Effects of Unimodal and Multimodal Cues About Threat Locations on Target Acquisition and Workload

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of unimodal and multimodal cueing techniques for indicating the location of threats on target acquisition, the recall of information from concurrent communications, and perceived workload. One visual, two auditory (i.e., nonspatial speech and spatial tones [3-D]), and one tactile cue were assessed in Experiment 1. Experiment 2 examined the effects of combinations of the cues assessed in the first investigation: visual + nonspatial speech, visual + spatial tones, visual + tactile, and nonspatial speech + tactile. A unimodal, “visual only” condition was included as a baseline to determine the extent to which a supplementary cue might influence changes in performance and workload. The results of the studies indicated that time to first shot and the percentage of hits can be improved and workload reduced by providing cues about target location. The multimodal cues did not yield significant improvements in performance or workload beyond that achieved by the unimodal visual cue.     

Standardized assessment of relationship functioning in OEF/OIF Veterans with and without PTSD

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with difficulties in intimate relationships, with most prior research examining associations with continuous, single-dimension, and often-unstandardized measures of general relationship quality or aggression. Standardized, well-normed assessments that include multiple couple problem areas could provide more precise information about the presence and specific nature of clinically significant concerns in patient care settings. This investigation aimed to replicate findings regarding increased difficulties in relationship functioning among Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom Veterans with PTSD and their romantic partners, specifically using a standardized assessment that permits identification of cases of clinically significant general couple distress and difficulties across multiple problem areas. We compared 32 male Veterans with PTSD and 33 without PTSD, and their romantic partners on reports of several problem areas using the revised Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI-R). All participants underwent structured diagnostic interviewing. PTSD couples reported clinically significant levels of relationship distress several times more frequently than comparison couples, both for general distress and across all specific problem areas (e.g., aggressive behavior, quality of leisure time together, sexual functioning, conflicts about finances and child rearing). The most notable problem areas for PTSD couples were affective and problem-solving communication. These results replicate associations of PTSD with general couple discord and multiple specific areas of couple difficulties and extend them by documenting the clinical severity of these problems. Mental health providers may consider incorporating standardized couple assessments into their evaluations of Veterans’ functioning. Couple therapies may consider using such measures to prioritize targets for treatment.     

Japanese religion as ritual order

It is argued in this paper that beneath the superficial analysis of Japanese ‘religions’ such as Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism and the New Religions, there is one dominant ideological complex which, following some Japanese scholars, can conveniently be dubbed ‘The Japanese Religion’ or Nihonkyo. This Japanese religion is a ritual order based on the hierarchical concept of ‘ie’ and its variations such as ‘kigyoushugi‘¹ at the level of the company and ‘katei‘² at the domestic level. This ritual order pervades all major institutions in Japan and the main mechanism for its reproduction is the school system. In analysing the latter a distinction between training and education is adopted, and it is argued that the concept of liberal education, which is based on the concept of the autonomous rational and moral individual, is essentially missing from the Japanese school system which is better described as a system of training. It is suggested further that training can be linked conceptually with ritual: training is a form of ritualized behaviour though with a heavily pragmatic content. It is hoped that the approach to Japanese religion which is argued here will prove more fruitful in the Religious Studies context than one which begins with an explicit or implicit concept of religion centred on beliefs about salvation, the supernatural and life after death.     

Representations of interobject spatial relations in long-term memory

A growing body of evidence has indicated that human spatial memory is organized in terms of a small number of reference directions and that interobject spatial relations are represented in terms of these directions (e.g., McNamara, 2003). The goal of the present experiments was to investigate whether the selection of reference directions also affects the fidelity with which interobject spatial relations are represented in memory. In two experiments, participants memorized a layout of nine objects and then performed judgments of relative direction (e.g., “Imagine you are standing at the clock, facing the book. Point to the phone.”) at a remote location. Imagined heading (e.g., at the clock, facing the book) and allocentric target direction (e.g., the direction from clock to phone in the allocentric frame of reference used to define imagined heading) were manipulated independently. The results of both experiments showed that the same directions that were benefited in imagined headings were also benefited in allocentric target directions. These findings indicate that interobject spatial relations are preferentially represented when they coincide with a reference direction.     

“Prison Will Either Make Ya or Break Ya”: Punishment,Deterrence, and the Criminal Lifestyle

Although a prison sentence is often considered to be among the worst punishments that the state can provide, previous research indicates that offenders do not necessarily share this view. Some inmates, for example, adjust to prison life with relative ease, do not view their time in prison as severe punishment, and may even prefer prison to alternative sanctions such as boot camp or probation. To help explain such views, we point to the utility of a “criminal lifestyle” perspective. We argue that offenders who are committed to the values of the criminal subculture tend to view prison in a unique way. For various reasons, such offenders are less likely than others to view imprisonment as difficult or severe and they are less likely to be deterred by prison. Drawing on data from a large inmate survey, we find initial empirical support for these arguments. Implications for deterrence and future research are discussed.     

The Relevance of Age of Onset to the Psychopathology of Social Phobia

The present study aimed to examine the relevance of age of onset to the psychopathology of social phobia using a large clinical sample of 210 patients with social phobia. The two most common periods of onset were during adolescence (ages 14–17) and early childhood (prior to age 10). Structural regression modeling was used to test predictions that early onset social phobia would be associated with greater severity of the disorder, stronger current symptoms of depression and anxiety, greater functional impairment, and more pronounced levels of emotional disorder vulnerabilities (e.g., neuroticism/behavioral inhibition, extraversion, perceptions of control). Logistic regression was used to evaluate relationships between age of onset and the presence of acute and chronic stress at the time of onset. Results showed that earlier age of social phobia onset was associated with stronger current psychopathology, functional impairment, and emotional disorder vulnerabilities, and that later age of onset predicted the presence of an acutely stressful event around the time of disorder emergence. These results are discussed in regard to their clinical implications and congruence with prominent etiological models of the emotional disorders.     

A Compendium of Sales-Related Literature in Customer Relationship Management: Processes and Technologies with Managerial Implications

This paper presents the first comprehensive and systematic review of the sales-related customer relationship management (CRM) literature. Specifically, from a narrowed sample of 253 CRM-related articles, 38 were qualified as the juxtaposition of CRM strategies and technologies with sales relevance. Themes found within this literature include the evolving nature of channel functioning and interfirm relationships, the strategic organizational processes involving the sales function, the evolving nature of the sales role, and both salesperson and customer adoption of CRM technology. Contributions were derived from the extant literature for both theory and practice. The meager number of published works with direct relevance to sales management along with the practicality of the topic suggests that additional CRM research, both conceptual and empirical, would be beneficial.     

Social support,social integration,and health-related quality of life over time: Results from the Fitness and Arthritis in Seniors Trial (FAST)

The present study tested whether baseline perceived social support and social integration predicted baseline and follow-up measures of health-related quality of life for 364 older adults with osteoarthritis. The findings are secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial of an exercise intervention. Multiple regression analyses indicate that perceived social support was related to baseline measures of functioning in psychological (depressive symptoms, social functioning, and life satisfaction) and physical domains (self-rated disability, observed physical function, and perceived health), after accounting for demographic and clinical status factors. At 18-month follow-up (additionally controlling for exercise intervention and baseline outcomes), social support significantly predicted changes in psychosocial functioning, but was unrelated to changes in self-reported and observed physical health. The findings indicate that social support is an important predictor of long-term psychosocial outcomes, but is less important than baseline clinical status for physical health endpoints in this cohort of older adults. In contrast, social integration was not a consistent predictor of outcomes.