bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Test Used for Certification in Sport Scuba Diving
Authors: Price Larry R. , Wilkins Charles
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to confirm the underlying factor structure of the entry-level scuba diving certification test published by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). The test measures knowledge mastery across 6 content areas. A sample of 400 female and male entry-level scuba diving students aged from 18 to 47 years participated in the study. A rigorous structural equation modeling approach was used to confirm the factor structure of the test. The results verify that two latent factors or constructs accurately represent knowledge mastery for entry-level scuba diving students. Also, cross-validation procedures were used to examine the accuracy of measurement model replication. Collectively, these findings support the construct validity of the test.
Enhancement of Sweetness Ratings of Aspartame by a Vanilla Odor Presented Either by Orthonasal or Retronasal Routes
Authors: Sakai Nobuyuki , Kobayakawa Tatsu , Gotow Naomi , Saito Sachiko , Imada Sumio
Published: August 2011

When taste stimuli are presented with specific odor stimuli, the perceived intensity of taste is enhanced, a phenomenon called odor-induced taste enhancement. There is a possibility, however, that the odor substances might have stimulated the taste receptors in the oral cavity as well as odor receptors in the nasal cavity because the odor substances were dissolved in the taste solutions in some preceding studies. Schifferstein and Verlegh (1996) found that the odor-induced taste enhancement effect was not found when the subjects wore a nose clip to prevent the olfactory perception. Thus, it was suggested that the odor-induced taste enhancement did not result from the stimulation of receptors in the oral cavity. To confirm and extend their study, we presented the odor stimuli simultaneously with, but not dissolved in, the taste stimuli with a more advanced approach to stimulus presentation. The participants reported enhancement of sweetness ratings for aspartame when the taste stimuli were presented with a vanilla odor. This odor-induced taste enhancement was found when the gaseous odor stimuli were presented either by the retronasal route or by the orthonasal route. There was little possibility that the vanilla odor stimulated the taste receptors during the orthonasal stimulation because the odor stimuli were presented directly into the nasal cavity. Thus, we could show that the odor-induced taste enhancement is elicited by olfactory perception. These results also suggested that there is little functional difference between retronasal and orthonasal olfaction.
Force Developmental Phase and Reliability in Explosive and Voluntary Grip Exertions
Authors: Demura Shinichi , Nagasawa Yoshinori , Yamaji Shunsuke , Ikemoto Yukio , Shimada Shigeru
Published: August 2011

The purposes of this study were to clarify the reliability of two types of grip exertions, explosive grip exertion and voluntary grip exertion up to the maximal grip strength and to examine their force patterns using force-time parameters. Subjects were 100 healthy young male volunteers (age: 17.8 ±2.50 yr.) who had no upper limb injury. Grip strength was measured two times with voluntary grip and then two times with explosive grip. 11 parameters derived from the force-time curve were selected to measure the developmental phase of muscle contraction. The reliability of maximal grip strength in explosive and voluntary grip exertions was very high (intraclass correlation = .95, .93). The difference between two trials in explosive grip tended to be smaller than that for voluntary grip, and reliability of the exertion pattern was higher for explosive grip than voluntary grip. The times to reach 90% of the maximal grip strength and the maximal grip strength in explosive grip were shorter than those in voluntary grip. The other 8 force-time parameters had higher values in explosive grip than voluntary grip and higher reliabilities. The force-time parameters reflect the properties of explosive exertion. The results suggest the possibility that static explosive strength could be evaluated using these force-time parameters.
Handedness and Creativity in a Sample of Homosexual Men
Authors: Götestam K. Olof
Published: August 2011

A form concerning handedness, dyslexia, stuttering (self-report), and twinning was included in a study of sexual habits of homosexual men. Questions about interests in music, art, and creative writing were also included. A questionnaire was sent out to male homosexuals. Out of 391 returned forms, 363 were suitable for data processing. Analysis showed 13.9% reported writing with the left hand, 6.5% with stuttering, and 8.6% with dyslexia. The twin incidence was 1.2%. The creativity questions indicated a high music and painting activity. The results confirmed previous studies, showing a left shift in laterality and increased stuttering and dyslexia in the sample.
Measurement of the Corpus Callosum Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Analyses of Methods and Techniques
Authors: Dorion Agnès A. , Capron Christiane , Duyme Michel
Published: August 2011

Since the first postmortem report of sex-related differences in the size of the human corpus callosum, a number of studies on sex differences have been published, but results conflicted. The aim of this review was not to assess the possible existence and magnitude of sex variations in the size of the corpus callosum but to analyze methodological differences in several studies using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate the sexual dimorphism in the size of the corpus callosum. Methodological problems arise at several steps of the method: sampling, imagery techniques, and measurements. Moreover, the means of callosal areas obtained by the nine reported studies are significantly different. The hypothesis that methodoiogical differences could explain these differences is supported by statistical results. A common method for investigating sex-related differences in callosal morphology appears necessary to resolve the question of a real sexual dimorphism of the corpus callosum and its subregions.
Self-Efficacy, State Anxiety, and Cortisol Responses to Treadmill Running
Authors: Butki Brian D. , Rudolph David L. , Jacobsen Henning
Published: August 2011

