bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaginal experiences and perceptual defence
Authors: Parker Adrian
Published: February 2003

Three studies are reported concerning the interaction between internal imagery and perceptual defence. This interaction may be a source of the magical ideation and perceptual anomalies which are thought to be a feature of schizotypal personality. The studies were designed to test the hypothesis that scores on the Magical Ideation Scale (MIS) can be predicted effectively from scores on the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) if defensiveness in handling imagery is included. The latter was measured instrumentally by a tachistoscope test known as the Defense Mechanism Test (DMT). Two studies (both N = 35) found MIS and TAS to be highly intercorrelated. The first study, using volunteers from the general student population, failed to find a global measure of defensiveness measured by the DMT to be a significant modulator of MIS scores. The second study using subjects with a greater frequency and variance in the reporting of anomalous experiences, did however confirm the hypothesis. In particular, projection scores together with TAS scores, were found to be a significant predictor of MIS scores (r = 0.79, p < .0001). A third study (N = 34), which compared the DMT profile of high scorers on the MIS with that of a comparison group, found the predicted differences on their DMT global scores and projection scores to be significant. The implications of these findings for understanding anomalous experiences are discussed.
Race, psychopathy and the self: A discourse analytic study
Authors: Stowell‐Smith Mark , McKeown Mick
Published: February 2003

This discourse analytic study explores the implicit psychological models articulated within the admission reports of black and white men admitted to a forensic hospital under the diagnostic category of psychopathy. The white admission reports reproduce a traditional psychological model of the self in which intra‐psychic states are causally linked to external behaviour whilst the black reports de‐emphasize internal states and stress the relevance of the external world in influencing psychological equilibrium. The influence of these models upon the experience of psychopathology is discussed and it is argued that they are directly relevant to the (seemingly) paradoxical underepresentation of black men under the medico‐legal category of psychopathy.
Quality of life, functional disability and lifestyle among subgroups of fibromyalgia patients: The significance of anxiety and depression
Authors: Kurtze Nanna , Gundersen Kjell Terje , Svebak Sven
Published: February 2003

This study explored the significance of anxiety and depression in quality of life, functional disability and lifestyle among fibromyalgia patients. Functional disability was defined by subjective work ability and activity‐related discomfort. Lifestyle reflected habits of physical activity, regularity of meals, smoking and patterns of drinking coffee and alcohol. Members of two county divisions of fibromyalgia patients (N = 322)were investigated. Owing to colinearity between anxiety and depression scores, extreme groups were defined according to high vs. low anxiety and depression scores. Two‐thirdsof the initial sample were excluded by this approach which permitted a 2 × 2 factorialsplit‐plot MANCOVA for the assessment of main effects and interaction of anxiety and depression upon quality of life, functional disability and lifestyle. Main effects of anxiety and depression were significant for index scores on activity‐related discomforts, subjective work ability and quality of life, whereas depression was also significantly associated with regularity of meals. Anxiety and depression interactedto yield relatively high consumption of coffee and cigarettes among the anxious and depressed subgroup, and this effect emerged only after the elimination of confounding effects of age and duration of thefibromyalgia disease.
Appraisal and coping in adults with cleft lip: Associations with well‐being and social anxiety
Authors: Cochrane Vicky M. , Slade Pauline
Published: February 2003

The appraisal patterns and coping strategies of adults born with a cleft lip or cleft lip and palate were assessed in relation to measures of psychological well‐being and social anxiety. A sample of 51 adults was recruited via the Cleft Lip and Palate Association. Data were collated using a questionnaire incorporating open questions and standardized measures. The focus was upon appraisal of the cleft, perceptions of consequences ‐ both positive and negative ‐ on personal and social dimensions, together with measurements of sense of coherence, psychological well‐being, satisfaction with life and coping responses utilized in stressful situations. There was wide variability in the participants' reports of negative affect as a component of psychological well‐being, suggesting that there may be small numbers of individuals with quite extreme responses. Seventy‐five per cent reported difficulties which they attributed to their cleft. Perceiving positive gains as a result of thecleft and having a positive appraisal of facial appearance was associated with well‐being. Patterns in coping strategies were also associated with emotional adjustment. Personal appraisals of both having a cleft and facial appearance may be more important in determining emotional well‐being than the current medical emphasis on the aesthetics of surgical outcomes.
Religious and ethnic group influences on beliefs about mental illness: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Cinnirella Marco , Loewenthal Kate Miriam
Published: February 2003

