Analysis of single trials in pigeons' timing performance.

Response distributions of pigeons on the peak procedure, averaged over many trials, were well fitted by a Gaussian function plus either a straight line or a ramp. But, each of 11 distributions analyzed showed a systematic positive skew. Response distributions on individual trials showed break–run–break patterns with abrupt transitions in the rate of responding. Within the run phase was an inner run phase at yet a higher rate. Intercorrelations among the starting time, ending time, middle, duration, and rate of the run showed a similar pattern in the outer and inner runs. A positive correlation between starting and ending times suggests variance across trials in clock speed, delay to start the clock, or expected time of reward. A negative correlation between starting time and duration suggests variance across trials in the threshold or thresholds to start and end the run. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individuation, gender role, and dissent: Personality mediators of situational forces.

An experimental analysis of dissenting and conforming behavior in small groups revealed a significant interaction between personality and situational variables. Individual differences in gender role and in willingness to be "individuated" were predictive of subjects' choices to disagree or agree with the opinions of other group members. However, this link between personality and social behavior showed within-subjects variation as a function of two situational factors: group norm and opinion topic. Contrary to traditional expectations, personality was a better predictor of behavior on those trials when peer pressure was strong than when it was weak. Personality variables also differentially predicted responses to masculine opinion topics versus feminine ones. These results contribute to a new understanding of the interaction of person and situation, as well as to the psychological meaning of conformity and dissent. They also bear on the long-standing debate about sex differences in influenceability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance of goldfish trained on multiple schedules of response-independent reinforcement.

In 3 experiments, 2 with appetitively elicited target striking and a 3rd with aversively elicited shuttling, 42 goldfish were trained on variable time schedules of response-independent reinforcement with or without a correlation between conditioned stimulus color and probability of reinforcement. Unlike pigeons in keypecking situations, Ss responded strongly even on uncorrelated schedules. In the 2nd and 3rd experiments—in which density of reinforcement and contingency were unconfounded—the level of response to a color was determined only by probability of reinforcement, independently of stimulus-reinforcer contingency. Except on the assumption that both measured responses are products entirely of adventitious response-reinforcer control, which seems particularly unlikely in the case of shuttling, the results cast doubt on the generality of the contingency interpretation of classical conditioning. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergent job expectations and ratings of industrial foremen.

A significant positive correlation was hypothesized between evaluations of foremen made by superiors and subordinates and the degree to which foremen share and accurately predict superior-subordinate expectations regarding the foreman's job behavior. The Ss, (8 superiors, 32 foremen, and 377 subordinates) responded to a questionnaire composed of "consideration" and "structure" items yielding "expectation-convergence scores" which were correlated with evaluation measures. In a department providing close face-to-face interaction, a significant proportion of the variance in superior evaluations was accounted for by the hypothesis of expectation convergence. Implications for common personnel practices are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proliferative potential of meningiomas evaluated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression

Meningiomas are principally benign in nature. Some meningiomas, however, grow fast or recur even after total removal. The biological behavior of meningiomas often can not be predicted from conventional histopathological studies. A monoclonal antibody against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was used to investigate the usefulness of the PCNA index as a parameter to estimate the proliferative activity of meningiomas. Fifty-two meningiomas were examined. The mean PCNA index of recurrent meningiomas (3.37 +/- 0.92%) was significantly higher than that of non-recurrent meningiomas (1.12 +/- 0.51%) (p < 0.005). The PCNA indices of recurrent cases were all higher than 2.0%. A semilog linear regression analysis between tumor doubling time and PCNA index showed a significant correlation (r = 0.90, p < 0.05). An inverse linear correlation between PCNA index and interval to recurrence was observed (r = 0.62, p < 0.05). A good linear correlation was also shown between PCNA index and BUdR labeling index (r = 0.88, p < 0.01). The results of this study suggest that, providing the methods of tissue processing, immunostaining and counting of positive nuclei are unified, the PCNA index is a useful parameter for estimating the biological behavior of meningiomas.     

Picture memory in monkeys.

