bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assimilation in Visibility: Additional Evidence
Authors: King Donald L. , Brown Pamela D. , Hicks Hester
Published: August 2011

The present research tested the theory that a less visible target increases in similarity to a more visible simultaneous context, and that therefore the target increases in visibility. This assimilation-in-visibility theory was tested using context + targets that were either 3-line brackets or 2-line right angles, contexts and targets that were the component lines of these context + targets, with the target always the identical single top line Experiments with a total of 204 participants indicated that the 3-line context targets-resulted in better context + target versus context discriminations than target versus background discriminations than did the 2-line context+ targets. This was so for both over-all errors and misses but not false alarms. It is concluded that only the 3-line context 4 targets increased the visibility of the 1-line target. Additional analysis indicated that the 2-line contexts of the 3-line context + targets were more visible than all the 1-line stimuli. So, the 1-line target assimilated to a simultaneous more visible 2-line context and thereby increased in visibility, thus improving the context + target versus context discrimination. This support for the assimilation-in-visibility theory is of interest because assimilation and contrast in visibility may play a large role in perception.
The “Greatest” Boxers of All Time: Heuristics and Biases among Boxing Historians
Authors: Young Thomas J. , French Laurence A.
Published: August 2011

Editors of The Ring and noted boxing historians recently ranked the greatest heavyweights of all time. A Wilcoxon rank sum test yielded higher rankings for the post-1939 era fighters as predicted from research on the availability heuristic.
Comparison of Scores on Two Recent Editions of the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration
Authors: Mayes Susan Dickerson , Calhoun Susan L.
Published: August 2011

Standard scores on the third and fourth editions of the Developmental Test of Visual-motor Integration (VMI-3 and VMI-4) were compared for a sample of 120 children (4 to 17 years of age) referred to an outpatient diagnostic clinic for developmental, learning, attention, mood, and behavior problems. The two editions of the test have the same items, so the test was administered only once to each child, but the editions differ in their scoring systems and norms. The correlation between the pairs of standard scores on the two editions was .99, and the absolute mean difference between scores was only 1.5 points.
A Latent Trait Approach to the Development of Persistent Stuttering
Authors: Kalinowski Anthony G. , Kalinowski Joseph , Stuart Andrew , Rastatter Michael P.
Published: August 2011

The premise that stuttering disorders develop according to the orthogentic principle, preceding in a continuous, unilinear fashion from a state of relative lack of differentiation to a state of increasing differentiation and hierarchic integration, was examined. Responses to Woolf's Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory of 87 individuals who stutter were analyzed using a Rasch 1980 latent trait model for dichotomously scored data. Analyses of responses indicated struggle, avoidance, and expectation through the development of stuttering that became increasingly articulated, integrated, stable, and yet responsive to environmental changes. Four stages of development were noted: Stage I was characterized by the expectation of interruptions in the flow of speech, the addition of unnecessary sounds, and general body tension. Stage II was typified by distinctions between troublesome and not so troublesome words and sounds and between the speaker and various audiences and contexts for speaking. In Stage III, speech control decreased despite more focused and complex efforts to control the environment and the speech apparatus. Stage IV was characterized by automatic scanning of all speech, increasingly uncontrolled body movements, and attempts to produce fluent speech by way of comprehensive changes to sound, rhythm, and pitch. Follow-up of 29 respondents suggested the latent struggle was generally stable over time.
Further Comments regarding Malik, et al.'s 1996 Experiment on the Method of Subliminal Psychodynamic Activation
Authors: Greenberg Ann Core
Published: August 2011

Further comments focus on the use of partial and anagram messages and the need for neutral stimuli in establishing subjective thresholds for subliminal psychodynamic activation.
Willingness to Communicate and Annual Income
Authors: Ellis Kathleen , Hackman Michael Z. , Walker Kim B.
Published: August 2011

This study examines the effect of willingness to communicate on annual income. 103 respondents with varied occupations and an average age of 55.3 yr. reported their willingness to communicate in a variety of contexts. A one-way analysis of variance yielded a large, significant effect for willingness to communicate, which accounted for 27% of the variance in income. Respondents who were most willing to communicate had the highest income, while those who were least willing to communicate reported the lowest income.
Interrater Reliability of the Report Form for Aggressive Episodes in Group Ratings
Authors: Bjørkly Stål
Published: August 2011

This paper reports on the interrater reliability of the Report Form for Aggressive Episodes, a rating scale designed to measure displayed aggressive behaviour and its situational determinant(s) according to a list of 30 potential precipitants of aggression. 10 groups of nurses who assessed 10 clinical vignettes each by means of the rating scale showed high interrater agreement and interrater reliability.
Complexity of Architectural Silhouettes: From Vague Impressions to Definite Design Features
Authors: Stamps Arthur E.
Published: August 2011

