bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variations in Responding during a Double-Stimulation Task
Authors: Franks Ian M. , Canil James
Published: September 2011

This study was done to investigate changes in reaction times to the first of two temporally spaced stimuli in a double stimulation paradigm. When a foot response was required to the first stimulus, increasing the complexity of the second stimulus-response pair significantly delayed the time to respond to the first stimulus. McLeod's 1977 model of parallel processing appears to offer the best explanation of the data although certain modifications to this model are suggested.
Measurement of Experience: Construct and Content Validity of the Experience Questionnaire
Authors: Privette Gayle , Bundrick Charles M.
Published: September 2011

The Experience Questionnaire, a research instrument measuring experiential data, was derived from literature on peak performance and peak experience, with constructs extended to comprise negative extremes of performance and feeling. The efficacy of the Experience Questionnaire is tested by addressing accessibility and salience of experiential data and independence of construct events. Data on construct events (peak performance, peak experience, flow, average events, misery, and failure) were gathered from 123 adults. Since over-all event effects were significant on repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance, discriminant analysis and analysis of variance with repeated measures were used. Construct independence and salience of experiential data are supported by correct classification of 97.7% of construct events and differences among construct events on factor and item scores that provide clear, differential descriptions. Peak performance is characterized by full focus and self in clear process. The role of other people is unimportant. Peak experience is noted for fulfillment, significance, spirituality, and the importance of other people. Play, other people, and outer structure, but not spirituality, are endorsed in flow. Average events have outer structure, but full focus is a negative correlate. Misery is characterized by spirituality and significance, but other people, playfulness, and self in clear process are denied. Failure is characterized by spirituality but lacks fulfillment.
The Balance Scale: Factor Analysis and Reliability
Authors: Roberts Beverly L. , Mueller Mary G.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine the construct validity and reliability of the Balance Scale. This scale consisted of eight stances: bipedal stance with eyes open and closed, monopedal stance with eyes open and closed and these four stances repeated on a beam. These stances reflect the two factors related to balance, base of support and visual cues. The ability of subjects to maintain these stances was timed for a maximum of 30 sec. Using a nonprobability sample of 61 community living elders with a mean age of 71.9 yr., a forced four-factor principal components factor analysis was done. Simple structure was achieved with varimax rotation. The four factors extracted accounted for 79.2% of the total variance and were the monopedal factor, visual factor, bipedal nonvisual factor, and a beam factor. Standardized item coefficients for these factors ranged from .60 to .76.
Understanding Order of Movement in Youngsters with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Rothman Jeffrey G.
Published: September 2011

A theoretical controversy exists over the role of early physical experience and motor activity in cognitive development. The purpose of this study was to contribute information to help clarify this relationship by comparing the understanding of order of movement of 30 nonambulatory youngsters with cerebral palsy and 30 nonhandicapped youngsters. Half were boys; half girls; equal numbers were in three age groups of 4 to 5 yr., 7 to 8 yr., and 10 to 11 yr. The order of movement task was designed by Piaget to describe the child's understanding of movement. Statistical analyses showed that youngsters with cerebral palsy were significantly delayed in their understanding of order of movement. These results indicated that the children's physical handicap interfered with their cognitive development.
Evaluation of Adolescents' Self-Esteem through the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Graphometric Analysis of Students' Handwriting
Authors: Wellingham-Jones Patricia
Published: September 2011

Self-esteem has long been considered an essential component of good mental health. Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory and Wellingham-Jones Self-esteem Values List applied to handwritings were given to 15- to 19-yr.-old students to explore the former's usefulness in designing programs to enhance self-esteem. Students were from 4 high schools representing the socioeconomic range of a small rural California city. Handwritings of the 25 students scoring highest and the 25 scoring lowest on self-esteem were graphometrically evaluated. Chi squared showed total agreement between the two tests in 62% of the cases, partial agreement in 30%, complete disagreement in 8%. This suggests Coopersmith's inventory may be a useful tool for school administrators, provided its limitations are understood. Similarities and differences between and within the high and low self-esteem groups were discussed.
Effect of Practice Schedule on Two-Hand Pursuit Tracking Performance
Authors: Stamper David A. , Levine Richard R. , Best Paul R.
Published: September 2011

40 male subjects, ages 18 to 40 yr., practiced tracking a moving target by manipulating a viscous-damped tracking device using two band grips. Eight subjects were assigned to each of five training groups. Four shortened training schedules that were considered as representing massed, distributed, or a combination of massed and distributed trials were compared with a four-day training schedule which had been previously used. Total practice time was the same for all groups. The subjects tracked a target which was moving in a fixed arc at a constant angular velocity of 5 mrad/sec. Horizontal standard deviation ( SD) errors were recorded. Analysis showed significant differences in performance among the groups on a subsequent test day; however, one of the massed/distributed schedules visually showed less variability. Comparison of subjective estimates of “Mental Fatigue” and “Eye Fatigue” among the groups were almost the same. The results are discussed in terms of the schedules most likely to produce stable performance by operators.
Effect of Perceptions of Pay Equity on Employees' Motivation, Involvement, Satisfaction, and Performance
Authors: Orpen Christopher , Bonnici Josef
Published: September 2011

