Capture of kinesthesis by a competing cutaneous input

In four experiments, blindfolded participants were presented with pairs of stimuli simultaneously, one to each index finger. Participants moved one index finger, which was presented with cutaneous and/or kinesthetic stimuli, and this movement caused a raised line to move underneath the other, stationary index finger in a yoked manner. The stimuli were 180o rotations of each other (e.g., < and >), and thus when a < was traced with the moving finger, it caused a > to be felt at the stationary finger. When asked to report the experience, participants predominantly reported the cutaneous stimulus, seemingly being ignorant of the kinesthetic stimulus. This appears to be an intrahaptic capture phenomenon, which is of interest because it suggests that conflict between intrahaptic sensory stimuli can go unnoticed; sometimes we are unaware of how we moved, and sometimes we do not know what we touched. The results are interpreted in light of optimal integration, perceptual suppression, reafference suppression, and inattentional blindness.     

Role of vision and kinesthesis in location and distance estimates

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the visual/kinesthetic coding characteristics of two movement informations, i.e., location and distance. The first experiments used matching task procedures, the second experiment used visual augmentation and reduction procedures and the third experiment made use of an ischemic nerve block procedure. The findings' of the first experiment indicated a clear kinesthetic coding for distance information. Results suggest a kinesthetic coding for location cue, with the presence of vision (alone) on both phases of movements improving its accuracy. The second experiment ruled out a visual coding of distance cue and indicated a kinesthetic representation of location cue. Again, simultaneous presence of vision (only at the time of criterion movement) enhanced its performance. The third experiment confirmed a kinesthetic signalling of distance cue. Location cue, in conditions of the third experiment did not get influenced. Probably, muscle receptors in relation with central commands can handle location information. A multiple coding for location information is suggested.     

Effector-specific visual information influences kinesthesis and reaction time performance in Parkinson's disease

Twelve patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and 11 age-matched control participants performed a continuous bimanual wrist flexion-extension tracking task while vision of their hands was manipulated. Participants were required to match the frequency and amplitude of movements of 1 limb that was driven at 0.6 Hz by a torque motor by actively moving the contralateral limb. In half the trials, the more affected limb (subdominant for controls) was driven, and in the other half, the less affected limb (dominant for controls) was driven. Vision of both hands, vision of the driven hand only, vision of the active hand only, or no vision of the hands was allowed. Simple and probe reaction times were assessed. Parkinson's disease patients performed the tracking task to a reasonable level of temporal and spatial accuracy as compared with control participants in terms of hand phasing and root mean square error. Patients demonstrated a marked posture deviation (toward flexion), which was exaggerated when the less affected limb was active. Amplitude deviations were smaller in both groups when the less affected (dominant) limb was active and when participants had vision of the driven hand. Overall, patients delivered slower responses in both simple and probe conditions. Reaction times of Parkinson's disease patients who were allowed vision of only the active hand were longer than were those of patients in all other visual conditions, whereas visual conditions did not affect the reaction times of control participants. The authors conclude that central demands increase when movement regulation must be based solely on kinesthetic information and when vision directs attention away from the most relevant source of kinesthetic information.     

Shifts in kinesthesis through time and after active and passive movement.

The position sense of a stationary arm was investigated subsequent to an horizontally adductive movement with axis the shoulder joint. The right arm was the treated arm: it reached a test position actively, using minimal voluntary effort, or passively from each of 10 starting positons. The blind-folded S localized the index finger of the treated arm by attempting to touch it with the index finger of his left hand. The results indicate that subsequent to active movement the final position of a limb is more accurately known than a position resulting from passive movement. A second finding is that concomitant with both forms of limb placement there is a unidirectional drift of perceived limb position over trials.     

The Criterion Validity of Broad Factor Scales versus Specific Facet Scales

We compared the validities of two Big Five personality factor scales with those of two lower-level facet scales that constituted each factor scale, with respect to self-report behavior criteria. Results demonstrated that the factor scales yielded significantly and substantially lower validities than did their constituent facet scales. These findings support our claim that separate scale scores should be reported routinely for the individual personality facets that define a broad factor, particularly when those facets do not correlate highly and when criteria of interest relate substantively to certain facets within the factor scale but not to others.     

