Psychological Reports

This study investigated the effects of stimulus modality, standard duration, sex, and laterality in duration discrimination by musicians and nonmusicians. Seventeen musicians (M age = 24.1 yr.) and 22 nonmusicians (M age = 26.8 yr.) participated. Auditory (1,000 Hz) and tactile (250 Hz) sinusoidal suprathreshold stimuli with varying durations were used. The standard durations tested were 0.5 and 3.0 sec. Participants discriminated comparison stimuli which had durations slightly longer and shorter than the standard durations. Difference limens were found by the method of limits and converted to Weber fractions based on the standard durations. Musicians had lower, i.e., better, Weber fractions than nonmusicians in the auditory modality, but there was no significant difference between musicians and nonmusicians in the tactile modality. Auditory discrimination was better than tactile discrimination. Discrimination improved when the standard duration was increased both for musicians and nonmusicians. These results support previous findings of superior auditory processing by musicians. Significant differences between discrimination in the millisecond and second ranges may be due to a deviation from Weber's law and the discontinuity of timing in different duration ranges reported in the literature.

Researchers have noted a physical resemblance (homophily) between human sex partners. To date, these studies and their related interpretations have been based on heterosexual couples. The present study compared physical resemblances between gay, lesbian, and heterosexual couples, using 40 photographs of each from national newspapers, which were rated by 34 men and 56 women (M age = 53 yr., SD = 12.1). Half the photographs were of actual couples and half were randomly mixed within each group. Actual couples were rated as significantly more similar in appearance than random pairings of people. Ratings of similarity were significantly higher (indicating greater perceived homophily) for gay couples than heterosexual couples, while there was no statistically significant difference in similarity ratings between lesbian couples versus gay and heterosexual couples. The results were interpreted in terms of evolutionary and parental imprinting hypotheses.

In educational AIDS campaigns, initiators often use advertisements to warn about the threat of AIDS. The present Internet study (N = 283) tested the assumption of an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of educational AIDS advertisements in a magazine and the perceived threat of AIDS among different groups (i.e., homosexual men and heterosexual men and women). This expectation was primarily based on signaling theory, which assumes that recipients use repetition frequency as a cue for judgments about the message. Results provided support for the expected inverted U-curve.

This study assessed the effects of short- and long-term mating contexts on preferences for body characteristics of potential relationship partners in lesbians and heterosexual women. Lesbians (n = 41) rated figure drawings and computer-generated images of women that varied in body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and breast size; heterosexual women (n = 95) rated computer-generated images of men that varied in muscularity and body fat. Both lesbians and heterosexual women showed a shift in preferences toward more physically attractive partners for short-term relationships. All body aspects were affected, except that heterosexual women did not show a preference shift for male body fat. The results were interpreted in terms of a mating trade-off strategy in which mate preferences are the consequence of cost/benefit analyses and suggest that preferences for physical attributes of sexual partners may be shared by members of the same sex regardless of sexual orientation.

Willingness to date members of other races was examined among 200 men with same-sex dating preference (n = 100) and opposite-sex dating preference (n = 100), and 200 women with same-sex dating preference (n = 100) and opposite-sex dating preference (n = 100) who were randomly selected from an Internet dating web site. Overall, results indicated a greater willingness among gay participants than heterosexual participants to date people of other races. A 2 (Sex) × 2 (Sexual Orientation) analysis of variance showed an interaction, with lesbian women more willing to date other races than gay men, while among heterosexual participants men were more willing than women to date other races. The role of mate selection theory, and the importance of the status afforded various races in U.S. society, were applied to interpret people's willingness to date other races.

Managerial transformational leadership skills may directly influence banking counter staff toward change commitment and improve job satisfaction and service quality, or the influence instead may be mediated by change commitment. For a sample comprised of 246 managers from four large Taiwanese banks, the following path relationships were tested: (1) the association of transformational leadership with change commitment, (2) the association of change commitment with job satisfaction, and (3) the direct or indirect (through the mediation of change commitment) effect of transformational leadership on job satisfaction. Regression was utilized to gain insight into the effects of transformational leadership and change commitment on job satisfaction. Transformational leadership may foster change by providing psychological support to the banking counter staff, enabling them to use their skills to meet the needs of individual customers in response to complex environments.

