A comparison of the effects of spatial separation on apparent motion in the auditory and visual modalities

In the present investigation, the effects of spatial separation on the interstimulus onset intervals (ISOIs) that produce auditory and visual apparent motion were compared. In Experiment 1, subjects were tested on auditory apparent motion. They listened to 50-msec broadband noise pulses that were presented through two speakers separated by one of six different values between 0 degrees and 160 degrees. On each trial, the sounds were temporally separated by 1 of 12 ISOIs from 0 to 500 msec. The subjects were instructed to categorize their perception of the sounds as "single," "simultaneous," "continuous motion," "broken motion," or "succession." They also indicated the proper temporal sequence of each sound pair. In Experiments 2 and 3, subjects were tested on visual apparent motion. Experiment 2 included a range of spatial separations from 6 degrees to 80 degrees; Experiment 3 included separations from .5 degrees to 10 degrees. The same ISOIs were used as in Experiment 1. When the separations were equal, the ISOIs at which auditory apparent motion was perceived were smaller than the values that produced the same experience in vision. Spatial separation affected only visual apparent motion. For separations less than 2 degrees, the ISOIs that produced visual continuous motion were nearly equal to those which produced auditory continuous motion. For larger separations, the ISOIs that produced visual apparent motion increased.     

PERCEPTION AND JUDGMENT OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AMONG THE CHINESE

Perceived relationships among nine facial expressions were structurally represented in a two-space configuration by multidimensional scaling procedure. The two dimensions operative for Chinese judges were interpreted as positive versus negative emotions and open versus controlled styles of expressions. While there was some consensus in identifying seven of the nine intended emotions, interest-excitement and disgust-revulsion were often not recognized. Implications of cross-cultural comparisons in identification rates were discussed.     

Effect of lie labelling on children's evaluation of selfish,polite, and altruistic lies

This study investigates how 5‐ and 6‐year‐olds' evaluations of selfish, polite, and altruistic lies change as a result of whether these false statements are explicitly labelled as lies. We are also interested in how interpretive theory of mind may correlate with such evaluations with and without a lie label. Our results showed that labelling lowered children's evaluations for the polite and altruistic lies, but not for the selfish lies. Interpretive theory of mind correlated positively with the evaluation difference between the polite and altruistic lies and that between the selfish and altruistic lies in the label, but not in the non‐label condition. Correlation between the selfish and altruistic lies and that between the polite and altruistic lies were stronger with than without labelling, after controlling for age, and verbal and non‐verbal intelligence. We conclude that lie labelling biases children towards more negative evaluations for non‐selfish lies and makes them see lies of different motives as more similar. If a lie label is applied, whether lies of different motives are still evaluated differently depends on interpretive theory of mind, which reflects the child's ability to represent and allow different interpretations of an ambiguous reality.     

Intergroup Perceptions and Attitudes toward Immigrants in a Culturally Plural Society

The research examined perceptions of Chinese immigrants held by New Zealanders of European and Maori descent. The study (N = 318) adopted an intergroup perspective to test a predictive model of attitudes toward immigrants. It was based on a nation‐wide survey with prospective respondents randomly selected from the New Zealand Electoral rolls. Findings revealed that Maori differed from their European counterparts in predictable ways, reporting more relative deprivation and greater perceived threat, and holding more negative outgroup attitudes. Less contact and greater perceived threat predicted more negative attitudes toward immigrants; in addition, when intergroup boundaries were permeable, the link between perceived threat and negative attitudes was stronger in Maori than New Zealand Europeans. While intergroup relations are traditionally analysed in a dual group formation involving a privileged “dominant” ingroup and disadvantaged “minority” immigrant outgroup, the current research suggests the need to advance beyond this dichotomy to a more inclusive approach and to consider the interface between the historical and political milieux in specific national contexts.     

The Test of Time in School-Based Mentoring: The Role of Relationship Duration and Re-Matching on Academic Outcomes

The influence of match length and re-matching on the effectiveness of school-based mentoring was studied in the context of a national, randomized study of 1,139 youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs. The sample included youth in grades four through nine from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. At the end of the year, youth in intact relationships showed significant academic improvement, while youth in matches that terminated prematurely showed no impact. Those who were re-matched after terminations showed negative impacts. Youth, mentor, and program characteristics associated with having an intact match were examined. Youth with high levels of baseline stress and those matched with college student mentors were likely to be in matches that terminated prematurely, while rejection-sensitive youth and mentors who had previous mentoring experience were more likely to be in intact relationships. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

How anxious and avoidant attachment affect romantic relationship quality differently: A meta‐analytic review