An in‐depth qualitative interview study is reported, with respondents (N = 52; all female) from the following urban‐dwelling religious groups: White Christian, Pakistani Muslim, Indian Hindu, Orthodox Jewish and Afro‐Caribbean Christian. Qualitative thematicanalysis of open‐ended interview responses revealed that the degree to which religious coping strategies were perceived to be effective in the face of depressive and schizophrenic symptoms, varied across the groups, with prayer being perceived as particularly effective among Afro‐Caribbean Christian and Pakistani Muslim groups. Across all non‐white groups, and also for the Jewish group, there was fear of being misunderstood by outgroup health professionals, and among Afro‐Caribbean Christian and Pakistani Muslim participants, evidence of a community stigma associated with mental illness, leading to a preference for private coping strategies. The results lend further support to recent calls for ethnic‐specific mental health service provision and highlight the utility of qualitative methodology for exploring the link between religion and lay beliefs about mental illness.
Validation of a Bengali adaptation of the Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS‐48)
Authors: Pal Deb K. , Chaudhury Gautam , Das Tulika , Sengupta Suryanil
Published: February 2003

Background. The Conners' Parent Rating Scales (CPRS) have been used to measure behavioural problems in drug trials in children for many years. This study in rural India aimed to validate a translated version of the CPRS‐48 for use in a study of anti‐epileptic drug side‐effects. Method. The Scale was translated into local dialect, back‐translated, and piloted among healthy families. The revised version was then administered to mothers of 60 healthy children and 63 children with epilepsy. Tests of internal reliability, test‐retest reliability and factor analysis were performed. Results. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.60 to 0.75 for the subscales, and correlation coefficients after retesting from 0.84 to 0.99. The overall factor structure was very similar to that reported in the original USA sample. Conclusion. The Bengali version of the CPRS‐48 and its Hyperactivity Index have validity for rural Bengali children, and the process demonstrates that such instruments can be usefully adapted for local purposes.
Identifying randomized controlled trials of cognitive therapy for depression: Comparing the efficiency of Embase, Medline and PsycINFO bibliographic databases
Authors: Watson R. J. D. , Richardson P. H.
Published: February 2003

This study sought to compare the sensitivity and precision of Embase, Medline and PsycINFO bibliographic database searches for randomized controlled trials of cognitive therapy for depression. Searches in each database combined with a hand search in five selected journals formed the total pool against which each search was assessed. Sensitivities of standard searches (index terms only) were 68%, 84% and 38% in Embase, Medline and PsycINFO respectively. Sensitivities of expert searches (index and free text terms) were 76%, 97% and 65% for Embase, Medline and PsycINFO respectively. Medline appears to be the most efficient at identifying articles describing psychological treatment evaluation.
Objectivity and reliability in qualitative analysis: Realist, contextualist and radical constructionist epistemologies
Authors: Madill Anna , Jordan Abbie , Shirley Caroline
Published: February 2003

The effect of the individual analyst on research findings can create a credibility problem for qualitative approaches from the perspective of evaluative criteria utilized in quantitative psychology. This paper explicates the ways in which objectivity and reliability are understood in qualitative analysis conducted from within three distinct epistemological frameworks: realism, contextual constructionism, and radical constructionism. It is argued that quality criteria utilized in quantitative psychology are appropriate to the evaluation of qualitative analysis only to the extent that it is conducted within a naive or scientific realist framework. The discussion is illustrated with reference to the comparison of two independent grounded theory analyses of identical material. An implication of this illustration is to identify the potential to develop a radical constructionist strand of grounded theory.
A new family handedness sample with findings consistent with X‐linked transmission
Authors: McKeever Walter F.
Published: February 2003

A family handedness study of 2632 families and 8605 offspring was conducted. Of the 2632 parental couples, there were 2123 in which both parents were right‐handed (RR), 232 in which the mother was left‐handed and the father right‐handed (LR), 254 in which the mother was right‐handed and the father was left‐handed (RL), and 23 in which both parents were left‐handed (LL). Results showed some important differences from the composite results of four earlier large scale studies that had also employed the same criterion of handedness (writing hand). These had collectively found that the incidence of left‐handed offspring, of both sexes, was significantly lower for RR couples than for LR or RL couples, but not lower than for LL couples. Present results, however, suggest an X‐linked pattern of genetic influence on handedness. The LR parents produced significantly more left‐handed offspring than did RR couples, and this was particularly the case for sons; but while RL couples produced a higher incidence of left‐handed daughters than did RR parents, they failed to produce a higher incidence of left‐handed sons than did RR couples. Additionally, the present sample showed a significantly greater incidence of lefthanded offspring of LL couples than of RR couples, a finding that, while predicted by genetic‐influence theories of handedness, was not found in the composite of previous comparison samples. The finding of sex‐linkage is potentially important, but will require replicative studies that take special care to preclude possible biasing factors such as selective volunteering of participants and inaccurate offspring ascriptions of parental (particularly paternal) handedness.
Diurnal variations in the mood and performance of highly practised young women living under strictly controlled conditions
Authors: Owens Deborah S. , MaCdonald Ian , Tucker Philip , Sytnik Natalia , Totterdell Peter , Minors David , Waterhouse James , Folkard Simon
Published: February 2003

