Psychology Commons^™

Self Efficacy, Alcohol Expectancy And Problem-Solvingappraisal As Predictors Of Alcohol Use In College Students, Nancy Taylor, Michael Biscaro, Karen Broer

Nancy P. Taylor

This study updated that of Broer 1996 and re-examined self-efficacy, alcohol expectancy and problem-solving appraisal as predictors of alcohol use in undergraduate college students. Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that alcohol expectancy of Global Positive Changes and gender were significant predictors for both number of drinks and binge episodes.

Confirmation Of Correlation Between Brain Nerve Conduction Velocity And Intelligence Level In Normal Adults, T. Reed, Philip Vernon, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

In 1992, Reed and Jensen [Intelligence 16 (1992) 259–272] reported a positive correlation (.26; p=.002; .37 after correcting for restricted intelligence range) between a brain nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and intelligence level in 147 normal male students. In the first follow-up of their study, we report on a study using similar NCV methodologies, but testing both male and female students and using more extensive measures of cognitive abilities. One-hundred eighty-six males and 201 females, aged 18–25 years, were tested in three different NCV conditions and with nine cognitive tests, including Raven Progressive Matrices as used by Reed and Jensen. None …

A Behavior Genetic Investigation Of The Relationship Between Leadership And Personality, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Julie Harris, Kerry Jang

Andrew M. Johnson

Phenotypic research on leadership style has long considered the importance of individual differences in personality when identifying the behaviors associated with good leaders. Although leadership and many personality traits have been separately shown to be heritable, these constructs have not been examined with genetically informative data to identify common sources of heritability in the two domains. A logical extension to current research, therefore, is to examine the extent to which factors of personality are predictive of leadership dimensions and the extent to which unique genetic contributions to the relationship between personality and leadership style may be identified. Adult twin pairs …

Odysseus And Ithaka, Nicholas Patricios

Nicholas Patricios

The website poses the questions why go to Ithaka with a notable response. The Greek text from Homer's the Iliad and Odyssey with a parallel English translation that refer to specific places on Ithaka is accompanied by a contemporary photograph of the place mentioned by Homer.

The Genetic Basis Of Substance Abuse: Mediating Effects Of Sensation Seeking, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon

Andrew M. Johnson

Most modern theories of personality are structured hierarchically, with broad higher-order dimensions predicting narrower trait-level variables. This approach is necessarily reductionist, proposing to summarize the majority of trait-specific variability with a smaller number of larger dimensions. Not surprisingly, therefore, significant research has been directed to determining what might be considered to be the most basic dimensions of personality—both with regards to the identification of how many factors are needed to describe personality, and what these factors might be called (Costa & McCrae 1992a; [29] and [30]; Tupes & Christal 1992; Zuckerman 1992; [121] and [122]. While these omnibus factors of …

Sex Difference In Brain Nerve Conduction Velocity In Normal Humans, T. Reed, Philip Vernon, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

Nerve conduction velocity (NCV), the speed at which impulses travel along nerves, has been extensively determined in human peripheral nerves because of its clinical utility. In contrast, almost no studies have been made of human brain NCV. We determined brain NCVs in the visual nerve pathway for 185 male and 200 female university students ages 18-25 years. In each of three independent test conditions, we found that the mean NCV of male students is about 4% faster than in females (P < or = 0.0001 for each condition). These male students also have a shorter reaction time in each of seven …

Patient Preference For Being Informed Of Their Dxa Scan Results, Peter Cram, Janet Schlechte, Gary Rosenthal, Alan Christensen

Alan J. Christensen

Evidence suggests that patients diagnosed with osteoporosis are often undertreated. One potential solution to undertreatment is to enhance patient involvement in their osteoporosis care (a.k.a. patient activation) by having the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) center directly provide patients with their test results and educational material. However, little is known about patient interest in such an intervention. Consecutive patients presenting to an academic medical center DXA scanning unit were given a questionnaire to assess their preferences for being informed of their test results and interest in receiving their results plus educational material by mail from the testing center. Two hundred and …

