Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender And Theory Of Mind In Preschoolers’ Group Effort: Evidence For Timing Differences Behind Children’S Earliest Social Loafing, Robert Thompson, Bill Thornton

Bill Thornton

This study explored mental state reasoning within the context of group effort and possible differences in development between boys and girls. Preschool children (59 girls, 47 boys) were assessed for theory of mind (ToM) ability using classic false belief tests. Children participated in group effort conditions that alternated from one condition, where individual effort was transparent and obvious, to one where individual effort remained anonymous. The aim was to investigate if emergent mental state reasoning, after controlling for age, was associated with the well-known phenomenon of reduced effort in group tasks (“social loafing”). Girls had slightly higher ToM scores and …

The Influence Of Maternal Education On Lifetime Vulnerabilities For Chronic Stress And Heightened Physiological Reactions To Stressors, Hannah Lapp, Celia Moore, Kymberlee O'Brien

Kymberlee M. O'Brien

We examined parental education as predictors of vulnerability to biological and perceived chronic stressors into adulthood. Measures included hair cortisol (hCORT) and cardiovascular parameters as indicators of chronic stress and overall health. The community subjective social status ladder was included to examine relationships between maternal education and assessments of social standing in adult offspring. Participants (N = 107; ages 18-30; M =22.23, SD = 3.01; 50.4% female) were recruited from an urban public university and residents of surrounding low-income areas in Boston, MA. Maternal and paternal education were positively associated with change in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) recovery after a …

Pdd In Military Memoirs, Esmeralda Kleinreesink

Esmeralda Kleinreesink

Identifying Examinees Who Guess On Low-Stales Tests: An Application Of The Constrained Hybrid Model, Dena Pastor, M. Johnston, M. Swanson

Dena A Pastor

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Northeastern Educational Research Association, Trumbull, CT.

Exploring The Various Interpretations Of "Test Bias", Russell Warne, Myeongsun Yoon, Chris Price

Russell T Warne

Test bias is a hotly debated topic in society, especially as it relates to diverse groups of examinees who often score low on standardized tests. However, the phrase “test bias” has a multitude of interpretations that many people are not aware of. In this article, we explain five different meanings of “test bias” and summarize the empirical and theoretical evidence related to each interpretation. The five meanings are as follows: (a) mean group differences, (b) differential predictive validity, (c) differential item functioning, (d) differing factor structures of tests, and (e) unequal consequences of test use for various groups. We explain …

The Developmental Framework Of A Test Of Visual Perceptual Letter/Number Reversal Recognition Skills For School-Aged Children, Janet Richmond

Janet E Richmond PhD

No abstract provided.

Honorable Mention: 27th Annual No Big Heads Exhibition, Adam Prus

Adam J Prus

This up-to-date new text provides an introductory overview of the nervous system actions and behavioral effects of the major classes of psychoactive drugs. Appropriate for undergraduate students who have an introductory level background in psychology or other areas within the social sciences, AN INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS AND THE NEUROSCIENCE OF BEHAVIOR illustrates concepts and highlights research techniques. The book's most important feature is its pedagogical elements, which are not found in other psychopharmacology texts, but are particularly important for making this specialized topic approachable for undergraduates. Charts and diagrams illustrate basic concepts and processes important for understanding the actions and …

Brain Games As A Potential Nonpharmaceutical Alternative For The Treatment Of Adhd, Stacy Wegrzyn, Doug Hearrington, Tim Martin, Adriane Randolph

Adriane B. Randolph

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood neurobehavioral disorder, affecting approximately 5.5 million children, of which approximately 66% take ADHD medication daily. his study investigated a potential nonpharmaceutical alternative to address the academic engagement of 5th through 11th grade students (n = 10) diagnosed with ADHD. Participants were asked to play "brain games" for a minimum of 20 minutes each morning before school for 5 weeks. Engagement was measured at three points in time using electroencephalogram, parent and teacher reports, researcher observations, and participant self-reports. An analysis of the data supports the hypothesis that daily use …

Mood, Mood Regulation, And Frontal Systems Functioning In Current Smokers, Long-Term Abstinent Ex-Smokers, And Never-Smokers, Michael Lyvers, Cassandra Carlopio, Vicole Bothma, Mark Edwards

