bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nature of Age-Related Changes in Muscle Strength of the Extremities of Women
Authors: Bohannon Richard W.
Published: August 2011

Age-related changes in the muscle strength of the extremities of 123 women (20–79 years) were measured using a hand-held dynamometer. The isometric strength of three upper- and three lower-extremity muscle actions declined across ages. The magnitudes of strength decreases were a function of both the action and side tested. The earlier and steeper strength declines in actions of functional importance, e.g., knee extension, should alert those working with aging women of the potential importance of strengthening such muscle actions.
The Method of Subliminal Psychodynamic Activation: Do Individual Thresholds Make a Difference?
Authors: Malik Rajesh , Paraherakis Antonios , Joseph Shari , Ladd Herbert
Published: August 2011

The present experiment investigated the effects of subliminal psychodynamic stimuli on anxiety as measured by heart rate. Following an anxiety-inducing task, male and female subjects were tachistoscopically shown, at their subjective thresholds, one of five subliminal stimuli, MOMMY AND I ARE ONE, DADDY AND I ARE ONE (symbiotic messages), MOMMY HAS LEFT ME (abandonment message), I AM HAPPY AND CALM (positively toned but nonsymbiotic phrase), or MYMMO NAD I REA ENO (control stimulus). It was hypothesized that men would exhibit a greater decrease in heart rate after exposure to the MOMMY stimulus than the control message. No definitive predictions were made for women. The abandonment phrase was expected to increase heart rate. A positively toned message was included to assess whether its effects would be comparable to those hypothesized for the MOMMY message. The results yielded no significant effects for stimulus or gender and so provided no support for the hypotheses.
Effects of Grade and Conditions of Motion on Children's Interpretation of Implied Motion in Pictures
Authors: Downs Elizabeth , Jenkins Stephen J.
Published: August 2011

Interpretation of motion under three levels of motion cues for 36 kindergarten and 36 third-grade children was examined. Analysis indicated that third-grade children were more skillful at identifying motion than kindergartners and postural cues were more effective than flow lines.
Inhibition in Picture Naming and Word Reading
Authors: Ikeda Satoko
Published: August 2011

Some previous researchers assumed that the underlying process of inhibition is similar in the modally pure target-distractor task, e.g., picture-picture task, color-color task, and in the modally mixed target-distractor task, such as the picture-word task or the color-word task, but some did not. The present purpose was to compare the inhibition in the modally pure tasks (word-word task and picture-picture task) with that in the modally mixed task (picture-word task) through the effects of the two factors, that is, response set and the semantic relation between target and distractor. These factors were assumed to affect inhibition in some kinds of interference tasks. Analysis showed the effect of response set was evident on the picture-picture task but not on the word-word and the picture-word tasks. On the picture-word task, only when the distracting word was in the same set of the target picture, was the effect of the semantic relation exhibited. The differential inhibition for the three tasks was discussed.
Conversations between Older Men and Women: Turn-Taking and Topics
Authors: Martin Mary , Davis Priscilla , Dancer Jess
Published: August 2011

Five dyads of older men paired with older women were compared on the pragmatic variables of turn-taking and topicalization. Men talked longer and more often while women served to reinforce and maintain the conversational topics.
Chronobiometric Assessment of Autogenic Training Effects upon Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
Authors: Watanabe Yoshihiko , Cornélissen Germaine , Halberg Franz , Saito Yoshiaki , Fukuda Katsuhiko , Otsuka Kuniaki , Kikuchi Takenori
Published: August 2011

Autogenic training, a method of self-hypnosis, lowers the extent of within-day variation of systolic blood pressure assessed by the circadian double amplitude. The blood pressure and heart rate of ten patients, conventionally diagnosed as having hypertension or white-coat hypertension, were automatically monitored at 30–min. intervals for 7 days before autogenic training and again for 7 days, at 1 or 2 months after the start of autogenic training (practiced three times daily). The circadian double amplitude of systolic blood pressure of the patients investigated was 3 to 17 mm Hg lower on autogenic training. In 5 patients, reductions by 7 to 17 mm Hg were statistically significant. These results are regarded as provisional statistics, the utility of which depends on replication. By contrast, the over-all group reduction of the circadian double amplitude of systolic blood pressure by 8 mm Hg on the average can be taken at face value. Autogenic training also lowered the circadian double amplitude of diastolic blood pressure, but the effect was small as was the effect of autogenic training upon the MESOR (a rhythm-adjusted mean) and acrophase (a measure of the timing of over-all high values recurring each day). The effect of autogenic training upon the circadian double amplitude of systolic blood pressure suggests its trial as first-line treatment of patients with an excessive circadian blood pressure amplitude, a condition which, even in the absence of an elevated 24–hr. average of blood pressure, is associated with a large increase in the risk of developing ischemic stroke or nephropathy.
Attitudes toward Police: An Evaluation of Community Perceptions of Safety
Authors: John Cameron , Villaescusa Tangie , Toscko Les , Powers Stephen
Published: August 2011

