bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality and Creativity
Authors: Furnham Adrian
Published: August 2011

In all 78 students completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (Form S), the 1975 Barron-Welsh Art Scale, and three estimates of their own creativity. Multiple regressions showed openness-to-experience predicted all three self-estimates of creativity but not the actual creativity score.
Effects of Time of Day on Shopping Behavior
Authors: Chebat Jean-Charles
Published: August 2011

Shoppers interviewed in a shopping mall at different times of the day show different activities within the mall and attitudes toward the products. Prices also vary with the time of the day. These results can be explained in terms of shopping values and the related demographic characteristics of the population visiting the shopping center at different times of the day.
Mood as an Index of Psychiatric Inpatients' Progress in Group Therapy
Authors: Lubin Bernard , Van Whitlock Rodney , Thieszen Kathryn , Leak Jay
Published: August 2011

In a study of the use of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised and a set of scaled questions at the end of each group therapy session, the following results were found: (1) This checklist is sufficiently reliable and valid for use in psychiatric inpatient settings. (2) For patients who attended all 10 group therapy sessions there was a significant decrease in negative mood and a significant increase in positive mood from Sessions 1 to 10. (3) For patients who attended 10 consecutive sessions, there were significant increases from Sessions 1 to 10 in the perception that the therapist was trying to help them, they felt close to other members of the group, they felt hopeful of getting well, they openly tried to help another group member, and they openly expressed their feelings during the sessions.
Effects of Contextual Interference and Age on Acquisition, Retention, and Transfer of Motor Skill
Authors: Jarus Tal , Goverover Yael
Published: August 2011

This experiment was designed to Investigate the varying conditions of contextual interference within three age groups. 40 5-yr.-olds, 40 7-yr.-olds, and 40 11-yr.-olds practiced the task of throwing beanbags under either low contextual interference (blocked practice), high contextual interference (random practice), or medium contextual interference (combined practice). All subjects performed 30 acquisition trials, 12 retention trials and 6 transfer trials. Analysis indicated that only the 7-yr.-old subjects differed in their performance in the various practice groups. As hypothesized and suggested by developmental theories, the combined and blocked practice groups acquired the task better. On the other hand, the 5- and 11-yr.-olds did not differ in performance in the different practice groups. Whether this is associated with difficulty of the task or the length of practice can be assessed in further study. Contextual interference in different age groups needs further investigation.
Background Sound Pressure Fluctuations (5 DB) from Overhead Ventilation Systems Increase Subjective Fatigue of University Students during Three-Hour Lectures
Authors: Persinger M. A. , Tiller S. G. , Koren S. A.
Published: August 2011

During each of four successive sessions (once per week), 21 university students attended 3-hr. lectures. During alternative weeks the fans of the room's ventilation system were either on or off. When operating, they generated an average sound pressure that varied continuously between 60 and 65 dB. The dominant frequency of this 5-dB amplitude modulation of sound pressure was within the electroen cephalographic range (5 Hz to 25 Hz). At the end of each hour of the lecture for each session each student estimated on 7-point summated rating scales fatigue (none to maximum) and concentration (poor to excellent). As a group, the students reported more fatigue during lectures when the fans were operating relative to lectures when the fans were not operating. This environmental effect explained about 30% of the variance in fatigue ratings and may be sufficient to affect adversely the attention of students within these settings.
Hemispheric Asymmetry in a Perceptual Priming Task: Evidence from Patients with Unilateral Brain Damage
Authors: Tsukiura Takashi , Fujii Toshikatsu , Yamadori Atsushi , Hosokawa Toru
Published: August 2011

The present study examined the relationship between unilateral brain damage and the effect of nonverbal perceptual priming using a picture-fragment completion task. Subjects consisted of 11 left brain-damaged patients, 8 right brain-damaged patients, and 10 healthy normal controls. The mean score of normal controls was significantly higher than those of left and right brain-damaged patients. Although there were significant effects of priming in all the groups, a significant difference in amplitude of priming effects was found only between right brain-damaged patients and normal controls. The correlation between amount of fragmentation at which there was identification and priming effect was not significant. We conclude that the right hemisphere is more involved in perceptual priming of form than is the left hemisphere, and form-dependent processing in the perceptual priming task has an asymmetrical distribution in the right and left hemispheres.
Improving Perception of Letters and Visual Structure of Language
Authors: Nelson Thomas M. , Nilsson Thomy H. , Piercey David J. , Johnson Thomas , Frascara Jorge , Delano Sergio Silva , Sone Emy Susuki , Bravo Malva Villalon
Published: August 2011

