bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Word Spacing on Reading Chinese Text from a Video Display Terminal
Authors: Hsu Sheng-Hsiung , Huang Kuo-Chen
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the effects of designing space between words in Chinese text, i.e., whether using a “word” instead of a “character” as a presentation unit, will facilitate the performance of reading from a video display terminal. Experimental results indicated that the main effect of word spacing significantly affected the reading time and the number of questions answered correctly. Subjects spent less time on the text with half-character word spacing or with whole-character word spacing than with conventional type (without word spacing) We also discovered that the number of questions answered correctly for stimuli with half-character spacing is significantly greater than that for stimuli with whole-character spacing, while both are smaller than for stimuli with conventional type. The additional variables, such as text difficulty and display control have significant effects as well. Our results suggested that the optimal word spacing in Chinese text should be greater than that in the traditional layout and less than a whole-character spacing. Apparently, in Chinese text, using a “word” as a presentation unit is more favorable than the traditional layouts that do not have any explicit word boundaries. The word spacing design may benefit in reading difficult or unfamiliar materials and further apply in emergency situations or in reading ambiguous sentences.
Coaches' Expectations and Beliefs regarding Benefits of Youth Sport Participation
Authors: Lesyk Jack J. , Kornspan Alan S.
Published: August 2011

Although many have investigated why children participate in sport, little is known about what adults expect children to gain from participation. The present purpose was to examine coaches' expectations of what children should gain from participation in sport and the extent to which coaches believe that these expectations are actually fulfilled. Participants included 109 youth sport coaches who completed a survey packet consisting of a demographic information questionnaire and the Ohio Sport Satisfaction Index. Analysis indicated coaches ranked the variables of having fun, learning life skills, being part of a team, developing confidence, and the excitement of competition as the most important outcomes for the youth they coach. Generally, coaches believe that their expectations are being fulfilled. Coaches' sex and years of coaching were not significantly related to any of the criterion variables in the present study.
Decrement in the Horizontal–Vertical Illusion: Are Subjects Aware of Their Increased Accuracy?
Authors: Bivens Heather , Slotnick Burton
Published: August 2011

47 subjects adjusted the extended vertical lines of 20 inverted-T figures to make them appear equal to a horizontal line and rated the confidence in their accuracy after each trial. One group viewed figures of varying sizes, a second group viewed figures of standard size, and a third group viewed figures of standard size but received feedback on their accuracy immediately after completing Trial 5. Except for a significant increase in accuracy on Trial 6 for the Feedback Group, there were no differences in performance among groups. Subjects made the vertical line significantly shorter than the horizontal line on initial trials but their accuracy improved over trials. In contrast, there was no consistent increase in confidence, and several analyses indicated that confidence ratings were unrelated to accuracy. These results suggest that the subjects were unaware of the decrement in illusion that occurred over trials.
Perceptions of Violent Crimes in Relation to Sex of Perpetrator
Authors: Hendree Paula K. , Nicks Sandra D.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between criminal behavior and perceived sex of the perpetrator. Participants (26 men and 44 women) reviewed scenarios depicting an armed robbery and a child's murder. 98% of the respondents attributed the armed robbery to a man, whereas an equal number attributed the child's murder to both a man and a woman. The respondents also ascribed the man's behavior to internal characteristics, whereas the woman's criminal behavior was attributed to external situations or to mental illness. These findings are in accord with current sex stereotypes.
Expertise in Women's Gymnastic Judging: An Observational Approach
Authors: Ste-Marie Diane M.
Published: August 2011

Observation was used to study expertise in gymnastic judging. 10 expert and 10 novice gymnastic judges were videotaped while judging at actual competitions. Analyses showed that novice judges, as compared to expert judges, spent less time looking at the gymnast perform, spent more time looking at the scoring paper, and were less able to engage in the dual-task demands required in gymnastic judging.
Effects of Smoking Abstinence on Movement Regulation
Authors: Marzilli Thomas S. , Shea John B.
Published: August 2011

The effect of smoking abstinence on performance of a reciprocal tapping task was investigated. 6 habitual smokers performed a single-plate and two versions of a two-plate tapping task. Fitts' Law was used to compute an index of difficulty (ID) in bits for the tasks which was 0 bits for the single-plate and 3.32 and 4.17 bits for the two-plate versions of the task. While smoking abstinence had no effect on performance of the single-plate tapping task, it increased movement time on performance of both two-plate task versions. These findings may provide a coherent explanation for the prior findings of nicotine deprivation on psychomotor performance in the literature. This explanation suggests that the effects of nicotine deprivation as incurred through smoking abstinence may be on the central mechanisms regulating information-processing rate for successful movement regulation. Thus nicotine deprivation may not affect performance of simple psychomotor tasks which require minimal information processing but will affect the performance of more complex tasks requiring significantly more information processing for successful movement regulation.
The Zeigarnik Effect in a Sample of Mentally Retarded Persons
Authors: House Ronald D. , McIntosh Everton G.
Published: August 2011

