Psychology Commons^™

The Statistical Properties Of The Survivor Interaction Contrast, Joseph W. Houpt, James T. Townsend

Joseph W. Houpt

The Survivor Interaction Contrast (SIC) is a powerful tool for assessing the architecture and stopping rule of a model of mental processes. Despite its demonstrated utility, the methodology has lacked a method for statistical testing until now. In this paper we briefly describe the SIC then develop some basic statistical properties of the measure. These developments lead to a statistical test for rejecting certain classes of models based on the SIC. We verify these tests using simulated data, then demonstrate their use on data from a simple cognitive task.

Text Messaging And Phone Use During Sleep: The Impact On Psychological Well-Being, Sue Adams, Tiffani Kisler, L. Andrew, T. Mediros, B. Brooks, A. Vacca, B. Cummings

Tiffani S. Kisler

No abstract provided.

Intrapsychic Correlates Of Professional Quality Of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, And Emotional Separation, Jacky Thomas, Melanie Otis

Jacky T. Thomas

Research examining stress disorders provides important information about professional and workplace variables with the potential to influence practitioners‘ risk for compassion fatigue and burnout. However, little attention is given to intrapersonal skills or abilities that might function to reduce risk by increasing resilience and improving work satisfaction, but without jeopardizing practitioners‘ empathic engagement and effective treatment relationships with clients. This study uses a random sample of licensed clinical social workers (N= 171) to examine relationships of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation to several aspects of professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. Data are analyzed using …

Further Validation Of The Mmpi-2 And Mmpi-2-Rf Response Bias Scale: Findings From Disability And Criminal Forensic Settings, Dustin Wygant, Martin Sellbom, Roger Gervais

Dustin B. Wygant

The present study extends the validation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Response Bias Scale (RBS; R. O. Gervais, Y. S. Ben-Porath, D. B. Wygant, & P. Green, 2007) in separate forensic samples composed of disability claimants and criminal defendants. Using cognitive symptom validity tests as response bias indicators, the RBS exhibited large effect sizes (Cohen's ds = 1.24 and 1.48) in detecting cognitive response bias in the disability and criminal forensic samples, respectively. The scale also added incremental prediction to the traditional MMPI-2 and the MMPI-2-RF overreporting validity scales …

Need For Closure And The Social Response To Terrorism, Angela P. Cole-Dixon, Etc ...

Angela Cole-Dixon

Polishing The "Boots," Part 2, Rodger E. Broome

Rodger E. Broome

Autocracy, Bureaucracy, and Complacency, the A-B-Cs of bad management.

Effects Of Acute Alcohol Consumption On Executive Cognitive Functioning In Naturalistic Settings, Michael Lyvers, Juliette Tobias-Webb

Mike Lyvers

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication can disrupt performance on neuropsychological tests of executive cognitive functioning such as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). However, the generalizability of such findings to typical self-regulated alcohol intake in social settings can be questioned. In the present study, 86 young adults were recruited at Australian bars to perform a computer version of the WCST. Participants displayed blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) across a range from 0 to 0.15%. Although self-report measures of typical alcohol consumption, impulsivity, and frontal lobe related everyday functioning were all intercorrelated in line with other recent findings, multiple …

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Tas-20) In An Alcohol-Dependent Sample, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney

Mike Lyvers

Objective: To explore the factorial validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in an alcohol dependent population. Methods: Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling to evaluate the stability of the factor structure of the TAS-20. Based on previously reported factor structures, 1-factor, 2-factor and 3-factor models were examined, using maximum likelihood estimation. Results: Four of the five fit indices considered indicated a superior fit for the 3-factor model compared to the 2-factor and 1-factor models. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the original 3-factor model of the TAS-20 was a more plausible fit to the data compared to …

Listening Skills, Maheswarappa B. S Prof.

Prof B S Maheswarappa

No abstract provided.