Creative Research Associates in collaboration with the Tucson Police Department conducted a survey of residents to gain a better understanding of the diverse community the department serves. A total of 496 residents reported that police should focus on robberies, juvenile crime, burglaries, narcotics activity, auto theft, and property destruction. The information was used in community policing efforts.
Simple Reaction Times and Timing of Serial Reactions of Middle-Aged and Old Men
Authors: Inui Nobuyuki
Published: August 2011

The timing control of serial reactions in 20 middle-aged (38–43 years) and 20 older men (57–63 years) was examined by using a task of tracking serial-light stimuli with and without the previous learning (Exps. III and II, respectively). In Exp. I, a control group of 20 college students (19–22 years) had significantly faster and less variable mean simple reaction times than the two other groups. For the serial reaction times (Exps. II and III), the control group had significantly faster mean reaction times than the other groups who did not differ. In Exp. III, there was no difference between the serial reaction times and the simple reaction times in the contrasting groups. In Exp. II, however, although the serial reaction times were significantly slower than the simple reaction times in the older group, the serial reaction times did not differ from the simple reaction times in the middle-aged group. The difference between these groups appeared to be due to the task in Exp. II being more difficult than that in Exp. III, suggesting the more complex the movement to be made, the slower the responses of older people. Advancing age seems to have a greater effect on central processing components than on the perceptual and motor output components of serial reactions.
Comparison of Changes in Autonomic and Respiratory Parameters of Girls after Yoga and Games at a Community Home
Authors: Telles Shirley , Narendran S. , Raghuraj P. , Nagarathna R. , Nagendra H. R.
Published: August 2011

The heart rate, breathing rate, and skin resistance were recorded for 20 community home girls (Home group) and for 20 age-matched girls from a regular school (School group). The former group had a significantly higher rate of breathing and a more irregular breath pattern, known to correlate with high fear and anxiety, than the School group. Skin resistance was significantly lower in the School group, which may suggest greater arousal. 28 girls of the Home group formed 14 pairs, matched for age and duration of stay in the home. Subjects of a pair were randomly assigned to either yoga or games groups. For the former emphasis was on relaxation and awareness, whereas for the latter increasing physical activity was emphasized. At the end of an hour daily for six months both groups showed a significant decrease in the resting heart rate relative to initial values (Wilcoxon paired-sample test), and the yoga group showed a significant decrease in breath rate, which appeared more regular but no significant increase in the skin resistance. These results suggest that a yoga program which includes relaxation, awareness, and graded physical activity is a useful addition to the routine of community home children.
Basic Beijing Twenty-Four Forms of T'ai Chi Exercise and Average Velocity of Sway
Authors: Shih Jiping
Published: August 2011

To examine the effect of 16 weeks of T'ai Chi exercise on the average velocity of sway 11 subjects were pre- and posttested by using the AMTI force platform. Analysis indicated that T'ai Chi exercise was associated with substantial changes in the sway velocities in anterior and posterior directions for the group but was not assessed against any control groups' performance. That remains to be evaluated.
Structure of Music May Influence Cognition
Authors: Cash Alice H. , El-Mallakh Rif S. , Chamberlain Kerry , Bratton Jennifer Z. , Li Rena
Published: August 2011

Classical music has been said to enhance cognition, which effect may be related to musical structure. 19 subjects who listened to highly structured music scored somewhat higher afterwards on cognitive performance than the 15 who listened to less structured music. Since this did not reach statistical significance, other as yet unidentified factors may also be involved.
Psychosocial Stressors in the Lives of Great Jazz Musicians
Authors: Patalano Frank
Published: August 2011

Brief biographical information on four great jazz tenor saxophone players of the past is presented to illustrate the similar psychosocial stressors these men seemed to experience, namely, severe substance abuse, haphazard working conditions, lack of acceptance of their art form in the United States, marital and family discord, and a vagabond life style. Ages at death of 80 great jazz musicians may indicate that the stressful life style of jazz musicians may be reflected in a shortened life span, but a control group is needed.
Self-Reference Effect in Perceptual Judgments by Individuals and Groups
Authors: Bovasso Gregory , Rettig Salomon
Published: August 2011

The existence of a “self-reference” effect in perception, such as that found in memory, was tested in groups and individuals. Subjects who judged a self-relevant stimulus were more accurate than those who judged a stimulus which was not self-relevant. No differences were found in the perceptual accuracy of groups versus individuals, and the self-reference effect was not more pronounced in groups or individuals. The effect may be explained in terms of the greater epistemic curiosity aroused by a self-referent stimulus and by the activation of hypothesized central nodes in the neural networks which produce perceptual judgments.
Viewing of Self and Nonself Images in a Group of Captive Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus Abellii)
Authors: Tobach Ethel , Skolnick Alexander J. , Klein Isobel , Greenberg Gary
Published: August 2011

