bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Competitive Anxiety in Expert Female Athletes: Sources and Intensity of Anxiety in National Team and First Division Spanish Basketball Players
Authors: Guillén Félix , Sánchez Rosaura
Published: September 2010

State and trait anxiety levels in elite Spanish women basketball players were investigated and possible differences in sources of anxiety identified, comparing National Team and First Division players. 84 players participated (13 National Team members, 71 First Division players). A quantitative/qualitative design was used. Results indicated that National Team members had lower State and Trait Anxiety scores than did the First Division players and both groups had lower scores than established population norms. Playing time was significantly related to State and Trait Anxiety for both groups of players and those who had more minutes of playing time had lower scores. Qualitative analyses indicated that the primary sources of anxiety reported by these athletes related to personal issues pertaining to feeling physically and mentally unprepared for practice and games.
Self-Efficacy, Foreign Language Anxiety as Predictors of Academic Performance among Professional Program Students in a General English Proficiency Writing Test
Authors: Chen M. C. , Lin Huey-Ju
Published: September 2010

Questionnaires were administered to 120 students. Cluster analysis was used to examine whether specific groups could be described by a writing self-efficacy scale, English writing anxiety scale, and a written General English Proficiency Test. Three clusters were observed. Demographic variables were compared for each cluster, including age, sex, program of study, years of English instruction, native language, and number of English speaking acquaintances. Efforts to reduce writing anxiety and promote writing self-efficacy could enhance writing scores of participants.
Classical Illusions from Parallel Line Figures: Evidence for Interactions among Length-Coding Neurons
Authors: Jaeger Ted , Long Stephen
Published: September 2010

Variations of the Craik-O'Brien, Müller-Lyer, reversed Müller-Lyer, orthogonal Müller-Lyer, and Ponzo illusions were created using 10 to 12 parallel lines. 20 participants judged which of two physically equal lines in the patterns appeared longer. For 4 of the 5 patterns, the parallel lines created illusions which corresponded to those produced by the template figures. The results suggest that length is encoded by frequency of neural response and that the parallel line illusions, as well as their classical counterparts, emerge from interactions which distort this frequency code.
Self-Assessed Tactical Skills in Elite Youth Soccer Players: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kannekens R. , Elferink-Gemser M. T. , Post W. J. , Visscher C.
Published: September 2010

Self-assessed tactical skills were investigated among 191 youth soccer players from ages 14 through 18 playing in different field positions. On a yearly basis, all players completed the Tactical Skills Inventory for Sports with scales for attacking and defensive situations and for declarative and procedural knowledge. A model to assess whether tactical skills change over time in each field position was developed using multilevel analysis. The models indicated that defenders and midfielders did not improve their tactical skills, whereas attackers increased their tactical skills from ages 14 to 18 years. The representing part of tactical skills for defenders is Acting in Changing Situations, for midfielders Positioning and Deciding, whereas Knowing About Ball Actions was the qualifying factor for attackers. Possible explanations for these differences in tactical skills among elite youth soccer players are the selection procedures at a younger age and task-specific experiences.
Skills and Offensive Tactics Used in Pick-up Basketball Games
Authors: Wang Jianyu , Liu Wenhao , Moffit Jeffrey
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to describe skills and offensive tactics frequently used in pick-up basketball games. 65 participants were recruited from public basketball courts. An observational instrument was developed to analyze the performances of pick-up games. Participants' performances were videotaped and coded. Results indicated that the passing skills most frequently observed in the games were chest pass, overhead pass, and bounce pass. For dribbling, crossover dribble and change-of-pace dribble were frequently observed. Jump shot, set shot, and layup were also frequently used. The offensive tactics frequently used included drive, cut, and set screen. The study may be beneficial for helping young people prepare to play pick-up basketball games.
Preparatory EMG Activity Reveals a Rapid Adaptation Pattern in Humans Performing Landing Movements in Blindfolded Condition
Authors: Magalhães Fernando Henrique , Goroso Daniel Gustavo
Published: September 2010

The main questions addressed in this work were whether and how adaptation to suppression of visual information occurs in a free-fall paradigm, and the extent to which vision availability influences the control of landing movements. The prelanding modulation of EMG timing and amplitude of four lower-limb muscles was investigated. Participants performed six consecutive drop-landings from four different heights in two experimental conditions: with and without vision. Experimental design precluded participants from estimating the height of the drop. Since cues provided by proprioceptive and vestibular information acquired during the first trials were processed, the nervous system rapidly adapted to the lack of visual information, and hence produced a motor output (i.e., prelanding EMG modulation) similar to that observed when performing the activity with vision available.
Whole and Part Practice: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fontana Fabio E. , Furtado Ovande , Mazzardo Oldemar , Gallagher Jere D.
Published: September 2010

