Authors: Wölwer Wolfgang , Gaebel Wolfgang
Published: April 2003

Abstract: It is examined, to what extent a process analysis of eye movements during the performance of neuropsychological tests can contribute to a more exact differentiation of schizophrenics' cognitive disturbances, to the operationalization of such disturbances by means of objective and quantifiable behavior parameters and thus can serve a more valid investigation of the neurobiological basis of cognitive disturbances. Therefore, disturbances in planning behavior, which are often taken as characteristic for frontal lobe disorders and which are also described in schizophrenia, were experimentally modeled by means of analyses of eye movement strategies during the performance of a visuo-manumotor tracking task. Repeated assessments in different stages of the disorder in comparison with depressive and healthy controls were used to investigate the state-/trait characteristic and the nosological specificity of these disturbances. The results support the view of a limited capacity for parallel processing in schizophrenics and point to reduced cognitive flexibility as an important determinant of this dysfunction. The identification of these dysfunctions on the basis of visual scan paths analyses proves the usefulness of this method for the differentiation and objective assessment of schizophrenics' cognitive dysfunctions in neuropsychiatric investigations.
Neuropsychological Deficits of Acute Schizophrenic Patients Without Neuroleptic Medication
Authors: Reischies F.M. , Mentzel A.
Published: April 2003

