bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictive Factors of Manual Dexterity and Cognitive Performance at 17 Years: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study in a Rural Area of France
Authors: Takser Larissa , Dellatolas Georges , Bowler Rosemarie , Laplante Nathalie , Huel Guy
Published: August 2011

Studies of predictive factors of manual dexterity in adolescents and young adults are lacking. The present longitudinal study reports the relationships between cognitive and behavioural assessments at age 7 years and the schooling, cognitive performance, and manual dexterity at age 17 years. The participants were 65 schoolchildren, 30 boys and 35 girls, from a rural area in France. Assessment at age 7 years included the McCarthy scales and questionnaires measuring the behavior of the child, completed by the mother, the teacher, and the assessing psychologist. Assessment at age 17 years included schooling situation (whether they were in high school or not), cognitive testing (WAIS-R, Trail Making, Verbal Fluency, Cancel H. Stroop, Memory Assessment Scales), and manual dexterity resting (dynamometer, Finger Tapping, Santa Ana Test, Purdue Pegboard). After controlling for effects of parental education and IQ, a negative teachers' rating of children's behaviour and abilities in first-grade (7 years) was correlated with early cessation of schooling, but also, unexpectedly, with higher scores for manual dexterity at 17 years. Manual dexterity was not related to cognitive performance at 17 years. It is suggested that the relationship between manual and cognitive performance varies during development. Although manual exploratory behaviour is an important correlate of early cognitive development, manual dexterity is probably not related to later academic performance.
Use of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire with Wheelchair Athletes: Examination of Evidence for Validity
Authors: Skordilis E. K. , Sherrill C. , Yilla A. , Koutsouki D. , Stavrou N. A.
Published: August 2011

The factor structure of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire with three factors of competitiveness, win orientation, and goal orientation was examined in a sample of 243 wheelchair athletes from the USA. Based on sample-specific validity evidence theory, it was hypothesized that the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses would yield evidence on validity for wheelchair athletes who were different from able-bodied athletes. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the hypothesis with a clear fourth and a questionable fifth factor. A confirmatory factor analysis did not adequately explain the new five-factor model. The new emerging fourth and fifth factors separated the competitiveness element of the questionnaire in ‘self-referenced’ and ‘other-referenced’ elements of competitiveness. Results are discussed in terms of demographic characteristics of the sample of wheelchair athletes.
Request Solicitation and Semantic Evocation of Freedom: An Evaluation in a Computer-Mediated Communication Context
Authors: Guéguen Nicolas , Jacob Céline , Pascual Alexandre , Morineau Thierry
Published: August 2011

The “But you are free of …” technique is a compliance procedure which solicits someone to comply with a request by simply telling him that he is free to accept or to refuse the request. This semantic evocation leads to increased compliance with the request. A new evaluation of the generality of this technique was tested in an experiment in which subjects received an anonymous electronic mail which asked them to consult the site of a humanitarian association for children. Analysis showed that, when the semantic evocation of freedom is included in the message, a higher compliance rate was observed than in a situation in which this evocation was omitted.
Mood and Sex of Participant in Perception of Happy Faces
Authors: Killgore William D. S. , Cupp Derwin W.
Published: August 2011

The influences of mood-state and sex of subject were examined for ratings of the emotional intensity of videotaped facial expressions of happiness. 102 subjects who were classified by sex and their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory provided ratings of the faces. A significant sex by mood-state interaction indicated that ratings of intensity by men and women were influenced differently by mood-state, and these findings are interpreted within the framework of the Affect Infusion Model. The results support our hypothesis that men and women tend to rely preferentially on low and high affect infusion strategies, respectively. The findings further suggest that the cognitive effect of affect infusion on the magnitude of perceived intensity of facial affect could be influenced by mood-state via differences in cognitive effort subjects employ when in a dysphoric or nondysphoric mood.
Role of Sex in Externally Motivated Self-Touching Gestures
Authors: Heaven Laura , McBrayer Dan , Prince Bob
Published: August 2011

Self-touching gestures can be externally induced by the verbal presentation of anxiety-inducing stimuli and the active discussion of a passage. The frequency of these self-touching gestures appears to be affected by the individual interacting with the topic, the type of discourse (listening or discussing), the type of stimulus (canaries or leeches), and the interaction between the types of discourse and stimulus. This study assessed these variables as well as the sex of the participant and the order of presentation of stimulus type, neither of which were statistically significant. Participants were read two passages, one about a topic (leeches) expected to produce anxiety and the other about a topic (canaries) not expected to do so, and asked to answer questions about the passages. The number of self-touches was counted by an observer in another room. Each participant had both types of discourse (listening and discussing) and both types of stimulus (canaries and leeches). There was no significant difference between the number of self-touches by participants with either the male or female reader. Discussion as a method of discourse was associated with a significantly greater number of self-touches than listening. The interaction between discourse type and stimulus type was also significant. The combination of the anxiety producing stimulus and the active discourse (discussion) produced the highest average number of self-touches.
The “Style Scheme” Grounds Perception of Paintings
Authors: Cela-Conde Camilo J. , Marty Gisèle , Munar Enric , Nadal Marcos , Burges Lucrecia
Published: August 2011

