Effect of ethanol on judgments of performance

Ethanol impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance, although the precise reasons for this remain unclear. We investigated the effect of ethanol on individuals' judgment of their performance. Eighteen healthy volunteers (19–22 years) received a high dose of ethanol (0.8 g/kg for males and 0.7 g/kg, for females), a medium dose (75% of the high dose) and a placebo in counterbalanced order on three study days. A general knowledge (GK) test was administered on a pen computer 75 min after the drink. An adaptive algorithm adjusted the difficulty of questions so that scores were similar on all three study days. Volunteers then rated how well they believed they had performed the GK task using a visual analogue scale. A battery of other performance tests and mood ratings was also completed both before and after the GK test. These showed the expected effects of ethanol. There were no significant differences in scores on the GK test between treatment sessions. There was a highly significant dose‐dependent increase with ethanol on volunteers' ratings of their performance on this test. These findings suggest that ethanol leads to an overoptimistic assessment of ability which may contribute to ethanol's impairment of performance.     

Effect of context on performance approach orientation

We proposed and tested a theoretical model that argues that different work contexts influence the relationship between performance approach orientation and work performance. Across three studies and three different types of work performance, results consistently supported a theorized interaction between performance approach orientation and rewarding climate. Two self-rating studies showed generally similar interactions, with some important differences in the significance of the simple slopes. Larger differences emerged between the self-rating and a supervisor rating study. The present research supports a model in which type of work (part time vs. full time), rewarding climate, the criterion of performance (supervisor vs. self-rating), and type of work performance are important contextual components of a model relating performance approach orientation to work performance.     

Effect of punishment on human variable-interval performance

Three female human subjects pressed a button for monetary reinforcement in a range of variable-interval schedules specifying different frequencies of reinforcement. On alternate days, responding was also punished (by subtracting money) according to a variable-ratio 34 schedule. In the absence of punishment, rate of responding was an increasing negatively accelerated function of reinforcement frequency; the relationship between response rate and reinforcement frequency conformed to Herrnstein's equation. The effect of the punishment schedule was to suppress responding at all frequencies of reinforcement. This was reflected in a change in the values of both constants in Herrnstein's equation: the value of the theoretical maximum response-rate parameter was reduced, while the parameter describing the reinforcement frequency corresponding to the half-maximal response rate was increased.     

Effect of task similarity on transfer performance

Transfer of training was studied using a discrete tracking task which involved aiming at targets on a moving paper strip. The effects of target speed, target size, and task demand, (number of targets aimed at in each trial) were examined separately in three experiments. In Experiment 1, a difference in stimulus input (i.e., target speed) produced large differences in task strategy (i.e., speed vs. accuracy bias). No significant transfer was found. A difference in target size (Experiment 2) involves a change in stimulus input, but this did not result in large strategy differences. Significant transfer was found when transferring from large to small targets. In Experiment 3, a variation in task demand produced different task strategies without a change in stimulus input. Significant transfer was found in all groups. The results were discussed in terms of similarity in perceptual elements and task strategy between transfer and training tasks. Greater similarity overall led to greater transfer.     

Effect of gaze orientation on tactilo-kinesthetic performance

Twenty-two normal right-handed subjects indicated with their index finger the midpoint of a horizontal rod that they could not see. Subjects performed this task while directing their gaze either centrally or toward four different locations (5 degrees or 30 degrees to the left or to the right of the midline). Results showed an overall leftward bias in rod bisection, which increased when subjects used their right hand and fixated a right-sided visual target. Thus, orienting of gaze can affect a nonvisual, tactilo-kinesthetic spatial task. The possible mechanisms of this interaction are discussed with respect to activation-orienting theories egocentric hypotheses and directional trends.     

MMPI correlates of performance on a behavior therapy ward.

In a behavioral treatment program for acute psychiatric patients, points were earned for adaptive behavior (e.g. self-care, attending ward activities) and lost for maladaptive behavior (e.g. assaults, verbal abuse). Points earned could be spent for a variety of goods and services (e.g. passes, extra staff time). Statistically significant correlations were found between MMPI scale scores and point-earning behavior. High scores on the F, 5, 6 and 8 scales were associated with low point gain for adaptive behavior, high point loss for maladaptive behavior, a high proportion of points spent to points earned, and a low overall net point earnings. Low score on F scale in combination with high score on 2 scale best predicted point-gain behavior, whereas high score on 8 scale in combination with low score on 1 scale best predicted point-loss behavior. Overall net points were best predicted by low score on F scale in combination with high scores on 0 and 9 scales. When subjects were grouped into common psychiatric profile types, differences were found in point-gain behaviors for items related to personal care and attending ward activities. At least some of these differences could be attributed to two factors: high scores on the 2, 3 and 7 scales were associated with higher than average point earnings, while high scores on the 8 scale were associated with lower than average point earnings.     

Effect of monocular occlusion on rotary pursuit performance

An experiment was conducted comparing a monocularly occluded to a control group (n = 8 per group) on a rotary pursuit task over a 24-hr. period. The results show that, notwithstanding a practice effect, the monocular group exhibited a significant depression-enhancement effect previously reported only for measures of temporal visual acuity. Evidently this effect generalizes to more complex tasks.     

Effect of delay on children's delay-execute prospective memory performance

To date, little work has been done investigating prospective memory in children, particularly using a delay-execute paradigm. Two experiments were conducted to investigate this issue with children aged 5–11 years. While playing a computer driving game, children's ability to carry out a delayed intention either immediately a target cue appeared or after an additional delay, was assessed. These findings supported the few previous studies in this area by showing that preschool children are able to perform event-based prospective memory tasks. The results also extended these findings by demonstrating the impact of briefly delaying the execution of a retrieved intention, and revealing that there were important improvements in prospective memory performance from early to late childhood. The suggestion is made that executive resources may be responsible for this pattern of performance.     

Effect of preparation on dual-task performance in postural control

The authors applied an overlapping-task design to study the interaction between postural control and cognitive task processes in young (n = 10) and older (n = 10) adults. A rapid destabilizing floor translation was followed at specific time intervals by a simple auditory reaction time (RT) task. The translations were preceded by either an informational cue or no cue. Interference between postural task demands and the RT task was found only in the first 50 ms. Cueing also had an effect on both the onset of the postural recovery response and RT performance. The results suggest (a) only a brief interference between postural and cognitive processing demands in relatively easy tasks, (b) competition for a common central mechanism, possibly a response-selection mechanism, and (c) no differential impact of aging on that interaction.     

Effect of imagined movement speed on subsequent motor performance

Researchers realize that motor imagery (MI) duration is closely linked to actual motor action duration. In 2 experiments, the authors investigated the effect of changing MI speed on actual movement duration over a 3-week training period. Experiment 1 involved 2 series of body movements that 24 participants mentally performed faster or slower than their actual execution speeds. The fast MI group's actual times decreased on subsequent performance. Participants in Experiment 2 were 21 skilled athletes who increased (decreased) their well-rehearsed actual movement times after MI training at a slow (fast) speed. The effect was task-related, however: MI affected only self-initiated movement. The effect of MI on actual speed execution supports the ideomotor theory because anticipation of sensory consequences of actions is mentally represented.