Social cognitive theory of Bandura hypothesizes that increases in self-efficacy act as a mechanism for anxiety reduction and lower biological stress reactions. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol responses to 20 minutes of treadmill running at 85% maximal heart rate and a control condition among 12 physically active males. For this study, self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol were measured prior to and 5 and 20 min. after exercise for individuals completing a 20-min. treadmill running activity or a 20-min. rest (control) activity. Repeated-measures analyses of variance showed significant condition by time interaction for self-efficacy and Cortisol ( ps<.05); the exercise group's self-efficacy and Cortisol increased pre- to posttreatment. Moreover, the analysis of variance for anxiety yielded a main effect for time, with reductions in anxiety scores observed in both conditions. Correlational analyses showed that posttreatment Cortisol levels were inversely correlated −.51 to self-efficacy scores and positively correlated .55 to anxiety scores. The correlation between self-efficacy and anxiety was not significant. These results provide partial support for the predicted relationships among self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol responses to treadmill running Suggestions for research are provided.
Relationships between Recall of Perceived Exertion and Blood Lactate Concentration in a Judo Competition
Authors: Serrano Miguel Angel , Salvador Alicia , González-Bono Esperanza , Sanchís Carlos , Suay Ferrán
Published: August 2011

Relationships between perceived exertion and blood lactate have usually been studied in laboratory or training contexts but not in competition, the most important setting in which sports performance is evaluated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between psychological and physiological indices of the physical effort in a competition setting, taking into account the duration of effort. For this, we employed two Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE and CR-10) and lactic acid plasma concentration as a biological marker of the effort performed. 13 male judo fighters who participated in a sports club competition provided capillary blood samples to assay lactate concentrations and indicated on scale their Recall of Perceived Exertion in the total competition and again in just the Last Fight to compare the usefulness of RPE and CR-10 in assessing discrete bouts of effort and a whole session. Analysis showed that perceived exertion or the effort made during the whole competition was positively and significantly related to maximal lactate concentration and lactate increase in competition, thus extending the validity of this scale to sports contests. The Recall of Perceived Exertion scores were not significantly correlated with the duration of effort.
Drawing Performance in Prediction of Special Learning Difficulties of Kindergarten Children
Authors: Mati-Zissi Heleni , Zafiropoulou Maria
Published: August 2011

Recent experimental studies indicate the importance of drawing process in determining the final shape of the drawn product. Emphasis has been given on short-term and working memory, visual perception, visuospatial encoding planning, sequencing, and depiction of the third dimension. The above prerequisites are also necessary for the acquisition of reading and spelling. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prereading and drawing abilities of kindergarten children. 20 boys and girls were selected from 1,237 kindergarten children, based on their performance on a set of drawing tasks. The drawings were used as tools to indicate the conditions under which deficiencies in the cognitive system become apparent. Those 20 children and 20 matched controls were again tested during their first three years in primary school. The reassessment on the first and third year included tasks on drawing as well as on reading and spelling (speed and accuracy) based on the curriculum. The results showed an effect of the same cognitive factors in both areas of knowledge. The cognitive deficiencies observed across tasks focused on the children's information processing and were apparent in both symbolic systems.
Vestibular System in Performance of Standing Balance of Children and Young Adults under Altered Sensory Conditions
Authors: Cherng R. J. , Chen J.J. , Su F. C.
Published: August 2011

Inputs from the visual, somatosensory and vestibular systems must be integrated efficiently to activate appropriate motor responses in maintaining optimal balance. This study examined the standing balance of 17 children (7 to 10 years old) and 17 young adults (19 to 23 years old) as a function of sensory organization, sensory system efficiency, and postural strategy adopted. Tests of standing balance were administered under six sensory conditions created by simultaneous alteration of the visual (full, occluded, or sway-referenced) and the somatosensory inputs (fixed-foot or compliant-foot support). The sway area and the sway amplitude of the center of pressure were measured and analyzed. Three findings are notable. The function of sensory organization for balance control was poorer for the children than the young adults. The functional efficiency of the somatosensory and the visual systems of children have developed to the young adult level, but that of the vestibular system has not. There was no difference between children and young adults in hip control, but there was in ankle control when the vestibular input was the only reliable source of sensory input. These results suggest that the functional efficiency of the vestibular system in children 7 to 10 years of age may still be developing. This may account for their poorer function of sensory organization and lower performance of standing balance.
Is Facial Skin Tone Sufficient to Produce a Cross-Racial Identification Effect?
Authors: Alley Thomas R. , Schultheis Jennifer A.
Published: August 2011