We studied the formation of style scheme (identification of the style that characterizes an artist) presenting 100 participants aesthetic visual stimuli. Participants were Spanish university students who volunteered: 72 women, 28 men of mean age 22.8 yr. Among those 50 were enrolled in History of Art and 50 students in Psychology. Stimuli belonged to different categories—High Art (pictures of well-known artists, like Van Gogh)/Popular Art (decorative pictures like Christmas postcards) and Representational (pictures with explicit meaning content, like a landscape)/Abstract (pictures without explicit meaning content, like Pollock's colored stains). Analysis using Signal Detection Theory techniques focused on how participants discriminate representational and abstract pictures. With High An stimuli, participants can better discriminate representational paintings than abstract ones. However, the difference in discrimination between representational and abstract pictures diminishes among participants studying History of Art. It seems that prior education in art favors forming style schemes and to some extent enables the participant to detect the “meaning” in High Art abstract paintings.
How Do Children Climb out of Cribs?
Authors: Ridenour Marcella V.
Published: August 2011

48 children between the ages of 16 and 32 mo. were observed climbing out of a crib. Each child was observed four times climbing out of the crib. All the children were able to walk independently and were less than 35 in. tall. Two different climbing patterns were identified and associated with a location of the climbing event within the crib environment. Most children (90%) climb from a crib by first moving to a corner of the crib and then start climbing from the crib. The remaining 10% of the children used a side-climbing pattern in at least one of the four observations. Crib safety standards have eliminated the most common catch-point, the cornerpost extension, from cribs. Since at least 10% of the children climbed over the side of the crib rather than at the corner, any potential catch-points should be eliminated from the complete perimeter of the crib.
Task Familiarity and Task Efficacy: A Study of Sports Coaches
Authors: Fung Lena
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the study was to establish a profile of coaching efficacy with Hong Kong community coaches who differ in knowledge and hours spent in coaching. Coaching efficacy can be described in four dimensions, namely, Motivation, Strategy, Technique, and Character Building. It was hypothesized that coaches who had spent more time coaching and were more knowledgeable about the sport and coaching would score higher on those four dimensions of a Coaching Efficacy Scale. The scale was administered to 252 coaches working with beginning and district-level athletes in a variety of sports. Analysis suggested that their self-reported efficacy on Strategy was least strong. This means that the coaches were not confident in analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams, making decisions on the type of game strategy to employ, and maximizing athletes' strength in competitions. Coaches with less coaching experience were also less confident about motivating athletes. This information on coaching efficacy may be useful in deciding content for a program of education for coaching.
Spatial Task Performance, Sex Differences, and Motion Sickness Susceptibility
Authors: Levine Max E. , Stern Robert M.
Published: August 2011

There are substantial individual differences in susceptibility to motion sickness, yet little is known about what mediates these differences. Spatial ability and sex have been suggested as possible factors in this relationship. 89 participants (57 women) were administered a Motion Sickness Questionnaire that assesses motion sickness susceptibility, a Water-level Task that gauges sensitivity to gravitational upright, and a mental Rotation Task that tests an individual's awareness of how objects typically move in space. Significant sex differences were observed in performance of both the Water-level Task ( p<.01), and the Mental Rotation Task ( p<.005), with women performing less accurately than men. Women also had significantly higher scores on the Motion Sickness Questionnaire ( p<.005) Among men, but not women, significant negative relationships were observed between Water-level Task performance and Motion Sickness Questionnaire score ( p<.001) and between Mental Rotation Task performance and Motion Sickness Questionnaire score ( p<.005). In conclusion, women performed significantly more poorly than men did on the spatial ability tasks and reported significantly more bouts of motion sickness. In audition, men showed a significant negative relationship between spatial ability and motion sickness susceptibility.
Intrinsic-Extrinsic Factors in Sport Motivation
Authors: Pedersen Darhl M.
Published: August 2011