Mike Lyvers

Indices of mood, mood regulation, and executive functioning were examined in 61 current smokers who have smoked daily for at least one year, 36 ex-smokers who had not smoked a cigarette for at least one year, and 86 never-smokers. All participants completed the following measures online: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) scale, the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by Tukey post-hoc tests revealed significant differences (p

Alexithymia And Alcohol: The Roles Of Punishment Sensitivity And Drinking Motives, Michael Lyvers, Penelope Hasking, Bonnie Albrecht, Fred Thorberg

Mike Lyvers

Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing feelings. It is suspected of being a risk factor for problematic drinking, an idea examined by this study. In 178 women and 84 men alexithymia was associated with male gender, coping motives for drinking and sensitivity to punishment. Individuals with alexithymia reported stronger coping motives and sensitivity to punishment compared to those with borderline or no alexithymia. Path analysis indicated that the relationship between the alexithymia dimension difficulties identifying feelings and coping motives was mediated by sensitivity to punishment, and the relationship between sensitivity to punishment and risky drinking was mediated by coping …

Illicit Use Of Lsd Or Psilocybin, But Not Mdma Or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, Is Associated With Mystical Experiences In A Dose-Dependent Manner, Michael Lyvers, Molly Meester

Mike Lyvers

Psychedelic drugs have long been known to be capable of inducing mystical or transcendental experiences. However, given the common “recreational” nature of much present-day psychedelic use, with typical doses tending to be lower than those commonly taken in the 1960s, the extent to which illicit use of psychedelics today is associated with mystical experiences is not known. Furthermore the mild psychedelic MDMA (“Ecstasy”) is more popular today than “full” psychedelics such as LSD or psilocybin, and the contribution of illicit MDMA use to mystical experiences is not known. The present study recruited 337 adults from the website and newsletter of …

Rash Impulsiveness And Reward Sensitivity In Relation To Risky Drinking By University Students: Potential Roles Of Frontal Systems, Michael Lyvers, Helen Duff, Vanessa Basch, Mark Edwards

Mike Lyvers

Background: Two forms of impulsivity, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity, have been proposed to reflect aspects of frontal lobe functioning and promote substance use. The present study examined these two forms of impulsivity as well as frontal lobe symptoms in relation to risky drinking by university students. Methods: University undergraduates aged 18–26 years completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe), and a demographics questionnaire assessing age, gender, and age of onset of weekly drinking (AOD). Results: AUDIT-defined harmful drinkers reported earlier …

Factors Affecting The Acquisition And Transfer Of Novel Attribute Relationships To New Product Categories, Stewart Shapiro, Mark Spence, Jennifer Gregan-Paxton

Mark Spence

This article investigates two factors posited to affect consumers' ability to learn a novel attribute relationship (e.g., "no pesticides → USDA organic symbol") and apply this recently acquired knowledge when making judgments in a new product category. The first factor concerns the nature of the attribute encoding process and, in particular, whether it allows for comparison of examples. The second factor focuses on the relationship between the learning and transfer domains, and examines the influence of perceptual similarity (manipulated two ways: similarity in the elements comprising the attribute relationships, and similarity between the base and target domains) on the transfer …

Human Resource Practices In Hong Kong And Singapore: The Impact Of Political Forces And Imitation Proceses, James Shaw, Paul Kirkbride, Sara Tang, Cynthia Fisher

James B Shaw

This study examined the influence of political forces and imitation processes on HR practices in local and foreign firms in Singapore and Hong Kong. Hong Kong has long practised a policy of positive non-interventionism while Singapore's government has taken a far more interventionist role not only on broad issues of economic policy but on HRM activities as well. Singapore's government has focused heavily on productivity improvement, including the development of incentive pay systems and more effective performance appraisal systems. Singapore firms use more extensive personnel selection procedures and more sophisticated methods of assessing employee performance and determining wage rates. On …

Relocation Attitudes And Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study, Cynthia Fisher, James Shaw

James B Shaw

This study identified correlates of attitude toward an impending employer-initiated relocation, then followed up by predicting post-transfer attitude and adjustment difficulty in the same sample. Predictors suggested by past research on mobility attitudes (i.e. demographic characteristics and attributes of the pre-move location) were less important in explaining pre-move attitude toward the transfer than were expected attributes of the new location. After the move, experienced aspects of the new location such as role ambiguity, degree of advancement, and community and job satisfaction were the strongest predictors of overall post-move attitude and adjustment difficulty. In many cases, pre-move expectations about attributes of …