Adult attachment has been studied as an important predictor of romantic relationship quality in many empirical studies. This meta‐analysis quantitatively summarized the associations between the two insecure adult attachment dimensions, anxiety and avoidance, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral indicators of romantic relationship quality based on 73 previous studies with 118 independent samples of 21 602 individuals. More importantly, we examined the different effects of anxiety and avoidance on relationship quality. We also tested the potential moderating effects of gender on the strength of these associations. Meta‐analytic results confirmed that both anxiety and avoidance were detrimental to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of relationship quality. Compared with anxiety, avoidance was more negatively associated with general satisfaction, connectedness, and general support in relationships. In contrast, anxiety was more positively associated with general conflict in relationships. The moderating effect of gender was weak. However, supplementary analyses found that the type of couple interaction measures (self‐report versus observation) significantly moderated the relations between insecure attachments and the behavioral indicators of relationship quality. Our results integrate and extend previous findings about the dynamics of adult attachment and romantic relationship quality. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Criminal Recidivism Among Hong Kong Male Juvenile Probationers

Hong Kong juvenile probationers are scarcely studied. The purpose of this study was to explore the 6-month short-term recidivism rate of 92 male juvenile probationers (aged 14–20?years), with and without controlling for their index crime. Generally, 30% of the juveniles reoffended within the 6-month follow-up period (82 and 18% were adjudicated of a nonviolent and violent offense respectively). Eight personality and psychosocial properties (self-esteem, life satisfaction, social bond, positive and negative affect, impulsivity, pro-offending attitudes, and self-perceived life problems) were assessed in both Wave 1 and Wave 2 periods. Only three properties (negative affect, self-perceived life problems, and self-esteem) yielded significant changes within the 6-month period. Beyond the exploratory analyses, another aim of this study was to identify significant predictors of recidivism in these rarely sampled juvenile probationers. Results indicated that type of crime, onset age of delinquent behavior, frequency of delinquency involvement in the past year, social bond, negative affect, impulsivity, and pro-offending attitudes were significant risk factors for recidivism. These findings highlight the need for social workers and other youth justice personnel to prioritize the intervention resources for juvenile probationers in light of the high estimated lifetime cost of crime for young offenders. Cognitive-behavioral treatment modalities with emphases on family functioning and problem-solving strategies were found to be an effective intervention approach for juvenile offenders. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.     

Depression in the African American Christian Community: Examining Denominational and Gender Differences

Journal of Religion and Health - Depression among African American adults can diminish their daily functioning and quality of life. African American communities commonly uses religion and...     

Domain-Specific Growth Mindsets and Dimensions of Psychological Well-Being Among Adolescents in Hong Kong

With a view initiated by the positive psychology movement that research emphases should be directed to examining human positives and well-being rather than psychopathology and dysfunctioning, this study explored the growth mindset as a character strength affecting the well-being of adolescents. Specifically, this study investigated the domain-specificity of growth mindsets, with a focus on exploring the beneficial effects of different growth mindsets on adolescents’ positive psychological well-being, taking into consideration gender and age group differences. A sample of Hong Kong adolescents (N = 856) completed the Growth Mindset Rating Form that assesses respondents’ growth mindsets in the domains of intelligence, ability, personality and relationship, and the Chinese version of Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale. Results from model-comparison using Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that a four-factor model provided the best fit to the mindset data, supporting the domain-specificity of growth mindsets. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses results suggested that the four growth mindsets had differentiated effects on six dimensions of psychological well-being over and above the effects of gender and age group. Such domain-specific effects of growth mindsets on psychological well-being dimensions could be interpreted as largely applicable to boys and girls, and to younger and older age groups, based on regressions conducted with separate groups. These separate group analyses also identified some notable group differences for growth mindsets of ability and relationships. Implications for promoting the cultivation of different growth mindsets as character strengths for adolescent positive functioning are discussed.

     

Social identity gratifications of social network sites and their impact on collective action participation

Collective action has been studied by social psychologists for over a century. Social network sites such as Facebook have further extended the ability of individuals to instigate social, political and organizational change, and provide a new context in which to study collective action. Drawing on social identity theory (SIT), self‐categorization theory (SCT) and uses and gratifications theory (UGT), this study explores the role of individuals’ group identification, social identity gratifications (SIG) and Facebook group use intensity on their willingness to participate in collective actions instigated through a Facebook group. Members of a Facebook group representing a cause against management completed an online survey (N = 406). Factor analyses reveal that motivations based on psychological affiliation with the group explained the most variance for Facebook group use. Moreover, compared to Facebook group use intensity, SIG were the stronger mediator between group identification and willingness to participate in collective action. The study demonstrates the utility of blending concepts from SIT, SCT and UGT to explore how socially motivated uses of the media can predict collective actions.