Information about letters and the physical structure of language printed in Roman characters was given to children beginning to read. Experimental investigations coupled three alternative graphic modes of printing upper- and lower-case letters with an instructional intervention termed “Alpha-Beta” which provides practice in letter sorting, matching of letters, associative matching, and memory matching. In respect to graphics, Mode A letters were in standard alphabet form. Mode B provided standard letters with each backed by a unique half-tone (Visually Stippled Alphabet); Mode C provided standard letters with each backed by a unique visual texture (Visually Patterned Alphabet). Pre-posttest change in reading readiness was measured using the Metropolitan Readiness Test. In the first study 224 English-speaking 5- to 6-yr.-old children were tested. In the second there were 158 Spanish-speaking girls and boys 6 to 7 years old. It was predicted that Alpha-Beta intervention involving visually patterned alphabet would lead to the greatest increases in readiness scores. This is confirmed in both studies for children low in reading readiness preexperiment. Children high in reading readiness are less affected. The second experiment involved Spanish-speaking children and investigated intervention by Alpha-Beta against a no-intervention control. This confirms the value of Alpha-Beta per se. Possible explanations for the improvements are identified.
Type I Error Probabilities of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney Test and Student T Test Altered by Heterogeneous Variances and Equal Sample Sizes
Authors: Zimmerman Donald W.
Published: August 2011

The Student t test maintains its significance level more consistently than the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test when variances of treatment groups are unequal and sample sizes are equal. The probability of a Type I error of the nonparametric test systematically increases above the nominal significance level as the ratio of population standard deviations increases, while that of the t test remains fairly stable.
Measuring Change with 2 × C Designs
Authors: Posch Margaret A. , Sawilowsky Shlomo S.
Published: August 2011

The literature in psychology and education was canvassed to assess the frequency of usage of the 2 × c ordered categorical design It was used with 149 data sets in 29 journals from 1992–1995. There was a statistically significant decline in the usage of the 2 × c design as the number of ordered categorical levels increased. This raises the question of why researchers eschew measurement of more refined categories of change.
Learning Complex Categories Two Ways at Once: The Link between Automatic Processing and Nonanalytic Learning
Authors: Tracy Joseph I.
Published: August 2011

Concurrent automatic and focal attentive processes were evaluated for a categorization task. Automatic processing is associated with nonanalytic processing and is less deliberate, effortful, and less strategy based. Automatic processing does not interfere with focal attentive processing. This set of facts yielded two hypotheses, that automatic learning of categories would occur concurrently with focal attentive learning of categories and automatic learning of categories would be nonanalytic. After a phase of self-paced learning, analytic categorizers were identified. These analytic subjects proceeded to a speeded categorization task and were tested for evidence of a shift toward nonanalytic learning. A significant increase in nonanalytic responses was found in the speeded condition, providing modest support for the hypotheses.
Modulation of Neutral Face Evaluation by Laterally Presented Emotional Expressions
Authors: Surakka Veikko , Sams Mikko , Hietanen Jari K.
Published: August 2011

The present study examined hemispheric asymmetries in emotional processing. 40 right-handed women were presented sequences of Happy, Sad, and Disgusted facial expressions to their left and right visual fields followed by a Neutral face presented to ipsi- or contralateral visual field. After Happy sequences, Neutral faces were rated as significantly more pleasant than after Sad sequences. In respect to hemispheric asymmetries, the analyses gave a significant effect of visual field only for Sad sequences. The ratings of Neutral faces were significantly more positive after presentations of Sad sequences to the left than to the right visual field. These modulational effects are suggested to support recent findings of hemispheric asymmetries of human emotions.
Time Perspective of Female Prisoners Related to Success in a Training Program
Authors: Chubick Jennifer D. , Rider Cecilia Y. , Owen Susan M. , Witherspoon Arnold D. , Witherspoon Bradley M.
Published: August 2011

This study compared scores on future time perspective of 50 female prison inmates who were participating in a vocational training program within the Julia Tutwiler Prison. There was no control group. Zimbardo's measure of future time perspective, administered a year earlier, was associated with success or failure in the program. Associations of future time perspectives with education, age and ethnicity were investigated. An analysis of covariance between the 21 graduates and 16 dropouts while controlling for education was significant. Despite the incomplete design, some implications are of interest.
Evaluation of Three Types of Blinks with the Use of Electro-Oculogram and Electromyogram
Authors: Kaneko Kenichi , Sakamoto Kazuyoshi
Published: August 2011