Motor learning textbooks provide specific recommendations for the use of whole and part practice during motor skill acquisition. Magill recommended basing decisions on Naylor and Briggs' hypothesis of task complexity and organization, while Schmidt and Wrisberg recommended basing decisions on skill classification. To evaluate the accuracy of these recommendations, a meta-analysis was conducted. Through a literature search, 44 articles were located, and 20 provided sufficient information to calculate effect sizes. Effect sizes were calculated using means for whole and part practice for acquisition and retention. Although several analyses were compromised by insufficient studies investigating whole and part practice, mean effect sizes generally supported motor learning textbooks. To better verify the empirical validity of recommendations for the use of whole and part practice, more studies are necessary.
Economic and Cultural Correlates of Road-Traffic Accident Fatality Rates in OECD Countries
Authors: Gaygisiz Esma
Published: September 2010

The relationships between economic conditions, cultural characteristics, personality dimensions, intelligence scores, and road-traffic accident mortality rates were investigated in 30 member and five accession countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Economic indicators included the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, the unemployment rate, and the Gini index. Cultural variables included five Hofstede's cultural dimensions, seven Schwartz cultural value dimensions, NEO-PI-R scales, and the intelligence quotient (IQ). The results showed positive associations between favorable economic conditions (high income per capita, high employment rate, and low income inequality) and high traffic safety. Countries with higher road-traffic accident fatality rates were characterized by higher power distance and uncertainty avoidance as well as embeddedness and emphasis on social hierarchy. Countries with lower road-traffic accident fatality rates were more individualistic, egalitarian, and emphasized autonomy of individuals. Conscientiousness (from NEO-PI-R) and IQ correlated negatively with road-traffic accident fatalities.
Human Signal-Detection Performance in Multiscreen Monitoring Tasks
Authors: Lin Chiuhsiang Joe , Chang Hsiao-Ching , Chen Hung-Jen , Yang Chih-Wei
Published: September 2010

Human monitoring performance was compared for different screens within a single display. Participants' performance with random signals and different numbers of split screens was tested for a period of time. The performance measures were hit rate, false alarm rate, and response time. Results indicated that the response time and false alarm rate significantly increased with the number of split screens. Results also showed that signal frequency significantly influenced the false alarm rate. The location of the 9-screen display was analyzed on hit rate and false alarm rate. More attention was paid to the center screen as indicated by both the higher hit rate and false alarm rate. Findings suggest that designers of monitoring systems should take into consideration the trade-off between the number of multiple split screens and the limited human capability for monitoring performance. Furthermore, it is suggested that high risk and critical information should be placed in the center region to be detected effectively.
Visuomotor Control of Straight and Breaking Golf Putts
Authors: Wilson Mark R. , Pearcy Richard C.
Published: September 2010

This study assessed golfers' gaze behavior in both the preparation (line reading) and execution (ball striking) of putts with different break characteristics. Six golfers completed 25 3-m putts on five different slopes (flat, 0.9° and 1.8° left-to-right, 0.9° and 1.8° right-to-left), while their gaze behavior was analyzed using an Applied Science Laboratories Mobile Eye gaze-registration system. Frame-by-frame analyses of 136 putts were performed to assess the number and duration of fixations made during the preparation and execution phases of the putts. Putting performance was significantly poorer for the most severe break (1.8°) than for other conditions. The only gaze variable to distinguish between successful and unsuccessful putting outcome was the quiet eye period (the final fixation prior to the initiation of the putter movement). Specifically, participants had significantly longer quiet eye periods on successful than on unsuccessful putts.
Replicating a Simple Study of Asymmetry in Human Cognition
Authors: Anderson James A. , Grice James W.
Published: September 2010

V. A. Lefebvre proposed an algebraic model of self-reflexion in the 1980s, and one of the model's central predictions was that individuals would exhibit a clear asymmetry in their judgments when facing an ambiguous binary choice task. A replication of the results of a 1990 test of Lefebvre's model was attempted by asking individuals to sort pairs of pinto beans into boxes marked as either “good” or “bad.” Consistent with the model's predicted frequency of .618, the participants judged the beans to be good with an average frequency of .624. This result was also significantly higher than the frequency expected from random judgments ( viz., .50).
Target Difficulty, Priority Assignment of Attentional Resources, Foveal Task Load, and Order of Testing of Foveal Loading on Visual Lobe Shape Characteristics
Authors: Chan Alan H. S. , Chiu Cathy H. Y.
Published: September 2010

