A note on distributional properties of the Jöreskog-Sörbom fit indices

In introducing the LISREL model for systems of linear structural equations, Jöreskog and Sörbom proposed two goodness-of-fit indices, GFI and AGFI. Their asymptotic distributions and some statistical properties are discussed.The authors would like to acknowledge the helpful comments and suggestions from the Associate Editor and two anonymous reviewers.     

Some Effects of Brief Training Interventions on Perceptions of Sexual Harassment1

In 2 experiments, college undergraduates received brief sexual harassment training or were assigned to a control group; all participants then judged whether sexual harassment occurred in brief written scenarios which had been evaluated previously by experts. In the first study, training increased the tendency to perceive sexual harassment but did not enhance expertise. In the second experiment, training significantly increased perceptual expertise for men but not for women—thereby eliminating a gender difference which has been consistently reported in the sexual harassment literature. These are the first experimental demonstrations that training can influence perceptions of sexual harassment in a laboratory setting; whether training can measurably affect the perception, reporting, or incidence of sexual harassment in real life is not yet known.     

Spontaneous object recognition in capuchin monkeys: assessing the effects of sex,familiarization phase and retention delay

Animal Cognition - The spontaneous object recognition (SOR) task is a versatile and widely used memory test that was only recently established in nonhuman primates (marmosets). Here, we extended...     

Mixing emotions: The use of humor in fear advertising

Fear is used to advertise many products, services, and causes such as antismoking, sunscreen usage, and safe driving. Past research indicates that high levels of fear tension arousal can prompt defensive responses in the audience, which, in turn, can reduce the persuasive effect of the ad. We show in two studies that humor can reduce these defensive responses and hence increase the persuasiveness of fear advertising. Specifically, we show that increasing the level of fear tension arousal decreases persuasion when humor is absent but increases persuasion when humor is present. Further, this interaction of humor and fear tension arousal is mediated by defensive responses related to message elaboration and vulnerability to threat. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of fear advertising can be increased by adding an element of humor to the ad. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anisotropic thermal properties of single-wall-carbon- nanotube-reinforced nanoceramics

Dense single-wall-carbon-nanotube-(SWCNT)-reinforced alumina nanocomposites have been fabricated by a novel spark-plasma-sintering technique. Anisotropic thermal properties have been found in carbon nanotube composites. The introduction of ropes of SWCNTs gives rise to a decrease in the transverse thermal diffusivity with increasing carbon nanotube content while it does not change the in-plane thermal diffusivity. This is scientifically interesting and technologically important for the development of materials for novel thermal barrier coatings.     

Personality Characteristics and Development of Psychopathology in Bipolar I and Borderline Personality Disorder Patients

The debate whether Bipolar Affective Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder fall under the same spectrum or they represent separate categories has received much research attention. However, the question of their underlying psychological aetiology as well as their personality correlates has remained largely un-explored. The present study aims at gaining knowledge about and insights into these questions. The sample studied consists of 10 Bipolar I patients and 10 patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. Following a cross-sectional design, after determining the remitted phase of Bipolar I patients using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young’s Mania Rating Scale, the Temperament and Character Inventory, Attachment Style Questionnaire, Defense Style Questionnaire and Rorschach Inkblot Test were administered individually by the researcher. Both group of patients showed features of immaturity and instability. A correlational analysis indicated the probable pathway of development of psychopathology. The parallels of the findings to Kernberg’s concept of borderline personality organization have been discussed.