The relationship between perceptions of pay level, internal pay equity, external pay equity, personal input, and job demands and a number of work outcomes was examined in a sample of 101 university teachers. Only two of the 20 correlations between those perceptions and the outcomes of work satisfaction, job involvement, internal motivation and self-rated performance were significant, suggesting that in this sample perceptions of different aspects of pay equity are unrelated to positive work outcomes.
Home Advantage: Does it Exist in Women's Sports
Authors: Gayton William F. , Mutrie Sharon A. , Hearns Joseph F.
Published: September 2011

This study examined whether the home advantage exists in women's sports. The percentages of games won at home and away were compared for three varsity women's sports at the University of Southern Maine; basketball (1968–1985), field hockey (1967–1985), and softball (1975–1986). A significant home advantage was noted in basketball and in field hockey but not in softball. These results are partially consistent with the prediction that the home advantage would be present in women's sports.
The Wiggly Block Worksample and its Relation to Age, Sex, and General Intelligence
Authors: McDonald Robert A. , Eliot John
Published: September 2011

This study examined the relations of sex and intelligence with performance on the Wiggly Block measure of structural visualization across three age groups (16 to 29 yr., 30 to 65 yr., and over 65 yr.). The Wiggly Block Worksample 4, 5, 6 and the AH4 Group Test of General Intelligence were administered to 95 adults from the three age groups. Scores on the Wiggly Block showed a declining pattern of performance from young adulthood through middle age, as well as after 65 yr. of age. There was evidence of only very weak correlation between sex and performance (structural visualization) in favor of men.
Effect of Two Instructional Strategies on Acquisition of a Shooting Task
Authors: Boyce B. Ann
Published: September 2011

This study investigated the effect of two instructional strategies, (a) utilization of kinesthetic feedback and (b) prediction of knowledge of results on performance of a shooting task. 112 university students enrolled in the basic physical education program were assigned to one of four conditions, (a) kinesthetic feedback, (b) prediction of knowledge of results, (c) a combination of the first two conditions, and (d) a control group. Subjects received seven days of instruction with practice in the prone shooting position. The results supported the hypothesis that the group who received the two instructional strategies was significantly more effective than the control group on the given shooting task. The findings are related to how instruction should be designed for the acquisition of closed skills.
Relationship between Scores of Young Adults on Stanford-Binet IV and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised
Authors: Carvajal Howard , Gerber Jon , Smith Paul D.
Published: September 2011

The 1986 Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised were given to 32 students (16 men, 16 women) in general psychology. The statistically significant correlation of .69 between the two tests suggests the revised Peabody appears to be a satisfactory screening test of intelligence for use with young adults.
Effect of Perceptual Style Strength on Acquisition of a Novel Motor Task
Authors: Buell Cathy , Pettigrew Frank , Langendorfer Stephen
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the strength of perceptual style preference on the acquisition of a novel motor task. The Physical Needs element of the Learning Style Inventory was administered to 98 students, 14 to 15 yr. old, to determine the strength of their perceptual preferences for processing auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile information. Subjects practiced the tennis-ball basket-bounce test as a novel task 8 times (3 practice and 5 test trials) per day for 9 days. Subjects were grouped according to the strength of their perceptual preferences: Group 1 ( n = 15) in the top quartile on all perceptual modes; Group 2 ( n = 16) at the median on all modes; and Group 3 ( n = 14) in the bottom quartile on all modes. Scores on the ball-bounce task were compared across groups using a 3 (groups) × 9 (days) analysis of variance. There were over-all significant differences between perceptual-preference groups and across days, but no significant interaction was detected. The composite strength of perceptual-style preference as measured is potentially important in acquisition of this motor skill.
Sensation Seeking and Estimation of Numerosity
Authors: Ginsburg Norman , Ksander Allison T.
Published: September 2011

In a sample of 81 subjects, significant negative correlations were obtained between scores on Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale and estimates of numerosity. A cognitive view of sensation seeking was suggested, according to which high scores are a function of an underestimation of the amount of stimulation experienced and low scores a function of overestimation. This approach was discussed in relation to motivational theories and those involving strength of the nervous system.
Research Note on Perceptual Features and Auditory Representations
Authors: Fox Robert Allen , Booth Jean
Published: September 2011

