Minimal functional brain differences between older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment during the stroop

This investigation compared the neural correlates of inhibition in normal older adults (OAs) and OAs with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It was hypothesized the MCI group would require a greater amount of resources for inhibition, and therefore display greater functional activation in specific regions of interest (ROIs). Twenty-six OAs without and 17 with MCI completed the Stroop task during functional neuroimaging, and completed additional out-of-scanner neuropsychological measures. During inhibition, there were minimal functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) differences found between groups in a priori specified ROIs and with post-hoc multiple regression analyses. However, these minimal differences did not survive corrected thresholds. Robust differences were found with several tasks of a neuropsychological screening battery. The results of this study suggest only very minimal group differences in fMRI activation during inhibition which may not reliably identify MCI, and this condition may be best detected by traditional neuropsychological techniques.     

Women's hairstyle and men's behavior: A field experiment

Little research has examined the effect of women's hairstyles on people's behavior. In a field study, male and female passersby, walking alone in the street, were observed while walking behind a female‐confederate who dropped a glove and apparently was unaware of her loss. The confederate had long dark hair arranged in three different hairstyles: one with her hair falling naturally on her shoulders and her back, one with her hair tied in a ponytail, and one with her hair twisted in a bun. Results reported that the hairstyle had no effect on female passersby's helping behavior. However, it was found that the hairstyle influenced male passersby with men helping the confederate more readily when her hair fell naturally on her neck, shoulders and upper back.     

The Influence of Employers' Use of Social Networking Websites in Selection,Online Self‐promotion,and Personality on the Likelihood of Faux Pas Postings

Employers' selection practices sometimes involve reviewing applicants' profile on social networking websites (SNWs) and invading applicants' privacy (e.g., asking for their passwords). Applicants can be eliminated because of faux pas (i.e., inappropriate content) they post online. Yet, little research has examined factors related to faux pas postings. The present study examines employers' use of SNWs in selection, participants' internet and SNWs use, personality, and SNWs self‐promotion as predictors of the likelihood of faux pas postings. Results show lower likelihood of faux pas postings when participants are informed that a high proportion of employers use SNWs in selection, but mainly when it includes invasion of applicants' privacy. Moreover, participants' age, privacy settings, extraversion, and SNWs self‐promotion are related to faux pas.     

Sound level of background music and alcohol consumption: an empirical evaluation

The effect of background music on alcohol consumption has been widely researched in the literature, but few studies have tested the effect of sound level on drinking behavior. An experiment was carried out in two bars to test patrons' response to music's loudness. Using random assignment, patrons were exposed to a sound level which was higher than that usually employed in the bars in which the study took place. Analysis showed that a higher sound level than usual was associated with consuming more drinks. An "arousal" hypothesis is used to explain the findings.     

Influence of education on the benton visual retention test performance as mediated by a strategic search component

Age-related cognitive decline has been reported by several studies. However, little investigations have dealt with the effect of education on this decline. In the present study, we examined the influence of educational level on visual working memory, evaluated by the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT in recognition format) in 829 elderly participants of the PAQUID study. A multivariate linear model suggested that the effect of education on BVRT performance was not mediated by visual discrimination abilities suggesting that it was mainly supported by better executive abilities. Moreover, the analysis of success and error location suggested that subjects with higher educational level use a more exhaustive exploration strategy during the recognition phase than subjects with lower educational level, which permit them to better perform. The ability of high educational level subjects to use more efficient strategies may participate to the 'cognitive reserve' capacity.     

A methodological note on nonlinear time series analysis: is the open- and closed-loop model of Collins and De Luca (1993) a statistical artifact?

The authors reexamined, theoretically and empirically, the method proposed by J. J. Collins and C. D. De Luca (1993) for the analysis of center-of-pressure trajectories. The main argument in this article is that Collins and De Luca's approach is not adapted to the analysis of bounded time series and leads to statistical artifacts such as underestimation of the diffusion process for long-term intervals. The open- and closed-loop model developed by Collins and De Luca is a direct consequence of those statistical problems. Applying more classical methods, such as rescaled range analysis or detrended fluctuation analysis, the authors show that center-of-pressure trajectories can be modeled as continuous, antipersistent fractional Brownian motion. More specifically, those trajectories behave like 1/f noise, a ubiquitous feature in adaptive biological systems.     

Motor simulation in tool-use effect on distance estimation: A replication of Witt and Proffitt (2008)

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review - Witt and Proffit (Human Perception and Performance, 34 (6), 1479–1492, 2008) hypothesized that when people intend to reach a target, they run a motor...     

Socioeconomic status and executive function in early childhood: Exploring proximal mechanisms

Although there is substantial evidence that socioeconomic status (SES) predicts children's executive function (EF), the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. This study tested the utility of two theories proposed to link SES to children's EF: the family stress model and the family investment model. Data came from the Midwestern Infant Development Study (N = 151). To measure SES, parental education and income were assessed during pregnancy, and income was also assessed when children were 6 and 36 months old. Children's EF, operationalized as working memory/inhibitory control (WMIC) and self‐control, was assessed at 36 months of age, along with potential mediators including maternal psychological distress, harsh parenting, and cognitive stimulation. Using structural equation modeling, we tested simultaneous pathways from SES to EF: (a) via maternal psychological distress to harsh parenting (family stress model) and (b) via cognitive stimulation (family investment model). Of the SES measures, lower education predicted poorer WMIC directly and indirectly via greater maternal psychological distress. Lower education also predicted poorer self‐control via greater maternal psychological distress. This effect was partially suppressed by an indirect path from lower education to better self‐control via greater psychological distress and increased harsh parenting. Cognitive stimulation did not act as a mediator. Income was not directly or indirectly associated with EF. These findings provide partial support for the family stress model and suggest that family functioning is an important proximal mechanism for children's EF development. This study also highlights the importance of considering SES as a multidimensional construct.