The diurnal variation in a range of psychological functions and core body temperature were investigated in a series of studies involving a total of 24 highly practised young women who lived in a controlled environment and on a strictly regimented 24‐hour routine for 6 or 7 days. Ten participants were exposed to the natural light/dark cycle (L/Dc) through windows, whereas the 14 remaining participants saw no daylight, but all had access to normal clock time. A battery of mood and performance tests was completed every 2 hours whilst awake (08:00‐00:00), resulting in nine equally spaced measures per waking day. Average time of day (ToD) functions were calculated from the last 5 or 6 days spent in the controlled environment. Significant ToD effects were found for many of the variables taken although the nature of these effects differed across measures, with a ‘post‐lunch’ dip being observed at 16:00 in some variables. Analysis of the standardized data established that all variables presented reliably different ToD functions to core body temperature, whilst factor analyses indicated possible relationships between the variables. It was concluded that those variables that exhibited diurnal variation showed trends that did not parallel those in core body temperature.
Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: Robustness of the effect
Authors: McNicholas June , Collis Glyn M.
Published: February 2003

It is known that pet dogs can act as catalysts for human social interactions, and it has been suggested that this may enhance feelings of well‐being. Two studies were carried out to establish the robustness of this effect. In Study 1, a highly trained dog was used to ensure that the dog itself did not solicit attention from passers‐by, and data were collected across a range of normal daily activities in which a dog could be included, not confined to conventional dog walking areas as in previous studies. Being accompanied by a dog increased the frequency of social interactions, especially interactions with strangers. In Study 2, also using a trained dog, a different (male) participant observer was dressed either smartly or scruffily. Although there were significantly more interactions when he was smartly dressed, the greatest effect was between the Dog present and No Dog conditions irrespective of the handler's dress. It is concluded that the social catalysis effect is very robust, which opens the way for investigating possible consequences of the effect for wellbeing and health.
The ability to detect unseen staring: A literature review and empirical tests
Authors: Colwell John , Schröder Sadi , Sladen David
Published: February 2003

There is evidence to suggest that individuals not only believe in their ability to detect an unseen gaze, but may genuinely be able to do so. The present study reviewed past research and sought to determine whether such a phenomenon was empirically demonstrable. In Expt 1, 12 participants responded to 12 sequences (with feedback in the last nine) of 20 trials each, with staring or non‐staring episodes based on Sheldrake's random number sequences. No effects were obtained when no feedback was given. With feedback, more accurate than mean chance expectation (MCE) results were obtained on staring, but no difference on non‐staring trials. However other ‘normal’ explanations of ESP phenomena discuss the possibility of matching in bias between experimental sequences and participants' representations of randomness. Tests of the sequences found more alternations than expected, a feature typical of subjective randomness, but the increase in accuracy found on staring trials only was not consistent with this explanation. It was concluded that the improvement in accuracy with feedback is likely to be due to implicit learning, given the structure in non‐random sequences. This hypothesis was supported in Expt 2 where 12 participants responded to 12 ‘genuinely random’ sequences, and no differences in accuracy from MCE were obtained.
Orienting to exogenous cues and attentional bias to affective pictures reflect separate processes
Authors: Tipples Jason , Sharma Dinkar
Published: February 2003

On the basis of psychophysiological research it has been argued that pleasant and unpleasant pictures inhibit orienting to abrupt startle stimuli. Converging psychophysical evidence was sought for this finding using a modified version of the spatial precueing paradigm (Posner, 1980). Specifically, exogenous cues were presented to the left and right of neutral, pleasant and unpleasant picture stimuli. In contrast to the experimental hypothesis, pleasant and unpleasant pictures failed to affect attention to exogenous cues despite slowing overall reaction times in comparison to neutral pictures. This null finding was replicated in a further experiment where rate arousal was varied within the pleasant and unpleasant picture groups. However, unpleasant pictures produced more task interference than pleasant pictures and highly arousing pictures produced more interference than pictures rated low in arousal.
Facial distinctiveness: Its measurement, distribution and influence on immediate and delayed recognition
Authors: Wickham Lee H. V. , Morris Peter E. , Fritz Catherine O.
Published: February 2003