It has been argued that bark-scale transformed formant frequency values more accurately reflect auditory representations of vowels in the perceptual system than do the absolute physical values (in Hertz). In the present study the perceptual features of 15 monophthongal and diphthongal vowels (obtained using multidimensional scaling) were compared with both absolute and bark-scale transformed acoustic vowel measures. Analyses suggest that bark-transformation of the acoustic data does not necessarily produce better predictions of the vowels' perceptual space.
Situational-Specificity of Motivational Differences between Depressed and Nondepressed Subjects
Authors: Sigmon Sandra T. , Nelson Rosemery O. , Brannon Suzanne E.
Published: September 2011

Performance on an easy or a difficult coding task for 4 90-sec. repetitions by 15 college women who showed depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory and the MMPI-Depression Scale and 15 who did not indicated no support for a psychological or motivational deficit in depression. Replication with clinically depressed persons is recommended.
Lateral Asymmetry in Visual Detection under Hypnosis
Authors: Hass Edward J. , Holden Christopher W.
Published: September 2011

It has been suggested that the hypnotic state results in a greater relative activation or priming of the right cerebral hemisphere than of the left hemisphere. The experiment reported here employed hypnosis to produce such a priming effect in a visual-detection task. Subjects were required to detect the presence or absence of a gap in outline squares presented either to the left visual field or right visual field, with response time as the primary dependent measure. Those subjects who were hypnotized produced a 50-msec. response time difference favoring squares presented to the left visual field whereas control subjects and simulator-control subjects showed no lateral asymmetries. The result is classified as a material-nonspecific priming effect and discussed with regard to the nature of processing resources.
Foot Laterality in Four-Year-Olds
Authors: Gabbard Carl , Bonfigli Daniel
Published: September 2011

This study examined the lateral foot preferences of 153 4-yr.-olds by systematic presentation of three foot dominance tasks. The foot behavior indicated that 46% of the sample preferred use of the right foot, 50% were of mixed dominance, and 4% exhibited left-footedness. Speculation that footedness may be established at an earlier age than handedness was not supported by this study. It also appears that between 4 and 5 yr. of age may be a critical period in the development of foot laterality.
The Kahn Test of Symbol Arrangement: A Suggested Index for Specific Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wagner Rudolph F.
Published: September 2011

An index for specific learning disabilities of six signs or symptoms, taken as a group, is described. Preliminary work encourages cross-validation.
Twisting the Night Away: The Effects of All Night Disco Dancing on Reaction Time
Authors: Tilley Andrew J. , Bohle Philip
Published: September 2011

8 subjects performed an unprepared simple reaction time task for 20 min. every 2 hr. while taking part in an all night disco dancing marathon (continuous exercise) and during a control (no exercise) night. Mean reaction times were significantly faster and less variable during the dance marathon. It was suggested that the effects of continuous exercise in the form of disco dancing may be to reduce drowsiness which in turn assists performance.
Experimental Design Considerations in Studies of Event-Related Potentials to Word and Nonword Stimuli
Authors: Hillyard Steven A.
Published: September 2011

A recent paper by Katayama and associates (1987) reported differences in late negative components of the event-related potentials to nonwords versus semantically deviant words in a randomized sequence. This comparison was confounded with differences in response requirements between the two stimulus classes.
Replication of Nonvocal System for Teaching Nonreaders to Read in an Adult Training Centre
Authors: Hills Alan
Published: September 2011

An attempt was made to replicate a study to evaluate a system used by Kuntz, et al. in 1978 to teach children with mental handicaps to read. The original study was done in a children's hospital training centre with children who had considerable communication difficulties, whereas the present study was undertaken with adults with mental handicaps in an adult training centre. In the UK, adult training centres are currently at the centre of service provision by Social Services for the instruction of adults with mental handicaps, providing both a sheltered workshop and a practical educational situation. Nine out of 33 nonreaders completed the programme so the success rate was well short of that of the original study.
Contrast and Assimilation in the Baldwin Illusion
Authors: Wilson Alexander E. , Pressey Alexander W.
Published: September 2011

