Playing for the thrill and skill. Quiz games as means for mood and competence repair

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have found that digital games can be used to improve the players’ mood, especially after emotionally unpleasant experiences. We introduce competence repair as an extension of previous work on mood repair. To investigate the effects of digital games on both mood and competence repair, we conducted 3 studies using quiz games. In the quasi-experimental Study 1 (N = 143), we manipulated the necessity for repair via a false feedback task (positive vs. negative), and looked at the impact of in-game success (victory vs. defeat). In the experimental Studies 2 (N = 91) and 3 (N = 109), we aimed at conceptually replicating and extending the findings on the impact of in-game success by varying participants’ success over a series of 4 matches (Study 2: close game outcomes, Study 3: clear victory/defeat). The results of these studies indicate that the efficacy of digital games for mood repair, as well as competence repair, depends on the necessity for repair, as well as success in the game. However, competence repair occurred even after participants were defeated repeatedly in a series of close matches. These results are discussed in light of the potential of digital games for fulfilling (previously thwarted) psychological needs.     

Determinants of naming latencies, object comprehension times, and new norms for the Russian standardized set of the colorized version of the Snodgrass and Vanderwart pictures

We report object-naming and object recognition times collected from Russian native speakers for the colorized version of the Snodgrass and Vanderwart (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory 6:174–215, 1980) pictures (Rossion & Pourtois, Perception 33:217–236, 2004). New norms for image variability, body–object interaction [BOI], and subjective frequency collected in Russian, as well as new name agreement scores for the colorized pictures in French, are also reported. In both object-naming and object comprehension times, the name agreement, image agreement, and age-of-acquisition variables made significant independent contributions. Objective word frequency was reliable in object-naming latencies only. The variables of image variability, BOI, and subjective frequency were not significant in either object naming or object comprehension. Finally, imageability was reliable in both tasks. The new norms and object-naming and object recognition times are provided as supplemental materials.     

MMPI–2 Profiles of Women With Eating Disorders in a Dutch Day Treatment Sample

This study tested two hypotheses concerning productivity and emotional tone as a function of chromatic TAT cards. Two groups of 13 males and 13 females were presented with achromatic and chromatic slides of cards 2, 3BM, 4, 6BM, and 7BM, in counterbalanced order. The main effects of sex membership, order of presentation of stimuli, and color were evaluated. Color did not have a measurable effect. However, a conceptual and aesthetic effect may occur. Males and females differed with respect to emotional tone and response productivity.     

'Joined-up psychotherapy': the place of individual psychotherapy in residential therapeutic provision for children

This paper looks at the provision of individual psychotherapy within a residential setting for young children. It gives a brief historical context of the work of therapeutic communities, and describes one such community in detail. The paper emphasizes the need for psychotherapy to be fully 8 integrated into the overall treatment of severely damaged children, and seeks to raise questions about the need to modify ideas on confidentiality and boundaries in such a setting. Case material is presented to illustrate this.     

Age of acquisition for naming and knowing: A new hypothesis

This paper reports an investigation into the age of acquisition of object names and object knowledge in a cross-sectional study of 288 children aged between 3 years 7 months and 11 years 6 months, comprising equal numbers of boys and girls. The objects belonged to four categories: animals, fruit and vegetables, implements, and vehicles. They were presented in three image types: line drawings, black-and-white photographs, and coloured photographs. In the knowledge test, five probe questions were asked for each object given the spoken name. Results showed that line drawings were more difficult to name than either black-and-white photographs or coloured photographs, which did not differ. The boys significantly out-performed the girls at naming and knowing, both overall and specifically for the category of vehicles. Naming and knowledge increased steadily with age but while young children below about 6 years 6 months showed an advantage to naming, older children showed an advantage to knowing. Similarly, age-of-acquisition measures for each item revealed a significant shift in the relationship between naming and knowing at around 80 months. We argue that differences in learning experience lead younger and older children to associate object names with different types of information, and we suggest that this difference probably accounts for the age-of-acquisition effects reported in adult object naming.     

Book Reviews

Abstract

Kleinbeck, U., Quast, H.-H., Thierry, H., & Hacker, H. (1990). Work Motivation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Pp. 283.

Ketchum, L.D., & Trist, E.L. (1992). All teams are not created equal. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN 0-8039-4652-X (cloth). 318 pp.     

One-year longitudinal investigation of eyeblink classical conditioning and cognitive and behavioral tests in adults with down's syndrome

Thirty-three adults with Down's syndrome (DS) originally tested by Woodruff-Pak, Papka, and Simon (1994) were retested approximately one year after initial testing as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Subjects were tested in eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) and other neuropsychological tests. Adults with DS improved in EBCC over a 13-month period, but showed stability on other cognitive and behavioral tests. Age differences were found in EBCC but not other measures. Adults with DS aged 19-30 years performed significantly better in EBCC than adults with DS aged 46-65 years. Adults with DS aged 31-45 years did not show significantly different EBCC performance than subjects in older and younger age groups. the impaired EBCC performance of older adults with DS may be due to the presumed disruption of the hippocampal cholinergic system, which is an aspect of the Alzheimer-like neuropathology developing in adults with DS after the age of 35. the results further support the sensitivity of EBCC to Alzheimer-like neuropathology in older adults with DS.     

Transnational Governance Arrangements: Legitimate Alternatives to Regulating Nanotechnologies?

In recent years, the development and the use of engineered nanomaterials have generated many debates on whether these materials should be part of the new or existing regulatory frameworks. The uncertainty, lack of scientific knowledge and rapid expansion of products containing nanomaterials have added even more to the regulatory dilemma with policy makers and public/private actors contenting periods of both under and over regulation. Responding to these regulatory challenges, as well as to the global reach of nanotechnology research and industrial needs, governance arrangements beyond the state have addressed the challenge head-on. This article focuses on the governance arrangements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which has led to the development of numerous “horizontal anticipatory standards” with an important role in setting the foundation for science, technology and market development. During the course of its operation ISO has broadened its scope to address not only technical issues related to the concept and the size of nanomaterials but also broader aspects of the technology, including health, environment and safety issues. The increasing relevance of the ISO to regulate economic relations and achieve certain public policy goals has given rise to many concerns about its legitimacy. The important questions are whether these governance arrangements may be deemed as being legitimate and where this legitimacy is derived from? What are the main sources of legitimacy at the transnational level and how we can apply them to analyse nanotechnology standardization? This article provides concise answers to these questions. It focuses at the normative concepts of democratic and scientific legitimacy and explores the institutional structures and processes by which nanotechnology standards are established.