Abstract: Patients with acute, moderate to severe schizophrenic psychosis without medication are rarely investigated systematically by neuropsychological tests and existing data from the literature show either generally lower test performance or deficits only in circumscribed neuropsychological domains. The aim of the study was to identify the neuropsychological profile of these patients (N = 28) in basic tests of the functional domains episodic memory and orientation, immediate memory, visuo-constructive performance and non-verbal logical thinking, psychomotor speed, letter fluency (FAS) and serial subtraction. If all patients with alcohol or drug abuse or comorbid neurological disorder are excluded, a deficit, compared to a well matched control group, is found only in verbal fluency and the first of two probes of episodic memory. There was a normal performance in digit span, nonverbal logical thinking and a drawing task. As explanation of the deficit pattern the hypothesis of a disorder of frontal functions is considered. The frontal type neuropsychological deficits may be caused by a disturbance of frontal cortico-subcortical loops for which a disturbance of neuronal net function is discussed.
Ergänzende Normdaten zu dem Untertest Alertness aus der Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung (TAP) in der Altersgruppe 60+
Authors: Bodenburg Sebastian , Popp Birthe , Kawski Stephan
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Die Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung weist verwendbare Normdaten bis zu einer Altersgrenze von 60 Jahren auf. Im Rahmen der Prospektiven Albertinen-Haus Schlaganfallstudie (PASS) wurde eine ergänzende Normierung des Untertest Alertness für höhere Altersgruppen vorgenommen. Fünfzig (N = 50) hirngesunde Versuchspersonen wurden in zwei Altersklassen (60-74 Jahre, 75 Jahre und älter) unterteilt. Neben der Darstellung von Normtabellen wurden mögliche Alters-, Geschlechts- und Ausbildungseinflüsse auf die mittleren Reaktionszeiten überprüft. Dabei wirkten sich nur Alterseinflüsse signifikant dergestalt aus, daß mit zunehmendem Alter die Reaktionszeiten ansteigen. Ein weiterer signifikanter Effekt betraf die Reaktionszeiten in den Bedingungen ohne und mit Warnton: Die Testbedingung mit Warnton führte zu einer statistisch bedeutsamen Verminderung der Reaktionszeiten.
Neuropsychologische Befunde bei der Diagnostik hirnorganischer Erkrankungen mit Demenz
Authors: Kutz Susanne , Ebert Anne D. , Beblo Thomas , Curio Noreen , Grubich Claudia , Eisfeld Inka S. , Herrmann Manfred
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Auf der Basis einer retrospektiven Untersuchung von 175 Patienten, die im Laufe der letzten 4 Jahre mit der klinischen Verdachtsdiagnose einer Demenz in unserer Abteilung vorgestellt wurden, werden die neuropsychologischen Defizite verschiedener Patientengruppen mit Morbus Parkinson, Chorea Huntington (HD), Multisystematrophien, vaskulärer subcorticaler Encephalopathie, Normaldruck-Hydrocephalus und wahrscheinlicher Alzheimerscher Erkrankung (AD) verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen bei allen Patientengruppen schwere Beeinträchtigungen in den Bereichen Aufmerksamkeit und exekutive Funktionen ohne signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Diagnosegruppen. Eine deutliche Clusterbildung in bezug auf stärkere Beeinträchtigungen zeigt sich hingegen bezüglich längerfristigen Gedächtnisleistungen (HD und AD) sowie bei aphasischen, sprachassoziierten und apraktischen Störungen (AD). Auf Basis dieser Befunde werden die möglichen Implikationen der neuropsychologischen Diagnostik für die Differentialdiagnostik der Demenz diskutiert.
Evaluation eines ambulanten neuropsychologischen Aufmerksamkeitstrainings
Authors: Eidenmüller Andreas , Kallus Konrad Wolfgang , Fröhlich Horst , Bieber Katja , Poimann Horst
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Im Rahmen eines experimentellen Studiendesigns wurde die Effektivität eines ambulanten neuropsychologischen Aufmerksamkeitstrainings an 20 Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Arten von Hirnschädigungen untersucht. Für das insgesamt achtwöchige Trainingsprogramm wurden zwei Gruppen mit den Schwerpunkten Aufmerksamkeitstraining beziehungsweise Training aufmerksamkeitsunspezifischer Materialien gebildet. Bei der Aufmerksamkeitstrainingsgruppe wurde zusätzlich eine Aufteilung nach den jeweils schwerpunktmäßig trainierten Aufmerksamkeitsbereichen (elementare vs. höhere Aufmerksamkeitsfunktionen) vorgenommen. Zur Veränderungsmessung wurden eine Reihe computergestützter und Papier-und-Bleistift-Testverfahren sowie zwei Selbstbeurteilungsmaße eingesetzt. In allen untersuchten Aufmerksamkeitsbereichen zeigten sich im Anschluss an die Interventionsmaßnahmen trainingsbedingte Unterschiede zwischen den aufmerksamkeitsspezifisch- und den aufmerksamkeitsunspezifisch trainierten Patienten. Diese Ergebnisse ließen sich zum Teil auch auf Selbstbeurteilungsebene abbilden.
Prävalenz depressiver Störungen bei Patienten mit einem Schlaganfall
Authors: Kringler Wolfgang
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Schlaganfall ist nach Herzinfarkt und Krebs die dritthäufigste Todesursache in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Je nach Quelle variieren die Jahresprävalenzen zwischen 250.000 und 1.5 Millionen Schlaganfallpatienten. Zahlreiche Patienten, die einen Schlaganfall überleben, entwickeln meist initial oder im Verlauf eine depressive Symptomatik. Genaue Häufigkeitsangaben über das Auftreten dieser sogenannten Poststroke-Depression gibt es aber bisher nicht: die Angaben schwanken zwischen 11 und 79 %. Präzise Häufigkeitsangaben werden erschwert durch eine Konfundierung mit der Lebenszeitprävalenz von Depression sowie durch Koinzidenz mit Symptomen anderer Erkrankungen der meist älteren Patienten. Problematisch für die Differentialdiagnostik bei multiplen überlagerten Symptomen sind unterschiedliche Definitionen des Begriffs “Schlaganfall”, nicht einheitliche Verwendung von Diagnosekriterien und -systemen und Untersuchungsverfahren, unterschiedliche Ausbildungsgrade der Untersucher sowie unterschiedliche Untersuchungszeitpunkte im Behandlungsverlauf.
Neuropsychologische Diagnostik bei Simulationsverdacht
Authors: Heubrock Dietmar , Eberl Iris , Petermann Franz
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Vorstellung der Bremer Symptom-Validierung (BSV), einem variabel einsetzbaren Untersuchungsinstrument, für die Identifizierung nichtauthentischer mnestischer, ophthalmologischer und audiologischer Störungen in der Klinischen und der Forensischen Neuropsychologie sowie in der Medizin. Die BSV basiert auf dem Forced-choice-Prinzip und besteht aus 19 computergestützten Untertests. Zur Validierung wurden klinische “At-risk”-Probanden, Patienten mit neurologischen Störungen und gesunde Probanden getestet. Die Testauswertung erfolgt nach einem Cut-off-Wert, einer Blockanalyse sowie probabilistischen Berechnungen. Die BSV erfasst mit 95 %iger Sicherheit das Produzieren nichtauthentischer Fehler. In einem nächsten Schritt ist die Motivation für dieses Handeln zu ergründen, um Simulation, Aggravation und psychogene Störungen voneinander zu unterscheiden.
Face and Word Recognition in Patients with Left and Right Hemispheric Lesions: Evidence from Reaction Times and ERPs
Authors: Schweinberger Stefan R. , Klos Thomas , Sommer Werner
Published: April 2003