Participants were 83 students (36 men and 47 women). 10 intrinsic-extrinsic factors involved in sport motivation were obtained. The factors were generated from items obtained from the participants rather than items from the experimenter. This was done to avoid the possible influence of preconceptions on the part of the experimenter regarding what the final dimensions may be. Obtained motivational factors were Social Reinforcement, Fringe Benefits, Fame and Fortune, External Forces, Proving Oneself, Social Benefits, Mental Enrichment, Expression of Self, Sense of Accomplishment, and Self-enhancement. Each factor was referred to an intrinsic-extrinsic dimension to describe its relative position on that dimension. The order of the factors as listed indicates increasing intrinsic motivation, i.e., the first four factors were rated in the extrinsic range, whereas the remaining six were rated to be in the intrinsic range. Next, the participants rated the extent to which each of the various factors was involved in their decision to participate in sport activities. The pattern of use of the motivational factors was the same for both sexes except that men indicated greater use of the Fringe Benefits factor. Overall, the more intrinsic a sport motivation factor was rated, the more likely it was to be rated as a factor in actual sport participation.
Ranking of Stimuli That Evoked Memories in Significant others after Exposure to Circumcerebral Magnetic Fields: Correlations with Ambient Geomagnetic Activity
Authors: Booth J. N. , Charette J. C. , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

To identify means to enhance the laboratory production of alleged paranormal phenomena, 15 pairs of men and women involved emotionally were tested by male and female experimenters who were not familiar with the hypothesis that ambient (geomagnetic) activity could modulate this production. While the female of the pair was exposed to six different patterns of complex magnetic fields designed to affect states of consciousness, the male wrote his reminiscences about shared experiences evoked by a postcard randomly selected from a collection of five. Increased global geomagnetic activity (k values between 0 and 5) at the time of the experiments was significantly and moderately correlated with the more accurate ranking of the stimulus cards. These results were similar to those of a previous study. We suggest that alleged paranormal phenomena involve processes that might be produced by experimentally altering the electroencephalographic correlates of consciousness with circumcerebral applications of counterclockwise weak magnetic fields. However, these processes may be enhanced if global geomagnetic activity is increasing during the periods of exposure.
Reliability Estimates for the Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks
Authors: Mathias Charles W. , Marsh Dawn M. , Dougherty Donald M.
Published: August 2011

The Immediate and Delayed Memory Tasks are variations of the Continuous Performance Test. While previous research with the tasks has focused on group performance across multiple blocks and sessions, reliability estimates have not been established. We estimated reliability (1) between blocks of a single testing session (N=106), (2) across four sessions within a single testing day ( N=20), and (3) across sessions on four consecutive testing days ( N=20). Analyses indicated that the primary variable of Interest, i.e., commission of errors, showed acceptable reliability within and across testing periods.
Decision-Making by Experienced Rugby Referees: Use of Perceptual Information and Episodic Memory
Authors: MacMahon Clare , Ste-Marie Diane M.
Published: August 2011

The expertise paradigm was used in two studies to examine decision-making by rugby referees. Videoclips were used to assess infraction detection and knowledge base, or sources of information used. In Study 1, referees of high and low experience were compared, and in Study 2 referees and players were compared. Analysis by signal detection used a framework to classify types of information. Study 1 yielded no differences in detection of infractions as a function of experience; however, referees of high experience used significantly more sources of information than the group with low experience across all categories of information. In Study 2, there were no significant differences between referees and players, with the exception that referees displayed greater use of episodic memory information in decision-making.
A Study of IQ in Lithuania
Authors: Lynn Richard , Kazlauskaite Vilte
Published: August 2011

Data for the Colored Progressive Matrices were collected for a sample of 259 8- to 12-yr.-old children in Lithuania in 1999. In relation to the British 1979 standardization sample the mean IQ of the Lithuanian children was 92.2. Adjusted for the estimated secular increase of intelligence in Britain, the Lithuanian mean IQ is estimated at 90.
Correlates of State Homicide Rates
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

The social correlates of state homicide rates in 1980 differed for urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Circumcerebral Application of Weak Complex Magnetic Fields with Derivatives and Changes in Electroencephalographic Power Spectra within the Theta Range: Implications for States of Consciousness
Authors: Richards M. A. , Koren S. A. , Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

Relative power within the delta, theta, low-alpha, high-alpha, and gamma electroencephalographic spectra of 8 human volunteers was recorded over the left and right frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes during and after the circumcerebral application through an array of 8 solenoids of 6 different configurations of weak (5 to 10 microTesla) magnetic fields. The solenoids were equally spaced around the subject's head along a horizontal plane above the ears. An approximately 30% increase in power within the theta band occurred transcerebrally during the application of a specific configuration, previously shown to affect subjective time, involving 20-msec. rates of change in the duration of delivery of the magnetic fields to each successive solenoid. Compared to the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere displayed a 20% increase in power within the 5.0- to 5.9-Hz range for all 6 configurations. The results suggest that very complex magnetic fields with the appropriate temporal parameters rotated around and within brain space can interact with the cerebral processes, measured as specific bands of frequencies, generating consciousness. Implications for the roles of hippocampal theta activity, cortical resonance, and Goldstone bosons in these processes are discussed.
Acute Changes in Selected Serum Enzyme and Metabolite Concentrations in 12-to 14-Yr.-Old Athletes after an All-out 100-M Swimming Sprint
Authors: Fu Frank H. , You Chun-Ying , Kong Zhao-Wei
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of an all-out 100-m swimming sprint on changes in serum enzyme and calcium ion concentrations in young (12 to 14 years) male and female swimmers. Changes in serum enzyme concentrations of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), serum glucose (GL), and calcium ion (Ca2+) concentrations were measured in 23 elite swimmers (13 boys and 10 girls) before and after a 100-m freestyle all-out sprint. Analysis showed (1) there were significant sex differences in serum CK concentration at baseline (Pretest); (2) significant sex differences in serum CK and LDH concentrations after the 100-m spring; (3) no significant differences in Ca2+ concentration after the 100-m spring; and (4) significant increase in Serum GOT and blood glucose concentrations after the 100-m sprint, suggesting chat these might both be useful indicators of anaerobic exercise stress in young swimmers.
Discriminating Overhead Points of Contact after Arm Raising
Authors: Naughton Jan , Adams Roger , Maher Chris
Published: August 2011

