The sequential analysis of transgressors' accounts of breaking environmental laws

Three-hundred and twenty written accounts of environmental transgressors were assessed by sequential analysis to reveal their argument streams. The accounts were obtained from the written statements that transgressors are allowed to give during the Spanish administrative process and which were included in files handled by four environmental law enforcement agencies. These agencies are distributed across national, regional, island and municipality jurisdictions. The setting for the study is a highly protected environment in which environmental laws have high salience. Results reveal that transgressors use simple argument streams, consistently more defensive than conciliatory, and questioning the perceived legitimacy of environmental law. It was seen also that the empirical functioning of the explanations related to pursuing emotional/prosocial objectives differs from what was expected from the traditional conceptual definition. Results are discussed in terms of how the assessment of the internal dynamic of the accounts would provide valuable information on transgressors' reasoning in relation to environmental laws.     

Mental representations of obligatory and prohibitory traffic signs

Every traffic sign conveys a single proposition about traffic conditions. Drivers must integrate this proposition with their goals and other known facts to decide on an appropriate action in what amounts to a deduction task. For example, imagine that you are driving a car and you want to turn right at an intersection but there is a no right turn sign. You have to assess the options and make a decision (reach a conclusion). Theoretical accounts from research about reasoning can be applied to how we understand traffic signs and make inferences from them. This study includes two experiments that analysed how people decide whether a situation is allowed or not, taking into account the information provided by one sign - obligatory or prohibitory - or two signs - two obligatory or two prohibitory signs. The number of signs, that is, the complexity of the driving scene, was a key factor in this study. The two experiments differ in the presentation format of the two-sign experimental condition. In the first experiment, the signs were presented as two isolated signs. In the second experiment, the two signs were embedded in one. Equivalent results were found whether two isolated signs or two embedded signs were shown. When an obligatory sign was used at the junction, faster responses were obtained for allowed manoeuvres than for those not allowed. When a prohibitory sign was used, the results were the opposite. However, the advantage of prohibitory signs in the not-allowed situation was not replicated when people had to collect information from two prohibitory signs. Results showed that people integrate two obligatory sign messages - informing where one can go - more easily than two prohibitory sign messages - informing where not to go. Therefore, it could be said that each traffic sign elicits an internal mental model elaboration in which forbidden actions are explicitly labelled by means of attached "mental footnotes" indicating the epistemic status of "prohibitory information."     

Overshadowed cues have reduced ability to retroactively interfere with other cues

The present series of experiments explores the interaction between retroactive interference and cue competition in human contingency learning. The results of two experiments show that a cue that has been exposed to a cue competition treatment (overshadowing) loses part of its ability to retroactively interfere with responding to a different cue that was paired with the same outcome. These results pose problems for associative models of contingency learning and are also difficult to explain in terms of current theories of causal reasoning. Additionally, it is proposed that in light of the interaction between interference and cue competition, interference could be used as an indirect measure for the study of cue competition effects.     

Benign joint hypermobility syndrome: psychological features and psychopathological symptoms in a sample pain-free at evaluation1

30 subjects with BJHS (Hypermobile) (M age = 32.3 yr., SD = 10.4) and two control groups, 25 healthy subjects (Healthy) (M age = 33.9 yr., SD = 9.3) and 30 fibromyalgic patients (Fibromyalgic) (M age = 32.2 yr., SD=9.4), were given the Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Illness Behavior Questionnaire, the Female Functional Symptoms Frequency (FFF) and the Male Functional Symptoms Frequency (MFF), derived from the DSM-III-R, evaluating functional somatic disturbances and their intensity, and the Symptom Questionnaire. The mean scores for the Hypermobile group showed significant psychological distress and increased frequency and intensity of somatic symptoms. Scores on Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms, General Hypochondriasis, Disease Conviction, Affective Disturbance, Denial, and Irritability were significantly higher in the Hypermobile than in the Healthy group. Elevated scores were found for the Fibromyalgic group on the Illness Behavior Questionnaire subscales for Psychological vs Somatic Focus, Disease Affirmation, and Discriminating Factors when compared with the Hypermobile group. Considerable emotional symptoms were detected which should not be underestimated by physicians when establishing an integrated biopsychosocial therapy.     

Implicit ingroup metafavoritism: subtle preference for ingroup members displaying ingroup bias

The current article investigated how individuals evaluate ingroup members displaying either ingroup bias or egalitarian intergroup behaviors. The hypotheses predicted that on explicit responses a preference for the egalitarian ingroup member would emerge; in contrast, on more spontaneous and uncontrolled responses, a preference for the ingroup favoritist would result. Across four studies these hypotheses were confirmed for both minimal groups (Studies 1 and 2) and ethnic groups (Studies 3 and 4). Despite a verbal preference for those who behaved in an egalitarian way, an implicit ingroup metafavoritism was found. Overall, results indicated the presence of dual attitudes in the perception of ingroup members and the strict interconnection between intergroup behaviors and intragroup perception.     

