College students' judgments regarding sexual aggression during a date

Effects of level of resistance and type of sexual behavior on judgments regarding sexual aggression on a date were studied. Participants were 138 female and 57 male college students who read one of six vignettes (three levels of resistance × two types of sexual behavior) describing a date in which unwanted sexual behavior occurred. Gender-neutral names (Chris and Pat) were used in the vignettes, and sex of aggressor and victim was not specified. Participants completed identical scales describing degree of disapproval of the aggressor's behavior from three different perspectives: their own viewpoint (Participant Rating), the victim's viewpoint (Victim Rating), and the aggressor's viewpoint (Aggressor Rating). Both Participant and Victim Ratings showed significant differences between levels of resistance, and significant but smaller differences due to participant gender. Participant ratings showed a significant but small difference between types of sexual behavior. The aggressor's overall behavior was labeled as date/acquaintance rape by 52.9% of participants for the vignette involving physical resistance and intercourse.     

Lightness matching for different visual routes through a compound scene

Left and right halves of a visual display were covered with inducing fields (IFs) of different lightnesses. S’s monocular gaze moved over an irreversible route from a neutral Munsell target to a CO series through either the left- or right-side IFs. For the 16 Ss there were 8 different IFs, varying from light to dark. For each of three different gray targets Munsell CO choices varied directly with the lightness of the IFs through which the gaze was routed rather than with the lightness of the total presented display. A replication with modificationsis also reported.     

SCALES OF UNPLEASANTNESS OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

The subjective unpleasantness elicited by an A.C. current of 50 c/sec. applied to two fingers was scaled by 14 subjects using the methods of magnitude and of category estimation. Nine current intensities, ranging between 2 and 10 times the individual sensation thresholds, were used as stimuli. A power function yielded a good fit to the magnitude-estimation data; the exponent was 1.81. The difference between this value and a considerably higher exponent reported by previous investigators was interpreted in terms of the wider stimulus range used in the present study. The relation between the category scale and the magnitude scale had the same general form as that found in several previous investigations.     

Promoting narrative competence through adult–child joint pretense: Lessons from the Scandinavian educational practice of playworld

This paper examines the effects of the playworld educational practice on the development of narrative competence in 5- to 7-year-old children. The playworld educational practice is derived from play pedagogy and the theory of narrative learning, both developed and implemented in Scandinavia. The playworld practice consists of joint adult–child pretense based in a work of children's literature, discussion, free play, and visual art production. When compared to children under a control intervention (conventional school practices without pretend play), children who participated in the playworld practice show significant improvements in narrative length, coherence, and comprehension, although not in linguistic complexity. These findings provide further evidence concerning the role of pretense in the narrative development of young children.     

Upper Extremity Proprioception After Stroke: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and Rehabilitation

Proprioception is an important aspect of function that is often impaired in the upper extremity following stroke. Unfortunately, neurorehabilitation has few evidence based treatment options for those with proprioceptive deficits. The authors consider potential reasons for this disparity. In doing so, typical assessments and proprioceptive intervention studies are discussed. Relevant evidence from the field of neuroscience is examined. Such evidence may be used to guide the development of targeted interventions for upper extremity proprioceptive deficits after stroke. As researchers become more aware of the impact of proprioceptive deficits on upper extremity motor performance after stroke, it is imperative to find successful rehabilitation interventions to target these deficits and ultimately improve daily function.     

An assessment of what motivates road violations

Road accidents are attributed to driving violations, a behaviour which is committed willingly. The most commonly used theoretical model used to predict this behaviour has been the theory of planned behaviour and its predecessor, the theory of reasoned action. This study includes a sample of 275 people of the general public holding a current driving licence. Its general aim is to understand the motive behind the action by assessing salient beliefs in greater detail. The results show a significant difference between intenders’ and non-intenders’ beliefs about the consequences of the behaviour. For the intenders speeding is predicted by factors considered as emotionally rewarding whereas dangerous overtaking is more controlled by a denial of negative consequences. Normative beliefs indicate that both men and women who intend to violate receive greatest consensus from men of same age as themselves. Finally, the results confirmed the link between perceived behavioural control, risk, intentions and attitudes. Those who argue that it is easy to violate also perceive less risk but the same also applies to those who advocate that external or internal factors might prevent them from observing the rule. The latter is interpreted as a form of denial of responsibility and/or ability which could serve as a form of justification of the behaviour. Implications of the current findings for the development of intervention programmes are discussed.