Walking the thin line between efficiency and accuracy: Validity and structural properties of the Dirty Dozen

In this study (N = 210), participants were sampled through the Mechanical Turk system to assess the validity and structural properties of the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism). First, the correlations of the Dirty Dozen and long-form Dark Triad measures with sociosexual behaviors, attitudes, and desires, were generally consistent. Second, the scales of the Dirty Dozen measure modestly correlated with other measures of the same constructs as would be expected given the reduction in content-breadth. Third, the scales tap different dimensions (e.g., primary psychopathy, entitlement) of the older measures despite the loss of content. Fourth, a series of factor analyses revealed that the three dimensional structure replicates, but the data were best explained by a bifactor model. Despite traditional objections to short measures, if the short measure is up to the task of measuring its constructs and has good structural properties, it is a useful tool. Whereas the Dirty Dozen appears to provide conservative estimates of correlations it does appear to be a valid and psychometrically sound measure of the Dark Triad.     

Emotions within reason: Resolving conflicts in risk preference

This research focused on differential effects of emotional and rational preferences in decision making and how people resolve conflicting risk preferences caused by inconsistency between their emotional reactions to and rational assessment of a risk problem. In addition, effects of the framing of choice outcomes on emotional, rational, and overall risk preferences were examined. Adopting a within-subjects design, Study 1 showed that the emotional choice preference was often the opposite of the rational choice preference and was more risk-seeking than the rational preference. The overall favourability rating for a chosen option was significantly higher when the emotional choice and rational choice were the same than when they were opposed. Emotional preferences were significantly more susceptible than rational preferences to the hedonic tone of risky choice framing. The overall preference was a compromise of the conflicting emotional and rational preferences in some risk domains, and resembled either the emotional preference or the rational preference in other risk domains. Study 2, using a between-subjects manipulation, further confirmed that emotional preference and rational preference had differential effects on risky choice.     

Examining the Impact of Training on the Homosexual Conduct Policy for Military Personnel

The impact of training related to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue policy on training outcomes of military personnel was examined with data from the Department of Defense Inspector General's Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue Policy Survey of military personnel (N = 71,570). We hypothesized that training related to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue policy would impact participant's reactions, learning and cognitive outcomes, and behavioral and organizational outcomes. Results indicate that individuals who reported having received training on the homosexual conduct policy perceived the policy to be more effective at preventing/reducing harassment; were more likely to feel free to report harassment complaints; reported greater levels of understating and were more knowledgeable of the policy; reported higher levels of intolerance of harassment; and reported that more actions had been take at their installation/ship to reduce and prevent harassment than individuals who had not received any training. Although the pattern of results was statistically significant, the magnitude of these effects were small (η ² = .001–.109). These findings highlight the continuing need to expand current efforts to reduce and curtail harassment based on perceived sexual orientation.     

Characterization of room-temperature plastic deformation of ß-Si3N4 by atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy

Dislocation microstructures induced by room-temperature microhardness tests have been investigated in silicon nitride. Surface analysis of the residual indent by atomic force microscopy reveals intragranular slip bands and demonstrates that room-temperature plastic deformation involves dislocation motion as well as cross-slip events. Cross-slip events have been found to occur between {1010} prismatic planes. Transmission electron microscopy shows that dislocations have a Burgers vector b = [0001] and are located along the screw direction. Based on these observations, specific dislocation core configurations are discussed.     

Nature of shear flow lines in equal-channel angular-pressed metals and alloys

The nature of shear flow lines in equal-channel angular-pressed (ECAPed) metals has been investigated experimentally and theoretically. Experimental results indicate that, for metals pressed in a right-angle die, the shear flow lines often have an angle of ～27° with respect to the extrusion direction. It is suggested that the shear flow lines are composed of a group of elongated grains with an elongation direction that deviates slightly from that of the shear flow lines.     

Thermophysical properties of undercooled liquid cobalt

The surface tension of undercooled liquid cobalt has been measured by the oscillating-drop technique combined with electromagnetic levitation. The accuracy of the method was verified by measurements of the surface tension of liquid nickel. The liquid cobalt was undercooled by up to 231K (0.13T _m), and its surface tension determined to be σ_Co =1875 0.348(T-T _m)mNm^-1. From this result, the viscosity, self-diffusion coefficient, density and thermal diffusivity of undercooled liquid cobalt were derived. Using these thermophysical parameters, the growth velocity of cobalt dendrite is calculated and shown to agree well with experimental results. Furthermore, the Marangoni number and the Rayleigh number are calculated; these increase slowly with increasing degree of undercooling.     

Two different types of shear-deformation behaviour in Au–Cu multilayers

Localised shear deformation of a material is usually identified as a particular feature of deformation inhomogeneity. Here, we show two different types of shear deformation-behaviour that occurred in Au–Cu multilayers subjected to microindentation load, namely, a cooperative-layer-buckling-induced shear banding in a nanoscale multilayer and a direct localised shearing across a layer interface along a shear plane in a submicron-scale multilayer. Theoretical analysis indicates that the formation of the two different types of shear deformation in the multilayers depends on a competition between the dislocation-pile-up-induced stress concentration at the layer interface and the barrier strength of the layer interface for glissile dislocation transmission.     

Amorphization of TiNi induced by high-pressure torsion

Using high-resolution electron microscopy, we investigated the initial stages of high-pressure-torsion-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transformation of TiNi. It is found that the deformation-induced amorphization initiated from dislocation core regions in the interior of grains and from grain boundaries. It is believed that both the energy stored in the dislocations and the energy stored in the grain boundaries contribute significantly to driving the crystalline-to-amorphous transformation.     

PbO compensation in the growth of PbWO4: Y3+ crystals

The light yield of Y³⁺-doped PbWO₄ crystals increases after low-dose-rate irradiation with?γ?rays, and the radiation hardness is sensitive to annealing temperature. In the PWO growth procedure, an excess of PbO in the starting materials is a convenient method of compensating for PbO volatility. The relationship between the excess of PbO and the abnormal radiation behaviour has been investigated. The mechanism of the normal excess of PbO in the growth of PWO: Y³⁺ is discussed.