Three kinds of blinks, spontaneous, reflex, and voluntary, were measured for 11 men using electromyogram (EMG) at the orbicularis oculi muscle on the right side and electro-oculogram (EOG) in the vertical direction to the right eyelid. The amplitude and the duration time were defined here from the raw waves of the EMG and the EOG for the three kinds of blinks. The amplitude of the EMG indicated that the mean value for the spontaneous blinks was significantly smaller than that of the voluntary blinks and the mean duration of the EMG shows the value for the spontaneous blinks was smaller than that for the reflex and the voluntary blinks. The EMG for the spontaneous blinks had a smaller amplitude and a shorter duration time than the other blinks. The EOG amplitude indicated that the mean value for the spontaneous blinks was significantly smaller than that for the voluntary blinks, but there was no significant difference between the spontaneous blinks and the other blinks for the duration of the EOG. The amplitude and the duration for both the EMG and the EOG discriminated any two types of blinks from three blinks by statistical test. Those values for the EMG and the EOG are effective indices for the evaluation of blinks. Moreover, the coefficients of variation of the amplitude and durations of EMG and EOG for three kinds of blinks denote their characteristics. Multiple discriminant analysis distinguished the types of blinks simultaneously. The resultant maximum correct rate for the three blinks reaches to be 81.8%. So far, it has been difficult to discriminate the blinks quantitatively, but the procedures presented here are able to solve the difficulty.
Kinematics of Kicking as a Function of Different Sources of Constraint on Accuracy
Authors: Teixeira Luis Agusto
Published: August 2011

The kinematics of kicking were investigated using five experienced players at soccer. They were required to kick powerfully balls of two sizes under conditions with defined and undefined targets. High-velocity cameras were used for three-dimensional analysis. Analysis indicated that the defined target condition led to lower movement speeds and shorter movement rimes, while balls' sizes influenced only time after peak velocity.
Some Psychological Aspects of Tinnitus
Authors: Reiss Michael , Reiss Gilfe
Published: August 2011

Tinnitus rarely can be cured. The patient, however, needs help to avoid countless ineffective treatments and considerable cost. The clinical examination of patients with severe and chronic tinnitus must include associated psychological disturbances. After all medical and audiological treatments have failed, tinnitus patients often are advised to “learn to live with it.” The aim of psychosocial treatment is assisting patients in the identification of aggravating factors in tinnitus and teaching them various coping skills.
Are Nonproper Chopstick Holders Clumsier Than Proper Chopstick Holders in Their Manual Movements?
Authors: Hatta Takeshi , Kawakami Ayako
Published: August 2011

To examine the working hypothesis that a lack of childhood training in the fine-detailed finger movements illustrated by learning to use chopsticks properly as a child has later rendered such individuals clumsier in the execution of other more adult-like motor movements, four experiments were conducted. Groups of proper and nonproper users (both males and females) performed a task of picking up rice grains (Exp. 1), a pin-down task (Exp. 2), a task of unfastening nuts from bolts (Exp. 3), and a knot-tying task (Exp. 4). Only on the rice-grain transfer task and the knot-tying task, proper chopstick users showed better performance than nonproper users. On the pin-down task and the nuts-and-bolts task, no difference was found between groups. These results suggest that there is no clear evidence to support the hypothesis that a lack of early training for proper chopstick use makes such individuals more clumsy as adults in at least some motor movements.
Intertester Reliability of Hand-Held Dynamometry: A Concise Summary of Published Research
Authors: Bohannon Richard W.
Published: August 2011

Literature describing the use of hand-held dynamometry was examined to determine whether conclusions could be drawn regarding intertester reliability. 18 studies reporting intertester reliability coefficients were found and summarized. These suggest that high intertester reliability can be obtained, but that it is in jeopardy if tester strength is low relative to the forces being measured.
Representational Momentum in Children: Dynamic Information and Analogue Representation
Authors: Hubbard Timothy L. , Matzenbacher Dena L. , Davis Shawn E.
Published: August 2011

Two groups of children and a control group of adults completed a visual memory task previously shown to produce representational momentum in adults. In the task, a computer-animated target was shown moving either horizontally or vertically, and the target vanished without warning. After the target vanished, observers indicated the location at which it had vanished. Both children and adults exhibited representational momentum, i.e., indicated locations slightly beyond where the target actually disappeared, and the magnitude of representational momentum was larger for younger children than adults. Implications of the results for issues of sensitivity to dynamics and for reliance on analogue representation are discussed.
Resource for Temporal Information Processing in Interval Production
Authors: Shinohara Kazumitsu
Published: August 2011

The resource required to process temporal information in interval production was investigated. 12 undergraduates performed 4-sec. interval production and nontemporal tasks, the probe digit task and the missing digit task. Although both tasks required memory search and employed the same modality for input and for responding, the probe digit task required a phonological resource and the missing digit task required a spatial resource. Analysis showed that both concurrent nontemporal tasks caused interval productions to be longer, suggesting that the temporal processing required a resource which both tasks used commonly. This resource may be a general purpose, capacity-limited resource associated with a central executive function in working memory.
An Experiment in Time Perception: Separating Rate of Presentation from Type of Estimation
Authors: Vitulli William F. , Crimmins Kathleen A.
Published: August 2011

