bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arousal Gradient Hypothesis
Authors: Stankard William
Published: September 2010

A two-dimensional view of arousal was operationalized by controlling gradient and intensity of exercise-induced arousal in two experiments with 80 undergraduate men. Significant cognitive performance decrement on a visual-search task occurred at high arousal intensity in the steep-gradient arousal conditions. The rate at which arousal increased, not intensity of arousal, led to decrement in performance. Exp. 2 eliminated the alternative explanation that increased movement and exertion demands in the steep-gradient condition of Exp. 1 led to decrement in performance. Analysis indicated no significant differences in participants' affect, and no significant correlations between participants' affect and performance in either experiment.
Characteristics of Body Excursion during a Static Upright Posture in Elderly People with Central Nervous System Disorders and with other Disorders from the Viewpoint of Body-Excursion Parameters
Authors: Demura Shinichi , Kitabayashi Tamotsu , Noda Masahiro
Published: September 2010

This study aimed to compare characteristics of body excursion of healthy elderly and elderly people with disorders. The participants were 38 healthy elderly who were at home (Healthy Elderly group) and 24 elderly people with disorders. The latter consisted of two groups: 12 in the Central Nervous System Disorders group with vestibular organ or central nervous system disorders, and 12 in the Other Disorders group with other system disorders. 34 parameters were selected from six domains: distance, distribution of amplitude, area, velocity, power spectrum, and vector. When compared with the Healthy Elderly group, the Central Nervous System Disorders group was judged abnormal on many parameters and showed large and quick body excursion characteristics, particularly in left-right excursion. The Other Disorders group showed different characteristics in the size of the left-right excursion and velocity of the front–back excursion. However, compared with the Central Nervous System Disorders group, very few people in the Other Disorders group were judged abnormal, and they showed slower velocity for front–back excursion.
Verbal and Cognitive Distractors in Driving Performance While Using Hands-Free Phones
Authors: Lin Chiuhsiang Joe , Chen Hung J.
Published: September 2010

This study investigated the effect of different types of distractions related to use of a hands-free phone on driving performance. The study used three types of verbal distractors: casual conversation, simple arithmetic number guessing, and number adding, in the phone conversation. 12 adults were instructed to follow a lead vehicle on a closed-course highway in a fixed-based driving simulator. The results showed that use of a hands-free cellular phone involving verbal and cognitive distractions impaired driving performance and skill. Types of distraction produced significantly different effects on several dependent variables: the driving speed, headway (distance between the lead car and the manipulated car), brake reaction time, and number of collisions with the lead car. In general, the higher the cognitive load involved in the dialogue, the worse the driving performance.
Attitudes toward Online Shopping: A Follow-up Study
Authors: Yang Bijou , Lester David
Published: September 2010

From 2001 to 2005, students showed an increase in the range of purchases made online, and their attitudes toward online shopping became more positive.
Developmental Transition of EEG Spectra to Alpha Band in a Sample of Children with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Shibagaki Masamitsu , Mizuhashi Megumi , Miyajima Kana , Yoshie Yu , Hiraki Chiaki , Yamada Mari , Yamashita Eriko , Yamada Ai
Published: September 2010

Developmental transition of EEG spectra to alpha band of 14 children with developmental disabilities (from 7 yr. and 3 mo. to 16 yr. and 1 mo. of age at the first EEG recording: M = 13.2, SD = 2.6; 6 girls and 8 boys) was studied by auto-power spectrum analysis longitudinally. The results showed the mean age (14.1 yr. to 14.8 yr. in the four regions of the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital regions) for subjects and their mean frequency (4.2 Hz to 4.7 Hz in the 4 regions) at which EEG shift started from theta band, and those means (15.1 yr. to 15.7 yr. and 9.5 Hz to 9.6 Hz in the 4 regions) at which EEG shift reached the alpha band. Prior EEG research on healthy children has shown that approximately 10 years of age is critical for developmental transition of EEG spectra to alpha frequencies. It is suggested that the present data showed a delay of this critical age for this sample of children with developmental disabilities relative to 10 years for healthy children reported by Katada, et al. and Benninger, et al.
An Analysis of U.S. Parachuting Fatalities: 2000–2004
Authors: Hart Christian L. , Griffith James D. , Randell Joe A.
Published: September 2010

Between 2000 and 2004, 125 recreational parachuting fatalities were reported in the USA. Each was categorized using a previously reported taxonomy. While patterns of skydiving fatality were largely unchanged since the last such analysis of fatalities from 1993–1999, some variations were noted. As in previous analyses, most of the recent skydiving fatalities were the direct result of human error. Some examples of commonplace human error fatalities were turning low to the ground resulting in a hard landing, accidentally colliding with other skydivers resulting in entangled parachutes, and failure to deploy the reserve parachute correctly in the event of malfunctioning main parachute.
Identifying Runners as Football Teammates from 400 Msec. Video Clips
Authors: Steel Kylie A. , Adams Roger D. , Canning Colleen G.
Published: September 2010