A conceptual replication of the well known Zeigarnik effect was attempted with persons who had organic brain dysfunction. Data from a sample of 56 mentally retarded persons showed a significant difference in the recall of uncompleted versus completed tasks, thus establishing the Zeigarnik effect in that population.
Motor Dimension of Visual Mental Image Transformation Processes
Authors: Olivier Gerard , De Mendoza Jean Louis Juan
Published: August 2011

This paper concerns the influence of perceptual motor skills on the transformation processes during mental visual imaging. We first administered a visual recognition task to subjects, during which they scanned and rotated visual mental images. Then, we measured motor skills in perceptual situations. The main result is that both mental scanning and mental rotation processes are quicker when they simulate a perceptual motor skill of the subject. Furthermore, mental rotation seems to be canceled when the hemisphere activated by perception has to control the behavioral response. These results suggest that visual mental images are transformed partly via motor processes.
Kinesthetic and Visual Image in Modeling Closed Motor Skills: The Example of the Tennis Serve
Authors: Féry Yves-André , Morizot Patrick
Published: August 2011

It was assumed that kinesthetic modeling has more beneficial effects on learning the tennis serve than visual modeling because the spatial anchor points used to reach targets within the vicinity of the body are mainly defined with respect to the body. Also, we predicted that the efficiency of modeling is also affected by the way the representations are activated mentally. Thirty-two participants were assigned to kinesthetic or visual modeling with or without mental practice. Analyses showed the primacy of kinesthetic representation over visual representation in terms of speed scores and form performances but only if the learner had the opportunity to rehearse the model mentally. The results support the contention that the motor system can program closed skills more easily when one can represent efficiently the kinesthetic image of its later execution.
Depression in Early Adolescence: Relation to Externalising and Internalising Behaviour
Authors: Price Ian R. , Lavercombe Lesley J.
Published: August 2011

The relationship between depression, on the one hand, and externalising and internalising behaviour, on the other, in 151 adolescents (79 boys and 72 girls) was examined with respect to the possible moderating role of sex-role stereotyping. The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Achenbach Teacher Report Form, and the Australian Sex-Role Scale were used to assess the hypothesis that adolescents adapt to the experience of depression in gender-appropriate ways. A regression analysis indicated that the pattern of relationships was different for boys and girls. The hypothesis was supported for boys and externalising behaviour but not for girls and internalising behaviour.
Comment on Birgegard and Sohlberg's (1999) Suggestions for Research in Subliminal Psychodynamic Activation
Authors: Fudin Robert
Published: August 2011

Methodological changes in subliminal psychodynamic activation experiments based on the assumption that multiletter messages can be encoded automatically (Birgegard & Sohlberg, 1999) are questioned. Their contention that partial experimental messages and appropriate nonsense anagram controls (Fudin, 1986) need not be presented in every experiment is supported, with a reservation. If the difference between responses to the complete message and its control is significant in the predicted direction, then Fudin's procedure should be used. A nonsignificant difference between the response to each partial message and its control is needed to support the assumption of proponents of subliminal psychodynamic activation that successful outcomes are effected by the encoding of the meaning of a complete message. Experiments in subliminal psychodynamic activation can be improved if their methodologies take into account variables that may operate when subliminal stimuli are presented and encoded.
Self-Confidence, Self-Esteem, and Assumption of Sex Role in Young Men and Women
Authors: Johnson Wendy , McCoy Norma
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the use of the English translation of a paper-and-pencil self-confidence scale developed in French by Garant, Charest, Alain, and Thomassin in 1995. The translated self-confidence scale measured self-confidence, or the belief that one will succeed at whatever one undertakes, as distinct from self-esteem or the feeling that one is a worthwhile person. Unlike a number of previous studies, there was no sex difference in self-confidence favoring men however, scores on the masculinity portion of Bern's Sex-role Inventory (1974) were highly correlated with self-confidence for both men ( r = .59) and women ( r = .69).
Proneness to Eating Disorders: Weightlifters Compared to Exercisers
Authors: Brooks Connie , Taylor Ronald D. , Hardy Cheryl-Ann , Lass Terry
Published: August 2011

Previous findings were confirmed suggesting that weightlifters may be more prone to eating disorders than are casual exercisers. 25 weightlifters' mean eating disorder score was significantly higher than that of 25 casual exercisers when contrasted for practical difference.
Mood State Changes of Students Enrolled in Physical Activity Classes
Authors: Mack Mick G. , Huddleston Sharon , Dutler Kaia E. , Bian Wei
Published: August 2011