Abstract: We recorded reaction times (RTs) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in patients with unilateral lesions during a memory search task. Participants memorized faces or abstract words, which were then recognized among new ones. The RT deficit found in patients with left brain damage (LBD) for words increased with memory set size, suggesting that their problem relates to memory search. In contrast, the RT deficit found in patients with RBD for faces was apparently related to perceptual encoding, a conclusion also supported by their reduced P100 ERP component. A late slow wave (720-1720 ms) was enhanced in patients, particularly to words in patients with LBD, and to faces in patients with RBD. Thus, the slow wave was largest in the conditions with most pronounced performance deficits, suggesting that it reflects deficit-related resource recruitment.
Der “Gedächtnis für Personen” Test (GPT)
Authors: Pahlke Katrin , Bulla-Hellwig Michael
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Der “Gedächtnis für Personen” Test (GPT), ein alltagsnaher Gedächtnistest zum Lernen von Informationen zu Personen, wurde an 89 gesunden Versuchspersonen normiert. Da bei niedrigerem Bildungsniveau ein Leistungsabfall für das Lernen und Behalten aufdeckt werden konnte, wurden Normwerte für Bildungsgruppen erstellt. Die Paralleltest-Reliabilitäten zeigen einen mittleren bis hohen Zusammenhang zwischen den beiden Testformen an. In einer 2. Studie wurde die Validität des GPT anhand von 58 Patienten mit zerebralen Läsionen bestimmt. Der GPT konnte zwischen Patienten mit und ohne Gedächtnisdefiziten differenzieren. Dabei stellte das Lernen von neuen Namen zu Gesichtern einen besonders sensitiven Indikator für Gedächtnisdefizite dar. Die Korrelationen der Leistungen im GPT mit konstruktnahen Tests waren wie erwartet hoch, dagegen zu konstruktfernen Leistungen niedrig. Faktorenanalytisch konnte ein allgemeiner Gedächtnisfaktor mit hohen Ladungen von verbalen Gedächtnistests und dem Lernen von Berufen sowie ein Namensgedächtnisfaktor, der spezifisch für das Lernen von Informationen zu Personen zu sein scheint, gefunden werden.
Selbsteinschätzung der Leistung in einfachen Aufgabenstellungen bei hirngeschädigten und orthopädischen Patienten
Authors: Fischer Sonja , Trexler Lance E. , Gauggel Siegfried
Published: April 2003

Zusammenfassung: Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Fähigkeit zur Einschätzung der eigenen Leistungsfähigkeit in einfachen Aufgabenstellungen bei hirngeschädigten Patienten (HG) und einer orthopädischen Kontrollgruppe (OP) zu untersuchen. Die Patienten mussten hierzu ihre Leistungen in einer kognitiven Aufgabe (Wortlisten lernen) und einer motorischen Aufgabe (Finger Tapping) vorhersagen. Wie erwartet zeigte sich, dass HG, aber nicht OP, ihre Leistung in der kognitiven Aufgabe deutlich überschätzten. In der motorischen Aufgabe unterschätzten beide Gruppen ihre Leistung. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass sich die Leistungsvorhersage zur Untersuchung des Störungsbewusstseins bei hirngeschädigten Patienten einsetzen lässt.
Non diagnostic information and the effects of context evaluation in the moderation of False Consensus 1The author expresses his appreciation to Stephan Kraitsowits and anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of this article.
Authors: Verlhiac Jean-François
Published: April 2003

The hypothesis that non-diagnostic information about consensus may reduce False Consensus (FC) was tested in a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects design. Eighty nine participants were told that they were to be assessed on their judgement expertise in impression formation. First, half of the participants were led to believe that, during a vigilance task they had performed, they had been exposed to consensus information about the opinion of their peers towards a specific target person. The other half received no information. Subjects had then to complete two questionnaires. An attitude questionnaire assessed subjects' attitude towards the target (favourable or not favourable), deduced from their predictions of the target's answers. In a consensus questionnaire the subjects had to make percentage estimates. The order for completing the two questionnaires was counterbalanced. Finally, subjects were asked to indicate their personal confidence as to their consensus estimates. Results provided direct evidence for a decrease in FC when subjects were informed about their exposure to consensus information, and an increase in FC when they were not informed. Decrease in FC is linked to situational characteristics which cause subjects to question the reliability of their estimates and to take into account data that are not solely related to the self.
Mastery and challenge seeking: Two dimensions within learning goals?
Authors: Dupeyrat Caroline , Mariné Claudette , Escribe Christian
Published: April 2003

The study examined the existence of two distinct dimensions within learning goals: A mastery dimension and a challenge seeking dimension. A French version of Roedel, Schraw, and Plake's (1994) Goals Inventory was administered to 305 psychology undergraduates. Confirmatory factor analyses testing a two-factor vs. a three-factor measurement model supported the distinction between the two dimensions of learning goals. Relations between goal orientations and reported strategy use and self-regulation were analyzed. The mastery and challenge dimensions within learning goals were differentially related to performance goals and strategy use.
Emotional stress, social support and symptoms of myoarthropathy in adolescents 1The authors thank Dr. Samuel F. Dworkin for critically reviewing the manuscript and J. Hofstetter for editing the English.
Authors: Sieber Martin , Ruggia Giovanni Maria , Magaton Pietro , Palla Sandro
Published: April 2003