Research clearly supports the existence of an other-race effect for human faces whereby own-race faces are more accurately perceived and recognized. Why this occurs remains unclear. A computerized program (Mac-a-Mug Pro™) for face composition was used to create pairs of target and distractor faces that differed only in skin tone. The six target faces were rated on honesty and aggressiveness by 72 university students, with just one ‘Black’ and one ‘White’ face viewed by each student. One week later, they attempted to identify these faces in four lineups: two with target-present and two with target-absent. The order of presentation of targets, lineups, and faces within lineups was varied. Own-race identification was slightly better than cross-racial identification. There was no significant difference in the confidence of responses to own-versus other-race faces. These results indicate that neither morphological variation nor differential confidence is necessary for a cross-racial identification effect.
Satisfaction and Perception of Performance Norms of Sport Teams
Authors: Kim Myung-Soo
Published: August 2011

To examine the association of rated satisfaction by 447 team members with their perception of performance norms in team sports analysis suggested that the members who hold higher performance norms than those of the majority of their team rate their satisfaction higher than those who hold lower performance norms.
Generation of Oculomotor Images during Tasks Requiring Visual Recognition of Polygons
Authors: Olivier Gerard , de Mendoza Jean Louis Juan
Published: August 2011

This paper concerns the contribution of mentally simulated ocular exploration to generation of a visual mental image. In Exp. 1, repeated exploration of the outlines of an irregular decagon allowed an incidental learning of the shape. Analyses showed subjects memorized their ocular movements rather than the polygon. In Exp. 2, exploration of a reversible figure such as a Necker cube varied in opposite directions. Then, both perspective possibilities are presented. The perspective the subjects recognized depended on the way they explored the ambiguous figure. In both experiments, during recognition the subjects recalled a visual mental image of the polygon they compared with the different polygons proposed for recognition. To interpret the data, hypotheses concerning common processes underlying both motor intention of ocular movements and generation of a visual image are suggested.
Should Identification Audiometry Include a Screening for Depression among Residents of Upper Socioeconomic Retirement Centers?
Authors: Sloan Mary Martha , Dancer Jess
Published: August 2011

40 older residents living in three upper socioeconomic retirement centers were screened for hearing loss, hearing handicap, and depression. Those participants who showed loss on the hearing screening or the hearing handicap screening were no more likely to score as depressive on the Geriatric Depression Scale than were those who showed no loss on screening. Results suggest that hearing loss and depression should be routinely but independently monitored in settings with affluent older adult residents.
Climbing Performance of Children: Is the Above-Ground Pool Wall a Climbing Barrier?
Authors: Ridenour Marcella V.
Published: August 2011

15 children between the ages of 42 and 54 months attempted to climb a 48-in. wall representing the wall of an above-ground swimming pool. Three different climbing tasks were presented to ail the children: (1) climbing over the swimming pool wall without any tools which could assist their climb, (2) climbing over the wall with a child-resistant ladder frame placed over the wall, (3) climbing over the wall when a pool filter was placed 12 in. from the wall. Each child's success or failure climbing over the pool wall was recorded. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated there were no significant performance differences in performance across the three climbing tasks. None of these climbing tasks resulted in more successful climbing performances for all the children. The results of these observations indicated the removal of the swimming pool filter or support frame of the ladder did not always stop the children from climbing over the wall. Since the 48-in. wall of the home swimming pool does not consistently function as a barrier, additional fencing is needed to prevent children from entering above-ground home swimming pools. However, no barrier replaces constant supervision of young children.
Presentation Rate in Comprehension of Natural and Synthesized Speech
Authors: Reynolds Mary E. , Givens Jenny
Published: August 2011

This study examined the effect of four presentation rates (approximately 130, 150, 170, and 190 words per minute) on the comprehension of natural and synthesized speech by having 96 subjects [1 man, 95 women ranging in age from 18 to 40 years ( M = 21.0)] perform a sentence-verification task. Analysis showed that, while their response latencies were significantly faster to natural than to synthesized speech, presentation rate did not have a significant effect on response latencies when sentences were presented at rates within the average speaking range (approximately 130 to 190 words per minute). Implications diese findings may have for the use of synthesized speech in human factors applications are discussed.
Error Rates in a Multiple-Choice Spatial Manipulation Test
Authors: Kelley Troy D. , Patton Debra , Allender Laurel
Published: August 2011