74 students enrolled in physical activity classes completed the happiness and sadness scales of the Emotional Assessment Scale each week for the 7-week course. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated no significant change in mean mood state scores. Subjects' scores remained fairly happy throughout the length of the course, women having significantly happier scores than men.
On the Origins of Human Laterality: Environmental and Hereditary Variables in a Sample of Children
Authors: Gallo P. Grassivaro , Angioletti E. , Viviani F.
Published: August 2011

On the basis of operationally defined handedness data from 1,348 subjects of both sexes and of ages 10 to 15 years, laterality was compared with prehistorical data of handprints found in caves. It was hypothesized that the greater production of left handprints found in caves in comparison with current data should be ascribed to a nonestablished deviation of lefthanders towards righthandedness as environmental pressures in the distant past were lower.
Differences in Recognition and Impressions of Animate and Inanimate Objects in Which Features are Deleted or Added
Authors: Ando Michiyo
Published: August 2011

In the present study whether adults recognized features added to or deleted from an original pictures (asymmetric effects) when both animate and inanimate objects were presented together as stimuli, whether there was a difference in recognition between animate objects (butterflies and cats) and inanimate objects (artificial objects) and whether types of changes affected impression of pictures and impression predicted recognition were investigated. Rating of Recognition and Impression were obtained. Analysis showed that adults discovered added features more accurately than deleted features in pictures of artificial objects, discovered deleted features more accurately than added features in pictures of cats, and there was no asymmetry of recognition in pictures of butterflies. There was difference in confidence ratings of recognition between animate and inanimate objects but no difference between them in percentage of correct recognition. Types of changes affected Impression ratings in all three types of objects. Moreover, Impression ratings predicted confidence ratings of pictures of cats and artificial objects but did not in pictures of butterflies. These results showed that asymmetry of recognition of addition and deletion is affected by the number of objects and whether they are animate or inanimate. Asymmetric recognition of additions vs deletions was sometimes mediated by Impression, both when one type of object was presented and when multiple types of objects were presented together.
Speech Self-Monitoring in Preschoolers: The Effects of Delayed Auditory Feedback on Recitation
Authors: Harper Lawrence V. , Huie Karen S.
Published: August 2011

39 3- to 6-yr.-old children counted to 10 or recited the alphabet with normal auditory feedback, and delays of 150, 350, and 550 msec. There were no age differences. In addition to affecting rate of speech, delay differentially influenced the prosody, intelligibility, and content of utterances. For both tasks and all delay intervals, delay slowed speaking and produced more prosodic disturbances than no delay. More disturbances of intelligibility occurred at the 350- and 550-msec. delays than under no or 150-msec. delay. Disturbances in the content of counting were greater than in the no-delay condition but did not differ across delays. For alphabet recitation, disturbances in content under delay were greater than under no delay and were greater at 350 and 550 msec. than at 150 msec. Thirty-four children lost track of what they were doing; 10 articulated confusion. Children as young as 3 years of age concurrently self-monitor their speech for content.
Provision of Enabling Technology in Professional Sports
Authors: Mc Bride Dennis K.
Published: August 2011

Multiple-round golf tournaments are designed intentionally to separate individuals' scores as play proceeds. Variance analyses and consideration of individual differences (vs group mean effects) for a sample of professional events confirm that 3-, 4-, and 5-round tournaments show significantly increased variability (though stable means) from first to last rounds. It is argued here that the dispersion of scores increases as play proceeds because the more physically or mentally fit players emerge and continue to perform best. Furthermore, a marginal income analysis indicates that the average gain in earnings from a one-shot improvement in score is approximately $8,000 An interpretation based on fatigue, competition, and stress supports the Professional Golf Association's claim that provision of enabling devices, like a golf cart for disabled players, is also an enhancement and is thus unfair.
Current Gender Stereotypes and Their Evaluative Content
Authors: Hosoda Megumi , Stone Dianna L.
Published: August 2011

A sample of 173 undergraduate students rated 300 attributes to assess current gender stereotypes, and a second independent sample ( n = 57) evaluated the favorability of these attributes. Statistical results indicated that the college students ascribed different attributes to men and women. Although the content of gender stereotypes seems to have remained unchanged over the years, the value attached to stereotypic gender traits seems to be changing. More specifically, a greater number of unfavorable attributes were used to describe men than women, thereby creating a more negative masculine stereotype.
Image Control and Posttraumatic Symptoms in Children following Scud Missile Attacks
Authors: Laor Nathaniel , Wolmer Leo
Published: August 2011