Evaluating Organizational Behavior Teaching Innovations: More Rigorous Designs, More Relevant Criteria, And An Example, James Shaw, Cynthia Fisher, Gregory Southey

James B Shaw

Evaluations of new methods of teaching Organizational Behavior (OB) usually rely on course ratings collected at the end of the semester. This article discusses the need for more rigorous designs for assessing teaching innovations, and proposes evaluating OB courses on the basis of change in self-ratings of managerial competencies. Self-ratings of managerial competencies and a more sophisticated evaluation design are used to compare the Practical Organizational Behavior Education (PROBE) method to the lecture/tutorial method of delivering of OB material. PROBE produces greater perceived managerial skill learning than lecture/tutorial delivery for females, younger students, students with little work experience, and students …

Problems In Project Groups: An Anticipatory Case Study, Cynthia Fisher, James Shaw, Paul Ryder

James B Shaw

No abstract provided.

Organizational And Environmental Factors Related To Hrm Practices In Hong Kong: A Cross-Cultural Expanded Replication, James Shaw, Sara Tang, Cynthia Fisher, Paul Kirkbride

James B Shaw

Data were collected from 151 Hong Kong organizations to determine the relationship between culture, firm size, level of unionization and presence of an HRM department, and human resource management (HR) practices. Culture was a relatively weak predictor of HR practices. Existence of an HRM department and level of unionization were moderate predictors while firm size and the existence of a specialized training unit within the HRM department were the strongest predictors of HR practices.

The Availability Of Personal And External Coping Resources: Impacts On Job Stress And Employee Attitudes During Organizational Restructuring, James Shaw, Mitchell Fields, James Thacker, Cynthia Fisher

James B Shaw

This study examines the relationships among personal coping resources, social support, external coping resources, job stressors and job strains in a sample of 110 American Telephone and Telegraph employees undergoing a major organizational restructuring. The study expanded on a model suggested by Ashford (1988) by defining another category of coping resources that employees may draw upon to deal with the stressors and strains which occur during major organizational changes. External coping resources were defined as those which provided employees with a sense of ‘vicarious control’ in stressful situations. Results indicated that personal coping resources, social support and external coping resources …

Teaching Hrm And Managerial Skills With The "Living Case.", Carol Dickenson, Cynthia Fisher, James Shaw, Gregory Southey

James B Shaw

The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate an innovative approach to teaching human resource management. The approach involves students working in small groups on a semester-long project in the form of an ongoing case-study (hereafter called the living case). After setting up a simulated organization complete with identification of strategies, structure and culture, students are required to make and defend a series of HR decisions in which they apply theory and classroom learning about HRM to their ‘real’ organization. The approach emphasizes the context of HRM decisions and helps to develop a range of both HR specific …

Incongruence With Social Work Culture Among Evangelical Students: The Mediating Role Of Group-Based Dominance, N. Walls, Kristie Seelman

Kristie L Seelman

Teaching about religion in social work programs is viewed as a difficult topic fraught with tension and anxiety (Coholic, 2003), but when content about religion is not integrated into the curriculum, social work practitioners have little guidance on how to manage their own personal religious beliefs in the context of social work values in practice (Canda, Nakashima, & Furman, 2004). Given that religious values may influence how one perceives gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and even mental health (Duriez & Hutsebaut, 2000; Wilkinson, 2004) and play a role in the social worker’s ability to be authentic with a client and provide positive …

Rasch Measures Of Number Discrimination And Reversal, And Numbers In Calculations For Young Children., Janet Richmond, Russell Waugh, Deslea Konza

Janet E Richmond PhD

Number literacy is a very important topic and the Australian Government runs numeracy and literacy tests, administered through the State Education Departments, for all Year 3 (8 years old), Year 5 (10 years old) and Year 7 (12 years old) students. Results of these tests are reported to schools and parents with a view to ensuring that all children meet certain numeracy standards and that children who are ‘falling behind’ are detected early so that remedial work can be given. Rasch measures were created with the RUMM2020 computer program for Visual Discrimination of Numbers (VDN) and Figure Ground Numbers in …

