Assessment of predation risk through conspecific cues by anuran larvae

Animal Cognition - Accurate assessment of predation risk is critical for prey survival during predator–prey interactions. Prey can assess predation risk by the presence of cues dropped by...     

Task Enjoyment: A Mediator Between Achievement Motives and Performance

Task enjoyment is an important component in social cognitive theories of achievement motivation and intrinsic motivation. Combining these theories with the classic achievement-motivation theory we predicted that task enjoyment and its facilitating behavioral manifestations are associated with an approach-oriented achievement motive and only when individuals anticipate forthcoming competence feedback. In the present study we regarded task enjoyment as a mediator between the achievement motive and performance. First, a two-way ANOVA design was adopted. Success-motivated individuals performed better in a reaction task than failure-motivated individuals, and they reported more task enjoyment during performance. This relationship was not dependent on whether competence information had been announced or not. Second, path analyses showed as expected that the relationship between achievement motivation and performance was mediated by task enjoyment. This mediation was observed only under the condition that individuals expected competence feedback. These results were discussed considering current theories of achievement motivation and intrinsic motivation. It is shown that the findings enrich the related nomological networks in some important ways.     

Peer-Group and Romantic Relationships in Adolescents from Intact and Separated Families

The impact of family structure (intact vs. separated) on adolescents' friendship and romantic relationship were assessed, using an Italian representative sample of 300 adolescents. Findings reveal some significant differences related to family structure. Compared to adolescents from intact homes, adolescents from separated families display a higher level of distrust of others, are less likely to foresee marriage as a certain step in their lives, and show a higher degree of fear toward marriage. Contrary to expectations, there is no significant difference either in the extent and the frequency of contacts with the peer network or the existence of a romantic relationship among the two groups of adolescents. Implications are discussed.     

Superman meets don Quixote: Stereotypes in clinical medicine

Long-established stereotypes tend to dominate the perceptions physicians have of the philosophers and other humanists who serve as medical ethicists. They also alter the views humanists have of physicians, and those that the public have of both. These stereotypes are a formidable barrier to effective working relationships between the two groups of professionals, as well as to public understanding of medical ethics issues. To achieve a better working relationships and to foster more realistic understanding, it is important that the humanists step out of their academic settings, for a time, and become part of the clinical service.     

Black Jack: Do company benefits and feelings have an impact on my happiness?

The aim of this study was to determine whether casino employees’ benefits and their feelings about the company influence their experienced happiness. A total of 1 502 casino employees were surveyed (females = 57%; males = 43%). They completed a company benefits, feelings and happiness questionnaire within the work context. Data were analysed to predict what company benefits and whether feelings about the company impact on the casino employees’ happiness; and also to test the mediation effects of company benefits on their happiness experienced through feelings about the company. In addition, structural relations between happiness and feelings about the company, and happiness and company benefits were tested. Findings from the regression analyses and structural equation modelling suggest that feelings about the company and company benefits such as staff meals and pension funds do predict personal happiness and positive feelings about the company where they are employed. Moreover, feelings about the company mediated the effect of stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus on happiness. Positive feelings about their company seem to explain employee happiness, particularly with the availability of company benefits such as stay-in facilities, staff meals and a bonus scheme.     

Recruiting and Assessing Recent Young Adult Latina Immigrants in Health Disparities Research

The authors interviewed 4 researchers to identify facilitators in recruiting and assessing Latina immigrants. The 4 researchers recruited 530 recent Latina immigrants (ages 18–23 years) for a study of social and cultural determinants of health. Consensual qualitative research methods revealed that respondent‐driven sampling was an effective recruitment method. Fear of deportation was a barrier. Stigma about sensitive topics (e.g., sex, drug use) did not affect participation. Findings can help counselors conduct health disparities research. Los autores entrevistaron a 4 investigadores para identificar facilitadores para el reclutamiento y evaluación de inmigrantes latinas. Los 4 investigadores reclutaron a 530 mujeres latinas que habían inmigrado recientemente (edades entre 18 y 23 años) para un estudio de los factores sociales y culturales determinantes de la salud. Los métodos de investigación cuantitativa consensuados revelaron que el muestreo dirigido por las encuestadas fue un método efectivo de reclutamiento. El miedo a la deportación fue un obstáculo. El estigma asociado a temas delicados (p. ej., el sexo, el uso de drogas) no afectó a la participación. Los hallazgos pueden ayudar a los consejeros a realizar estudios sobre disparidades en la salud.     