Based on previous studies reporting an association between high image control and low posttraumatic symptoms in adults exposed to a traumatic event, this study explored whether a high capacity for image control by children may serve as protective factor against the long-term effect of trauma. The sample consisted of 39 children displaced due to the destruction of their homes after the missile attack on Tel-Aviv during the Gulf War. Analysis confirmed the hypothesis that low scores on the Test of Visual Image Control were associated with specific posttraumatic symptoms but not with general ones.
Effect of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation on Mobility and Self-Esteem of Persons after Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Ng Jenny Yuen Yee , Tam Sing Fai
Published: August 2011

This study adopted an experimental design with using a nonequivalent, posttest-only control group to study the rehabilitation outcomes of 152 persons who received cardiac surgery. 37 subjects in a rehabilitation group participated in a 2-mo. exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme, and another 115 subjects who did not attend the programme formed the control group. The subjects' self-esteem was measured on the Adult Source of Self-esteem Inventory by Elvoson and Fleming, and their mobility skill was measured by a simple mobility test based on New York Heart Association Classification. Analysis of covariance (with covariance analysis of the subjects' age, years of education, occupational skill, and mobility skill) indicated that the experimental group scored higher on positive self-esteem and showed significantly better improvement in mobility skill. The exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme positively affected physical and psychological outcomes. Also, subjects' self-esteem was significantly correlated with their mobility skills ( r = .21, p<.05) among those aged under 60 years ( n = 96) but not among those aged 60 or above ( n = 53).
Incidence of Savant Syndrome in Finland
Authors: Saloviita Timo , Ruusila Liisa , Ruusila Unto
Published: August 2011

The general incidence of Savant Syndrome was assessed in Finland. First, a survey was made of all 583 facilities which served people with mental retardation. Second, letters asking for information regarding people with Savant Syndrome were published in two key Finnish journals of the field. We received reports of 45 cases of Savant Syndrome. This makes an incidence rate of 1.4 per 1,000 people with mental retardation. The most common form of exceptional skills was calendar calculation, followed by feats of memory.
Further Evidence of Associations of Type a Personality Scores and Driving-Related Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: Perry Anthony R. , Baldwin Dawn A.
Published: August 2011

The present study examined the effects of Type A personality on specific self-reported driving attitudes and behaviors when operating a motor vehicle. 102 undergraduate students completed the student version of the Jenkins Activity Survey (Form T) and several questionnaires asking participants about their driving history, driving attitudes, and driving behaviors. When the full range of Type A scores were examined, Type A personality was significantly related to more traffic accidents, greater frequency of breaking traffic laws, higher impatience when driving, more displays of aggression on the road, and engaging in more risky driving behaviors ( rs<.17). When extreme Type A and Type B scores were compared, Type A drivers reported being involved in significantly more motor vehicle accidents and reported displaying more aggression on the road. Further research should examine actual behavioral data using more diverse samples to validate the results.
Laser-Induced Afterimages in Humans
Authors: Stamper David A. , Lund David J. , Molchany Jerome W. , Stuck Bruce E.
Published: August 2011

Afterimages induced by incoherent light sources have been studied as complex visual perceptions for over 200 years; however, individuals who have viewed a coherent source (a laser) on-axis have reported visual experiences unlike those observed for full-field flashes from incoherent sources. In the present study, 10 volunteers viewed all combinations of blue, green, and red laser light and background colors that matched the wavelengths of the laser sources (a total of 9 conditions). The bright focal (50 μm retinal irradiance diameter) 3-sec. exposures (approximately 9 log trolands-40% of the maximum permissible exposure level) given to the volunteers were administered as they performed a simulator tracking task. A 50/50 mirror (a mirror which reflected 50% of the laser beam into the optical pathway while allowing the 50% of the light from the visual scene to pass through the mirror) permitted simultaneous intrabeam viewing of the laser source and the scene. The volunteers were asked to report what they saw immediately after the laser was turned off and 1-min. postexposure. The immediate reports indicated that the image they observed was the same color as the laser source and not the complementary color. Also, the images were often surrounded by well-defined borders and, regardless of laser's or background's color, were generally red. One minute following presentation of the laser light the images seen were predominantly purple, dark or no longer present; however, the edge color when present generally appeared red. The immediate appearance of the images was inferred to be neural in nature and not photochemical. These results suggest the properties of the laser source, i.e., coherency, monochromaticity, and the laser's capacity to place an intense beam of light in a small retinal area, all contributed to the unique appearance of the postflash images.
Thoughts regarding the Qualitative Analysis of Human Movement
Authors: Morrison Craig S.
Published: August 2011

