Individualized Challenge Point Practice as a Method to Aid Motor Sequence Learning

We conducted two studies to investigate if and how: (1) the rate of skill acquisition was related to motor performance at retention of a serial RT task (Study 1); and (2) whether rate of skill acquisition and baseline performance could be used to design schedules of practice related to contextual interference (CI) to enhance motor learning (Study 2). In Study 1, a slower rate of skill acquisition of repeating sequences in practice was related to faster response times at retention. Based on performance in Study 1, three levels of individualized CI were created for Study 2. Compared to low and moderate levels of CI, the higher CI practice condition led to faster response times in retention. We conclude that an individualized ‘challenge point’, which generates high CI enhances motor learning by optimizing challenge.     

From Wald to Savage: Homo Economicus Becomes a Bayesian Statistician

Bayesian rationality is the paradigm of rational behavior in neoclassical economics. An economic agent is deemed rational when she maximizes her subjective expected utility and consistently revises her beliefs according to Bayes's rule. The paper raises the question of how, when and why this characterization of rationality came to be endorsed by mainstream economists. Though no definitive answer is provided, it is argued that the question is of great historiographic importance. The story begins with Abraham Wald's behaviorist approach to statistics and culminates with Leonard J. Savage's elaboration of subjective expected utility theory in his 1954 classic The Foundations of Statistics. The latter's acknowledged fiasco to achieve a reinterpretation of traditional inference techniques along subjectivist and behaviorist lines raises the puzzle of how a failed project in statistics could turn into such a big success in economics. Possible answers call into play the emphasis on consistency requirements in neoclassical theory and the impact of the postwar transformation of U.S. business schools.     

Delinquent Peer Group Formation: Evidence of a Gene X Environment Correlation

Emerging evidence suggests that variants of specific genes may influence some youths to seek out or associate with antisocial peers. Using genotypic data (N = 1,816) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (J. R. Udry, 1998, 2003), the authors tested this possibility. They found that the 10R allele of the dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene was associated with self-reported delinquent peer affiliation for male adolescents from high-risk environments (β range = .13-.14) despite controlling for delinquent involvement, self-control, and drug and alcohol use. The authors discuss the importance of using a biosocial framework to examine issues related to adolescent development.     

An Abbreviated Screening Instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorders

The reliability and validity of the Parent's Observations of Social Interactions (POSI), a new, seven‐item screening instrument for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is examined in two substudies. In Study 1, parents of 217 children (18–48 months) evaluated at a developmental clinic completed intake questionnaires that included the POSI and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M‐CHAT) checklist. POSI and M‐CHAT scores were compared to clinical evaluation results to assess reliability and validity. In Study 2, parents of 232 children (16–36 months) from both primary care and subspecialty settings completed the POSI, the M‐CHAT, and a report of their child's diagnoses. POSI and M‐CHAT scores were compared to reported diagnoses to assess reliability and validity. In both studies, the POSI demonstrated adequate internal reliability (Cronbach α = 0.83 and 0.86, respectively). In Study 1, POSI sensitivity (89%) was higher than that for the M‐CHAT (71%; p < .05); specificities were not significantly different (POSI: 54%, M‐CHAT: 62%). In Study 2, sensitivity (83%) compared favorably to that for the M‐CHAT (50%), although specificity was lower (75 vs. 84%). Despite its brevity, the POSI demonstrated good internal reliability and comparable sensitivity/specificity to the M‐CHAT checklist in two independent populations. If results are reproduced in larger, more diverse samples, the POSI may provide an efficient method for ASD screening in young children.     

Advancement of Criminal Profiling Methods in Faceted Multidimensional Analysis

The current study seeks to advance the faceted multidimensional scaling (termed FMDS) procedure used in much of the investigative psychology research. To this end, recent research on street robbery by Goodwill and colleagues will be utilised to illustrate the effectiveness of a facet scale method for offender profiling. Four FMDS themes of street robbery (Con, Blitz, Confrontation and Snatch) were revealed by the crossing of two underlying axial facets: the offenders' level of violence and interaction with the victim. The facet scale method, utilising offenders' axial facet scores, was compared to previous count, proportional and centroid classification methods in the prediction of offender criminal histories. Utilising logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses, the axial facet scale method was found to significantly outperform the qualitatively based dominant theme classification methods that typically employ angular and radial facets for FMDS interpretation. Implications for the use of axial facet scales within FMDS analysis for offender profiling research are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Happiness,eudaimonia, and other holy grails: What can job loss teach us about ‘One-size-fits-all’ theories of well-being?