Nine 2-dimensional shapes were created that varied in four geometric factors: number of Vertexes, symmetry, variation of lengths of line segments, and variation of angles. The shapes were evaluated in a paired-comparison experiment on the criterion of perceived complexity. Analysis of variance suggested that the most important predictor of shape complexity was the number of Vertexes. PVA (perimeter squared divided by the area) was also strongly correlated with judged complexity. Symmetry was a significant but weak predictor of complexity.
Influences of Long- and Short-Distance Driving on Alpha Waves and Natural Killer Cell Activity
Authors: Kamei Tsutomu , Iwata Kentaro , Kumano Hiroaki , Yasushi Mitsuo
Published: August 2011

We examined the effective amplitudes of alpha waves (using a mean frequency with a range of ± 0.5 Hz), and activity of natural killer cells in six subjects, before and after a short-distance (43 km, 1 hr.) drive, and after a midnight (am 0:00 am 7:00 to 8:00) long-distance (550 km on average, for 7 to 8 hr.) drive. Following a long-distance drive, the activity of natural killer cells tended to decrease, and the effective amplitudes of alpha waves in the photic feedback period were greater than those observed during the rest period, showing that photic driving had occurred even under physically and mentally stressful conditions. However, after short-distance driving, no photic driving response occurred and activity of natural killer cells tended to increase, possibly related to mental concentration. Avoiding midnight long-distance driving may help prevent excessive stress and preserve high activity in natural killer cells.
The Hypothetical Pathogenetic Role of Inhibition of Pleasure and Muscular Tension in Uterine Fibroma
Authors: Ruggieri Vezio , Egiddi Simonetta
Published: August 2011

In the framework of a psychophysiological integrated model of emotion, inhibition, and their linked role in developing pathology, we have examined some physiological and psychological aspects of 17 volunteer women with uterine fibromatosis and 14 women without pathology. The hypothesis was that women with uterine fibromatosis habitually inhibit the subjective feeling of pleasure during the sexual sequence, measured on a self-rating scale. Following the psychophysiological model of Ruggieri, the inhibitory mechanism would be actively produced by modulating the muscular tonic activity in particular of the rectus of the abdomen whose bioelectrical activity is measured at rest. The patients with uterine fibromatosis presented more elevated muscular tension than controls and less intense pleasure felt during the sexual sequence. Discussion of the data considered also the possibility that the muscular tension of the abdominal wall would play a role through reflex mechanisms (somatovisceral reflexes) in developing pathology.
Assessing African-American and Jewish Intergroup Perceptions and Attitudes
Authors: Fiebert Martin S. , Horgan Lara , Peralta Edger
Published: August 2011

To study intergroup attitudes of 203 African-American (93 men, 110 women) and 127 Jewish-American (55 men, 72 women) college students, two versions of a 39-item scale were developed. One version assesses anti-Semitic attitudes held by African Americans, the other focuses on anti-Black attitudes held by Jews. Scales were completed in 1996–1997. Analysis indicated that, over-all, the African-American group responded significantly more negatively to Jews than the Jewish group responded to African Americans. This effect was more marked for African-American men than women in the group.
Correlations for Weight, Height and Two Measures of Batting Performance
Authors: Hamburg Lydia , Hines Terence M.
Published: August 2011

The hypothesis that heavier baseball players are better batters was examined in two correlational studies of major league baseball players' performance. Neither height nor weight was significantly correlated with batting average. Both variables correlated significantly and positively with the number of home runs hit by American League players in the 1997 season. After partial correlations were computed, only the correlation between weight and number of home runs hit remained significant.
English Letter Frequencies as Found in Whissell's Parsimonious Sampling of English Words
Authors: Ridley Dennis R. , Ridley Liane G. , Walker Clinton B.
Published: August 2011

An estimate of English letter frequencies is reported. The major part of the textual sample was 320,780 words, comprising 6.505 different words from 1998 work of Whissell as parsimoniously describing modern English patterns of word use. To this sample has been added another of 1,000 words to represent English words generally rarer than the 6,505. Comparison with estimated English letter frequencies from a sample over 160 years old suggested strong stability in letter frequencies over time. The old sample did, however, tend to overestimate the occurrence of rare letters (j, q, x, and z). An application of the findings to the teaching of letter recognition is explored.
Children's View of Safety and Estimated Behavior and Their Mothers' View of Safety and Cautions
Authors: Uchiyama Ichiro , Ito Atsushi
Published: August 2011

This study was conducted to clarify how mothers's view of safety and their cautions given to children correlate with children's views of safety and behavior. Questionnaires were administered to 128 children in Grade 3 and 135 in Grade 6 as well as their 263 mothers and 6 teachers. Responses were analyzed with respect to “safeness,” “respect for others,” and “impatience.” These indicated mothers' cautions were stronger in promotion of the third-grade children's basic security than mothers' view on safety. In contrast, the view of safety and behaviors estimated by teachers of the sixth graders correlated significantly with their mothers' view and cautions.
Phenomenal Transparency in Achromatic Checkerboards
Authors: Masin Sergio C.
Published: August 2011