An experiment was conducted to distinguish between studies which show main effects versus interaction effects regarding estimations of time as a function of the rate (fast or slow) of digit presentation and the type (immediate or delayed) of time estimation. Undergraduate volunteers (36 men and 103 women) gave retrospective estimates of time following a short-term memory filler task consisting of memorizing a series of random digits (1–5) which varied in length (25 or 50 digits). Rate was manipulated by altering the interstimulus interval between digits (100 msec. or 1,300 msec.) or by varying the length of the list. A multivariate analysis of variance showed significant main effects for type of time estimation (delayed estimates were longer than immediate), length of list (estimates for 50 digits were longer than for 25), and interstimulus interval (estimates for 1,300 msec. were longer than for 100 msec.) yet, contrary to Pedri and Hesketh in 1993, there were no significant interactions among the variables. Each of the independent variables was associated with effects on time estimation and short-term memory which were the same at all levels of the other variables. Task variables were discussed as a potential source of variance among past studies.
Increasing Use of the Female Condom through Video Instruction
Authors: Zimmers Elizabeth , Prtvette Gayle , Lowe Rosemary H. , Chappa Ferd
Published: August 2011

The female condom is effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and when used properly reduces risk of HIV infection among women. This field experiment evaluated the effect of a video presentation on reported use of and satisfaction with the female condom. Participants were 100 women tested for HIV infection in a community agency. Ages ranged from 17 to 62 years, and one fifth of the sample were African American or Hispanic. The 23 women who viewed an instructional video were significantly more likely than 13 of the control group of 50 to try the condom and report to the researcher. Video viewing was unrelated to liking the product and future intent to use. Almost three quarters of those who used the condoms reported they liked and would use them.
Reproducibility of Performance and Certainty of Judgment in Maximal vs Feigned Muscular Effort
Authors: Dvir Zeevi
Published: August 2011

Detection of feigned muscular effort is a highly challenging topic in the medicolegal arena. Modern dynamometric methods have enabled a much higher accuracy in deciding whether the effort in question is indeed genuine or submaximal. Since in feigning the target, however, performance may fluctuate even within a single testing session, reproducibility cannot be assured. In actual claims, the statistical nature of certainty in proclaiming a feigned effort must be well understood by those involved in deciding the fate of a claim.
Ethnicity, Sleep Hygiene Knowledge, and Sleep Hygiene Practices
Authors: Hicks Robert A. , Lucero-Gorman Kristy , Bautista Jose , Hicks Gregory J.
Published: August 2011

We tested the mean differences in scores on Sleep Hygiene Knowledge and on Sleep Hygiene Practices among four ethnic groups of university students ( N = 963). We computed significant main effects for ethnicity for both of these variables. Primarily the results reflect that the Euro-American students scored significantly higher on both scales than each of the other three groups.
Measuring Transitions through Stages of Exercise: Application of Latent Transition Analysis
Authors: Gebhardt Winifred A. , Dusseldorp Elise , Maes Stan
Published: August 2011

In this longitudinal study of 504 nursing staff members from seven Dutch nursing homes, which transitions in exercise behaviour had occurred over a 12-mo. period were investigated. For this purpose, latent transition analyses were employed. Latent transition analysis is an extension of Markov chain modelling and of Latent class analysis and has been especially developed to study dynamic latent variables. The data supported the notion that natural change in exercise occurs through various stages and that these are sequential in nature. Latent transition analysis was an effective method for the comparison of various models describing possible transitions over time and for estimation of the likelihood of the occurrence of such transitions.
Assessing the Offspring of Workaholic Parents: The Children of Workaholics Screening Test
Authors: Robinson Bryan E. , Carroll Jane J.
Published: August 2011

This study reports initial stages in the development of a self-report instrument that measures offsprings' mental disposition toward their parents' work habits. In an initial sitting, a battery of tests was administered to 207 young adults to assess the reliability and validity of the Children of Workaholics Screening Test. After a 2-wk. interval, the test was administered again. Test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, and concurrent validity are reported. The findings provide strong support for the utility of the Children of Workaholics Screening Test for assessing the offspring of workaholic parents.
Associations of Self-Regulation with Personality Traits and Self-Efficacy in Japanese Elementary School Children
Authors: Shiomi Kunio , Nakata Sakae , Joireman Jeffrey A.
Published: August 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the associations of scores on four self-regulation subscales identified by Nakata and Shiomi in 1998 with those on personality traits measured on the Shimoda Personality Inventory and self-efficacy with 123 Japanese elementary school children. Scores on the self-regulation subscales had significant positive correlations with scores on immodithymic and syntonic traits, and significant negative correlations with scores on schizothymic, nervous, and uncertain trts Correlations with self-efficacy were also positive and significant. From these results higher scorers on self-regulation may have more positive personality traits and higher self-efficacy scores.
Computerized Search of Scientific Literature on Sport for Disabled Persons
Authors: Hutzler Yeshayahu , Felis Osnat
Published: August 2011

