Word-to-word variation in ERP component latencies: spoken words

Data were collected shedding light on the brain electrical activity underlying word recognition. Subjects listened to a list of 48 spoken words in six random orders under two instructional sets: first to "think about the meanings of the words," and second, to learn the list. The scalp EEG associated with hearing and identifying the words was recorded at F3, F4, Cz, P3, P4, Pz, and Oz. Standard within-subjects time-locked averaging across words showed a late negative-positive complex with N2-P3 topography, the negative component peaking around 480 msec, the positive component peaking around 830 msec. Averaging within words across subjects uncovered considerable latency variability in both components. Within-word N2 and P3 component latencies covaried with word durations and with the "recognition points" predicted for the words by the "cohort theory" of word recognition. N2 latencies corresponded closely to the "N400" effect elicited with semantically incongruous sentence-final spoken words. Implications for ERP investigations of language processing are discussed.     

THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MEMORY: William James in Retrospect

William James did much to set the stage for psychobiology. Beyond insisting that brain structures and processes must be the basis of explanations of mental phenomena, he expressed ideas about brain localization and plasticity in neural networks that foreshadowed many aspects of current neurobiology of learning and even connectionist theory.     

Reconstructing the dates of personal events: Gender differences in accuracy

One commonly held stereotype is that females are more concerned with, and attentive to, dates than are males. One possible implication of this idea is that females have a more welldeveloped temporal reference schema than males, which should allow females to reconstruct the dates on which past events have occurred with more accuracy than males. This accuracy hypothesis was assessed by re-analysing the data from four studies collected in previous work on the accuracy of event dating. Analyses of two of the studies yielded evidence for more accurate female dating; analysis of a third study produced a substantial, but non-significant, trend in the predicted direction; and analysis of the fourth study yielded a small, but nonsignificant, reversal. A meta-analysis combining the results of these four studies indicated that the dating accuracy of females was superior to the dating accuracy of males. Additional analyses indicated that these differences were probably not due to differences in self-disclosure patterns.     

Effects of early alcohol use on adolescents' relations with peers and self-esteem: patterns over time

Strain or problem-solving models posit that deviance persists because it enhances youths' psychosocial properties and is therefore functional for adolescents. However, empirical tests of this assumption have been limited to determining whether a moderately social activity like delinquency produces time-ordered changes in self-esteem. This research examines whether a highly social activity like alcohol use improves adolescents' relations with peers and self-esteem over time. The results of a four-year panel study show that the effects of early alcohol use are limited to enhancing peer relations only among adolescents who use alcohol in order to be part of the group. Early alcohol consumption also has a delayed effect on boosting self-esteem, but this effect is restricted to youths who equate drinking with sophistication. The lack of generality of these findings and how the psychological functions of drinking might cancel these effects are discussed.     

Imaginary audience and personal fable: a brief review

A review of the literature was conducted on two aspects of adolescent egocentrism: the imaginary audience and the personal fable. Results yielded contradictory findings in most areas of the research. Reasons for these contradictions are explored and suggestions for future research presented.     

Baptism and the Kingdom: lessons from Luke-Acts for a post-Christendom Church

Attempts to reform baptismal practice are characteristic of both dual-practice and credobaptist churches. Such reforms of baptism are frequently discussed within contours shaped by the concept of sacrament and the discourse it has generated. This article proposes, with reference to Luke-Acts, that the meaning of baptism can be illuminated in alternative ways by reference to its relationship to the kingdom of God. Whilst not an anti-sacramental argument, it proposes that elements of the theology of baptism can be constructively pursued by reference to the explicit and implicit links Luke makes between baptism and the kingdom. By so drawing on Luke-Acts, the agency of the Church (in addition to that of the baptisand and God) can be given particular attention. This leads, in turn, to a proposal for an ecclesial posture of both intentionality and vulnerability to attend baptismal practice.     

Measuring Professional Ethics in Coaching: Development of the PISC-Q

Sport is commonly lauded as the ideal place for participants to learn life skills. However, concerns related to the “win-centered” sport culture has spurred research into ethical behaviors in sport. The purpose of the present study was to create a measure of professional ethics in coaching. Students enrolled in a collegiate coaching education course (N = 766) responded to a series of vignettes related to common situations in the coaching profession. Results indicate the Professional Issues in Sport Coaching Questionnaire is an acceptable measure of situation specific professional ethics. Conclusions and directions for future research are discussed.