Arm-raising movements at the shoulder made to overhead locations were investigated in a weight-bearing stance with forward vision available. When discrimination of different points of contact was measured after arm elevations to the unseen overhead targets, no dominant arm advantage was found, but contacts made after the shortest (90°) arm-elevation movements were better discriminated than those from arm-at-side (180°), plus windup (540°).
Relationships of Objectively Scored Bender Variables with Mmpi Scores in an Outpatient Psychiatric Population
Authors: Raphael Alan J. , Golden Charles J.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the Advanced Psychodiagnostic Interpretation system for the Bender Gestalt Test could reasonably predict the results of the most widely used objective measure of personality, the MMPI. Despite the widespread use of both tests, no previous studies could be found which correlated actual Bender scores with MMPI results, arising partly from the lack of a well-accepted, reliable, and objective scoring system for the Bender, The study compared the performance of 279 adult psychological outpatients on both the MMPI and Bender. The 55 Bender scorable points, which are seen most frequently in the outpatient population, were factor analyzed to yield 17 factors which were correlated with the MMPI. Significant multiple correlations were found between the Bender factors and 10 of 12 MMPI scales, with significant correlations ranging from .36 to .47. The Bender overall was able to discriminate moderately high scorers on the MMPI from low scorers. The overall results suggested that the Advanced Psychodiagnostic Interpretation scoring system includes measures that reflect general psychopathology and correlate with the MMPI as well as more specific content that is independent of the MMPI scales. The potential of this scoring system and joint use of the MMPI and Bender in personality assessment are discussed. Replication with a larger sample than 279 is encouraged for these 55 Bender and 12 MMPI items.
Bender Gestalt Recall as a Measure of Short-Term Visual Memory in Children and Adolescents with Psychotic and other Severe Disorders
Authors: McCarthy James , Habib Mandy , Miley Diana , Freeman Shuamis , Rabinowitz Dena , Goldman Heather , Stefanyshyn Hanna Yim , Murray Tracey , Clauselle Renee
Published: August 2011

To investigate the short-term visual memory ability of children and adolescents with severe psychiatric disorders, 82 child and adolescent in patients and day hospital patients in a state psychiatric hospital were administered the Bender Gestalt Test as part of a psychological assessment and then asked to reproduce the designs from memory. No significant differences were found between groups on either the Bender Gestalt Recall, or the WISC-III IQs and the Digit Span and Symbol Search subtests for Psychotic Disorders (Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Psychosis Not Otherwise Specified), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Mood Disorders or Mood Disorders with co-morbid Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The Coding subtest scores of the Psychotic Disorders group were significantly lower than the ADHD group. Analyses showed that the Bender Gestalt Recall was significantly related to age, Performance IQ, and sex. The results were discussed in terms of both the poor cognitive functioning of children and adolescents with persistent, severe mental illness, and the importance of developmental level when using the Bender Gestalt Recall as a rough measure of short-term visual memory.
Influence of Training on Maintenance of Equilibrium on a Tilting Platform
Authors: Sforza Chiarella , Grassi Gian Piero , Turci Michela , Fragnito Nicola , Pizzini Giuliano , Ferrario Virgilio F.
Published: August 2011

To assess the influence of training on the maintenance of equilibrium on a tilting platform, 13 young healthy male athletes aged 19 to 33 years were randomly divided into experimental ( n = 7) and control ( n = 6) groups. Two experimental sessions were performed before and after a specific 4-wk. training by the experimental group. Subjects stood upright on a tilting platform. The athletes were asked to maintain the platform as horizontal as possible during a 30-sec. test. The three-dimensional movements of the platform versus the ground were recorded by using a computerized optoelectronic digitiser. The platform plane was calculated and its directrix computed. The area of oscillation and instantaneous angular velocity of the directrix at standardized height were calculated. In both groups the area of oscillation and the angular velocity were reduced in Session 2, but the reduction was significant only in the experimental group. Specific training can significantly improve skill at maintaining equilibrium in young healthy sport performers.
Latency of Saccadic Eye Movement during Contraction of Bilateral and Unilateral Shoulder Girdle Elevators
Authors: Fujiwara Katsuo , Kunita Kenji , Toyama Hiroshi
Published: August 2011