The study explored the luminance relations that determine the occurrence of achromatic transparency in phenomenal surfaces on complex backgrounds. Let the luminances of the left and right parts of a transparent surface on a bipartite background and those of the left and right parts of the bipartite background be p and q and m and n, respectively. Metelli proposed that this surface looks transparent when the rule p<q if mq if m>n) is satisfied, and Masin and Fukuda that it looks transparent when the inclusion rule is satisfied, that is, when pϵ( m, q) or qϵ( p, n). These rules also apply to achromatic checkerboards formed by one checkerboard enclosed in another checkerboard. This study shows that only the inclusion rule correctly predicted the occurrence of transparency in these checkerboards.
Insensitivity to Proportionality and Graduate Affiliation
Authors: Kanekar Suresh , Parekh Hetal
Published: August 2011

The differences on insensitivity to proportionality were not significantly related to the graduate disciplines of economics, psychology, and sociology of 160 women, although the direction of the results was consistent with the differential quantitative content of the three disciplines.
Note on Voice and Perturbation Measures in Simulated Vocal Emotions
Authors: Whiteside S. P.
Published: August 2011

This brief study presents and discusses a set of acoustic correlates for a number of vocal emotions (neutral, cold anger, hot anger, happiness, sadness, interest, and elation) simulated by two actors. Five short all-voiced sentences were used in the simulations. The 70 sentences (2 actors × 5 sentences × 7 emotions) were digitised and a number of acoustic analyses were carried out, which included a number of voice and perturbation measures.
Timing in Relay Running
Authors: Boyadjian Alain , Bootsma Reinoud J.
Published: August 2011

Skillful performance in relay running requires that the athlete who is to take possession of the baton meets the baton carrier before reaching the end of the transmission zone while running at the highest speed possible. In the present study we examined the effects of variations in approach speed on the running behavior of the receiver. Kinematic analyses indicated that receivers regulated both the moment of initiation as well as the accelerative characteristics of their run. Contrary to the instructions given, baton carriers adapted their running speed as well to ensure a safe passage, making it difficult for the receiver to evaluate the appropriateness of their behavior.
Time Judgments as a Function of Clock Duration: Effects of Temporal Paradigm and An Attention-Demanding Nontemporal Task
Authors: Predebon John
Published: August 2011

Participants estimated the duration of one of four intervals (12.5, 25, 37.5, 50 sec). They performed an attention-demanding nontemporal task (the ‘stroop’ task) during the interval's presentation. Half of the participants in each group were told of the time judgment task prior to the interval's presentation (prospective paradigm), and the other half after its presentation (retrospective paradigm). Both prospective and retrospective time judgments substantially underestimated the durations of intervals, and there was no significant effect of temporal paradigm. The results are discussed in relation to the attentional models of timing.
A Corrective-Feedback System for Helping a Person with Multiple Disabilities during Indoor Travel
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Mantini M.
Published: August 2011

An unobtrusive system, which provided corrective feedback (vibratory stimulation) for an incorrect direction, was used to help a woman with deafness and profound intellectual and visual disabilities during her indoor travel. The data showed that the woman used the system very effectively and reached destinations for performing activities independently. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Social Correlates of Divorce Rates
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

The social correlates of divorce rates in 48 of the USA states and in New Jersey counties in 1980 were different, with the marriage rate at the state level and the population at the county level being the strongest correlates.
Influence of the National Curriculum for Physical Education on Inner-City Teachers' Behaviours Associated with Pupils' Psychosocial Development
Authors: Curtner-Smith Matthew D. , Brock Sheri J. , Lacon Simon A.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the quality of instruction provided by a sample of teachers working in a depressed urban setting and within the confines of the National Curriculum for Physical Education in terms of use of behaviours related to pupils' psychosocial development. Subjects were 18 specialist physical education teachers working in seven mixed-sex secondary schools in one large city in southeastern England. Two lessons of each teacher's choice, in which they taught any activity to pupils in Years 7, 8, or 9, were videotaped during the summer term of 1996. Lessons were coded with the Coaching Behavior Assessment System, an observational procedure designed to record the rate at which teachers use behaviours positively and negatively associated with pupils' psychosocial development. Descriptive statistics indicated that teachers used behaviours linked with pupils' positive psychosocial development much more frequently than they used behaviours associated with pupils' negative psychosocial development. A comparison of the data collected at these seven urban schools with those collected previously in a rural setting (Curtner-Smith, Kerr, & Hencken, 1995) suggested that, in general, British physical education teachers' behaviours are similar across the locations.
Masking of Complex Sound—Technical Notes for Realization of Constant Signal-Noise-Ratio
Authors: Ott Ralf , Curio Immo
Published: August 2011