Ability to recognize a runner as a teammate from only a brief visual exposure is suggested from research on gait recognition with point-light displays and has particular importance for ball-passing in sports. 15 touch football players of mean age 20 yr. ( SD = 0.7), on two teams of 7 wk. standing, observed 31 400-msec. video clips of running individuals whose familiarity varied from high to low. These were their teammates, players from the other team, or nonfootball players. After viewing each clip, participants rated their certainty that each running player was a teammate. Despite the brevity of the visual display, overall performance at discriminating teammates from other runners was significantly better than chance, and accuracy did not differ between colour or black-and-white formats. Recognition of teammates was better if familiar nonteammates were removed from the set of analyzed clips and worse if unfamiliar nonplayers were removed.
Sex Differences in Mental Rotation Strategy
Authors: Raabe Sylvia , Höger Rainer , Delius Juan D.
Published: September 2010

When humans decide whether two visual stimuli are identical or mirror images of each other and one of the stimuli is rotated with respect to the other, the time discrimination takes usually increases as a rectilinear function of the orientation disparity. On the average, males perform this mental rotation at a faster angular speed than females. This experiment required the rotation of both mirror-image-different and non-mirror-different stimuli. The polygonal stimuli were presented in either spatially unfiltered, high-pass or low-pass filtered versions. All stimulus conditions produced mental rotation-type effects but with graded curvilinear trends. Women rotated faster than men under all conditions, an infrequent outcome in mental rotation studies. Overall, women yielded more convexly curvilinear response functions than men. For both sexes the curvilinearity was more pronounced under the non-mirror-different, low-pass stimulus condition than under the mirror different, high-pass stimulus condition. The results are considered as supporting the occurrence of two different mental rotation strategies and as suggesting that the women were predisposed to use efficiently an analytic feature rotation strategy, while the men were predisposed to employ efficiently a holistic pattern rotation strategy. It is argued that the overall design of this experiment promoted the application of an analytic strategy and thus conferred an advantage to the female participants.
A Brief Account of Statistical Tests for Single-Case Research with Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Groeneweg Jop , Lancioni Giulio E. , Bosco Andrea , Singh Nirbhay N. , O'Reilly Mark F. , Sigafoos Jeff
Published: September 2010

Education and rehabilitation research with persons with developmental disabilities is often based on single-case designs (with small numbers of ordinal data points collected at irregular intervals) and relies upon graphic display and visual inspection of the data. This paper (a) provides a brief account of some statistical tests, which may serve to supplement the visual inspection process and (b) underlines some of their strengths and limitations to help education and rehabilitation personnel make a reasonable choice among them.
Selection of Useful Parameters to Evaluate Center-of-Foot Pressure Movement
Authors: Demura Shinichi , Kitabayashi Tamotsu , Noda Masahiro
Published: September 2010

This study aimed to objectively summarize the parameters for evaluating the center-of-foot pressure and to select useful parameters with high reliability and validity with 220 healthy university students. In addition, 50 healthy university students were selected to examine cross validity. The measurement of center-of-foot pressure was carried out 3 times with a 1-min. rest and the mean of Trials 2 and 3 was used for the analysis. The data sampling frequency was 20 Hz. 34 parameters were selected from 6 domains: distance, distribution, area, velocity, spectrum, and vector. As a result of factor analysis the following four factors were interpreted: unit time sway, front-back sway, left-right sway and high frequency band sway. Their intraclass correlation coefficients were very high ( ICC = .89–.95). Five parameters representing each factor were selected using stepwise selection by regression analysis. There were no significant differences between the mean factor scores estimated by the above five parameters in the original and in cross-validity groups, and relationships between factors in both groups were very high. The center-of-foot pressure may be predicted and systematically evaluated by the above four factors. Five parameters selected from each factor are considered to be useful ones with high validity and practicability.
Source Confusion as an Explanation of Cultivation: A Test of the Mechanisms Underlying Confusion of Fiction with Reality on Television
Authors: Koolstra Cees M.
Published: September 2010

Cultivation studies have found evidence that heavy television viewers adopt a world view congruent with how the world is portrayed in fictional television programs. An explanation is that viewers may remember fictional TV stories as realistic stories or news (fiction-to-news confusion). Until now, fiction-to-news confusion was found only if at least a week evolved between watching TV and asking viewers what was remembered. The present study conducted with a purposive sample of students and employees of a college in The Netherlands ( N = 96; M age = 28.6 yr., SD= 10.9) indicates that fiction-to-news confusions can also occur almost immediately after watching. In addition, whereas earlier research suggests that fiction-to-news confusions are associated with heavy viewing, i.e., more confusion when more hours per day are spent on TV viewing in leisure time, and faulty memory, the present study more specifically suggests that participants make many fiction-to-news confusions when they are exposed to relatively many fictional TV fragments that contain threatening, violent events.
Morningness-Eveningness Correlates with Verbal Ability in Women but Not Men
Authors: Killgore William D. S. , Killgore Desiree B.
Published: September 2010

