Typical predictive eye movements during action observation without effector-specific motor simulation

When watching someone reaching to grasp an object, we typically gaze at the object before the agent’s hand reaches it—that is, we make a “predictive eye movement” to the object. The received explanation is that predictive eye movements rely on a direct matching process, by which the observed action is mapped onto the motor representation of the same body movements in the observer’s brain. In this article, we report evidence that calls for a reexamination of this account. We recorded the eye movements of an individual born without arms (D.C.) while he watched an actor reaching for one of two different-sized objects with a power grasp, a precision grasp, or a closed fist. D.C. showed typical predictive eye movements modulated by the actor’s hand shape. This finding constitutes proof of concept that predictive eye movements during action observation can rely on visual and inferential processes, unaided by effector-specific motor simulation.     

A moderate financial incentive can increase effort,but not intelligence test performance in adult volunteers

A positive correlation between self-reported test-taking motivation and intelligence test performance has been reported. Additionally, some financial incentive experimental evidence suggests that intelligence test performance can be improved, based on the provision of financial incentives. However, only a small percentage of the experimental research has been conducted with adults. Furthermore, virtually none of the intelligence experimental research has measured the impact of financial incentives on test-taking motivation. Consequently, we conducted an experiment with 99 adult volunteers who completed a battery of intelligence tests under two conditions: no financial incentive and financial incentive (counterbalanced). We also measured self-reported test-taking importance and effort at time 1 and time 2. The financial incentive was observed to impact test-taking effort statistically significantly. By contrast, no statistically significant effects were observed for the intelligence test performance scores. Finally, the intelligence test scores were found to correlate positively with both test-taking importance (r_c = .28) and effort (r_c = .37), although only effort correlated uniquely with intelligence (partial r_c = .26). In conjunction with other empirical research, it is concluded that a financial incentive can increase test-taking effort. However, the potential effects on intelligence test performance in adult volunteers seem limited.     

Developing a model for online support group use,empowering processes and psychosocial outcomes for individuals living with HIV/AIDS

This study examined the mechanism through which online support group (OSG) participation may promote patient empowerment among 340 individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Results from structural equation modelling revealed that greater use of OSGs was associated with more frequent occurrence of the empowering processes as measured by receiving useful information, receiving social support, finding positive meaning and helping others. Receiving useful information and finding positive meaning were related to higher levels of adaptive coping and lower levels of maladaptive coping, while receiving social support and helping others were related to higher levels of self-care self-efficacy, which in turn was related to higher levels of adaptive coping, and lower levels of maladaptive coping. Finally, higher levels of maladaptive coping were related to poorer quality of life, while higher levels of adaptive coping were related to better quality of life. Results suggest that OSG participation may offer some benefits for those living with HIV/AIDS.     

Leader Profiles and Their Effectiveness on Employees’ Outcomes

An underlying premise of the transformational–transactional leadership theory is that different forms of leadership can reside simultaneously within the same individual. This fundamental hypothesis has received scarce attention in the empirical literature. The objectives of this study are thus to examine whether leader profiles combining these leadership forms do exist and to evaluate how these profiles are associated with specific employee attitudes and behaviors. Results obtained from two different samples using cluster analyses revealed six different leader profiles (i.e., superleaders, transactors, moderate leaders, distant-visionary, distant-rewarding, and distant-punitive leaders). Our results showed that these types of leaders differ in terms of employees’ perceptions of trust, justice, and commitment, as well as supervisor-rated in-role and contextual performance. Results and implications for research and practice are discussed.     

A Perception-Action Coupling Type of Control in Long Jumping

The authors' goal was to identify the control mechanisms used by long jumpers (N = 6) to precisely position their foot at the board. In addition to the intertrial method usually used in previous research, an original method based on a trial-by-trial analysis was also implemented. If the approach to the board in long jumping encompasses two distinct sequences separated by a key step that marks the initiation of visual control, then a trial-by-trial analysis should reveal those sequences, regardless of the amount of adjustment: The step number at which regulation is initiated should be the same irrespective of the amount of adjustment. If, in contrast, a perception-action coupling mechanism operates, then the step number at which regulation is initiated should be a function of the amount of adjustment: A linear relation between those 2 variables should emerge. The results of the present study are compatible with continuous control mechanisms based on a perception-action coupling.     