Based on findings regarding unconscious semantic information-processing for meaningful visual stimuli, this paper describes a standardized procedure for the construction of constant signal to noise ratio for the masking of complex sounds. The proposed algorithm is derived from psychoacoustical laws concerning frequency and time-weighting of sound. Spectral characteristics are taken into account by mixing signal and white noise within frequency ranges defined through critical bandwidth (“narrow-band masking”). Furthermore, time-weighting is taken into account using sound-pressure patterns generated through low pass filters which follow the international specification DIN IEC 651 which provides specification for sound-level meters. Hardware and software circuits are described in detail. This proposal overcomes recognized lack of standardized methods in studies addressing unconscious semantic processing of auditory stimuli.
Regional Variation of Suicide in Austria
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

No social correlates were identified for the suicide rates of the 9 Austrian Bundesländer in 1990.
Is There Manual Asymmetry in Movement Preparation?
Authors: Teixeira Luis Augusto , Gasparetto Elisandra Rafaella , Sugie Márcia Massami
Published: August 2011

Manual asymmetry in response preparation was investigated in simple and complex movements by using simple reaction-time tasks. The simple movement consisted of lifting the index finger, while in the complex one subjects reversed direction of movement to hit a switch after reaching for and grasping a tennis ball. Analysis showed that performance with either the right or the left hand was equivalent, with longer latencies for reacting on the complex task in comparison to the simple one. These findings indicate similar capabilities of the right and the left cerebral hemispheres to prepare the motor system for action independently of the spatial requirements of movement.
Identification of Gifted Deaf Children: A Complex but Critical Educational Process
Authors: Blough Lisa K. , Rittenhouse Robert K. , Dancer Jess
Published: August 2011

11 deaf students in a large midwestern school for the deaf were divided into gifted and nongifted groups by ratings of teachers and school administrators. There were six subjects in the gifted group (3 boys and 3 girls) and five subjects in the comparison group (3 boys and 2 girls). There was no statistically significant difference between mean raw scores of the two groups on Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. Also, teachers' rankings.of the subjects identified as gifted did not correlate significantly with their Raven scores. Identification of gifted deaf students is too complex to be based only on teachers' ratings.
Perception of Nonverbal Facial Cues in Chronic Phencyclidine Abusers
Authors: Giannini A. James , Bowman Rachel K. , Giannini Jocelyn D.
Published: August 2011

The ability to interpret nonverbal facial cues was tested in 10 young white male chronic phencyclidine (PCP) abusers. When their responses were compared with those of age-matched controls, abusers were significantly more accurate in interpreting the facial cues of videotaped medical interns. Phencyclidine abusers tend to form a socially maladroit and downwardly mobile group. However, previous studies of similar maladroit populations such as heroin addicts have indicated that they are less accurate in interpretation of nonverbal facial cues. The complex action of multiple affected neurotransmitters in PCP abusers was examined. Dopamine and serotonin were thought to be the relevant transmitters.
Source Memory in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Hsieh Shulan , Lee Chia-Ying
Published: August 2011

Three experiments ( ns= 14 per group) are reported which investigated the ability of Parkinson patients to remember the characteristics of conditions under which a memory was acquired. In Exp. 1, subjects were required to indicate for each item in a recognition memory test whether it was spoken by Experimenter 1 or by Experimenter 2 (external-external source memory). In Exp. 2, subjects had to indicate for each item whether it was generated by themselves or by the experimenter (internal-external source memory). In Exp. 3, subjects had to judge whether an item was generated by themselves in saying or in thinking (internal-internal source memory). We found that patients with Parkinson's disease were not impaired in the previous two kinds of source memory (Exp. 1 and 2) but were impaired in internal-internal source memory (Exp. 3) relative to the age-matched control groups. In addition, both groups' performance could be improved when given distinctive cues, i.e., perceptual cues in Exp. 1 and different-domain cues in Exp. 2. These results suggest that the availability of cues was critical for Parkinson's disease in source memory. Finally, the result of Exp. 2 also showed generation effects for patients with Parkinson's disease. The generation effect refers to better memory of information by people when they had to produce it, e.g., producing associates to a word, compared with memory of information given to them.
Association of Birthdate with Success of Nationally Ranked Junior Tennis Players in the United States
Authors: Giacomini Craig P.
Published: August 2011

The objective was to assess the effect of birthdate on successful performance in tennis by junior tennis players in the United States and to address the question of whether “birthdate effect” persisted with ongoing age toward adulthood. The national rankings and birtbdates of junior tennis players in each age division were obtained from the United States Tennis Association. The number of male and female junior tennis players ranked within the top 100 in their respective age divisions with birthdates in the first half of the year were counted and compared with the number of junior athletes born in the second half of the year. A significant chi squared for birthdate by success in tennis was present in the 14 years and under and 16 years and under age divisions for boys. This effect was less for older ages. Among girls, the effect of birthdate on tennis ranking was not significant in any age group. Among male junior tennis players in the 14 years and under and 16 years and under age divisions, athletes born in the first half of the year had an advantage over those born in the second half, but not for girls.
Eeg Correlates of Behavioural Laterality: Right-Handedness
Authors: Papousek Ilona , Schulter Günter
Published: August 2011