Reports on self-recognition in great apes have been mostly derived from experimental studies of mirror behavior (mark test) requiring anesthetization of the animals. We investigated a relatively noninvasive technique to study this behavior. In two experiments with a group of captive orangutans (1 adult male, 3 adult females, 1 juvenile male, and 1 juvenile female), we presented combinations of blank posters, life-size portraits of each individual in the group, a mirror, and videos. Durations of viewing and patterns of viewing were recorded. The prominent features of the viewing were the differences among the individuals in frequency, duration, and pattern of viewing. Some evidence of mirror-based self-referent behavior (behavior in which the activity of the animal with its body was related to the activity of the image in the mirror) was seen in the juvenile female, but more was seen in one adult female. This adult female spent the most time viewing the mirror and was the only animal to view her own portrait more than the other portraits in one session. In addition, she moved from one portrait to another, and back to the first, and to her own portrait and the mirror in a pattern resembling comparison of the two portraits as well as of her portrait and her mirror image. It is suggested that data based on self-referent behavior of the same animal during self-viewing in a mirror and during viewing of its self-portrait and on behavior observed in the mark test are worth further investigation.
Strategies to Improve Clinical Judgments about Pain
Authors: Lander Janice
Published: August 2011

To assess a strategy to improve 288 nurses' clinical decisions about management of pain saliency of information and cue about the information were manipulated. Scores indicated that the combination of vivid information and a cue to use the information led to the best decisions.
What Does Daneman and Carpenter's Reading Span Really Measure?
Authors: Hupet Michel , Desmette Donatienne , Schelstraete Marie-Anne
Published: August 2011

Reading span was assessed in three conditions aiming at varying the processing demands of a reading task. In a Sentence Reading Condition, the participants read aloud lists of sentences and memorize the final word of each sentence as in the original task of Daneman and Carpenter. In two other conditions, each sentence was replaced either by a series of unrelated words (Word Reading Condition) or by a series of meaningless syllables (Syllable Reading Condition); in these two conditions, however, each series ended with the same test words as in the Sentence Reading Condition. There was no significant effect of the condition on the scores for reading span. It is concluded that the typically low scores on reading span are not so much due to the processing demands of the task as to the disruptive effects of the articulatory suppression which characterizes the original task.
Temperament, CNS Problems and Maternal Stressors: Interactive Predictors of Conduct Disorder in 9-Yr.-Olds
Authors: Bagley Christopher , Mallick Kanka
Published: August 2011

Conduct disorder in a sample of 565 9-yr.-olds, half of whom were ‘at risk’ at birth was best predicted by a combination of CNS disorder, difficult temperament at age 2, maternal stressors, chronic poverty, and child's separation from a parent. Qualitative study of interactive effects in the data confirms the New York Longitudinal Study's concept of ‘spiralling up’ and ‘spiralling down’ (disadvantage kindling yet further disadvantage, with poor behavioural outcomes in child).
Slow Movement as a Function of Advancement in the Shotokan Karate Kata Set
Authors: Layton Clive , Bell Vernon C. F.
Published: August 2011

Analysis of the number of slow moves in the 26 Shotokan karate kata, analysed in difficulty level groups, indicated that progressively more slow moves were found with advancing kata group.
Comment regarding Malik, et al.'s (1996) “The Method of Subliminal Psychodynamic Activation: Do Individual Thresholds Make a Difference?”
Authors: Greenberg Ann Core
Published: August 2011

Researchers using the method of subliminal psychodynamic activation need to consider the neutrality of their control messages. Anagrams or numbers are recommended as even benign-sounding phrases can produce nonneutral effects.
Consistency of Physical Therapy Students' Academic Performance
Authors: Bohannon Richard W.
Published: August 2011

The consistency of physical therapy students' grades across courses was investigated. The grades of five entry classes were examined. Not surprisingly, students performed better in some courses than others. Nevertheless, considerable internal consistency of grades was evident within each class during the semester of interest. Grades in courses may reflect a common underlying construct, that is, academic performance of physical therapy students.
Effects of a Mnemonic PEG System on the Recall of Daily Tasks
Authors: Harris L. J. , Blaiser M. J.
Published: August 2011

30 undergraduates were given a list of 10 common daily tasks with the experimental group being provided a mnemonic peg system but not the control group. Subjects were asked after 24 hours to recall as many of the 10 daily tasks as possible. To establish baseline recall scores for both groups, the memory of 10 different daily tasks without the use of mnemonic devices was tested. There were no significant differences in baseline recall between the two groups; however, the posttest difference between the two groups after 24 hours was significant.
On the Current Status of Rated Perceived Exertion
Authors: Russell William D.
Published: August 2011