Myoarthropathies of the masticatory system (MAP) are a common chronic orofacial condition confronting dentists. Emotional stress is seen as one possible etiological factor of MAP in adults. However, a review of the literature reveals that the correlation between stress and MAP in adolescence has been rarely investigated. If stress is related to MAP as early as adolescence it might be an important risk factor for the course of MAP later on. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between stress (life events, daily hassles), social support and MAP in a non-selected population of adolescents. Participants were 417 pupils 11 to 16-years old. MAP signs and symptoms were assessed by clinical examination during routine dental screening at school, negative life events, school problems and social support by questionnaires. All correlations between stress indicators and the MAP-index were significant, although low (r < .24). Social support correlated negatively with the MAP-index (r = -.14). Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant correlation between the stress indicators and the MAP-index when age and gender were included (multiple R = .27; p < .0001). Stress was a small but significant risk factor for MAP. There was no significant stress-reducing buffering effect of social support. In discriminant analyses and logistic regression about 65% of all cases were correctly classified into two groups with and without MAP. According to these results from a non-selected sample of adolescents, stress and social support are relevant factors already at the beginning of the development of MAP.
Asymmetries in the perception of other as a function of social position and context
Authors: Cabecinhas Rosa , Amâncio Lígia
Published: April 2003

In two experiments an adaptation of the paradigm developed by Taylor, Fiske, Etcoff & Ruderman (1978) was used to investigate the impact of contextual factors on the accentuation effect, and asymmetries in the outgroup homogeneity effect as a function of relative group status. In both experiments targets were categorized on the basis of highly salient physical features, which also evoke asymmetric positions in intergroup relations: skin colour in experiment 1 and sex in experiment 2. In experiment 1, with black and white participants, context was manipulated by introducing topics of discussion which were relevant (interethnic relations) or irrelevant (student university life) to the categorization, whereas in experiment 2, with female and male participants, the relevant topic of discussion was dating relationships and the irrelevant one as in the previous experiment. The results show that the accentuation effect was affected by context in experiment 1, but not in experiment 2, and the outgroup homogeneity effect was not symmetrical. Overall, target members of subordinate groups, blacks in experiment 1 and females in experiment 2, were more homogenized than target members of dominant groups, whites in experiment 1 and males in experiment 2.
Self-efficacy, decisional balance and the stages of change for smoking cessation in a German sample
Authors: Keller Stefan , Nigg Claudio R. , Jäkle Christian , Baum Erika , Basler Heinz-Dieter
Published: April 2003

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) has been shown to be a powerful basis for describing and explaining behavior change and designing effective interventions. Previous research has documented its usefulness in the context of smoking cessation as well as other areas but predominantly in US samples. The goal of this study was to provide further data on the applicability of the TTM and the relationship of some of its core constructs (stage of change, self-efficacy, decisional balance) in a German sample of smokers and ex-smokers. Participants (N = 401) were ever-smokers (age M = 47 years, range 35-65, 62% male) who participated in a health check-up for cardiovascular risk factors at their general practitioner's office. For current smokers, significant differences in the number of quit attempts across the stages of change supported the criterion validity of the staging algorithm; differences in number of cigarettes per day were non-significant. Self-efficacy for non-smoking behavior showed an almost linear increase across the stages of change, with significant differences between pre-action and action stages. The pros for smoking cessation also increased significantly across the stages, mainly due to a significantly lower perception of pros by participants in the Precontemplation stage. As expected, the cons for smoking cessation decreased significantly, being lower in Action and Maintenance than in earlier stages. Although the generalizability of the results for the stage distribution is limited by the selectivity of the sample, the results underline the applicability and replicability of these TTM core constructs for smoking cessation with newly developed instruments in a German sample.
Stage transitions and the transtheoretical “stages of change” model of smoking cessation 1Joseph P. Carbonari, Ed.D., Kenneth B. Sewell, M.S., M.A. are in the Psychology Department at the University of Houston. Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., is Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This research was partially supported by Grant CA 27821 from the National Cancer Institute. Portions of these findings were derived from the Master's Thesis of Kenneth B. Sewell and were presented at the 102nd convention of the American Psychological Association in Los Angeles, August 12-16, 1994. There are many staff and volunteers of the Change Assessment Research Program at the University of Houston who have contributed to the collection of data for this study. We gratefully acknowledge all those who participated in this project.
Authors: Carbonari Joseph P. , DiClemente Carlo C. , Sewell Kenneth B.
Published: April 2003

