Career Experiences and Scientific Performance: A Study of Social,Physical, Life,and Health Sciences

The experiences people have over the course of their careers are commonly held to contribute to creative achievement. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the career events contributing to creative achievement in the sciences. Prior theoretical and empirical work was used to identify relevant career events in the areas of education, domain exposure, mentoring, adversity, work procedures, collaboration, laboratory leadership, and organizational influences. Obituaries were obtained for 499 scientists working in multiple fields in the social, physical, life, and health sciences and were used to assess whether these events were evident in scientists' careers. Comparisons of high achieving and low achieving scientists with regard to these events indicated that multiple events lying in each of these general areas contributed to career achievement. The nature of the events yielding significant differences were discussed regarding their implications for the development of creative potential in scientific fields.     

Perceived variety,psychological needs satisfaction and exercise-related well-being

Objective: Perceived variety represents a psychosocial experience that gives rise to, and supports the maintenance of, an individual’s well-being. In this study, we developed an instrument to measure perceived variety in exercise (PVE), and examined whether ratings of PVE predict unique variance in indices of exercise-related well-being in addition to that explained by satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs (for competence, relatedness and autonomy) embedded within self-determination theory (SDT). We also examined the extent to which variance in perceived variety is empirically distinct from (or subsumed by) competence, relatedness and autonomy in the context of exercise.

Methods: A convenience sample of community adults (N?=?507) completed online surveys twice over a six-week period (n?=?367).

Results: PVE was found to prospectively predict unique variance in indices of exercise-related well-being, in addition to that explained by perceived competence, relatedness and autonomy. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic procedures, perceived variety was found to be empirically distinct from perceived competence, relatedness and autonomy.

Conclusion: Results from this work suggest that perceived variety holds potential for theoretical and applied advancements in understanding and predicting well-being in exercise settings.     

Examining Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Psychopathology Among a Sample of Postdeployment U.S. Male and Female Military Veterans

Compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) is defined as difficulties in controlling inappropriate or excessive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that cause subjective distress or impairment in important areas of daily functioning. Using data from a baseline telephone interview, we examined the prevalence of CSB in a convenience sample of 820 postdeployed U.S. military male and female veterans and investigated correlates of CSB with sociodemographics and other mental health and sexual history characteristics. More men (13.8%) than women (4.3%) endorsed CSB-related symptoms. Given the limited sample size of women reporting CSB, correlational analyses were conducted only with men. After adjusting for significant sociodemographics, results indicated that gambling, suicidality, and sexually transmitted infections were significantly associated with male CSB. Current results suggest that CSB may be prevalent among U.S. military veterans post deployment and associated with significant negative health indices in men. CSB warrants attention regarding screening and intervention.     

Visual search,anticipation, and reactive comparisons between highly-skilled and beginning tennis players

Abstract

Simulated tennis playing situations were created for the laboratory testing of visual search patterns, anticipation, reactions, and movements to compare male and female high-level and beginning players. Of particular interest was the degree to which each measure would differentiate the groups. Participants were highly-rated university players (N-30) and students enrolled in a beginning tennis class (N = 30). Under one testing condition, visual search patterns were recorded as they viewed filmed opponents serve (60 trials) and hit ground strokes (60 trials). Also recorded was anticipation accuracy and speed of the intended type and location of serves and the intended placement of ground strokes. In other testing, execution of a split step was followed by moving rapidly to the comet location for a simulated stroke in response to a series of light cues. Reaction and movement times were recorded. Discrimination analysis revealed that experts and beginners were most differentiated due to fixations on certain cues and predicting ball direction. As to visual search analysis of fixation duration for nine possible areas during the serves, only the head area was significant. Beginners directed more time toward the head region than did the highly skilled. Experts and novices had similar visual patterns with respect to ground strokes, and a few differences existed within the two female groups, in the two male groups. as well as between males and females. Anticipation measures for the serve indicated that experts were faster and more accurate than beginners, and males were faster than females. Ground stroke data revealed that the highly-skilled were faster and more accurate than novices. Finally, the simulated split-step data showed that reaction times and movement times were faster for the experts versus the beginners, and males were quicker in movement times than females.     

Use of the "Mental Health Inventory - 5" with Portuguese 10-15 years old

The present study describes the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Mental Health Inventory-5 for use with young adolescents. A sample of 367 Portuguese students (aged 10-15 years) completed the Portuguese-language versions of Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5; Berwick et al., 1991), Children's Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder et al., 1997), Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS; Huebner, 1991a), and Global Self-Worth Sub-scale (Harter, 1985). Analysis of readability, reliability (internal consistency and 1-year stability), factor structure, and criterion-related validity suggested that the MHI-5 can be appropriately used in this age group. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Studying Ideological Groups Online: Identification and Assessment of Risk Factors for Violence

Recent acts of violence have demonstrated the impact of violent ideological groups worldwide. However, the systematic study of these groups is somewhat limited. The Internet is a valuable tool for investigating ideological group behavior because it is easily accessible and commonly used by these groups. This study attempted to extend previous research by examining online message boards to assess processes particular to ideological group membership. A content analysis was conducted on several group process variables using 29 groups with message boards. A Kruskal‐Wallis test with follow‐up pairwise comparisons was used to find that violent ideological groups differed from nonviolent ideological and nonviolent nonideological groups on 7 group process variables and 3 content variables. Implications are discussed.     

Unpacking unpacking: greater detail can reduce perceived likelihood

Past research suggests that a categorical event is perceived to be more likely if its subcases are explicitly delineated or "unpacked." In 6 studies, we find that unpacking can often make an event seem less likely, especially when the details being unpacked are already highly accessible. Process evidence shows that the provision of greater detail accompanying unpacking reduces the simplicity of an event and that this dysfluency is used as a negative cue for likelihood. This work establishes processing fluency as a mechanism that opposes the other effects of unpacking, such as enhanced accessibility.     

Do girls and boys perceive themselves as equally engaged in school? The results of an international study from 12 countries

This study examined gender differences in student engagement and academic performance in school. Participants included 3420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th graders) from Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results indicated that, compared to boys, girls reported higher levels of engagement in school and were rated higher by their teachers in academic performance. Student engagement accounted for gender differences in academic performance, but gender did not moderate the associations among student engagement, academic performance, or contextual supports. Analysis of multiple-group structural equation modeling revealed that perceptions of teacher support and parent support, but not peer support, were related indirectly to academic performance through student engagement. This partial mediation model was invariant across gender. The findings from this study enhance the understanding about the contextual and personal factors associated with girls' and boys' academic performance around the world.