We compared the timed latencies of saccadic eye movement during isometric contraction of the bilateral and unilateral shoulder girdle elevators in a sitting posture. Muscle contraction force was increased in 10% increments from 0% to 60% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of each side. Saccadic latency was measured as the latency to the beginning of eye movement toward the lateral target that was moved at random intervals in 20° amplitude jumps. Eye movement was measured using the electro-oculogram technique. During bilateral contraction, saccadic latency decreased until 30% MVC and then began to increase at 40% MVC During unilateral contraction, saccadic latency decreased until 30% MVC in a similar pattern as in bilateral condition, was constant from 30% MVC to 50% MVC, followed by a slight increase at 60% MVC. The saccadic latencies at 10% and 40–60% MVC were significantly shorter during unilateral contraction than bilateral contraction. Thus, the relative force for producing a marked shortening of saccadic latency is observed within a wider range during unilateral contraction than bilateral contraction.
Subgroup Analysis of Sex Difference on the Vandenberg-Kuse Mental Rotation Test
Authors: Karádi Kázmér , Csathó Árpád , Kovács Beatrix , Kosztolányi Péter
Published: August 2011

A large sex difference has been elicited on the Vandenberg-Kuse mental rotation test. Prior research emphasizes the biological root of this sex difference. In recent experiments we confirmed this viewpoint. A large sample was administered the test, and the distributions of scores for men and women ( N = 138; 68 men and 70 women; ages 19 to 23 years). The mean scores were used as cut-off points to group the men and the women in different subgroups (Low/Women, High/Women, Low/Men, High/Men). There were large differences among all subgroups, reinforcing Kimura's testosterone hypothesis for sex differences in spatial ability.
Diminished Performance on Response-Selection Tasks in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: de Groot Patricia C. E. , Borghouts Lars B. , Adam Jos J. , Keizer H. A.
Published: August 2011

Comparisons of visual perception, response-selection, and response-execution performance were made between Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and a matched nondiabetic control group. 10 well-controlled male patients with Type 2 diabetes without diabetic complications ( M age 58 yr.) and an age and IQ-matched nondiabetic control group consisting of 13 male healthy volunteers ( M age 57 yr.) were included. Significant differences were round only between the two groups on response-selection performance, which concerns the selection and preparation of an appropriate motor action.
Cognitive Correlates of Medial Temporal Lobe Development across Adolescence: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Yurgelun-Todd Deborah A. , Killgore William D. S. , Cintron Christina B.
Published: August 2011

Adolescent development involves progressive changes in brain structure and cognitive function, but relatively few studies have documented the cognitive correlates of differences in structural brain volumes in this age group. We examined the relations among age, cognitive processing, and mesial temporal lobe volume in 37 children and adolescents. Participants completed a brief cognitive assessment battery and underwent volumetric structural magnetic resonance imaging. For the sample as a whole, amygdala volume correlated positively with age, and larger volumes of both the left and right amygdala were significantly associated with better performance on several cognitive tasks assessing academic skills and acquired knowledge in long-term memory. In contrast, hippocampal volumes did not correlate with adolescents' age and were less frequently correlated with cognitive performance. Amygdala volumes were most predictive of cognitive abilities in boys, whereas for girls, the volume of the hippocampus contributed more frequently to the prediction of cognitive abilities. These data suggest that mensurable differences in mesial temporal volumes during adolescence are reliably associated with long-term cognitive abilities, particularly academic skills and the acquisition of intellectual knowledge, and that these relationships may differ as a function of the sex of the child.
Effect of Phonetics Training on Lingual Awareness
Authors: Lohman Patricia , Fucci Donald
Published: August 2011

This investigation assessed the effect of phonetics training on lingual awareness in normal adult speakers of English. The study also compared Trained subjects' scores from a study in 2000 by Lohman and Fucci to subjects' posttraining scores in this investigation. Subjects were 36 students ( M age = 19.7, SD = .7) enrolled in an undergraduate phonetics class. All passed a speech and hearing screening. A pretest-posttest design was used. Subjects received approximately 40 hours of phonetics training over a 10-wk. period. The lingual awareness test required subjects imitate seven syllables and respond to four multiple-choice questions about each syllable. Subjects were aided by a line drawing of the oral cavity. A significant improvement in lingual awareness was found following training. However, scores for only two phonemes ( sh and k) improved significantly. No significant difference was found between posttest scores and scores from Lohman and Fucci's Trained group.
Tooth Color: Effects on Judgments of Attractiveness and Age
Authors: Grosofsky Alexis , Adkins Sarah , Bastholm Robert , Meyer Leif , Krueger Lisa , Meyer Joshua , Torma Peter
Published: August 2011

