The Effects of Practice Trials and Prior Learning on Motor Memory

The effects of prior positions (PL), practice reinforcements of the criterion distance (CT), and retention intervals on proactive interference (PI) in a 20-cm. linear positioning task were examined. Independent treatment groups had either 0, 3, or 5 PL, with 1, 3, or 10 CT, and a 5-, 15-, or 50-sec. retention interval. Only absolute error scores at recall indicated PI. This forgetting occurred only under the highly restricted conditions of 5 PL and 1 CT after 15-and 50-sec. retention intervals. Since 0 PL groups showed no differences in recall over levels of retention intervals, PI alone apparently caused the forgetting.     

Refractoriness of on Extended Movement to Directional Change

An extended movement was used to compare the memory-drum and single-channel definitions of psychological refractoriness. The basic movement In response to the first signal (S₁) was a forward lunge and a concurrent arm swing through a target string. The response to the second signal (S₂) was a reversal of the original movement The interstimulus Interval (ISI) ranged from .10 – .70 sec. in .10-sec. steps. The hypothesis that refractoriness of the reversal movement would decrease as ISI shortened was confirmed by the fact that error frequencies decreased significantly and substantially with decreasing IS I. The availability of some residual capacity to deal with S₂ during the refractory period was also indicated by an examination of the relationship between RT₂ and the interval between S₂ and RT₁. This departure from the classical single-channel model shows some agreement with the neuromotor-programming theory.     

Type D personality and cardiac output in response to stress

Type D personality is predictive of adverse clinical outcome and psychological distress in cardiac patients. However, the mechanisms by which Type D affects health are largely unknown. This study (1) investigated the relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity to experimentally induced stress and (2) tested the influence of Type D on subjective feelings of stress. Eighty four healthy young adults (50% males, mean (SD) age 22 (6.84) years), completed measures of Type D personality, stress arousal and a stress-inducing procedure involving a taxing mental arithmetic task. Cardiovascular measures were recorded throughout the experiment. Mixed measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of Type D and a significant group by time effect of Type D on cardiac output in male participants. Type D males exhibit significantly higher cardiac output during the stressor phase compared to non-Type D males. However, there was no relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity in females. In addition, Type D individuals exhibited significantly higher feelings of subjective stress compared to non-Type D's. These findings provide new evidence on Type D and suggest that Type D may affect health through increased cardiac output and higher subjective feelings of stress following acute stress.     

Impact of Relevance and Distraction on Driving Performance and Visual Attention in a Simulated Driving Environment

Previous demonstrations of the impact of cellular phone conversations on visual attention when driving have primarily focused on attention to stimuli that are not relevant to driving. In contrast, we used a driving simulator and eye tracking to examine attention allocation across driving‐relevant and driving‐irrelevant items in the environment depending on whether drivers were distracted. Performance measures indicated that distraction negatively impacted vehicle control. However, driving relevance and the presence of distraction did not interact, suggesting that participants responded to potential hazards similarly in driving‐only and distraction conditions. In contrast, eye movement results indicated an interaction between distraction and relevance. Drivers attended more to driving‐relevant objects, and these objects showed smaller decrements in number of gazes in the distraction condition, compared with less relevant items. Even under distraction conditions, experienced drivers continued to attend to potential hazards, allocating less attention to billboards and roadway signage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

War Experiences Inventory: Initial Psychometric and Structural Properties

We examined the structural and psychometric properties of the War Experiences Inventory (WEI) with data from 255 post deployed service members (224 men and 31 women). Results from principal components analyses yielded a five-factor solution assessing sexual trauma, combat exposure, interpersonal distress, circumstances of deployment, and personal injury. Psychometric analyses revealed scale scores were internally consistent; validity evidence showed WEI subscales were significantly correlated with measures of readjustment, PTSD, psychological distress, and alcohol abuse. Findings provide preliminary evidence of structural and psychometric properties of the WEI and its utility in assessing war-related experiences in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.     

The Relationship Between Postdeployment Factors and PTSD Severity in Recent Combat Veterans

Combat traumas precipitate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, nontraumatic deployment and postdeployment factors may also contribute to PTSD severity. The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) was used to investigate pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors associated with current PTSD severity in 150 recent combat veterans with PTSD and hazardous alcohol use. Hierarchal linear regression analyzed what factors independently predicted PTSD severity when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and combat specific variables. Four postdeployment factors independently predicted PTSD severity: unemployment, alcohol use, social support, and stressful (nontraumatic) life events. The centrality of trauma in the maintenance of PTSD and clinical implications for treatment providers are discussed.     

Unit Cohesion,Resilience, and Mental Health of Soldiers in Basic Combat Training

Military unit cohesion has been shown to correlate with physical and psychological outcomes. However, little is known about the development of cohesion in the early days of military service during Basic Combat Training (BCT) and how it relates to positive support and the negative stressors of training. The current study assessed the development of unit cohesion across the 10-week BCT period (N = 1,939), and the relation of cohesion to stress, resilience, mental health measures, and BCT outcomes (graduation, passing the Army Physical Fitness Test, and final Basic Rifle Marksmanship scores). The sample was primarily male (62%), under age 25 (88%), and unmarried (88%). All putative mediators showed significant change over time. Unit cohesion increased over time (slope 0.22; p < .001), and these increases were associated with decreases in psychological distress (p < .001), sleep problems (p < .001), and tolerance of BCT stressors (p < .001), as well as increases in resilience (p < .001), confidence managing stress reactions (p < .001), and positive states of mind (p < .001). Unit cohesion was indirectly associated with successful graduation and passing the Army Physical Fitness Test through cohesion-related improvement in psychological distress, resilience, and confidence managing reactions to stress. Sleep problems also mediated BCT graduation. Cohesion effects on the Basic Rifle Marksmanship scores were mediated by psychological distress and tolerance of BCT stressors only. These results suggest that unit cohesion may play a key role in the development of psychological health among new soldiers.     

Psychological Model of Military Aggressive Behavior: Findings From Population-Based Surveys

The U.S. military has expressed concern about the influence of deployment and combat exposure on the criminal behavior of personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This study examines the role of behavioral health risk and protective factors associated with combat exposure and criminal and aggressive behavior in active duty Army and Naval personnel. Data from this cross-sectional study are based on two large anonymous, population-based health-related behavior surveys. Findings show that the proportion of all active duty Army and Naval service personnel who reported encounters with law enforcement or committed one or more aggressive acts in the past year increased from 19.41% in 2005 to 22.58% in 2008. Substance use, especially illicit drug use, and mental health problems were significant correlates of criminal and aggressive behavior, as were younger age, male sex, high impulsivity, and work/family stress. Path modeling suggested that several variables, notably combat exposure and history of childhood abuse, appeared to manifest their influence on criminal or aggressive behavior through increases in substance use and mental health problems. The potential mediating influence of substance use and mental health on combat and other trauma experiences has significant implications for preventing criminal and aggressive behavior among U.S. active duty military personnel.     

Rorschach Content as a Means of Studying Child Development

The qualitative aspects of the content of Rorschach responses of normal 10-and 13-year-old boys have been analysed in order to determine whether significant changes occur between the two age levels. The results show that such changes do occur, and an attempt was made to relate the changes in response content to theories of child development. It was argued that the material is of value not only in corroborating present theory, but also in illustrating areas of development which have so far received limited attention.