Suitability Screening During Basic Military Training

Results are presented for suitability screening conducted by the United States Air Force during basic military training. The Lackland Behavioral Questionnaire has been used operationally since 2007, and its use has led to an increase in predictive validity. For the prediction of outcomes during the first 4 years of service, one can identify trainees with a 49% likelihood of being separated for unsuitability and a 56% likelihood of being diagnosed with a mental disorder. A formal suitability screening program allows referrals and recommendations to be made using a combination of empirical evidence and clinical judgment.     

The consequences of stereotype threat on the academic performance of White and non-White lower income college students

This research examined whether socioeconomic stereotypes produce stereotype threat among lower, middle, or upper income college students who are either White or non-White. Before completing an academic test, participants were either told that the purpose of the research was to understand why lower income students generally perform worse on academic tests or to examine problem-solving processes. Results showed that lower income students exposed to stereotype threat experienced greater test anxiety and performed worse on the academic test than their middle income and higher income counterparts. However, lower income students who experienced stereotype threat exerted as much effort on the test as lower income students who did not experience stereotype threat. Nonetheless, they were less likely to identify with school-related subjects. Stereotype threat and reduced performance did not influence lower income students’ self-esteem. Participant race did not influence these findings. The research is discussed in light of cognitive dissonance theory. Portions of the results were presented at the 2004 American Psychological Society Conference, Chicago, IL. Lisa A. Harrison is an assistant professor of psychology at California State University, Sacramento. Her research interests include stereotypes and prejudice, gender role norms and female athletes, and the influence of social identity on judgments of interpersonal violence. E-mail: lharriso@csus.edu Chiesha M. Stevens is currently working toward her MA in industrial/organizational psychology at California State University, Long Beach Adrienne N. Monty is currently working toward her MA in psychology at California State University, Sacramento Christine Coakley received her BA in psychology from California State University, Sacramento where she is currently working toward her MA in industrial/organizational psychology. Her research interests include stereotype threat, optimism, motivation and employee burnout in special education. E-mail: Sac78629@saclink.csus.edu     

Performance as a source of perceived control

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effects of choice and environmental control on the development of the perception of control. The results showed that the perception of control develops from an opportunity to make choices. More deliberate (slower) decisions resulted in an increase in the perception of control, and these perceptual effects generalized to a dice-throwing task over which no choice was possible. A model was examined which assumes that subjects monitor their own behavior with the result that more thoughtful decisions lead subjects to infer higher levels of control.A portion of these results was presented at the annual meeting of the South Eastern Psychological Association, 1983. This research was supported in part by the VA Medical Research Services, the U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory, and Grant AGO 2300 from the National Institute on Aging. Appreciation is expressed to Kathleen Flannery for her assistance with the preparation of this paper and for her helpful comments.     

The effect of moving and static trans-scleral illumination of visual afterimages

The inside of the eye was illuminated by shining a small light through the upper eyelid and the sclera. After viewing a bright light flash, Ss closed their eyes and reported the duration of the afterimage under the following conditions: the light on and moving across the S’s eyelid (moving trans-scleral illumination), the light on but stationary (static trans-scleral illumination), and two corresponding control conditions in which the light was turned off (darkness). Results indicate that when the trans-scleral light is moving, afterimages are seen clearly for periods of approximately the same duration as those seen in complete darkness. However, when the trans-scleral illumination is stationary, the duration of the afterimages is significantly reduced. These results are compatible with other afterimage data that suggest that changes within the field after initial stimulation are needed to prolong afterimages.     

Persistence of the effects of choice on paired-associate learning

Four experiments are reported in which half of the subjects were permitted to choose either the stimulus or response members of S-R pairs from groupings of alternative stimuli or responses following the procedures of Perlmuter, Monty, and Kimble. The other subjects were exposed to the materials and were forced to learn the material chosen by their yoked partners. Approximately 24 h later, both groups learned PA lists comprised of either the chosen or forced material. Choosing either the stimulus or the response facilitated performance irrespective of whether the other member of the S-R pair was present at the time of choosing. This finding ruled out an associative hookup interpretation in favor of a purely motivational hypothesis and demonstrated the temporal durability of the effect of choosing.     

The effect of set on encoding and rehearsal processes in memory

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of manipulating S’s preparation for what he will see on a given trial on his ability to mentally keep track of the number of occurrences of each of several different stimuli in a sequence. It was found that, when the same stimuli were used from trial to trial, performance was significantly better than when different stimuli were used. Foreknowledge of the specific stimuli to be used on a given trial did little to improve performance per se, but it did reduce labeling errors. The results were discussed in terms of the “spatial window” model of keeping-track performance.