This paper chronicles the psychophysical principles which led to the development of the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale by Borg in 1970 and a concise, comprehensive summary of research on the scale. The current status of research is examined by discussion of several important areas within the field including psychophysical scaling, scale development, psychometrics, and applications. Physiological and psychological approaches are examined and the need for an interdisciplinary approach is addressed.
Evaluation of Selected Life-Skill Modules from the Contemporary Health Series with Students in Grade 6
Authors: Young Michael , Kelley R. Mark , Denny George
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects over a school term of selected life-skill modules from The Contemporary Health Series–Into Adolescence on scores for self-esteem, health (drug) attitudes, and behaviors of sixth-grade students. The 328 students were from classrooms assigned to either experimental or control conditions. Analysis indicated that students exposed to selected modules from the curriculum series reported positive changes on a number of health-related variables in the questionnaire.
Vertical Eye Movements during Mental Tasks: A Re-Examination and Hypothesis
Authors: Previc Fred H. , Murphy Shannon J.
Published: August 2011

Previous research has shown that both vertical and lateral eye movements occur during mental tasks, although the neuropsychological basis for such movements remains unclear. Vertical and lateral eye movements were recorded from 24 right-dominant subjects as they performed three different mental tasks: a mental arithmetic task, a visuospatial imagery task, and a proverb interpretation task. Significant upward biases in the direction of the initial eye movement were observed as subjects answered a series of arithmetic and visuospatial questions along with a nonsignificant upward bias following a series of proverbs that subjects had to interpret. By contrast, no consistent lateral eye movement biases were found during any task. The results are interpreted according to Previc's recent theory linking processing in the upper and lower visual fields to ventral versus dorsal posterior cortical activation, respectively.
Dissociated Contextual Interference Effects in Children and Adults
Authors: Pollock Barbara J. , Lee Timothy D.
Published: August 2011

24 7-yr.-old children and 24 university-age adults practiced a ballistic aiming task under either low contextual interference (blocked practice) or high contextual interference (random practice). All subjects performed 90 acquisition trials, followed by 20 transfer trials and 15 retention trials. Similar to previous findings, the adults performed the acquisition trials better under blocked than under random conditions, yet performed the retention and transfer tests better after random than blocked practice. No differences in acquisition were found between blocked and random practice conditions for the children; nevertheless, the random group performed the retention and transfer tests better than the blocked group. The results are discussed in relation to applied and theoretical issues of contextual interference.
The Demise of “Yes”: An Informal Look
Authors: Trinkaus John
Published: August 2011

For affirmative responses to simple interrogatories, the use of “absolutely” and “exactly” may be becoming more socially frequent than “yes.” A counting of positive replies to 419 questions on several TV networks showed 249 answers of “absolutely,” 117 “exactly,” and 53 of “yes.”
Predicting Students as Deep and Shallow Processors of Information
Authors: Gadzella Bernadette M. , Ginther Dean W. , Masten William G. , Guthrie Debra
Published: August 2011

This study predicted the classification of subjects into deep and shallow processors of information. Subjects were 38 deep processors (who scored in the top 25% on the Deep Processing subscale of the Inventory of Learning Processes) and 39 shallow processors (who scored in the bottom 25% on the subscale). The five scores were Chance (from the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Locus of Control), Total Stress (from Student-life Stress Inventory), Elaborative Processing and Methodical Study (from the Inventory of Learning Processes), and Inference (from Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal). Discriminant function analysis showed 71.1% correct classification of the deep processors and 79.5% of the shallow processors.
Accomplishments during Young Adulthood of Children Originally Diagnosed with Minimal Cerebral Dysfunction: A Ten-Year Follow-up Study
Authors: Rogers Paul T. , McLoughlin Caven S.
Published: August 2011

To gather data about the adult accomplishments of persons diagnosed with minimal cerebral dysfunction this retrospective study evaluated 57 subjects at ten-year follow-up. Two-thirds of the subjects graduated from high school with an average of 11.8 years of education. Factors correlating with educational outcome included intelligence quotient, age at initial evaluation, and parental socioeconomic status. Adult accomplishments appear related to intelligence and to the presence of family or behavior problems.
Aging and Executive Function Skills: An Examination of a Community-Dwelling Older Adult Population
Authors: Brennan Mark , Welsh Marilyn C. , Fisher Celia B.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to employ the Tower of Hanoi task to the study of possible changes in executive function skills in older adults. The study used a quasi-experimental design, with age group (i.e., young adult, young elderly, or older elderly), being the independent variable in examining performance differences between younger and older adults. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally by age group. Nineteen elderly men and women comprised two groups; nine Young Elderly with an average age of 65 years and ten Older Elderly with an average age of 75 years. Two men and ten women served as a Young Adult comparison group having an average age of 19 years. Performance on the Tower of Hanoi was measured by efficiency scores (number of trials to consecutive solutions), frequency of error types, self-correction scores (completing the goal configuration in twenty or fewer moves after committing an error precluding a “correct” solution), and error perseveration (committing the same error on two consecutive trials of a problem). Analysis of variance and chi-squared tests suggested similar executive capacities among the 9 young adult and the 8 young elderly participants as compared to their 7 older elderly peers on the 3–disk task. However, on the 4–disk task where problem complexity increased by the addition of another disk and longer move sequences, young adult participants showed superior performance on the average than either young elderly or older elderly participants. Although the present study is limited by the small sample size and the use of cross-sectional analyses to examine age differences, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis of age differences in executive function.
Relationship of Swimming Distance, Expectancy, and Performance to Mood States of Competitive Athletes
Authors: Berger Bonnie G. , Prapavessis Harry , Grove J. Robert , Butki Brian D.
Published: August 2011