Effects of Instructions and Rating Scales on Item Selection for the BSRI Scales

Walkup and Abbott (1978) stated that Edwards and Ashworth's (1977) failure to replicate Bem's (1974) selection of items for the Masculinity and Femininity Scales of the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) may be attributed to differences in the instructions and anchored rating scales used in the two studies. The present study tested the hypothesis that presence of various interaction effects involving instructions and rating scales would influence the acceptability of items for the BSRI Masculinity and Femininity Scales. Results based on the evaluation of individual items by Bem's item selection criteria in each of the four experimental conditions obtained by systematically manipulating two instructions (Bem's and Edwards' instructions) and two rating scales (Bem's and Edwards' rating scales) and also those based on the analysis of variance of item mean desirability ratings from the four experimental conditions supported the hypothesis.     

Development of Control-of-Outcome Scales and Self-Efficacy Scales for Women in Four Life Roles

Scales to measure control-of-outcome expectancies and self-efficacy expectancies based on social comparisons were developed for adult females in the four life roles of occupation, parenting, marriage, and economic management. Internal consistency and construct validity of the scales were examined in two studies. Internal consistency estimates of six of the eight scales exceeded .70. A factor analysis within each role supported the distinction between control-of-outcome expectancies and self-efficacy expectancies. Construct validity was supported by finding the hypothesized relations between the developed scales and standard measures of self-esteem, depression, and locus of control. As hypothesized, the developed scales accounted for unique portions of the variance in role-specific coping orientation and role stress. Specifically, control-of-outcome expectancies predicted active or passive coping orientation in the impersonal roles of occupation and economic management, whereas self-efficacy expectancies predicted active or passive coping orientation in the personal roles of parenting and marriage. It was concluded that the developed scales might have utility for understanding coping and experienced stress in various life roles.     

A Comparison of the SVIB Basic Interest Scales with the Regular Occupational Scales

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the recently developed Basic Scales for the SVIB would provide more generalizable and psychologically meaningful information than the regular SVIB Occupational Scales. Four groups of students were used, two entering contrasting four-year curricula (Science, N-282, vs Non-Science, N = 142) and two entering contrasting two-year curricula (Art, N = 45 vs Technical, N = 62). Basic and regular SVIB scale means were calculated for each group. Those scales with large (approximately one-half a standard deviation or more) and statistically significant differences were identified for both the four-year and the two-year group comparisons.     

Transparency of Self-Report Racial Attitude Scales

Researchers frequently use self-report prejudice scales to assess predictors and outcomes. Responding to evidence that such instruments are vulnerable to social desirability pressures and diverge from implicit attitude measures, researchers have developed instruments intended to be less transparent in their social implications. The purpose of this study was to assess the transparency of a sample of such instruments. Participants completed prejudice measures under typical scale instructions, or under alternate instructions to portray themselves either positively or negatively. The results indicate that several common measures of prejudice are quite transparent in their implications. Further, mean scores of participants instructed to provide desirable responses were indistinguishable from those ostensibly responding honestly.     

Clinical Correlates of MMPI Depression Scales

We investigated whether Scale 2 (Depression [D]) and the Wiggins Content Scale of Depression (DEP) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) have different clinical correlates when only one of these two scales is elevated. According, a group of patients who elevated DEP higher than Scale 2 (DEP > 2) were compared with a group of patients who elevated Scale 2 higher than DEP (2 > DEP). The patients with DEP > 2 were rated as being less severe than the patients with 2 > DEP on the following Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales: Somatic Concern (SOM), Emotional Withdrawal (WDRA), Depressive Mood (DEP), and Blunted Affect (AFF). The patients with DEP > 2 were rated as more severe on Excitement (EXC). The patients with DEP > 2 were more likely to receive the Axis I diagnoses of: bipolar disorder, manic, and alcohol abuse. Schizophrenia was equally probable for patients in the two groups. It appears that these two MMPI scales of depression have different clinical correlates when either one scale or the other is elevated.     

An Empirical Comparison of Commitment Scales

In a previous review of the literature, Morrow (1983) identified a redundancy or overlap among the various measures of commitment. The present study employed a factor analytic design to examine the intercorrelations among various job, organizational, and value commitment scales. In addition, possible consequences of the various scales were analyzed. Results from 216 police officers identified a general factor as well as unique components. The commitment scales were able to explain between 20% and 40% of the variance of several self-report measures. Explanations and implications of the results were discussed.