Effects of prior agonistic experience on risk assessment and approach behavior evoked by familiar or unfamiliar conspecific odors

Risk assessment and appetitive behaviors in response to familiar and unfamiliar conspecific odors were measured in mice rendered dominant or subordinate by a series of resident-intruder encounters. Subordinate mice showed elevated levels of risk assessment in response to the odors of both familiar dominant and unfamiliar males. These behaviors were almost totally absent among dominant males exposed to familiar subordinate or unfamiliar male odors. Subordinate mice showed a marginally significant elevation in latencies to approach familiar, but not unfamiliar, dominant odors. Dominant and subordinate mice spent comparable amounts of time in the cage area containing familiar antagonist odors, however, and the durations of subordinates were mildly elevated, rather than decreased, when unfamiliar conspecific odors were present. There were no group differences in any of the appetitive behaviors. These findings suggest that apparent preferences for conspecific odors may arise from quantitatively and/or qualitatively differing emotional states. The inclusion of risk assessment measures is suggested to be a useful adjunct for studies of olfactory preference/rejection. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

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.     

On Johnson's (2000) Relative Weights Method for Assessing Variable Importance: A Reanalysis

This article provides a reanalysis of J. W. Johnson's (2000) “relative weights” method for assessing variable importance in multiple regression. The primary conclusion of the reanalysis is that the derivation of the method is theoretically flawed and has no more validity than the discredited method of Green, Carroll, and DeSarbo (1978) on which it is based. By means of 2 examples, supplemented by other results from the literature, it is also shown that the method can result in materially distorted inferences when it is compared with another widely used importance metric, namely, general dominance (Azen & Budescu, 2003; Budescu, 1993). Our primary recommendation is that J. W. Johnson's (2000) relative weights method should no longer be used as a variable importance metric for multiple linear regression. In the final section of the article, 2 additional recommendations are made based on our analysis, examples, and discussion.     

Human left-sided cradling preferences for dogs

Photographs of men and women holding dogs were analyzed for side-holding preferences. A significant majority of women in dog-themed magazines held dogs on their left sides, similar to reports of women holding infants. Men did not show the same left-sided preference, which is also consistent with other studies. The implications of these results for various hypotheses about infant cradling behavior were discussed.