Personality, risky driving and accident involvement among Norwegian drivers

Despite the large body of studies, the role of personality in risk research still remains debatable and unclear. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of road user behaviour and accident involvement with the aim of developing effective accident countermeasures. Examining relationships between personality, risky driving and involvement in accidents can open up the possibility of early identification of those more likely to be involved in accidents. The aim is not to influence personality as such, but to develop measures constructed for specific groups. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey carried out among a sample of Norwegian drivers in year 2000 and 2001 (n=2605). The Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads financed the study. The questionnaire included measures of risky driving, accident involvement, normlessness, sensation-seeking, locus of control and driver anger. Results showed that those who scored high on sensation seeking, normlessness and driver anger reported more frequent risky driving compared to those who scored low on these variables. They were more often involved in both speeding and ignorance of traffic rules. Respondents involved in risk taking-behaviour experienced near-accidents and crashes leading to both injuries and material damage more often than other drivers.     

幼儿的游戏行为及其与社会技能、学习行为的典型相关分析

对4～6岁儿童的游戏行为、社会技能和学习行为进行问卷调查.结果发现,幼儿的游戏行为发展存在显著的年龄和性别差异.典型相关分析结果表明,游戏行为对幼儿社会技能的影响作用大于社会技能对游戏行为的影响作用,同时,游戏中的亲社会行为对幼儿的学习能力、学习动机有显著的促进作用,而破坏、退缩行为对学习能力和学习动机的形成有阻碍作用.     

效应器在动作序列学习中的作用机制探析

动作序列学习是动作技能学习的重要组成部分,其中大部分动作序列学习都有效应器参与。目前有关效应器在动作序列学习中的作用机制存在两种观点：一是依存于效应器的观点,即动作序列技能的获得依附于具体的效应器,不可向其他效应器迁移,其学习的本质是建立反应或肌肉间的联结。二是独立于效应器的观点,即动作序列技能的获得并不依存于具体效应器,某个效应器获得的技能可以向其他效应器迁移,其学习的本质是建立抽象的刺激表征联结。效应器作用机制随练习程度、意识状态及其他条件的不同而有所变化。     

Does degree of asymmetry relate to performance? An investigation of word recognition and reading in consistent and mixed handers

Is it advantageous to be strongly lateralized? The current study investigated this question by examining the relationship between visual field asymmetries for lexical tasks and reading performance in a sample of 200 young adults. Larger visual field asymmetries were associated with better reading performance, but this relationship was obtained primarily in those with strong and consistent hand preferences. Among mixed handers, variation in visual field asymmetry accounted for little or no variance in reading skill. In addition, correlations between visual field asymmetry and reading performance were observed for word recognition tasks, but not for tasks requiring controlled semantic retrieval. The results are consistent with the idea that consistent and mixed handers may represent differing neurobehavioral populations. Because greater lateralization was associated with better reading skill only for consistent handers, reduced behavioral asymmetry cannot be assumed to be a risk factor for reading dysfunction in the population as a whole.     

Skilled speechreading: A single-case study

In a case study the cognitive characteristics of a skilled visual speechreader (SJ) was examined and compared to a control group. SJ is a 56 year old woman, skilled in visual speechreading. She differs from most of the 119 individuals in the control group, as she uses a particular speechreading strategy in which she attempts to repeat overtly each spoken word as soon as it has been uttered, and to summarize and fill in missing pieces of information whenever it is possible (e.g., during pauses) during the conversation.
SJ outperformed the control group on three types of tasks; a reading span task, performance in the asymptote level in the serial position curve, and verbal inference-making. SJ's results were discussed with respect to (a) how they relate to the general case (i.e., models based on group-data) and to (b) her speechreading strategy. From a clinical perspective it was suggested that it might be possible to practice the strategy as such, but any possible improvement is dependent on the individual's capability to process information in this way.     

