Dialogue on the hypothetical character of logical analysis

Reconstructing Popper's research programme for the Human Sciences, Noretta Koertge (Inquiry, Vol. 18 [1975]) has given a deductive‐nomological account of explanations of actions by means of a Rationality Principle. It is argued here that such a Rationality Principle is fundamentally redundant. Neither is it logically necessary in order to deduce a cognitive action‐explanandum, nor can it be given a semantic non‐empty interpretation, at least not within Koertge's own syllogism. Any attempt to save the Rationality Principle as unfalsifiablc but nevertheless indispensable for action explanations is rejected in the light of possible alternative action explanations by empirical and therefore in principle falsifiable psychological laws.     

Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory

This study used self-determination theory (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268.) to examine predictors of body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviours in a sample of 350 Greek adolescent girls. A process model was tested which proposed that perceptions of parental autonomy support and two life goals (health and image) would predict adolescents’ degree of satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. In turn, psychological need satisfaction was hypothesised to negatively predict body image concerns (i.e. drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction) and, indirectly, unhealthy weight control behaviours. The predictions of the model were largely supported indicating that parental autonomy support and adaptive life goals can indirectly impact upon the extent to which female adolescents engage in unhealthy weight control behaviours via facilitating the latter's psychological need satisfaction.     

Visual-Sequential and Visuo-Spatial Skills in Dyslexia: Variations According to Language Comprehension and Mathematics Skills

This study focused on visual-sequential and visuo-spatial functions in a group of 39 heavily dyslexic children, compared to a Control group. Mean age was 12.72 (SD 1.71). The dyslexia group was divided into three subgroups by language comprehension and mathematics skills. Only on a visual-sequential task was no difference seen between the groups. The main differences occurred between the two dyslexic subgroups with no language comprehension impairment, but with varying mathematics skills. Whereas the subgroup with good mathematics skills scored within the upper ranges, the mathematics-impaired subgroup showed significantly lower scores. The third dyslexic subgroup, with both language comprehension and mathematics impairments, performed within the norm. The study indicates a dissociation between language comprehension and visuo-spatial skills in dyslexia, which has implications for how variations in dyslexia should be understood. The results also show that the visuo-spatial impairments seen in one of the dyslexia subgroups lead to two ways of understanding mathematics impairment when it co-occurs with dyslexia: (1) as a visuo-spatial problem; (2) as a linguistic problem. These distinctions should imply different intervention strategies in dyslexia.     

The Role of Dichotic Listening Performance and Tasks of Executive Functions in Reading Impairment: A Discriminant Function Analysis

This study focused on the role of dichotic listening performance for the identification of reading impaired subtypes. Dichotic listening (DL), using verbal stimuli, has shown to be a valid measure of language lateralization. Usually, lateralization is estimated from the proportion of right ear over left ear accuracy during a free recall test procedure. However, it has been suggested that a more accurate estimate of laterality can be obtained by using a directed attention procedure. A sample of 43 reading disabled children of whom 18 showed signs of impaired language comprehension skills and 25 without language comprehension impairments, were compared to 20 age, and gender, matched controls on dichotic listening performance in both an unbiased free recall task and in a directed attention task using consonant-vowel syllables as dichotic stimuli. A laterality index was calculated for left and right ear stimuli reported during both the free recall condition and the attended ear-scores for the two directed attention conditions. Although both DL procedures yielded significant group differences, with a lower laterality score for the reading disabled compared to the controls, there was no main effect of DL-procedure or group × procedure interaction. Taken alone, DL performance could correctly classify 42% of the reading impaired samples, but together with other measures of executive functions, discriminant function analyses yielded 90.74% accuracy in classifying reading impaired children. The result indicates that DL together with tests of executive functions are valuable tools for assessment of reading impaired subjects.     

The costs of taking it slowly: fast and slow movement timing in older age

We investigated adult age-differences in timing control of fast vs. slow repetitive movements using a dual-task approach. Twenty-two young (M = 24.23 yr) and 22 older adults (M = 66.64 yr) performed three cognitive tasks differing in working memory load and response production demands and they tapped series of 550-ms or 2100-ms target intervals. Single-task timing was comparable in both groups. Dual-task timing was characterized by shortening of produced intervals and increases in drift and variability. Dual-task costs for both cognitive and timing performances were pronounced at slower tapping tempos, an effect exacerbated in older adults. Our findings implicate attention and working memory processes as critical components of slow movement timing and sources of specific challenges thereof for older adults.     

The relationship between ‘workaholism’, basic needs satisfaction at work and personality

The aim of this study was to examine correlates of ‘workaholism’ components (Work Involvement, Drive, Enjoyment of Work). A cross‐occupational sample of 661 Norwegian employees in six different organizations completed a web‐based survey measuring ‘workaholism’, basic needs satisfaction at work and personality. Needs satisfaction at work was positively related to Enjoyment of Work, and negatively to Drive. Conscientiousness was positively related to all ‘workaholism’ components; Extraversion and Openness to Work Involvement and Enjoyment of Work; and Neuroticism to Drive. Negative relations were found between Neuroticism and Enjoyment of Work, and Agreeableness and Drive. Although the associations were rather weak, the findings give reason to differentiate between enthusiastic and non‐enthusiastic ‘workaholic’ characteristics, which were consistent with predictions taken from central theories on ‘workaholism’. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Young adults' intention to eat healthy food: Extending the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

The present study predicts adults' intention to eat healthily, using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and additive and moderating effects of role identity, group norms and group identification, derived from identity theory and self categorisation theory. A total of 735, 25 years old adults participated in a mailed questionnaire survey in 1997. The TPB explained 52% of the variance in young adults' decision to eat healthily, with perceived behavioural control and subjective norms being the strongest (β= .56, p < .001) and weakest (β = .05, p < .005) determinants, respectively. Although, role identity accounted for an additional amount of 4% of the variance in behavioral intention, past behaviour did not moderate the impact of role identity on intention, as hypothesised. Neither perceived group norm nor group identification added to the prediction of intention over and above the TPB. However, group identification was found to act as a moderator on the relation between group norm and behavioural intention in the predicted direction. The wider social context seems to play a stronger role for the formation of adults' healthy eating decisions than indicated by the TPB.