This study examined the application of a Markov chain analysis for modeling transitions in the process of smoking cessation from the perspective of the Transtheoretical “Stages of Change” model. A convenience sample of 308 individuals, who were followed at 6-month intervals for a 30-month period, answered questionnaires regarding their past and current smoking behavior, and their quitting attempts and intentions. A first order, single transition, Markov model was found to fit the data well, indicating that stage information from a single previous 6 month time point was sufficient to predict current stage membership. A composite transition probability matrix indicated that significant stability occurred in Precontemplation, Contemplation, and Maintenance stages with greater transitions among stages for smokers in Preparation and Action stages. In addition, more people tended to progress in stage status toward successfully maintained cessation than to either regress or make no change in stage membership over the 2 1/2 years of the study. These results support the utility of stage based models of change in understanding the process of smoking cessation. Smoking cessation is marked by significant periods of stasis as well as recycling through the stages. For a significant number of this cohort of participants there was progress and movement toward successful change that seemed to support the spiral movement through the stages of change proposed by the Transtheoretical “stages of change” model.
Evaluation of interventions to reduce smoking 1We would like to thank those members of the Eastern Surrey Health Promotion Unit, both past and present, who were involved with this project for their invaluable help and our thanks also go to the Eastern Surrey Health Authority whose funding made this research possible. Our gratitude is due to the Head Teachers and staff of all our schools and, very importantly, to the children themselves. We would also like to acknowledge helpful comments from two anonymous reviewers of an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Authors: Thrush Diana , Fife-Schaw Chris , Breakwell Glynis M.
Published: April 2003

This paper reports some of the findings from a large-scale (N = 4970) longitudinal study evaluating the efficacy of two types of school-based intervention designed to discourage cigarette smoking in children between the ages of nine and thirteen. The interventions were in the form of a Theatre in Health Education (THE) programme and a school smoking policy which involved changes in adult behaviour. The research adopted a quasi-experimental design, following children from primary to secondary education where necessary over a period of two and a half years. Five waves of questionnaire data were collected with biochemical markers in the form of saliva samples which served as a “bogus pipeline”. Though absolute levels of smoking were low, the findings indicate a weak positive effect over the longer term of both interventions on smoking behaviour (past and current) for girls but no such effect for boys. Conversely, there was no impact for girls on a measure of intention to smoke, although a small long term effect was found for boys in the Theatre in Health Education intervention group. Effects of the interventions on targeted psychological variables were also minor. Possible reasons for these effects are discussed.
Construct validity and internal reliability of a French version of FACES III in adolescents and adults 1This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant number 32-40677.94). We would like to thank the administrations of the participating schools as well as the parents and children who completed the questionnaires.
Authors: Vandeleur Caroline L. , Preisig Martin , Fenton Brenda T. , Ferrero François
Published: April 2003

Family cohesion and adaptability, as operationalised in the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales III (FACES III), are two hypothesised dimensions of family functioning. We tested the properties of a French version of FACES III in school-children (mean age: 13 years; S.D:0.85) recruited from the general population and their parents. Separate confirmatory factor analyses were performed for adolescents and adults. The results of both analyses were compatible with a two-factor structure similar to that proposed by the authors of the original instrument. However, orthogonality between the two factors was only supported in the adult data. Internal reliability estimates were 0.78 and 0.68 in adolescents and 0.82 and 0.65 in adults, for cohesion and adaptability respectively.
Social attribution, correspondence bias, and the emergence of stereotypes *This research has been completed in partial requirement of a doctoral dissertation of the first author under the supervision of the second author. We wish to thank the members of the social psychology division at the University of Louvain at Louvain-la-Neuve, especially Steve Rocher and Emanuele Castano for their insightful comments on preliminary drafts. This paper has been enriched by feedbacks received from Russell Spears, Roos Vonk, Margit Oswald, and anonymous reviewers. Many thanks to Philippe Kemp and Christophe Remy for their assistance in running the study, and to the students who volunteered to appear on the video. This research has been presented at the Social Cognition workshop of the Kurt Lewin Institute, workshop held at the Free University of Amsterdam in April 1998: we want to thank participants of this workshop and especially Gün Semin for their useful feedback. Completion of this study benefited from a research grant from the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research to the first author.
Authors: Rogier Anouk , Yzerbyt Vincent
Published: April 2003

Yzerbyt, Rogier and Fiske (1998) argued that perceivers confronted with a group high in entitativity (i.e., a group perceived as an entity, a tight-knit group) more readily call upon an underlying essence to explain people's behavior than perceivers confronted with an aggregate. Their study showed that group entitativity promoted dispositional attributions for the behavior of group members. Moreover, stereotypes emerged when people faced entitative groups. In this study, we replicate and extend these results by providing further evidence that the process of social attribution is responsible for the emergence of stereotypes. We use the attitude attribution paradigm ( Jones & Harris, 1967 ) and show that the correspondence bias is stronger for an entitative group target than for an aggregate. Besides, several dependent measures indicate that the target's group membership stands as a plausible causal factor to account for members' behavior, a process we call Social Attribution. Implications for current theories of stereotyping are discussed.
Sensitivity to sexism and perceptions of reports about sexist events 1This research was supported in part by grant #9729739 from the National Science Foundation.
Authors: Stangor Charles , Sechrist Gretchen B. , Swim Janet K.
Published: April 2003