This study focused on the relationship between normal and abbreviated training sessions for young competitive swimmers and acute changes in mood. Several potential moderators of the relationship between exercise and mood also were examined. 25 girls and 23 boys, swimmers between the ages of 12 and 25 years, completed a shortened version of the Profile of Mood States before and after normal-distance and taper practices. An hypothesized interaction between distance training and acute changes in scores on Total Mood Disturbance was significant. During normal-distance practices, scores on Mood Disturbance increased from pre- to postpractice. Analyses of the individual subscales indicated that swimmers' scores increased for Fatigue and decreased for Vigor. In abbreviated practice sessions, athlete's scores on Total Mood Disturbance showed no change from pre- to postpractice. The specific subscales, however, showed positive changes for Depression, Confusion, and Tension. The mood changes related to practice distance were not influenced by the possible moderating factors of expectancy or performance times. Thus, even for highly trained competitive swimmers, exercising at or near maximal physical capability is associated with few positive changes in mood scores. Shorter-distance swims that do not tax endurance are preferable, if mood enhancement is a goal.
Hypoglycemia as a Mitigating Factor in Vehicular Accidents
Authors: Piotrowski Chris
Published: August 2011

Cognitive, perceptual, and motor deficits are part of the constellation of symptoms found in various hypoglycemic conditions. Since neurogenic symptoms and altered states of consciousness affect driving skills, hypoglycemia should be considered a mitigating factor in vehicular accidents.
3–Dimensional Kinematics of Overarm Throwing Action of Children Age 15 to 30 Months
Authors: Marques-Bruna Pascual , Grimshaw Paul N.
Published: August 2011

7 children 15 to 30 mo. old participated in a study of 3–dimensional kinematics of overarm throwing. Children of different ages were considered to be at different developmental stages of motor development. Video recordings were digitised and 3-dimensional coordinates established using the DLT algorithm. Qualitative analysis indicated that the children executed either a ‘static’ or ‘dynamic’ throwing action. Either could further be classified as ‘arm dominated’ or ‘sequentially linked.’ Maximum elbow extension was no more than 163° for any child; release velocity was higher for older subjects; and the angle of ball release was large in ‘arm-dominated throws’ ( M = 49°) and comparatively smaller in ‘sequentially linked’ throws ( M = 15°).
Future Time Perspective and Positive Health Practices in Young Adults: An Extension
Authors: Mahon Noreen E. , Yarcheski Thomas J. , Yarcheski Adela
Published: August 2011

A sample of 69 young adults attending a public university responded to the Future Time Perspective Inventory, two subscales of the Time Experience Scales (Fast and Slow Tempo), and the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire in classroom settings. A statistically significant correlation (.52) was found between scores for future time perspective and the ratings for the practice of positive health behaviors in young adults. This correlation was larger than those previously found for middle and late adolescents. Scores on subscales of individual health practices and future time perspective indicated statistically significant correlations for five (.25 to .56) of the six subscales. Scores on neither Fast nor Slow Tempo were related to ratings of positive health practices or ratings on subscales measuring positive health practices.
Background Instrumental Music and Serial Recall
Authors: Nittono Hiroshi
Published: August 2011

Although speech and vocal music are consistently shown to impair serial recall for visually presented items, instrumental music does not always produce a significant disruption. This study investigated the features of instrumental music that would modulate the disruption in serial recall. 24 students were presented sequences of nine digits and required to recall the digits in order of presentation. Instrumental music was played either forward or backward during the task. Forward music caused significantly more disruption than did silence, whereas the reversed music did not. Some higher-order factor may be at work in the effect of background music on serial recall.
Color Preferences of Borderline Patients and of Normal Controls
Authors: Cernovsky Z. Z. , Fernando M. L. D. , Hussein F. , Fernando M. C. K.
Published: August 2011

20 female patients who met the DSM-III-R criteria for the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and 23 normal female controls were asked to rank-order eight Lüscher color cards, at first with no specific use for the colors mentioned, then as a color for their own dress or jacket, then for their living room, and then as a color they would like their friend to wear. Very few statistically significant differences ( p <.01, 2–tailed) between the groups were found. Borderline patients ranked more favourably than controls the use of black color for their living room (Pearson r = .51) and were less likely to favour grey color for this purpose ( r = −.45). When no specific use for colors was mentioned, the borderline patients ranked red more favourably than the control group ( r = .47). Within the normal control group, statistically significant differences between the ranks of the same color were noted depending on the particular use of the particular color.
Detail, Pressure, and Completion of Draw-a-Person Produced during Silence or Rock Music
Authors: Vanderark Sherman D. , Mostardi Richard A.
Published: August 2011