Macroeconomic And Financial Sector Comparison With Saarc And Asean Countries, Safdar Khan

Safdar Khan

Extract:
Two distinct regional associations, SAARC and ASEAN, comprise over seventeen different economies of Asia. These economies differ from each other in terms of their age, size and economic performance. However, some comparisons can be drawn between these intra-regional economies on the basis of economic and financial performance for a uniform period of observation, spanning from 1990 to 2003.1 This chapter discusses the financial sector indicators of the SAARC and ASEAN countries under the framework of macroeconomic performance, with the objective of assessing the level of Pakistan’s performance in comparison with these countries.

The Neural Bases Of Cognitive Conflict And Control In Moral Judgment., Joshua Greene, Leigh Nystrom, Andrew Engell, John Darley, Jon Cohen

Andrew Engell

An Exploration Of Automobile Insurance Fraud, Robyn Lincoln, Helene Wells, Wayne Petherick

Wayne Petherick

This exploratory study analyses claiming behaviour within the automobile insurance industry. A local insurance company provided 32 automobile insurance claims thus permitting qualitative and quantitative analysis. This study enunciates non-fraudulent claiming behaviour as the sample included only a low number of suspected fraud cases. Variables contained within each of the claim files were analysed, as were the statements of the insured individuals. Each claimant is required to provide two written statements to the local insurance company and these statements were analysed for consistency and detail.

The overall findings revealed that claimants were generally employed, middle-aged males who were sober at …

Simple And Effective Methods For Talking About Teaching, Steffen Wilson, Katherine Kipp

Steffen Wilson

Traditionally, college teaching has been an individual endeavor. An instructor prepares her course without the assistance of colleagues, delivers course material without feedback from peers, assigns grades without the guidance of others, and handles problems as they arise on her own. There is something secure and sacred about this privatization of teaching, and we often are uncomfortable opening up this area of our professional lives to others. The opposite is true for our scholarship; we feel uncomfortable moving forward on a research project without long discussions with our colleagues, seeking their input and opinions on the numerous aspects of research.

Community Violence Exposure And Children's Academic Functioning, David Schwartz, Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

Reports a cross-sectional investigation of the link between community violence exposure and academic difficulties for 237 urban elementary school children. Analyses indicated that community violence exposure was associated with poor academic performance. These relations appear to be mediated by symptoms of depression and disruptive behavior. (Contains 60 references and 3 tables.) (GCP)

Institutionalizing Diversity: Living And Learning Communities At Occidental College, Eric Newhall, Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman, Jonathan Nakamoto, Brandon Carroll

Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

At Occidental College we believe an effective strategy for institutionalizing diversity in the midst of ongoing national “culture wars” is to adopt educational models and practices that nurture and sustain diversities of all kinds, while simultaneously helping our undergraduates to strengthen their skills in critical thinking, expository writing, and public speaking. Furthermore, we see no need to choose between the twin goals of our college mission—excellence and equity. We consider these two goals to be inextricably intertwined. Because many U.S. students are reared and educated in isolated racial enclaves, we need educational models and practices that interrupt and reverse this …

Beyond The Middle: A Report About Literacy And Numeracy Development Of Target Group Students In The Middle Years Of Schooling, Allan Luke, John Elkins, Katie Weir, Ray Land, Victoria Carrington, Shelley Dole, Donna Pendergast, Cushla Kapitzke, Christa Van Kraayenoord, Karen Moni, Alistair Mcintosh, Diane Mayer, Mark Bahr, Lisa Hunter, Rod Chadbourne, Tom Bean, Donna Alverman, Lisa Stevens

Mark Bahr

The Report, Beyond the Middle: A Report about Literacy and Numeracy Development of a Target Group Students in the Middle Years of Schooling, provides a useful national coverage of approaches assisting the literacy and numeracy development of Australian students in Years 5 to 10.

