Power Spectral Density Analysis of Lateral Human Standing Sway

A number of investigators have used power spectral density (PSD) analysis to try to identify and quantify various sensory systems which are involved in upright standing. Using PSD analysis, over a frequency range from 0.02-2.5 Hz, the present study examined two trials of lateral sway in each of 80 men. The results showed that little change occurred in PSD values between the first and second trials. Exponential curves were fit to the averaged trials data of each subject. The values of the parameter estimates obtained from the curve-fitting were regressed on the values of various direct, and derived anthropometric variables to try to explain the variance of the parameter estimates in terms of the anthropometrics. The subject’s center of gravity location accounted for no more than 15.8% of the parameter variance, whereas the remaining anthropometrics explained even less. The overall averaged data suggest that three functions (related to visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive processes) may underlie the sway pattern over this frequency range. PSD curves of individuals with a history of high-level athletic activity clearly differed from those of sedentary subjects.     

Psychometric Characteristics of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

The initial study describing the development of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) indicated that it was a psychometrically sound instrument (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & FarIey, 1988). The current study attempted to extend the initial findings by demonstrating the internal reliability, factorial validity, and subscale validity of the MSPSS using three different subject groups: (a) 265 pregnant women, (b) 74 adolescents living in Europe with their families, and (c) 55 pediatric residents. The MSPSS was found to have good internal reliability across subject groups. In addition, strong factorial validity was demonstrated, confirming the three-subscale structure of the MSPSS: Family, Friends, and Significant Other. Finally, strong support was also found for the validity of the Family and Significant Other subscales.     

Interview anxiety across the sexes: Support for the sex-linked anxiety coping theory

The sex-linked anxiety coping theory states that females’ anxiety levels may be less detrimental to their selection test performance because they have more available coping resources and engage in more constructive coping strategies prior to and during selection tests. This research project sought to investigate whether gender moderates the link between interview anxiety and interview performance. Co-op students (N = 125) participated in a mock interview as part of a course requirement. The results indicated that gender moderated the relation between self-rated interview anxiety and interview performance. Males were no more anxious than were females, but experienced significantly greater impairments to performance in the job interview as a result of interview anxiety. Of interest, interviewer-rated interview anxiety did not interact with gender to predict interview performance, which supports preliminary research evidence that perceptions and the experience of interview anxiety are not necessarily congruent.     

Teoría multifactorial-sistemática—exposición sucinta—

RESUMEN

Los autores esbozan su Teoría Multifactorial Sistemática, que presenta una concepción general de la estructura, dinámica y desarrollo de las diferencias individuales en la personalidad integradora. Se analiza la estructura y dinámica de la individualidad desde el marco conceptual del procesamiento de la información, en el cual la personalidad -o el sistema psicológico total- viene a ser concebida como un compuesto jerárquico organizado de seis sistemas en interacción: sensorial, motor, cognitivo, afectivo, estilos y valores. Para ello comienzan con algunos comentarios acerca del modelo factorial y el de sistemas, describiendo seguidamente su concepción actual de “estructura”, “dinámicas” y “desarrollo” de la individualidad. A continuación se ocupan del significado de la interacción herencia-ambiente y persona-situación, y finalizan discutiendo problemas empíricos y teóricos no resueltos y las implicaciones de su teoría.     

Assessing Personality in the Employment Interview: The Impact of Training on Rater Accuracy

We developed a training protocol to enhance interviewers' knowledge of personality-related cues and, in so doing, improve the accuracy of their personality judgments. Participants (N = 164) watched 3 videotaped mock employment interviews and judged the personality of those interviewees. The trained group was more accurate than the control group for some, but not all, of the rated traits. It was predicted that training would increase participants' dispositional intelligence (knowledge of personality) scores. This hypothesis was not supported, suggesting that trait cue knowledge and dispositional intelligence may function independently in the improvement of rating accuracy. These findings contribute to further articulation of the process underlying accurate personality inferences.     

Do Cognitive Interview Instructions Contribute to False Beliefs and Memories?

To examine whether exposing people to false events using instructions taken from the cognitive interview creates false beliefs and false memories, we conducted an experiment where participants took part in two sessions. First, they rated how confident they were that they had experienced certain childhood events and their memories of those events; they also rated how plausible they thought the events were. Second, 2 weeks later, participants were exposed to two of three false target events: one high, one moderate, and one low plausibility. For the first event, participants were instructed to either report everything or mentally reinstate the event context. For the second event, participants received both instructions. The third event was the control event about which participants received no instructions. Finally, participants rated their confidence and memories the second time. The results showed that the cognitive interview instructions had little to no effect on the development of false beliefs and false memories. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.