An Investigation of the Associations Between Contingent Self-Worth and Aspirations Among Iranian University Students

This study investigated the novel associations between intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations and internal and external domains of contingent self-worth among a sample of 502 Iranian university students. We found a meaningful pattern showing that intrinsic aspirations were positively associated with internal domains, whereas extrinsic aspirations were positively associated with external domains. Our survey data also suggested that the factor structure of the Aspiration Index, as well as the factor structure of the Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale in our Iranian sample were consistent with factor structures of foreign samples. Finally, the types of aspirations and domains of contingencies of self-worth meaningfully predicted variables related to well-being, confirming previous research. We discuss the nature of the associations between the aspirations and the domains of contingent self-worth.     

The dynamics of team coordination: A social network analysis as a window to shared awareness

Shared awareness was studied in one novice and one expert basketball team during real games. Teams were considered dynamic social networks with team members as nodes and members’ awareness of other members during ongoing performance as relations. Networks, and changes to them across games, were analysed at different levels of organization using social network analysis to identify patterns of awareness within the teams. The results showed that one team member in each team often heeded, or was heeded by, his teammates, indicating his leadership role in coordinating the team. Also, expert team members had a low level of awareness of their teammates, which may be explained by implicit coordination processes. Finally, there was less variability in intra-team relations in the expert (vs. novice) team, which may be explained by the enhanced ability of the expert team to achieve and maintain an optimal level of awareness during the game. At a practical level, teams might be alerted during performance when their network of connections approaches connectedness thresholds that predict coordination breakdowns, affording online regulation of team processes. Future studies should explore the generalizability of these early findings using larger samples.     

Identity Theft in the Academic World Leads to Junk Science

In recent years, identity theft has been growing in the academic world. Cybercriminals create fake profiles for prominent scientists in attempts to manipulate the review and publishing process. Without permission, some fraudulent journals use the names of standout researchers on their editorial boards in the effort to look legitimate. This opinion piece, highlights some of the usual types of identity theft and their role in spreading junk science. Some general guidelines that editors and researchers can use against such attacks are presented.     

A Method for Improving the Integrity of Peer Review

Peer review is the most important aspect of reputable journals. Without it, we would be unsure about whether the material published was as valid and reliable as is possible. However, with the advent of the Internet, scientific literature has now become subject to a relatively new phenomenon: fake peer reviews. Some dishonest researchers have been manipulating the peer review process to publish what are often inferior papers. There are even papers that explain how to do it. This paper discusses one of those methods and how editors can defeat it by using a special review ID. This method is easy to understand and can be added to current peer review systems easily.     

Adaptation to spiral motion in crowding condition

When a single, moving stimulus is presented in the peripheral visual field, its direction of motion can be easily distinguished, but when the same stimulus is flanked by other similar moving stimuli, observers are unable to report its direction of motion. In this condition, known as 'crowding', specific features of visual stimuli do not access conscious perception. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adaptation to spiral motion is preserved in crowding conditions. Logarithmic spirals were used as adapting stimuli. A rotating spiral stimulus (target spiral) was presented, flanked by spirals of the same type, and observers were adapted to its motion. The observers' task was to report the rotational direction of a directionally ambiguous motion (test stimulus) presented afterwards. The directionally ambiguous motion consisted of a pair of spirals flickering in counterphase, which were mirror images of the target spiral. Although observers were not aware of the rotational direction of the target and identified it at chance levels, the direction of rotation reported by the observers during the test phase (motion aftereffect) was contrarotational to the direction of the adapting spiral. Since all contours of the adapting and test stimuli were 90 degrees apart, local motion detectors tuned to the directions of the mirror-image spiral should fail to respond, and therefore not adapt to the adapting spiral. Thus, any motion aftereffect observed should be attributed to adaptation of global motion detectors (ie rotation detectors). Hence, activation of rotation-selective cells is not necessarily correlated with conscious perception.     

Social Norms from a Goal-System Point of View: Contributions of Activity Analysis

In this article, we used a social injunctive norm to incentivize the elaboration of energy-efficient projects within a building renovation simulation application. We manipulated the norm saliency (presence on the interface) and compared its effect to that of an arbitrary set goal and a no-goal condition (control). Results show that both an injunctive norm and an explicit goal, when salient, led to more energy-efficient designs. Furthermore, participants exposed to the salient injunctive norm identified important parameters more quickly, were more efficient, and were more consistently focused on energy (vs. furnishing). Implications for theory and methodology for further experiments are discussed.     

Regulatory fit from attribute‐based versus alternative‐based processing in decision making

This paper discusses the fit between attribute-based versus alternative-based processing and regulatory focus, and its impact on decision outcome valuation. Attribute-based processing was found to occur more frequently under prevention focus, whereas alternative-based processing occurred more frequently under promotion focus. The fit between prevention/promotion focus and attribute-based/alternative-based processing was found to enhance satisfaction with choices and the perceived monetary value of chosen options. Moreover, the effect of fit on outcome valuation was found to be mediated by ease of processing. Finally, the effects of fit on ease of processing and outcome valuation disappeared when consumers first practiced to process information based on either attributes or alternatives.     

Translating the Stuttering Severity Instrument (SSI-3) into Persian: Response to Karimi, Nilipour, Shafiei and Howell

Karimi, Nilipour, Shafiei and Howell have raised some issues in regards to a study of which we were authors (Bakhtiar, Seifpanahi, Hossein, Ghanadzade & Packman, 2010). In that study, we reported the translation of the Stuttering Severity Instrument-3 (SSI-3) into Persian and reported its reliability when used with 12 Persian speaking preschool children who stutter, in Iran. Karimi et al. criticize our methods and claim that we did not specify that the translated test be used with preschoolers. In this response, we maintain that their criticisms of our methods are largely unfounded, especially the suggestion that we did not follow the WHO guidelines for translating questionnaires in our translation procedure. In addition, we show that we did in fact stipulate in our paper that the Persian SSI-3 should be used with preschoolers and that Karimi et al. misquoted us in their claim that we did not.