A computerized search of literature on sport for disabled persons referenced in the MEDLINE (Index Medicus) and the SPORTDiscus (Sport International Resource Center SIRO databases yielded 253 records published during the past 15 years. An analysis of these records by disability, age, and scientific discipline indicated that (a) publications related to physiology were most frequent (41%), followed by publications related to psychology (29%) (b) 58% of all records had wheelchair users as subjects; and (c) children were exclusive subjects in 10% and females in less than 2% of the records reviewed in this search.
Some Temporal Characteristics of Phrases Produced by 6- to 10-Yr.-Old Children
Authors: Whiteside S. P.
Published: August 2011

20 children aged 6 ( n = 6), 8 ( n = 6), and 10 ( n = 8) years, with equal numbers of boys and girls participated in a picture-naming task. Some temporal parameters of the speech data were examined. These included total phrase duration, duration of speaking time, and duration of pauses. Both age and sex differences were found. These results are presented and discussed briefly.
Interaction of Learning Awareness and Task Difficulty in Single-Solution Anagram Performance
Authors: Kumar Surender , Harizuka Susumu , Koga Satoshi
Published: August 2011

The study examined the changes in awareness after learning single-solution anagrams of 120 normal undergraduate students. Awareness of learning processes includes students' knowledge of learning strategies and ability to control their own cognitive activities. Students were administered a Learning Awareness Questionnaire in pre-post conditions and learning 15 single-solution anagrams. Anagrams of low, medium, and high difficulty were presented vertically or horizontally on a computer monitor. Accuracy and latency of response were the dependent measures. Latency for correct judgment was higher for vertical presentation regardless of difficulty. Response accuracy was higher for medium and high difficulty and comparable at low difficulty. The significant interactions of learning awareness x task difficulty suggested that the mean learning awareness score was lower for vertically presented anagrams and for the difficult task. Clearly task difficulty affects awareness of learning.
On the Nature of Space-Time in the Observation of Physical Events in Science
Authors: Persinger M. A.
Published: August 2011

All sciences contain words that define events or aggregates of events from which new properties emerge. There are also words for processes They require sequential increments of time to be perceived. Systematic relationships exist between the increments of space (meters) and the increments of time (seconds) required to perceive a phenomenon. These relationships suggest that at the largest increment of space, the universe, the processes cannot be perceived. The measurement of femtometer (10−15 m) and attometer (10−18 m) space by millisecond increments (human perception) allows temporal and spatial increments to be nested into higher order organizations. Whether or not these systematic relationships between the increments of space and time required to perceive a phenomenon and the similarity of fundamental operations relating events and processes that occurs across the sciences imply an externally structured order or simply reflect the fundamental organization of ail human brains is discussed.
The Bender-Gestalt Test: Koppitz's Developmental Scoring System Administered to Two Samples of Italian Preschool and Primary School Children
Authors: Mazzeschi Claudia , Lis Adriana
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this paper was to extend research on Koppitz's Developmental Scoring System to Italian samples. Specific attention has been given to the study of errors for the single designs to assess the relationship of these errors with total errors and to assess the designs' varying difficulty. A second purpose was to study possible cultural influences between different Italian regions. According to Koppitz (1975) research findings support that the rate of development in visuomotor perception differs among children of various ethnic groups. Subjects were 538 boys and 527 girls enrolled in the regular kindergarten and elementary schools in Italy. Detailed analyses were carried out on total mean errors and mean errors for each design. Mean errors decrease across age groups; that is, perceptuomotor integration is improved for older children. No significant differences were found between Northern and Southern Italy.
Retention and Adaptive Control of Force Patterns in Finger-Tapping Sequences
Authors: Inui Nobuyuki , Ishida Toshiko , Yamanishi Masaki
Published: August 2011

The present study was designed to examine whether a serial force pattern in the finger-tapping sequences was retained and adaptively controlled. On practice trials, 15 male college students tapped a force plate connected to strain gauges which provided feedback. On test trials, subjects recalled the force pattern and the intertap interval acquired during practice without feedback (recalled task). Next, subjects adaptively tapped the acquired force pattern at the half (speeded task) and twice the intertap interval acquired during practice (slowed task). Analysis showed that the force patterns were quite precisely retained across tasks, and the relative force pattern was retained. Although there was no difference for force between the slowed and the recalled task, the force in the speeded task differed from that in the recalled task. This indicated that changing to a fast pace creates a more difficult adaptive task than changing to a slow pace.
Can IQ Gain Be Accurately Quantified by a Simple Difference Formula?
Authors: Zhu Jianjun , Tulsky David S.
Published: August 2011

