Generation and context memory

Generation enhances memory for occurrence but may not enhance other aspects of memory. The present study further delineates the negative generation effect in context memory reported in N. W. Mulligan (2004). First, the negative generation effect occurred for perceptual attributes of the target item (its color and font) but not for extratarget aspects of context (location and background color). Second, nonvisual generation tasks with either semantic or nonsemantic generation rules (antonym and rhyme generation, respectively) produced the same pattern of results. In contrast, a visual (or data-driven) generation task (letter transposition) did not disrupt context memory for color. Third, generating nonwords produced no effect on item memory but persisted in producing a negative effect on context memory for target attributes, implying that (a) the negative generation effect in context memory is not mediated by semantic encoding, and (b) the negative effect on context memory can be dissociated from the positive effect on item memory. The results are interpreted in terms of the processing account of generation. The original, perceptual-conceptual version of this account is too narrow, but a modified processing account, based on a more generic visual versus nonvisual processing distinction, accommodates the results.     

Emotional self-efficacy,conduct problems,and academic attainment: Developmental cascade effects in early adolescence

The study is amongst the first of its kind to utilise developmental cascade modelling in order to examine the inter-relations between emotional self-efficacy, conduct problems, and attainment in a large, nationally representative sample of English adolescents (n = 2414, aged 11 years). Using a 3-wave, longitudinal, cross lagged-design, we tested three cascading hypotheses: adjustment erosion, adjustment fortification, and academic incompetence. A fourth hypothesis considered the role of shared risk. Results supported small effects consistent with the cascade hypotheses, and a small but significant effect was found for shared risk. Strengths and limits of the study are considered alongside a discussion of the implications for these findings.     

Planning of Reach-and-Grasp Movements: Effects of Validity and Type of Object Information

Individuals are assumed to plan reach-and-grasp movements by using two separate processes. In 1 of the processes, extrinsic (direction, distance) object information is used in planning the movement of the arm that transports the hand to the target location (transport planning); whereas in the other, intrinsic (shape) object information is used in planning the preshaping of the hand and the grasping of the target object (manipulation planning) In 2 experiments, the authors used primes to provide information to participants (N = 5, Experiment 1; N = 6, Experiment 2) about extrinsic and intrinsic object properties. The validity of the prime information was systematically varied. The primes were succeeded by a cue, which always correctly identified the location and shape of the target object. Reaction times were recorded. Four models of transport and manipulation planning were tested. The only model that was consistent with the data was 1 in which arm transport and object manipulation planning were postulated to be independent processes that operate partially in parallel. The authors suggest that the processes involved in motor planning before execution are primarily concerned with the geometric aspects of the upcoming movement but not with the temporal details of its execution.     

The Role of Family and Teacher Support in Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian Adolescents Exposed to Community Violence

Extensive research has been conducted in recent decades on the mental health consequences of Palestinians’ exposure to military and political violence. Despite the alarming rates of Palestinian youth exposure to community violence (ECV), there is a serious dearth of research on the effects of this pattern of exposure. The current study focused on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Palestinian adolescents as a result of their ECV. The study also examines the ability of perceived support from family and teachers to moderate the relationship between ECV and PTSD symptoms, and the involvement of demographic and socioeconomic variables in explaining this development. A sample of 1930 Palestinian secondary school students, aged 12–19, from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, answered questionnaires. Data analysis used univariate, bivariate, and multivariate methods, including SEM. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was predicted by past year ECV, family support, teacher support, residential density, parents’ education, age, and gender. SEM analysis validated additional relationship paths between variables. Results are discussed, suggesting future research with theoretical and practical implications.     

The look of love: gaze shifts and person perception

Gaze direction is a vital communicative channel through which people transmit information to each other. By signaling the locus of social attention, gaze cues convey information about the relative importance of objects, including other people, in the environment. For the most part, this information is communicated via patterns of gaze direction, with gaze shifts signaling changes in the objects of attention. Noting the relevance of gaze cues in social cognition, we speculated that gaze shifts may modulate people's evaluations of others. We investigated this possibility by asking participants to judge the likability (Experiment 1) and physical attractiveness (Experiment 2) of targets displaying gaze shifts indicative of attentional engagement or disengagement with the participants. As expected, person evaluation was moderated by the direction of gaze shifts, but only when the judgment under consideration was relevant to participants. We consider how and when gaze shifts may modulate person perception and its associated behavioral products.     

Reply to Nagasawa on the Inconsistency Objection to the Knowledge Argument

Yujin Nagasawa has recently defended Frank Jackson’s knowledge argument from the “inconsistency objection.” The objection claims that the premises of the knowledge argument are inconsistent with qualia epiphenomenalism. Nagasawa defends Jackson by showing that the objection mistakenly assumes a causal theory of phenomenal knowledge. I argue that although this defense might succeed against two versions of the inconsistency objection, mine is unaffected by Nagasawa’s argument, in which case the inconsistency in the knowledge argument remains.     

The self and recollection reconsidered: how a ‘failure to replicate’ failed and why trace strength accounts of recollection are untenable

Hirshman and Lanning ( 1999 ) ‘failed to replicate’ findings reported by Conway and Dewhurst ( 1995 ). There were, however, critical differences in design between the two sets of experiments. For example, Hirshman and Lanning used a within‐subject design and a short retention interval, whereas Conway and Dewhurst used a between‐subjects design and longer retention intervals. We demonstrate in a new series of experiments that the Conway and Dewhurst findings do replicate when the correct design is used and, moreover, we show that the design differences in Hirshman and Lanning's experiments account for their findings. Finally, we develop an account in terms of the self that can explain the complex pattern of findings, a pattern which lies beyound the scope of simple trace strength models of memory. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cognitive mechanisms underlying lying to questions: response time as a cue to deception

In this article, a model of the cognitive processes involved in generating deceptive answers to questions is proposed. Partly based on recent accounts of discourse processing, it posits two central processes. One is the decision to lie followed by the construction of a lie. Each should add to response time compared to answering honestly. In Experiment 1, the construction component was assessed; 92 adults were randomly assigned to one of two conditions where they answered personal questions either deceptively or truthfully. Constructing a lie added reliably to response time. Think‐aloud and correlational data support features of the model. In Experiment 2, 121 adults were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: either to tell the truth, lie, or lie when asked a question that probed sensitive information. Replicating and extending Experiment 1, the decision to lie added reliably to response time in the case of open‐ended questions (questions that elicit more than two possible answers). Based on between‐ and within‐subjects comparisons, results suggest that response time is a cue to deception. Recommendations are made for future research. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.