For groups (36 in Grade 1, 40 undergraduates, 35 graduate students in music) rock music produced significant differences on Draw-A-Person such as more drawing detail, pressure of the pencil, and more complete pictures than those made during silence.
Experience with Perceptual and Motor Skills in Rhythmic Gymnastics
Authors: Kioumourtzoglou Efthimis , Derri Vassiliki , Mertzanidou Olga , Tzetzis George
Published: August 2011

Based on the notion of measuring motor performance, an experiment with three groups of 20 elite rhythmic gymnasts ( N = 60), 9 to 10 yr., 11 to 12 yr., and 13 to 15 years of age (national level), with children of the same size and age was conducted, to identify the important abilities for the achievement of excellence in this sport. Motor abilities (whole-body coordination, dynamic balance, static balance, sense of kinesthesis, whole-body movement time, and eye-hand coordination) as well as perceptual abilities (whole-body reaction time, anticipation of coincidence, and depth perception) were compared. Analysis showed that scores on measures of whole-body coordination, dynamic balance, and static balance were higher for elite groups of athletes than for corresponding control groups. Moreover, elite athletes in the oldest group scored higher than those in the youngest group on anticipation of coincidence, on eye-hand coordination, and on static balance. These findings indicate the presence of systematic differences between elite athletes and nonathletes on motor abilities related to experience in this sport.
Effects of Duration of Stimulus and Variability of Foreperiod on the Identification of Multidimensional Stimuli
Authors: Shieh Kong-King , Kuo Whey-Ming , Lai Chien-Jung
Published: August 2011

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of duration of stimulus and variability of foreperiod on the identification of multidimensional stimuli. Statistical analysis showed that performance speed and accuracy deteriorated as duration of stimulus was severely limited. Further, subjects seemed to change the allocation of attentional resources according to the attributes of stimulus. They tended to distribute more attentional resources to the less salient attribute which resulted in a statistically nonsignificant effect of order of report under time stress. Variability of foreperiod had very little effect on performance and may not be important to consider in reactions. Implications of these results for the design of multidimensional displays and for human information processing were discussed.
Students' Perceptions of the Weight Faculty Place on Grading Criteria
Authors: Schmelkin Liora Pedhazur , Spencer Karin J. , Labenberg Laura J.
Published: August 2011

In rating 14 criteria upon which grades can be based, 411 students responded to a mailed survey on grading and indicated their assessment of the weight faculty place on these criteria when formulating final course grades. Analysis indicated that the students believed that faculty place primary emphasis on examinations and papers with much less weight placed on a combination of other criteria, e.g., effort and improvement.
Competitiveness in Elite Professional Athletes
Authors: Houston John M. , Carter David , Smither Robert D
Published: August 2011

This study examined sport and interpersonal competitiveness between 92 tennis club players and 155 professional players (131 active and 24 retired) and also considered sex differences, differences in stage of career, and performance. Analysis indicated that tennis professionals scored higher on both sport and interpersonal measures of competitiveness than amateur tennis players and that competitiveness remains stable across stages of career. In addition, female tennis professionals scored higher on sport competitiveness than males. Neither measure of competitiveness was significantly related to professional ranking.
Does the Establishment of Momentum Lead to Athletic Improvement?
Authors: McCutcheon Lynn E.
Published: August 2011

Objective momentum scoring systems for basketball, football, and wrestling were designed and applied to data from these sports to assess whether establishing momentum was followed by consistent improvement in performance either immediately after momentum was established or throughout the remainder of the contest. In a relatively consistent way across all three sports little evidence was found that establishing momentum according to the present scoring systems is followed by better performance, especially when teams were equated for ability. Momentum as defined here does not appear to be a very useful explanatory concept.
Association between Performance Score on Aptitude Tests and Speed of Execution
Authors: Lavergne Catherine , Pépin Michel , Loranger Michel
Published: August 2011

The relationship between the speed of execution and the ability of a subject when performing mental tasks is a longtime concern of psychometric researchers. However, this relationship is not well documented because execution speed has been measured inaccurately in the past. The relationship between speed of execution and intellectual ability is evaluated here while using subtests from a French Canadian computerized battery of aptitude tests, the Tests d'aptitudes informatisés pour enfants, which adequately provide control of the response time for each presented item. The speed of execution indices we examined here are calculated from the easiest items of six subtests. Those indices are compared with the scores on these subtests as well as with other indices of intellectual ability. The sample comprises 148 children whose average age was 10 years. Analysis suggests that high speed and high scores are related for some types of mental work.
Lateral Preferences in a German Population
Authors: Reiß Michael , Reiß Gilfe
Published: August 2011