Among right-handers, the magnitude of differences in proficiency between the left and right funds varies considerably. Yet significance of the extent of right-handedness is still a controversial issue. To examine whether individual differences in asymmetry of hand skill can partly be attributed to individual differences in asymmetrical hemispheric activation, handedness and electroencephalographic (EEG) laterality were correlated in two large samples ( ns = 60 and 128). Analysis indicated that part of the variability in right-handedness may arise from activation asymmetries in the cortex, but whether this relation becomes apparent depends on the cortical area examined and on the experimental condition under which the EEG measures are taken.
The Relationship between Collective Efficacy and Precompetitive Affect in Rugby Players: Testing Bandura's Model of Collective Efficacy
Authors: Greenlees Iain A. , Nunn Russell L. , Graydon Jan K. , Maynard Ian W.
Published: August 2011

This study extended research examining Bandura's (1997) proposed model of collective efficacy. Specifically, it examined the relationships between groups' collective efficacy and the precompetitive anxiety and affect they experienced. Prior to a competitive match 66 male Rugby Union footballers from 6 teams (2 university teams and 4 county league teams) completed a single-item measure of confidence in their team winning the forthcoming match, a 10-item measure of confidence in their team performing well in the forthcoming match, the modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Stepwise (forward) multiple regression analyses indicated that scores for collective efficacy accounted for only 6.3% of the variance in the intensities of cognitive state anxiety and only 22% of the variance in the positive affect experienced prior to the rugby match. The results indicate that concerns with the team's ability to win a match were associated with high cognitive state anxiety and that doubts regarding the team's ability to perform well were related to low positive affect. Given the magnitude of predicted variances, the findings seem to give some support to Bandura's proposal that the beliefs in collective efficacy of individuals engaged in a team task are related to precompetitive affective reactions and the experience of state anxiety.
Selective Attention in Perceptual Adjustments to Voice
Authors: Mullennix John W. , Howe Jerome N.
Published: August 2011

The effects of perceptual adjustments to voice information on the perception of isolated spoken words were examined. In two experiments, spoken target words were preceded or followed within a trial by a neutral word spoken in the same voice or in a different voice as the target. Over-all, words were reproduced more accurately on trials on which the voice of the neutral word matched the voice of the spoken target word, suggesting that perceptual adjustments to voice interfere with word processing. This result, however, was mediated by selective attention to voice. The results provide further evidence of a close processing relationship between perceptual adjustments to voice and spoken word recognition.
Facilitation of Seizures in Limbic Epileptic Rats by Complex 1 Microtesla Magnetic Fields
Authors: Persinger M. A. , Belanger-Chellew Guylaine
Published: August 2011

On three separate sessions 24 male rats with histories of limbic epilepsy were exposed to 10 temporal configurations for 5 min. each of one of two patterns of magnetic fields. Their intensities averaged about 1 microTesla (μT). The numbers of Level 5 (Racine) seizures, inferred by the rat's rearing, rapid forelimb clonus, and falling, were statistically more frequent for the frequency-modulated (Thomas) pattern when its pixel duration and interstimulus presentation were 3 msec. The effectiveness of this temporal configuration was replicated in a second within-subjects experiment ( n = 9) that directly compared the numbers of seizures during exposures to each of the two patterns and to a sham-field. These results suggest that brains with sensitive limbic systems might respond to weak magnetic fields, generated from multiple overlapping fields from communication and computer systems whose temporal derivatives emerge as complex sequences with pixel durations within the millisecond range.
Effect of “Group Spell” upon Shotokan Black-Belt Performance of Heian Kata
Authors: Layton Clive , Moran Philip
Published: August 2011

11 experienced black-belt subjects were individually timed on each of the five Heian kata and then timed again when performing as part of a group. The pull of the group had a significant effect upon timing on two of the kata.
Motion Direction Distribution as a Determinant of Circular Vection
Authors: Ito Hiroyuki , Shibao Tadahide
Published: August 2011

Visually induced self-translation is called linear vection, while visually induced self-rotation is called circular vection. Impressions of circular vection and linear vection were measured using flow patterns presented on a flat screen. Subjects reported strong circular vection when the flow simulated a projected pattern of a rotating cylinder, which had gradients in speed and direction of moving elements on the screen. When speed gradients in a horizontal dimension were removed while not changing the direction distribution on the screen, strong circular vection was still reported. On the other hand, when the motion direction of all elements was the same (horizontal), having speed gradients, the circular vection was weak. The impression of linear vection showed the opposite trend. This result indicates not a speed distribution pattern but one of a two-dimensional direction on the retina determines the type of vection.
Diurnal Pattern of Luminance Discrimination in Humans
Authors: Tassi P. , Pellerin N. , Muzet A.
Published: August 2011

