Developing Measures of Basic Job-Relevant English Proficiency for the Prediction of Job Performance and Promotability

The present study is an attempt to devise reliable and valid measures of job-relevant basic English proficiency to be applied in the prediction of job performance and promotability in an entry-level manual labor job dominated by workers whose native language is not English. An audio test and a reading test were developed to assess the ability to understand spoken English and written English respectively using job relevant material. Results showed that both tests demonstrated high predictive validity for the criteria of supervisory assessments of incumbents' English proficiency on the job, overall job performance, and promotability. In predicting ratings of overall job performance and promotability, each test provided incremental validity over the predictability provided by the other test. In addition, the tests also provided incremental validity in predicting promotability over the predictability provided by overall job performance.     

Haptic perception of partial-rod lengths with the rod held stationary or wielded

Three experiments on the haptic perception of partial-rod lengths are reported. The rods were gripped between the two ends and held horizontal. The subjects held the rods stationary; the distribution of mass of the segment in front of the hand was fixed, while the distribution of mass of the segment behind the hand was varied. Perceived forward length was found to be significantly affected by the distribution of mass of the backward segment. Similar results were obtained when the rods were wielded. The results indicated that partial-rod lengths are specified by functions of mechanical perturbations acting on the hand, and not ay the breaking up of the first moment of mass or the moment of inertia of the rod by attention as suggested previously by others. The results are also discussed with respect to invariant detection and attention.     

A comparative study of personality in adults and children: Hong Kong vs England

The 90-item adult version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was translated into Chinese and administered to 270 male and 462 female subjects in Hong Kong. In a second study the 81-item version of the Junior EPQ (JEPQ) was translated into Chinese and given to 698 boys and 629 girls.Reasonably valid scales for use in Hong Kong are suggested for both adult and junior forms of the questionnaire. In a direct comparison of British and Chinese (Hong Kong) groups, using reduced scales comprising only items both scoring keys had in common. Hong Kong adults scored higher on Psychoticism and Social Desirability and lower on Extraversion than the British while children from Hong Kong scored lower on Extraversion and Neuroticism but higher on Social Desirability than their British counterparts. Indices of factor comparison were universally high, indicating that the major dimensions of personality were very similar in Hong Kong Chinese as in British subjects.     

The development of an Assertiveness Self-Report Inventory

The development of a self-report measure of assertiveness is described. The Assertiveness Self-Report Inventory (ASRI) was devised with concern for endorsement frequency, internal consistency, and independence from social desirability response bias. The scale's reliability and convergent and discriminant validity are adequate. Further tests of validity support the use of the scale as a measure that taps behavior related to the construct of assertiveness.     

The effect of density and diameter on haptic perception of rod length

Three experiments on the effect of density and diameter on haptic perception of rod length are reported. In Experiment 1, the subjects wielded visually occluded rods of different densities. Perceived length was found to be affected by the density of the rod regardless of the actual length. In Experiment 2, three aluminum rods of different lengths with handles of four different diameters were wielded. Perceived length of the rod was found to be shorter as the diameter of the handle with which it was wielded increased. A diameter—length illusion was thereby produced. In Experiment 3, visually occluded rods of different diameters but of the same moment of inertia about thex-axis were wielded with the right hand, and tubes of different diameters were felt with the left hand. The subjects were instructed that their right hand was grasping a handle, and that the actual diameter of the rod could be felt with the left hand. Rods were perceived to be shorter if a larger diameter was felt with the left hand. The results showed that perceived length is not just a function of actual rod length, and that it is not accounted for by inertia only. The results are further discussed in terms of the nature of invariants and the effect of knowledge on perception.     

Family work for schizophrenia: some issues for Chinese immigrant families

This paper discusses some specific issues relevant to immigrant Chinese families in the context of family work for schizophrenia. The issues include shame and guilt, isolation and mistrust of officials, the importance of negotiation before details of problem-solving are worked out, high academic ambitions for children, and apparent ‘overprotectiveness’ in the Chinese culture. It is argued that cognitive-behavioural, goal-orientated family work could be adapted well for immigrant Chinese families with a member suffering from schizophrenia. A case study is presented to illustrate how such a family was helped.     