数字记忆广度对策略应用模式的影响──中美儿童计算能力差异的比较研究

本研究旨在了解中美儿童在策略运用模式上的差异是否与数字记忆广度有关。为此,分别测验了中美幼儿园儿童的加法技能,数字记忆广度,并通过一组计算机呈现的加法作业评估儿童使用的解题策略。结果表明,中国儿童的基本算术技能和数学记忆广度均超过同龄的美国儿童。在解题时,中国儿童多使用效率较高的言语计算策略,美国儿童则多采用计数手指策略,在言语计数策略和检索策略的加工速度上中国儿童也超过美国儿童。相关分析表明．策略应用模式的文化差异与数字记忆广度有关。比较大的工作记忆容量增加了数字线索可利用的资源,为儿童早期言语计数能力的发展提供了有利条件。     

Assessing children's social skills: Validation of the Behavioral Assertiveness Test for Children (BAT-C)

The present study assessed the relationship between specific child responses on the Behavioral Assertiveness Test for Children (BAT-C) and sociometric indices obtained from peers. Fourth and fifth graders completed peer nominations of their best friends and the children they most admired, peer ratings of likeability, and the BAT-C. Sociometric status was determined by classifying each child as either high or low on peer nominations and peer ratings. Examination of the effects of sociometric status as moderated by race and sex revealed several significant differences in BAT-C responses. Children who were more highly liked or were often named as best friends were significantly less compliant. Differential responding on several additional verbal categories was observed as a function of the interaction between sociometric status and race and/or sex. These findings not only demonstrate the validity of several response categories observed on the BAT-C, but also suggest that in social skills training, different component responses may be targeted across child populations.The authors wish to express their appreciation to Jean Birbilis, Candace Conley, Tony Genoff, Marieta Knopf, and Donna Wadley for their assistance in data collection and analysis.     

LEISURE-DANCE INSTRUCTION FOR SEVERELY AND PROFOUNDLY RETARDED PERSONS: TEACHING AN INTERMEDIATE COMMUNITY-LIVING SKILL

We evaluated an approach for teaching an intermediate community living skill via a leisure-dance activity to institutionalized severely and profoundly retarded persons. The targeted skill was considered as intermediate in contrast to a community living skill per se because it was based on successful performances of higher functioning, noninstitutionalized retarded persons as opposed to nonhandicapped individuals. Definitions for appropriate dancing were established and then validated through observations of the performance of retarded persons living in the local community. The dance skills were then taught to four participants through serial training in leg movements, arm movements, and coordinated leg and arm movements, plus follow-up trainer supervision. Generalization was also programmed by way of multiple trainers and training settings. Results during structured assessments showed that all four residents acquired the dance skills and that both serial training and follow-up supervision were necessary for skill acquisition. Generalized increases in appropriate dancing at dances attended by the participants and retarded persons from the community were also demonstrated. However, in most cases some active supervision by caregivers was needed to enhance the generalized improvements. Results are discussed in terms of the applicability of this approach for validating goals when training other community-related skills to low-functioning populations.     

Teaching chained skills in a non-school setting using a divided half instructional format

This investigation evaluated the use of dyadic instructional arrangements in teaching chained skills to four students with moderate mental retardation. Each instructional dyad consisted of two students. Each of the three cooking skills was divided into two equal parts, and each student in a dyad received direct instruction on one part of the task analysis during each instructional session. During the following session, the two parts were reversed and a student received instruction on the second part. A constant time delay procedure was used to teach the targeted skills in an off-campus setting. A multiple probe design across skills and replicated across students evaluated the effectiveness of the instructional procedure and teaching arrangement. Results indicate that each of the four students learned the three cooking skills. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Validation of a component model of social skill with outpatient adults

Little social skills research has been generated from applied outpatient settings. The present study examined the relationship of behavioral social skill components to independent judges' social skill judgments. A secondary question was whether nonverbal components would demonstrate a curvilinear relationship to social skill ratings. Forty-two outpatient adults at a community mental health center were videotaped role-playing eight scenes (four commendatory and four refusal). Videotapes were viewed in random order by community members who rated the subject's social skill in the situation. Trained raters scored the videotapes on standard behavioral components. While both nonverbal and verbal components accounted for significant portions of unique variance, the percentage of eye contact was an overwhelmingly large contributor to skill judgments. No curvilinear trend was evidenced for the nonverbal components. The study extended prior findings with psychiatric inpatients into applied outpatient settings and indicated that a component social skills model is equally applicable with outpatient adults. The findings replicated with a second sample of outpatient adults.