The visual discrimination threshold can be considered as an image of the resolution power of the visual system. Measured with a psychophysical method, it shows a diurnal pattern with a low threshold in the morning, i.e., high sensitivity and an increase in the afternoon that persists until the early evening.
Ambient Noise Levels in University Classrooms: Detrimental to Teaching and Learning?
Authors: Addison Jana , Dancer Jess , Montague Jim , Davis Priscilla
Published: August 2011

Ambient noise levels in 28 of 30 university classrooms exceeded the level of 35 dBA as recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Such noise levels may interfere with both teaching and learning.
Intimacy of Relationship as a Function of Positivity Vs Accuracy of Perceived Evaluative Feedback from Partner
Authors: Hewitt Jay , Shawhan Julie
Published: August 2011

Prior studies disagree about whether a married person (P) will feel greater intimacy toward the spouse (O) when O perceives P just as positively as P perceives self (hypothesis of self-verification) or when O perceives P in a more positive light than P perceives self (hypothesis of self-enhancement). In these prior studies, the discrepancy between self-ratings and partners' ratings of self was related to self's rating of intimacy toward partner. In the current study, the same individual provided information about self-evaluation, how the person thought the partner evaluated self and the feeling of intimacy toward partner. People reported higher intimacy when they thought that their partners evaluated them more favorably than they evaluated themselves.
Regulation of Exercise Intensity Using Ratings of Perceived Exertion during Passive Visual Distraction
Authors: Hull Gwen R. , Potteiger Jeffrey A.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if passive visual distraction altered ability to regulate exercise intensity as assessed by ratings of perceived exertion during a 30-min. treadmill run. 10 trained females (VO2max, 52.7 ml · kg−1 · min.−1) performed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to assess maximal aerobic power and rating of perceived exertion, oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate, and running velocity at the 2.5 mmol · L−1 blood lactate concentration. Subjects then used the target rating of perceived exertion to regulate exercise intensity during a control condition, and two treatment runs with passive visual distractions. During the treatment sessions, the subjects ran on a treadmill while viewing a high-action or a low-action video with no audio. The subjects were allowed to adjust the treadmill speed throughout the run to maintain the target rating of perceived exertion; however, subjects were not allowed to view the speed setting. There were no significant differences in blood lactate concentration among the conditions for the control, low action, high action, or graded exercise test ( p < .05). No significant differences in VO2 or running velocity were found within or among the 30-min. treatment runs and the graded exercise test. Heart rate at 5 min. of exercise during control (158 ± 3 b · min.−1), low action (158 ± 3 b · min.−1), and high action (159 ± 2 b · min.−1) was significantly lower than the graded exercise test (169 ± 3 b · min.−1). Based on the data collected, visual passive distraction did not alter regulation of intensity using ratings of perceived exertion during a 30-min. treadmill run.
Relation of Transliminality and Vividness of Visual Imagery
Authors: Thalbourne Michael A.
Published: August 2011

Responses of 50 psychology undergraduates to scores on a measure of translirninality (psychological material crossing thresholds into and out of consciousness) and on a measure of vividness of visual imagery were correlated .11. The value is positive but clearly not significant.
Teaching a Long Sequence of Behavior Using Whole Task Training, Forward Chaining, and Backward Chaining
Authors: Smith Gregory J.
Published: August 2011

Whole task training, forward chaining, and backward chaining techniques were compared in teaching two different 120-step sequences of behavior to college students. In Exp. 1 participants learned a sequence that began with easy movements, progressed through mote difficult movements, and ended with easy movements. Whole task training resulted in more errors than either forward or backward chaining. Differences were found in the location of errors. Both whole task training and forward chaining resulted in fewer errors at the beginning of the sequence and backward chaining resulted in fewer errors at the end of the sequence. Because the results of Exp. 1 may have been affected by the increased difficulty of the middle of the sequence, Exp. 2 was undertaken using a sequence of behavior where all segments were of equal difficulty. Whole task training and forward chaining resulted in fewer errors than backward chaining. The location of errors was similar to that found in Exp. 1.
Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXXXVIII. Atmospheric Electromagnetism: The Possible Disturbing Influence of Natural Sferics on ESP
Authors: Houtkooper Joop M. , Stark Rudolf , Schienle Anne , Vaitl Dieter
Published: August 2011

Sferics are electromagnetic impulses generated by electrical discharges during thunderstorms (lightning). One category is comprised of very low frequency electromagnetic waves, traveling over distances up to a thousand kilometers. Sferics have been shown to affect biological responses such as pain syndromes, reaction times, and power in the alpha band of the EEG. In the present study, in which 100 subjects took part, sferics have been studied in their relation to performance on a forced-choice extrasensory perception (ESP) task and to several secondary variables. The general finding is a negative correlation between ESP performance and sferics activity around the time of the session, most notably 24–48 hours prior to the session. Secondary variables appear to modulate this correlation, as has been found in previous research on sferics: the correlation tended to be stronger for persons who scored lower on Neuroticism and higher on the Openness scale of a Five-Factor Personality Questionnaire.
Benefits of Interhemispheric Integration on the Japanese Kana Script-Matching Tasks
Authors: Yoshizaki Kazuhito , Tsuji Yayoi
Published: August 2011