Error rates in a multiple-choice spatial manipulation test were analyzed post hoc on a number of different test item variables with the intention of building a computational cognitive model that simulates error rates on a spatial manipulation test. 12 men (Army soldiers), ranging in age from 19 to 38 years, with an average age of 29 yr., participated. The variables included degree of rotation, connectivity, number of blocks in each polygon, types of distractors used, and compactness. Significant effects of connectivity, number of blocks in each polygon, type of distractor, and compactness on error rates were found, with mirror-image distractors being selected more often than nonmirror-image distractors. The amount of rotation of each image was not an influential factor in overall error rate; however, there were indications from verbal protocols that participants were using nonrotational strategies to solve the problems. Our findings suggest that complexity, i.e., connectivity, number of blocks in each polygon, and compactness, may affect error rates for nonrotational manipulation of visual images. Findings also suggest that participants may have difficulty evaluating “handedness” of images while using nonrotational manipulations.
Judgments of Grammaticality of Japanese Bitransitive Sentences with a Differing Number of Arguments
Authors: Nagata Hiroshi
Published: August 2011

This study explored the linguistic intuition of Japanese speakers when they judged the grammaticality of isolated simple bitransitive sentences. The role of the number of arguments and the manner of presenting sentences—whether or not the number of arguments increased across judgment trials—in determining the judged grammaticality was examined. Findings showed that the speakers tended to judge even sentences lacking arguments as grammatical. A direct object was most influential in determining judged grammaticality, an indirect object next most influential, and a subject least influential. The manner of presenting sentences had an almost negligible effect. The findings suggest that speakers' judgments of sentences are graded as contrasted to linguists' judgments. Osgood's Naturalness Principle of 1980 was interpreted as providing a good explanation for the findings.
Cognitive Subprocesses of Mental Rotation: Why is a Good Rotator Better Than a Poor One?
Authors: Karádi Kázmér , Kállai János , Kovács Beatrix
Published: August 2011

The Vanderberg-Kuse Mental Rotation Test is a standard test of mental rotation ability. Recent experiments have demonstrated that mental rotation is a complex cognitive process wherein different subprocesses (focused attention, visual scanning, perceptual decision, visual memory) play important roles in performance. We classified the population as good and poor rotators by performance of mental rotation ( n s = 47: 22 men and 25 women, respectively; mean age: 20.7 yr.). To examine differences cognitive subprocesses of mental rotation of these two groups were compared. There were significant differences between poor and good rotators in performance on Raven's test and the Pieron Focused Attention test scores. The good rotators scored better because their perceptual decision-analytical intelligence (Raven) and focused attention scores were higher.
Does “Pure” Phonemic Awareness Training Affect Reading Comprehension?
Authors: Krashen Stephen
Published: August 2011

The six studies found concerning the effect of pure phonemic awareness training (without phonics) on reading comprehension gave a positive but modest overall effect size in favor of phonemic awareness training. Four studies had small samples, two showed no or very small effect sizes, and one inconsistent results. Three involved languages other than English. Such results do not support the popular movement for universal phonemic awareness training.
Game Location and Officiating Bias in English Club Cricket
Authors: Jones Marc V. , Bray Steven R. , Bolton Lea
Published: August 2011

One potential contributing factor to the commonly observed home advantage in competitive sport is that officials may be biased in favour of the home team as a result of pressure from spectators. The present study examined officiating behaviour and home advantage, defined as home teams winning over 50% of decided games in English Club Cricket, a sport virtually devoid of spectator influence. Records of game outcomes, as well as dismissals requiring a decision by the umpire, were analysed. The relative frequency of umpiring decisions did not favour either home or away teams. However, a home advantage was found, with the home teams winning 57.1% of decided games ( n =1,449) Considered together, the results suggest that in sports with little or no spectator influence teams may win more often at home for reasons other than biased umpiring decisions, such as familiarity with their home ground or a visiting team's fatigue following travel.
Tactual Performance Test Trials: Internal Consistency Reliability Using the Gilmer-Feldt Coefficient
Authors: Charter Richard A.
Published: August 2011

Internal consistency reliabilities using the Gilmer-Feldt coefficient were calculated for the Tactual Performance Test for the Preferred Hand ( n = 298), Nonpreferred Hand ( n = 302), and Both Hands ( n = 314) trials, and total time. Reliabilities were reported for the total sample and three groups: 118 normal volunteers, 95 inpatient alcoholics, and 103 undiagnosed patients sent for neuropsychological assessment. The reliabilities ranged from .5584 to .8953.
Examination Performance and Graphological Analysis of Students' Handwriting
Authors: Lowis Michael J. , Mooney Sarah
Published: August 2011