Individuals differ along a continuum of preference for diurnal activity level, known as Morningness-Eveningness. Some evidence suggests that an Eveningness orientation (i.e., preference for later rise and bed times) is weakly associated with higher cognitive ability, but no studies have examined this relationship using clinically accepted, psychometrically valid measures of cognitive ability. The present study examined the correlation between Morningness-Eveningness with scores on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) of 54 healthy volunteers. Lower Morningness (i.e., Greater Eveningness) orientation was correlated ( r = −.23) with higher Verbal IQ for the entire sample. When the data were examined separately by sex, the correlation between Morningness-Eveningness and Verbal IQ was significant for women (r = −.44) but not for men (r = −.09).
Eye- and Mouth-Opening Movements Replacing Head and Hand Responses in a Microswitch Program for an Adolescent with Deteriorating Motor Condition
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , O'Reilly M. F. , Oliva D. , Severini L. , Singh N. N. , Sigafoos J. , Groeneweg J.
Published: September 2010

This study assessed the possibility of replacing head and hand responses (no longer feasible) with minimal movements within the microswitch-based program of an adolescent with deteriorating motor condition and multiple disabilities. The new movements, i.e., eye- and mouth-opening, were introduced individually and then combined through the simultaneous availability of the related microswitches. Data showed the participant acquired the new movements (responses) successfully and retained them at a 2-mo. postintervention check. Mood improvements, i.e., increases in indices of happiness, also occurred through the program. The conclusion was that a person with deteriorating motor conditions may be able to revitalize a microswitch-based occupational program and retain a constructive engagement if new, feasible responses are identified.
Motor Skills Transfer from Gymnastics to Swimming
Authors: Collard L. , Oboeuf A. , Ahmaidi S.
Published: September 2010

99 adult specialists in combat sports ( n = 21), team sports ( n = 37), gymnastics ( n = 22), and swimming ( n = 19) ( M age = 20 yr., SD = 2; 64 young men, 35 young women) performed three 25-m swimming tasks whilst “blindfolded” by opaque goggles: front crawl in a straight line, dolphin-kicking on the back, and dolphin-kicking on the front. Even though the gymnasts (like the swimmers) were at ease in all 3 situations, the motor skills of the “motor interaction” specialists (team sports, combat sports) put the latter at a disadvantage. The similarities between the gymnasts' and swimmers' behavior (confirmed using factorial correspondence analysis with the TRI-DEUX program) are undoubtedly related to the fact that these sportspersons essentially live in the same sensory space in their respective practices: exteroceptive information is subordinated by proprioceptive information. In contrast, the 99 subjects' timed freestyle swimming performances over 75 m depended so much on their physical and anthropometric qualities that the results were independent of the sporting specialties for the novice swimmers. Hence, the mere fact that the 22 gymnasts, who tended to be shorter, with a higher proportion of women, were more at ease in the water did not turn them into great performers.
Assessing the Effect of Cognitive Styles with Different Learning Modes on Learning Outcome
Authors: Liao Chechen , Chuang Shu-Hui
Published: September 2010

In this study, similarities and differences in learning outcome associated with individual differences in cognitive styles are examined using the traditional (face-to-face) and web-based learning modes. 140 undergraduate students were categorized as having analytic or holistic cognitive styles by their scores on the Style of Learning and Thinking questionnaire. Four different conditions were studies; students with analytic cognitive style in a traditional learning mode, analytic cognitive style in a web-based learning mode, holistic cognitive style in a traditional learning mode, and holistic cognitive style in a web-based learning mode. Analysis of the data show that analytic style in traditional mode lead to significantly higher performance and perceived satisfaction than in other conditions. Satisfaction did not differ significantly between students with analytic style in web-based learning and those with holistic style in traditional learning. This suggest that integrating different learning modes into the learning environment may be insufficient to improve learners' satisfaction.
Regional Intelligence and Suicide Rate: New Data for Australia and a Synthesis of Research
Authors: Voracek Martin
Published: September 2010

Previous research has shown for the most part positive correlations between intelligence and suicide prevalence on the national level. However, this study found proxies for regional intelligence in Australia (international average domain scores from the PISA 2000 study) to be significantly negatively correlated with the total, male, and female suicide rates of the different administrative divisions of Australia, and this finding was independent of regional wealth. A research synthesis of the current results and those from similar studies of other countries (positive correlations for Austria, Belarus, The British Isles, Denmark, and The Netherlands; inconclusive findings for France, Germany, and the USA) was conducted. This synthesis of research findings showed that positive ecological correlations of intelligence with suicide rate were more likely observed for nations with higher suicide rates and poorer general living conditions, whereas there was no relation with national IQ.
On-Task Distractors Associated with Totball Baseball Games: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Mead Tim P. , Broussard Carmen D. , Rosenthal Gary T. , Boudreaux Dwight L. , Cooley Amanda M. , Hammerli Walt W.
Published: September 2010

