Substance versus style: a new look at social desirability in motivating contexts

Although there is an emerging consensus that social desirability does not meaningfully affect criterion-related validity, several researchers have reaffirmed the argument that social desirability degrades the construct validity of personality measures. Yet, most research demonstrating the adverse consequences of faking for construct validity uses a fake-good instruction set. The consequence of such a manipulation is to exacerbate the effects of response distortion beyond what would be expected under realistic circumstances (e.g., an applicant setting). The research reported in this article was designed to assess these issues by using real-world contexts not influenced by artificial instructions. Results suggest that response distortion has little impact on the construct validity of personality measures used in selection contexts.     

Evidence for an association between gender-role identity and a measure of executive function

Two studies assessed the relation between gender role and executive function. In Study One (N = 234) analyses indicated that among college students executive function, assessed by the Coolidge and Griego scale, is related to masculine gender-role classification, measured by the Bem Sex-role Inventory. This relationship remained significant when biological sex was controlled. Further, factor analysis of the Bem Sex-role Inventory identified six components, three related to executive function. Two of these scales were associated with masculine characteristics, and the third was associated with the denial of several feminine items. Study Two (N = 53) further assessed the relationship among undergraduates through additional measures of executive functions and mood, in addition to the Bem Sex-role Inventory. In this study, executive functioning, as measured by the Coolidge and Griego scale, was again generally related to masculinity. Psychological well-being was not related to gender identity or executive functioning.     

Characteristics of the rhythmic organization of vocal babbling: implications for an amodal linguistic rhythm

Vocal babbling involves production of rhythmic sequences of a mouth close–open alternation giving the perceptual impression of a sequence of consonant–vowel syllables. Petitto and co-workers have argued vocal babbling rhythm is the same as manual syllabic babbling rhythm, in that it has a frequency of 1 cycle per second. They also assert that adult speech and sign language display the same frequency. However, available evidence suggests that the vocal babbling frequency approximates 3 cycles per second. Both adult spoken language and sign language show higher frequencies than babbling in their respective modalities. No information is currently available on the basic rhythmic parameter of intercyclical variability in either modality. A study of reduplicative babbling by 4 infants and 4 adults producing reduplicated syllables confirms the 3 per second vocal babbling rate, as well as a faster rate in adults, and provides new information on intercyclical variability.     

Time is of the essence

Timing is essential to human behaviour, but the neural mechanisms underlying time perception are still unclear. New findings from a brain-imaging study by Coull et al. show that activity in a network of motor-related areas varies parametrically with attention to time. Given that a system in which timing is important (but not the primary function) is recruited when temporal judgements are required, we should perhaps reassess the notion of a dedicated timing system in the brain.     

Child Access and Visitation Following Divorce: A Growth Area for Marriage and Family Therapy

Recent federal legislation encourages states to increase noncustodial parents' access and visitation with their children following separation or divorce. The State of Iowa Department of Human Services Bureau of Collections commissioned a pilot study to provide a beginning picture of how parents and professionals experience the child access and visitation process. Two midsized urban centers and a rural community were studied. A total of 14 divorced parents and 16 professionals who work with divorced individuals were interviewed using a 2-hour focus group format. Study findings identified problematic themes regarding child access and visitation, potential solutions, and suggested services to address these problems. The services suggested by the study all fall within the professional expertise of marriage and family therapists. A primary finding of the study was the need for therapy and mediation focused on relational issues.     

How to push someone's buttons: A comparison of four anger-induction methods

This study compared the effects of four ways of inducing anger: film, stress interview, punishment, and harassment. Sixty-four healthy participants were randomly assigned to one of these conditions. Effects were examined by means of self-report and physiological measures (blood pressure, heart rate, skin conductance level, and skin conductance response). All four methods produced comparable levels of self-reported anger, while harassment and interview produced the largest cardiovascular effects, and electrodermal activity increased more in reaction to harassment, interview, and punishment conditions compared to film. Thus, physiological reactivity was especially increased by anger-induction methods that included personal contact (harassment and interview). Regarding specificity of self-reported emotions, fear and frustration were the only emotions out of nine non-target emotions that increased in comparable degree to anger following film, interview, and punishment, while harassment produced more self-reported anger than fear. Possible explanations and further recommendations are discussed.     

LEADERS IN READING RESEARCH AND INSTRUCTION

Five reading lesson instruction characteristics were examined in relation to first and second graders' end-of-year instructional reading level: (a) teacher's preferred interaction style (indicated by extent of teacher telling and coaching); (b) teacher's preferred grouping (indicated by extent of whole class and small group instruction); (c) teacher's preferred focus of reading activity (indicated by extent of focus on words/letters and comprehension); (d) degree of student active response; and (e) instruction material (indicated by extent of use of narrative text and worksheets). Sixteen first- and second-grade teachers and 166 of their students were observed during reading instruction three times across the school year. Analyses of covariance were conducted. Complex relationships heretofore not revealed appeared. Different patterns of relationships between instructional characteristics and instructional reading level emerged for higher achievers compared to lower achievers and for first compared to second grade.