Three squirrel monkeys were shown lists of 3 items drawn from a pool of 150 slides containing colored pictures of natural objects and scenes. A delayed matching technique was used to probe recognition memory for each serial position on different trials. Four experiments on the effects of picture-exposure time and off time were conducted. In agreement with human picture memory experiments, accuracy improved as exposure duration increased from 0.3 to 6 sec. In contrast to research on humans, off time after picture exposure did not improve accuracy relative to a condition with no off time. Further, a comparison of different off-time conditions showed no difference between off times spent in darkness and off times filled either with filler pictures or white light. This finding differs from the well-known observation that illumination interpolated between sample and comparison stimuli interferes with delayed matching. ( French abstract) (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural studies on casein micelles of human milk: dissociation of beta-casein of different phosphorylation levels induced by cooling and ethylenediaminetetraacetate

Homeopathic remedies are advocated for the treatment of postoperative ileus, yet data from clinical trials are inconclusive. We therefore performed meta-analyses of existing clinical trials to determine whether homeopathic treatment has any greater effect than placebo administration on the restoration of intestinal peristalsis in patients after abdominal or gynecologic surgery. We conducted systematic literature searches to identify relevant clinical trials. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan software. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for any homeopathic treatment versus placebo; homeopathic remedies of < 12C potency versus placebo; homeopathic remedies of > or = 12C potency versus placebo. A "sensitivity analysis" was performed to test the effect of excluding studies of low methodologic quality. Our endpoint was time to first flatus. Meta-analyses indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) weighted mean difference (WMD) in favor of homeopathy (compared with placebo) on the time to first flatus. Meta-analyses of the three studies that compared homeopathic remedies > or = 12C versus placebo showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Meta-analyses of studies comparing homeopathic remedies < 12C with placebo indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) WMD in favor of homeopathy on the time to first flatus. Excluding methodologically weak trials did not substantially change any of the results. There is evidence that homeopathic treatment can reduce the duration of ileus after abdominal or gynecologic surgery. However, several caveats preclude a definitive judgment. These results should form the basis of a randomized controlled trial to resolve the issue.     

Relationship of TV viewing habits and aggressive behavior in children.

Information about TV habits, (a) length of time watched and (b) extent of violence in favorite programs, was obtained from 689 mothers and 522 fathers in individual interviews having to do with the psychosocial antecedents of aggressive behavior in their children. This information was related to ratings of aggressive behavior of 3rd-grade children made by their peers. It was found that there was a significant positive relationship between the violence ratings of favorite programs as reported by both mothers and fathers and aggressive behavior of boys as rated in school. Also there was a significant negative relation between total time watched by boys as reported by mothers and aggressive behavior. The results for fathers' reports in this latter case were in the same direction, although not significant. No consistent relationships were noted between girls' TV habits as reported by either mother or father and aggression as rated in school by the peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Infant imitation: The sensory-motor agenda.

Six different actions were demonstrated by the 2nd author to 9 infants once a month between the ages of 6 and 12 mo. Each action was presented many times, with each trial contingent on the S's making eye contact with the experimenter. From videotapes, 21 categories (CAs) of infant behavior were coded continuously. Each CA could be considered a component act or feature of one of the modeled actions. All CAs were coded during all parts of the session: baseline periods, trials of the tasks of which they were features, and trials of the other tasks. Ss did not confine their performance of features to the relevant trials as construed by the authors, but they did accelerate or introduce features for the first time during those trials. Analysis showed that the Ss "worked up to" precise imitations by accommodating themselves to the features in a consistent order over both months and trials. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sustained potential shifts in the toad tectum reflect prey-catching and avoidance behavior.

Sustained potential shifts (SPS) were recorded for 10 sec from the surface of the optic tectum of toads presented with live prey and moving artificial prey stimuli. On the anterior tectal surface, a negative SPS was followed by a positive wave; the converse was true for the posterior tectum. Some animals were immobilized, and they exhibited a monophasic negative SPS in the anterior tectum and a positive wave in more posterior regions. The number of orienting responses made by toads to moving "wormlike" stimuli was reflected in the amplitude of the SPS, as was avoidance to stimuli in an "antiworm" configuration. Behavioral activity was most closely related to the negativity of the SPS recording. The SPS of toads responding to live prey showed no direct time relationship between the SPS and behavior, suggesting that the SPS reflects sensory or decision-making activity rather than the consequent behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploration of sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior in aboriginal elementary school students in the Ping-Tung area

The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior of fifth and sixth grade students in aboriginal elementary schools in the Ping-Tung area. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1091 students who were selected by cluster sampling. The results showed: (1) The sexual knowledge score was low but sexual attitudes showed a positive trend. (2) 64.7% and 67.4% of students had at some time seen pictures of male or female sexual organs. (3) About 61% of students had seen sexual magazines or videotapes. (4) 66.2% of male and 88.1% of female students had heard about wet dreams or menstruation before their first experience; more than half of the students thought that wet dreams need treatment. (5) 17.8% of students had masturbation experience, and after that 59.3% of students had fear or guilt feeling. (6) Female students had significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores than male students, Demographic variables produced no significant difference in the above scores. (7) 42.4% of students most desired to know what phenomena indicate sexual maturity. (8) Sex knowledge had significantly positive correlation with sex attitude.     