We tested the hypothesis that women would vary in their sensitivity to the occurrence of sexism directed at themselves and others, and that this sensitivity would influence their estimations of the frequency of occurrence of sexism-related behaviors that they were exposed to. Results showed that women who indicated that they and others frequently experienced sexism estimated that they had seen more newspaper headlines relating to sexism than had actually been shown during an experimental session. Furthermore, high-sensitive women overestimated the occurrence of sexist behaviors, whereas low and medium-sensitive women underestimated their occurrence, in comparison to their estimates of the frequency of non-sexist headlines. These results provide information both about differences among women in their sensitivity to sexism, and also suggest that women may either over- or underestimate the extent to which sexism is directed at the self and others.
Values and intergroup perceptions of East Germans and West Germans in 1998 1This research was supported by a grant from the German Research Society (We 1106/3-1).
Authors: Doll Jörg , Dick Michael
Published: April 2003

The studies reported here focus on similarities and dissimilarities between the terminal value hierarchies ( Rokeach, 1973 ) ascribed to different groups ( Schwartz & Struch, 1990 ). In Study 1, n = 65 East Germans and n = 110 West Germans mutually assess the respective ingroup and outgroup. In this intra-German comparison the West Germans, with a mean intraindividual correlation of rho = 0.609, perceive a significantly greater East-West similarity between the group-related value hierarchies than the East Germans, with a mean rho = 0.400. Study 2 gives East German subjects either a Swiss (n = 58) or Polish (n = 59) frame of reference in the comparison between the categories German and East German. Whereas the Swiss frame of reference should arouse a need for uniqueness, the Polish frame of reference should arouse a need for similarity. In accordance with expectations, the Swiss frame of reference significantly reduces the correlative similarity between German and East German from a mean rho = 0.703 in a control group (n = 59) to a mean rho = 0.518 in the experimental group. Contrary to expectations, the Polish frame of reference does not lead to an increase in perceived similarity (mean rho = 0.712).
Social implication of field dependence/independence: Within-group homogeneity and between-group differentiation effects 1The author would like to thank Gabriel Mugny, Juan-Manuel Falomir and Juan-Antonio Pérez for their comments. Special acknowledgement to Karima Amrani and Erika Hofmann for their assistance in translating and to Marie-Laure Curchod for her very valuable help in finding participants.
Authors: Quiamzade Alain
Published: April 2003

If implication of field dependence/independence in social processes has been proved, an articulation between psychosocial theories and diffèrential theories is necessary to understand this implication. One study examined a possible link using social identity theory, homogeneity and differentiation between groups, taking into account the level of social categorization in the auto-categorization theory perspective and the well-known individual difference variable of field dependence/independence. The 2 levels of categorization (explicitly or not categorized at the intergroup level) × 2 field dependence/independence (more field-dependent versus more field-independent) show that when participants are not categorized into a group level but considered as individuals, field dependence/independence regulates the perception of homogeneity of members of the same social category. This result indicates higher homogeneity perception for field-dependent subjects compared to field-independent subject. However, when they are themselves members of one of the groups (i.e. they are categorized), the motivational involvement erases the effect of field dependence/independence in the perception of group members' homogeneity.
Visuo-motor development which causes detection of visual depth from motion and density cues 1The article is based on a presentation given by the first author at the Joint Swiss-Japanese Scientific Seminar Human Motion Perception, Eye Movements, and Orientation in Visual Space, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation in cooperation with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, in Gunten (Switzerland) May 19-21, 1999. The research was supported by a Grant-in-Aids for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan. The experiments were conducted as a joint research project supported by the Institute for Primate Research of Kyoto University.
Authors: Tsuji Keiichiro , Hayashibe Keikichi , Hara Masatoshi , Matsuzawa Tetsuro
Published: April 2003

This study examines the effectiveness of cues of visual depth and distance in the course of development and how this process depends on visuo-motor development. In the visual pitfall situation, i.e. a modification of Gibson 's visual cliff, eight Japanese monkeys (macaca fuscata) were observed with respect to their depth avoidance and visuo-motor activity. The tests were run once a week from the first until the sixteenth week after birth. Binocular parallax, motion parallax and texture density rates were manipulated to examine their effectiveness as cues. It was shown that for the first two months depth perception depended exclusively on motion parallax, whereas in the third month cues of motion and texture were added. Binocular cues did not have any effect in this age range. Three items of behaviour, i.e. visual regard of depth, head movement, and body movement, were checked and measured to obtain information which could explain the process of development of the cue function. The three items showed different developmental curves. During the first month, visual regard closely concurred with head and body movements, then visual activity suppressed motor behaviour and, after the end of the second month, the two became almost independent of each other. These analyses demonstrated that at a later stage pictorial cues produced an effect additional to the primary motion cues and that the effective cue function was based on the development of visuo-motor activity.
Temporal and spatial factors in motion integration 1The article is based on a presentation at the Joint Swiss-Japanese Scientific Seminar Human Motion Perception, Eye Movements, and Orientation in Visual Space, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation in cooperation with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, in Gunten (Switzerland) May 19-21, 1999. Some of the experimental results were presented at the twentieth European Conference on Visual Perception in Helsinki (Takahashi & Groner, 1997). This article was written when the author was on a one-year residence at VISLAB. Department of Psychology, University of Bern. I would like to thank Professor Rudolf Groner for his continuous support of my work. My thanks go also to the anonymous referees of this article who provided helpful suggestions for its final revision.
Authors: Takahashi Nobuko
Published: April 2003