Intrinsic motivation,external reward,and their effect on overall motivation and performance

An unresolved debate lingers concerning the effect of performance-contingent rewards on motivation and performance. Behavioral psychology and economics suggest that performance-contingent rewards improve performance. In contrast, cognitive evaluation theory predicts that performance-contingent rewards undermine motivation and performance. We discuss the predictions of these two streams and develop an experiment that resolves the limitations of previous studies by using a new measure of intrinsic motivation: self-selection into a specific area of knowledge, as revealed by choice of academic major. Students from mathematics-related and literature-related areas were selected and randomly assigned to math and English language tests. Participants received a participation fee or a performance-contingent payment in addition to a fee. Both performance-contingent rewards and intrinsic motivation improved motivation and performance, in contrast with cognitive evaluation theory’s predictions.     

The Effects of Direct Questions on Preschool Children's Responses to Indirect Requests

Indirect instructional approaches, such as responsive interaction, are common in inclusive early childhood settings. Unfortunately, young children with disabilities do not always have the skills to take advantage of these learning opportunities. Teaching children with disabilities to be more responsive to developmentally appropriate indirect instructional strategies may help them take advantage of and benefit from available learning opportunities in inclusive settings. The purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which presenting a series of direct questions increased children's attempts to respond and correct responses to indirect requests. Increased attempts to respond and correct responses to indirect requests were evident for all participants with whom the intervention was implemented. Three of the participants continued to attempt to respond and responded correctly to indirect requests when intervention procedures were removed. The contributions of these findings to literature on language instruction with young children, implications of the findings for practitioners, methodological limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Extended workdays: Effects on performance and ratings of fatigue and alertness

The present investigation provided a laboratory test of long workdays and served as an initial step in developing a field-test battery that is sensitive to fatigue. Six subjects worked both a 12-h/4-day workweek and an 8-h/6-day week at a data-entry job simulation. Before and after the first and last days of each week, they completed a battery of brief tests measuring cognitive, perceptual-motor, task-sharing, motor, and sensory capacities, as well as subjective feelings. Results suggest that the 12-h/4-day week was more fatiguing than the 8 h/6-day week. In the data-entry job, it was easier to improve performance across the 8 h/6-day week. This result suggested that the fatigue of the 12-h days slowed the rate of improvement across the week. With respect to the test battery, two cognitive tasks (grammatical reasoning and digit addition) and several self-report scales also reflected greater fatigue in the 12-h/4day week. Performance efficiency decreased and reports of drowsiness and lack of concentration increased from the beginning to the end of the final 12-h workday. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that the test battery has utility for the assessment of the potential fatigue effects of long workdays in actual work settings.     

Inclined Weight-Loaded Walking at Different Speeds: Pelvis-Shoulder Coordination,Trunk Movements and Cost of Transport

Although studied at level surface, the trunk kinematics and pelvis-shoulder coordination of incline walking are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the speed effects on pelvis-shoulder coordination and trunk movement and the cost of transport (C) during unloaded and loaded (25% of body mass) 15% incline walking. We collected 3-dimensional kinematic and oxygen consumption data from 10 physically active young men. The movements were analyzed in the sagittal plane (inclination and range of trunk motion) and the transverse plane (range of shoulder and pelvic girdle motion and phase difference). The rotational amplitude of the shoulder girdle decreased with load at all speeds, and it was lower at the highest speeds. The rotational amplitude of the pelvic girdle did not change with the different speeds. The phase difference was greater at optimal speed (3 km.hr^?1, at the lowest C) in the loaded and the unloaded conditions. The trunk inclination was greater with load and increased with speed, whereas the range of trunk motion was lower in the loaded condition and decreased with increasing speed. In conclusion, the load decreased the range of girdles and trunk motion, and the pelvis-shoulder coordination seemed to be critical for the incline walking performance.