Mood state indicators for adolescent athletes based on POMS multidimensional model

In this paper, we offer a short version of the POMS, with only 33 items, designed to apply to young Spanish athletes. One hundred and six male soccer players, aged 14 and 15 years, participated in the study. In order to select the proposed items, we tried to maximize three criteria: (1) items should be understood by subjects, (2) items should be perceived as conceptually similar as possible to the meaning of their respective factors, and (3) every factor should contain at least 4 items. To meet the second criterion, PROXSCAL scaling procedure was used, which allowed retaining the items closest to the meaning of each factor. All goodness-of-fit indexes were satisfactory in all the proximity analyses performed. In the proposed POMS version, the 33 items refer to seven mood factors, as follows: Tension (4 items), Depression (9 items), Anger (4 items), Vigour (4 items), Fatigue (4 items), Confusion (4 items), and Friendliness (4 items).     

Heterogeneous Fibring of Deductive Systems Via Abstract Proof Systems

Fibring is a meta-logical constructor that applied to two logicsproduces a new logic whose formulas allow the mixing of symbols.Homogeneous fibring assumes that the original logics are presentedin the same way (e.g via Hilbert calculi). Heterogeneous fibring,allowing the original logics to have different presentations(e.g. one presented by a Hilbert calculus and the other by asequent calculus), has been an open problem. Herein, consequencesystems are shown to be a good solution for heterogeneous fibringwhen one of the logics is presented in a semantic way and theother by a calculus and also a solution for the heterogeneousfibring of calculi. The new notion of abstract proof systemis shown to provide a better solution to heterogeneous fibringof calculi namely because derivations in the fibring keep theconstructive nature of derivations in the original logics. Preservationof compactness and semi-decidability is investigated.     

Concreteness effects in different tasks: implications for models of short-term memory

This study investigates concreteness effects in tasks requiring short-term retention. Concreteness effects were assessed in serial recall, matching span, order reconstruction, and free recall. Each task was carried out both in a control condition and under articulatory suppression. Our results show no dissociation between tasks that do and do not require spoken output. This argues against the redintegration hypothesis according to which lexical-semantic effects in short-term memory arise only at the point of production. In contrast, concreteness effects were modulated by task demands that stressed retention of item versus order information. Concreteness effects were stronger in free recall than in serial recall. Suppression, which weakens phonological representations, enhanced the concreteness effect with item scoring. In a matching task, positive effects of concreteness occurred with open sets but not with closed sets of words. Finally, concreteness effects reversed when the task asked only for recall of word positions (as in the matching task), when phonological representations were weak (because of suppression), and when lexical semantic representations overactivated (because of closed sets). We interpret these results as consistent with a model where phonological representations are crucial for the retention of order, while lexical-semantic representations support maintenance of item identity in both input and output buffers.     

The Efficacy Advantage: Factors Related to the Formation of Group Efficacy1

Extending previous research investigating factors related to the formation of group efficacy, this research examined predictors across cultures and groups of various types. Based on theories of collective cognition, hypothesized predictors included self‐efficacy, group affect, status differential, and collectivism. These were investigated using 2 methodologies (simulation and field study), each conducted in 2 cultural contexts. Self‐efficacy, group affect, and collectivism were significant predictors, explaining between 27% and 49% of the variance in group efficacy across the studies. Implications for theory and research are discussed.     

Does Time Fly 20 m above the Ground? Exploring the Role of Affective Response on Time Perception in a High‐risk Sport

A field study (n = 61) was performed in a Via Ferrata to explore how affective response influences time perception during an arousing activity in a real‐life setting (passing through a 69‐m‐long, 20‐m‐high, two‐rope bridge). Two questionnaires were administered (i) at the end point of the bridge (high‐arousing condition) and (ii) close to the end of the Via Ferrata (low‐arousing condition). Participants assessed their affect (arousal, valence, and dominance) and provided retrospective (duration estimation and passage of time judgments) and prospective (to produce a subjective minute using a stopwatch) temporal judgments. The results showed that the actual performance mediated the relationship between affect and retrospective time perception measures, with the exception of dominance, which directly predicted passage of time judgments. Regarding prospective measures, an increase in arousal was parallel to shorter temporal productions. The results are discussed in terms of the emotional factors underlying time perception in ecological contexts.Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.