White Paper: Effects Of The Men’S Program On Male Soldiers’ Bystander Intervention, Likelihood Of Raping, And Attitudes Toward Rape: A Pretest/Posttest Controlled Study, Final Report, United States Army - Europe, John D. Foubert

John D. Foubert

Non-commissioned officers were trained to present a one-hour rape prevention workshop, The Men’s Program, to approximately 250 soldiers in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany. Another group of approximately 250 soldiers saw a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program unit brief presented by a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator/Family Advocacy Program Manager. Participants were administered pretests and posttests to determine the effectiveness of these two programs. This report details the findings of the pretest and posttest assessment. An unsuccessful attempt was made to collect data 6 months after programs were presented. Valuable lessons were learned that will be useful for future …

The Covariance Sign Of Transformed Random Variables With Applications To Economics And Finance, Martin Egozcue

Martin Egozcue

No abstract provided.

Aiding Young Children In Taiwan's Typhoon Disaster: How An Naeyc Interest Forum Takes Action, S. C. Yen, S. Baba, Ellen N. Junn

Ellen N. Junn

The article describes the strategies learned by members of the Asian Interest Forum (AIF) who collaborated with parents and early childhood teachers on how to help young children cope with natural disasters in Taiwan. Shu-Chen Jenny Yen and Yafen Lo, AIF leaders, have translated information on how to cope with natural disasters into Chinese and sent it to their colleagues in Taiwan. Yen also visited the country where she trained early childhood teachers and volunteers to help children and their families deal with the effects of the natural disaster.

Correlating Body Experiences, Knowledge Of Verbs, And The Development Of Argument Structure, Josita Maouene, Nitya Sethuraman, Karin Harman James, Mounir Maouene, Linda Smith

Josita C Maouene

No abstract provided.

Psychometric Characteristics And Clinical Correlates Of Neo-Pi-R Fearless Dominance And Impulsive Antisociality In The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study, Edward A. Witt, Christopher J. Hopwood, Leslie C. Morey, John C. Markowitz, Thomas H. Mcglashan, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, M. Tracie Shea, Andrew E. Skodol, John G. Gunderson, M. Brent Donnellan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

This study evaluates the validity of derived measures of the psychopathic personality traits of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) using data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (baseline N = 733). These 3 issues were examined: (a) the stability of the measures over a 10-year interval, (b) their criterion-related validity, and (c) their incremental validity relative to an alternative NEO-PI-R profile-rating approach for assessing psychopathy. NEO-PI-R Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality scales were relatively stable across 10 years and demonstrated differential associations with measures of personality pathology and psychopathology …

Prospect Theory, Indifference Curves, And Hedging Risks, Udo Broll, Martin Egozcue, Wing Keung Wong, Ricardas Zitikis

Martin Egozcue

The prospect theory is one of the most popular decision-making theories. It is based on S-shaped utility functions, unlike the von Neumann and Morgenstern (NM) theory, which is based on concave utility functions. The S-shaped functions bring challenges, and extensions and generalizations of the NM theory into the prospect theory are not always possible. For example, in the prospect theory, the monotonicity of indifference curves depends on the underlying mean, unlike in the NM theory. Risk-hedging deci- sions also become more complex within the prospect theory. In this paper, we discuss these topics and establish general results concerning certain covariances …

Causal 'Mapping' Of Depression And Anxiety Among Prostate Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Interview Study, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: Men with prostate cancer experience elevated levels of anxiety and depression, with some previous data suggesting that this is due to loss of previously-available social and personal reinforcing pleasant activities and abilities. Little is currently known about the range of activities/abilities that these patients lose, leaving open the question of how to best target lifestyle changes designed to help them overcome these negative effects on their mental health. This study used personal interviews to gather details of the pattern of lost activities/abilities from a sample of men with prostate cancer so that a self-report questionnaire might be developed for …

The Contribution Of Anxiety And Depression To Fatigue Among A Sample Of Australian University Students: Suggestions For University Counsellors, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Ryan Bell

Ryan Bell

Responses to the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS: Zung, W. (1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics, 12, 371-379), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS: Zung, W. (1973). From art to science: The diagnosis and treatment of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 328-337) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) developed by Krupp and colleagues (Krupp, L.B., LaRocca, N.G., Muir-Nash, J., & Steinberg, A.D. (1989). The fatigue severity scale: Application to patients with multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Archives of Neurology, 46, 1121-1123) were collected from 200 Australian university students to explore the links between these three disorders. Reliability …

The Nature Of Benefit Finding In Parents Of A Child With Asperger Syndrome, Christina Samios, Kenneth Pakenham, Kate Soffronoff