Effects of the difficulty of a peripheral target, the priority assignment of attentional resources for simultaneous peripheral and foveal tasks, and the foveal task load and order of testing of cognitive foveal loadings on visual lobe shape characteristics were investigated. Analysis showed that lobe shape characteristics were affected by target difficulty but not the low foveal load. For the tasks used here, attentional resources were sufficient for participants to perform both peripheral and foveal tasks concurrently; therefore, priority assignment of attentional resources had no effect on lobe shape. With regard to order of testing of foveal loading, lobe roundness, boundary smoothness, and vertical symmetry improved with a positive practice effect for the groups tested in the high level–low level order. The implication is that providing training or practice to participants on a task with a higher level foveal load could optimize lobe roundness, boundary smoothness, and symmetry. Performance on the foveal task was better with easy peripheral targets than difficult targets and better for the foveal-primary than for the peripheral-primary conditions, presumably because of the larger proportion of attentional resources allocated to the foveal task for these two groups.
Cognitive Complexity and Personality
Authors: Lester David
Published: September 2010

For 49 college students, cognitive complexity as measured by George Kelly's REP Grid technique was associated with Judging–Perceiving scores on the Keirsey-Bates Temperament Sorter.
Effects of Color Combination and Ambient Illumination on Visual Perception Time with TFT-LCD
Authors: Lin Chin-Chiuan , Huang Kuo-Chen
Published: September 2010

An empirical study was carried out to examine the effects of color combination and ambient illumination on visual perception time using TFT-LCD. The effect of color combination was broken down into two subfactors, luminance contrast ratio and chromaticity contrast. Analysis indicated that the luminance contrast ratio and ambient illumination had significant, though small effects on visual perception. Visual perception time was better at high luminance contrast ratio than at low luminance contrast ratio. Visual perception time under normal ambient illumination was better than at other ambient illumination levels, although the stimulus color had a confounding effect on visual perception time. In general, visual perception time was better for the primary colors than the middle-point colors. Based on the results, normal ambient illumination level and high luminance contrast ratio seemed to be the optimal choice for design of workplace with video display terminals TFT-LCD.
Effects of Age and Soccer Expertise on General Tests of Perceptual and Motor Performance among Adolescent Soccer Players
Authors: Vänttinen T. , Blomqvist M. , Luhtanen P. , Häkkinen K.
Published: September 2010

This study of perceptual and motor skills in soccer players was conducted on adolescent males. The goals were to monitor the development of general perceptual motor skills in nonsoccer-playing and soccer-playing groups ( n = 245), to examine the relationship between physical maturity and general perceptual motor skills ( n = 41), and to compare the differences in general perceptual motor skills between groups with different soccer expertise ( n = 142). The measured variables were simple reaction time, peripheral awareness, eye–hand–foot coordination, and testosterone blood level. The results suggested that general perceptual motor skills improved with age, the development of these skills was related to participants' blood testosterone concentration (especially between 12 and 14 years), and general perceptual motor skills improved with soccer expertise. However, the differences between subelite and elite soccer players were not meaningful enough to encourage practitioners to test general perceptual motor skills on a large scale when evaluating the potential of young players.
Nonselective Access of Phonological Lexicon for Two Different Orthographies: Korean and English
Authors: Choi Wonil , Nam Kichun , Lee Chang Hwan
Published: September 2010

In studies of bilingual word processing, the primary focus has been on whether various bilingual lexical information is selectively or nonselectively activated (Doctor & Klein, 1992; Van Heuven, Dijkstra, & Grainger, 1998; Dijkstra, Grainger, & Van Heuven, 1999; De Groot, Delmaar, & Lupker, 2000). Specifically, when a reader processes second language, the lexical properties of the first language can influence the processing of the second language, or vice versa.
Perceived Tiredness and Heart Rate Variability in Relation to Overload during a Field Hockey World Cup
Authors: Parrado Eva , Cervantes Julio , Pintanel Mònica , Rodas Gil , Capdevila Lluís
Published: September 2010

The aim of the study was to examine the utility of perceived tiredness to predict cardiac autonomic response to overload among field hockey players during the 2006 World Cup. The French Society for Sports Medicine (SFMS) questionnaire was administered at the start of the Cup to evaluate perception of tiredness. Autonomic function was assessed nine days later at the semifinal match by time and frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability. An anxiety questionnaire was administered so that the effect of precompetitive anxiety on heart rate variability could be controlled. Results showed a negative correlation between perceived tiredness scores and time domain indexes, and a positive correlation of perceived tiredness scores and the high frequency component ratio (LF/HF ratio) of heart rate variability. Anxiety did not influence the precompetitive cardiac response despite somatic anxiety's correlation with sympathetic response (LF/HF ratio) and tiredness scores. Perceived tiredness predicted the autonomic cardiac response to competitive overload. Thus, the perceived tiredness assessment would be a good early marker of fatigue and overload states during competition.
Sex Differences in Relations of Muscle Power, Lung Function, and Reaction Time in Athletes
Authors: Gursoy Recep
Published: September 2010