Four experiments were conducted to investigate the role of “large” squares on the occurrence of assimilation and contrast in the Baldwin illusion. In Exps. 1 and 2, in which subjects reproduced the length of the test line, large squares induced illusions of assimilation. In Exp. 3, reproduction of the entire length of the test line also resulted in illusions of assimilation but bisection of the test line and reproduction of one-half the length of the test line resulted in contrast. Exp. 4 replicated the findings involving judgments of one-half the length of the test line. Over-all, the results indicate that judgments of one-half the length of the test line result in contrast, whereas judgments of the entire extent result in assimilation.
Effect of Mouth Opening on Bite-Force Discrimination
Authors: Williams W. N. , Lapointe L. L. , Cornell C. E. , Turner G. E.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different extents of mouth opening affect normal subjects' ( N = 24; 12 women, 12 men) ability to discriminate differences in their interincisor bite force. Three mouth openings were selected including 50, 70, and 90 percent of maximum opening for each subject. Bite force was measured using a specially designed strain gauge scale which permitted subjects to monitor visually when their biting force equalled a preset resistance. Resistance forces of 500 and 1000 gm. were selected as standards. The procedure involved the use of a modified method of constant stimuli in which each subject was presented with a series of paired resistance settings, one at a time—the first resistance setting being the standard and the second resistance was the comparator. This paired-comparisons procedure was continued until the subjects' difference limen (DL) value (the threshold of discrimination between two forces) could be established. An analysis of variance yielded no significant differences in subjects' ability to discriminate bite force as a function of mouth opening.
Judgments of Horizontality of Still Water: Effects of Perceptual and Cognitive Factors
Authors: Otani Hajime , Leonard S. David
Published: September 2011

Three experiments examined failure to solve the Piagetian water-level horizontality task in terms of artifacts of experimental procedure, perceptual characteristics of the task, and the physical principles involved in the task. The possibility that rotational set accounts for task failure was examined in Exp. 1 ( N = 154 college students) with no evidence of an effect, although the spatial tasks used correlated with performance on the horizontality task for women but not for men. ln Exp. 2 ( N = 159) a procedure of focussing attention on the movement of water and air using a carpenter's level also did not affect horizontality performance. However, Exp. 3 confirmed that performance ( N = 57) on the horizontality task was related to understanding the basic principle of the level. These results were discussed in terms of possible experiences of the subjects as well as the relative contributions of perceptual and cognitive factors.
Rapid Discrimination of Visual Patterns in Children and Adults
Authors: Saarinen Jukka
Published: September 2011

Rapid visual discrimination in children (9 to 11 yr.) and adults was investigated using two tasks in which the subject had to search for a target pattern embedded in 35 background patterns. The time available for inspecting the search arrays was altered by varying the stimulus duration. In one task, there was a large difference in the feature or ‘texton’ content of patterns between the target and the background; in the other, this difference was small. In the first task, the children could detect the target pattern in a briefly flashed search array with high accuracy, because the target ‘popped out’ perceptually from the array, but in the second task the same detection rate was not reached until the stimulus duration was much longer, since a serial searching strategy was required. Results achieved by children and adults were similar. It seems that serial visual search is as efficient in children as in adults.
Evaluations of Family as a Function of One's Family Structure and Sex
Authors: Parish Thomas S.
Published: September 2011

822 college students completed the Personal Attribute Inventory using “Their Family” as the target group. The 229 men did not differ significantly in their family ratings as a function of their own family structure, but 33 women from divorced families were significantly more negative in their family ratings than the 560 women from intact families or the men from either intact families ( n = 217) or divorced families ( n = 12).
Relationship between Human Figure Drawings and Self-Esteem
Authors: Calhoun George , Ross James L. , Bolton James A.
Published: September 2011

The correlation of self-esteem and mental age was estimated for 14 boys and 15 girls on Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory and the Goodenough-Harris Draw-a-Man. A significant negative Pearson correlation of .710 between mean self-esteem and drawing was noted for boys. A significant sex difference for drawing was observed.
Memory Deficits in Psychiatric Outpatients and Affective Ratings of Positive and Neutral Lists of Words
Authors: Ceply Elizabeth , Tyson Paul D.
Published: September 2011

The experimental findings on memory deficits from hospitalized psychiatric patients were applied to the recall and recognition memory of outpatients. Two positive and one list of 25 neutral words each were learned by the subjects for recognition and then rated as an orienting task during rehearsal for recall. On the first positive list, compared to 20 controls, the 7 patients showed substantial recall deficits, but recognition memory and affective ratings were relatively normal. On the subsequent positive list, outpatients' recall memory declined and did not recover after shifting to neutral words on the third list. There was little evidence for the build-up of interference, instead factors such as fatigue may affect patients' recall memory. Recognition memory showed signs of interference contributing to the patients' deficits. Psychiatric outpatients have significant recall deficits, less severe recognition deficits, and attitude problems that may contribute to the high rate of readmissions.
Factor Analysis of Self-Statements
Authors: Acton Robert G. , Fischer Donald G.
Published: September 2011

Factor analysis of five self-statement categories in a study of speech anxiety produced two factors, performance-based thinking and off-task thinking. The highly specific thought categories utilized in the present study, and most others, are not independent. Effective on-task, noneffective on-task, positive self-evaluation, and negative self-evaluation are all significantly inter-correlated and load together on Factor I, while off-task thinking loaded by itself on Factor II. Of the categories commonly treated as independent, only off-task thinking actually formed a separate dimension. Researchers need to reconsider the utility of separately categorizing effective on-task thoughts, noneffective on-task thoughts, positive self-evaluation, and negative self-evaluation. They do not represent independent categories.
Effects of Signalling and Feedback on the Comprehension of Reconstructed Text
Authors: Langer Philip , Keenan Verne , Culler Janice
Published: September 2011