Enhanced Hippocampal CA1 LTP but Normal Spatial Learning in Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase(A)-Deficient Mice

To define the physiological role of IP₃3-kinase(A) in vivo, we have generated a mouse strain with a null mutation of the IP₃3-kinase(A) locus by gene targeting. Homozygous mutant mice were fully viable, fertile, apparently normal, and did not show any morphological anomaly in brain sections. In the mutant brain, the IP₄ level was significantly decreased whereas the IP₃ level did not change, demonstrating a major role of IP₃3-kinase(A) in the generation of IP₄. Nevertheless, no significant difference was detected in the hippocampal neuronal cells of the wild-type and the mutant mice in the kinetics of Ca²⁺ regulation after glutamate stimulation. Electrophysiological analyses carried out in hippocampal slices showed that the mutation significantly enhanced the LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region, but had no effect on the LTP in dentate gyrus (DG). No difference was noted, however, between the mutant and the wild-type mice in the Morris water maze task. Our results indicate that IP₃3-kinase(A) may play an important role in the regulation of LTP in hippocampal CA1 region through the generation of IP₄, but the enhanced LTP in the hippocampal CA1 does not affect spatial learning and memory.     

What do you think about ink? An examination of implicit and explicit attitudes toward tattooed individuals

Tattoos are increasing in popularity, yet minimal research has examined implicit attitudes or the relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes toward tattooed individuals. Seventy-seven online participants (Mage = 36.09, 52% women, 78% white, 26% tattooed) completed measures assessing implicit and explicit attitudes toward tattooed individuals. Results revealed evidence of negative implicit attitudes, which were associated with less perceived warmth, competence, and negative explicit evaluations. However, implicit attitudes were not correlated with measures of disgust or social distance. In addition, age predicted implicit prejudice, but other individual difference measures—such as personal tattoo possession, political identity, and internal/external motivations to respond without prejudice—did not. These findings are discussed in terms of how attitudes toward tattooed individuals may be multifaceted, and research may benefit from measuring implicit and explicit attitudes.     

An evaluation of the overjustification effect across multiple contingency arrangements

The overjustification effect suggests that external rewards may decrease intrinsically reinforced behaviors; however, this conclusion is often drawn from pre‐ and post‐assessment data. The majority of studies published in this area do not take repeated measures of behavior. In addition, previous research has not distinguished between the use of rewards and reinforcers by demonstrating a reinforcement effect; hence, it is possible that the occurrence of the overjustification effect varies depending on the nature of the stimuli that are used. This study extended previous research by evaluating whether the overjustification effect was relevant to the use of non‐reinforcing stimuli, reinforcers, or both. The effects of verbal praise were also evaluated in relation to the overjustification effect. Results indicated that behavior did not decrease below baseline levels following the contingent delivery of non‐reinforcing stimuli, reinforcers, or verbal praise. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Children living with violence within the family and its sequel: A meta-analysis from 1995–2006

Based on 37 articles published in international refereed journals between 1995 and 2006, this meta-analytical review attempted to study the sequel of children living with family violence. It specifically attempted to identify the overall effect size of family violence on children's adjustment outcomes. Moderators that exerted their effects on the relationship were also studied. The overall effect size generated from the 353 study-level effect sizes was rather small (Z_r = .201). Moderating analysis on study designs, sample sources, child developmental stages and gender did not show significant heterogeneity in effect sizes, while there was significant dispersion in effect sizes among different types of child adjustment outcomes. Results of this study are basically resonant with the meta-analyses of Kitzmann et al. [Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D., (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352] and Wolfe et al. [Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C. V., Lee, V., McIntyre-Smith, A., & Jaffe, P. G., (2003). The effects of children's exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis and critique. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6, 171–187], but add new information in that the report source of family violence was not a significant moderator, while that of child adjustment outcomes was.