Research has yielded mixed support for graphological claims. The present study was designed to see whether specific components of students' handwriting were related to personality traits associated with achievement in written examinations. If aspects were identified that could be used to predict future academic performance, the findings would not only be of interest to graphologists but would be invaluable to both student and tutor in a teaching environment. In a blind trial, 100 handwriting samples from first-year scripts were analysed for the presence or absence of 12 graphological characteristics deemed to be relevant for academic performance, and each of these aspects was tested for association with the grade points awarded. Statistically significant differences were found for two of the 12 characteristics: “carefulness” and “constancy.” Also, measurements of individual letters indicated that consistent slant was significantly associated with high grade points, whereas upright or mixed writing was not. These attributes appeared to be generally related to readability and aesthetic quality. Although such aspects might influence the grading of scripts by teachers, typed versions received similar grades to those awarded for the handwritten versions.
Properties of Internal Speed Control and Psychophysiological Response during Continuous Forearm Rotation Movement
Authors: Naruse Kumi , Sakuma Haruo , Hirai Takane
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the properties of speed control and psychophysiological response when subjects changed movement speed internally. The task consisted of a continuous forearm rotational movement, which 14 women performed under 3 conditions, namely, (1) Preferred: the subject performed the task at a freely selected speed, (2) Slow: the subject changed the speed in two steps from preferred to a slower pace (slow, then very slow), (3) Fast: the subject changed the speed in two steps from preferred to a faster pace (fast, then very fast). Rotation speed and the coefficient of variation were measured to evaluate within-subject variability. Under the Preferred condition, there were no significant differences in rotation speed or coefficient of variation during the trials. However, under Slow and Fast conditions, the standard variation scores and coefficient of variation indicated different tendencies. Under the Fast condition, although the standard variation increased with the faster speed, the coefficient of variation decreased. On the other hand, the coefficient of variation increased under the Slow condition. Preferred speed had a significant positive relationship to the slow, very slow, fast, and very fast speeds. Heart rate (R–R interval) and EEG spectral intensity measurements showed no significant changes among the three conditions; however, respiration frequency significantly increased during Fast as compared to Preferred and Slow conditions. These results suggest that a preferred speed for continuous movement exists and that it is closely related to internal speed control as a psychological criterion. Furthermore, different movement speeds may reflect different psychophysiological responses.
Blood Lactate Recovery and Perceived Readiness to Start a New Run in Middle-Distance Runners during Interval Training
Authors: Nurmekivi Ants , Pihl Eve , Jürimäe Toivo , Karu Toomas , Lemberg Harry
Published: August 2011

The aim of this study was to establish to what extent ratings of perceived readiness to start a new run are dependent on recovery of blood lactate and heart rate during passive recovery between interval runs (4 × 2000 m) of increasing intensity by 15 male college-level middle-distance runners. The Perceived Readiness Rating scale was administered at each minute of recovery. Blood lactate concentration was measured immediately after runs at Min. 3 of recovery after the first and second runs, and, in addition, at Min. 6 of recovery after the third and fourth runs. Heart rate was recorded continuously during the runs and during recovery. The obtained correlation between blood lactate recovery and perceived readiness ratings after the third and fourth runs were −.36 and −.56, respectively ( p <.05). Consequently, blood lactate concentration recovery appears to influence the middle-distance runners' perceived readiness estimation to begin a new run. The Perceived Readiness Rating applied by us appears useful in the training of middle-distance runners.
Evaluation of the Offensive Behavior of Elite Soccer Teams
Authors: Papadimitriou K. , Aggeloussis N. , Derri V. , Michalopoulou M. , Papas M.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the offensive behavior of the four elite teams (France, Brazil, Croatia, and Holland) using data from the semifinals of the 18th World Soccer Championship in France in 1998. 28 videotaped soccer games were observed, 7 for each team. The protocol contained the following parameters of evaluation: (a) successful pass in the defensive and middle area, (b) unsuccessful pass in the defensive and middle area, (c) attempt on goal in the offensive area, and (d) cross and follow-up action. A multivariate analysis of variance showed the teams' plan was significantly different only in playing the ball back to the goalkeeper. This last action, used more often by Holland than by the other teams, indicated its restrained offensive behavior, which may be one of the reasons for its defeat in some games.
Are Neo-Piagetian and Neo-Vygotskian Interpretations of Potential for Learning Complementary?
Authors: Niaz Mansoor
Published: August 2011

According to Pascual-Leone, potential for learning in the neo-Piaget-ian framework complements the neo-Vygotskian framework for assessment of learning potential, a manifestation of the child's zone of proximal development. Data obtained in a 1998 study by Niaz and Caraucan with three groups of children (7- to 10-yr.-olds, N = 94) are reinterpreted as showing the two interpretations are complementary.
Factors Affecting Subjective Estimates of Magnitude: When is 9 > 221?
Authors: McKelvie Stuart J.
Published: August 2011

112 undergraduates separately judged the size of the numbers 9 then 221 or 221 then 9 on a 10-point scale or on a continuous line that were both anchored only at the extremes by “very, very small” and “very, very large.” Replicating the 1999 Birnbaum study, 9 was given a higher rating than 221 when the numbers were judged first by different people on the numerical scale. However, 9 was given a similar or smaller rating than 221 in the other conditions. The results are discussed in terms of context effects.
Eye Colour and Reaction Time to Visual Stimuli in Rugby League Players
Authors: Crowe Melissa , O'Connor Donna
Published: August 2011