64 college students reconstructed two scrambled 26-sentence passages, one based primarily on semantic content and the other on episodic content. Assistance was provided in the form of feedback and three signalling sentences. There were statistically significant main effects favoring the semantic passage for recall and for concordance with the original order. There were no effects for signalling. However, a qualitative analysis of sentence clustering suggested that feedback and signalling were differentially more effective for the semantic passage.
Interest in Dreams and Dream Recall
Authors: Robbins Paul R. , Tanck Roland H.
Published: September 2011

Questionnaire measures of interest in dreams were obtained from 123 undergraduate students (61 males, 62 females). Of these students 98 later completed diaries of home dream recall over 10 days. The number of nights without dream recall was negatively correlated (−.23) with speculation about the meaning of one's dreams and (−.20) with the presence of beliefs or theories about the meaning of dreams. Sex differences were found in interest in dreams: chi squared tests indicated that women more frequently than men speculated about their dreams and discussed them with other people.
Bethanechol Chloride as a Suggested Adjunct to Prolonged in vivo Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Paruresis
Authors: Zgourides George Dean
Published: September 2011

A major difficulty in treating paruresis (psychogenic urinary retention) by prolonged in vivo exposure therapy involves the individual's inability to initiate urination in response to anxiety-provoking stimuli easily and frequently enough to generalize the desired behavior to everyday situations. Administration of bethanechol chloride, a parasympathomimetic compound that facilitates urination by prompting contraction of the detrusor muscle of the bladder, prior to therapeutic sessions is suggested to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of in vivo desensitization procedures in the treatment of paruresis.
Individual Differences in the Reading Process: Field Independence and Letter Detection
Authors: Davies Martin F.
Published: September 2011

This study concerned the role of field independence in letter detection during normal reading by 49 female college students. Field independence was associated with significantly better detection of silent es but only slightly better detection of sounded es. Field independence was also associated with significantly greater use of a visual than a phonological strategy in letter detection. Although use of a visual strategy was associated with significantly better detection of silent (but not sounded) es, path analysis showed that the influence of field independence on letter-detection performance was not mediated by use of a visual strategy. Rather, the effect of field independence was direct, suggesting that it is the superior visual disembedding ability of field-independent persons which is responsible for better letter detection in reading.
Choice and the Detection of Deception
Authors: Bradley M. T.
Published: September 2011

Laboratory simulations of polygraph lie detection typically involve random assignment of subjects to conditions of guilt or innocence. The present study allowed subjects to choose between stealing a larger sum of money or receiving a small sum as pay for being in the experiment. Prior to this choice subjects completed personality scales and estimated the effectiveness of the polygraph. Subjects were informed that, if they were found guilty of stealing, they would forfeit whatever money they had. Were they found innocent, they could keep the amount they had. Even though subjects' views of polygraph accuracy were related to their choice of conditions, detection scores were similar to those of studies in which subjects were randomly assigned to their conditions, that is, most guilty subjects were detected and most classification errors were made with innocent subjects. The various estimates of effectiveness made by guilty and innocent subjects were not related to polygraph accuracy in either of these groups.
Is the Reduction of Reaction Time an Adequate Estimate of the Effect of Practice?
Authors: Kasai Tatsuya
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the reduction of reaction time is an adequate estimate of the effect of practice. Since the biceps brachii muscle performs in two different movement patterns, elbow flexion and forearm supination, EMG-RTs of these movement patterns were examined after forehand-stroke practice by the preferred hand. Moreover, for the purpose of analysis of the return of practice effect, the EMG-RTs of the same subjects were measured 3 or 4 mo. after the initial sessions. No significant differences in EMG-RTs of elbow flexion and forearm supination of both hands were recognized before and after practice. The EMG-RT differences for the nonpracticed hand were nonsignificant, but those for the practiced hand were significant. These results suggest that the reduction in reaction time alone is an inadequate parameter for estimating the effect of practice. Further, it is of critical importance to find a potentially more reliable and valuable parameter such as the EMG-RT difference between the two different movement patterns.
Physiological Responses of Obese Subjects to External Stimuli
Authors: Gardner Rick M. , Espinoza Tracy , Martinez Renee
Published: September 2011

Physiological arousal was measured in 11 obese and 11 normal-weight subjects during presentation of emotive, food, and neutral stimuli. No differential arousal (heart rate, temperature, GSR, and EMG on frontalis muscle) between the groups was obtained for any of the three types of stimuli. Discrepancies between the present findings and earlier results are discussed.
Varying Preschool Arrangements and Self-Concepts of Educable Mentally Retarded Children in Grade 1
Authors: Blackbourn Joe M.
Published: September 2011