The honeymoon effect in job performance: Temporal increases in the predictive power of achievement motivation.

Examined correlations between a job performance criterion and personality measures reflecting achievement motivation and an interpersonal orientation at 3 points in time after 268 airline reservation agents completed job training. Ss completed subscales from the Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire and from an extended version of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire. The performance criterion consisted of having Ss verify the availability of seats and enter passenger information. Although correlations between the personality predictors and performance were small and nonsignificant for the 3-mo period after beginning the job, by the end of 6 and 8 mo a number of significant relationships had emerged: Work orientation scores had the strongest positive correlation during the 2nd and 3rd periods, whereas Mastery scores showed a significant negative correlation. The variables reflecting interpersonal orientation also showed logical relationships with performance during the latter 2 periods, with Expressivity scores demonstrating a significant positive correlation and Verbal Aggressiveness and Submissiveness scores yielding significant negative correlations. These significant correlations were found after the "honeymoon" period with the work had ended. Implications for the utility of personality measures in selection and performance prediction are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identification of brain dysfunction syndromes in children through profile analysis: Patterns associated with so-called "minimal brain dysfunction."

Administered a battery of neuropsychological tests (e.g., a test of visual reaction time and the WISC) to 90 7-12 yr olds, 53 of whom had either verified brain lesions (BD) or suspected "minimal brain dysfunction" (MBD). The battery was factor analyzed, resulting in the identification of 16 oblique factors. Comparison of group means revealed that significant variability on a number of factors could be accounted for by membership in the BD or MBD groups. Profiles on the 16 factors for the combined BD and MBD groups were intercorrelated using R. B. Cattell's "coefficient of profile similarity." The correlation matrix was cluster analyzed, resulting in the identification of 8 clusters or "syndromes." The cluster compositions are discussed in terms of behavioral and neuropathological communalities of individual cluster members. Similarities were demonstrated between some Ss with MBD and others whose behavior deficits were associated with actual brain damage. Other homogeneous behavioral subtypes showed little communality with Ss with known brain pathology. A unitary MBD syndrome was contraindicated. Suggestions are made for further behavioral and neurophysiological analyses. (45 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Switching Off Mentally: Predictors and Consequences of Psychological Detachment From Work During Off-Job Time.

Psychological detachment from work refers to the off-job experience of "switching off" mentally. It is hypothesized that a high degree of workload encountered during the work day has a negative impact on subsequent detachment processes and that psychological detachment from work is positively related to well-being. Eighty-seven individuals from various occupations provided questionnaire and daily survey measures over a period of 3 working days. Multilevel analysis showed that workload was negatively related to psychological detachment from work during evening hours. Psychological detachment from work was associated with positive mood and low fatigue. The negative relationship between psychological detachment and fatigue was particularly strong on days with high time pressure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acquisition and extinction of a shuttling response in honeybees (Apis mellifera) as a function of the probability of reward.

The effects of partial (intermittent) vs consistent reward on the acquisition and extinction of a shuttling response were studied in 3 experiments with foraging honeybees. Adding nonrewarded trials to rewarded trials (the equated-reinforcements design) improved performance in acquisition and increased resistance to extinction. Substituting nonrewarded trials for some rewarded trials (the equated-trials design), which had little effect on acquisition, also increased resistance to extinction but to a lesser extent than adding nonrewarded trials. Marked variations in the schedule of partial reward (the sequence of rewarded and nonrewarded trials) were without effect. The results are compared with those of analogous experiments on vertebrates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Directionally selective mnemonic properties of neurons in the lateral dorsal nucleus of the thalamus of rats