In an earlier study, relations of nonverbal abilities with several bodily measures such as height, weight, and lung capacity were observed. The present aim was estimation of associations of muscle power and lung function with simple eye–hand reaction time. Sex differences for muscle power were significant even with the covariates of height, weight, and age included; however, these disappeared for lung functions (forced vital capacity and peak expiratory flow) and reaction time. The effects of leg power, forced vital capacity, and peak expiratory flow on the left eye–hand reaction time were significant after adjustment for height, weight, right- and left-hand powers and age. The positive effect of exercise may be especially associated with the right brain activity or left hand speed.
Chunking and Compound Cueing of Movement Sequences: Learning, Retention, and Transfer
Authors: Cohen Nichola Rice , Sekuler Robert
Published: September 2010

When teaching a complex sequence, the sequence is often chunked into components; however, this strategy may not always benefit learning, but may be detrimental. The hypothesis is that this occurs because chunking deprives learners of compound cues that could aid recall. To test this, participants learned 9-item movement sequences, either as three 3-item chunks or as one 9-item series. To undermine compound cueing, some sequences had several movements in common. Learning a sequence in chunks impaired motor skill acquisition only when participants could have exploited compound cues; it also led participants to adopt an alternative recall strategy, which transferred to novel sequences even though this was detrimental to recall.
Examining Differences between Center of Pressure Sway in One-Legged and Two-Legged Stances for Soccer Players and Typical Adults
Authors: Matsuda Shigeki , Demura Shinichi , Demura Tomohiro
Published: September 2010

To examine stance during the measurement of balance ability, this study aimed to clarify the differences and relationships between balance ability in one-legged (dominant or nondominant leg) and two-legged stances in 25 typical male adults and 25 male soccer players. Balance ability was evaluated with four sway factors: sway velocity, anterior-posterior sway, lateral sway, and high-frequency sway factors. The one-legged stance was more unstable than the two-legged stance, the balance abilities related to two-legged and one-legged stances differed, and the balance abilities related to dominant-legged and nondominant-legged stances were similar. The one-legged stance, which was difficult to maintain stably, may be useful in the measurement of static balance ability in young people.
Validity of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire for Greek Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Katsoulas Theodoros A. , Skordilis Emmanouil K. , Myrianthefs Pavlos , Fildisis George , Theodosopoulou Eleni , Baltopoulos George
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), a disease-specific survey of health-related quality of life, in adult Greek patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Questionnaire scores, dyspnea scores, spirometry values, and demographic data were collected from 72 patients with a diagnosis of COPD exacerbation. Follow-up visits were performed at 1-mo. intervals for the first 3 mo. after discharge and a final visit was performed 6 mo. after discharge. 27 (37.5%) patients were readmitted during the follow-up period. Recovery after exacerbation was prolonged and questionnaire scores were sensitive to the patients' health-status changes across time. The SGRQ discriminated COPD patients according to disease stage, and the SGRQ scores during the recovery course were related to readmission. Correlations between the SGRQ and %FEV1 were not significant during exacerbation but a significant negative correlation was observed during the stable phase of the disease. The SGRQ appeared to have acceptable discriminant and concurrent validities in Greek COPD patients who differed according to their exacerbation stage.
Biomechanics and Motor Control of Normal Young Adults Performing a Wheel Chair Wheelie Balance Task
Authors: Sekiya Noboru , Yamazaki Hiroshi
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the present study was to describe kinetically and kinematically the control patterns of wheelchair wheelies, to clarify the relation between motion of the wheelchair and floor reaction force, to reveal movement strategies of the task, and to find useful parameters to understand the control and learning process of the skill. 10 healthy female Japanese students who were able to perform a 2-min. stationary wheelie participated in the experiments. Analysis of the 20-sec. wheelie performances suggested that (1) Center of Pressure is not a fundamental parameter for wheelie balance control, but may be the result of the control, (2) the anteroposterior component of the floor reaction force is a fundamental parameter for analyzing the control of a wheelchair wheelie, and (3) angular velocity is used in the control of wheelie balance as a cue.
Effect of Progressive Self-Focus Meditation on Attention, Anxiety, and Depression Scores
Authors: Leite José Roberto , Ornellas Felipe Leite de Moraes , Amemiya Tascila Mary , de Almeida Anna Alice F. , Dias Arnaldo Aparecido , Afonso Rui , Little Stephen , Kozasa Elisa Harumi
Published: September 2010

This study evaluated the effects of Progressive Self-focus Meditation with 42 volunteers ( M age = 46.0 yr., SD = 14.1) allocated to two groups: one that had weekly 1-hr. training sessions in the practice for 5 wk. and one waiting-list group. Participants were evaluated before and after 5 wk. on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, the Digit Symbol subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. After 5 wk., a significant reduction in scores on depression was found in the Meditation group as well as an increase in attention in comparison with the waiting-list Control group.
Anthropometric Characteristics and Motor Skills in Talent Selection and Development in Indoor Soccer
Authors: Ré Alessandro H. Nicolai , Corrêa Umberto César , Böhme Maria Tereza S.
Published: September 2010