It is conventionally assumed that many faces are relatively typical and few are distinctive (e.g. Valentine, 1991), producing a highly skewed distribution. However, Burton and Vokey (1998) argue that the distribution will be normal, and our review of previous research suggested this is true. In three studies we explored the distributions using different techniques to estimate distinctiveness. Both traditional ratings and pairwise selection produced normal distributions. However, ratings emphasizing the degree of deviation from a typical face were skewed towards the distinctive end of the scale. The instructions given when distinctiveness is rated may not necessarily oppose typicality with distinctiveness: a face that is relatively typical might also stand out in a crowd because of some particular feature, familiarity or a host of other reasons. In our fourth study, recognition memory was predicted by all of the distinctiveness measures, with the relationship being stronger after a 5‐week delay than in the immediate test.
Sex‐typicality and attractiveness: Are supermale and superfemale faces super‐attractive?
Authors: Rhodes Gillian , Hickford Catherine , Jeffery Linda
Published: February 2003

Many animals find extreme versions of secondary sexual characteristics attractive, and such preferences can enhance reproductive success (Andersson, 1994). We hypothesized, therefore, that extreme versions of sex‐typical traits may be attractive in human faces. We created supermale and superfemale faces by exaggerating all spatial differences between an average male and an average female face. In Expt 1 the male average was preferred to a supermale (50% exaggeration of differences from the female average). There was no clear preference for the female average or the superfemale (50% exaggeration). In Expt 2, participants chose the most attractive face from sets of images containing feminized as well as masculinized images for each sex, and spanning a wider range of exaggeration levels than in Expt 1. Chinese sets were also shown, to see whether similar preferences would occur for a less familiar race (participants were Caucasian). The most attractive female image was significantly feminized for faces of both races. However, the most attractive male image for both races was also significantly feminized. These results indicate that feminization, rather than sex exaggeration per se, is attractive in human faces, and they corroborate similar findings by Perrett et al. (1998).
Socio‐economic differences in foundation‐level literacy
Authors: Duncan Lynne G. , Seymour Philip H. K.
Published: February 2003

The foundation literacy skills of children from differing socio‐economic backgrounds were investigated in a cross‐sectional study. The children were aged between 4 and 8 years and attended Nursery or Primary 1, 2 or 3 classes. Low socio‐economic status (SES) was associated with impairments for chronological age in letter knowledge as well as in both logographic and alphabetic foundation components. There was also an effect on metaphonological skill. However, once the SES groups were equated for reading age, high and low SES performance was indistinguishable. The results suggest that delayed acquisition of foundation literacy skills is traceable to a delay in acquiring letter‐sound knowledge. Implications for intervention are discussed in the context of the foundation literacy framework.
Dalzell's theorem and the analysis of proportions: A methodological note
Authors: Benjafield John G.
Published: February 2003

The golden section is a well‐known proportion that occurs when something (e.g. a line) is divided into two unequal parts such that the smaller (m) is to the larger (M) as the larger is to the sum of the two (i.e. m/M = M/(M + m) = .618). Dalzell';s theorem holds that the absolute value of the difference between M/(M + m) and .618 will tend to be smaller than the corresponding difference between m/M and .618. This means that the use of M/(M + m) ratios leads to results that are more supportive of the golden section hypothesis than does the use of m/M ratios. Notice that M/(M + m) corresponds to the proportion of Ms that will occur; while m/M corresponds to the odds that m will occur. While these are mathematically equivalent, in practice they may lead to different interpretations of the same data. Although originally envisaged as applying to the golden section, Dalzell's theorem may have implications for any study that uses either a proportion or the odds as a dependent measure. The use of proportions may produce results that are closer to a predicted value than will the use of the odds as a dependent measure.
Real age of acquisition effects in word naming and lexical decision
Authors: Morrison Catriona M. , Ellis Andrew W.
Published: February 2003

Age of acquisition (AoA) has been reported to be a predictor of the speed of reading words aloud (word naming) and lexical decision, with early‐acquired words being responded to faster than later‐acquired words in both tasks. All previous studies of AoA effects have, however, relied upon adult estimates of word learning age the validity of which it is easy to cast doubt upon. Using objective age of acquisition norms derived from children s naming data, this study shows that AoA effects do not depend upon the use of adult ratings In addition to effects of real AoA, influences of word frequency and orthographic neighbourhood size were obtained in both word naming and lexical decision. Image ability affected lexical decision but not word naming, while the characteristics of the words initial phoneme affected word naming but not lexical decision.
Working memory deficits in current and previous users of MDMA (‘ecstasy’)
Authors: Wareing Michelle , Fisk John E. , Murphy Philip N.
Published: February 2003