There are only a few studies in the literature concerning all four lateral preferences (handedness, footedness, eyedness, earedness) and presenting their interrelationships. Porac and Coren's 1981 inventory was used to assess hand, foot, eye, and ear preference in a German sample of 506 men and 430 women. A right sided preference was found for hand, foot, eye, and ear preference among 91%, 74%, 66%, and 63% of the sample, respectively. More men were left-handed and left-footed than women. There were no significant sex differences for eyedness and earedness. Correlations ranged from .22 between hand and eye laterality to .44 between hand and foot laterality.
Sex Differences in Academic Performance and Aptitudes for Cognition
Authors: Fontao Maria del Pilar González
Published: August 2011

Sex differences were investigated in the different cognition capacities and academic performance of 706 secondary school students. Girls scored significantly higher on subjective imagery and academic performance, while boys were significantly higher on greater objective imagery but not on creative perception or intelligence. We mention the relevance of findings in systematic education.
The Aetiology and Long-Term Effects of Injuries Due to Bicycle Accidents in Persons Aged Fifty Years and Older
Authors: Kingma Johannes , Duursma Nienke , Duis Henk Jan Ten
Published: August 2011

This retrospective study concerns the aetiology and psychological long-term effects of injuries due to bicycle accidents in 329 patients 50 years and older who attended the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital at Groningen during the period 1990 through 1992. Long-term effects were assessed three years after hospital discharge. The one-sided bicycle accident (with no other traffic involved) was the major (63.2%) cause, mostly due to loss of balance or to a foot slipping from the pedal. The main category of the second major cause was collision with other traffic. Of the bicycle accidents 66% occurred within 15 minutes after departure; 80% of the accidents happened in good weather conditions and daylight, and 7.6% of the patients had taken tranquilizers before biking. The majority of the injuries were observed at the upper extremities (28.8%) and head or face (25.8%). The percentage of clinically treated patients increased across ages from 25% in the 50- to 54-yr.-old category to 45% in the category 75-yr. and older. Three years after the incident, long-term psychological effects were still observed in 29% of the patients.
Spring Peak in Suicides
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

In 1980, the Spring peak in the 48 continental, contiguous American states was not associated with the latitude or longitude of the state capitals.
Speech Delay in Seven Siblings with Unusual Sound Preferences
Authors: Radford Nola T. , Gentry Betholyn
Published: August 2011

By the age of 8 years, children who are developing normally show almost adult speech skills. Children with serious phonological disorders, however, may exhibit significant differences in development well beyond the age of 8 years with little or no improvement in speech if therapy is not provided. This is a descriptive study of seven siblings, ranging in age from 6 to 14 years of age who had never attended school or received speech therapy until these ages. All of the children exhibited moderate to severe speech disorder with no evidence of predisposing genetic factors, hearing loss, physical abuse, or prenatal drug exposure. These cases, which would obviously be impossible to duplicate in a controlled study, provide strong support for the efficacy of speech therapy. Children with serious speech delays will not improve appreciably without direct intervention.
Cognitive Correlates of Complexity of Children's Drawings
Authors: Bensur Barbara J. , Eliot John , Hegde Laxmin
Published: August 2011

240 children (60 each at ages 4, 6, 8, and 10 years) were administered Dennis' (1987) Five Drawing Tasks and five additional developmental tasks. Three hypotheses were tested: that object recognition and working memory would be related to increasing complexity, that both would load on separate factors, and that higher-order analyses would indicate an underlying second-order spatial factor. Analysis included very strong zero-order correlations with age. When age was partialed out, three first-order factors were obtained. Higher-order analyses yielded one second-order factor which appeared related to a general factor of spatial intelligence.
Possible Interaction between Vibration Thresholds by Sex and Motor Dominance in the Index Finger and Big Toe
Authors: Ricci Paul T.
Published: August 2011

Two studies suggest a possible interaction among sex, motor dominance, and vibrotactile threshold for the great toe and index finger. In Study 1 a forced-choice procedure with the Vibratron II (Physitemp Instruments, Inc.) was used; a significant interaction between sex and foot dominance for vibratory threshold was noted with no main effects for the great toe. The greatest difference between men and women was on the nondominant side on the foot. Study 2 replicated Study 1 using the index finger as well as the great toe and used the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test for a cross-modal comparison. A method of limits procedure was used to increase the generalizability of the data. A similar interaction was found between sex and motor dominance for the index finger but not the great toe. This was attributed to skewing of data for the toe. No effects were found for the Semmes-Weinstein test. Possible usefulness in detecting neuropathies is considered. Larger normative studies including variables such as age, height, and weight are required for generalizable conclusions.
Loneliness and Health-Related Variables in Young Adults
Authors: Mahon Noreen E. , Yarcheski Thomas J. , Yarcheski Adela
Published: August 2011

In classrooms, 69 young adults responded to the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Symptom Pattern Scale, and the General Health Rating Index, a measure of perceived health status. A statistically significant positive correlation of .21 was found between scores for loneliness and ratings for symptom patterns. A statistically inverse correlation of –.35 was found between scores for loneliness and ratings for perceived health status. These findings replicated those found earlier with adolescents.
Correlations for Social Support with Depression in the Chronic Poststroke Period
Authors: Fukunishi Isao , Aoki Takayuki , Hosaka Takashi
Published: August 2011

