The impact of contextual information and a secondary task on anticipation performance: An interpretation using cognitive load theory

When performing under severe time constraints, sports performers use kinematic and contextual information to facilitate anticipation. We examined the relative importance of these two information sources and their impact on cognitive load and anticipation performance. Cognitive load theory predicts that adding more information sources to a task will increase cognitive load in less‐skilled but not skilled performers. Skilled and less‐skilled cricket batters anticipated deliveries from bowlers on a life‐size screen under 4 conditions that manipulated access to contextual information and included a secondary task. The presence of context enhanced anticipation accuracy for both skilled and less‐skilled groups, without affecting cognitive load. Skilled performers used sequencing and game‐related contextual information in addition to kinematic information to facilitate anticipation, whereas both groups reported using information pertaining to opponent positioning. Findings highlight the importance of context in anticipation and suggest that the addition of context may not necessarily negatively impact cognitive load.     

Type-A Behavior, Job Performance, and Well-Being in College Teachers

This study examined the relationship between Type-A behavior and job performance, and employee well-being among college teachers in Canada. Well-being was operationalized in terms of burnout, social support, work satisfaction, and turnover motivation. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire from 420 college teachers. Pearson correlation and moderated multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Global Type-A behavior was not related to 3 measures of job performance: teaching hours, number of course preparations per semester and number of students. However, global Type-A behavior correlated positively with burnout and turnover motivation and negatively with perceived social support and work satisfaction. Two components of Type-A behavior (time pressure and hard driving/competitiveness) exhibited the same pattern of relationship with job performance and well-being variables as was found with the global measure of Type-A behavior. Moderated multiple regression did not support the role of gender as a moderator of Type-A behavior and job performance and well-being variables.     

VDT屏面亮度和文件背景照度对视觉核读作业的影响

研究VDT屏面亮度和文件背景照度对视觉核读作业的影响效应。以核读速度、限肌调节辐合时间和主观舒适性为测评指标。结果上述三项指标均随VDT屏面亮度和文件背景照度的变化而发生变化。结论推荐VDT屏面亮度的合适范围为15～20cd／m^2,文件背景照度的合适范围为300～450lux。VDT屏而亮度与背景照度水平的匹配性也应加以考虑。     

Unpopularity and disliking among peers: Partially distinct dimensions of adolescents' social experiences

The paper examines whether unpopularity and disliking among peers are partially distinct dimensions of adolescents' negative social experience. We recruited 418 students (187 boys, 231 girls, M = 12.12 years, SD = 4.33) from an urban junior high school. These early adolescents completed a peer nomination inventory assessing aspects of their social relationships with peers (i.e., popularity, liking, unpopularity and disliking), reciprocated friendships and behavioral reputations with peers (i.e., relationally and overtly aggressive, relationally and overtly victimized, withdrawn and prosocial). The participants also completed self-report inventories assessing their feelings of loneliness and peer victimization. In addition, academic performance data was obtained directly from school records. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that unpopularity and disliking among peers were associated with different behaviors. Unpopularity was also associated with reports of loneliness, relational victimization and low numbers of reciprocated friends, whereas disliking was associated with low academic performance. These results highlight the importance of multidimensional conceptualizations of negative social experiences in early adolescence and the differential risks associated with unpopularity and disliking among peers.     

Once the money is in sight: Distinctive effects of conscious and unconscious rewards on task performance

Monetary rewards facilitate performance on behavioral and cognitive tasks, even when these rewards are perceived without conscious awareness. Also, recent research suggests that consciously (vs. unconsciously) perceived rewards may prompt people to more strongly concentrate on task stimuli and details. Here we propose that the latter is sometimes dysfunctional, in that it prevents improvements in task performance. We used an Attentional Blink paradigm, in which such enhanced concentration on task stimuli is detrimental to performance. Participants were consciously (supraliminally) or unconsciously (subliminally) exposed to a high-value or low-value coin that they could earn by performing well on an Attentional Blink trial. As hypothesized, high-value rewards increased performance when they were presented subliminally, while this performance benefit vanished when high-value rewards were presented consciously. We discuss this finding in the context of recent research on unconscious goal pursuit.     

Personality and the prediction of team performance

Although much is known about personality and individuals' job performance, only a few studies have considered the effects of team‐level personality on team performance. Existing research examining the effects of personality on team performance has found that, of the Big Five factors of personality, Conscientiousness is often the most important predictor. Accordingly, we investigated the criterion validity of lower‐level Conscientiousness traits to determine whether any one trait is particularly predictive of team performance. In addition to Conscientiousness, we examined the criterion validity of the other Big Five personality factors. We found that Conscientiousness and its facets predicted team performance. Agreeableness, Extraversion and Neuroticism were not predictive of team performance, whereas Openness had a modest negative relation with team performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

触屏手机与传统键盘手机的可用性之比较

以24名大学生为测试对象,结合基于视频的用户绩效测试方法和问卷调查法,比较了测试对象使用触屏手机和传统键盘手机完成测试任务时的绩效及主观满意度。绩效测试的结果显示：在完成测试任务的时间和按键效率方面,两款手机在不同测试任务上各有优势;在按键敏感性方面,传统键盘手机在各项测试任务上均优于触屏手机。主观满意度评价的结果显示：在速度、按键效率Y2．易学性方面,被试认为传统键盘手机基本上都优于触屏手机;在舒适度、愉悦度和灵活性方面,选择购买触屏手机的被试认为触屏手机优于传统键盘手机,而选择传统键盘手机的被试认为两者没有显著差异。