In examining Flynn's assessment of IQ gain several issues (the method of calculating gain, competing hypotheses, and assumptions on which measurements are made) have been briefly enumerated and commented on.
Right Hemispheric Contribution to Motor Programming of Simultaneous Bilateral Response
Authors: Taniguchi Yuko
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to verify the hypothesis that the motor program which integrates the left- and right-hand responses in the bilateral reaction time (RT) task is located in the right hemisphere. 8 female and 50 male students performed bilateral simultaneous RT tasks to lateralized light stimuli. Uncrossed RT based on the relationship between the unifying center in the right hemisphere and hemifield stimulus was shorter than crossed RT for the bilateral response. Therefore, the hypothesis was supported. Some areas of the right hemisphere contributed to unification of the movements of the right and left hands for bilateral movements in reaction time.
Suicidality and Risk-Taking Behaviors: An Ecological Study of Youth Behaviors in 29 States
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

Ecological correlations over 29 continental states in a survey indicated that youth suicidality in 1993 was most strongly associated with measures of substance use and abuse, confirming associations consistently found at the individual level of analysis.
Boundaries and Handedness
Authors: Hicks Robert A. , Bautista Jose , Hicks Gregory J.
Published: August 2011

The responses of 116 university students were used to assess a possible relation between scores on Hartmann's Boundary Questionnaire and the Briggs-Nebes Handedness Scale. Consistent with our prediction, the mean handedness score of the students with thin boundaries was significantly skewed in the direction of mixed-handedness.
Sleep and Chronotype for Children in Japan
Authors: Park Young Man , Seo Yoo Jin , Matsumoto Kazuya , Shinkoda Harumi
Published: August 2011

To investigate the change in sleep-wake habits, Morningness-Eveningness preference, and sleep status by grade, 512 students aged from 6 to 18 years, were tested using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Sleep Questionnaire. The habitual waking time showed no difference by grade, but the students above Grade 7 reported a significantly later habitual bedtime and had a shorter length of sleep on weekdays than the students below Grade 6. The students above Grade 7 reported a significant difference between habitual and preferred waking times but did not show a difference between habitual and preferred bedtimes. Although the sleep length during weekends became shorter from Grade 1, the sleep length of students above Grade 8 showed a significant difference between the weekdays and weekends; they had more than nine hours of sleep on the weekends. The percentage of students taking a nap during a school lesson significantly increased across Grades 8 to 12. The mean score on the questionnaire decreased across grades and the decrease was significant at Grade 7. Both the habitual and preferred bedtimes and waking times were later from the Morning, Intermediate, to the Evening types across grades. The difference by chronotype in preferred waking time increased for groups from the primary, junior high, to the high school. Also, the sleep lengths both weekdays and weekends decreased from the Morning, Intermediate, to the Evening type for all grades. We suggested that the delay of sleep phase, reduction of sleep length, increased daytime napping, and transition to Evening type were remarkably represented around Grade 7.
A Deaf Woman Learning to Control Her Excessive Vocal Loudness through a Portable Feedback System
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Markus S.
Published: August 2011

A deaf woman learned to control her excessive vocal loudness through a portable feedback system, which provided vibratory stimulation when her voice was too loud. The mean percentage of excessively loud talking decreased from 45 prior to the use of feedback to 3 during the use of feedback. This improvement (documented by formal observation) was confirmed by normally hearing people sharing the work environment with the woman. The woman preferred a system with a contact microphone since this was virtually unaffected by environmental noise.
Expertise and Performance on the Emotional Stroop Task
Authors: Nortje Charl , Van Der Westhuizen Le Roux , Möller André T. , Oellermann Bianca Y.
Published: August 2011

40 undergraduate students participated in an emotional Stroop task to test the hypothesis that individuals with high interest in and formal knowledge of interpersonal relationships will react with significantly longer latencies to social-related threat words than individuals without such an interest or formal knowledge. The results did not support the hypothesis; however, an association between interference scores and order of card presentation was found.
Magnitude-Estimation Scaling of Computerized (Digitized) Speech under Different Listening Conditions
Authors: Bettagere Ramesh , Fucci Donald
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of tape-recorded speech sentences and speech sentences digitized at low, moderate, and high sampling rates by young adults under different listening conditions (quiet vs noise) using magnitude-estimation scaling. A single group of 24 young adults participated as subjects. The tape-recorded speech sentences and digitized speech sentences were presented to each subject in quiet and in the presence of background noise at a signal-to-noise ratio of 0 dB. The subjects were instructed to use magnitude-estimation scaling to evaluate these sentences by assigning a number that corresponded to the speech quality of each sentence. An analysis of variance with repeated measures was performed to assess the effects of mode of speech and listening condition on the magnitude-estimation responses. The analysis showed that the main effects for mode of speech and listening condition were statistically significant. The interactions of mode of speech by listening condition were also statistically significant. Pairwise comparisons showed that the magnitude-estimation responses were higher in the quiet condition than in the corresponding noise condition for each level of mode of speech. Based on the results, the implications of the present study and several avenues for later research are discussed.
Effects of Semantic Discrimination of Chinese Words on N400 Component of Event-Related Potentials
Authors: Luo Yue-Jia , Hu Senqi , Weng Xu-Chu , Wei Jing-Han
Published: August 2011

