Stability and change in work values among male and female nurses and engineers

Gender related changes of work values were analyzed in a longitudinal questionnaire study of 173 male and 48 female engineers and 353 female and 31 male nurses at three measurement occasions covering about four and half years from the end of their vocational education. At all occasions, Social relations were rated as more important by women than by men and Altruism was given higher ratings by the nurses than by the engineers. Within both occupations women's mean Altruism ratings were higher than men's mean ratings, and in all groups except male engineers the mean ratings dropped between the three occasions. Women's ratings of Benefits and career and Influence were strengthened in both occupations, thereby eliminating an initial gender difference. The stability of work values is discussed in terms of challenges and norms in working life.     

Mood and belief-value correlation

This is an investigation of belief-value distortion as measured by the correlation between sets of beliefs and values for a given attitude object. Correlations were computed for each subject separately. Initial mood levels and mood changes subsequent to ratings of attitudes to nuclear power were investigated in the first two studies. In Study 1 mood changes were positively correlated with attitude. In Study 2, mood levels were positively correlated both with attitude, optimism, and tendency towards extreme belief-value correlations (belief-value distortion). In a third study, attitudes were studied both towards nuclear power and alcohol. There were no clear relations between the two fields of contents. Mood changes were small and inconsistent. However, tendency to act correlated with both optimism and belief-value distortion, also with the level of attitude kept constant. A model relating mood, optimism, belief-value distortion, and action is suggested.     

Factor analysis of dichotomized variables

An approach for multiple factor analysis of dichotomized variables is presented. It is based on the distribution of the first and second order joint probabilities of the binary scored items. The estimator is based on the generalized least squares principle. Standard errors and a test of the fit of the model is given.     

A simple decoder arrays to a for linking photocell microcomputer

Inputs from photocell arrays (such as those incorporated in mazes) to a microcomputer must be decoded. For up to 31 channels, this can be conveniently done by using cascaded 8-to-3 line priority encoders (74LS148) and five lines on a parallel data bus. The arrangement is expandable. It is currently used in an automatized Y-maze for vibrisso-tactile discrimination learning in mice.     

Uncovering the structure of a memorist's superior "basic" memory capacity

After extensive laboratory testing of the famous memorist Rajan, Thompson, Cowan, and Frieman (1993) proposed that he was innately endowed with a superior memory capacity for digits and letters and thus violated the hypothesis that exceptional memory fully reflects acquired "skilled memory." We successfully replicated the empirical phenomena that led them to their conclusions. From additional analyses and new experiments, we found support for an alternative hypothesis, namely that Rajan's superior memory for digits was mediated by learned encoding techniques that he acquired during nearly a thousand hours of practice memorizing the mathematical constant pi. Our paper describes a general experimental approach for studying the structure of exceptional memory and how Rajan's unique structure is consistent with the general theoretical framework of long-term working memory (Ericsson and Kintsch, 1995).     

Thinking styles in relation to personality traits: an investigation of the Thinking Styles Inventory and NEO-PI-R

This study is an investigation of the Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Style Inventory (TSI), with regard to cross-cultural replication and relation to the five-factor personality model (FFM). TSI and NEO-PI-R were administered to 107 participants from USA and 114 participants from Norway. Inter-correlations between NEO-PI-R dimensions and TSI-scales and factors were not very strong, few exceeding 0.40, and the correlations were in predicted directions. Joint factor analyses of TSI and NEO-PI-R showed that TSI covers variance that NEO-PI-R does not explain. Thus, it is argued that the thinking styles give an independent contribution beyond FFM dimensions. However, TSI did not relate to FFM in the same manner in the two samples. Finally, the TSI-scales and factors were replicable across samples by Procrustes rotation. The question whether thinking style may be regarded as a valid and reliable construct is discussed.