Differences in measured self-concept among educable mentally retarded children in Grade 1 were examined. Subjects included 90 children randomly selected from larger populations with varying preschool experiences. An initial positive influence of preschool experience on self-concept in Grade 1 appeared to be more pronounced among those subjects exposed to nonhandicapped peers.
Gender-Linked Stereotypes and Motivation affect Performance in the Prisoner's Dilemma Game
Authors: Ferguson Eva Dreikurs , Schmitt Steven
Published: September 2011

40 men and 40 women played a Prisoner's Dilemma Game against a simulated partner for 30 trials. The task simulated corporate managerial decisions with a profit motive, and higher profits were obtained when subjects made noncooperative choices. All subjects received the same preprogrammed sequence of “partner” responses, and half played against a female, half against a male “partner.” The female “partner” received significantly more cooperative responses than the male. Trial blocks and the interaction of “partner's” gender with trial blocks were significant effects, and motivation played a significant interactive role that modulated subject's game behavior. Self-fulfilling confirmatory hypothesis testing appeared to be operative in the display of gender-linked stereotypes.
Graphological Assessments for Personnel Selection: Concerns and Suggestions for Research
Authors: Rafaeli Anat , Drory Amos
Published: September 2011

There is an inconsistency between the spreading practice of graphology as a selection tool and the insufficient research support for the technique. The present paper identifies some major concerns about the current status of available knowledge on the employment of handwriting analysis for personnel selection. Drawing on the extensive psychological literature about personnel selection, personnel evaluation, and attribution processes, variables that may moderate the reliability and validity of script assessments are suggested. Four categories of such variables are identified: attributes of the writer, attributes of the graphologist, attributes of the job, and the organizational context. Conceptual and empirical methods for improving the psychometric properties of graphological assessments are suggested. And, the relationship of general problems in personnel-selection research to the use of graphology for personnel selection is discussed. The intent is to propose a research framework that will allow psychologists and managers to make valid judgments about the benefits, as well as limitations, of employing graphology in making personnel recommendations.
Plus-Size Women's Clothing Interest, Satisfactions and Dissatisfactions with Ready-to-Wear Apparel
Authors: Chowdhary Usha , Beale Nadine V.
Published: September 2011

Seventy-one large-size women (Size 16 and over) participated in an assessment of their clothing interest, satisfactions, and dissatisfactions with ready-to-wear apparel for six types of apparel and seven factors such as color, fabric, fashion, fit, selection, size, and style. Analysis showed that the respondents were satisfied with five of the six apparel categories. However, opinion regarding satisfaction differed by size and age. Fit and size were the most common problem areas. Satisfaction and problems were associated with specific articles of apparel. Several implications were discussed.
A Classroom Demonstration of the Difference between Correlation and Causality
Authors: Harcum E. Rae
Published: September 2011

An important principle to demonstrate in the first course in psychology is that correlation and causality are not the same. This note describes an apparatus useful in demonstrating the point: correlation does not necessarily imply causality. A black box contains a crank on one end and a flag on the other, without a connection between them. When the instructor overtly turns the crank and, in synchrony, covertly operates another mechanism to wave the flag, the students develop a strong delusion from the mere correlation of the two observed events that turning the crank causes the flag to wave. This demonstration becomes the basis for a discussion of this pitfall in interpreting both research data and life experiences.
Longitudinal Validity of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers: Study II
Authors: Miller Lucy Jane
Published: September 2011

The classificational accuracy of the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers was examined in relation to intelligence and achievement measures assessed four years later. Specifically, the test's predictive validity was evaluated using the recommended 5% (Refer) and 25% cut-offs (Watch). The results' implications for decision strategies in research on validity for preschool screening instruments are discussed.
Psychological Gender, Hand Preferences, and Sex Differences in Book-Carrying Styles
Authors: Alley Thomas R. , Kolker Jeanette I.
Published: September 2011

Individuals with stronger sex-role identities may be expected to show greater conformity to sex-typed behaviors. Proceeding from this assumption, the sex-role status and sex of students using different styles of carrying books were compared. This study also examined whether over-all hand preference or age were related to carrying styles or sex-role status. Subjects completed a questionnaire comprised of the 24-item Personal Attributes Questionnaire of Spence and Helmreich, a 6-item scale of hand preference and a self-rating of sex-role identity. Afterwards, each subject's carrying style was covertly observed and recorded. Most subjects carried their materials in a sex-typical way or in book bags (for which no sex-typed carrying styles were discovered). As in previous studies, men in this study scored higher than women on masculinity and androgyny and lower on femininity. Hand preference was not related to sex-role status. Carrying style was not significantly correlated with any of the predictor variables for men, perhaps because almost no variance in carrying style was observed among them. Women who used masculine carrying styles tended to be older, have greater instrumentality, and a more masculine identity.
Use of Subjective Information in Scientific Psychology: II. Contextual Influences on Production of Early Recollections
Authors: Bauserman Joseph M. , Rule Warren R.
Published: September 2011