Previous research has shown a relationship between love styles and shyness. This study explored the possibility that this effect may be due to differences in patterns of self-disclosure associated with shyness. University student participants (N = 143) completed the Love Attitudes Scale, the Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale, and the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale. Correlations between the measures were calculated and significant results ranged from r = .18 to .30. Findings supported previous research in showing significant relationships between shyness and love styles; self-disclosure showed no relationship with shyness but did show some direct associations with love style scores. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of self-disclosure in relationship development.

This study presents a measure of work motivation designed to assess the motivational concepts of the meta-theory of motivation. These concepts include intrinsic process motivation, goal internalization motivation, instrumental motivation, external self-concept motivation, and internal self-concept motivation. Following a process of statement development and identification, six statements for each concept were presented to a sample of working professionals (N = 330) via a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Parallel analysis supported a 5-factor solution, with a varimax rotation identifying 5 factors accounting for 48.9% of total variance. All 5 scales had Cronbach alpha coefficients above .70. Limitations of the newly proposed questionnaire and suggestions for its further development and use are discussed.

This study reports preliminary psychometric findings for a seven-item religiosity scale in a community-based sample of Vietnamese Americans ages 18 to 83 years (N = 119; 58% women, 42% men). A bilingual survey was distributed to Vietnamese who were evacuated during Hurricane Katrina and had returned after the disaster. Internal consistency, factorial structure validity, and criterion validity were evaluated on the scale items. The bilingual scale had good internal consistency. While exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis results provided support for a two-factor structure which captured Religious Involvement and Religious Coping, a one-factor model had slightly better fit. Individuals who scored high on the religiosity scale reported a significantly lower score on their stressful experiences during the hurricane, providing evidence of criterion validity.

The authors responded to criticisms raised recently by Giannini (2010) of the authors' 2009 study in which cross-age differences were examined in the sense of authenticity. Comments address three aspects of the criticism, interpretation of the results, and misunderstanding of the method used as well as the concepts. In particular, future research likely needs to focus on the subjective aspects of sense of authenticity.

Intention in language learning has not been studied effectively in research on second language (L2) learning. The goal is to fill this gap by designing and testing a measure of L2 learning intention. The scale was differentiated into two distinct but correlated components, goal intention and implementation intention, within the L2 context. The two intention scales were examined for reliability and validity using a series of standard psychometric procedures. A confirmatory factor model was then constructed and tested with a sample of 333 senior high school and college students. The results showed that a modified model had good psychometric characteristics and reasonable fit to the data.

The purpose was to examine differences in verbal interactions during the group counseling process and the relationship between perceived verbal interactions and members' demographic variables. 42 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to one of four counseling groups. Based on the Hill Interaction Matrix, Quadrant 4 verbal interactions, consisting of Speculative and Confrontative verbal behaviors in Personal and Relationship levels, were perceived significantly more often at the closing stage than at the initial stage. Furthermore, the perceived verbal interactions were related to the demographic variables of sex, educational level, and group experience, but not acquaintanceship. The findings suggested that the higher ratings of perceived Speculative and Confrontative verbal behaviors and the lower ratings of Assertive and Silence verbal interactions must be interpreted cautiously from a cross-cultural perspective, especially in Asian cultures.

The purpose was to describe the social adjustment, academic achievement, and creativity of 127 Taiwanese children with Tourette's Syndrome and a control group of 138 Taiwanese children with typical development and reports of the parents of both groups. The Tourette's Syndrome group had significantly more disruptive behaviors than the controls; most parents reported their children with Tourette's Syndrome had high academic achievement although the children scored significantly lower than controls on the Elaboration subtest of Creative Thinking.

