An evaluation of touch-screen input for a HyperCard-based digit-span task

The touch screen appears to be an ideal input device for human subjects in many research applications in psychology. Nonetheless, the research on relative merits of input devices is inconclusive. The present experiments were carried out to compare touch-screen, mouse, and voice responses on a HyperCard-based digit-span task. The results indicated that touch-screen input has no advantage in comparison to the use of a mouse, but that it produces better performance than voice response does. The latter finding, however, may be an artifact of visual cues embedded in this implementation of the digit-span task.     

Ethnic differences in subclinical paranoia: an expansion of norms of the paranoia scale

The Paranoia Scale (PS) was designed to assess subclinical paranoid ideation (A. Fenigstein & P. A. Vanable, 1992). Despite its established validity, the PS has several problems that need to be addressed. There are no normative data on ethnic minority groups such as African Americans, making it difficult to interpret this group's performance on the PS. Data from the present research revealed that African Americans scored higher on the PS than non-Hispanic Whites. However, interpretation of these findings should be tempered as they may reflect other contextual factors such as discrimination and the impact of racism. Implications for using the PS with African Americans and possible explanations for the observed results were discussed.     

Temporal bisection with trial referents.

In temporal bisection, the subject is required to compare the similarity of a probe duration with two referent durations. Two bisection experiments with human subjects are reported in which performance under three referent conditions was compared. In two of the conditions, no-referent and fixed-referent, the referent pair was constant throughout the session and was varied between sessions. In the no-referent condition, samples of the referents were presented at the beginning of a block of trials, but not on the probe trials. In contrast, in the fixed-referent condition, the referent pair was presented on each probe trial. In the third referent condition, roving-referent, the referent pair was also presented on each probe trial, but the values of the pair varied during a session rather than between sessions. The pseudologistic Model (PLM; Killeen, Fetterman, & Bizo, 1997) provided an excellent account of the data from all referent conditions and indicated that (1) the scalar variability was located in the perception of the probe and was independent of the structure of the bisection task, (2) the role of the referents was to set the criterion, (3) the probe was compared with the criterion rather than with the referents, and (4) the comparison of the probe with the criterion occurred even when trial referents were available.     

De‐schooling the Theological Seminary: An Appropriate Paradigm for Effective Ministerial Formation

The most common paradigm of contemporary Protestant theological education for ministerial formation is that of schooling, seen in the institution of the theological seminary/college. This article notes the limitations of the schooling paradigm for educational intervention in the range of domains inherent in effective ministerial formation; recognizes that teaching and learning take different but still legitimate shape when used to describe educational processes in this context; and argues for an integrated, formational, and missional community paradigm modeled especially on the relationship of Jesus with his disciples as being both more consistent with biblical precedents and more effective educationally. The implications of this for the role of faculty of theological institutions are explored.     

Temporal bisection with trial referents

In temporal bisection, the subject is required to compare the similarity of a probe duration with two referent durations. Two bisection experiments with human subjects are reported in which performance under three referent conditions was compared. In two of the conditions, no-referent and fixed-referent, the referent pair was constant throughout the session and was varied between sessions. In the noreferent condition, samples of the referents were presented at the beginning of a block of trials, but not on the probe trials. In contrast, in the fixed-referent condition, the referent pair was presented on each probe trial. In the third referent condition, roving-referent, the referent pair was also presented on each probe trial, but the values of the pair varied during a session rather than between sessions. The pseudologistic Model (PLM; Killeen, Fetterman, & Bizo, 1997) provided an excellent account of the data from all referent conditions and indicated that (1) the scalar variability was located in the perception of the probe and was independent of the structure of the bisection task, (2) the role of the referents was to set the criterion, (3) the probe was compared with the criterion rather than with the referents, and (4) the comparison of the probe with the criterion occurred even when trial referents were available.     

The association between gender, coping style and whiplash related symptoms in sufferers of whiplash associated disorder

The aim of the present study was to examine specifically whether the relationship between coping style and symptoms of whiplash injury change as a function of gender. A total of 1709 sufferers of whiplash associated disorder (1349 women, 360 men) belonging to the Danish Society for Polio, Traffic and Accident Victims completed questionnaires measuring demographic and psychological factors (including coping style), and symptoms of whiplash trauma (including pain). Men and women were not found to differ significantly in their use of coping strategies, however emotion focused coping strategies were related significantly more strongly to whiplash related symptoms in men compared to women. Women were found to display more symptoms related to whiplash injury compared to men. Possible reasons for the present findings are discussed in light of related research indicating mood as a potential moderating variable in the relationship between maladaptive coping style and degree of symptoms related to injury in men.     

Alpha3-integrins are required for hippocampal long-term potentiation and working memory

Integrins comprise a large family of heterodimeric, transmembrane cell adhesion receptors that mediate diverse neuronal functions in the developing and adult CNS. Recent pharmacological and genetic studies have suggested that beta1-integrins are critical in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. To further define the role of integrins in these processes, we generated a postnatal forebrain and excitatory neuron-specific knockout of alpha3-integrin, one of several binding partners for beta1 subunit. At hippocampal Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses, deletion of alpha3-integrin resulted in impaired long-term potentiation (LTP). Basal synaptic transmission and paired-pulse facilitation were normal in the absence of alpha3-integrin. Behavioral studies demonstrated that the mutant mice were selectively defective in a hippocampus-dependent, nonmatch-to-place working memory task, but were normal in other hippocampus-dependent spatial tasks. The impairment in LTP and working memory is similar to that observed in beta1-integrin conditional knockout mice, suggesting that alpha3-integrin is the functional binding partner for beta1 for these processes in the forebrain.     

Measurement of the body surface physiologic tremor or “microvibration”

Five sensor techniques were evaluated for the measurement of human body surface vibrations: a noncontacting capacitance sensor, seismic (velocity) and relative electrodynamic types, linear-variable-differential transformer sensors, and the miniature accelerometer type. Of these, only the miniature accelerometer proved to be entirely satisfactory. The electrodynamic transducer utilized by several previous workers was found to be unsatisfactory for use as a physiological vibration sensor, due to resonance problems.     

Examining predictors and outcomes of a career calling among undergraduate students

The current study examined predictors and outcomes of a career calling among 292 undergraduate students at two time points over a three-month period. Using structural equation modeling, a model was tested that examined the extent to which calling, life meaning, the search for life meaning, vocational clarity, and personal growth at Time 1 would predict these same variables at Time 2. Results showed that calling was a significant predictor of personal growth and life meaning and that life meaning, the search for life meaning, and vocational self-clarity significantly predicted the presence of a calling. Although findings demonstrating calling as a predictor variable are consistent with previous research, these results also demonstrate the potential reciprocal relation of calling to proximal work and well-being variables over time. Implications and future research directions are discussed.