Self-esteem of adolescent girls as related to weight

The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was administered to 550 14- and 16-yr.-old (+/- 6 mo.) girls. Self-esteem scores were categorized by weight and weight by height. Scores on the Quetelet Index for obesity were correlated with self-esteem scores. Mean self-esteem of the low- and middle-weight by height group was significantly higher than the mean of the high-weight by height group. In analyzing weight alone, the self-esteem of the middle-weight group was significantly higher than the self-esteem of the high-weight group. The correlation of the obesity index and self-esteem indicated that as weight increased self-esteem decreased.     

Task-irrelevant visual motion and flicker attenuate the attentional blink

Our reduced ability to correctly report two sequentially presented targets is seen in the robust effect known as the attentional blink (AB; Raymond, Shapiro, & Arnell, 1992). One recent report (Olivers & Nieuwenhuis, 2005) strikingly reveals the AB to be virtually abolished when non-task-demanding music occurs in the background. The authors suggest that a diffuse attentional state is the mediating factor. Here, we seek to broaden the finding’s generality by determining if task-irrelevant visual motion and flicker also attenuate the AB. In our experiments, the AB task was presented together with a background field of moving dots that could moveaway from ortoward the central AB task, or flicker. In the control condition, the dots remained static. The AB was attenuated—though to different degrees—in all experimental conditions, but not in the static condition. Our findings add to the generality of the previous conclusions, and we emphasize an account based on the overallocation of attention.     

Psychomotor performance of chilean infants from low socio-economic level during their second year of life

The psychomotor development of 1,406 low socioeconomic infants from Santiago, Chile, was examined. Four groups of infants were assessed: 12, 15, 18 and 21 months of age. Results indicated that as chronological age increased, the number of infants who fell into at-risk or delay categories increased.     

Unraveling mechanisms for expert object recognition: bridging brain activity and behavior

Behavioral sensitivity to object transformations and the response to novel objects (Greebles) in the fusiform face area (FFA) was measured several times during expertise training. Sensitivity to 3 transformations increased with expertise: (a) configural changes in which halves of objects were misaligned, (b) configural changes in which some of the object parts were moved, and (c) the substitution of an object part with a part from a different object. The authors found that holistic-configural effects can arise from object representations that are differentiated in terms of features or parts. Moreover, a holistic-inclusive effect was correlated with changes in the right FFA. Face recognition may not be unique in its reliance on holistic processing, measured in terms of both behavior and brain activation.     

Reliability and validity evidence of the Out-group Threat Perception Scale (OTPS)

This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of a new scale: the Out-group Threat Perception Scale (OTPS). The OTPS was designed to measure the perception of out-group threat, an important psychosocial variable that is closely related to negative attitudes towards out-groups. Three hundred and two Spanish participants responded to the OTPS in reference to the following out-groups: Moroccans (N= 102), Romanians (N= 101) and Ecuadorian immigrants (N= 99). The reliability and item analyses showed that the scale had good internal consistency. Factor analyses yielded two independent dimensions: Realistic Threat and Symbolic Threat. Correlational analyses showed that the OTPS correlated significantly with several psychosocial variables. The present findings suggest that the OTPS is a reliable and valid measure, and it can be a useful instrument to study intergroup relationships in our country.     

工作嵌入的影响结果及其理论解释

近年来, 工作嵌入(Job embeddedness)作为解释员工离职和留职的新视角, 逐渐受到理论界与实务界的广泛关注和探讨。根据内容分析法(Content analysis), 系统梳理了国内外176篇工作嵌入相关文献, 分别从研究视角、内容分析和发展方向三个方面评述工作嵌入的影响结果。基于此, 总结出6种理论视角：资源保存理论、社会资本理论、计划行为理论、工作-角色依附理论、未来时间透视视角和传染过程视角。以内容分析的方式呈现关于工作嵌入研究的发展趋势和不同视角下工作嵌入影响结果的具体研究情况。未来研究应进一步构建团队工作嵌入理论模型、聚焦跨文化比较下工作嵌入的溢出效应、关注工作嵌入的双刃剑效应以及突出子维度差异化作用。     