Christina Samios

The present study examined the nature of benefit finding in 220 parents of a child with Asperger syndrome (AS) by developing and validating a multi-item Benefit Finding Scale for Parents of Children with AS (BFS-PCAS) and examining the relationships of benefit finding dimensions with positive and negative indicators of adjustment. Parents of children with AS completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later (Time 2). Exploratory factor analyses identified six benefit finding factors that were moderately inter-correlated: New Possibilities, Growth in Character, Appreciation, Spiritual Growth, Positive Effects of the Child, and Greater Understanding. Cross-sectional analyses showed that benefit finding …

Disinhibition And Reward Sensitivity In Relation To Alcohol Consumption By University Undergraduates, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Czerczyk, Anna Follent, Phoebe Lodge

Mike Lyvers

Deficits of prefrontal cortex functioning and associated executive cognitive impairments are well-known correlates of chronic alcoholism and may reflect cumulative effects of high alcohol exposure. However, such associations may also reflect traits predating alcohol exposure which predispose to heavy drinking. In the present investigation, 60 university undergraduates aged 18-25 years were administered the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), and Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). All participants reported they were at least occasional drinkers who rarely or never used illicit drugs and had no reported history of head injury or neurological …

Alexithymia And Alcohol Use Disorders: A Critical Review, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers

Mike Lyvers

All human beings experience emotion. However a number of individuals have difficulties recognising, processing and regulating their emotions. This set of emotional “deficits’ is classified as alexithymia. The prevalence rate of alexithymia in alcohol use disorders is between 45 and 67%. The objective of this paper is to review the published research on alexithymia and alcohol use, assess the methodological quality of this evidence, and draw the findings together to present a critical update on the relationship between alexithymia and alcohol use disorders. Yet, few research studies have comprehensively investigated alexithymia in alcohol use disorders, and a number of key …

An Increase In Stimulus Arousal Has Differential Effects On The Processing Speed Of Pleasant And Unpleasant Stimuli, Helena Purkis, Ottmar Lipp, Mark Edwards, Rebecca Barnes

Mark Edwards

The arousal value of a stimulus influences its salience, whereby higher arousal should lead to faster processing. However, in previous research, participants consistently made faster valence judgments for low arousal, pleasant stimuli than for high arousal, pleasant stimuli. The speed of valence and arousal judgments for pictures and words were investigated in three experiments. Valence judgments were faster for low arousal than for high arousal pleasant pictures and for high arousal than for low arousal unpleasant pictures and words. Moreover, arousal judgments were faster for low arousal than high arousal pleasant and for high arousal than low arousal unpleasant pictures …

A Snapshot Of Serial Arson In Australia, Rebekah Doley

Rebekah Doley

Studies into arson commonly have two underlying assumptions: 1) that arsonists are in some way different from non-arsonists; and, 2) that repeat arson offenders are quantifiably different from one- time arson offenders. In general these suppositions have remained implicit in the research, with few empirical investigations examining their veracity or otherwise against a sound theoretical model. The current project sought to establish how applicable these assumptions are in the Australian context. In the process a profile of Australian arsonists has been clarified and the concept that arsonists can be differentiated from each other and from other types of offender on …

Neural Substrates Of Impaired Sensorimotor Timing In Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Eve M. Valera Phd, Rebecca M. C. Spencer, Thomas A. Zeffero Md, Phd, Nikos Makris Md, Phd, Thomas J. Spencer Md, Stephen V. Faraone Phd, Joseph Biederman Md, Larry J. Seidman Phd

Rebecca M. C. Spencer

Background—Timing abilities are critical to the successful management of everyday activities and personal safety, and timing abnormalities have been argued to be fundamental to impulsiveness, a core symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite substantial evidence of timing deficits in ADHD youth, only two studies have explicitly examined timing in ADHD adults, and only at the supra-second time-scale. Also, the neural substrates of these deficits are largely unknown for both youth and adults with ADHD. The present study examined sub-second sensorimotor timing and its neural substrates in ADHD adults. Methods—Using fMRI, we examined paced and unpaced finger tapping in a sample …

Positive (But Not Negative) Punishment Predicts Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients: An Exploration Of The Behaviour Analytic Model Of Depression, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

The relative power of Positive and Negative Punishment as predictors of anxiety and depression was investigated within the gender-specific population of Prostate Cancer patients. As well as being a more powerful predictor of total test scores, Positive Punishment was also a stronger predictor of the presence of clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Examination of the particular Positive Punishment events that were significantly associated with clinical anxiety and depression showed considerable overlap, supporting the concept of a combined anxiety-depression disorder. Suggestions for behavioural interventions with this patient group are made.