We tested Banich's hypothesis that the benefits of bihemispheric processing were enhanced as task complexity increased, when some procedural shortcomings in the previous studies were overcome by using Japanese Kana script-matching tasks. In Exp. 1, the 20 right-handed subjects were given the Physical-Identity task (Katakana-Katakana scripts matching) and the Name-Identity task (Katakana-Hiragana scripts matching). On both tasks, a pair of Kana scripts was tachistoscopically presented in the left, right, and bilateral visual fields. Distractor stimuli were also presented with target Kana scripts on both tasks to equate the processing load between the hemispheres. Analysis showed that, while a bilateral visual-field advantage was found on the name-identity task, a unilateral visual-field advantage was found on the physical-identity task, suggesting that, as the computational complexity of the encoding stage was enhanced, the benefits of bilateral hemispheric processing increased. In Exp. 2, the 16 right-handed subjects were given the same physical-identity task as in Exp. 1, except Hiragana scripts were used as distractors instead of digits to enhance task difficulty. Analysis showed no differences in performance between the unilateral and bilateral visual fields. Taking into account these results of physical-identity tasks for both Exps. 1 and 2, enhancing task demand in the stage of ignoring distractors made the unilateral visual-field advantage obtained in Exp. 1 disappear in Exp. 2. These results supported Banich's hypothesis.
Relationship of Laboratory and on-Road Tests for Driving-School Students and Experienced Drivers
Authors: Heikkilä V-M.
Published: August 2011

There is a pressing need to evaluate driving ability without an actual driving test but no reliable, standardised procedure is available. This study investigated the resulting distortion performance evaluation for different driver groups in on-road tests due to driving skills and driving style. Two groups, 15 female driving school students and 25 experienced male drivers were examined using cognitive and psychomotor tests and standard personality questionnaires as well as an on-road driving test. The students made significantly fewer errors on the driving test than the experienced drivers. The former group's driving performance could be predicted by errors on the laboratory tests, along with personality factors, while experienced drivers' driving errors were best predicted by slowness on laboratory tests. This study suggests that, when a series of standard cognitive and psychomotor tests are considered, different measures may apply in predicting young people's ability to drive safely based on assessing driving ability of experienced drivers, assumed lowered due to distorted driving style.
Usefulness of Assessment Techniques in Assessing Classification for Emotional Disturbance and Generating Classroom Recommendations
Authors: Cheramie Gail M. , Griffin Krystina M. , Morgan Tina
Published: August 2011

A national survey of specialist school psychologists examined the perceived usefulness of assessment techniques in making decisions regarding eligibility for the educational classification of emotional disturbance and in generating classroom recommendations. Analysis showed measures rated as most useful were interviews with the parent, teacher, and student, observations of the student, and norm-referenced rating scales. Projective techniques were least useful. These findings are important in the context of “best practices” for the multidimensional assessment of emotional disturbance which promotes a more direct link between assessment and intervention.
Emotion Space as a Predictor of Binocular Rivalry
Authors: Ogawa Tokihiro , Suzuki Naoto
Published: August 2011

In our 1999 report, we examined robustness of a two-dimensional structure of facial expressions of emotion under the condition of some perceptual ambiguity, using a stereoscope. The current study aimed to replicate and extend the previous work by adding facial photographs of different persons and by measuring participants' perception of stereoscopically presented faces. Multidimensional scaling provided a two-dimensional configuration of facial expressions comparable with the previous studies. Although binocular rivalry was a less frequent phenomenon, it was suggested that the distances between facial expressions in the derived space were a contributing factor in eliciting binocular rivalry.
Subjective Improvement following Treatment with Carbamazepin (Tegretol) for a Subpopulation of Patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries
Authors: Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

Over a 3-yr period, 19 patients who had sustained brain traumas during motor vehicle incidents and who exhibited abnormal scores for a dichotic word-listening task and Roberts' Epileptic Spectrum Disorder Inventory more than one year after the injury were recommended for treatment with carbamazepine (Tegretol). The psychiatric profile of these patients, as defined by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, was similar to the profile of patients from other studies who had displayed more objective improvement following this treatment. Of the 14 patients 12 who followed the recommendation retrospectively reported that within a few weeks after treatment they experienced marked reductions in the incidence of sudden confusion and depression, increased attention and focus and either elimination or attenuation of an aversive sensed presence. Such results suggest that many of the debilitating symptoms that persist for months to years after a traumatic brain injury may be electrical in nature rather than due to “psychological responses” and might be treatable by appropriate dosages of carbamazepine or other, e.g., Gabapentin (Neurontin) antiepileptic compounds.
Anhedonia, Asthenia, and Depression
Authors: Loas Gwenolé , Robin Anne , Verrier Annie
Published: August 2011

