Reading strategies in orthographies of intermediate depth are flexible: Modulation of length effects in Portuguese

This paper examines the role of grapheme–phoneme conversion for skilled reading in an orthography of intermediate depth, Portuguese. The effects of word length in number of letters were determined in two studies. Mixed lists of five- and six-letter words and nonwords were presented to young adults in lexical decision and reading aloud tasks in the first study; in the second one, the length range was increased from four to six letters and an extra condition was added where words and nonwords were presented in separate, or blocked, lists. Reaction times were larger for longer words and nonwords in lexical decision, and in reading aloud mixed lists, but no effect of length was observed when reading words in blocked lists. The effect of word length is thus modulated by list composition. This is evidence that grapheme–phoneme conversion is not as predominant for phonological recoding in intermediate orthographies as it is in shallow ones, and suggests that skilled reading in those orthographies is highly responsive to tasks conditions because readers may switch from smaller segment-by-segment decoding to larger unit or lexicon-related processing.     

The effects of age and emotional valence on recognition memory: An ex‐Gaussian components analysis

The aim of this work was to study the effects of valence and age on visual image recognition memory. The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) battery was used, and response time data were analyzed using analysis of variance, as well as an ex‐Gaussian fit method. Older participants were slower and more variable in their reaction times. Response times were longer for negative valence pictures, however this was statistically significant only for young participants. This suggests that negative emotional valence has a strong effect on recognition memory in young but not in old participants. The τ parameter, often related to attention in the literature, was smaller for young than old participants in an ex‐Gaussian fit. Differences on the τ parameter might suggest poorer attentional performance in old participants.     

Instructional Control with Preschoolers and Stimulus Equivalence

The Psychological Record - The stimulus equivalence paradigm is a behavioral model to study meaning. This study extends work that has used the equivalence paradigm to study the meaning of...     

Perspectives on Increasing Positive Attitudes Toward Larger Members in Fitness Centers

Physical activity (PA) attenuates weight-associated morbidity and mortality but PA-based weight bias dissuades many people from engaging in and enjoying physical activity. Guided by self-determination theory, we implemented concept mapping with current and past members and employees of fitness centers. One hundred ideas were generated, representing the concepts of programming, fitness culture, code of conduct, professional development, and physical environment/amenities. The ideas can help design interventions that increase positive attitudes that are autonomous, shared throughout a fitness center, and promote inclusivity.     

Individual,Interpersonal, and Sociostructural Factors Influencing Partner Nonmonogamy Acceptance among Young African American Women

In 2015 in the United States, the HIV diagnosis rate among African American women was 16 times that of White women, and HIV especially affected young African American women. African American women’s partnerships with nonmonogamous men may be one factor contributing to this disparity. Previous research has not adequately described factors influencing acceptance of partner nonmonogamy among African American women. To better understand this phenomenon, we interviewed 11 African American women aged 18–24 years-old who reported having sex in the past 3 months and reported knowing or suspecting a partner to have another female partner in the past 12 months. We employed a semi-structured interview guide designed to elicit in-depth, narrative responses from women about their partnerships. We used narrative analysis to interpret findings. Participants described factors that encouraged acceptance of partner nonmonogamy. These factors were social (i.e., limited partner availability, gender norms, and cultural norms), interpersonal (i.e., partner-specific comfort, sexual connection and emotional attachment, and casual partnership type), and intrapersonal (i.e., low self-esteem, loneliness, and fatalistic attitudes about nonmonogamy) in nature. The sociocultural context in which young African American women develop sexual partnerships may influence their attitudes, expectations, and behaviors within these partnerships and place them at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.     

Spatial location and emotion modulate voice perception

ABSTRACT

How do we perceive voices coming from different spatial locations, and how is this affected by emotion? The current study probed the interplay between space and emotion during voice perception. Thirty participants listened to nonverbal vocalizations coming from different locations around the head (left vs. right; front vs. back), and differing in valence (neutral, positive [amusement] or negative [anger]). They were instructed to identify the location of the vocalizations (Experiment 1) and to evaluate their emotional qualities (Experiment 2). Emotion-space interactions were observed, but only in Experiment 1: emotional vocalizations were better localised than neutral ones when they were presented from the back and the right side. In Experiment 2, emotion recognition accuracy was increased for positive vs. negative and neutral vocalizations, and perceived arousal was increased for emotional vs. neutral vocalizations, but this was independent of spatial location. These findings indicate that emotional salience affects how we perceive the spatial location of voices. They additionally suggest that the interaction between spatial (“where”) and emotional (“what”) properties of the voice differs as a function of task.     

Characterization of speed fluctuation and drag force in young swimmers: A gender comparison

The aim of this study was to compare the speed fluctuation and the drag force in young swimmers between genders. Twenty-three young pubertal swimmers (12 boys and 11 girls) volunteered as subjects. Speed fluctuation was measured using a kinematical mechanical method (i.e., speedo-meter) during a maximal 25-m front crawl bout. Active drag, active drag coefficient and power needed to overcome drag were measured with the velocity perturbation method for another two maximal 25 m front crawl bouts with and without the perturbation device. Passive drag and the passive drag coefficient were estimated using the gliding decay velocity method after a maximal push-off from the wall while being fully immersed. The technique drag index was also assessed as a ratio between active and passive drag. Boys presented meaningfully higher speed fluctuation, active drag, power needed to overcome drag and technique drag index than the girls. There were no significant gender differences for active drag coefficient, passive drag and passive drag coefficient. There were positive and moderate-strong associations between active drag and speed fluctuation when controlling the effects of swim velocity. So, increasing speed fluctuation leads to higher drag force values and those are even higher for boys than for girls.