Social cognitive predictors of peer acceptance at age 5 and the moderating effects of gender

In this study we examined the effects of social intelligence, empathy, verbal ability and appearance‐reality distinction on the level of peer acceptance, as well as the moderating role of gender. Participants were 98 five‐year‐old children (43 boys and 55 girls; mean age 5 years 3 months for boys and girls). Our results showed a main effect of social intelligence on peer acceptance, as well as several other effects that were moderated by gender: a significant and positive effect of verbal ability on social acceptance was found for boys; appearance‐reality distinction was found to have a positive effect on social acceptance in the case of girls; and although empathy had a significant positive effect on social acceptance for both boys and girls, this effect was more pronounced among boys. Our results suggest that abilities promoting peer acceptance are different for boys and girls.     

Cognition and daily activities in a general population sample aged +55

ABSTRACT

Objective: We tested the association of individual cognitive domains measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and disability.

Method: Cross-sectional study in a population-based cohort aged ≥55 years (n = 4,803). Sample was divided into two groups: individuals with cognition within the normal range (CNR) (n = 4,057) and those with cognitive impairment (CI) (n = 746). Main outcome measures: The MMSE, the Katz Index (Basic Activities of Daily Living, bADL), the Lawton and Brody Scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, iADL), and the Geriatric Mental State (GMS-AGECAT).

Results: MMSE-orientation was associated with disability in bADL, iADL and a decrease in social participation, regardless of cognitive status. MMSE-attention was associated with disability in iADL, but only in CNR. MMSE-language was associated with disability in bADL, iADL and with reduced social participation, but only in CI. Conclusions: The associations observed between disability and orientation may have clinical and public health implications.     

Individual Participation in Organizational Information Commons

This research extended earlier public goods research on individual incentives to use an organizational information commons that was based in Marwell and Oliver's (1993) collective action model. A revised theoretical model that incorporated team‐level social influence and technology‐specific competence was proposed. The model was tested using online survey data from 150 individuals in 13 work groups across 5 organizations. The research demonstrated that perceived team member behavior and technology‐specific competence were positively related to individual use of intranets, over and above the collective level influences modeled in earlier research. These findings supported a more “socialized” model of individuals' motivations to participate in organizational information sharing via collective repositories and suggested that management could boost levels of intranet usage through group level social influence and technology‐specific training.     

The face of wrath: The role of features and configurations in conveying social threat

We examined the role of single features and feature configurations in the effect of schematic faces on rated threat. A total of 101 medical students rated their emotional impression of schematic facial stimuli using semantic differential scales (Activity, Negative Valence, and Potency). In different parts of the experiment, the ratings concerned single features, eyebrow‐mouth configurations, or complete faces. Although eyebrows emerged as the overall most important feature, the effect of features was modulated by configuration. Simple configurations of eyebrows and mouth appeared to convey threat and nonthreat in a way highly similar to that of complete faces. In most cases, the configurations of eyebrows and mouth could significantly predict the effect of the complete faces.