Modeling the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding: Evidence in Favor of a Revised Model of Socially Desirable Responding

Paulhus (1984) proposed a 2-factor model of socially desirable responding (SDR) and created the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) to capture the 2 dimensions: self-deceptive enhancement and impression management. However, the 2-factor model has yet to be supported via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the BIDR. Paulhus and Reid (1991) proposed a revised model of SDR, which bifurcated the self-deceptive enhancement dimension into 2 factors: self-deceptive enhancement (SDE; positively keyed items) and self-deceptive denial (SDD; negatively keyed items). Thus, it was considered useful to test the revised SDR model on the BIDR, as this might have implications for the manner in which the BIDR should be scored. Additionally, as the BIDR subscales might be positively correlated, it was considered useful from a both a theoretical and practical perspective to test the possibility that the BIDR might measure a general SDR process. Based on a sample of 466 adults, Paulhus and Reid's revised model of SDR was largely supported when tested via CFA on a bifactor model, which included a first-order general SDR factor and 2 nested factors. Thus, applied researchers might consider using total BIDR composite scores, a self-deceptive enhancement composite score (positively keyed items), and impression management composite scores. However, ideally, researchers would use a bifactor model to test substantive hypotheses, as the bifactor model partitions true score variance into unique sources, which facilitates less ambiguous interpretations of effects.     

Assessing the Structural and Psychometric Properties of a New Personality Measure for Use With Military Personnel in the French Armed Forces

We evaluated the measurement properties of a new personality scale for use with military personnel in the French Navy (N = 1,266). Principal components analyses indicated a five-factor structure assessing emotional stability, ascendancy, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Each factor comprised two facets that included 7 items per facet for a total of 70 items. Reliability analyses indicate that the factors and corresponding facets were internally consistent and temporally stable. Validity analyses indicate that the TAMI-P was significantly correlated with comparable measures of personality—correlations ranged from .53 to .68 with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Big Five Questionnaire.     

Importance effects on performance in event‐based prospective memory tasks

In the present study we manipulated the importance of performing two event‐based prospective memory tasks. In Experiment 1, the event‐based task was assumed to rely on relatively automatic processes, whereas in Experiment 2 the event‐based task was assumed to rely on a more demanding monitoring process. In contrast to the first experiment, the second experiment showed that importance had a positive effect on prospective memory performance. In addition, the occurrence of an importance effect on prospective memory performance seemed to be mainly due to the features of the prospective memory task itself, and not to the characteristics of the ongoing tasks that only influenced the size of the importance effect. The results suggest that importance instructions may improve prospective memory if the prospective task requires the strategic allocation of attentional monitoring resources.     

The importance of cue familiarity and cue distinctiveness in prospective memory

Abstract

Both retrospective cued-memory tasks and event-based prospective memory tasks require that cue and target information be associated, and that aspects of that association be reinstated for successful remembering. These functional similarities between retrospective memory and prospective memory were the bases for the hypothesis that the familiarity and the distinctiveness of the target event (cue) would influence prospective memory performance. Experiment 1, focusing on target familiarity, found a nominal advantage in prospective memory with unfamiliar target events. Experiment 2 showed a significant benefit for unfamiliar target events, as well as for target events that were distinctive relative to the local context. Additionally, prospective memory performance did not reliably correlate with explicit retrospective memory tasks (recall and recognition), but did correlate with an indirect retrospective memory task (word fragment completion). This pattern suggests and helps specify the general view that prospective memory processes may be similar to those involved in both direct and indirect tests of retrospective memory.