Kick performance, anthropometric characteristics, slalom, and linear running were assessed in 49 (24 elite, 25 nonelite) postpubertal indoor soccer players in order to (a) verify whether anthropometric characteristics and physical and technical capacities can distinguish players of different competitive levels, (b) compare the kicking kinematics of these groups, with and without a defined target, and (c) compare results on the assessments and coaches' subjective rankings of the players. Thigh circumference and specific technical capacities differentiated the players by level of play; cluster analysis correctly classified 77.5% of the players. The correlation between players' standardized measures and the coaches' rankings was 0.29. Anthropometric characteristics and physical capacities do not necessarily differentiate players at post-pubertal stages and should not be overvalued during early development. Considering the coaches' rankings, performance measures outside the specific game conditions may not be useful in identification of talented players.
Effects of Shape, Size, and Chromaticity of Stimuli on Estimated Size in Normally Sighted, Severely Myopic, and Visually Impaired Students
Authors: Huang Kuo-Chen , Wang Hsiu-Feng , Chen Chun-Ching
Published: September 2010

Effects of shape, size, and chromaticity of stimuli on participants' errors when estimating the size of simultaneously presented standard and comparison stimuli were examined. 48 Taiwanese college students ages 20 to 24 years old ( M = 22.3, SD = 1.3) participated. Analysis showed that the error for estimated size was significantly greater for those in the low-vision group than for those in the normal-vision and severe-myopia groups. The errors were significantly greater with green and blue stimuli than with red stimuli. Circular stimuli produced smaller mean errors than did square stimuli. The actual size of the standard stimulus significantly affected the error for estimated size. Errors for estimations using smaller sizes were significantly higher than when the sizes were larger. Implications of the results for graphics-based interface design, particularly when taking account of visually impaired users, are discussed.
Caregivers' Perceptions of Clothing for People with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Watson Anna Freeman , Blanco José , Hunt-Hurst Patricia , Medvedev Katalin
Published: September 2010

This exploratory study inquires into the role fashionable clothing plays in the normalization process and others' perceptions of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. The research was conducted with a sample of 10 caregivers. Fashionable clothing and attention to grooming are perceived to aid the normalization process and help facilitate positive perceptions from others. Poor grooming and clothing that is ill-fitting, out of fashion, or dirty hinder the normalization process and likely influence negatively others' perceptions of persons with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.
Test of an Alternative Explanation for Effects of Arousal Gradient on Cognitive Performance
Authors: Stankard William
Published: September 2010

A two-dimensional view of arousal was operationalized by controlling gradient and intensity of exercise-induced arousal in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 80 male undergraduates. Significant decrement in cognitive performance on a visual-search task occurred at a moderate arousal intensity in the steep-gradient arousal conditions. The rate at which arousal increased, not intensity of arousal, led to decrement in performance. This successful replication also eliminated the alternative explanation that increased movement and exertion caused decrement in performance. Analysis indicated no significant correlations between participants' affect and performance.
Using Computer-Scored Measures of Emotion and Style to Discriminate among Disputed and Undisputed Pauline and Non-Pauline Epistles
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: September 2010

The Dictionary of Affect in Language that allows measurement of Pleasantness, Activation, and Imagery in texts and a computer program that provides several additional stylistic measures were used to score samples from Disputed ( n = 22 samples) and Undisputed ( n = 40) Pauline epistles and from Other New Testament epistles ( n = 16). All samples came from an English translation. Several significant mean differences were noted between samples from Disputed and Undisputed epistles. A discriminant function predicting Disputed or Undisputed authorship limited to five predictors was 85% successful in assigning samples to either category. The majority of samples from Other epistles were classified as Disputed, i.e., less likely to have been written by Paul. Undisputed Pauline samples were predicted to be those with lower Imagery, shorter words, less frequent words, greater repetitiveness, and greater Pleasantness. There were significant differences in patterns of word use (vocabulary) between Disputed and Undisputed samples.
Geomagnetic Activity during the Previous Day is Correlated with Increased Consumption of Sucrose during Subsequent Days: Is Increased Geomagnetic Activity Aversive?
Authors: Galic M. A. , Persinger M. A.
Published: September 2010

In five separate blocks over a period of several months for 33 female rats the amount of geomagnetic activity during the day before ad libitum access to 10% sucrose or water was positively correlated with the volume of sucrose consumed per 24-hr. period. The strength of the correlation (.62 to .77) declined over the subsequent 10 days from between .12 to –.18 and resembled an extinction curve. In a subsequent experiment four rats exposed to 5 nT to 8 nT, 0.5-Hz magnetic fields that ceased for 30 min. once every 4 hr. for 4 days consumed 11% more sucrose than the four rats exposed to no field. We suggest that the initial consumption of 10% sucrose may have been reinforced because it diminished the aversive physiological effects associated with the increased geomagnetic activity. However, over the subsequent days, as geomagnetic activity decreased or habituation occurred, negative reinforcement did not maintain this behavior.
Assessing Potentially Gifted Students from Lower Socioeconomic Status with Nonverbal Measures of Intelligence
Authors: Shaunessy Elizabeth , Karnes Frances A. , Cobb Yolanda
Published: September 2010