Subjects with dark eye colour are thought to perform better on reactive tasks in comparison to light-eyed subjects, whereas light-eyed subjects show enhanced performance over dark-eyed subjects on self-paced activities. This study examined reaction time using unrestricted and peripheral vision and success at the self-paced activity of goal kicking in 59 elite male Rugby League players. Subjects with dark eye colour did not react significantly faster than the light-eyed subjects when tested using unrestricted vision or peripheral vision. Examination of the self-paced activity of goal kicking showed that the percentage success rate was not significantly higher in the light-eyed group than the dark-eyed group. In conclusion, there was no significant difference in reaction time to a visual stimulus or success in goal kicking between dark- and light-eyed Rugby League players.
Verbal Categories for Classification of Spinal Postures and Their Respective Angular Values Registered by Photographs and Electrogoniometry
Authors: Souza Túlio O. , Coury Helenice J. C. Gil , Marques Susi Lippi
Published: August 2011

The perception of posture may allow workers to discern sensations associated with physical overload and potential tissue damage. In an occupational context, the classification of body postures in ranges of amplitude has been useful for researchers and ergonomists interested in evaluating the exposure of workers to uncomfortable and potentially harmful postures. In this paper we describe measurements, using photographs and electrogoniometry of the angle of flexion of the trunk and of the thoracolumbar segment, respectively, adopted according to the verbal categories of mild, moderate, and severe flexion, as requested by the experimenter. The results showed no differences between the groups of subjects, but significant differences occurred in the classification of the movement amplitude per verbal categories.
Relation of Rifle Stock Length and Weight to Military Rifle Marksmanship Performance by Men and Women
Authors: Kemnitz Christopher P. , Johnson Richard F. , Merullo Donna J. , Rice Valerie J.
Published: August 2011

15 male and 13 female soldiers participated in a study to examine the effects of sex, rifle stock length (17.8 cm, 22.3 cm, and 26.2 cm), and rifle weight (3.2 kg vs 3.8 kg) on military marksmanship performance. The Noptel simulator was used to assess marksmanship accuracy (proximity of shots to the target center) and precision (proximity of shots to one another regardless of proximity to the target center). There were no significant differences in either measure of marksmanship performance as a function of sex. Marksmanship accuracy was significantly better with the shortest rifle stock, and marksmanship precision was significantly better with the lighter rifle. Regardless of the sex of the shooter, stock length and weapon weight should be considered in any new combat rifle design as these results indicate they significantly affect marksmanship.
A Biochemical Analysis of People with Chronic Fatigue Who Have Irlen Syndrome: Speculation concerning Immune System Dysfunction
Authors: Robinson G. L. , McGregor N. R. , Roberts T. K. , Dunstan R. H. , Butt H.
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the biological basis of visual processing disabilities in adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The study involved 61 adults with symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome who were screened for visual processing problems (Irlen Syndrome) and divided into two groups according to the severity of symptoms of Irlen Syndrome. Significant variations were identified in blood lipids and urine amino and organic acids of the two groups, which may be indicative of activation of the immune system due to some infective agent. It was suggested that metabolic profiling may help the development of more valid diagnostic categories and allow more investigation of immune system dysfunction as a possible causal factor in a range of learning and behaviour disorders.
Independence of Timing and Force Control during Finger-Tapping Sequences by Pianists
Authors: Ichihara Takuya , Inui Nobuyuki
Published: August 2011

To examine the relation between timing and force control during finger-tapping sequences by both the 10 pianists and the 13 nonpianists participants tapped a force plate connected to strain gauges. A series of finger-tapping tasks consisted of 16 combinations of pace and peak force. Analysis showed that pianists had smaller correlation between intertap interval and peak force than nonpianists. Thus, force control was more independent of timing for pianists than for nonpianists.
Effects of Time and Movements of the Preshot Routine on Free Throw Shooting
Authors: Mack Mick G.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the effects of length and movements of preshot routines on free throw shooting in basketball. 17 members of an intercollegiate men's basketball team attempted 20 free throws in each of four different conditions: (1) normal routine and time, (2) normal routine with altered time, (3) altered routine with normal time, and (4) altered routine with altered time. Free throw performance was measured using an objective 5-poinr scoring system. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant effect for routine. Neither time nor routine by time was significant. Results indicated that altering the movements in the routine had a significant effect on performance while lengthening the time did not.
Regional Variation of Divorce in Poland
Authors: Lester David , Krysinska Karolina E.
Published: August 2011

Divorce rates in Polish counties in 1998 were predicted by death rates, percent urban, females/males, and outmigration.
Modality of Postural Movement in Men and Women with Both Arms Flexed during Standing
Authors: Fujiwara Katsuo , Toyama Hiroshi , Kunita Kenji , Asai Hitoshi , Miyaguchi Akiyoshi
Published: August 2011

