Electrocutaneous stimulation II. The estimation of distance between two points

Using a numerical estimation procedure, subjects judged the perceived distance between pairs of brief electrical stimuli presented over different physical distances, on different body regions, and in different spatial orientations. The skin turns out to be anisotropic, with the same physical separation between electrodes appearing greater on the forehead than on the forearm, greater on the forearm than on the abdomen. Perceived distance also depends on the orientation and, to some extent, on the time relation between the two electrical pulses. Under all conditions, the perceived distance between electrical stimuli was “compressed” as compared with visual distance. These results bear on the design of devices that attempt to transmit information by electrical stimulation of the skin.     

Electrocutaneous stimulation L The effects of stimulus parameters on absolute threshold

Thresholds for detecting electrical stimulation were measured as a function of (1) body locus, (2) electrode configuration, (3) stimulus waveform, and (4) pulse duration. The results were: (1) the forehead gave slightly, but not reliably, lower thresholds than the abdomen; (2) concentric electrodes gave slightly, but not reliably, lower thresholds than unifocal electrodes; (3) cathodal monophasic (?) pulses and biphasic pulses (+/? and ?/+) gave identical thresholds, while anodal monophasic (+) pulses gave higher thresholds; and (4) thresholds decreased as pulse duration increased up to .5 msec, but changed less with longer pulses.     

RIASEC TYPES AND BIG FIVE TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT

This prospective study investigated the validity of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality and Holland's RIASEC vocational interest typology in predicting employment status and the nature of employment in a sample of graduating college seniors as they entered the job market. A sample of 934 senior college graduates enrolled in various academic subjects filled in Costa and McCrae's NEO-PI-R (1992) and Holland's Self-Directed Search (1979). One year after graduation, they were requested to describe their labor market positions and jobs, using the Position Classification Inventory (PCI; Gottfredson & Holland, 1991). Six hundred and twelve people responded to the second call, of whom 335 were employed and 66 unemployed. The incremental validity of the 2 models over and above each other was investigated in the sample of employed and unemployed subjects ( N = 401) using stepwise regression analysis. The results showed that Extraversion and Conscientiousness were the only valid predictors of employment status and that vocational interests did not show incremental validity over and above these factors. The RIASEC types, however, were clearly superior in explaining the nature of employment, underscoring the validity of Holland's hexagonal calculus assumptions. Employment reflecting Realistic, Social and Enterprising characteristics was to a limited extent predicted by four of the Big Five, except Neuroticism, over and above the RIASEC types. The findings are discussed in the framework of Schneider's Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) theory (1987) concluding that Holland's RIASEC model is more employee-driven, being better at predicting the nature of employment, whereas the FFM is more employer-oriedted, with greater validity in evaluating the employability and employment status of applicants.     

The influence of negative advertising frames on political cynicism and politician accountability

This research examined the influence of negative political advertising frames on the thoughts and feelings people generate in response to campaign advertising. Preparing and conducting this investigation involved the use of a multiple‐method strategy. Content analysis identified two advertising frames (i.e., candidate theme and ad hoc issue advertisements) and two experiments separately induced political cynicism and politician accountability. Three hundred and sixty people participated in the experimental studies, in which they read and responded, using a thought‐listing technique, to candidate theme or ad hoc issue negative advertisements. Results demonstrated that participants were more likely to generate cynical comments and hold politicians accountable for the country's ills when reading candidate theme advertisements than ad hoc issue advertisements. The results indicate that this contributes to a political climate of cynicism and may function to erode the electorate's overall trust in government.