To examine antidepressant management practices in primary care, patients (N = 148) given an antidepressant for at least one month completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI–II), the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ–9), and a demographic survey. Participants' mean age was 50.7 yr. and 80% were women. Patients' charts indicated whether physicians had made changes to prescribed antidepressants or dose either 6 wk. before or 6 wk. after study entry. For the 87% of participants whose depression status could be determined, 10% met dysthymic disorder criteria and only 33% had had a medication change in the previous month. Major depressive disorder occurred in 37% but only 18% had had a medication change. Co-existing dysthymic disorder and major depressive disorder were diagnosed in 34%, with 24% receiving a medication change. Participants not receiving a medication change had mean BDI-II scores indicating moderate depression. Lack of antidepressant adjustment suggests physicians may need to monitor depressive symptoms closely using protocols and prompts.

The present study explored the existence of depressive symptoms among Omani children according to sex and age. The Arabic translated version of the Multidimensional Child and Adolescent Depression Scale was administered to 1,749 children (828 boys, 921 girls) ranging in age from 10 to 18 years old (M = 13.9, SD = 2.3) from 10 schools representing different areas of Muscat, Oman. The results showed no differences in the total mean scores on depression between boys and girls, although differences were observed on 4 of the 8 subscales. Boys had significantly higher scores on Weak concentration and Loneliness, while girls scored higher for Sleep problems and Anhedonia. Significant differences across ages also were exhibited for the total score as well as four subscales (Pessimism, Weak concentration, Anhedonia, and Fatigue), suggesting higher rates of depression among 15- to 18-year-olds.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator presents a model of personality which may be useful for understanding historical personalities, but empirical verification is necessary.

The purpose was to assess the effectiveness of the adult ADHD Module from the MINI International Neuropsychiatrie Interview (MINI) and the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales: Screening Version DSM-IV ADHD Symptoms Total Scale (CAARS-S:SV) in screening for attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) disorder in patients hospitalized for other psychiatric disorders. Assessment measures were administered to 55 (50%) female and 55 (50%) male adult (> 18 yr. old) inpatients. Only six (5%) of the 110 inpatients had been diagnosed with comorbid ADHD according to medical charts. In contrast, 55 (50%) patients met criteria for ADHD according to the MINI, and 39 (36%) patients met criteria on the CAARS-S:SV. The higher rates of prevalence for the MINI and the CAARS-S:SV were attributable to symptom criteria for ADHD being similar to those shared with comorbid disorders.

Field-dependent/independent groups' numerical estimation was assessed with respect to different distractors. Participants were 81 college students with field-dependent or field-independent cognitive styles. Cognitive style had a significant main effect on reaction without distractors. When the number of distractors was double the number of targets, the estimation accuracy of the field-dependent and field-independent groups differed. Under this double-distractors condition, both the field-dependent and field-independent participants used logarithmic representation more than linear representation in their numerical estimations, but no significant between-group differences were found.

Shakespeare's character Henry V is infamous, among 20th-century analysts of drama, for his inconsistent disposition. Some analysts highlight this character's reformation and others his Machiavellian tendency to moderate his disposition in tune with changing situations. The Dictionary of Affect in Language (Whissell, 2009) was used to score the emotional undertones of words in Henry V's dialogue. Analyses of these undertones, described in terms of Pleasantness and Activation, demonstrated that the character Henry V was, in overall terms, emotionally average, that there was minimal evidence of growth or reform in him across time, and that situational factors (e.g., revelry, kingship, courtship, battle) were associated with the dramatic changes in his speeches. The character employed more passive language in private and personal situations and more active language in his (public) royal role. Four categories of Henry V's speeches (Condescension, Control, Self-definition, and the Courtship of Good Opinion), represented in both public and private discourse, reflected increasing pleasantness in emotional undertones.

Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the responses to the Dutch version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form from a sample of 123 female indoor sex workers in The Netherlands. Results indicate the expected five-factor structure fit the data well. In line with Bernstein and others, the instrument was a valid measure of retrospective childhood abuse and neglect in this sample.