The qualitative analysis of human movement is composed of many parts. Trying to assess the contribution of each of these components to the whole process of qualitative analysis is difficult. Evaluating a qualitative approach to human movement analysis using quantitative procedures can lead to misinterpretations. Qualitative analysis of movement has components important to its success which cannot be gauged by traditional biomechanical standards.
Relation of Useful Field of View and other Screening Tests to on-Road Driving Performance
Authors: Myers Renee S. , Ball Karlene K. , Kalina Thomas D. , Roth David L. , Goode Kathryn T.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the value of a clinical driving assessment battery in predicting performance on an on-road driving test. 43 participants referred to the Bryn Mawr Rehab Adapted Driving Program for evaluation of driving ability underwent an evaluation consisting of a predriver screening and an on-road driving test. The predriver screening included a vision screening, a reaction time task, a split-attention task, the Hooper Visual Organization Test, verbal and symbolic sign recognition, and assessment of Useful Field of View. Logistic regression analyses were applied to identify which predriver screening variables could be used to predict outcome on the on-road driving test (pass/fail); UFO® was that best single predictor. The addition of screening tests beyond UFOV® alone did not increase predictive validity. These findings suggest that UFOV® may serve as an indicator of the need for further driving assessment.
Chronic Stress Affects Blood Pressure and Speed of Short-Term Memory
Authors: Brand Nico , Hanson Eamonn , Godaert Guido
Published: August 2011

Subjects high and low on chronic stress (daily hassles) were engaged in a short-term memory-scanning task with ( n = 12) or without ( n= 12) an active listening task. Blood pressure and heart rate were obtained before and during the experiment. Subjects with high stress were slower in short-term memory processing, had higher systolic blood pressure and heart rate (at baseline and during task performance), and reported more health complaints than those low in stress. The processing efficiency theory may predict slower memory scanning in subjects with high chronic stress, as part of these subjects' working memory capacity is taken up by more worries than that of the other subjects. Speed of short-term memory was even lower for subjects with high stress when performing the memory task in the active listening condition.
Spatial Stimulus-Response Compatibility and Coding of Tactile Motor Events: Influence of Distance between Stimulated and Responding Body Parts, Spatial Complexity of the Task and Sex of Subject
Authors: Aglioti Salvatore , Tomaiuolo Francesco
Published: August 2011

We studied spatial stimulus-response compatibility in the somatosensory modality by instructing 16 men and 16 women to press a key using the left or the right thumb in response to a nonnoxious electric stimulation delivered either to the left or to the right little finger or, in different blocks, to the left or to the right malleolar region. The task was performed in compatible (stimulus and key-response on the same side of the corporeal midline) and in incompatible conditions (stimulus and key-response on opposite sides of the corporeal midline). In Exp. 1 subjects were tested while keeping their limbs in anatomic position; in Exp. 2 subjects performed the task while keeping the left upper and lower limbs on the right side and the right limbs on the left side of the bodily midline (crossed position). The compatibility effect was observed in both experiments and was higher for stimuli delivered to the little finger than to the malleolar region. This suggests that the cost of inhibiting compatible responses is maximal when stimulated and responding body parts are contiguous. Moreover, in the spatially most demanding task (Exp. 2) men outperformed women for both speed and accuracy suggesting a sex-related specialisation in the spatial processing of somatosensory information.
Assessment of Visual-Motor Coordination in 6-to 11-yr.-Olds
Authors: Demsky Yvonne , Carone Dominic A. , Burns William J. , Sellers Alfred
Published: August 2011

The concurrent and content validity of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and the Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration–Third Revision were investigated through correlational analysis. 432 children, ages 6 to 11 years, were administered both tests. Across age groups participants performed better on both measures, providing support for the similarity of the measures and their sensitivity to the development of visuomotor integration. Although analysis indicated considerable overlap in the content of the two scales, the shared variance ranged from 7% to 31%, depending on the age of the child. The Rey-Osterrieth figure is composed of overlapping squares, rectangles, triangles, and various other shapes. Given this complex combination, scores on this test reflect the examinees' visual organization and motor planning skills. On the other hand, the Beery test consists of a series of shapes which progress from simple figures to more complex ones. Because the figures become more difficult to copy, the score on this test reflects the examinees' developmental level of visuomotor ability. Despite these differences in test stimuli and interpretation of performance, the present study showed considerable shared variance in the scores of the examinees who took both tests. Finally, local norms for the Rey-Osterrieth figure using the scoring approach of E. M. Taylor (1959, adapted from Osterrieth, 1944) and including standard scores are presented for children ages 6 to 11 years.
Environmental Events and Induction of Metamotivational Reversals
Authors: Kerr John H. , Tacon Paul
Published: August 2011

Three administrations of the Telic State Measure were used to test the notion from reversal theory that environmental events may induce reversals in metamotivational state. Significant changes in scores on Telic State Measure items from three different groups of students experiencing three different environmental events and one student control group (total N = 96) confirmed that unexpected environmental events could induce reversals from the telic to the paratelic metamotivational state.
Development of a Random Response Scale for the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised
Authors: Van Whitlock Rodney , Lubin Bernard , George-Curran Roberta
Published: August 2011