The work was undertaken by a research team headed by Professor Allan Luke and Professor John Elkins from the School of Education, University of Queensland and is a study of the efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories for improving teaching and learning, and student outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

The project involved …

Reciprocated Antipathies As A Marker For Risk Associated With Community Violence Exposure, David Schwartz, Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

No abstract provided.

A Role Of The Basal Ganglia In Movement: The Effect Of Precues On Discrete Bi-Directional Movements In Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Quincy Almeida, Linda Grantier, Mandar Jog

Andrew M. Johnson

The effect of a precue on improving movement initiation (i.e., reaction time; RT) is well understood, whereas its influence on movement execution (i.e., movement time; MT) has rarely been examined. The current study investigated the influence of a directional precue (i.e., left vs. right) on the RT and MT of simple and discrete bi-directional movements in a large sample of Parkinson's disease patients and healthy control participants. Both patients and controls were tested twice, with testing sessions separated by 2 hours. Patients were tested first following an overnight levodopa withdrawal and again after they had taken their medication. Both patients …

Financial Sector Deepening And Economic Growth In Pakistan, Safdar Khan

Safdar Khan

No abstract provided.

Teaching Students About Classic Findings On The Detection Of Deception, Kathryn Morris

Kathryn A. Morris

The Attributes Adolescents Associate With Peer Popularity And Teacher Preference, Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman, Janna Kim, Anne Schimmelbusch

Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

Perceived popularity and perceived teacher preference were investigated in a sample of 351 (179 boys, 172 girls) 10th-grade students from an urban community experiencing a moderate degree of economic distress. Students completed rating scale sociometric and behavioral nomination measures. Data on GPAs and unexplained absences were obtained from the school. Multiple regression analyses revealed that different behaviors were associated with perceived popularity and perceived teacher preference. Low GPA, low submissiveness, and high rates of absenteeism were associated with high perceived popularity and a low perceived teacher preference. Snobbishness and prosociality were more strongly associated with perceived popularity than perceived teacher …

Addressing The Educational Needs Of Boys, Bob Lingard, Wayne Martino, Martin Mills, Mark Bahr

Mark Bahr

Informed by a literature review, this report, based on case studies of schools and survey data, has provided an analysis of the work of research in addressing the educational needs of boys. The report examined how systemic factors affect the educational performance and outcomes of boys and how these can be addressed in the school context. These systemic factors included family, school and community environments, peer culture, student-teacher relationships, and teacher classroom practices. The authors sought to understand how these variables affect the educational experiences and achievement of boys and girls from different socio-economic status backgrounds and to determine which …

Symposium: Evolution And Literature, Nancy Easterlin

Nancy Easterlin

No abstract provided.

Rural Adolescent Perceptions Of Alcohol And Other Drug Resistance, Jeanne Jenkins

Jeanne E. Jenkins

Examines the perceptions of drug resistance difficulties of high school students. Classification of students according to degree of drug use; explanations for drug resistance difficulty; Relation of the reason foe drug resistance difficulty to the need for peer acceptance.

Positivism-Plus: A Constructivist Approach To Teaching Psychopharmacology To Counselors, Cecile Brennan, Elliott Ingersoll

Cecile Brennan

In this positivism-plus approach, the chemical and neurobiological bases of psychopharmacology constitute a pervasive, positivist construction of a reality that influences client behavior. However, is it argued that this biological version of reality must be integrated into the work of counseling, that is, it must be adapted to the environmental and intrapsychic contexts that clients and counselors co-construct. This chapter reviews the relationships among the medical model, constructivism, and counselor training, describes the general components of the psychopharmacology course, then discusses more specifically the relationship between the positivist and positivist-plus elements

Age And Neuropsychological Status Following Exposure To Violent Nonimpact Acceleration Forces In Mvas, James Sweeney, Andrew Johnson