We investigated postural movement associated with bilateral arm flexion in response to a light signal during standing in 179 healthy men and women to assess whether individual and sex differences are evident in the postural movement pattern. The following results were obtained, (a) A correlation of −.87 was noted between movement angles of the foot-leg and leg trunk, (b) Individual differences in movement angle were approximately twice as large in the hip joint as in the ankle and knee joints, and the movement angle of the leg trunk showed approximately half the number of extension as flexion movements, (c) The postural movement pattern was categorized on the basis of the movement angle of the foot-leg and leg-trunk into the following three patterns: hip flexion, backward leaning, and hip extension. The percentages of subjects showing these patterns were 59.2%, 33.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. (d) The inclination angle reflecting the righting response showed a gradual increase in size in the order of trunk, head, and neck. However, the righting response was not controlled precisely enough to enable subjects to maintain the inclination angle in a quiet standing posture, (e) We identified a significant sex difference in the relative frequency of subjects in the postural movement pattern.
Striking Changes in the Sleep Satisfaction of University Students over the Last Two Decades
Authors: Hicks Robert A. , Fernandez Cosette , Pellegrini Robert J.
Published: August 2011

Over two decades, our data document a substantial linear increase in the percentage of university students who self-reported dissatisfaction with their sleep, i.e., 24% in 1978, 53% in 1988, and 71% in 2000.
Lambda Response by Orientation of Striped Patterns
Authors: Nagai Masayoshi , Kazai Koji , Yagi Akihiro
Published: August 2011

A lambda response is an averaged occipital EEG potential associated with the offsets of saccadic eye movements. In the present experiment, two participants were asked to make horizontal saccades across horizontal or vertical white-black stripes. Analysis of orientations of striped patterns showed horizontal saccades across vertical stripes produced larger amplitudes of the lambda response than did horizontal saccades across horizontal stripes. Therefore, when the lambda response is used as the index of mental workload, it is necessary to take notice of the orientation of stimulus pattern.
Effects of a Prolonged Run on Simple Reaction Time of Well Trained Runners
Authors: Collardeau M. , Brisswalter J. , Audiffren M.
Published: August 2011

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of increased arousal induced by a prolonged exercise at ventilatory threshold on a simple reaction time performance performed during a running task. 11 well trained triathletes completed two testing sessions within a 2-wk. period. The first session was a protocol of VO2 max determination conducted on a treadmill. This protocol was used to assess the velocity associated with ventilatory threshold (vVvt). The second session was a 90-min. running test performed at vVvt. This last session was composed of five submaximal treadmill runs (10-min. long, 0% grade) separated by four overground runs (10-min.). Before, during each treadmill run, and after exercise, subjects performed three blocks of 20 simple reaction time. Furthermore, at the end of each overground run, perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded. Analysis showed a significant impairment in Simple RT performance during the first treadmill run only. After this first run a significant effect of exercise duration on Simple RT was observed. After 40-min. of exercise a significant improvement in reaction time during exercise was recorded. Furthermore, when Simple RT was recorded at rest, there was no difference pre-exercise and postexercise. These results suggest that a simple cognitive performance could be improved during exercise, despite the negative effect of the dual task. This improvement in reaction time could be explained mainly by an increase in arousal induced by a prolonged exercise.
Hemiregional Facial Asymmetry in Expression of Emotion: A Concept Needs to Be Verified
Authors: Asthana Hari S.
Published: August 2011

In most of the neuropsychological studies the left-right hemifacial asymmetry during expression of emotion has been reported, although the present author proposed a concept of hemiregional asymmetry and reported that greater left hemifacial involvement was specific to the lower region of the face and greater right hemifacial was specific to the upper region of the face. It is speculated that this differential hemifacial involvement is a function of the right hemisphere, and it is explained in terms of neural innervation to facial muscles. This speculation needs to be verified further to arrive at a general conclusion.
Children's Embedded Figures Test and Matching Familiar Figures Test-20: Factorial Structure for Boys and Girls from 6 to 11 Years Old
Authors: Amador-Campos Juan Antonio , Ktrchner-Nebot Teresa
Published: August 2011

The factorial structure of two tests of cognitive style (the Children's Embedded Figures Test and the Matching Familiar Figures Test-20) and one test of cognitive ability (Raven Progressive Matrices) was examined in this study with a sample of 337 boys and 287 girls between ages 6 and 11 years. Factor I related to Impulsivity and Factor II related to cognitive ability and disembedding skills, which were stable across age groups and sex and accounted for 84.6% of variance.
Different Types of Asynchronous Music and Effects on Performance of Basketball Foul Shot
Authors: Geisler Guido , Leith Larry M.
Published: August 2011