20 subjects' event-related brain potentials were measured during a lexical decision task in which Chinese characters were used in both conditions of related (antonym) and unrelated words. Analysis indicated that the mean reaction time for unrelated words was 130 msec. longer than that elicited by related words. The condition of unrelated words elicited a significant N450, and an obvious P500 was evoked by related words at each of the 17 recording sites. Furthermore, the amplitudes of N210 and N450 were larger in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere but the amplitude of P500 was larger in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere.
Phonosymbolism and the Emotional Nature of Sounds: Evidence of the Preferential Use of Particular Phonemes in Texts of Differing Emotional Tone
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: August 2011

This article addresses the emotional meaning (phonosymbolism) of the most basic unit of language—the phoneme. Language excerpts from many sources were transcribed phonetically with the help of a computer program. The distributions of phonemes in different sources (song lyrics, poetry, word lists, advertisements) were correlated with the emotionality of the language along two dimensions (activation, evaluation) which had been rated by the Dictionary of Affect using another computer program. Significant results characterized all phases of the analysis. Phonemes were distributed differently in different language samples. Frequency of phonemes in a language sample as well as frequency of phonemes in individual words were correlated with emotion. For example, the phoneme /l/ (the one appearing twice in the word lullaby) was used more often in pleasant language samples, in soft or tender language samples, and in passive words. The phoneme /r/ (appearing twice in the word roar) was found more often in unpleasant words and in active words. Possible sources of the relationship between sound production and emotion are discussed.
Learning Volleyball Serves: A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Knowledge of Performance and of Results
Authors: Zubiaur Marta , On̄a Antonio , Delgado Juan
Published: August 2011

Recently, doubts have begun to surface about the emphasis that for years has been given to the variable knowledge of results in motor learning, and a view has been expressed that information on how an action has been made (knowledge of performance) may be of more use. This study compared the two types of information in learning a volleyball serve by eight subjects, who were given the two kinds of feedback at various points in the process. Analysis seems to show that knowledge of performance tends to be more effective for learning and that there may be interference across information if knowledge of results is provided after knowledge of performance.
Vocal Disinhibition (Grunting) Does Not Increase Dead Lift Force in College Athletes or Nonathletes
Authors: Morales Zeke , Owen Scott , O'Connell Dennis G.
Published: August 2011

31 17–35-yr.-old men (15 college athletes and 16 nonathletes) performed three dead-lifts with and three without grunting, the order of which was randomly assigned. No differences were found across the grunting trials and grunting did not affect maximal force production. Grunting does not appear to increase maximum force production significantly during a large muscle group, force output activity (isometric dead lift).
A Composite Gestalt Completion Test
Authors: Eliot John , Czarnolewski Mark
Published: August 2011

Most existing Gestalt completion tests contain items which have content recognizable 50 years ago but now are difficult for subjects to recognize. Four well-known Gestalt completion tests were examined and a composite test of the more familiar items among the tests was compiled and then administered to university students. The Cronbach alpha for the 21 selected items was .82. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a general factor and more specific factors, supporting the contention that alternative processes or structural characteristics described in the Gestalt completion literature may account for the common and unique variances found among Gestalt completion items.
Perceptual Restoration of Missing Sounds in a Group of Hallucinating Schizophrenics
Authors: Olsson Olle , Nielzén Sören
Published: August 2011

17 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia and having auditory hallucinations in their case history were compared with 15 control subjects in an experiment on perceptual restoration. A tone pattern was presented, then interrupted by noise, under conditions such that the tone pattern could be heard as going on continuously (restoration). A series of 16 stimuli with a distractor of varying amplitude (noise) were presented. Healthy controls reliably reported restoration in Presentations 9 and 10. Four schizophrenics reported no restoration at all. Three of them reported restoration earlier than controls, and four others reported it later than controls and continued to report the phenomenon after a point at which no healthy controls did. Six others presented an irregular pattern of response to the phenomenon. The results are discussed with respect to the neurophysiological functioning of the auditory pathway and schizophrenic symptoms.
Managers' Perceptions of Work-Personal Life Balance
Authors: Burke Ronald J.
Published: August 2011

This research examined managers' perceptions of their organizations support of work-personal life balance. Data were collected using questionnaires from 530 women and men who were MA graduates. The sample reported only moderate concerns for organizational support of balance in work and personal life.
Relation between Self-Paced and Synchronized Movement in Persons with Mental Retardation
Authors: Kumai Masayuki
Published: August 2011