This study examined correlations of social support with rated mood states, including depression, for 47 patients with cerebrovascular disease during the chronic poststroke period. After the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III–R, four psychological measures, the Zung Self-depression Scale, the Hamilton Depression Scale, Profile of Mood States, and Social Support Scale, were administered. The patients with cerebrovascular disease exhibited significantly more psychiatric disorders, including depression, and had poorer social support than healthy controls. The severity of depression was significantly related to poor social support and particularly to the presence of social support rather than just the perception of poor social support. Depressed patients may also rate their support as poor because they are depressed. For some patients with cerebrovascular disease during the chronic poststroke period, depression may be related to low social support.
Students' Tactics of Resistance and Teachers' Stress
Authors: Lamude Kevin G. , Fong Mary
Published: August 2011

In a study of 134 college teachers, teachers' self-reported stress scores were significantly and positively related with their perceptions of students' use of reluctant compliance and deception tactics in resistance to on-task learning.
Worth Index
Authors: Lockhart Barbara Day , Rencher Alvin C.
Published: August 2011

A measure of the perception of the source of one's worth was developed. The Worth Index focussed on whether people think that the value or worth of their lives is something which they must earn or is something that is innate and therefore cannot be earned. Estimates of validity and reliability are reported.
Perceptions of Internet Abuse, Liability, and Fair Use
Authors: Scheuermann Lawrence E. , Langford Harold P.
Published: August 2011

Telecommunication experts hail access to the Internet as a great opportunity for business development and enhancement of employees' productivity. Much of the practical discussion has centered on the perception of abuse. The two types of liability that can occur through the Internet involve inbound material that is illegal or offensive and outbound information that is unethical, illegal, or damaging to the organization. Organizations can prevent abuse of the Internet by becoming enablers rather than policemen. Managing activities and requiring employees to be accountable form the appropriate route to productive Internet use.
Percept-Genesis of the Mother-Child Separation Theme among Panic and Asthma Patients
Authors: Rubino I. Alex , Zanna Valeria , Marino Anna , Pezzarossa Bianca
Published: August 2011

A stimulus portraying a mother figure who is leaving a baby alone on the floor (Separation Theme) was presented tachistoscopically at increasing exposure times, according to the method of the Defense Mechanism Test, to three sex-matched groups of 31 normal subjects, 31 patients with bronchial asthma, and 31 patients with Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia. The frequency of several codings was significantly higher in both clinical groups compared with normal controls. Asthma patients were characterized by reports of the child seen as a statue and of contact or fusion between mother and child. Agoraphobic patients employed different strategies, centered on the mother rather than on the child and mainly represented by the denial of mother's action, e.g., she is not leaving, she is entering. The findings support the hypothesis of a difference in defensive organization between neurotic and psychosomatic patients.
Creative Synthesis of Visual Images is Not Associated with Individual Differences
Authors: Antonietti Alessandro , Bologna Debora , Lupi Giovanna
Published: August 2011

50 undergraduates were tested on a mental synthesis task aimed at producing creative visual patterns and were administered three questionnaires measuring imagery vividness and control. Analysis did not support a relationship between scores on visual synthesis and imagery and showed that neither kind of score was influenced by sex and studies attended.
Fantasy and Reality Distinction of Congenitally Blind Children
Authors: Ittyerah Miriam , Goyal Manisha
Published: August 2011

40 congenitally blind and 40 sighted children were tested for fantasy-reality distinctions of real and imagined objects and the development of concepts of darkness, hidden objects, space, dreams, emotions, facial expressions, size, and height. Analysis indicated that the blind children distinguished between contents of fantasy and reality, although they were less sure about the reality status of the objects. The sighted group gave more reality responses than the blind group for the concepts of dreams and hidden objects, but the remaining concepts were somewhat the same. Cognitive development explained in terms of theory formation may not explain the development of young blind children completely. Their knowledge that contents of fantasy are not real may be obtained through interpersonal experiences that are publicly shared.
Kapcom: A Program for the Comparison of Kappa Coefficients Obtained from the Same Sample of Observations
Authors: McKenzie Dean P. , Mackinnon Andrew J , Clarke David M.
Published: August 2011

A PC program for comparing two kappa coefficients of agreement obtained from the same sample of observations is described. The program employs a Monte Carlo permutation test to assess the statistical significance of the difference between kappa values.
Reproductive Status of Mothers Affects Sex-Biased Parental Investment in Humans
Authors: Jose Cristina San , Braza Francisco , Casanova Xenia
Published: August 2011

An analysis of the sexual differences in birth weights of 381 children showed that boys are heavier than girls for multiparous mothers but not for primiparous ones. The results support the current hypotheses that predict sex biases in parental investment, with higher costs of producing male offspring in some mammals.