Effect of time of day on the relationship between mood state, anaerobic power, and capacity

Mood state was estimated in six men using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire, with a "right now" directional set prior to performance of a modified Wingate power test, once at 03.00 hr., 09.00 hr., 15.00 hr., and 21.00 hr., on different days. Anaerobic power was measured as peak power output in 5 sec., and anaerobic capacity was measured as total external work performed during the 30-sec. test. Intraindividual difference scores were calculated as a subject's score minus his mean over the four tests. Multiple regression analyses showed that time of day and the Profile of Mood States fatigue score accounted for 51% of the variance in peak power and 62% of the variance in anaerobic capacity. However, the relationships between fatigue and subsequent anaerobic power and capacity reached statistical significance only at 21.00 hr. These results suggest that intraindividual differences in the mood state are related to subsequent performance. Greater than usual levels of fatigue are associated with reduced performance capacity. However, this relationship is dynamic and is dependent upon the time of day.     

Gender differences in social support and physical health

A large body of prospective data has accumulated linking social support to health, and most social scientists agree that low levels of support are associated with poor physical and mental health. Unfortunately, most of the research has been limited to White men. When women and people of color are included in the designs, the relationships between social support and physical health are more complicated. Prospective population-based studies provide evidence that low support is associated with increased risk of mortality in women. However, in several studies, results indicated that, for specific age groups, women with high social support have increased risk of mortality. Factors that may contribute to the observed gender differences in the social support-physical health relationship are discussed. Future research should include adequate numbers of women and more sophisticated measures of social support to move the field forward.     

Stories as a mnemonic aid for older learners

The effectiveness of a story mnemonic for free-recall learning was assessed in 71 community-dwelling elderly adults. Participants received 1 of 3 memory-training programs: (a) narrative story, (b) method of loci, or (c) placebo training. The stimuli consisted of 26 nouns chosen for being highly imagible and concrete. Recall was examined immediately following study of the words, after 1 hr, and after 3 days. At each testing interval, both mnemonic condition groups outperformed the placebo group. The results suggest that a story mnemonic can enhance word retention on a free-recall task.     

Reliable operant apparatus for fish: Audio stimulus generator, response button, and pellet-dispensing nipple

As part of ongoing research into the ability of koi to categorize complex auditory stimuli, we have had to develop novel apparatus. The stimulus generator presents sound from two CD drives under computer control through a new underwater speaker. The operant manipulandum is a horizontal button that eliminates spurious triggering by water turbulence and problematic response topographies. The button’s design has also been adapted for use by tilapia in an aquacultural food-preference study. The feeder uses a nipple to dispense food pellets reliably under water. In this paper, the apparatus is described in detail. Also discussed are methodological issues related to its design, as well as its usage in a pilot study in which koi learned to discriminate music from silence by using a single manipulandum with food reinforcement.     

Does Parenting Differ Based on Social Class?: African American Women's Perceived Socialization for Achievement

Research has provided some evidence of ethnic group, gender, and class differences in the socialization for achievement. However, there is little research on African American women with the exception of the studies of low-income, single mothers. To understand the similarities and differences in socialization for achievement based on social class, middle-class African American women from working- and middle-class backgrounds were studied using qualitative and quantitative methods to compare them on issues related to achievement socialization. Women from middle-class backgrounds reported that their parents had higher expectations for them and were more involved in their education than did women from working-class backgrounds. More middle-class parents expected their daughters to be successful in careers than did working-class parents. Women from working-class families did receive support from their parents but they did not have as much support as did the women from middle-class backgrounds. Women from working-class families perhaps made use of other sources to support their desire to succeed. There were no differences in perceived race-related socialization based on social class. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.     

Failure to replicate a QTL association between a DNA marker identified by EST00083 and IQ

In a paper published in this journal, a possible QTL association was reported between general cognitive ability and a marker, identified by an expressed sequence tag, EST00083 (Skuder et al., 1995). In two small samples, the frequency of the common allele of this DNA marker, which was shown to be in the threonine transfer RNA gene in mitochondrial DNA, was significantly greater in a high-IQ group than in a low-IQ group. As part of the ongoing IQ QTL Project (Plomin et al., 1995), we have attempted to replicate this QTL association. First, we found that the QTL association remained significant when we compared 51 high- and 51 -average IQ subjects, drawn in part from the samples used in the previous report. However, when we examined the association in new samples of 40 extremely high-IQ subjects and 50 average-IQ subjects, the association did not replicate. This underlies the need for replication in case-control studies of allelic association.     

Longitudinal Correlates of Arrest Status Among At-Risk Males

We examined the longitudinal adjustment, from grade 4 to grade 11, of a sample (n = 76) of boys judged to be at-risk for developing antisocial behavior patterns. We also examined subgroups of the sample differentiated by risk status and arrest records at grade 11. Antisocial behavior patterns exhibited by these boys demonstrated considerable stability over time. Differences were noted among high and lower-risk groups who were and were not arrested. In particular, measures of academic and social skills dimensions were related to better overall adjustment as indicated by lower arrest rates. Implications of these results for intervention are presented.     

Studies on pain and analgesia

The Psychological Record -