Police endorsement of color‐blind racial beliefs and propensity to interact with youth of color

The beliefs of police, as the point of first contact with the justice system, may help to explain disproportionate minority contact between police and young people. Color‐blind racial beliefs, a form of implicit racism in which racial differences are denied, are more strongly endorsed by police than by laypeople. Using a 2 (youth race) × 3 (offense severity) experimental design, 339 officers participated in an online study examining the influence of youth race, offense severity, and officers' color‐blind racial beliefs on officers' reported likelihood of interacting with young people. Officers with lower levels of color‐blind beliefs reported they would be less likely to interact with Black youth. Additionally, attrition analyses indicated that officers assigned to the Black youth condition were more likely to drop out when asked to complete the measure of color‐blind beliefs. Policy and practice implications are discussed, with a focus on promoting greater discussion of color‐blind ideologies in multicultural trainings for police officers and increasing frank discussions about race and racial issues.     

The effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on multitasking performance and oculometrics

Multitasking is the ability to perform more than one task simultaneously. The need to multitask is common in many industries especially within the military with tasks such as air traffic controllers, cyber defense operators and image analysts. However, as the time on task increases, information throughput can become overwhelming resulting in a performance decrement. Through task prioritizing, the operator is able to maintain performance on specific subtasks in which they selected as high importance while other subtasks experience a decrement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (ldLPFC) on information processing capabilities to improve individual and overall multitasking performance while performing the multi-attribute task battery (MATB). Two groups of 8 participants each received either 2 mA of anodal or sham tDCS while performing MATB. In addition, eye tracking was implemented to record eye movement patterns. In doing so, we were able to determine how much time the operator allocated to each of the subtasks within MATB and how their task priorities changed as workload demands increased. The findings provided evidence that 2 mA of anodal tDCS during MATB significantly improved overall information throughput compared to the sham group. With respect to the individual subtasks, communication and system monitoring displayed the greatest enhancement with anodal tDCS. Our data suggests that tDCS could be a useful tool to enhance information processing capabilities during a multitasking paradigm resulting in improved processing capabilities and information throughput.     

Dimensions of Pediatric Procedural Distress: Children's Anxiety and Pain During Immunizations

The purpose of this study was to isolate and compare children's procedural anxiety and pain. The study was conducted in a school-based pediatric health clinic with 39 fourth graders receiving 3 injection vaccinations over a 6-month period. Child and nurse ratings and an observational scale assessed anxiety and pain. Results suggest that anxiety and pain are highly correlated, however self-report and an observational measure discriminate between these constructs. Self-report and observational measurement indicated more pediatric pain than anxiety, whereas nurse reports did not indicate differences between children's pain and anxiety.     

Maternal Attributions Related to Compliance with Cystic Fibrosis Treatment

This study examined mothers' attributions related to their children's compliance with various components of medical treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF). Mothers of children with CF were queried regarding adherence rates and reasons for child compliance with chest physiotherapy, inhalation therapy, exercise, medication, and dietary treatments. Maternal attributions for compliance were assessed on the dimensions of parental locus, stability, and controllability. Mothers reported significantly less compliance with diet than with other CF treatments; they also perceived the reasons for compliance with diet and exercise as more external and less under their control. These findings are discussed in relation to parent–child interactions that may be critical to improving treatment adherence, particularly in the context of nutritional interventions.     

Sympathy for the Devil? Uncovering Inhibitors and Enablers of Emotional Engagement Between Zoo Visitors and the Tasmanian Devil,Sarcophilus harrisi

This article explores enablers and inhibitors of emotional engagement between visitors and Tasmanian devils at Healesville Sanctuary, Australia. A qualitative research approach was utilized including 44 interviews (ten with staff and 34 with visitors) and eight hours of observations of 622 visitors. Findings are presented in relation to six themes: (a) visitors’ motivations for viewing Tasmanian devils, (b) visitors’ emotional responses to Tasmanian devils, (c) role of previsit expectations, (d) species’ attributes inhibiting emotional engagement, (e) species' attributes enabling emotional engagement, and (f) elements of exhibit design and interpretation influencing emotional engagement. Results show clear views of active animals, first-person interpretation, and an understanding of conservation threats were enablers of forming an emotional connection. Inability to view animals and general misconceptions of devils were inhibitors of forming an emotional connection. Implications for exhibit management, interpretation, and conservation are discussed.     

A Critical Assessment of Null Hypothesis Significance Testing in Quantitative Communication Research

Null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) is the most widely accepted and frequently used approach to statistical inference in quantitative communication research. NHST, however, is highly controversial, and several serious problems with the approach have been identified. This paper reviews NHST and the controversy surrounding it. Commonly recognized problems include a sensitivity to sample size, the null is usually literally false, unacceptable Type II error rates, and misunderstanding and abuse. Problems associated with the conditional nature of NHST and the failure to distinguish statistical hypotheses from substantive hypotheses are emphasized. Recommended solutions and alternatives are addressed in a companion article.     

Group identity and peer relations: A longitudinal study of group identity,perceived peer acceptance,and friendships amongst ethnic minority English children

This research examined whether peer relationships amongst ethnic minority status children reflect the social groups to which children belong and the degree to which they identify with these groups. A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the influence of group identities (i.e., ethnic and national) on children's perceived peer acceptance and preference for same‐ethnic friendships. Measures of ethnic and English identification, perceived peer acceptance, and friendship choice were administered to 207 south‐Asian English children, aged between 5 and 11, at two time points 6 months apart. In line with predictions, longitudinal analysis showed that bicultural identification (i.e., higher ethnic and English identity) was related to higher perceived peer acceptance and less preference for same‐ethnic friendships. Importantly, as hypothesized, this finding was limited to the older children with more advanced social‐cognitive abilities. The results suggest that older children who adopted a bicultural identity were able to strategically ‘flag’ their multiple group identities, within their multicultural peer groups, to obtain acceptance amongst the maximum number of peers and show less preference for same‐ethnic friendships. This study extends previous peer relations research, which has typically focused on individual social deficits or classroom norms, by showing that group identities influence peer relationships amongst ethnic minority status children.