The associations of age, sex, and matching types with color and product-function were examined in a real-world product scenario (shampoo) among 128 volunteers (M age = 29.3 yr.; SD = 15.6). A pilot study identified eight popular colors and eight product-functions. The association between color and product-function was explored in the main sample. Responses suggested seven pairings of color/product-functions: Red/Hot oil treatment, Yellow/Bright and shiny hair, Green/Herbal extracts, Blue/Deep cleaning, Purple/Soothing, Black/Antiseptic, and White/Anti-dandruff. Analyses indicated that adult participants required more repetitions for retention, as did memorization with random pairing compared to participant-selected pairings. There were statistically significant correlations of responses to colors and product functions. With known color/product-function associations, manufacturers might promote their products more effectively. It is suggested that the associations might be sex- or culture-specific.

To ascertain whether self-reported inability to cry would be associated with symptoms of anhedonic depression, the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory-II was administered to 1,050 outpatients diagnosed with a DSM-IV-TR major depressive disorder. 219 (21%) patients reported on the BDI-II Crying item that they were unable to cry, and 831 (79%) patients reported they were able to cry. Only BDI-II Loss of Interest was significantly associated with the inability to cry after the other BDI-II symptoms were controlled for using a multiple logistic-regression analysis. The inability to cry was discussed as an indicator of anhedonic depression.

Caring for individuals with AIDS in developing countries represents a major crisis to families and natural caregivers. This study presents the psychosocial profiles of people with AIDS and their caregivers in Egypt to assess the effects of HIV/AIDS on patients, their caregivers, and the factors that influence caregiving and support. Various stressors and challenges for patients as well as hardships the caregiver faces were explored. The literature documents difficulties such as inadequate health care services, lack of resources, and stigma that patients experience in developing countries. Findings indicate an association between the psychosocial effects of AIDS on patients and their caregivers.

It has been indicated that visual search is interfered with in spatial working memory (WM), although not in nonspatial WM. In this study, the effects on visual search of individual differences in spatial and nonspatial WM were examined. Two visual search conditions were used: a conjunction search condition comprising two features (color and shape) and a disjunction condition comprising only one feature (color or shape). 96 participants (42 men, 54 women, M age = 20.9 yr., SD = 3.5) participated in this study. The participants were divided into high and low WM groups based on their spatial and nonspatial WM test scores. As a result, statistically significant group differences in the conjunction search rate were observed in spatial WM but not in nonspatial WM. These results suggest there is a relationship between visual search and the individual spatial WM ability, but this does not hold for nonspatial WM.

The issue of what type of juvenile offender produces an invalid versus a valid Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Adolescent Form (MMPI–A) profile requires study. Using technical manual profile invalidation requirements from a cohort sample of 1,054 juvenile offenders, 387 produced invalid profiles, whereas 667 yielded valid profiles. Utilizing scale scores from the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), univariate and multivariate analyses for girls, boys, and combined samples of invalid and valid MMPI-A profiles suggested similarities and differences which influenced the results for the combined samples. The groups were separated on the following MACI scales: Disclosure, Impulsivity Substance Abuse Propensity, Unruly, and Oppositional by sex and for the combined group. Also noted were other MACI scales which distinguished boys and girls in comparisons made between as well as within the invalid and valid profiles.

A sample of 134 young adolescents attending a middle school responded to the Perceived Stress Scale, the Hopefulness Scale for Adolescents, and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Correlational analyses indicated that higher scores on stress were significantly associated with lower scores on hope (r = -.55) and higher scores on loneliness (r= .52). Unlike an earlier study with predominately ethnic minority adolescents, the present findings with predominately Euro-American adolescents supported the relationship proposed between stress and hope; the relationship proposed between stress and loneliness was supported.

The purpose of this research was to demonstrate that a specific psychosocial intervention changes reactions to cancer and quality of life. This study was carried out on 66 patients with a first breast cancer. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: a specific intervention group (G1, 8 sessions) or a support group (G2, 8 sessions). A control group (G3) was composed of patients who refused to participate in psychological intervention. Social support, perceived control, repression of emotions, coping strategies, emotional distress, and quality of life were assessed one week before (T1) and at the end (T2) of the psychological intervention. Results showed that G1 did not have significantly modified quality of life or psychological scores. Patients of G2 had poorer emotional quality of life, use of internal causal attributions, and minimized their illness at T1 as compared to patients of G3. At Time 2 these differences were not observed.