The temporal and spatial factors in the integration of the perceived direction of motion were examined in two experiments. Experiment 1 measured the spatial limit of motion integration in multi-aperture viewing. It was found that the strength of the interaction between apertures depends on the distance between them and that the distance is the “real” spatial distance rather than the distance on the retina. Experiment 2 investigated the effect of temporal and spatial overlap on globally coherent motion. The results showed that in the integration of local motion spread over space and time temporal overlap is the most important factor. It is more important than spatial factors such as intersection, distance between apertures or the phases of moving patterns. These results provide the temporal and spatial requirements for motion integration of local motions. A relationship of these requirements to object perception is suggested.
Effects of evaluative (in-)consistency and perceived self-efficacy on attitude formation *This research was supported by Grant Jo 182/2 from the “Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)”. The present experiments were conducted in partial fullfilment of the first author's requirements for a doctoral degree at the University of Tübingen, under the direction of the other two authors. We would like to thank Jörg Conzelmann, Denis Fischer, Anja Rüther, Mechthild Weber, and Felix Weichholt for carrying out the experiments, Diana Raysz, and several anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
Authors: Broemer Philip , Jonas Klaus , Diehl Michael
Published: April 2003

In accordance with dual-process theories of attitude change, we predict that attitude judgments about unfamiliar objects are affected by the evaluative inconsistency of relevant attributes. Drawing upon self-efficacy theory, we further predict that individuals' perceived self-efficacy moderates the effect of inconsistency on attitude latencies: Individuals with high perceived self-efficacy in regard to systematic processing are expected to persist in their judgmental process and to show deliberative processing when information is inconsistent but not when it is consistently positive or consistently negative. Evaluatively consistent information should lead to an elimination of or even a reversal of this difference between high- and low-efficacy individuals. The results of two experiments are supportive of these hypotheses.
The transition into work - An editorial commentary
Authors: Arnold John , Reicherts Michael
Published: April 2003

Different research perspectives on the transition into work are presented, and some trends and shortcomings are discussed. It is argued that an orientation toward transition as a crisis no longer seems appropriate for research. Rather, various contextual schemes embedding different courses of transition and the “gradualness” in a context of life-long learning actually characterise this period. The six articles of the special issue are commented upon with regard to the study of the transition into work domain. General conclusions are summarised into eight points, claiming for example that societal events and contextual structures are important factors, that psychological attributes measured individually appear to be relatively stable whereas configurations may change considerably, and that job satisfaction is only partially determined by dispositions. The conclusion also suggests moving away from a global perspective on transition as a change, toward a more micro-behaviourally focused dynamic approach.
Stability and change in job satisfaction at the transition from vocational training into “Real Work” 1This article is based on the research project “Work Experience and Quality of Life in Switzerland: Work, Stress and Personality Development” funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation within the Swiss Priority Program “Switzerland: Towards the Future” (Grant No. 5004-047898 to N. K. Semmer [principal investigator] and J.-P. Dauwalder [co-principle investigator]).
Authors: Elfering Achim , Semmer Norbert K. , Kälin Wolfgang
Published: April 2003

The dispositional approach to job satisfaction was tested in a sample of young people. Questionnaires were administered shortly before the end of vocational training and again one year later. Stabilities in job satisfaction were investigated in terms of mean changes, autocorrelations, and an index of individual consistency. Autocorrelations were lower for job satisfaction than for the Big Five personality dimensions and for an index measuring the centrality of work in life. Change in mean levels in job satisfaction and in centrality of work was higher for those who changed employer than for those who did not. Autocorrelations and consistency scores of leavers were lower for job satisfaction but did not differ for centrality of work. Controlling for personality dimensions did not lead to significantly lower stabilities. Since stability in job satisfaction was lower for leavers but still significant, and since there was a small but significant correlation between neuroticism (as a measure of negative affectivity) and individual consistency scores for job satisfaction, it is concluded that the dispositional approach does get some support, but only to a modest degree, explaining between 10 and 15 per cent of the variance. Situational influences should, therefore, not be underestimated. The use of different indicators for stability is recommended for future studies.
Mental representation of economic crisis in Italian and Swiss samples 1The authors would like to thank Maurizio Mistri for his help in the construction of items. This research was supported by a grant from the Italian Murst (ex 40%).
Authors: Savadori Lucia , Nicotra Eraldo , Rumiati Rino , Tamborini Roberto
Published: April 2003