Current and previous users of the drug MDMA (‘ecstasy’) were tested on measures of central executive functioning, information processing speed, and on self‐report measures of arousal and anxiety. The results were compared with those for a control group who did not use MDMA. Relative to the control group, both user groups were found to be impaired in some aspects of central executive functioning. Also, there were significant group differences on the measures of anxiety (users were more anxious) and on arousal (previous users scoring higher on the arousal measure relative to current users). Users processed information as quickly as non‐users but less accurately. Some possible mediators of the above group differences are discussed.
Memory conformity: Exploring misinformation effects when presented by another person
Authors: Wright Daniel B. , Self Gail , Justice Chris
Published: February 2003

Two experiments demonstrate that post‐event information, when delivered by another person, can affect people's memory reports. In the first experiment participants were shown several cars, and later, in pairs, given an ‘old’/‘new’ recognition test on these cars plus several lures. There was a small but reliable effect of memory conformity. When the person was given misinformation this lowered accuracy, while presenting accurate information increased accuracy. In the second experiment participants, in pairs, viewed an identical crime except that half saw an accomplice with the thief and half did not. Initial memories were very accurate, but after discussing the crime with the other person in the pair (who saw a slightly different sequence), most pairs conformed. Confidence ratings strongly predicted which person in the pair persuaded the other. Parallels with eyewitness testimony in the Oklahoma bombing case and implications for police interviewing more generally are discussed.
A conversation‐based process tracing method for use with naturalistic decisions: An evaluation study
Authors: Williamson Janis , Ranyard Rob , Cuthbert Lisa
Published: February 2003

This study is an evaluation of a process tracing method developed for naturalistic decisions, in this case a consumer choice task. The method is based on Huber et al.'s (1997) Active Information Search (AIS) technique, but develops it by providing spoken rather than written answers to respondents' questions, and by including think aloud instructions. The technique is used within a conversation‐based situation, rather than the respondent thinking aloud ‘into an empty space’, as is conventionally the case in think aloud techniques. The method results in a concurrent verbal protocol as respondents make their decisions, and a retrospective report in the form of a post‐decision summary. The method was found to be virtually non‐reactive in relation to think aloud, although the variable of Preliminary Attribute Elicitation showed some evidence of reactivity. This was a methodological evaluation, and as such the data reported are essentially descriptive. Nevertheless, the data obtained indicate that the method is capable of producing information about decision processes which could have theoretical importance in terms of evaluating models of decision‐making.
The structure of the Eysenck Personality Profiler
Authors: Jackson Chris J. , Furnham Adrian , Forde Liam , Cotter Tim
Published: February 2003

The dominant issue in personality research over the last decade has been concerned with the fundamental structure of personality and the best measures of that structure. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate possible three‐ and five‐factor solutions to the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP; Eysenck, Barrett, Wilson, & Jackson, 1992) which consists of 21 primary scales categorized under three super‐factors. Little evidence was found to support Costa and McCrae's (1995) unequivocal comment that a five‐factor solution fitted the data well. Confirmatory factor analysis was also used, by means of structural equation modelling, to estimate the goodness of fit of three‐ and five‐factor models and little evidence was found to favour one solution over the other. A shorter version of the EPP, which consists of just nine scales, seemed to favour a three‐factor solution. Various criticisms of the EPP are also made: some scales have relatively low alpha, there seem to be too many neuroticism scales and the three category response scales seem less than ideal.
The role of left‐right symmetry in the encodement of spatial orientations
Authors: Deregowski J. B. , Mcgeorge P. , Wynn V.
Published: February 2003

Three experiments investigated a hypothesis, suggested by studies of the difficulties of discriminating between shapes forming symmetrical pairs, that spatial orientations of thin flat plates (lamellae) may be encoded in a plane, the encodement consisting of two enantiomorphs. The results indicated that participants encoded the spatial orientation of lamellar stimuli in terms of the difference in cogency between their two enantiomorphic elements (Expt 1). The difference in the cogency of the two enantiomorphs is related to the orientation of the plane containing the lamellar stimulus with respect to the participant s fronto‐parallel plane (Expt 2). The two possible orientations of a lamella which yield the same difference of cogency, but which differ in spatial orientation (e.g. lamella ‘b’ set at 30° or set at 150°) are distinguished by the manner in which the two enantiomorphic elements are arranged with respect to their axis of symmetry (Expt 3). The results suggest that the orientation of a lamella may be encoded as a two‐dimensional representation and hence that three dimensions may be encoded by two by means of enantiomorphs. Implications of this finding for the encodements of three‐dimensional solids, wherein pronounced contours may fulfil the same role as do the edges of lamella, are discussed briefly.
When will the ball rebound? Evidence for the usefulness of mental analogues in appraising the duration of motions
Authors: Féry Yves‐André , Hofe Alain Vom
Published: February 2003

