Imitative violence in the real world: A reanalysis of homicide rates following championship prize fights

Recently, Phillips [Am Soc Rev, 1983; 48:560–568] reported that the homicide rate increases on the third day after heavyweight championship prize fights. The present paper reports a reanalysis of Phillips's data using more sophisticated statistical techniques and examining several theoretically important variables not discussed by Phillips or his critics. Using a conservative analysis strategy, our results suggest that the increases in homicides reported by Phillips were not a methodological artifact as suggested by Baron and Reiss [Am Soc Rev 1985; 50:347–363, 372–376]. The homicide increases only occur on the first weekend or holiday after prize fights that receive the greatest publicity.     

Food wrenching and dodging: Eating time estimates influence dodge probability and amplitude

Eating rats dodge conspecifics, who are trying to steal their food, by making a somewhat stereotyped 180° turn and step movement to block the robber's approach. This experiment examined the effect of food features on the form and vigor of the dodging movement. Dodge probability and its amplitude were measured as a function of food size, elapsed eating time, food hardness, and the way in which food theft was attempted. Under all conditions dodge probability and its amplitude were directly related to the time necessary to complete eating. Thus, rats estimated the time required to complete eating and adjusted the size of their evasive movements to gain this time. The results show that although dodging has the appearance of a fixed-action pattern, it is influenced by cognitive processes that may be similar to those that direct other aspects of foraging behavior. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Neighborhood, family, and subjective socioeconomic status: How do they relate to adolescent health?

This study investigated the role of neighborhood, family, and individual subjective socioeconomic status (SES) in predicting adolescent physical health and psychological characteristics. Three hundred fifteen adolescents completed assessments of blood pressure, cortisol, and body mass index (BMI). Results revealed that lower neighborhood SES was associated with higher BMI and lower basal cortisol levels and that these effects persisted after controlling for family SES. Both family SES and neighborhood SES predicted negative psychological characteristics and experiences such as hostility and discrimination. In contrast, only subjective SES predicted positive psychological characteristics. These findings suggest the importance of understanding influences at the individual, family, and neighborhood levels for optimally targeting interventions to reduce health disparities earlier in life.     

MMPI-2 typology of pregnant drug-dependent women in treatment

The present study examined the validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) typology for pregnant drug-dependent women. A 3-cluster solution based on 7 MMPI-2 clinical scales emerged as the best model and was replicated across split-half samples and different primary substance-use diagnoses and treatment modalities. The 3 subtypes identified included Type I (n = 40, 24%) with no clinical elevation, Type II (n = 72, 42%) with elevated psychopathic deviate scale, and Type III (n = 58, 34%) with elevations on all 7 scales. Analyses with interview and self-report measures showed good concurrent validity. Type II had higher retention than Type I and Type III across methadone and medication-free treatments, showing some predictive validity. An a priori method for classifying new cases on the basis of the proposed typology was developed and validated. Study findings support MMPI-2's use with pregnant drug-dependent women for assessment and possibly treatment planning.     

Effects of number and strength of competing solutions on the perceptual interference effect

Five-letter fragments of recently studied 8-letter words are easier to solve when presented all at once than when clarified from a more degraded form (i.e., by starting with a 2-letter fragment and adding letters). The competition explanation proposes that highly degraded stimuli activate alternative hypotheses that interfere with target identification. In Experiment 1, the number of solutions that fit the initial, 2-letter fragment was varied. Performance was better in the 2-solution than in the 1-solution condition. In Experiment 2, distractor solutions (solutions that fit the 2-letter fragment but not subsequent fragments) were either primed (previously studied) or unprimed. Solution performance was better when distractors were primed rather than unprimed. Perceptual interference appears to result from negative feedback operating on a prematurely activated correct hypothesis, rather than from competition between hypotheses.     

THE MEASUREMENT AND FURTHER CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TEACHER COMMUNICATION CONCERN

This study reported the development of a set of scales to measure the self, task, and impact dimensions of teacher communication concern. Three stages of instrument development were described: item construction, testing of the hypothesized factor structure, and reliability and validity information. The result was a 15-item instrument with three subscales. In an effort to refine the conceptualization of teacher communication concern, a secondary purpose of the study was to examine the relationship of teacher communication concern to two variables: anxiety about teaching and attitude toward teaching as a career. Results were that teacher communication concern was not related to anxiety about teaching, but was positively related to attitude about teaching.     

Ain’t sure who to blame: Metacognitive influences on appraisal–emotion processes

In this research, we propose that emotions are affected not only by appraisals, but also by a metacognitive sense of confidence versus doubt over the appraisals. Focusing on core-relational themes (CRTs), higher-order appraisals comprising the combined meaning of several appraisals, we predicted and found evidence, over two studies, that the effect of a CRT on the corresponding emotion is stronger if one feels confident about the validity of the CRT compared to feeling doubtful. In Study 1, CRT was manipulated by recall and in Study 2, CRT was manipulated in vivo. Both designs produced consistent support for the hypotheses. These findings demonstrate the need to consider metacognitive processes in understanding the effects of appraisals on emotions.     

“Deafness” effects in detecting alterations to auditory feedback during sequence production

Past research has shown that when discrete responses are associated with a perceptual goal, performers may have difficulty detecting stimuli that are commensurate with that goal. Three experiments are reported here that test whether such effects extend to sequence production. In Experiment 1, participants performed 8-note melodies repeatedly, and on each trial a single tone could be altered with respect to its pitch and/or synchrony with actions. Results suggested a selective deficit of detection when feedback pitch was unchanged and the event was slightly delayed. Experiment 2 showed that this “deafness” to feedback is limited to rhythmic motor tasks that require sequencing, in that similar effects did not emerge when participants produced pitch sequences by tapping a single key repeatedly. A third experiment demonstrated similar results to Experiment 1 when the mapping of keys to pitches on the keyboard was reversed. Taken together, results suggest a selective deafness to response-congruent delayed feedback, consistent with the idea that performers suppress previously planned events during production.