The content and structure of mental representation of economic crises were studied and the flexibility of the structure in different social contexts was tested. Italian and Swiss samples (Total N = 98) were compared with respect to their judgments as to how a series of concrete examples of events representing abstract indicators were relevant symptoms of economic crisis. Mental representations were derived using a cluster procedure. Results showed that the relevance of the indicators varied as a function of national context. The growth of unemployment was judged to be by far the most important symptom of an economic crisis but the Swiss sample judged bankruptcies as more symptomatic than Italians who considered inflation, raw material prices and external accounts to be more relevant. A different clustering structure was found for the two samples: the locations of unemployment and gross domestic production indicators were the main differences in representations.
Perceived stress and health-related outcomes in a Swiss population sample 1This research was supported by grants from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, the Swiss Foundation of Health Promotion and the Swiss Federal Office of Sports.
Authors: Gehring Thomas M. , Aubert Line , Padlina Oliver , Martin-Diener Eva , Somaini Bertino
Published: April 2003

This cross-sectional study aimed at analysing the perception of stress and its relation to health-related outcomes in the Swiss population. A sample drawn from this population included 992 participants aged 15 to 64 years. The interview covered socio-demographic data, perceived stress, psychological and somatic symptoms as well as perceived general health status. Patterns of stress were grouped into three categories. “Stressed” included persons who reported that they felt overwhelmed by stressful situations during the previous month. “Challenged” included those who reported that they experienced stressful situations but could manage those well. “Not stressed” consisted of respondents who did not experience stress. Results indicated that 38.6% of the sample reported being stressed, 33.3% challenged and 28.1% not stressed. Analysis of the distribution of perceived stress showed that, in particular, women, younger people, single parents, students and the self-employed felt stressed relatively often. In a logistic regression analysis, age and gender remained the factors most strongly associated with self-perceived stress. Perception of stress was not related to subjective ratings of general health. However, respondents in the stressed category were more likely than their counterparts to indicate various clinically relevant symptoms. 2 The authors are grateful to Julie Page and Jen Wang for their critical reading of the manuscript.
Prevention of marital distress by enhancing the coping skills of couples: 1-year follow-up-study
Authors: Bodenmann Guy , Charvoz Linda , Cina Annette , Widmer Kathrin
Published: April 2003

This article presents a new preventive approach (Couples Coping Enhancement Training: CCET) aimed at expanding upon the scope of current prevention programs by focussing on stress issues and individual and dyadic coping skills. The cognitive behavioral prevention program is based on stress and coping research in couples and seeks to improve important skills with an 18-hour course. The effectiveness of the approach is examined with respect to 143 couples over a period of one year. The results show that couples participating in the program benefit in terms of a significant increase in marital quality and that intervention couples appraise their relationship even after one year as substantially improved in a number of domains (quality of marital communication, intimacy etc.). Our results support the importance of prevention for couples with low marital satisfaction even if they have been living together for many years.
Designing with computer and sketches 1Supported by the German Research Society (DFG, Project HA 2249/12-1).
Authors: Sachse Pierre , Leinert Sven , Hacker Winfried
Published: April 2003

We investigated whether and, if so, for what reason, problem solving in design may be supported by “external approaches”, especially sketching. An experimental study with 74 undergraduates analyses whether sketching before and/or during Computer Aided Design (CAD) improves the quality of solutions, reduces time taken as well as the number of processing steps in CAD, by offering the opportunity to test the functions designed. In spite of additional sketching time, the total time taken is significantly reduced for the more complex task analysed. This can be explained by the reduction of the number of processing steps needed. These experimental results verify the perceived utility of sketching before and during Computer Aided Design, confirmed in a questionnaire study with more than 100 experienced engineering designers.
Social representations of human rights violations: Further evidence
Authors: Clémence Alain , Devos Thierry , Doise Willem
Published: April 2003

Social representations of human rights violations were investigated in a questionnaire study conducted in five countries (Costa Rica, France, Italy, Romania, and Switzerland) (N = 1239 young people). We were able to show that respondents organize their understanding of human rights violations in similar ways across nations. At the same time, systematic variations characterized opinions about human rights violations, and the structure of these variations was similar across national contexts. Differences in definitions of human rights violations were identified by a cluster analysis. A broader definition was related to critical attitudes toward governmental and institutional abuses of power, whereas a more restricted definition was rooted in a fatalistic conception of social reality, approval of social regulations, and greater tolerance for institutional infringements of privacy. An atypical definition was anchored either in a strong rejection of social regulations or in a strong condemnation of immoral individual actions linked with a high tolerance for governmental interference. These findings support the idea that contrasting definitions of human rights coexist and that these definitions are underpinned by a set of beliefs regarding the relationships between individuals and institutions.