In a sample of 264 university students, anhedonia scores were not associated with scores for severity of fatigue.
Direction of Human Motor Responses by Men and Women to Aversive Stimulation
Authors: Pahlavan Farzaneh , Duda Daniel , Bonnet Philippe
Published: August 2011

The frequency of extensions and flexions of the arms of 12 men and 12 women (ages 20–30 years) responding to a neutral tone or to an electric shock was recorded. Subjects had to choose between pushing or pulling a lever upon receipt of an acoustic signal which was paired or unpaired with an electric shock. They were instructed to perform either long duration movements, allowing for on-line control of the execution, or short duration movements with prior specification of amplitude. Regardless of duration of movements, the aversive signal increased the frequency of extensions and intraindividual variability of choices of the men but decreased the frequency of extensions and intraindividual variability of choices of the women. These findings show that stimuli such as pain or fear automatically elicit patterns of terminal motor states corresponding to fight or flight, initiating processes of preparation of spatially oriented movements which are automatic and sex-typed and impair the use of the terminal cues for simultaneous preprogrammed voluntary movements.
Attitudes about Antidepressants: Influence of Information about Weight-Related Side Effects
Authors: Cash Thomas F. , Brown Melissa A.
Published: August 2011

Antidepressant drugs are frequently prescribed for women and have various side effects, including potential effects on body weight. This experiment examined the effects of information about the weight-related side effects of antidepressants on women's attitudes toward the drugs. 60 college women were randomly assigned to read about one of two drugs, fluoxetine (Prozac) or Imipramine (Tofranil). Participants were either told or not told about veridical weight-related side effects, namely, weight loss for Prozac and weight gain for Tofranil. As hypothesized, weight-gain information lowered the personal acceptability of Tofranil, and weight-loss information enhanced the acceptability of Prozac. Although research with clinical populations is required, undergraduate women's decisions about the use of antidepressant medications may be influenced by societal body-image ideals.
Word Imageability Effects on Naming: A Pilot Investigation of Beginning Readers of Turkish
Authors: Raman Ilhan
Published: August 2011

Word imageability, a semantic variable, in naming by beginning readers of English is well documented particularly with poor readers naming high image-able words more accurately than low imageable words. The present study examined the role of imageability on word naming by 20 good and 20 poor beginning readers as a function of orthographic transparency by utilizing the peculiarities of the transparent Turkish writing system. Neither good nor poor beginning readers show any evidence of imageability for Turkish suggesting that the contribution of imageability to word naming may indeed be determined by orthographic transparency. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Lack of Sex Differences on the Stroop Color-Word Test across Three Age Groups
Authors: Daniel David B. , Pelotte Mandy , Lewis Jody
Published: August 2011

The present study investigated recent reports of sex differences on the Stroop Color-Word Test by age. Present results indicate no sex differences at 7–8 years, 9–10 years, and 18–24 years. The two school-age samples reported similar amounts of interference and significantly more than the college-age sample. Inconsistencies in the literature may be a function of response modality rather than interference.
Review of the Rank Transform in Designed Experiments
Authors: Sawilowsky Shlomo S.
Published: August 2011

Despite a plethora of asymptotic and small samples Monte Carlo studies on the failure of the rank transform in designed experiments, Choi in 1998 published a paper praising the technique. The purpose of this reaction is to (a) examine Choi's literature review on the rank transform, (b) provide some “new” results on the rank transform, and (c) summarize the failures of the rank transform.
Block Design as a Measure of Everyday Spatial Ability: A Study of Ecological Validity
Authors: Groth-Marnat Gary , Teal Mathew
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the effectiveness of the WAIS–R Block Design subtest to predict everyday spatial ability for 65 university undergraduates (15 men, 50 women) who were administered Block Design, the Standardized Road Map Test of Direction Sense, and the Everyday Spatial Activities Test. In addition, the verbally loaded National Adult Reading Test was administered to assess whether the more visuospatial Block Design subtest was a better predictor of spatial ability. Moderate support was found. When age and sex were accounted for, Block Design accounted for 36% of the variance in performance ( r = -.62) on the Road Map Test and 19% of the variance on the performance of the Everyday Spatial Activities Test ( r = .42). In contrast, the scores on the National Adult Reading Test did not predict performance on the Road Map Test or Everyday Spatial Abilities Test. This suggests that, with appropriate caution, Block Design could be used as a measure of everyday spatial abilities.
An Assessment of Grade Inflation in Higher Education
Authors: Compton David M. , Metheny Brenda
Published: August 2011

Considerable research has been conducted on grade inflation and its pervasiveness. Given the significance of grade inflation on the quality of the educational experience and the reputations of colleges and universities, efforts to assess its presence and underlying causes should be supported and solutions developed. Because periodic changes in average grades in the short term may be anomalous, mean grade point averages (GPAs) for 262 undergraduate courses at a Liberal Arts college were examined for trends across a 10-yr. period. Analysis showed higher grades appeared within two of the colleges' four academic units, although the reasons remained unclear. Tentative explanations are explored.