Manual discrimination and identification of length by the finger-span method

Experiments were conducted on length resolution for objects held between the thumb and fore-finger. The just noticeable difference in length measured in discrimination experiments is roughly 1 mm for reference lengths of 10 to 20 mm. It increases monotonically with reference length but violates Weber's law. Also, it decreases when the subject is permitted to maintain a constant finger span between trials; however, it tends to increase when the nondominant hand is used. As would be expected from studies of other stimulus dimensions in other sense modalities, resolution is considerably poorer in identification experiments than in discrimination experiments. For stimulus sets that cover a broad range (90 mm), the total information transfer is roughly 2 bits; for those that cover a relatively small range (18 mm), it is roughly 1 bit. The data are analyzed and interpreted using analysis techniques and models that have been used previously in studies of audition (e.g., Durlach & Braida, 1969).     

Issues in cognitive-behavioral interventions in academic skill areas 1

In this paper, conceptual and methodological issues within three phases of CBM interventions in academic skills are analyzed: Acquisition, evaluation, and generalization. The goal of such analysis is threefold: To enhance understanding of observed problems, clarify specific conceptual issues, and highlight areas that need more conceptual clarification and more research.     

Music-reading expertise alters visual spatial resolution for musical notation

Crowding occurs when the perception of a suprathreshold target is impaired by nearby distractors, reflecting a fundamental limitation on visual spatial resolution. It is likely that crowding limits music reading, as each musical note is crowded by adjacent notes and by the five-line staff, similar to word reading, in which letter recognition is reduced by crowding from adjacent letters. Here, we tested the hypothesis that, with extensive experience, music-reading experts have acquired visual skills such that they experience a smaller crowding effect, resulting in higher music-reading fluency. Experts experienced a smaller crowding effect than did novices, but only for musical stimuli, not for control stimuli (Landolt Cs). The magnitude of the crowding effect for musical stimuli could be predicted by individual fluency in music reading. Our results highlight the role of experience in crowding: Visual spatial resolution can be improved specifically for objects associated with perceptual expertise. Music-reading rates are likely limited by crowding, and our results are consistent with the idea that experience alleviates these limitations.     

Purity, Privacy and Procreation: Constructions and Experiences of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Assyrian and Karen Women Living in Australia

It is widely recognised that sexual and reproductive health services are underutilised by culturally and linguistically diverse migrant communities, leading to risk of poor health outcomes. This study examined the constructions and experiences of reproductive and sexual health, and associated services, in Assyrian and Karen women who had arrived in Australia as refugees. Forty two women, across a range of age groups and marital status, participated in five focus groups, with thematic analysis and positioning theory used to analyse the results. Two major themes were identified. The first, the ??Premarital Chastity Imperative?? centres on the cultural prohibition of coital hetero-sex before marriage, and taboos associated with same-sex relationships. This has implications for unmarried women??s access to sexual health services, such as contraception, cervical screening, and abortion; prohibition of sex education and communication about sex; and lack of recognition of non-heterosexual identities. The second theme, ??Marital Sex and Reproductive Imperative??, positioned coital sex and motherhood as mandatory within marriage, and was associated with women??s inability to refuse marital sex, limited knowledge about contraception and sexual pain, acceptance of fertility services, as well as lack of recognition of post-natal depression. It is concluded that health care workers need to be aware of cultural constructions of sex and sexuality, as well as the construction of gendered roles within heterosexual relationships, when designing and offering sexual health services to non English speaking or migrant communities.     

How Much do Chinese Applicants Fake?

More and more organizations have applicants who come from different cultural backgrounds, and according to new research, these cultural backgrounds matter for applicants' self‐presentational behavior (i.e., faking). If applicants come from China, can organizations assume that they will present themselves modestly, as suggested by Chinese norms? Or should organizations assume that there will be much self‐presentational behavior due to the high unemployment rate, at least among Chinese graduates? To answer this question, we obtained data from 307 Chinese applicants on their self‐presentational behavior, using the randomized response technique to ensure anonymity. We compared these data with similar data sets from the United States, Switzerland, and China. Contrary to the proposed modesty hypothesis in Chinese samples, perhaps due to high unemployment, self‐presentation was as prevalent in Chinese samples as in American samples.     

Writing and Praying Collects as an Intervention in Narrative Therapy

The integration of spiritual practices in therapy is a valuable tool for supporting and reinforcing change. This paper explores the use of a written form of prayer called a collect as an intervention in narrative therapy. A collect is a form of prayer with a structure that can be easily co-constructed by clients and therapists. This spiritual intervention serves as a therapeutic document to help reinforce the externalization of a client’s problem or help thicken alternative narratives. Relevant aspects of narrative therapy and written prayer are summarized. A guide for implementation, examples of collects, and a worksheet for helping clients write collects is provided.

     

Open-Minded Discussion in Organizations: A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Cooperation and Competition Theory

Journal of Business and Psychology - Despite the extensive interest in open-minded discussion in organizations, inconsistencies regarding its antecedents and consequences remain. Drawing upon...