Tooth whitening has become a very popular procedure. Advertisements for whitening products imply that whiter teeth are more attractive than yellower teeth. We tested this idea empirically by manipulating the tooth color of pictures of male and female targets. Participants' ratings of attractiveness were not influenced by tooth color. Exp. 2 yielded a negative correlation between attractiveness and age ratings: targets judged to be older were rated as less attractive. Unless whiter teeth help in some other way, e.g., improved self-esteem or confidence, it seems that tooth whitening procedures or products are not associated with increased attractiveness to others.
The Spanish Form of the Death Depression Scale
Authors: Tomás-Sábado Joaquín , Gómez-Benito Juana
Published: August 2011

The aims were to estimate the psychometric properties of the Spanish form of the Death Depression Scale and to compare these with those of other versions of the scale. The Death Depression Scale was administered to a sample of 218 Spanish student nurses, together with Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and measures of general depression and anxiety. The Cronbach coefficient α was 83, and a 4-wk. test-retest correlation was .87. The correlations with scores on other tests were similar to those obtained in former studies. After applying a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation, four factors with eigenvalues greater than one were identified. These factors were labeled Death Sadness, Death Finality, Meaninglessness of Life, and Feeling of Loss. Generally speaking, the results favour consideration of the Death Depression Scale as a valid and reliable means of assessment among Spanish-speaking individuals.
Measurement of the Visual Field
Authors: Rantanen Esa M.
Published: August 2011

There is increasing evidence that concurrent visual and nonvisual tasks not only reduce the size but also result in systematic deformation of the visual field. Given such complex changes in the visual field, appropriate representation and measurement of its shape is all important. Shape measures utilized by tesearchcrs and reported in the literature should also be sufficiently standardized to allow comparison of results across experiments.
Perceived Standing Position after Reduction of Foot-Pressure Sensation by Cooling the Sole
Authors: Fujiwara Katsuo , Toyama Hiroshi , Asai Hitoshi , Kunita Kenji , Miyaguchi Akiyoshi , Inoue Katsumi
Published: August 2011

We investigated the influence of the reduction of foot-pressure sensation by cooling the sole of the foot, at 1°C for 30 or 40 minutes, on the perception of standing position varied in the anteroposterior direction. The subjects were 16 healthy undergraduates. Firstly, for 4 of the subjects, cooling the sole of the foot decreased sensory information from the mechanoreceptors in the sole, by resting for an increase in the threshold for two-point discrepancy discrimination on the sole of the foot and for the disappearance of postural change with vibration to the sole. Next, the perception of standing position was measured by reproduction of a given standing reference position involving forward or backward leaning under both normal and cooled conditions of the feet. Standing position was varied in relation to the location of the center of foot pressure, defined as distance from the heel in percentage of the length of the foot. The reference positions, representing various locations of the center of foot pressure, were set at 10% increments from 20% to 80% of the length of the foot. With eyes closed, the subject first experienced the reference position and then attempted to reproduce it. The mean location of the center of foot pressure in the quiet standing posture was 45.7%. At the 40%, 50%, and 60% reference positions, those closest to quiet standing, absolute errors of reproduction were significantly larger than at other reference positions in both the normal and the cooled conditions. They were significantly larger in the cooled than in the normal condition. The 50% and 60% reference positions were reproduced significantly further forward in the cooled than in the normal condition. These results may be explained as due to an absence of marked changes in sensory information from both muscular activity and foot pressure when moving to reference positions close to the quiet standing posture.
Re-Examining the Factor Structure of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory
Authors: Kakai Hisako
Published: August 2011

This study re-examined the factor structure of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory developed by Facione and colleagues. Analysis showed that the four factors had some cross-validity with four factors in Walsh and Hardy's 1997 study. The results suggest the possibility of developing a more efficient short version of the inventory and calls for further improvement.
Intensity and Color of Language in Attitude Change and Emotion
Authors: Bankhead Tomie Day , Bench Amy , Peterson Trisha , Place Risa , Seiter John S.
Published: August 2011

This study examined whether messages using or not using emotionally intense language combined with certain colors, i.e., red, white, or blue, to effect attitude change. Emotionally intense messages were more positively associated with attitude change than were those with low emotional intensity, but no interaction effects or main effects for color were found.
English Letter Frequencies and Their Applications: Part I
Authors: Ridley Dennis R. , Lively B. Malcolm
Published: August 2011

This article presents data regarding the relative frequencies of single letters in English, organized by word length and letter position. Derived from a parsimonious sample of English word use patterns presented by Whissell in 1998, the data accurately represent letter frequencies found in modern English. These data provide a resource for various applications, including reading research and practice.
Effects of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Affective Responses to Acute Exercise among Physically Active Participants
Authors: Butki Brian D. , Baumstark Jeffrey , Driver Simon
Published: August 2011

