Detecting olfactory rivalry

Olfactory rivalry can occur when a binary mixture is sniffed repeatedly, with one percept dominating then the other. Experiment 1 demonstrated olfactory rivalry using several new techniques. Experiments 2 and 3 examined whether participants can notice rivalry. Participants received trials composed of odor pairs: either a mixture followed by the same mixture; or a pure odor followed by the same pure odor. On some trials participants judged whether the two stimuli were the same or different, to see if they could detect rivalry. On other trials participants judged the quality of each odor, allowing us to determine whether rivalry occurred. We found evidence for rivalry when we compared reports of odor quality for one stimulus and then the other, but no evidence that participants could detect this change. These findings are consistent with the idea that people can experience olfactory illusions, but may not know they have occurred.     

Measurement of Creative Teaching in Mathematics Class

The current study serves two main purposes: (1) proposing a framework suggesting several conditions that mathematics teachers should establish to increase student creativity, and (2) developing and validating a scale based on the framework, aimed at measuring to what extent mathematics teachers establish a learning environment for their students to foster creativity. The analysis benefited from Sternberg’s Investment Theory of Creativity and Cropley’s framework in addition to other studies on creativity when developing the scale. The participants consisted of two groups of mathematics teachers. Data from the first group (n = 423) were used for exploratory factor analysis. The second group (n = 410) were used for confirmatory factor analysis. Based on results of the exploratory factor analysis, 5 items were removed from the scale. Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the trimmed scale. Based on these results, there is evidence that the scale can be employed confidently to measure different dimensions of creativity-fostering behaviors of mathematics teachers.     

Hypothalamic circuit regulating colonic transit following chronic stress in rats

Although acute stress accelerates colonic transit, the effect of chronic stress on colonic transit remains unclear. In this study, rats received repeated restraint stress (chronic homotypic stress) or various types of stress (chronic heterotypic stress) for 5 and 7 days, respectively. Vehicle saline, oxytocin (OXT), OXT receptor antagonist or corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonists were administered by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection prior to restraint stress for 90 min. Immediately after the stress exposure, the entire colon was removed and the geometric center (GC) of Na51CrO4 (a nonabsorbable radioactive marker; 0.5 μCi) distribution was calculated to measure the transit. Gene expression of OXT and CRF in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was evaluated by in situ hybridization. Accelerated colonic transit with the acute stressor was no longer observed following chronic homotypic stress. This restored colonic transit was reversed by ICV injection of an OXT antagonist. In contrast, chronic heterotypic stress significantly accelerated colonic transit, which was attenuated by ICV injection of OXT and by a CRF receptor 1 antagonist. OXT mRNA expression in the PVN was significantly increased following chronic homotypic stress, but not chronic heterotypic stress. However, CRF mRNA expression in the PVN was significantly increased following acute and chronic heterotypic stress, but not chronic homotypic stress. These results indicate that central OXT and CRF play a pivotal role in mediating the colonic dysmotility following chronic stress in rats.     

State and Trait Anxiety Levels of Adolescents in a Changing Society, Kirikkale City, Turkey

Adolescents face rapidly changing challenges. Psychosocial health problems during adolescence are relatively common in all cultures. This study was designed to evaluate the state and trait anxiety status and influencing sociodemographic and other factors, thought to pertain to youth, on anxiety among school children in Kirikkale. It was carried out at three public primary and two high schools representative of two different socioeconomic statuses. 430 Turkish school children (246 girls, 184 boys) were asked voluntarily to answer a set of questionnaires in their classrooms at the beginning of a training programme. Then the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was administered. Mean age of the students was 14.16 ± 1.87 years. The mean total STAI-CS and STAI-CT scores were 40.24 ± 11.64, and 44.71 ± 9.64, respectively. There were no differences in STAI-CS and STAI-CT scores between boys and girls in both schools and in all age groups. Among girls, a positive body image had a significant effect on state anxiety scores. There was a positive correlation between age and anxiety scores (r = .17, F:12.176, p < .001). Students identifying their families SES as bad and/or moderate scored significantly higher in comparison to the other groups (p < .05). STAI-CS scores were higher for lower educational grade, higher body weight and sleep problems. In Kirikkale, a city faced with substantial changes in cultural and traditional norms, adolescents could be expected to be under stress and appear to be responding to stress with anxiety.     

Religion and Armed Conflict: Evidence from the Kurdish Conflict in Turkey

This article examines the effectiveness of religion as a solution to ethno-nationalist conflicts, drawing on the case of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan [PKK]) in Turkey. We utilize an original data set that contains data on Turkey's state-sponsored mosques between 1980 and 2016 to test for the purported peacemaking potential of religion. Results from this data set, coupled with an alternative measure of the state's involvement in religion, show that increased Islamization has no discernible impact on lowering support for the ethno-nationalist Kurdish political parties or insurgency.     

Effects of Religious Participation on Social Inclusion and Existential Well-Being Levels of Muslim Refugees and Immigrants in Turkey

ABSTRACT

Being a refugee or immigrant brings many difficulties that can detrimentally affect well-being. Participation in social life and feeling included in the host country can play an important role on well-being. This article aims to investigate the effects of religious participation and social inclusion on well-being levels of refugees and immigrants. Data were collected from 97 participants who were enrolled in voluntary Turkish language courses for refugees in Istanbul. Results of path analysis indicated that religious participation enhanced the level of social inclusion and social inclusion fostered existential well-being. Although religious participation demonstrated no direct effects on existential well-being, it showed a significant and positive indirect effect through social inclusion. Results of difference tests indicated that participants with higher level of education attended to religious activities significantly more often and their existential well-being and social inclusion levels were higher as well. Results also demonstrated that social inclusion scores of high attenders (to religious activities) were significantly higher.     

Fluency in L2: Read and Spontaneous Speech Pausing Patterns of Turkish,Swahili, Hausa and Arabic Speakers of English

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research - Language learners’ actual speech performances constitute an essential aspect of studies on second language learning and teaching. Although there is...