How School Counselors Can Help Prevent Online Victimization

Although the Internet is a beneficial tool, some youth are at risk for being victimized by Internet predators. School counselors are in a unique position to assist in efforts to prevent online victimizations because of their continual interaction with students, parents, and other school faculty. This article provides school counselors with information about youth Internet use; risk factors associated with online victimizations; and recommendations to assist youth, parents, and families in improving Internet safety practices.     

How Do Forced‐Choice Dilemmas Affect Multiracial People?The Role of Identity Autonomy and Public Regard in Depressive Symptoms

The present study reports on correlational data gathered from an Internet survey to explore why forced‐choice dilemma situations relate to depressive symptoms among multiracial people (N = 317). Specifically, a model was tested that explored the role of identity autonomy (the extent to which multiracial people feel they can racially identify however they desire) and public regard (the extent to which multiracial people think others value their multiracial identity). The results of the model suggest that forced‐choice dilemmas predict greater depressive symptoms because forced‐choice dilemmas may promote greater beliefs that their multiracial identity is devalued in society and more generally restrict identity autonomy. Implications are discussed in terms of multiracial health and public policies regarding assessments of racial identities.     

Consumer attitudes towards the future and some purchase patterns

The research detailed in this paper had two objectives. First, to carry out an exploratory analysis and a measurement of consumer attitudes towards the future (CATF). Secondly, to check whether a stronger or weaker attitude permits the detection of differences in some purchase patterns. After a review of the literature, an empirical study, representative of the Spanish population, is presented. A two‐dimensional structure of CATF and its acceptable goodness‐of‐fit with the statistical Weibull function were found. Hypotheses related to the adoption of purchasing patterns were also contrasted. The results disclose that a higher CATF is found when consumers have a clear idea of what they want to buy, are loyal to their usual outlets, prefer to pay cash and are not spendthrift. Finally, several future research directions are proposed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing cognitive load using oculometrics to identify deceit during interviews

Lying requires a long‐term memory search and is a cognitive load task. Telling a spontaneous lie is associated with a higher cognitive load compared with the truth, although when memories are planned before telling a lie, the cognitive load can be less compared with the truth; therefore, telling a spontaneous lie could be associated with a higher cognitive load compared with a planned lie. In this study, we examined cognitive load, as measured through oculometrics, to identify deceit in interviews. Twenty‐four subjects were questioned, and their answers classified as spontaneous lies, planned lies, and truths. Results show that saccades and fixations were associated with a higher cognitive load when telling spontaneous lies compared with telling truths. Blinks and pupillometry show that subjects require greater cognitive load when telling truths compared with planned lies. Finally, telling spontaneous lies required higher cognitive load compared with planned lies, as assessed by blinks.     

Operating characteristics of the implicit learning system supporting serial interception sequence learning

The memory system that supports implicit perceptual-motor sequence learning relies on brain regions that operate separately from the explicit, medial temporal lobe memory system. The implicit learning system therefore likely has distinct operating characteristics and information processing constraints. To attempt to identify the limits of the implicit sequence learning mechanism, participants performed the serial interception sequence learning (SISL) task with covertly embedded repeating sequences that were much longer than most previous studies: ranging from 30 to 60 (Experiment 1) and 60 to 90 (Experiment 2) items in length. Robust sequence-specific learning was observed for sequences up to 80 items in length, extending the known capacity of implicit sequence learning. In Experiment 3, 12-item repeating sequences were embedded among increasing amounts of irrelevant nonrepeating sequences (from 20 to 80% of training trials). Despite high levels of irrelevant trials, learning occurred across conditions. A comparison of learning rates across all three experiments found a surprising degree of constancy in the rate of learning regardless of sequence length or embedded noise. Sequence learning appears to be constant with the logarithm of the number of sequence repetitions practiced during training. The consistency in learning rate across experiments and conditions implies that the mechanisms supporting implicit sequence learning are not capacity-constrained by very long sequences nor adversely affected by high rates of irrelevant sequences during training.     

Maximizing the impact of exposure to scientific role models: Testing an intervention to increase science identity among adolescent girls

A field experiment tested an intervention to maximize the impact of a science outreach program by encouraging early adolescent girls (N = 240, M_age =12) to adopt female role models. Girls participated in workshops led by female role models who were scientific experts in their field. Afterward, they were randomly assigned to choose and write about their favorite workshop leader or to write about the first workshop leader. We hypothesized that the intervention would benefit girls who chose and wrote about a favorite leader. However, girls in both conditions experienced significant increases in science identity. Girls demonstrated strong role model identification with the workshop leaders; moreover, role model identification was associated with increases in science identity. Girls in the chosen leader condition focused on her competence and supportiveness more than girls in the assigned leader condition. There was no difference in science identity between girls from well-represented and underrepresented minority (URM) ethnic groups in scientific fields. URM girls, surprisingly, identified more with the workshop leader than well-represented girls. Science workshops led by female role models with relevant expertise may facilitate science identification among early adolescent girls from diverse ethnic backgrounds.     

An empirical approach to identify job duty-KSA linkages in managerial jobs: A case example

One-hundred and five managers and supervisors in the maintenance and engineering areas of a national aviation company rated job behaviors and personal requirements of their positions. Component analyses yielded factor structures of seven general job responsibilities and five skills, respectively. Consistent with previous research, skill importance varied as a function of level of management. Most importantly, the results of a series of regression analyses yielded empirical evidence of perceived behavior-skill associations in this sample of managerial positions. The uses of these empirical behavior-skill linkages are outlined.     

Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) comprehend the referential character of the human pointing gesture

The authors tested a dolphin's (Tursiops truncatus) understanding of human manual pointing gestures to 3 distal objects located to the left of, to the right of, or behind the dolphin. The human referred to an object through a direct point (Pd), a cross-body point (Px), or a familiar symbolic gesture (S). In Experiment 1, the dolphin responded correctly to 80% of Pds toward laterally placed objects but to only 40% of Pds to the object behind. Responding to objects behind improved to 88% in Experiment 2 after exaggerated pointing was briefly instituted. Spontaneous comprehension of Pxs also was demonstrated. In Experiment 3, the human produced a sequence of 2 Pds, 2 Pxs, 2 Ss, or all 2-way combinations of these 3 to direct the dolphin to take the object referenced second to the object referenced first. Accuracy ranged from 68% to 77% correct (chance = 17%). These results established that the dolphin understood the referential character of the human manual pointing gesture.