A scale was constructed to identify random responses on the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised. Items chosen were the 14 least frequently checked items and 14 most frequently checked items, plus the seven most frequently checked negative items and the seven least frequently checked positive items (total = 42). The Random Response Scale successfully differentiated random protocols from those produced by 420 college students, and scores on the scale were significantly higher for the college students than for the random sample. In addition, correlations between scores on the Random Response Scale and the Communality Scale (Adjective Check List) and the NEO-FFI Conscientiousness Scale suggest its usefulness as a measure of “conscientiousness” or “dependableness.”
Topology and Mental Processes
Authors: Mc Leay Heather
Published: August 2011

The study reported here considers the effect of rotation on the decision time taken to compare nonrigid objects, presented as like and unlike pairs of knots and unknots. The results for 48 subjects, 21 to 45 years old, support the notion that images which have a characteristic ‘foundation part’ are more easily stored and accessed in the brain. Also, there is evidence that the comparison of deformable objects is processed by mental strategies other than self-evident mental rotation.
Competitive Worries, Sport Confidence, and Performance Ratings for Young Swimmers
Authors: Psychountaki Maria , Zervas Yannis
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among competitive worries, sport confidence, and performance of young athletes. Participants were 143 young swimmers aged 11 to 12 years. The athletes completed trait and state questionnaires (competitive worries and sport confidence) in noncompetitive and competitive conditions, respectively. The results indicated: (a) significant relationships among trait and state characteristics and between trait General Self-confidence and performance ratings in both races as well as between performance ratings in Races 1 and 2; (b) significant differences in state variables among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait variables; (c) significant differences in performance among athletes with moderate or high and low scores on the trait General Self-confidence and trait Positive Thinking in Race 1 and on variables trait General Self-confidence, state General Self-confidence, and state Positive Thinking Race 2; and (d) trait General Self-confidence and trait Confidence in Unfavorable Situations were the most important predictors of young swimmers' performances. These results may be useful in application to competitive sports for young athletes. They may help in psychodiagnostic procedures and may be used for both the content and the direction of individual programs for psychological preparation of young athletes.
Overall Self-Confidence, Self-Confidence in Mathematics, and Sex-Role Stereotyping in Relation to Salivary Free Testosterone in University Women
Authors: Johnson Wendy , Zava David , Mc Coy Norma
Published: August 2011

This study investigated in 40 young university women the possible relationships between levels of testosterone and specific measures of overall self-confidence and self-confidence in approaching mathematics. Correlations of -.43 and -.49 with each measure of self-confidence, respectively, and level of testosterone were found in the portion of the sample displaying normal ovulatory function. There was no correlation ( r = .02) between the measures of mathematics and overall self-confidence. 19 women did not display normal ovulatory function. The only significant result for the full sample was a significant correlation of -.73 between scores on the Bern Sex Role Inventory Masculinity and overall self-confidence. The reasons for the high anovulatory percentage are not clear, nor are the associations which anovulation might have with either hormonal levels or the personality characteristics in question.
Object Concept and Sleep Regulation
Authors: Scher Anat , Amir Tamar , Tirosh Emanuel
Published: August 2011

The association between infants' cognitive development and sleep regulation was investigated in 83 infants not at risk. It was found that 9-mo.-old infants with a more advanced object concept had significantly fewer sleep difficulties compared to infants with lower level of object permanence.
Does Background Music in a Store Enhance Salespersons' Persuasiveness?
Authors: Chebat Jean-Charles , Vaillant Dominique , Gélinas-Chebat Claire
Published: August 2011

Background music has been studied as a key element of the store atmosphere in terms of its emotional effects; however, previous studies have shown also that music may have cognitive influence on consumers. How does music affect the salespersons' persuasive efforts within the store? To answer this question an experimental study was designed to assess the effects of four levels of arousing music conditions (no-low-moderate-high arousing music). The level of pleasure of the musical pieces was controlled for. Music does not moderate significantly the effects of the salespersons on the intent to buy, but low and moderately arousing music (similarly low and moderately interesting musical pieces) does influence significantly the effects on the acceptance of the salesperson's arguments and the “desire to affiliate,” i.e., to enter into communication.
Retention of Relative Force in the Scaling of a Serial Force Pattern
Authors: Inui Nobuyuki , Ishida Toshiko , Yamanishi Masaki
Published: August 2011