Experimental research in psychology is based on an open-loop causal model which assumes that sensory input causes behavioral output. This model was tested in a tracking experiment where participants were asked to control a cursor, keeping it aligned with a target by moving a mouse to compensate for disturbances of differing difficulty. Since cursor movements (inputs) are the only observable cause of mouse movements (outputs), the open-loop model predicts that there will be a correlation between input and output that increases as tracking performance improves. In fact, the correlation between sensory input and motor output is very low regardless of the quality of tracking performance; causality, in terms of the effect of input on output, does not seem to imply correlation in this situation. This surprising result can be explained by a closed-loop model which assumes that input is causing output while output is causing input.

Previous studies have established the efficacy of group and individual formats of cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing fear of negative evaluation in social anxiety disorder, but the effectiveness of the group and individual therapies has not been widely assessed. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior group therapy to individual cognitive-behavioral therapy in social anxiety disorder. 28 patients were randomly allocated to two groups of 14. Each group participated in 12 weekly sessions. The final sample was 22 participants after drop-out. Pretest and posttest data were collected using the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Controlling for pretest fear of negative evaluation and depression, cognitive-behavioral group therapy was more effective than individual cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing fear of negative evaluation, but the clinical significance and improvement rates of the two treatment formats were equivalent.

Commitment to organizational change can explain a range of employees' attitudes and behaviors during organizational change, and its measurement is central to explaining such organizational linkages. The purpose of this study is to re-examine the dimensionality of Herscovitch and Meyer's Commitment to Change Scale across two different industrial samples in a non-Western cultural context (China). The two samples were 198 civil servants (60.0% men; M age = 29.3 yr., M organizational tenure = 62.7 mo.) and 442 high-tech company employees (58.2% men; M age = 30.5 yr., M organizational tenure = 66.5 mo.) who had respectively undergone major changes in compensation and performance appraisal systems in their organizations at the time of the research. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that a four-factor model with 14 items fit the data best in both samples. The generality of the scale's structure as well as its implications for change-management practices are discussed.

From an evolutionary perspective, suicide is a puzzle, because it has serious adverse effects, yet is remarkably common and heritable. An hypothesis is proposed to explain this puzzle, by explaining how suicide could be adaptive through reducing risk that individuals will transmit infections to kin. Empirical evidence supports four predictions from the hypothesis. There are well-established mechanisms by which infections and immune factors increase risk for mental disorders that contribute to suicide. Suicide is more prevalent in occupations with greater exposure to infection and immune-compromising factors and at higher latitudes, where key environmental factors increase vulnerability to infection. In several other highly social species, suicide-like behaviors have evolved to reduce transmission of infections. If the hypothesis is correct, detection and treatment of underlying infections and immune dysfunction should help predict and prevent suicidal behavior, while also combating spread of infectious diseases.

This preliminary study explored whether neurophysiological responses to visual stimuli, including attachment-related pictures, differed based on attachment status. Along with self-reported valence ratings and reaction times, recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to a total of 100 images, 25 each of Positive, Negative, Neutral, and Personal (each participant's parents and child), were analyzed within and among three mothers with three attachment statuses (Dismissing, Preoccupied, and Secure), as judged by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). All three mothers gave their highest pleasantness ratings for Personal photographs. However, differences emerged when cross-region Alpha2 activation patterns in response to each picture type were compared amongst attachment categories. Alpha2 activation recorded during viewing of the participants' children's photographs was similar to viewing Negative pictures for mothers with insecure (Dismissing and Preoccupied) status; whereas the Alpha2 activation of the mother with Secure status towards photographs of her child was similar to Positive pictures. Different patterns of hemispheric asymmetry in Betal frequency when processing different picture types were also found. The mother with Dismissing status showed significantly stronger left-hemisphere Betal activation across all image types. The Preoccupied mother showed significantly stronger right-hemisphere Betal activation for all but the Neutral images, during which activation did not differ between the two hemispheres. The mother with Secure status showed significantly stronger Betal activation in the left hemisphere for all but parental Personal photos, during which activation did not differ between the two hemispheres. Implications from the current findings and future research possibilities are discussed.