The relation between self-paced and synchronized tapping in 64 persons with mental retardation whose mental ages ranged from 2 to 11 years and chronological ages from 13 to 23 years was investigated. In a self-paced tapping task no stimulus was presented, and subjects' easy and spontaneous tapping was measured. In a synchronized tapping task their synchronous tapping with an auditory stimulus present at a quick or slow tempo was measured. Under both tempo conditions, the lower the subjects' mental age, the larger the errors in the intertap interval they made. The subjects of low mental age showed significantly larger errors in the intertap interval in the Slow than in the Quick Tempo condition and tended to tap at a rate near the self-paced tapping. These results may suggest that ability to adjust one's self pace is one of the key factors in the development of motor synchronization in persons with mental retardation.
Are European and American Golf Players Different? Reply to Engelhardt (1997)
Authors: Jiménez José Antonio , Fierro-Hernández Carlos
Published: August 2011

Analysis of 1998 statistics for individual performance in the PGA European Tour yielded significant differences between some shot-making skills (drive distance, total driving, greens in regulation, and sand saves) between the top 10 and bottom 10 money winners, replicating (with partially different results) a result found for the 1995 American PGA Tour by Engelhardt.
The Type a Behavior Pattern and Immune Reactivity to Brief Stress: Change of Volume of Secretory Immunoglobulin a in Saliva
Authors: Ohira Hideki , Kobayashi Kumi , Watanabe Yutaka , Kawai Makiko
Published: August 2011

This article presents findings of a laboratory experiment on the association of the Type A behavior pattern with reactivity of secretory immune functioning to brief stress. 38 female undergraduate students classified as Type A ( n = 19) or as Type B ( n = 19) on the basis of their scores on the Kwansei Gakuin Type A scale performed a continuous arithmetic task in a situation in which they were exposed to aversive loud noise. Secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) in saliva and autonomic measures (heart rate and frequency of eyeblink) were evaluated before and after the manipulation of stress. The volume of s-IgA at baseline was significantly higher for the Type A group than for the Type B group, suggesting that the former relative to the latter might be chronically higher in mucosal immune functioning. Also, the volume of s-IgA significantly increased after exposure to a brief stress for the Type B group but did not change for the Type A group, a finding which might indicate that the Type A group may have less immune reactivity to a brief stress.
Physique and Personality in Kindergarten Children
Authors: Jenkins Rebecca , Lester David
Published: August 2011

Ectomorphy scores were not associated with cerebrotonia scores in a sample of 105 kindergarten children.
Preferences for Body Type and Body Characteristics Associated with Attractive and Unattractive Bodies: Jackson and McGill Revisited
Authors: Rosenfeld Lawrence B. , Stewart Stephanie C. , Stinnett Heather J. , Jackson Linda A.
Published: August 2011

The present investigation replicates Jackson and McGill's study (1996) and extends it by considering the effects of respondents' own height, weight, and body mass on perceptions of attractiveness. Results, although generally supportive of those found by Jackson and McGill, point to the influence of respondents' own physical characteristics in the process of perceptions of attractiveness: only 1 of Jackson and McGill's 3 (of a possible 19) differences between responses of African- and Euro-American women was corroborated (the importance of silky hair for Euro-American women), whereas a second difference (the importance of round buttocks for African-American women) disappeared when controlling for respondents' weight, height, and body mass. Although differences between the two investigations may be attributed to regional differences in the surveyed students (Michigan and North Carolina), the small effect of one's own weight, height, and body mass in assessing an other-sex person's attractiveness may reflect adherence to norms learned very early in life that are subject to regional variations.
Image Control from Childhood to Adolescence
Authors: Wolmer Leo , Laor Nathaniel , Toren Paz
Published: August 2011

Despite the recognized importance of imagery use by children as well as the developmental relevance for maturity and health of imagery properties such as vividness and control, only a few studies have investigated imagery of children. The aim of the present study was to examine the development of control of mental images in a sample of boys and girls aged 7 to 17 years. Children were assessed on two aspects of mental imagery, vividness and control, and teachers were asked to rate the children's intellectual and socioemotional performance. Analysis showed that the capacity for image control increased in adolescence and that children characterized by vivid and uncontrolled imagery received the lowest ratings from teachers, whereas those with nonvivid and controlled imagery received the highest ratings. The implications of these results were discussed in relation to normal and abnormal development as well as suggestions for research.
Ecological Relevance of Stereopsis in One-Handed Ball-Catching
Authors: Lenoir Matthieu , Musch Eliane , La Grange Nancy
Published: August 2011

The aim of this study was to compare one-handed catching performance between catchers with high ( n = 10) and low ( n=10) binocular depth vision or stereopsis. In two sessions of 90 trials, tennis balls were projected at three different velocities towards the subject's shoulder region. Participants with good stereopsis were more successful, although the difference in number of correct catches fell short of significance. More specifically, catchers with low stereopsis made more temporal errors, but no differences in spatial errors. As the velocity of the ball increased, the initiation of the catch was delayed and catching performance decreased. The finding that stereopsis affected timing of the catch challenges the ‘monocular tau hypothesis' in the control of interceptive timing, while the velocity effect shows that the act of catching a ball is not initiated at a constant time-to-contact.