The present study was designed to examine the retention of relative force in the scaling of a serial force pattern in finger-tapping sequences. On practice trials, 11 male college students tapped a force plate connected to strain gauges which provided feedback. On test trials, subjects recalled both the force pattern (100 g-100 g-100 g-300 g) and intertap interval (400 msec.) acquired during practice without feedback (recalled task) and then produced a halved (halved task) or doubled-force (doubled task) at the fixed intertap interval. Analysis showed that, although there was no difference for absolute forces between the recalled task and the halved task, the forces at the doubled task were three times as great as those at the recalled task. For relative forces, on the other hand, although there was no difference among the three tasks, the force ratios were closer to 1:1:1:2 than 1:1:1:3. This indicated that the scaling of force pattern was a more difficult adaptive task than that of the intertap interval in the previous study (Inui, Ishida, & Yamanishi, 1999).
An Analysis of Employee Voting Behavior in Multi-Union Certification Elections among Unaffiliated Unions
Authors: Devinatz Victor G.
Published: August 2011

Unions experience higher success rates in multi-union certification elections than in single-union elections. In multi-union elections, unions have the highest victory rate when the two unions competing against each other are unaffiliated unions. The outcomes of the multi-union election process involving unaffiliated unions are examined with respect to election type and type of competition among unions.
Effects of Short-Term Psychological Stress on the Time and Frequency Domains of Heart-Rate Variability
Authors: Delaney J. P. A. , Brodie D. A.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that short-term psychological stress produces significant changes in sympathovagal activity. A simple, noninvasive method was used measuring the timing and frequency of heart-rate variability (HRV). 30 normal healthy subjects were assigned into two age- and sex-matched groups. In the experimental condition a 5-min. psychological stress test, predominantly based on the Stroop Word Color Conflict Test, was employed in a competitive setting and included a financial inducement to produce psychological strain. Analysis showed that during psychological stress a significant reduction in the timing and frequency of heart-rate variability was observed. The standard deviation of interbeat intervals decreased. A significant increase in heart rate was also observed. Within the frequency domain, a significant reduction in the high frequency component of HRV and a significant increase in the low frequency component were observed. There was also a significant increase in the low frequency to high frequency ratio. Self-evaluation of physical tension and emotional state measured by visual analog scales also showed significant increases following psychological stress. No significant differences were observed on any variables within the control group. The results indicate a shift towards sympathetic predominance as a result of parasympathetic withdrawal and demonstrates that this psychological stress test is effective in provoking a characteristic defence-arousal reaction. This simple, cost-effective method of analysing heart-rate variability is suitable for detection of short-term changes in sympathovagal balance.
Sex Differences in Identifying the Facial Affect of Normal and Mirror-Reversed Faces
Authors: Killgore William D. Scott
Published: August 2011

The influences of sex and lateralized visual hemispace bias in the judgment of the emotional valence of faces during a free-viewing condition are evaluated. 73 subjects (aged 18 to 52 yr.) viewed videotaped facial expressions of emotion in normal and mirror-reversed orientation and classified each face as a positive, negative, or neutral expression. There was a significant interaction between the sex of the rater and the orientation of the face that influenced the proportion of correct classifications. Male and female perceivers did not differ in the accuracy of their affect judgments for faces viewed in normal orientation, whereas reversal of the orientation of the faces resulted in a significant enhancement of accuracy judgments for the males but not the females. The results suggest greater cerebral lateralization of perceptual processes in males.
Academic Performance and Participation in Physical Activity by Secondary School Adolescents
Authors: Daley Amanda J. , Ryan Jason
Published: August 2011

This study investigated the relationship between adolescents' academic performance and participation in physical activity. 232 boys and girls from Years 8–11 (ages 13–16 years) were randomly selected, and their academic performance was assessed on previous examination scores in English, Mathematics, and Science. Participants were also asked to list all the sports-based physical activities in which they normally participated during a typical week and to indicate how many times per week they took part in each activity and the duration of each. Overall, no significant correlations were found, although weak negative correlations were recorded between the amount of time (in minutes) in sport and exercise and English scores for children ages 13, 14, and 16 years. A similar association was also noted for Science scores of children 16 years old.
Ambition as a Motivational Basis of Organizational and Professional Commitment: Preliminary Analysis of a Proposed Career Advancement Ambition Scale
Authors: Desrochers Stephan , Dahir Veronica
Published: August 2011

This study proposes that the ambition to advance in one's career may serve as a motivational basis of organizational and professional commitment. In support of this notion, preliminary evidence of the reliability and construct validity of a proposed Career Advancement Ambition Scale is presented, and exploratory analyses of a secondary data set show that the scale and original scales of organizational and professional commitment can predict turnover intentions. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Geophysical Variables and Behavior: LXXXXIX. The Influence of Weather on Suicide in Hong Kong
Authors: Yan Yuk Yee
Published: August 2011

Summer peaks in suicide for both sexes and ages groups (⩾55 years) in Hong Kong were ascertained. Barometric pressure had a very weak negative relation with suicide rate.
Copying Strategies for Patterns by Children and Adults
Authors: Haselen G. C. Lagers-Van , Van Der Steen J. , Frens M. A.
Published: August 2011