Helping Prostate Cancer Patients Understand The Causes Of Anxiety And Depression: Comparing Cancer-Caused Vs Patient Response Events, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) patients have elevated anxiety and depression, often showing impairments in decision-making and weakened relationships with their partner and family. Although treatment for these psychological side-effects of PCa is strongly recommended, relatively little is known of the causal processes underlying them. This study compared cancer-based lifestyle changes vs patient behavioural responses to cancer as predictors of anxiety and depression among PCa patients. Methods: PCa patients (381) were surveyed for their responses to standardised anxiety and depression questionnaires, plus a questionnaire designed to assess the kinds of lifestyle changes that had occurred to them and their responses to …

Marital Behavior, Oxytocin, Vasopressin, And Wound Healing, Jean-Phillipe Gouin, Jeffrey R. Stowell, C. Sue Carter, Hossein Pournajafi-Nazarloo, Ronald Glasser, William B. Malarkey, Timothy J. Loving, Janice K. Kiecoltglaser

Jeffrey R. Stowell

Animal studies have implicated oxytocin and vasopressin in social bonding, physiological stress responses, and wound healing. In humans, endogenous oxytocin and vasopressin levels covary with perceptions of relationship quality, marital behaviors, and physiological stress responses. To investigate relationships among marital behavior, oxytocin, vasopressin, and wound healing, and to determine the characteristics of individuals with the highest neuropeptide levels, 37 couples were admitted for a 24-hour visit in a hospital research unit. After small blister wounds were created on their forearm, couples participated in a structured social support interaction task. Blister sites were monitored daily following discharge to assess wound repair …

Functional Principal Components Analysis And The Capacity Coefficient, D. Burns, Joseph W. Houpt, M. J. Endres, J. T. Townsend

Joseph W. Houpt

The capacity coefficient is a well established measure of the efficiency of processing combined sources of information. It has been applied to measure cognitive processes ranging from audio-visual integration to face perception. Recently, the capacity coefficient has also been applied in various clinical situations. Typical clinical analysis, such as structural equation modeling, use scalar values or vectors with limited length as input. We explored the use of functional principal component analysis (fPCA) to allow researchers to describe the capacity coefficient, a continuous function of time, with a small set of discrete values. The fPCA approach was compared with two simple …

Estimating Confidence Intervals For Eigenvalues In Exploratory Factor Analysis, Ross Larsen, Russell Warne

Russell T Warne

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has become a common procedure in educational and psychological research. In the course of performing an EFA, researchers often base the decision of how many factors to retain on the eigenvalues for the factors. However, many researchers do not realize that eigenvalues, like all sample statistics, are subject to sampling error, which means that confidence intervals (CIs) can be estimated for each eigenvalue. In the present article, we demonstrate two methods of estimating CIs for eigenvalues: one based on the mathematical properties of the central limit theorem, and the other based on bootstrapping. References to appropriate …

Distribution Of Object Types Of ‘Light’ And ‘Heavy’ Early-Learned English Verbs, Josita Maouene, Aarre Laakso, Linda Smith

Josita C Maouene

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Competing Perceptual And Motor Priors In The Context Of The Size-Weight Illusion, Gavin Buckingham, Melvyn Goodale

Gavin Buckingham

When lifting objects of identical mass but different sizes, people perceive the smaller objects as weighing more than the larger ones (the 'size-weight' illusion, SWI). While individual's grip and load force rates are rapidly scaled to the objects' actual mass, the magnitude of the force used to lift these SWI-inducing objects is rarely discussed. Here, we show that participants continue to apply a greater loading force to a large SWI-inducing cube than to a small SWI cube, lift after lift. These differences in load force persisted long after initial errors in grip and load force rates had been corrected. Interestingly, …