Two totball baseball leagues in southern Louisiana were monitored to judge what type of parental involvement yielded the highest on-task behaviors among participants. 39 children ages 3 to 5 years participated in 3- or 4-inning baseball games with parents on the field. In the Parent on Bases League, a parent stood on first, second, and third base only. In the Parent with Every Child League, a parent stood next to every child on the field. Children were observed on the field at three different dates at 1-min. intervals during the first two innings of one game in both leagues. On-task behaviors were defined as standing in the correct field position and watching the ball. Off-task behaviors consisted of sitting, rolling on the field, talking to a coach or parent, and not watching the ball. A statistically significant difference in the percent of time children spent on-task favored the Parents on Bases League (75.7) versus the other league (50.3). Having fewer parents on the field in these baseball games kept players on-task more effectively than having a parent with each child.
Comparing Children with and without Dyslexia on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children and the Test of Gross Motor Development
Authors: Getchell Nancy , Pabreja Priya , Neeld Kevin , Carrio Victor
Published: September 2010

Dyslexia is the most commonly occurring learning disability in the United States, characterized by difficulties with word recognition, spelling, and decoding. A growing body of literature suggests that deficits in motor skill performance exist in the dyslexic population. This study compared the performance of children with and without dyslexia on different subtests of the Test of Gross Motor Development and Movement Assessment Battery for Children and assessed whether there were developmental changes in the scores of the dyslexic group. Participants included 26 dyslexic children (19 boys and 7 girls; 9.5 yr. old, SD = 1.7) and 23 age- and sex-matched typically developing (17 boys and 6 girls; 9.9 yr. old, SD = 1.3) children as a control group. Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that the dyslexic group performed significantly lower than the control group only on the Total Balance subtest of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Additionally, the young dyslexic group performed significantly better on the Total Balance subtest, compared to the older dyslexic group. These results suggest that cerebellar dysfunction may account for differences in performance.
Relations of age with Changes in Self-Efficacy and Physical Self-Concept in Preadolescents Participating in a Physical Activity Intervention during Afterschool Care
Authors: Annesi James J.
Published: September 2010

An inference from Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that preadolescents of different ages who participate in a physical activity intervention may respond differently on measures of their physical self and self-efficacy, so a field investigation was conducted to assess effects. In a sample of 105 children ages 8 to 12 yr. (42% boys, overall Mage = 10.1 yr., SD = 0.9), participation in a physical activity intervention during afterschool care, based on social cognitive theory and incorporating instruction in self-management and self-regulatory skills, was associated with significant improvements in measures of exercise-related self-efficacy, perceived physical appearance, and physical self-concept over 12 wk. Analyses suggested, however, no difference in changes on these factors was associated with participants' age or children being in either the concrete operations or formal operations stage of cognitive development. After replication, implications for design of physical activity interventions for preadolescents were suggested.
Performance Dissociation during Verbal and Spatial Working Memory Tasks
Authors: Nagel Bonnie J. , Ohannessian Arthur , Cummins Kevin
Published: September 2010

Past research has inconsistently distinguished the neural substrates of various types of working memory. Task design and individual performance differences are known to alter patterns of brain response during working-memory tasks. These task and individual differences may have produced discrepancies in imaging findings. This study of 50 healthy adults ( Mage = 19.6 yr., SD = .8) examined performance during various parametric manipulations of a verbal and spatial n-back working-memory task. Performance systematically dissociated on the basis of working-memory load, working memory type, and stimulus difficulty, with participants having greater accuracy but slower response time during conditions requiring verbal versus spatial working memory. These findings hold implications for cognitive and neuroimaging studies of verbal and spatial working memory and highlight the importance of considering both task design and individual behavior.
Effects of Contour Proximity and Lightness on Delboeuf Illusions Created by Circumscribed Letters
Authors: Jaeger Ted , Long Stephen
Published: September 2010

32 observers judged the size of a letter, either an “A” or an “S,” which was surrounded by a circle. Both letters were overestimated, but larger surrounding circles reduced the illusion. Decreasing the lightness contrast of the surrounding circle relative to the central letter diminished the illusion. The results suggest that, like the Delboeuf illusion, these circumscribed letters illusions are produced by interactions among size-coding neurons.
Correlations of Conceptual Development with Motor Skills for a Turkish Sample of Kindergarten Children
Authors: Ayhan Aynur Bütün , Aral Neriman , Aki Esra , Kayihan Hülya
Published: September 2010

