Attachment style and individual differences in leadership perceptions and emergence

The authors examined whether individuals' approaches to relationships, expressed in terms of attachment styles, was related to how they viewed ideal leadership and to their degree of tendency to emerge as team leaders. Specifically, the authors hypothesized that attachment styles, or cognitive representations of orientation to others, would explain individual differences in leadership perceptions and emergence. Participants were 127 American students in college teams. The authors found that securely attached individuals (n = 81) perceived themselves as more effective team members than did insecurely attached individuals (n = 46) and that fellow team members saw securely attached team members as emerging team leaders significantly more often than they did insecurely attached team members.     

Personality and attitude toward Christianity among churchgoers: a replication

A sample of 158 churchgoers attending eight Anglican churches in the United Kingdom completed the abbreviated Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity to replicate a 1996 study by Carter, Kay, and Francis. Data confirm that scores on Attitude toward Christianity were significantly negatively related to Psychoticism, but to neither Extraversion nor Neuroticism scores.     

Attitude toward Christianity and premarital sex

A Pearson correlation of .55 was found for a sample of 243 female undergraduates in Wales (M age=20.9 yr., SD=4.6) between high scores on the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity and rejection of premarital sex.     

Synonymous Logics

This paper discusses the general problem of translation functions between logics, given in axiomatic form, and in particular, the problem of determining when two such logics are synonymous or translationally equivalent. We discuss a proposed formal definition of translational equivalence, show why it is reasonable, and also discuss its relation to earlier definitions in the literature. We also give a simple criterion for showing that two modal logics are not translationally equivalent, and apply this to well-known examples. Some philosophical morals are drawn concerning the possibility of having two logical systems that are empirically distinct but are both translationally equivalent to a common logic.     

Older spouses' perceptions of partners' chronic arthritis pain: implications for spousal responses, support provision, and caregiving experiences

This study of older patients with osteoarthritis and their spouses examined concordance between patients' and spouses' reports of patients' pain severity and the association of concordance with support and caregiving outcomes. Patients and spouses independently viewed videotapes of the patient performing simulated household tasks and provided ratings of patients' pain. Spousal overestimation of patients' pain was the most common type of nonconcordance. Spouses who were accurate in their perceptions of their partner's level of pain during a log-carrying task responded less negatively and provided emotional support that was more satisfying to patients. In addition, spouses who were accurate in their perceptions of their partner's pain during the log-carrying task reported less stress from providing support and assistance. Future research that uses such observational methods may be highly useful for understanding the effects of chronic illness on older couples.     

Variant BDNF (Val66Met) impact on brain structure and function

Neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are a unique family of polypeptide growth factors that influence differentiation and survival of neurons in the developing nervous system. In adults, BDNF is important in regulating synaptic plasticity and connectivity in the brain. Recently, a common single-nucleotide polymorphism in the human BDNF gene, resulting in a valine to methionine substitution in the prodomain (Val66Met), has been shown to lead to memory impairment and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. An understanding of how this naturally occurring polymorphism affects behavior, anatomy, and cognition in adults is an important first step in linking genetic alterations in the neurotrophin system to definable biological outcomes in humans. We review the recent literature linking this BDNF polymorphism to cognitive impairment in the context of in vitro and transgenic animal studies that have established BDNF’s central role in neuronal functioning in the adult brain.     

Race and ethnicity in the genome era: the complexity of the constructs

The vast amount of biological information that is now available through the completion of the Human Genome Project presents opportunities and challenges. The genomic era has the potential to advance an understanding of human genetic variation and its role in human health and disease. A challenge for genomics research is to understand the relationships between genomics, race, and ethnicity and the implications of uncovering these relationships. Robust and scholarly discourse on the concept of race and ethnicity in genomic research should be expanded to include social and behavioral scientists. Interdisciplinary research teams are needed in which psychologists, as well as other social and behavioral scientists, work collaboratively with geneticists and other natural scientists.     

Implications of Amae for HIV risk in Japanese young adults

Assertiveness, defined as perceived confidence to express true feelings in interpersonal relationships, has been reported to correlate with HIV risk avoidance. However, Japanese social structure encourages amae or self-repression. The present study investigated the implications of amae for HIV risk avoidance among Japanese university students. The results indicated that amae was antithetical to risk reduction.     

Using afterimages for orientation and color to explore mechanisms of visual filling-in

Simulations of Grossberg's FACADE model of visual perception have previously been used to explain afterimage percepts produced by viewing a sequence of orthogonally oriented gratings. Additional simulations of the model are now used to predict new afterimage percepts. One simulation emphasizes that the afterimage percepts are the result of orientation afterresponses and color afterresponses that interact at a filling-in stage. We report experimental data that agree with FACADE's prediction. A second simulation emphasizes the properties of the model's filling-in stage and predicts a situation where the afterimage percept should not appear. We report experimental data indicating that this model prediction is incorrect. We argue that the model is unable to account for this result unless the filling-in stage mechanisms are different from a diffusive-type process. We propose an alternative mechanism, and simulations demonstrate the system's ability to account for the afterimage data.     

Assessment of Reading and Learning Disabilities A Research-Based Intervention-Oriented Approach

Assessment practices for children with learning disabilities (LD) in reading are driven by the three primary components of the federal definition of LD: discrepancy, heterogeneity, and exclusion. This article reviews the implications of these three components for the assessment of children with reading disabilities and other forms of LD. We propose a rationale and procedures for more efficient approaches to the identification of children as learning disabled in reading or at-risk for these disabilities that are aligned with research on reading disabilities and other forms of LD. This approach emphasizes the assessment of academic skills and their components in an effort to develop intervention plans. Intelligence tests are not necessary for the identification of children as learning disabled and do not contribute to intervention planning.