The screening and identification of gifted students has historically been conducted using verbal measures of intelligence. However, the underrepresentation in gifted programs of culturally diverse children, who may have limited English proficiency or cultural values different from those measured in traditional intelligence tests, has prompted researchers to consider other measures. Nonverbal measures of intelligence have been utilized to increase the number of gifted children from diverse backgrounds. Researchers in the current study sought to increase the number of culturally diverse gifted students at a rural public school enrolling predominantly African-American students from low socioeconomic homes. 169 students in Grades 2 through 6 were assessed using three nonverbal measures of intelligence: the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test, the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test, and the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices. The scores on these nonverbal measures indicated that the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test and the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices identified more students than the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test. A discussion of the results and implications for research are presented.
Random Number Generation in Native and Foreign Languages
Authors: Strenge Hans , Böhm Jessica
Published: September 2010

The effects of different levels of language proficiency on random number generation were examined in this study. 16 healthy right-handed students (7 women, 9 men; aged 22 to 25 years, M = 23.8, SD = .83) attempted to generate a random sequence of the digits 1 to 9 at pacing frequencies of 1, 1.5, and 2 Hz. Randomization was done in German (native language L1), English (first foreign language L2), and French (second foreign language L3). There was a pattern of redundancy and seriation tendencies, increasing with speed of generation for all languages (L1–L3). While using L2 and L3, responses slowed and the number of errors committed increased. Further, there was a peculiar pattern of dissociation in nonrandom performance with an increase of habitual counting in ones and a strong reduction of counting in twos. All effects were most pronounced when subjects used L3 and 2-Hz pacing rates. Slowing and nonrandomness was not correlated with self-assessment parameters regarding language proficiency. We suggest that in a task involving number activation in a nonnative language, lack of proficiency will interfere with random number generation, leading to interruptions and rule breaking, at least when reaching the limits of attentional capacity at higher pacing rates.
Dynamic Balance in High Level Athletes
Authors: Davlin Christina D.
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate dynamic balance performance in highly skilled athletes. Participating athletes were currently competing at the collegiate Division I, professional, elite, or Olympic levels, or their individual coaches believed the athlete performed comparably to these levels. High level male and female gymnasts ( n = 57, M age = 17.3 yr., SD = 4.1), soccer players ( n = 58, M age = 19.8 yr., SD = 1.6), swimmers ( n = 70, M age = 17.1 yr., SD = 2.5), and individuals with no formal competitive sport experience ( n = 61, M age = 16.8 yr., SD = 2.0) volunteered. Dynamic balance performance was measured on a stabilometer, which requires participants to continuously adjust posture to maintain an unstable platform in the horizontal position for 30 sec. Each participant performed 3 practice trials followed by 7 test trials. Analysis indicated that athletes were superior to nonathletes in balance performance. Gymnasts performed better on the dynamic balance task than all other groups. Soccer players and swimmers performed similarly and were superior to the control subjects. There was no difference between the performance of men and women. Moderate to high negative correlations were found between dynamic balance performance and height and weight.
Effects of Expression and Inhibition of Negative Emotions on Health, Mood States, and Salivary Secretory Immunoglobulin a in Japanese Mildly Depressed Undergraduates
Authors: Takagi Shizuka , Ohiray Hideki
Published: September 2010

Previous studies have indicated that expression of negative emotions facilitates mental and physical health and inhibition of negative emotions increases susceptibility to illness. This study was conducted to examine whether those findings can be expanded to populations with non-Western cultural backgrounds. Specifically, we explored effects of expression and inhibition of negative emotions on health, mood states, and mucosal immune function in mildly depressed Japanese individuals. 16 depressed and 16 nondepressed female undergraduates were required either to write about their unpleasant experiences and superficial topics or to suppress any emotional responses and thoughts about them. Secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) in saliva and psychological indices were measured at an experimental session and at a follow-up 1 wk. later. Beneficial effects of expression of emotions on subjective health were indicated in the nondepressed group, whereas harmful effects of inhibition on subjective health were shown in the depressed group. Emotional expression by writing improved mood states both in the depressed and nondepressed groups but induced elevation of salivary s-IgA only in the depressed group.
Lateral Difference and Interhemispheric Transfer on Arm-Positioning Movement between Right and Left Handers
Authors: Yamauchi Masaki , Imanaka Kuniyasu , Nakayama Masao , Nishizawa Sho
Published: September 2010