The purpose was to research the conceptual development and motor skills of 36 healthy children of kindergarten age ( M age = 67.6 mo., SD =3.6). 19 girls and 17 boys completed the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency–Short Form.
Lack of Degradation in Visuospatial Perception of Line Orientation after One Night of Sleep Loss
Authors: Killgore William D. S. , Kendall Athena P. , Richards Jessica M. , McBride Sharon A.
Published: September 2010

Sleep deprivation impairs a variety of cognitive abilities including vigilance, attention, and executive function. Although sleep loss has been shown to impair tasks requiring visual attention and spatial perception, it is not clear whether these deficits are exclusively a function of reduced attention and vigilance or if there are also alterations in visuospatial perception. Visuospatial perception and sustained vigilance performance were therefore examined in 54 healthy volunteers at rested baseline and again after one night of sleep deprivation using the Judgment of Line Orientation Test and a computerized test of psychomotor vigilance. Whereas psychomotor vigilance declined significantly from baseline to sleep-deprived testing, scores on the Judgment of Line Orientation did not change significantly. Results suggest that documented performance deficits associated with sleep loss are unlikely to be the result of dysfunction within systems of the brain responsible for simple visuospatial perception and processing of line angles.
Complexity of Visual Icons Studied via Signal Detection Theory
Authors: Repperger Daniel W. , Aleva Denise L. , Thomas Gina , Miller Janet E. , Fullenkamp Stephen C.
Published: September 2010

Two investigations on how humans perceive information from visually rendered complex objects, such as military icons (glyphs) were conducted. A signal detection theory framework was employed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of human subject performance. The 6 adults tested showed that as complexity increased, their accuracy in performance decreased. Study 1 showed that complex dimensions (features) could not be assigned arbitrarily. Study 2 developed a rank ordering for features of an iconic object.
Club Shaft Weight in Putting Accuracy and Perception of Swing Parameters in Golf Putting
Authors: Karlsen Jon , Nilsson Johnny
Published: September 2010

This study assessed how shaft weight influenced golf putting accuracy and subjective perception of swing parameters. Three putters of different shaft weight (100, 420, and 610 gm) were tested by 24 club players. Distance and deviation in direction were measured, and subjective ratings of the putters recorded. Subjects hit the ball further with lighter shafts. The mean distance hit was 100.2, 99.3, and 98.1% of the target distance for the normal, medium, and heavy putter shafts, respectively. Subjectively, the medium heavy putter was rated best on “overall feeling” and it was also rated better than the normal on “feeling of stability in the downswing.” The heaviest putter was rated as too heavy by 23 of 24 subjects. There were no significant differences between the putter clubs in distance and directional putting accuracy. The major findings are that the golfers putted 2.1% longer with the 100 gm shaft than with the 610 gm shaft and that the perception of overall feeling of the putter club was not related to performance.
Knowledge about Suicide and Local Suicide Prevalence: Comparison of Estonia and Austria
Authors: Kõlves Kairi , Tran Ulrich S. , Voracek Martin
Published: September 2010

Knowledge about suicide might be positively correlated with local suicide prevalence. This hypothesis was tested with a sample of 107 medical and social science undergraduates from Estonia, a country with a high suicide rate, using Hubbard and McIntosh's 1992 Revised Facts on Suicide Quiz. Compared (independent-groups t tests) with a sample of undergraduates from Austria, which has a markedly lower suicide rate, Estonians presented significantly higher overall knowledge about suicide ( d = 0.39), particularly concerning demographic and epidemiological facts about suicide ( d = 0.77) but not pertaining to clinical and interpersonal knowledge contents ( d = −0.06). Study limitations and suggestions for extension of this preliminary inquiry are discussed.
Evaluating the Factor Structure of the Psychological Performance Inventory
Authors: Golby Jim , Sheard Michael , Van Wersch Anna
Published: September 2010

This study assesses the construct validity of a measure of mental toughness, Loehr's Psychological Performance Inventory. Performers ( N = 408, 303 men, 105 women, M age = 24.0 yr., SD = 6.7) drawn from eight sports (artistic roller-skating, basketball, canoeing, golf, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, swimming), and competing at either international, national, county and provincial, or club and regional standards. They completed the 42-item Psychological Performance Inventory during training camps. Principal components analysis provided minimal support for the factor structure. Instead, the exploratory analysis yielded a 4-factor 14-item model (PPIA). A single factor underlying mental toughness (GMT) was identified with higher-order exploratory factor analysis using the Schmid-Leiman procedure. Psychometric analysis of the model, using confirmatory analysis techniques, fitted the data well. Collectively satisfying absolute and incremental fit index benchmarks, the inventory possesses satisfactory psychometric properties, with adequate reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. The results lend preliminary support to the factorial validity and reliability of the model; however, further investigation of its stability is required before recommending practitioners use changes in scores as an index for evaluating effects of training in psychological skills.
Precompetitive Anxiety and Self-Confidence in Athletes with Disability
Authors: Ferreira José Pedro L. , Chatzisarantis Nikos , Caspar Pedro Miguel , Campos Maria João
Published: September 2010