This study explores the way people appraise the duration of motions when these are only seen momentarily. Three possible theoretical accounts of this skill were developed. The first and second held an analogy between the duration of motions and their visuospatial representations. The third account was based on the existence of a pure chronometrical representation. Three copies of a tennis ball trajectory were created to reproduce the characteristics of the trajectory in terms of each account. The participants first memorized the copy and then used it to appraise the duration of the actual ball trajectory seen only momentarily at the beginning of its flight. The performance of a group given the visuospatial copy paralleled those of a referent group who were allowed to see the actual referent trajectory to memorize its duration. Results showed the importance of visuospatial analogous representations. However, a spatial representation seems to allow better memorization of motion duration.
Jean Theophile Desaguliers (1683‐1744) and eighteenth century vision research
Authors: Wade Nicholas J.
Published: February 2003

The emergence of psychology as an empirical discipline was influenced to a great extent by experimental investigations of visual phenomena, particularly in the nineteenth century. Less attention has been paid to experimental enquiries conducted in the eighteenth century, especially those of Jean Theophile Desaguliers (1683‐1744). He was an ardent advocate of Newtonian optics, on which he lectured and gave demonstrations. His research on colour and binocularity is outlined, together with those of other students of vision in that century. Experiments on visual vertigo conducted at the end of the century are also described. In 1716 Desaguliers reported a method of binocular combination that became widely employed in other studies of binocular vision, namely, placing an aperture in such a position that two more distant, adjacent objects were in the optical axes of each eye. Under these circumstances red and green patches of silk did not mix after the manner of combining prismatic lights, but engaged in rivalry. Desaguliers also investigated size perception and showed that apparent size was determined by apparent distance rather than physical distance. Moreover, he did not base his conclusions on his own observation but on those of ‘any unprejudic'd Person’. Thus, both stimulus control and the use of the unbiased observer were employed in eighteenth century experimental studies of vision.
Negative correlates of computer game play in adolescents
Authors: Colwell John , Payne Jo
Published: February 2003

There is some concern that playing computer games may be associated with social isolation, lowered self‐esteem, and aggression among adolescents. Measures of these variables were included in a questionnaire completed by 204 year eight students at a North London comprehensive school. Principal components analysis of a scale to assess needs fulfilled by game play provided some support for the notion of ‘electronic friendship’ among boys, but there was no evidence that game play leads to social isolation. Play was not linked to self‐esteem in girls, but a negative relationship was obtained between self‐esteem and frequency of play in boys. However, self‐esteem was not associated with total exposure to game play. Aggression scores were not related to the number of games with aggressive content named among three favourite games, but they were positively correlated with total exposure to game play. A multiple regression analysis revealed that sex and total game play exposure each accounted for a significant but small amount of the variance in aggression scores. The positive correlation between playing computer games and aggression provides some justification for further investigation of the causal hypothesis, and possible methodologies are discussed.
Learning strategies, learning anxiety and knowledge acquisition
Authors: Warr Peter , Downing Jonathon
Published: February 2003

In a study of adult technical trainees, it was found that four reported learning strategies were significantly associated with learning gain: Rehearsal, Interpersonal Help‐seeking, Emotion Control and Motivation Control. However, all those associations were negative. A prior measure of learning anxiety (but not learning ability or learning motivation) was shown to account for that pattern, and several learning strategies and learning anxiety were found to interact in predicting knowledge change: associations between a strategy and learning were more positive for less anxious individuals. Research into learning strategies needs to examine additional variables (such as anxiety), and to look beyond the school and college settings typically investigated.
Wanting to have vs. wanting to be: The effect of perceived instrumentality on goal orientation
Authors: Simons Joke , Dewitte Siegfried , Lens Willy
Published: February 2003

Two theories of motivation relevant to classroom learning result in conflicting recommendations for enhancing motivation and performance. The goal theory stresses only that stimulating an individual s natural curiosity will increase motivation. This theory relies on the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Future time perspective theory stresses the importance of the personal future for motivation and learning and the utility of what is learned for the future. A series of studies investigated the role of three types of perceived instrumentality of a present task for an individual s goal orientation. Eighty‐one adults and 229 high school students participated in three studies. They had to think of three actions they were regularly involved in during their daily life (Studies 1 and 2), or three courses they took (Study 3), corresponding to the three types of instrumentality. Afterwards, they responded to a questionnaire that assessed goal orientation in those three actions. Results suggested that stressing the personal future consequences of tasks, even when these were extrinsic, enhanced task orientation and decreased performance orientation, both in daily life and in study contexts, as predicted by future time perspective theory.
Quantity and quality of musical practice as predictors of performance quality
Authors: Williamon Aaron , Valentine Elizabeth
Published: February 2003