This investigation focused on whether selected elements of the context in which early recollections are collected can contaminate the recollections. The independent variables were examiner's style (warm or cold), presence or absence of the examiner, and order in which the examiner was present. 10 examiners collected six early memories from 60 subjects. Three raters evaluated the early memories on six scales; in addition, they established satisfactory rater reliability. Analysis of variance showed subjects with warm examiners produced significantly more solitary memories and less vivid ones. Theoretical and research implications were discussed.
Field Dependence/Independence and Concentration as Psychological Characteristics of Basketball Players
Authors: Raviv Shulamit , Nabel Noa
Published: September 2011

We examined a possible connection between the visual perceptual cognitive ability of field dependence/independence and concentration, two variables relevant to performance of skills required in basketball. Subjects were men aged 23 to 34 yr., of whom 21 were national level basketball players, 24 lower-league basketball players, and 18 nonathletic students. All were given two pencil-and-paper tests: the Group Embedded Figures Test of Witkin to test field dependence/independence; and the d2 test of Brickenkamp to test concentration. The field-dependent visual perceptual cognitive ability characterizes elite basketball players of the national level as opposed to the other two groups, who were field-independent. A statistically significant difference was found between the quality of concentration of national-level players and students who are not athletes. The difference was not substantial between the elite and amateur players. Low or low to medium correlations were found between field-dependence/independence and concentration among all the groups tested.
Familiarity with Proverbs and Performance of a Black Population on Gorham's Proverbs Test
Authors: Penn Nolan E. , Jacob Teresa C. , Brown Malrie
Published: September 2011

The Gorham Proverbs Test was administered to 278 black participants residing in a large metropolitan area in Southern California. Respondents were also asked to indicate whether they were familiar with each of the 40 proverbs in the test. Scores were significantly affected by respondents' ages, education, and perceived childhood socioeconomic status. Familiarity with a proverb increased the probability of its correct interpretation. Familiarity of proverbs and attempts to interpret them were significantly associated, that is, respondents tended not to attempt interpretation of unfamiliar proverbs. The number of familiar proverbs per test was not significantly associated with respondents' test scores. The mean Abstract score obtained in this study was comparable to mean scores previously reported in the literature, suggesting that ethnic differences do not significantly affect performance on the Proverbs Test.
Hemispheric Dominance Inferred from Your Style of Learning and Thinking on Reports of Necker Cube Reversals and Maze Learning
Authors: Beer John
Published: September 2011

30 subjects volunteered from three sources: community adults ( M age= 32.8, SD = 13.4), college adults (AT age = 23.8, SD = 8.3), and children ( M age = 9.5, SD = 1.7) and were categorized as ‘left-’ and ‘right-dominant’ by scores on Your Style of Thinking and Learning. They reported the number of Necker cube reversals perceived in 90 sec., attempted to locate four embedded figures, and blindly traversed a 16-choice point finger maze in that order. ‘Right-dominant’ subjects located more embedded figures and made fewer errors on the finger maze than did ‘left-dominant’ subjects. College adults reported more Necker cube reversals than did community adults and children, and community adults reported more reversals than did children. Confounds of performance measures with fatigue and/or practice require further research.
Contributions to the History of Psychology: XLVIII. Ancient Greek Roots of the Assumptions of Modern Clinical Psychology
Authors: Robbins Rosemary A.
Published: September 2011

This paper is an account of studies of the linguistic transformation that took place in ancient Greece between the eighth and fourth centuries B.C., searching for factors which contribute to the shift in how humans perceived themselves. The group or force-field consciousness of the men of the Iliad and the linguistic factors which allowed “individuality” to emerge by the time of Plato is explored. The account relates the emergence of the notion of “madness” to the development of the individual and asks whether madness is an artifact of individuality and explores the relationship of these developments to our present underlying assumption of a duality in human nature composed of the rational and the irrational.
Variable-Image Videoconfrontation as a Method of Assessing Body Image: A Technical Report and Comparison with Similar Techniques
Authors: McCrea Celia , Neil William J. , Flanigan John W. , Summerfield Angela B.
Published: September 2011

In this study a new modified videosystem, designed for measuring body-image, was evaluated alongside the major size-estimation measure, namely, the visual size-estimation apparatus. The advantages afforded by a videosystem which allows independent adjustment of size and height/width proportions were highlighted, and its validity and reliability were examined, based on estimates made by obese, normal weight, and pregnant groups.
Change at Puberty in Spatioperceptual Strategy on the Rod-and-Frame Test
Authors: Nyborg Helmuth
Published: September 2011