Abstract

Positive psychology has made significant advances in our understanding of well-being, yet agreement about the definition and nature of well-being remains elusive. This study explores the experience of well-being from a bottom-up, naturalistic point of view and compares these inductive notions with existing a priori theories. Using a qualitative-focused case study methodology, this paper explores how everyday people describe well-being in the context of job loss among a sample of 20 workers from the Ottawa, Canada technology sector. Findings support integrated conceptualizations of hedonia and eudaimonia while also potentially identifying new notions of well-being. Identified themes include (a) life evaluation, (b) transitory experiencing, (c) growth and grounding, (d) environmental mastery/stability, (e) mental ill-being/ill-health, and (f) motivational mindsets/conditions. This study shows well-being to be a rich, pluralistic construct which includes the non-dualistic notions of both subjectivity and objectivity as well as encompassing notions related to the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of well-being.     

A meta-analysis of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length

Background and objectives: Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, and shorter telomeres are associated with poor physical health. The present study set out to consolidate the varying effect sizes found so far in studies of anxiety and telomere length.

Design and methods: A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between anxiety and telomere length used information from 17 different samples comprising a total of 19,424 participants.

Results: The results showed a small but significant association, r?=??.06, between higher anxiety and shorter telomeres. Studies comparing individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder with other individuals had a significant effect size, and studies that did not use this comparison threshold did not have a significant effect size.

Conclusions: Anxiety is associated with an important biomarker related to health. Future experimental studies that examine the impact of interventions intended to reduce anxiety in conjunction with measurement of telomere length can further clarify the impact of anxiety on telomere length.     

Inattentive behaviour is associated with poor working memory and slow processing speed in very pre‐term children in middle childhood

Background. Problem behaviour is common following pre‐term birth, but the underlying nature of these difficulties is not well known. Aims. We sought to establish the mechanisms underpinning behavioural difficulties in very pre‐term (VPT) children in middle childhood by comparing their performance to that of term born peers on tasks of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed, and relating these to parent and teacher assessments of their behaviour. Particular focus was given to inattention and overactive/impulsive behaviour, as these behaviours have been associated with different neuropsychological problems in term children. Samples. A group of VPT children (gestational age < 31 weeks, N= 56) aged 9–10 years and term controls (N= 22) participated in the study. Method. Children were assessed with measures of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed. Parents and teachers reported behavioural problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and two additional scales measuring overactive/impulsive behaviour and inattention. Results. Results revealed increased rates of problem behaviour in VPT compared to term children for parent‐rated total difficulties, hyperactivity, emotional problems, peer problems, prosocial behaviour, overactive/impulsive behaviour, and parent‐ and teacher‐rated inattention. Processing speed and working memory, but not inhibition, were significantly related to inattentive and overactive/impulsive behaviour. Conclusions. The increased rates of inattention and overactive/impulsive behaviour in VPT children may be explained by impairment in processing speed and working memory. Expected links between overactive/impulsive behaviour and inhibitory control were not identified, suggesting the nature of such difficulties may be different in VPT compared to term children.     

Is viewing ostracism on television distressing?

Being ostracized can be a painful and distressing experience and can lead to subsequent aggression by the victim. However, it is unknown whether watching someone else be ostracized either in real life or on television is similarly distressing. The purpose of the current study was to examine what type of distress (if any) is induced after viewing ostracism on television. The study consisted of 50 participants, half who viewed a movie clip containing ostracism and half who viewed a control clip. Physiological and self-report data revealed that viewing ostracism was distressing to participants. In particular, participants who viewed the ostracism clip reported a lower sense of belonging, self esteem, and mood, and a greater increase in heart rate and skin conductivity than those who viewed the control clip.