We investigated the transfer of an arm-positioning movement between the right and left arms of right and left handers. 30 male (15 strong right handers and 15 strong left handers) subjects were asked to perform a constrained criterion movement, 12 cm in length, with right or left arm and a test movement at estimated 6-, 12-, or 24-cm length with the contralateral arm. In the right handers, the constant error of the left arm test movement was near zero, and that of the right arm indicated overshooting. In the left handers, the constant errors of the left arm test movement were farther from zero than those of right arm test movement. Left handers as well as right handers showed manual asymmetry on positioning movement. A plausible explanation for the manual asymmetry on the arm-positioning task is related to interhemispheric transfer of spatial information on positioning movement.
Knowledge and Information in Prediction of Intention to Play Badminton
Authors: Bebetsos Evangelos , Antoniou Panagiotis , Kouli Olga , Trikas Georgios
Published: September 2010

The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the contributions of knowledge and information to the prediction of students' intention to play badminton. The sample, 121 students (53 men and 68 women) 18–25 years of age, were beginning students in a semester badminton course. A questionnaire was completed before and after the course (4 mo.). Hierarchical regression analyses showed strong association between the examined variables of the Planned Behavior Questionnaire, specifically signifying that knowledge, information, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, role identity, and attitude strength could account for anticipation of intention towards playing badminton. Overall, systematic access to information and knowledge appeared to accompany relatively greater intentions.
Handedness Differences in Widths of Right and Left Craniofacial Regions in Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Dane Şenol , Ersöz Mustafa , Gümüştekin Kenan , Polat Pinar , Daştan Ali
Published: September 2010

In this work, handedness differences in the widths of right and left craniofacial regions were studied in a healthy sample of 39 male and 43 female students, 17 to 23 years old. Width of craniofacial regions was assessed by computerized tomography. Handedness was associated with the left face width especially for women. The left facial region was larger for right-handers than left-handers. The smaller measure for the left face of left-handers might be associated with an advantage of left ear sensitivity.
Abstractness and Emotionality Values for 398 English Words
Authors: Guido Gianluigi , Provenzano Maria Rosaria
Published: September 2010

This study is aimed to replicate Vikis-Freibergs' classic study (1976) on the values of vividness for French words. Vividness resulted from the concreteness and the emotionality values of words, here defined, respectively, as referring to something that can be experienced through senses and that can arouse pleasant or unpleasant emotions. 398 English words were rated on two different scales, Abstractness and Emotionality, by a group of English native speakers and also by a group of Italian subjects who used English as a second language. Results show a low correlation between the concreteness and emotionality ratings in line with Vikis-Freibergs' previous study of French words (1976). A negative correlation between Abstractness and Emotionality was observed for British data but a slightly positive correlation for the Italian data.
Anchoring Procedures in Reliability of Ratings of Perceived Exertion during Resistance Exercise
Authors: Lagally Kristen M. , Costigan Elizabeth M.
Published: September 2010

Although the validity of perceived exertion as a method of monitoring the intensity of resistance exercise has been established, little is known about the test-retest reliability of ratings of perceived exertion during resistance exercise. Specifically, it is unknown whether the use of different anchoring procedures influences the reliability of ratings of perceived exertion. 30 men were assigned to an Exercise, Memory, or combined Exercise and Memory anchoring group. Participants completed an assessment of maximal leg-extension strength and were introduced to the Borg 15-category rating of perceived exertion scale through anchoring procedures that varied across groups. During two sessions of resistance exercise, participants rated active muscle perceived exertion after performing one repetition of the leg-extension exercise at 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% of the one-repetition maximum. A three-factor (Group × Intensity × Session) analysis of variance was performed to examine the perceived exertion data. Perceived exertion increased significantly ( p < .01) with increasing exercise intensity in all groups and in both sessions. Mean ratings did not differ significantly among groups. Reliability was assessed for each group. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .07 to .80 and percent agreement ranged from 60% to 90%. The results indicate that the reliability of ratings of perceived exertion during resistance exercise is acceptable regardless of the type of anchoring procedures used.
Effects of Random Outcomes on Choice Behavior
Authors: Kudadjie-Gyamfi Elizabeth
Published: September 2010

Decision-making researchers have shown that making optimal decisions is aided by the detection of information salient to the task. When the task involves random events, humans tend to perceive these events as contingent. In this study, outcomes were grouped together with choices to identify some of the conditions under which random events are correctly perceived. Of the two groups ( ns = 40) only one was provided information regarding the relationship between choice and outcome. This provision did not improve the detection of the relationship between random events any more than direct contact with the underlying contingencies. Findings are discussed in terms of experiential contact with and sensitivity to underlying contingency.
Cancel and Rethink in the Wason Selection Task: Further Evidence for the Heuristic-Analytic Dual Process Theory
Authors: Wada Kazushige , Nittono Hiroshi
Published: September 2010

