Mediation of the negative effect of red on intellectual performance

This research examines the hypothesis that an attentional process grounded in avoidance motivation-local relative to global processing-mediates the negative effect of red on intellectual performance. This hypothesis was tested in a series of experiments using two approaches to documenting mediation. Experiment 1 established that the perception of red undermines IQ test performance. Experiments 2a and 2b documented mediation via the experimental causal chain approach, and Experiment 3 documented mediation via the measurement of mediation approach. This represents the first demonstration of a mediational process in the domain of color psychology. A call is made to broaden priming research to include color stimuli.     

The influence of prior offender/victim relationship on offender stalking behavior

The present study examined the influence of prior offender/victim relationship on offender stalking behavior. The actions that were present within the stalking offences were recorded using content analysis of victim and witness statements, and all other relevant material within the police files of 50 stalking cases. The sample was analyzed using a non‐metric multidimensional scaling procedure known as Smallest Space Analysis. The results suggested that when a prior sexual relationship existed between the offender and the victim the offender was more likely to engage in a majority of controlling style actions. However, an offender who did not have a prior sexual relationship with the victim was more likely to engage in a majority of infatuation style actions. Therefore, the study lends support to the influence of prior relationship on the actions that offenders engage in over the stalking period. Implications of the study and future research ideas are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finding The “Self” in Self-Regulation: The Identity-Value Model

Many psychological theories suggest a link between self-regulation and identity, but, until now, a mechanistic account that suggests ways to improve self-regulation has not been put forth. The identity-value model (IVM) connects the idea from social psychology that aspects of identity such as core values and group affiliations hold positive subjective value to the process-focused account from decision making and behavioral economics that self-regulation is driven by a dynamic value integration across a range of choice attributes. Together, these ideas imply that goal-directed behaviors that are identity relevant are more likely to be enacted because they have greater subjective value than identity-irrelevant behaviors. A central hypothesis, therefore, is that interventions that increase the degree to which a target behavior is perceived as self-relevant will improve self-regulation. In addition, identity-based changes in self-regulation are expected to be mediated by changes in subjective value and its underlying neural systems. In this article we define the key constructs relevant to the IVM, explicate the model and delineate its boundary conditions, and describe how it fits with related theories. We also review disparate results in the research literature that might share identity-related value as a common underlying mechanism of action. We close by discussing questions about the model, the answers to which could advance the study of self-regulation.     

Correlated longitudinal changes across linguistic, achievement, and psychomotor domains in early childhood: evidence for a global dimension of development

An important question within developmental psychology concerns the extent to which the maturational gains that children make across multiple diverse domains of functioning can be attributed to global (domain-general) developmental processes. The present study investigated this question by examining the extent to which individual differences in change across children's development in five different domains are correlated. Multivariate growth-curve models were fit to longitudinal data on linguistic, mathematics, reading, gross motor, and fine motor skills in 8950 children ranging in age from 44 to 86 months (3.7 years to 7.2 years). All five rates of change were positively intercorrelated. A common factor accounted for 42% of the individual differences in change. These results suggest that a global dimension underlies substantial proportions of cognitive and psychomotor development.     

Perception of the color red enhances the force and velocity of motor output

The present research examined whether perception of the color red influences basic motor functioning. Prior research on color and motor functioning has been guided by ill-defined theoretical statements, and has been plagued by methodological problems. Drawing on theoretical and empirical work on the threat-behavior link in human and nonhuman animals, we proposed and tested the prediction that perceiving red enhances the force and velocity of motor output. Experiment 1 demonstrated that red, relative to gray (matched to red on lightness), facilitates pinchgrip force. Experiment 2 demonstrated that red, relative to gray (matched to red on lightness) and blue (matched to red on lightness and chroma) facilitates handgrip force and the velocity of that force. These findings clearly establish a link between red and basic motor action, illustrate the importance of rigorous experimental methods when testing color effects, and highlight the need to attend to the functional, as well as aesthetic, value of color.     

Emergence of a Gene x socioeconomic status interaction on infant mental ability between 10 months and 2 years

Recent research in behavioral genetics has found evidence for a Gene × Environment interaction on cognitive ability: Individual differences in cognitive ability among children raised in socioeconomically advantaged homes are primarily due to genes, whereas environmental factors are more influential for children from disadvantaged homes. We investigated the developmental origins of this interaction in a sample of 750 pairs of twins measured on the Bayley Short Form test of infant mental ability, once at age 10 months and again at age 2 years. A Gene × Environment interaction was evident on the longitudinal change in mental ability over the study period. At age 10 months, genes accounted for negligible variation in mental ability across all levels of socioeconomic status (SES). However, genetic influences emerged over the course of development, with larger genetic influences emerging for infants raised in higher-SES homes. At age 2 years, genes accounted for nearly 50% of the variation in mental ability of children raised in high-SES homes, but genes continued to account for negligible variation in mental ability of children raised in low-SES homes.     

Global and domain-specific changes in cognition throughout adulthood

Normative adult age-related decrements are well documented for many diverse forms of effortful cognitive processing. However, it is currently unclear whether each of these decrements reflects a distinct and independent developmental phenomenon, or, in part, a more global phenomenon. A number of studies have recently been published that show moderate to large magnitudes of positive relations among individual differences in rates of changes in different cognitive variables during adulthood. This suggests that a small number of common dimensions or even a single common dimension may underlie substantial proportions of individual differences in aging-related cognitive declines. This possibility was directly examined using data from 1,281 adults 18-95 years of age who were followed longitudinally over up to 7 years on 12 different measures of effortful processing. Multivariate growth curve models were applied to examine the dimensionality of individual differences in longitudinal changes. Results supported a hierarchical structure of aging-related changes, with an average of 39% of individual differences in change in a given variable attributable to global (domain-general) developmental processes, 33% attributable to domain-specific developmental processes (abstract reasoning, spatial visualization, episodic memory, and processing speed), and 28% attributable to test-specific developmental processes. Although it is often assumed that systematic and pervasive sources of cognitive decline only emerge in later adulthood, domain-general influences on change were apparent for younger (18-49 years), middle aged (50-69 years), and older (70-95 years) adults.     

Best Practices: A Critical Yet Inclusive Vision for the Counseling Profession

Substantial controversy has surrounded the concept of best practices (BPs) in counseling; in particular, the consequences of deriving practice guidelines from empirically supported treatments (ESTs). Criticisms of EST methodology, assumptions, and findings are summarized, and implications for core counseling values, including multiculturalism, are discussed. The authors further elaborate an inclusive view of BP that can facilitate the use of research to inform and enhance counseling services while rectifying problems associated with methodological and theoretical bias.     

Achievement motivation and memory: achievement goals differentially influence immediate and delayed remember-know recognition memory

Little research has been conducted on achievement motivation and memory and, more specifically, on achievement goals and memory. In the present research, the authors conducted two experiments designed to examine the influence of mastery-approach and performance-approach goals on immediate and delayed remember-know recognition memory. The experiments revealed differential effects for achievement goals over time: Performance-approach goals showed higher correct remember responding on an immediate recognition test, whereas mastery-approach goals showed higher correct remember responding on a delayed recognition test. Achievement goals had no influence on overall recognition memory and no consistent influence on know responding across experiments. These findings indicate that it is important to consider quality, not just quantity, in both motivation and memory, when studying relations between these constructs.