Currently, the carbohydrate-restricted diet is very popular. Atkins' book, Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, has sold millions in its more than 25 years of existence. His book promotes the carbohydrate-restricted diet, which focuses on the consumption of proteins and fats as primary calorie and energy sources, while severely restricting carbohydrates. However, when carbohydrates are restricted from the diet, the body's primary energy source is reduced considerably. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the psychological responses to exercise of individuals when on a carbohydrate restrictive diet and when on a noncarbohydrate restrictive diet. For this study, 17 participants practiced a noncarbohydrate-restricted diet for three weeks and the carbohydrate-restricted diet for three weeks, while maintaining previous exercise habits. After each exercise session, the participants completed the Physical Activity Affect Scale, which measures Positive Affect, Negative Affect, Tranquility, and Fatigue. Simple one-way analyses of variance indicated significant treatment differences ( ps <.05) relative to Negative Affect, Positive Affect, and Fatigue. The results of the study indicate as predicted, that, when a person restricts carbohydrates from the diet, he will experience more fatigue, more negative affect, and less positive affect in response to exercise than those individuals who are not restricting carbohydrates.
Ambient Sensory Conditions: Modification of Receptive Speech Deficits in Left-Side Stroke Patients Using Bright Light
Authors: Harrison David W. , Beck Allison L. , Vendemia Jennifer M. , Walters Robert P.
Published: August 2011

Previous research has demonstrated the potential for the use of ambient sensory conditions to improve cognitive functioning. Both light and sound have been shown to improve task performance in various populations including children, younger adults, and elderly participants; however, these cognitive gains may possibly be offset by detrimental cardiovascular reactivity in elderly persons. We now have some evidence for ambient sensory conditions affecting cognitive function following left- or right-side cerebrovascular accidents.
Development of a Spanish Version of the Participation Motivation Inventory for Young Competitive Swimmers
Authors: Salguero Alfonso , González-Boto René , Tuero Concepción , Márquez Sara
Published: August 2011

The present study examined the validity of a Spanish version of the Participation Motivation Inventory, modified for swimming by Gould, Feltz, and Weiss in 1985, and investigated whether young swimmers differing in sex and age vary in their objectives for participation. Swimmers (204 boys and 224 girls, ranging in age from 8 to 22 years) were administered the inventory. Factor analysis with varimax rotation identified seven factors fairly consistent with previous research. Differences were found across age and sex. Females placed greater emphasis than males on Friendship and Fun and indicated lower importance rating to Status. Younger children (8–10 years) rated Fun/Friendship, Competition/Skills, Significant Others, and Status significantly higher in importance than did the other age groups.
Strength-Based Assessment of African-American Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Friedman Philip , Friedman Karen A. , Weaver Virginia
Published: August 2011

The study examined consistencies and differences between 60 parents and their adolescent children with behavioral problems when rating the adolescents' strengths. The parents and teenagers agreed on most of the strength categories of the Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale. However, caretakers rated the adolescents as more involved in family life, while the adolescents rated themselves as more involved in school activities.
Lack of Association between Negative Priming and Necker Cube Reversals
Authors: Ferraro F. Richard , Nashimoto Kane
Published: August 2011

50 undergraduates were tested on two tasks presented in a counterbalanced fashion: their ability to inhibit irrelevant information measured on a negative priming task involving letter case information and on the number of Necker Cube reversals produced in a specific time period. Since number of reversals presumably reflects a person's ability to see various interpretations of the Necker Cube, this assumes that multiple interpretations are available to a subject and no one interpretation dominates over another. If true, then more reversals could indicate an ability to inhibit irrelevant information. That is, observing one reversal at the expense of another reversal indicates a subject can adequately inhibit these various interpretations successfully, with more reversals indicating a higher ability to inhibit information successfully. Although it was predicted that negative priming performance would be related to the number of Necker Cube reversals, this was not the case ( r = −.07).
Interaction of Prime and Target in the Subliminal Affective Priming Effect
Authors: Haneda Kaoruko , Nomura Michio , Iidaka Tetsuya , Ohira Hideki
Published: August 2011

It has been found that an emotional stimulus such as a facial expression presented subliminally can affect subsequent information processing and behavior, usually by shifting evaluation of a subsequent stimulus to a valence congruent with the previous stimulus. This phenomenon is called subliminal affective priming. The present study was conducted to replicate and expand previous findings by investigating interaction of primes and targets in the affective priming effect. Two conditions were used, Prime (subliminal presentation 35 msec.) of an angry face of a woman and a No Prime control condition. Just after presentation of the prime, an ambiguous angry face or an emotionally neutral face was presented above the threshold of awareness (500 msec.). 12 female undergraduate women judged categories of facial expressions (Anger, Neutral, or Happiness) for the target faces. Analysis indicated that the Anger primes significantly facilitated judgment of anger for the ambiguous angry faces; however, the priming effect of the Anger primes was not observed for neutral faces. Consequently, the present finding suggested that a subliminal affective priming effect should be more prominent when affective valence of primes and targets is congruent.
Correlations of f10.7-cm Flux and Temperature with Male Traffic-Accident Mortality for the Years 1980–1999
Authors: Otsu Akiko , Chinami Masanobu , Morgenthaler Stephen , Shirakawa Taro
Published: August 2011