用不同外部表征方式集中呈现信息条件下的因果力判断

在分别用文字陈述、表格和图形三种外部表征方式集中呈现因果信息的条件下,用直接估计因果力大小的实验范式考察单一因果关系因果力估计的特点,检验概率对比模型,效力PC理论和pCI规则。让287名大学生被试估计不同化学药物影响动物基因变异的能力。结果发现,对单一因果关系因果力估计具有以下4个特点：⑴不对称性：在预防原因条件下的因果力估计较多符合效力PC理论,而在产生原因条件下的因果力估计一般符合概率对比模型;⑵文字陈述、表格和图形三种信息外部表征方式,不影响产生原因条件下的因果力估计,但影响预防原因条件下的因果力估计。在预防原因条件下,与文字陈述和表格表征相比,图形表征会促使更多被试按效力PC理论来做因果力估计;⑶没有被试使用pCI规则;⑷被试估计因果力所使用的规则存在明显的个体差异。     

Effects of neonatal treatment with 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-lodophenyl)-2 aminopropane HCI (DOI) and ritanserin on agonistic behavior in adult male and female rats

The role played by the neonatal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) system in the organization and sexual differentiation of adult agonistic behavior was investigated in rats. Focus was on the 5HT2 receptor subtype, which has been demonstrated to be involved in agonism control in the adult. 5HT2 activity was experimentally manipulated by administration of a specific agonist [1-(2, 5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane HCl (DOI)] or antagonist (ritanserin) during the second week of life, when serotonin is known to concur to anatomical and behavioral sexual differentiation. Interactions between early 5HT2 activity, genetic sex, and neonatal circulating testosterone (T) were studied by administering the ligands to males, females, and androgenized females. At adulthood, the animals were tested for both aspects of agonism, i. e., aggression and defense, in a 20-min confrontation with an unfamiliar conspecific of the same sex, age, body weight, and social experience. Neonatal administration of the 5HT2 antagonist ritanserin increased aggression independently of sex; it also increased defense, but this effect was confined to males. The agonist DOI had no effect on aggression, but enhanced defense in males and androgenized females, with an effect which depended therefore more on neonatal T than genetic sex. Females appeared in general less sensitive to neonatal 5HT2 manipulation than both androgenized females and males; this suggests that neonatal T is crucial for experimental modifications of neonatal 5HT2 activity to have any consistent effect on adult agonistic behavior. On the other hand, effects observed in males and androgenized females were dependent on the behavior considered and the drug administered. This was especially evident for defense, enhanced by ritanserin in males only, and in both males and androgenized females by DOI. Neonatal 5HT2 activity seems therefore to play a role in the modulation of adult agonistic behaviors, which depends on the behavior considered and is under multiple control of genetic sex and hormonal neonatal substrate. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Factorial invariance,differential item functioning,and norms of the Orgasm Rating Scale

Background/Objective: Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) assess the subjective orgasm experience in context of sexual relationship. It is composed of four dimensions attributed to the orgasm (Affective, Sensory, Intimacy, and Rewards). The purpose is to analyse the factorial invariance of the ORS across groups, to examine the metric equivalence across sex, and to present the standard scores. Method: A total of 1,472 Spanish adults (715 men and 757 women) were evaluated. They were distributed across age groups (18-34, 35-49 and 50 years old and older). Factorial invariance across different groups and the differential functioning of the items across sex were analyzed, internal consistency was examined, and the standard scores were developed. Results: The structure of the ORS showed strict measurement invariance across sex, relationship status, sexual orientation and education level. It also reached a scalar measurement invariance across age range and duration of the relationship. Some items showed a differential functioning between sexes. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the ORS is invariant across different groups at a factorial level, and it shows equivalence across sex in most of its items at a metric level. The standard scores allow a more accurate assessment of the subjective orgasm experience in context of sexual relationship.