Use of change blindness to measure different abilities to detect relevant changes in natural driving scenes

Drivers have to focus their attention on a danger to become aware of it. Change blindness paradigms are therefore relevant to studying the ability to detect danger. However, research has not yet focused on the role of two essential factors in guiding drivers’ attention: driving experience and the specific needs for performing a manoeuvre. Based on a previous analysis of real accident situations, we used a one-shot paradigm with static scenes to test observers’ ability to detect various changes as a function of their driving experience, the manoeuvre envisaged and the environmental context. The results showed that change detection depends greatly on driving experience when planning to cross a junction or to turn left, while it depends more on the environmental setting and task complexity when seeking a direction. The results were not conclusive, however, in explaining how drivers failed to notice that the vehicle ahead of them was turning when they considered an overtaking manoeuvre. We discuss the contributions of our research in relation to the possibilities of using change blindness as a measurement tool in studies on automobile driving.     

Couples’ Negative Interaction Behaviors and Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental health problem predisposing to dysfunctional interaction behaviors and negative couple outcomes. This study aimed to assess, through direct observation, the quality of relationships of couples in which women were diagnosed with BPD. The sample consisted of 28 couples in which the woman had BPD, and 82 community couples. Couples’ interactions were coded using three scales—withdrawal/ avoidance, dominance, and criticism/attack/conflict—from the Global Couple Interaction Coding System. Couples in which the women had BPD evidenced significantly more negative behaviors, particularly dominance behaviors, than community couples. Moreover, in BPD couples, women adopted Criticism/Attack/Conflict behaviors more frequently than men.     

False belief and emotion understanding in monozygotic twins,dizygotic twins and non-twin children

This study investigated the understanding of false belief and emotion in monozygotic (MZ) and same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs compared to non-twin children. Aged 3;9 to 5;1 years, the children (N=123) were administered three false belief and three emotion understanding tasks. Age, family socioeconomic status, mother's level of education and language abilities were controlled. Results showed no difference between the three groups in false belief understanding. On emotion tasks, non-twin children and DZ twins did not differ from each other, but they both performed better than MZ twins. Results are discussed in terms of the Peterson's (2000) variety hypothesis and suggest that the affective closeness experienced by MZ twins might interfere with their understanding of others’ emotions.     

Transfer Effects between Automatically-Paced Training Schedules in a Perceptual-Motor Task

A reanalysis of constant and variable input effects in multitrial free recall was undertaken with the use of a new method of measuring organization (ITOV) and a mathematical model of retention-forgetting. Results indicate that ITOV apparently measures a different type of organization than traditional measures. In addition, the trial-to-trial (TTT) model of retention-forgetting quantitatively reveals results about free recall not apparent from traditional analysis.     

Complementary Variable- and Person-Centered Approaches to the Dimensionality of Psychometric Constructs: Application to Psychological Wellbeing at Work

Purpose

This study illustrates complementary variable- and person-centered approaches allowing for a more complete investigation of the dimensionality of psychometric constructs. Psychometric measures often assess conceptually related facets of global overarching constructs based on the implicit or explicit assumption that these overarching constructs exist as global entities including conceptually related specificities mapped by the facets. Proper variable- and person-centered methodologies are required to adequately reflect the dimensionality of these constructs.

Design/Methodology/Approach

We illustrate these approaches using employees’ (N = 1077) ratings of their psychological wellbeing at work.

Findings

The results supported the added value of the variable-centered approach proposed here, showing that employees’ ratings of their own wellbeing simultaneously reflect a global overarching wellbeing construct, together with a variety of specific wellbeing dimensions. Similarly, the results show that anchoring person-centered analyses into these variable-centered results helps to achieve a more precise depiction of employees’ wellbeing profiles.

Implications

The variable-centered bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) framework provides a way to fully explore these sources of psychometric multidimensionality. Similarly, whenever constructs are characterized by the co-existence of overarching constructs with specific dimensions, it becomes important to properly disaggregate these two components in person-centered analyses. In this context, person-centered analyses need to be clearly anchored in the results of preliminary variable-centered analyses.

Originality/Value

Substantively, this study proposes an improved representation of employees’ wellbeing at work. Methodologically, this study aims to pedagogically illustrate the application of recent methodological innovations to organizational researchers.

     

Unemployment and mental health in a favorable labor market

Labour market variables may moderate the link between unemployment and mental health, as has been found in numerous research papers. The aim of this study was to test, in the context of a very favorable labor market, (1) the detrimental effect of unemployment on mental health and (2) the predictive validity of mental health on further employment status. The population of the study comprised 384 newly registered unemployed persons. Mental health was assessed through four variables: self-esteem, psychological distress, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. The results did not confirm previous studies. Using analyses of variance for repeated measures and linear regression, a negative change of mental health was not found after 6 and 12 months' unemployment, and the four measurements of mental health at registration did not predict employment status 6 and 12 months later. Results are discussed in terms of moderating variables that capture Luxembourg labor market specificities. This research was supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund in the framework of the VIVRE Program; grant no. FNR/02/05/07. We would like to thank Mary Devine for the linguistic revision of the text.     

Exploring the Capacity of NEO PI‐R Facets to Predict Job Performance in Two French‐Canadian Samples

The capacity of personality facets to predict contextual performance (i.e., interpersonal facilitation and job dedication), task performance, and global performance was explored by means of two predictive validity field studies. In a preliminary way, Study 1 demonstrated that four personality facets – Self‐Consciousness, Excitement Seeking, Trust, and Competence – were related to at least one job performance dimension in a well‐structured occupation sample. Study 2 revealed that eight personality facets were linked to specific job performance dimensions in a professional occupation sample. Results indicate that a combination of facets is useful for predicting job performance.