This study examined the precompetition temporal patterning of competitive anxiety components in 42 athletes with disability who participated at the national level and at the national trials for the Paralympic Games in a variety of sports. All subjects completed a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 which measures intensity and direction of the competitive anxiety response on three occasions before competition (1 wk., 2 hr., and 20 min.). Analysis suggested that for cognitive and somatic dimensions athletes with disabilities show a similar precompetition anxiety response to athletes without disability. However, there appear to be some differences, particularly in the intensity of self-confidence, as athletes with disability reported a reduction of self-confidence just prior to competition.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Alexithymia and Attachment Style
Authors: Farinelli Marina , Ercolani Mauro , Trombini Giancarlo , Bortolotti Mauro
Published: September 2010

Alexithymia and its relation with attachment style were evaluated in a group of 69 patients (men, M age = 46.4 yr., SD =12.6; women, M age = 44.2 yr., SD = 14.4) affected by Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Two self-evaluation questionnaires were used for psychological evaluation, the 20 item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). The TAS-20 analysis showed that the clinical sample taken as a whole did not score in the alexithymic range. The inverse correlations between the Confidence ASQ subscale and the Difficulty Communicating Feelings TAS-20 subscale showed that communication of emotions could develop more easily within the framework of a relational context characterized by safety and confidence. In this group of patients this was represented by the referent caregiver.
Parents' Representations of Their Children: An Exploratory Study Using the Osgood Semantic Differential Scales
Authors: Salcuni Silvia , Mazzeschi Claudia , Di Riso Daniela , Lis Adriana
Published: September 2010

The results of an exploratory national study carried out in Italy using Osgood's Semantic Differential Scales (Osgood, Suci, & Tannenbaum, 1957) with parents of 100 normal 6- to 11-yr.-old children in mainstream classrooms are reported. The aim was to devise a simple tool to be used to explore parents' perceptions of their children in this age group. Parents were asked to rate “my child” using some of Osgood's Semantic Differential Scales especially adapted for this study. Participants were 97 fathers and 100 mothers. Fathers were 32 to 57 years of age ( M = 43.2, SD = 5.4), mothers were 29 to 49 years of age ( M = 39.7, SD = 4.4). In factor analysis four factors were identified: Activity, Evaluation, Emotions evoked by the child, Personality/Physical contact. Average factor scores were significantly different. There were no significant differences between fathers and mothers on the four factor scores. Children were more positively evaluated the younger they were.
Enabling a Young Man with Minimal Motor Behavior to Manage Independently His Leisure Television Engagement
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Singh N. N. , O'Reilly M. F. , Sigafoos J. , Chiapparino C. , Stasolla F. , Bosco A. , De Pace C. , Oliva Doretta
Published: September 2010

Persons with severe spastic tetraparesis and minimal motor behavior may be confined to a wheelchair or bed and have virtually no chances of constructive engagement with their immediate environment. A possible way to modify this situation may involve the use of technology. The present study (a) assessed specific technology to enable a young adult to manage his leisure television engagement independently and (b) carried out a social validation assessment of the technology-supported performance involving 90 teacher trainees as raters. The intervention period with the new technology included 67 sessions, during which the participant performed independently 392 of the 408 television-management responses, i.e., turning on the television, finding a channel with a preferred program, setting the volume, and turning off the television. He also indicated preference for using the technology as opposed to not using it. The raters provided relatively high (positive) scores for the technology-supported performance compared to the baseline performance. Implications of the findings are discussed.
The Use of Powerpoint Shareware for Making Jeopardy!-Type Games in the Teaching of Psychology
Authors: Lord Preston Brooks , Martin Melissa M. , Abramson Charles I.
Published: September 2010

We describe the use of readily available templates to create a Jeopardy!-type game using PowerPoint slides suitable for psychology courses. The templates can accommodate information from any psychology class and can easily be used to incorporate languages other than English. A major limitation of the templates is that they are only available as shareware on internet sites and the links to such sites can be unreliable. To avoid this problem we present our own template. Differences between the shareware and our own program are noted, as are ways to use the game to stimulate interest in psychology.
Prediction of Goal Orientation and Perceived Competence on Intensity and Direction of Precompetitive Anxiety among Adolescent Handball Players
Authors: Li Chiung-Huang , Chi Likang
Published: September 2010