It is now possible to study spatioperceptual strategies on the rod-and-frame test with a new scoring method. The method is presented and used to analyze cross-sectional data taken from a comprehensive 10-yr. cohort-sequential study of pubertal development of girls and boys.
Loneliness, Personality, and Well-Being in Older Widows
Authors: Gfellner Barbara M. , Finlayson Coleen
Published: September 2011

Correlations between loneliness and desired control, psychological well-being, physical well-being, and affiliation were examined in a sample of 30 older widows. Findings supported associations between loneliness and personality characteristics related to social interaction and well-being.
Left-Handedness and Tongue-Rolling Ability
Authors: Fry Carol J.
Published: September 2011

948 undergraduates at The Ohio State University were administered the 10-item Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and asked to indicate the extent to which they could turn up the sides of their tongues. Significantly fewer left-handers than right-handers (62.8% and 74.8%, respectively) reported being able to turn up either or both sides. Sex differences in tongue-rolling ability were also noted. Among the 403 men included in the final sample, 77.4% could roll their tongues, whereas only 69 7% of the 491 women could do so.
Some Effects of the Need for Cognition on Course Grades
Authors: Leone Christopher , Dalton Charles H.
Published: September 2011

It was predicted that high need for cognition students would better comprehend course material which required a great deal of effortful thought than would low need for cognition students; no differences were expected for material which required relatively less effortful thought. Students completed a measure of the need for cognition and four objective tests in an undergraduate social psychology course. As indicated by independent student-raters, course material varied in the amount of effortful thought required for mastery. Results were consistent with our hypotheses. Analysis also showed that the differences in the need for cognition on comprehension were not mediated by differences in intolerance of ambiguity.
Systematic Observation of Behaviors and Environmental Events Using the Lag Method
Authors: García-López Maria Del Carmen
Published: September 2011

Systematic observation of individuals or groups focuses on the visible behavior in relation to visible values of the environment. The researcher may find it useful to record both properties of environment-behavior events. The building block of any systematic observation system is defined in a clear set of selection rules which can be used by human observers, the next step is to decide which properties will be measured. Every property is a variable, and each variable makes up a set of values. Measurement theory demands that the variables be defined in such a way that any event will get one and only one value for each variable. The values have to be mutually exclusive and exhaustive. Systematic observation generally does not permit interpretation of events in the particular environment. It is better to separate the observation and its interpretation into an index of cross-reference instead of relating them. On the other hand, it is absolutely essential that constant analysis of the notes and relationships should be carried out while the work of natural observation is still taking place. In spite of the fact that natural systematic observation does not possess high control, it can quite well be complemented by very structured observation and by accurate quantification using techniques of qualitative numeration for this purpose.
Perceptual Identification Thresholds for 150 Fragmented Pictures from the Snodgrass and Vanderwart Picture Set
Authors: Snodgrass Joan Gay , Corwin June
Published: September 2011

This paper reports perceptual identification thresholds for 150 pictures from the 1980 Snodgrass and Vanderwart picture set. These pictures were fragmented and presented on the Apple Macintosh microcomputer in a picture-fragment completion task in which identification thresholds were obtained at three phases of learning: Train (initial presentation), New (initial presentation after training on a different set), and Old (repeated presentation of the Train set). Pictures were divided into five sets of two subsets of 15 pictures each, which served alternately as the Train and New sets. A total of 100 subjects participated in the task, with 10 subjects assigned to each subset. Individual thresholds for each picture at each phase of learning are presented, along with the fragmented pictures identified by 35% of the subjects across the Train and New learning phases. This set of fragmented pictures is provided for use in experiments in which a single level of fragmented image is presented for identification after a priming phase. Correlations between the Snodgrass and Vanderwart norms and identification thresholds at the three phases of learning are also reported.
Effects of Running and other Activities on Moods
Authors: Dyer John B. , Crouch Joyce G.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to compare the moods and mood variations of runners to those of aerobic dancers, weight-lifters, and nonexercising controls. The subjects, 70 undergraduates, were participants in a jogging and conditioning, a weight training, an aerobic dance, or an introductory psychology class. A time-series design was used in which all participants completed eight Profile of Mood State questionnaires over a 6-hr. period that centered on the time of the class. Four questionnaires were completed during the second week of classes and the other four about midsemester, approximately 6 wk. later. Runners had a significantly more positive mood profile than nonexercisers and a somewhat more positive one than weight-lifters, but those of runners and aerobic dancers were similar. Changes in moods across time in relation to activity and across semester suggest that exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, helps the regular participant not only to cope with stress but also to have a generally more positive feeling of well-being.