48 undergraduate women performed basketball foul shots with and without background music. Slow music, fast music, and music personally selected by subjects did not significantly affect shooting performance.
Atmospheric Electromagnetism: Attempted Replication of the Correlation between Natural Sferics and ESP
Authors: Houtkooper Joop M. , Schienle Anne , Stark Rudolf , Vaitl Dieter
Published: August 2011

In a previous study a negative correlation was found between the natural sferics activity and scores on an ESP task. We attempted a replication in three studies with 37, 100, and 68 participants. In these studies ESP scores and the level of sferics activity were not significantly correlated. The result for all combined data is significant but with a quite low effect size. Other trends in the data could not be confirmed.
Relations between Subjective Evaluations of Memory and Objective Memory Performance
Authors: Schmidt Iris W. , Berg Ina J. , Deelman Betto G.
Published: August 2011

Several explanations for the weak relations between subjective memory judgments and objective memory performance were investigated in two groups of normal older adults. Group 1 sampled a general population (mean age 61.6 yr., range 46–89), while Group 2 sampled subjects who were on a waiting list for memory training (mean age 63.0 yr., range 45–85 years). In both groups, subjective memory judgments were assessed with global ratings of memory capacity and with ratings of frequency of forgetting in specific memory situations. Memory performance was assessed with several well-known tests and with recently developed tests for domain-specific aspects of memory. Most tests concerned episodic memory. Study 1 also included measures of semantic, incidental, and working memory. Study 2 further examined the influence of the domain-specificity of objective and subjective measures for remembering names, intentions, and texts. Relations between memory self-reports and performance were weak in both groups and for all kinds of tests. Against expectations, the low correlations could not be explained by differences between ecological and laboratory tests or incidentally and intentionally remembered information, or by differences between specific failures compared to global, stereotyped judgments. Surprisingly, correlations did not increase when subjective and objective measures assessed the same ability, like remembering names. Also noncognitive variables (mood and lifestyle) did not influence the relations. The (weak) relations between subjective and objective memory measures were comparable for subjects over and under 65 years of age. Furthermore, relations were comparable for the general population sample and the memory compliant group.
Autonomic Reactivity during Viewing of an Unpleasant Film
Authors: Baldaro Bruno , Mazzetti Michela , Codispoti Maurizio , Tuozzi Giovanni , Bolzani Roberto , Trombini Giancarlo
Published: August 2011

The effect of an aversive, high-arousing film on heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and electrogastrographic activity (EGG) was investigated. Previous studies have indicated a larger heart-rate deceleration for visual stimuli depicting surgery or blood compared to neutral content, and this phenomenon is similar to the bradycardia observed in animals in response to fear. The heart-rate deceleration is clearly parasympathetically driven, and it is considered a general index of attention. An accurate index of cardiac vagal tone can be obtained by means of quantification of the amplitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. The relationship between cardiac vagal tone and EGG is complex, but animal research has shown that suppressing vagal activity dampens gastric motility. We have investigated whether a movie depicting surgery is associated with greater heart-rate deceleration, larger increase in respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and greater increase in EGG activity compared to a neutral movie. In addition, if both respiratory sinus arrhythmia and EGG are indices of vagal tone, a positive correlation between these physiological responses was expected. Analysis indicated an effect of the surgery movie on heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, but not on EGG activity. Moreover, the expected correlation was not found. Implications for future studies are discussed.
Effects of Background Field-of-View and Depth-Plane on the Oculogyral Illusion
Authors: Previc Fred H. , Stevens Kennith W. , Ghani Nadeem , Ludwig David A.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the effects of background field-of-view and depth-plane on the oculogyral illusion. Seven subjects viewed a stationary fixation stimulus during the postrotatory interval following a 45-sec. constant-velocity chair rotation. The duration of the illusory movement of the fixation stimulus during the postrotatory interval was measured, along with the duration of the illusion of whole-body rotation (known as the somatogyral illusion) and the duration of the subject's slow-phase vestibular nystagmus. Subjects viewed the fixation stimulus by itself in a No-background condition or when surrounded by six background fields formed by the combination of two fields-of-view (35° and 115°) and three depth-planes (near, coplanar, and far). The different background fields inhibited the oculogyral illusion relative to the No-background condition but did not differ statistically from each other. The somatogyral durations better matched the oculogyral ones than did nystagmus decay, especially when a background field was present. These results suggest that the oculogyral illusion is more related to the experience of whole-body rotation than to oculomotor mechanisms and that the inhibitory effect of a background scene is only modestly affected by its field-of-view and depth-plane.
Subgroup Handedness and the Probability of Nonright Preference for Foot or Eye and of a Nonright-Handed Parent
Authors: Annett Maman
Published: August 2011

A subgroup classification of handedness, ordered for degrees of relative hand skill, was linearly related to the probability of nonright preference for foot and eye in a volunteer sample of 263 people from the general public. Percentages of people with a nonright-handed parent also differed over groups as expected but not significantly.