This study explored the main and interactive effects of goal orientations and perceived competence on intensity and direction of the symptoms of precompetitive cognitive and somatic anxiety. 109 handball players from 16 high school teams ( M = 16.2 yr., SD = 1.5) participated. All were asked to complete the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, Perceived Competence Questionnaire, and a modified version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. Using separated multiple hierarchical regression analyses, direction of the symptoms of precompetitive somatic anxiety was predicted by perceived competence and interaction of ego orientation x perceived competence. Perceived competence and the interaction of ego orientation x task orientation x perceived competence were significant predictors of direction of the symptoms of precompetitive cognitive anxiety. The results suggest that perceptions of competence and task orientation moderate the relationship between ego orientation and direction of the symptoms of precompetitive anxiety.
National Differences in Intelligence and Population Rates of Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Plans, and Attempted Suicide
Authors: Voracek Martin
Published: September 2010

Population rates of suicidal ideation, suicide plans or attempted suicide from three independent multinational epidemiological surveys (the WHO/EURO and WHO SUPRE-MISS studies and a third one) were not significantly associated with national IQ figures. This result conflicts with previous evidence from cross-national studies (by Lester and by Voracek) of a positive ecological correlation between level of national intelligence and rates of completed suicide. Across nations, the indicators for the prevalence of suicidal behavior also lacked close correspondence with suicide rates, which may be due to the higher unreliability of assessing covert suicidal behavior (suicide ideas, thoughts, plans, and, to a lesser extent, also suicide attempts) as compared to suicidal behavior that is indisputably overt (completed suicide). Several alternative explanations for the current nil findings are also discussed.
Enabling Two Adolescents with Multiple Disabilities to Choose among Environmental Stimuli through Different Procedural and Technological Approaches
Authors: Lancioni G. E. , Antonucci M. , De Pace C. , O'Reilly M. F. , Sigaeoos J. , Singh N. N. , Oliva D.
Published: September 2010

Two single-case studies were carried out using different procedural and technological approaches to enable two adolescents with multiple disabilities to choose among environmental stimuli. Study I focused on replicating a recently developed procedure, which relied on samples of the auditory stimuli available as cues for choice responses. Study II assessed a new procedural and technical setup relying on the use of pictorial representations of the stimuli available as cues for choice responses. The auditory samples and the pictorial representations were presented through computer systems. The participants' choice responses relied on microswitches connected to the computer systems. The data of Study I fully supported previous findings with the same procedural approach. The participant learned to choose preferred stimuli and bypass nonpreferred ones. The data of Study II showed that the participant learned to concentrate his choice responses on a few stimuli, suggesting that these stimuli were actually preferred and that responding was purposeful. Implications of the results were discussed.
Relations of Perceived Motivational Climate and Feelings of Belonging in Physical Education in Urban Schools
Authors: Wright Paul M. , Li Weidong , Ding Sheng
Published: September 2010

The current pilot study examined the relationship between feelings of belonging and perceptions of motivational climate in physical education classes among 87 African-American, inner-city high school students (41 boys, 46 girls). Motivational climate was assessed by the Perceived Motivational Climate Questionnaire and feelings of belonging were assessed by the Belonging Scale. Contrary to the hypothesis, scores for both the task- and ego-involved subscales of the Perceived Motivational Climate Questionnaire had moderate positive correlations with scores on the Belonging Scale, indicating the relationship between these specific motivational climates and social-emotional outcomes in physical education is not clear and direct. Further research is warranted to assess these findings and to identify what experiences and instructional strategies are most effective in promoting social-emotional outcomes in physical education in urban schools.
Evidence for a Positive Ecological Correlation of Regional Intelligence and Suicide Mortality in the United States during the Early 20th Century
Authors: Voracek Martin
Published: September 2010

Several contemporary cross-national and intranational geographic studies have reported positive ecological (group-level) associations of intelligence and suicide mortality. These findings are consistent with facts from suicide research and with an evolutionary view of suicidal behavior. The present research extended these accounts cross-temporally. Analysis of E. L. Thorndike's state-level personal quality scores and standardized birth rates of eminent persons, taken as proxy variables for regional intelligence, along with historical state suicide rates (1913–1924 and 1928–1932) showed that intelligence and suicide mortality across the USA were already clearly positively related during the early 20th century, suggesting time stability of the effect. Within the USA, the effect is possibly due to state differences in the ethnic composition, which correspond to both suicide rates and intelligence proxies. It is argued that the most parsimonious interpretation of these ecological findings remains that they indeed reflect individual-level effects, that a positive link between intelligence and suicide is entirely compatible with positive overall links between intelligence and health and longevity, and that the ultimate explanative background for the positive link between intelligence and suicide may be provided through the framework of Rushton's differential K theory.
Sex Differences in Preferences for Coffee Sweetness among Japanese Students
Authors: Yamazawa Kazuko , Hirokawa Kumi , Shimizu Hiroyuki
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the present study was to examine sex differences in preferences for coffee sweetness. The participants were 59 Japanese undergraduate students. Men preferred sweeter coffee than women, while both men and women showed almost the same preference for acidic beverage sweetness. The sex difference in preferences for coffee sweetness may be related to coffee-drinking habits.
Processing of Segmental and Tonal Information of Chinese Syllables
Authors: Yip Michael C. W.
Published: September 2010