The reasoning process in the Wason selection task was examined by measuring card inspection times in the letter-number and drinking-age problems. 24 students were asked to solve the problems presented on a computer screen. Only the card touched with a mouse pointer was visible, and the total exposure time of each card was measured. Participants were allowed to cancel their previous selections at any time. Although rethinking was encouraged, the cards once selected were rarely cancelled (10% of the total selections). Moreover, most of the cancelled cards were reselected (89% of the total cancellations). Consistent with previous findings, inspection times were longer for selected cards than for nonselected cards. These results suggest that card selections are determined largely by initial heuristic processes and rarely reversed by subsequent analytic processes. The present study gives further support for the heuristic-analytic dual process theory.
A Mobile Device for Measuring Sensorimotor Timing in Synchronized Tapping
Authors: Hatayama Toshiteru , Hatayama Misako , Kikuchi Naoko
Published: September 2010

This paper describes the design of a mobile device for examining sensorimotor timing. Control software installed in this device has facilities for storing time series data of interstimulus onset intervals, intertap onset intervals, and response duration in a comma-delimited file of ASCII text format as well as for running an experiment on synchronization tapping. The device provides a highly convenient way to allow collecting such timing data even in real situations like a kindergarten or a day care center for elderly people, given its mobile property and ease of use.
Differences in African-American and Euro-American Athletes' Perceptions of Treatment by Coaches
Authors: Philipp Steven F. , Schuler Petra B.
Published: September 2010

Analysis of responses from 418 respondents from southern USA (198 African-American, 220 Euro-American adults) in 53 different locations at 4 colleges and universities showed that African-American and Euro-American high school and college athletes differed significantly in agreement on 4 of 12 statements representing their treatment by coaches. African-American athletes rated their coaches significantly more negatively on these items. Implications for coaches lie in planning, design and evaluation of coaching behaviors by African-American athletes.
Effects of Strategy Use on Acquisition of a Motor Task during Various Stages of Learning
Authors: Tennant L. Keith , Murray Nicholas P. , Tennant Laurie M.
Published: September 2010

To specify the optimal point for introducing a learning strategy, 50 participants were randomly assigned into five groups based on the timing of strategy introduction while learning a badminton serve. Groups were instructed in the use of Singer's Five-step Strategy either prior to starting their acquisition trials (100% group) or following acquisition Trial Blocks 1 (83% group), 3 (50% group), 5 (17% group) or were assigned to a control (0% group) group). Participants were asked to complete six acquisition trial blocks of 10 serves each, followed by a break and then two retention trial blocks. Scores were obtained by hitting shuttles into a scoring grid, which served as the dependent measure. Data were analyzed using a mixed-model analysis of variance with a group × trial blocks design, which yielded significant main effects for both factors during acquisition. Introduction of a learning strategy may be more efficient once participants have become familiar with the task. No significant differences were observed between groups who received the strategy early and the control group. Thus, it appears that learning strategies should be introduced later in the learning process and may distract if provided too early.
Students' Perceptions of Dangerousness to Public Safety of Paraphrases from the Koran, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Tibetan Book of the Dead, and Egyptian Book of the Dead Presented as Patients' Beliefs
Authors: Persinger M. A.
Published: September 2010

In one experiment 40 first-year psychology students were asked to judge dangerousness to society of 10 fictitious patients who professed beliefs about an “alien.” The statements were actually paraphrases primarily concerning death and killing from the New Testament, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. In a second experiment 39 first-year psychology students were asked to rate the dangerousness of the verbatim statements with their sources identified. In the first experiment, statements from the Koran, which involved accessing a positive afterlife by killing nonbelievers in the name of a deity, were ranked as more dangerous. The differences between the sources accommodated 33% of the variance in the rankings for dangerousness. The group of students who were given the original statements and their actual sources ranked the statements from the New Testament and the Koran as significantly less dangerous than those who were told the statements were from patients. These results suggest that statements about killing and death may be rated as less dangerous if the person believes the source was a “sacred text.”
Mock Jurors' Perceptions of Facial Hair on Criminal Offenders
Authors: Conti Richard P. , Conti Melanie A.
Published: September 2010

Two studies were conducted to measure whether mock jurors would stereotype criminal offenders as having facial hair. In Study 1, participants were asked which photograph belonged to a defendant in a rape case and which photograph belonged to a plaintiff in a head-injury case after they were “accidentally” dropped. The photographs were similar in appearance except one had facial hair. 78% of 63 participants (or 49) identified the photograph with facial hair as being involved in the rape case. In Study 2, 371 participants were asked to sketch the face of a criminal offender. 82% of the sketches (or 249) contained some form of facial hair. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that criminal defendants are perceived as having facial hair.