The hippocampal formation has been extensively studied for its special role in visual spatial learning and navigation. To ascertain the nature of the associations made, or computations performed, by hippocampus, it is important to delineate the functional contributions of its afferents. Therefore, single units were recorded in the lateral dorsal nucleus of the thalamus (LDN) as rats performed multiple trials on a radial maze. Many LDN neurons selectively discharged when an animal's head was aligned along particular directions in space, irrespective of its location in the test room. These direction-sensitive cells were localized to the dorsal aspect of the caudal two-thirds of the LDN, the site of innervation by retinal recipient pretectal and intermediate/deep-layer superior colliculus cells (Thompson and Robertson, 1987b). The directional specificity and preference of LDN cells were disrupted if rats were placed on the maze in darkness. If the room light was then turned on, the original preference was restored. If the light was again turned off, directional firing was maintained briefly. Normal directional firing lasted about 2-3 min. After this time, the directional preference (but not specificity) appeared to "rotate" systematically in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The duration of normal directional discharge patterns in darkness could be extended to 30 min by varying the behavior of the animal. LDN cells required visual input to initialize reliable directional firing. After the rat viewed the environment, directional specificity was maintained in the absence of visual cues. Maximal directional firing was achieved only when the rat viewed the entire test room, and not just the scene associated with the directional preference of the cell. Thus, contextual information seems important. Also, a significant correlation was found between directional specificity and errors made on the maze during acquisition of the task. It was concluded that the LDN may pass on to the hippocampal formation directional information that is not merely a reflection of current sensory input. As such, the LDN may serve an important integrative function for limbic spatial learning systems.     

Survival rates of teeth adjacent to treated and untreated posterior bounded edentulous spaces

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of the catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor tolcapone in reducing "off/on" fluctuations in levodopa-treated parkinsonian patients. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. SETTING: Fifteen Parkinson disease clinics. PATIENTS: Two hundred fifteen referred outpatients with Parkinson disease who showed predictable end-of-dose motor fluctuations that were not controlled by a stable levodopa-carbidopa (Sinemet) regimen of at least 4 weeks' duration. INTERVENTIONS: In addition to their usual levodopa-carbidopa regimen, patients received placebo or tolcapone, 100 or 200 mg, 3 times daily orally for 6 weeks. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Change in daily off/on time. RESULTS: Tolcapone, 100 and 200 mg 3 times daily, reduced off time by 2.0 and 2.5 hours per day, respectively, and increased on time by 2.1 and 2.3 hours per day, respectively (P<.001 vs placebo). Investigators' global measures of disease severity indicated that significantly more tolcapone-treated patients had reduced wearing off and symptom severity (P<.001 vs placebo). No significant change in quality-of-life measures occurred. Clinical improvements occurred despite a reduction in total daily levodopa dose of 185.5 mg (23%) in the tolcapone, 100 mg 3 times daily, group and 251.5 mg (29%) in the 200 mg 3 times daily group. Principal adverse events (mainly dyskinesia and nausea) were levodopa related, were not treatment limiting, and were seldom reported as reasons for withdrawal. The frequency of withdrawals because of adverse events was similar in all groups (3% to 7%). CONCLUSIONS: Tolcapone was well tolerated and substantially increased on time and reduced off time in patients with fluctuating Parkinson disease. Additionally, levodopa requirements were significantly decreased.     

Social setting and conformity to a legal requirement.

The study noted "the effect on a subject's behavior of observing others conform or fail to conform to a legal requirement." 4229 male drivers and 1004 female drivers of passenger cars were observed turning during the periods of the study. "Observations made under normal traffic conditions were analyzed to determine the influence on the signalling behavior of automobile drivers of the signalling behavior of other drivers. A weak but significant positive relationship was found between observation of conformity of others to a legal requirement and self-conformity." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leader-member exchange and citizenship behaviors: A meta-analysis.

This article provides a meta-analytic review of the relationship between the quality of leader-member exchanges (LMX) and citizenship behaviors performed by employees. Results based on 50 independent samples (N = 9,324) indicate a moderately strong, positive relationship between LMX and citizenship behaviors (ρ=.37). The results also support the moderating role of the target of the citizenship behaviors on the magnitude of the LMX-citizenship behavior relationship. As expected, LMX predicted individual-targeted behaviors more strongly than it predicted organizational targeted behaviors (ρ = .38 vs. ρ = .31), and the difference was statistically significant. Whether the LMX and the citizenship behavior ratings were provided by the same source or not also influenced the magnitude of the correlation between the 2 constructs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)