In the phonological system of Chinese, a unique Chinese syllable usually comprises three components: onset, rime, and tone. The present study, with 30 participants, examined how native Chinese listeners process these subsyllabic components of Chinese by a syllable comparison task. Analysis showed that the cognitive processing of these subsyllabic components was different after the encoding process of the Chinese syllable. These results are discussed in light of the perception of Chinese language.
Towards a Psychology of Photography: Dimensions Underlying Aesthetic Appeal of Photographs
Authors: Axelsson Östen
Published: September 2010

With the aim to contribute to the development of a psychology of photography, this study examined what attributes are the major determinants of aesthetic appeal of photographs. Two interlinked experiments were conducted with 564 photographs having a wide range of motifs. Exp. 1 consisted of sorting by aesthetic appeal and adjective generation. In Exp. 2, attribute scaling was collected. Multidimensional scaling analysis of the photographs yielded three dimensions identified with the aid of attribute scales combined with measures of the manifest content of the photographs. The three dimensions were Hedonic Tone–Familiarity, Absence of color, and Expressiveness–Dynamics. The present results suggested that participants' familiarity with the photographs, the types of photographs (Color or Black & White), and the photographs' dynamics all affected participants' judgments of aesthetic appeal. Hedonic Tone and Expressiveness apparently mediated the participants' judgments.
Testing Assumptions of Deliberate Practice Theory Relevance, Effort, and Inherent Enjoyment of Practice with a Novel Task: Study II
Authors: Hyllegard Randy , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: September 2010

This study examined three assumptions of the theory of deliberate practice: that deliberate practice is perceived as relevant for improving performance and that it requires effort, but that it is not perceived as being inherently enjoyable. Of particular interest was how these perceptions change as practice difficulty changes. 30 college undergraduates practiced two different maze memorization and replication tasks and rated the practice relevance for improving performance on the task, the practice effort, and the inherent enjoyment of practice. The findings for each of the assumptions were consistent with those suggested by the theory and also showed that these perceptions are subject to the current performance on an activity and the difficulty of the practice.
Imagery Intervention in Open and Closed Tennis Motor Skill Performance
Authors: Coelho Ricardo Weigert , De Campos Wagner , Silva Sergio Gregorio Da , Okazaki Fabio Heitor Alves , Keller Birgit
Published: September 2010

To assess use of imagery intervention in performance of two tennis motor skills the quasi-experimental design included a pre- and posttest and a control group. The tennis service shot and service receiving skill were selected as representative of open and closed skills, respectively. 48 subjects, male tennis players, whose ages ranged from 16 to 18 yr. ( M = 17.2), were divided into two groups: (1) Technical practice only which was used as control group and (2) Imagery group who received both imagery and technical practice. Analysis of covariance showed a significant main effect for the imagery intervention on the closed skill ( p = .002). Findings suggest that imaging a positive outcome may be more powerful in improving performance of closed skill movements than of open skill movements.
Development of a Japanese Version of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire
Authors: Toyota Hiroshi , Morita Taisuke , Takšić Vladimir
Published: September 2010

The present study described development of a Japanese version of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire and examined the relations of scores with those on Big Five scales of personality and self-esteem scales. The participants were 615 undergraduates. Factor analysis led to the shortened version of 24 items in three subscales. Although Cronbach alphas were low for the subscale, Manage and Regulate Emotion, values were satisfactory for the other two subscales, Express and Label Emotion and Perceive and Understand Emotion. Total scores of this version were positively correlated with score for self-esteem, Extraversion, and Openness but negatively correlated with scores on Neuroticism. This shorter Japanese versions shows suitable internal consistency and content validity, but other reliabilities and validities must be examined precisely.
Emotion Recognition and Expression in Young Obese Participants: Preliminary Study
Authors: Surcinelli Paola , Baldaro Bruno , Balsamo Antonio , Bolzani Roberto , Gennari Monia , Rossi Nicolino C. F.
Published: September 2010

This study of the presence of alexithymic characteristics in obese adolescents and preadolescents tested the hypothesis of whether they showed impaired recognition and expression of emotion. The sample included 30 obese young participants and a control group of 30 participants of normal weight for their ages. Stimuli, 42 faces representing seven emotional expressions, were shown to participants who identified the emotion expressed in the face. The Level of Emotional Awareness Scale was adapted for children to evaluate their ability to describe their emotions. Young obese participants had significantly lower scores than control participants, but no differences were found in recognition of emotion. The lack of words to describe emotions might suggest a greater prevalence of alexithymic characteristics in the obese participants, but the hypothesis of a general deficit in the processing of emotional experiences was not supported.