Conformist Opinion Shift As An Accommodation-Motivated Cognitive Experience In Strong And Weak Situations, Ka Yee Angela Leung, Wing Mun Evelyn Au, C-Y. Chiu

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

The authors introduce accommodation motivation as an individual difference construct that predicts personal preference to display conformist opinion shift, or the tendency to align opinion of the self with that of the group. The authors hypothesize that the relationship between accommodation motivation and conformist opinion shift will be stronger when the situational press for conformity is weak. Having clarified the conceptual meaning of accommodation motivation, the authors present evidence from two experiments that accommodation-motivated individuals readily display conformist opinion shift in anticipation of discussing with disagreeing others when conformity demand is weak (vs. strong). The second experiment offers initial support …

Group Hierarchy Is Conducive For Maintaining And Stabilizing Lower Social Mobility? The Link Between Social Mobility And Hierarchy-Related Beliefs, Angela K.-Y. Leung

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

No abstract provided.

Going Beyond Your Mind And Following Your Heart: The Mediating Role Of Emotion In The Multicultural Experience - Creativity Link, Angela K.-Y. Leung, Chi-Ying Cheng, T.-Y Wu

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Text Genre On Science Interest In An Authentic Science Learning Environment, S. Mcgee, A. Durik, Dena Pastor

Dena A Pastor

Paper presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences, Boulder, CO.

Anticipated Coping With Interpersonal Stressors: Links With The Emotional Reactions Of Sadness, Anger, And Fear, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Ellen Skinner, Helen Morris, Rae Thomas

Rae Thomas

The same stressor can evoke different emotions across individuals, and emotions can prompt certain coping responses. Responding to four videotaped interpersonal stressors, adolescents (N = 230, mean age = 10 years) reported their sadness, fear and anger, and 12 coping strategies. After identifying emotion patterns using cluster analysis, associations with coping were examined. Intensity of emotion, and emotion and stressor type were associated with coping. Adolescents with intense emotions (i.e., highly sad, afraid, and angry) anticipated using more of most coping responses, whereas diffuse but moderate intensity emotion was associated with more active coping relative to other strategies. Anger was …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: A Manualized Intervention For The Therapeutic Child Welfare Sector, Rae Thomas, Amy Herschell

Rae Thomas

Children who have experienced maltreatment can often display behavioral difficulties; their parents may lack disciplinary knowledge, be less sensitive to their children, and engage in coercive parenting practices. Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a well-known, evidence-based treatment (EBT) for child behavior problems and within the last decade has garnered significant evidence to suggest its utility for parents engaged in child maltreatment. This article uses a case example to describe PCIT treatment phases and PCIT research within the child maltreatment sector is synthesized with particular focus on treatment modifications. Successful augmentations and modifications include a motivation component, keeping therapeutic time shorter …

Transgender Individuals' Access To College Housing And Bathrooms: Findings From The National Transgender Discrimination Survey, Kristie Seelman

Kristie L Seelman

Within higher education settings, transgender people are at risk for discrimination and harassment within housing and bathrooms. Yet, few have examined this topic using quantitative data or compared the experiences of subgroups of transgender individuals to predict denial of access to these spaces. The current study utilizes the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to research this issue. Findings indicate that being transgender and having another marginalized identity matters for students’ access to housing and bathrooms. Trans women are at greater risk than gender non-conforming people for being denied access to school housing and bathrooms. Implications for practice and research are detailed.

Self-Esteem Influences On Multiple Domains: Stress, Health, Mood, And Social Identity, Kymberlee O'Brien, Hannah Lapp, Stephanie Powers, Celia Moore

Kymberlee M. O'Brien

The present investigation assessed self-esteem effects on biological and subjective chronic stress measures, including cardiovascular parameters, health indicators, and mood. Moderators were examined, including vagal tone and social identity. High self-esteem was associated with higher baseline positivity, lower baseline negativity, and lower subjective stress across numerous domains including: city stress, chaos at home, and perceived stress (all p<.05). Vagal tone moderated the relationship between self-esteem and the chronic stress measure: hair cortisol (p<.05). The high self-esteem group showed lower cortisol, particularly when coupled with high vagal tone. Individuals with low vagal tone had the highest cortisol; for those …