Twenty‐two pianists, classified into four levels of skill, were asked to learn and memorize an assigned composition by J. S. Bach (different for each level). All practice was recorded on cassette tape. At the end of the learning process, the pianists performed their composition in a recital setting. The resulting performances were evaluated by three experienced piano teachers. From the cassette tapes, values for the quantity of practice were obtained. These values were compared across all four levels of skill and examined to reveal whether they were related to quality of performance. The analyses indicate that the standard deviations of the amount of time spent in each practice session increased systematically with level of skill and that pianists at higher levels spent more time in each practice session. Quantity of practice, however, was not significantly related to quality of performance. Rather, pianists who employed longer practice segments by the middle stage of practice produced better musical, communicative and technical performances. These findings stand in defiance of the argument that quantity of practice is the fundamental determinant of the quality of performance. Instead, they suggest that the content and quality of an individual s practice must be examined when investigating the determinants of musical skill.
The ‘gender gap’ in final examination results at Oxford University
Authors: Mellanby Jane , Martin Maryanne , O'Doherty John
Published: February 2003

A lower proportion of women than men obtain first class degrees at British universities (the so‐called gender gap). At Oxford University, this difference is not seen in all degree subjects but is found both in some Arts and in some Science subjects. We have used a questionnaire administered under supervision to undergraduates 2 to 3 months before their final examination to assess factors which might be expected to affect examination performance. These included measures of verbal and non‐verbal reasoning (Alice Heim AH6 test), self‐esteem, motivation, responses to stresses of examinations and of personal relationships, happiness, risk‐taking and working patterns. We have also obtained a detailed breakdown of the marks the students were given in the examination. Women scored higher on negative emotions while men scored higher on self‐esteem, their perception of their own academic efficacy and on risk‐taking strategies, but none of these factors predicted outcome. Verbal reasoning ability did predict outcome but there was no gender difference. Hence, it is concluded that the gender gap is not due to any of these individual differences and is more likely to be related to the nature of the academic assessment system.
Individual differences in road crossing ability in young children and adults
Authors: Pitcairn T. K. , Edlmann T.
Published: February 2003

Young children are more at risk of traffic pedestrian accidents than adults. Previous experiments have failed to show large differences between adults and children in crossing behaviour. The reasons for this are not clear, but it could be that some children are more at risk than others, because of individual differences. These differences have been difficult to investigate in the past. This paper examines a double video technique developed to solve the problems. Two groups of participants, children and adults (mean age 7 years 2 months and 20 years 6 months respectively), were presented with the video and asked to indicate by pressing a button when they would choose to cross the road. Variables measured included the total number of crossings made and the percentage of those that were safe, number of missed opportunities and unsafe gaps chosen, the mean starting delay and gap size chosen, and the correlation between the delay and the gap chosen for each individual. Results showed that, although there were large and significant differences between adults and children on total crossings, percentage safe crossings, mean starting delay and gap size chosen, the structure of the road crossing behaviour was very similar. Children make decisions in the same way as adults, but are less good at it. There were large individual differences, suggesting that some children were more at risk than others, with possible factors being impulsivity and fine motor coordination. It is suggested that the video technique may, with some refinements, make a useful tool to screen children at risk and to use in remedial training.
Closed‐circuit television: How effective an identification aid?
Authors: Davies Graham , Thasen Sonya
Published: February 2003

Two experiments simulated identification of suspects from CCTV recordings: Expt 1 simulated identification from whole body shots while Expt 2 showed close‐up pictures of targets faces. The results are consistent with those of Bruce et al. (1999) and Kemp, Towell, and Pike (1997) in showing surprisingly high rates of error in person identification from CCTV material. In Expt 1, participants (N=80) searched for a suspicious incident in a 25‐minute surveillance film which was shown either in colour or monochrome. They then attempted to describe and identify the persons involved. Accuracy of identification was just 15% from memory with a 60% false alarm rate. When judgments were made with access to a still‐frame image of the target, accuracy rose to 30%, with a 65% false alarm rate. Colour did not improve identification, but did prompt more description of the targets clothing. In Expt 2, participants (N=80) observed video‐clips which included close‐up pictures, of four targets before identifying each in target present or absent arrays. Identification errors were lower on this occasion, averaging 21% when judgements were made from memory and 13% with continuous reference to the recording. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Factor structure of the Everyday Memory Questionnaire
Authors: Cornish Ian M.
Published: February 2003