Andrew M. Johnson

Performance on the Halstead-ReitanNeuropsychological Test Battery (HRB) was analyzed for 33 ind viduals, aged 20 to 69, who had been subjected to violent aceeleration forces in motor vehicle accidents . Age was considered as a continuous variable and correlated with single and compos ite HRB measures. With the one exception of the Left Neuropsychological Deficit Scale (NDS) score, agere lated de cline was consistently demonstrated by com positeHRB scores (i.e., Gen eralNDS, Right NDS, Level of Performance NDS, Pathognomonic SignNDS, Pattern NDS, Right-Left Differ enceNDS, and Halstead Impairment Index). In contrast, most single non-composite HRB measures did not refleet a …

Couples Therapy: A Cornerstone Approach, Linda Berg-Cross

Linda Berg-Cross

Exploring Adaptations To Famine: Rats Selectively Bred For Differential Intake Of Saccharin Differ On Deprivation-Induced Hyperactivity And Emotionality., Clinton Chapman, Jill Arnal, Dennis Vanderweele, Nancy Dess

Clinton D Chapman

In many mammals, including humans and rats, acute starvation increases locomotor activity. This seemingly paradoxical and potentially lethal behavior pattern may reflect an evolved, multisystem response to sudden threats to metabolic homeostasis. The present study provides a novel test of this idea. Occidental High- (HiS) and Low- (LoS) Saccharin-Consuming rats differ on the taste phenotype and also on some affective measures, on which LoS rats score higher. Wheel running was measured in HiS and LoS rats with food available freely vs for 1 hr daily. As predicted, restricted feeding stimulated significantly more running among LoS rats. Two independent tests of …

Individual Differences In Multiple Dimensions Of Aggression: A Univariate And Multivariate Genetic Analysis, Philip Vernon, Julie Mccarthy, Andrew Johnson, Kerry Jang, Julie Harris

Andrew M. Johnson

Previous behaviour genetic studies of aggression have yielded inconsistent results: reported heritabilities for different types of aggressive behaviour ranging from 0 to 0.98. In the present study, 247 adult twin pairs (183 MZ pairs; 64 same-sex DZ pairs) were administered seven self-report questionnaires which yielded 18 measures of aggression. Univariate genetic analyses showed moderate to high heritabilities for 14 of these 18 measures and for a general aggression factor and three correlated aggression factors extracted from the measures. Multivariate genetic analyses showed sizeable genetic correlations between the different dimensions of aggression. Thus, individual differences in many types of aggressive behaviour …

Developmental Changes In The Sources Of Loneliness Among Children And Adolescents: Constructing A Theoretical Model, J.T. Parkhurst, Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

Andrea Hopmeyer Gorman

No abstract provided.

Nature Vs. Nurture: Are Leaders Born Or Made? A Behavior Genetic Investigation Of Leadership Style, Andrew Johnson, Philip Vernon, Julie Mccarthy, Mindy Molson, Julie Harris, Kerry Jang

Andrew M. Johnson

With the recent resurgence in popularity of trait theories of leadership, it is timely to consider the genetic determination of the multiple factors comprising the leadership construct. Individual differences in personality traits have been found to be moderately to highly heritable, and so it follows that if there are reliable personality trait differences between leaders and non-leaders, then there may be a heritable component to these individual differences. Despite this connection between leadership and personality traits, however, there are no studies of the genetic basis of leadership using modern behavior genetic methodology. The present study proposes to address the lack …

"Humans And Animals"? On Saying What We Mean, Clinton Chapman, Nancy Dess

Clinton D Chapman

Discusses the linguistic phrase of "humans and animals" to distinguish humans categorically from all other animal species, and its application to psychology. It is suggested that the habit of using the human–animal convention persists because the human–animal dichotomy is institutionalized in psychology. Psychologists who study humans and those how study nonhumans tend to use different methodologies to train graduate students accordingly. They often use different publication venues and occupy different spaces. Separate ethics and funding boards review their research protocols. The nature of nonhuman animal minds and evolution is discussed. It is proposed that unexamined use of human–animal language should …