Significant positive correlation was found between f10.7-cm flux and male traffic-accident mortality for the years 1980–1999 in Japan. On the other hand, significant negative correlation was found between annual mean temperature and male traffic-accident mortality on the same period.
Pronounceability: A Measure of Language Samples Based on Children's Mastery of the Phonemes Employed in Them
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: August 2011

56 samples ( n > half a million phonemes) of names (e.g., men's, women's jets'), song lyrics (e.g., Paul Simon's, rap, Beatles'), poems (frequently anthologized English poems), and children's materials (books directed at children ages 3–10 years) were used to study a proposed new measure of English language samples—Pronounceability—based on children's mastery of some phonemes in advance of others. This measure was provisionally equated with greater “youthfulness” and “playfulness” in language samples and with less “maturity.” Findings include the facts that women's names were less pronounceable than men's and that poetry was less pronounceable than song lyrics or children's materials. In a supplementary study, 13 university student volunteers' assessments of the youth of randomly constructed names was linearly related to how pronounceable each name was ( eta =.8), providing construct validity for the interpretation of Pronounceability as a measure of Youthfulness.
Acoustical Analysis of Posed Prosodic Expressions: Effects of Emotion and Sex
Authors: Viscovich Nancy , Borod Joan , Pihan Hans , Peery Shelley , Brickman Adam M. , Tabert Matthias , Schmidt Michael , Spielman Jennifer
Published: August 2011

Prosodic expression is an important channel of emotional communication and can be assessed through computerized acoustical analysis. Fundamental Frequency (F0) is the most commonly studied acoustic measure and considered the best index of perceived pitch. In this study, we examined two factors that can influence prosodic expression, sex and emotion type, A special feature is the use of a neutral expression as a control measure. We also described procedures for eliciting posed prosodic expression via an experimental task from the New York Emotion Battery. Subjects were healthy men ( n=10) and women ( n=9), matched for. age ( M = 29.2 yr.) and education ( M= 15.6 yr). Subjects were asked to intone neutral-content sentences with happy, sad, and neutral prosody. F0 mean and standard deviation were measured using the Computerized Speech Lab program. Initial findings indicated that women produced significantly higher F0 values than did men and that happy sentences were produced with significantly higher F0 values than were sad sentences. When semitone conversions were applied and neutral prosody was subtracted out, differences remained for emotion type but not for sex. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for the assessment and treatment of prosody in clinical populations.
Relations among Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Self-Perceived Fitness in Hong Kong Adolescents
Authors: Chan Eddie W. C. , Au Eva Y. M. , Chan Billy H. T. , Kwan May K. M. , Yiu Perry Y. P. , Yeung Ella W.
Published: August 2011

The relationships between physical fitness, activity, and self-perceived fitness in adolescents in Hong Kong were investigated. Regular physical activity patterns, self-perceptions of fitness, and health-related physical fitness were measured in 201 secondary school students ( M age = 13.8 yr.). The battery of fitness tests measured cardiovascular capacity, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body fat composition. The boys had a higher self-perception of their own fitness and exercised more outside school than the girls. Participation in physical activity was related to cardiovascular capacity, muscular strength, and body composition. Linear regression analysis indicated that exercise activity and body composition explained a portion of variance in the subjects' self-perceived fitness. These findings highlight the connections between physical activity, fitness, and self-perception of fitness and consequently the need for understanding the concept for better health-promotion strategies.
Dynamic-Acoustic Variation Causes Differences in Evaluations of Laughter
Authors: Kipper Silke , Todt Dietmar
Published: August 2011

Exposure to laughter has striking effects on human listeners and may facilitate positive emotional and behavioural responses. The acoustic signal pattern of laughter vocalisations is particularly suitable to elicit these reactions. However, little is known about factors that lead to differences in reactions of listeners. The acoustic quality of laughter, the social context, and the disposition of the listener are possible variables in differences in evaluation. We conducted experiments using playback techniques in which human laughter elicited in a natural setting was evaluated by listeners ( N = 90). Listeners evaluated several phrases of laughter produced by different laughing targets. We investigated the role of the characteristics of voice, dynamic-acoustic characteristics, and order of playback sequence on the evaluation of laughter. The dynamic-acoustic characteristics of laughter significantly affected evaluations by listeners, whereas voice and the playback order did not. An acoustic analysis allowed us to identify acoustic parameters that contribute to such differences in evaluation.