Although the Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ) has been used in numerous studies, no factor structure has yet been obtained from a reasonably large sample of non‐clinical participants. The 28‐item revised version of the EMQ was administered to 277 undergraduate students. Analysis showed five clear factors: retrieval, task monitoring, conversational monitoring, spatial memory, and memory for activities. In general, the factors appeared to reflect underlying memory processes rather than just similarities among test items, which suggested that using and developing tests of this kind might provide a means of studying the diversity of everyday memory phenomena in a unified fashion that would complement laboratory research. Issues about the nature of 'absent‐mindedness and the relationship between prospective and retrospective memory were discussed. Understanding the factor structure of the EMQ should also be useful in clinical applications of the test.
So concepts aren't definitions, but do they have necessary or sufficient features?
Authors: Pothos Emmanuel M. , Hahn Ulrike
Published: February 2003

Rips (1989) is one of the most widely cited demonstrations of the relevance of critical features in conceptual structure. A critical feature will impose constraints on how an object is classified, regardless of other factors, such as overall similarity. We review and clarify critical features proposals in terms of whether an assumption is being made about necessary features, sufficient features, or both (i.e. a definition). On the basis of this, we scrutinize Rips investigation and present our own empirical re‐evaluation of this work. The results reported here do not support any strong view of necessary or sufficient features.
Micro‐affordance: The potentiation of components of action by seen objects
Authors: Ellis Rob , Tucker Mike
Published: February 2003

It is suggested that seen objects potentiate a range of actions associated with them, irrespective of the intentions of the viewer. Evidence for this possibility is provided by the data from two experiments, both of which required a participant to make a binary motor response to an auditory stimulus. In the first experiment the response was a power or precision grip, which was performed whilst simultaneously viewing a real object which would normally be grasped using either a power or precision grip. A significant interaction of response and grip compatibility of the object was observed. Similar results were obtained in the second experiment when a wrist rotation of a given direction was used as a response, whilst viewing objects which would require wrist rotations if they were to be grasped. The effects of the seen objects on components of action are described as microaffordances which are said to be dispositonal states of the viewer's nervous system.
Iconic hand gestures and the predictability of words in context in spontaneous speech
Authors: Beattie Geoffrey , Shovelton Heather
Published: February 2003

This study presents a series of empirical investigations to test a theory of speech production proposed by Butterworth and Hadar (1989; revised in Hadar & Butterworth, 1997) that iconic gestures have a functional role in lexical retrieval in spontaneous speech. Analysis 1 demonstrated that words which were totally unpredictable (as measured by the Shannon guessing technique) were more likely to occur after pauses than after fluent speech, in line with earlier findings. Analysis 2 demonstrated that iconic gestures were associated with words of lower transitional probability than words not associated with gesture, even when grammatical category was controlled. This therefore provided new supporting evidence for Butterworth and Hadar s claims that gestures lexical affiliates are indeed unpredictable lexical items. However, Analysis 3 found that iconic gestures were not occasioned by lexical accessing difficulties because although gestures tended to occur with words of significantly lower transitional probability, these lower transitional probability words tended to be uttered quite fluently. Overall, therefore, this study provided little evidence for Butterworth and Hadar's theoretical claim that the main function of the iconic hand gestures that accompany spontaneous speech is to assist in the process of lexical access. Instead, such gestures are reconceptualized in terms of communicative function.
When further learning fails: Stability and change following repeated presentation of text
Authors: Fritz Catherine O. , Morris Peter E. , Bjork Robert A. , Gelman Rochel , Wickens Thomas D.
Published: February 2003

Kay (1955) presented a text passage to participants on a weekly basis and found that most errors and omissions in recall persisted despite repeated re‐presentation of the text. Experiment 1 replicated and extended Kay s original research, demonstrating that after a first recall attempt there was very little evidence of further learning, whether measured in terms of further acquisition or error correction, over three more presentations of the text passages. Varying the schedule of presentations and tests had little effect, although performance was better when intermediate trials included both presentation and test than when only presentations or tests occurred. Experiment 2 explored whether this ‘failure of further learning’ effect could be overcome by (a) warning participants against basing their recall on their previous recall efforts and specifically directing them to base their recall upon the passages, (b) making each presentation more distinctive, or (c) drawing participants’ attention to areas that would benefit from further learning by requiring them to tally their omissions and errors. The effect persisted in all cases. The findings have serious implications for the learning of text material.