In the present study, eye movements during the copying of a pattern were analyzed to compare visual strategies of adults and children. Subjects had to build an accurate copy of spatial block patterns. Tested variables were the incidence and the duration of ocular dwelling in the pattern area (where the pattern to be copied was located), the work area (where the copy was made), and the source area (where the blocks were that could be used for creating the copy). Furthermore, to unravel employed strategies, sequences of dwelled areas were investigated. Previous studies reported that adults employ repetitive visual scanning strategies to accomplish the task instead of strategies depending upon an internal representation. The present results show that the 11 children, within the ages of 7 to 12 years, made more eye movements and fixations of longer duration during copy tasks than the 11 adults. The visual strategies of the children were highly comparable to those of adults. Memory was restricted to one block, while color and location seemed to be remembered together.
Phonoemotional Profiling: A Description of the Emotional Flavour of English Texts on the Basis of the Phonemes Employed in Them
Authors: Whissell Cynthia
Published: August 2011

Research employing three large lists of words rated along emotional dimensions (total N= 15,761 words) supported a prior claim that most phonemes have a distinct emotional character. Different phonemes tended to occur more often in different types of emotional words. When phonemes were grouped along eight radii in a two-dimensional emotional space defined by Pleasantness and Activation (Pleasantness, Cheeriness, Activation, Nastiness, Unpleasantness, Sadness, Passivity, and Softness), it became possible to draw profiles of texts in terms of their preferential use of different classes of phonemes. Four experiments were performed to illustrate the manner in which phonemes in nonsense words are related to emotion, and evidence of the validity of character assignments was investigated and received support in three further analyses. The emotionality of phonemes was related to both place and manner of articulation and to properties of the auditory signal itself. Phonoemotional profiles were drawn for several types of material and provided supporting evidence for the validity of the assignment of emotional character to phonemes.
Reference Group Data for the Reitan-Indiana Neuropsychological Test Battery for Young Children
Authors: Gray Robert M. , Marshall Richard M. , Livingston Ronald B. , Haak Ruth A.
Published: August 2011

This study presents a data set for a reference group on the Reitan-In-diana Neuropsychological Test Battery for Young Children. The data set is based on a sample of 224 children, ages 5 to 8 years, referred to a special services cooperative for academic or behavioral concerns during the years 1980 through 1993. Data are presented in terms of sample size, means, standard deviations, diagnostic classifications, and population characteristics. Previously published data sets are reviewed in comparison to this newly acquired data set. Potential advantages of this data set include the larger sample, contemporary data collection, and a sample drawn from a United States school-referred population.
Pregnant Women's Social Status, Stress, Self-Esteem, and Their Infants' Sex Ratio at Birth
Authors: Marleau Jacques D. , Saucier Jean-François
Published: August 2011

A reported association of social status of parents with infants' sex ratio at birth and of psychological stress (score on Beck Depression Inventory) with sex ratio were not supported by our analysis, but the possibility of an association between scores on the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale and sex ratio at birth for a sample of 385 pregnant women showed that women who have given birth to boys scored lower on self-esteem during pregnancy than those who have given birth to girls. Some explanations are reviewed to discuss this unforeseen association.
Juvenile Offenders and Accurate Perception of Time
Authors: Partridge Brian C. , Fox Steven H.
Published: August 2011

In the present study, 72 juvenile offenders and 24 high school boys with no criminal history were tested on how accurately they could estimate the passage of 15-, 30-, 60-, and 120-sec. periods of time. Hypotheses predicted significant differences between the accuracy of time estimations by juvenile offenders and high school students across and among all four trials and also between trials of time estimation by 24 violent juvenile offenders and 24 nonviolent juvenile offenders across and among the trials. Analysis indicated that these mostly Hispanic juvenile offenders produced significantly less accurate time estimations than nonoffending high school students, but no significant differences were found between estimates by violent juvenile and nonviolent juvenile offenders. The results are consistent with previous research indicating that deficits in ego functioning may be associated with the presence of maladaptive and antisocial behavior.
Scores on Trait and State Anxiety of Female Karateka before the Commencement of Shotokan Karate Training
Authors: Layton Clive
Published: August 2011

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to 17 female karateka immediately prior to Shotokan karate practice. As no difference between mean Trait and State Anxiety scores was found, it was suggested that this may be seen as a reflection of the changing times.
Exact and Monte Carlo Resampling Procedures for the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis Tests
Authors: Berry Kenneth J. , Mielke Paul W.
Published: August 2011

Exact and Monte Carlo resampling FORTRAN programs are described for the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test and the Kruskal-Wallis oneway analysis of variance for ranks test. The program algorithms compensate for tied values and do not depend on asymptotic approximations for probability values, unlike most algorithms contained in PC-based statistical software packages.