The parser doesn't ignore intransitivity, after all.

Several previous studies (B. C. Adams, C. Clifton, & D. C. Mitchell, 1998; D. C. Mitchell, 1987; R. P. G. van Gompel & M. J. Pickering, 2001) have explored the question of whether the parser initially analyzes a noun phrase that follows an intransitive verb as the verb's direct object. Three eye-tracking experiments examined this issue in more detail. Experiment 1 replicated the finding that readers experience difficulty on this noun phrase in normal reading and found that this difficulty occurs even with intransitive verbs for which a direct object is categorically prohibited. Experiment 2, however, demonstrated that this effect is not due to syntactic misanalysis but to disruption that occurs when a comma is absent at a subordinate clause/main clause boundary. Experiment 3 replicated the finding (M. J. Pickering & M. J. Traxler, 2003; M. J. Traxler & M. J. Pickering, 1996) that when a noun phrase "filler" is an implausible direct object for an optionally transitive relative clause verb, processing difficulty results; however, there was no evidence for such difficulty when the relative clause verb was strictly intransitive. Taken together, the 3 experiments undermine the support for the claim that the parser initially ignores a verb's subcategorization restrictions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

One size does not fit all.

The importance of tailoring consulting interventions to fit the true needs of individual client organizations is illustrated by analogy in this vocational biography of a small business owner who first opened his shop as a harness maker for horses and mules and later diversified into the retailing of shoes for humans (within the leather industry) and tires for cars (within the transportation industry). One size does not fit all in any of these markets. The reciprocal relationship between products and service is also demonstrated. More broadly, the case is used to illustrate how consultants can apply in their own practices a variety of business principles to be observed on clients' premises. It is proposed that learning from one's clients in such a manner is a sometimes neglected but career-long continuing education opportunity for consulting psychologists that deserves their further attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Community-based nursing versus community health nursing: what does it all mean?

These are exciting times in nursing, with great possibilities for reforming nursing as we now know it. The desired outcome is to improve any nurse's ability to care for individuals, families, and communities wherever they are. We believe that articulating CBN and CHN practice is a necessary first step in achieving this outcome; however, it now becomes our challenge to advance this vision. We ask you to join us in this endeavor.     

Statistical analysis: Summarizing evidence versus establishing facts.

Comments on the contention of T. A. Ryan (see record 1985-21808-001) that the purpose of statistics is to establish new facts that will contribute to the development of theory. It is argued that the primary role of statistical analysis is summarizing the current state of knowledge about scientific questions under study. The present authors do not share the following views expressed by Ryan: (1) Nonsignificant results should not be published; (2) the importance of Type II errors has been overemphasized relative to Type I; and (3) avoiding consideration of importance and interest in the weighting of contrasts is possible. The reasons for the disagreements are discussed. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practice valuation. What does it mean?

Assessing the value of your practice requires careful planning. This article discusses the reasons, methods and pitfalls of practice valuation.     

What all applied psychologists should know about work.

Because of the increasing complexity of work in people's lives and the rapid ways in which work is changing, it is likely that all applied psychologists will need greater content knowledge about work to assist clients with issues related to work choice, entry, and adjustment. This article identifies 5 knowledge domains about work that include important information for applied psychologists. These domains are as follows: (a) economics and politics, (b) work structures, (c) globalization, (d) social factors, and (e) technology. These 5 domains are outlined, as are anticipated future trends in work. The implications of these issues for applied psychologists are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does the WISC-III measure? A reply to Carroll and Kranzler.

Replies to the comments by J. B. Carroll (1997) and J. H. Kranzler (1997) regarding T. Z. Keith and E. L. Witta's (1997) article on what the 3rd edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) measures. T. Z. Keith argues that memory and processing speed are less laden with g than are measures of verbal comprehension (or crystallized intelligence) and quantitative reasoning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Economic evaluation and health care. What does it mean?

Ever since the concept of value for money in health care was introduced into the NHS, economic terms and jargon have become part of our everyday lives--but do we understand what the different types of economic evaluation all mean, particularly those that sound similar to the uninitiated? This article introduces readers to the purpose of economic evaluation, and briefly explains the differences between cost-minimisation analysis (used when the outcomes of the procedures being compared are the same); cost-effectiveness analysis (used when the outcomes may vary, but can be expressed in common natural units, such as mm Hg for treatments of hypertension); cost-utility analysis (used when outcomes do vary--for example, quality of life scales); and cost-benefit analysis (used when a monetary value is being placed on services received). Further articles will deal with each one in more detail.     

What do you do when the control group doesn't fit into the factorial design?

Considers a number of approaches to the problem of analyzing the data of experiments involving multifactor designs plus an additional control or comparison condition. Two simple solutions are proposed. When the desired comparison between control and experimental conditions is a qualitative one, subtracting the control mean from the experimental treatment scores and performing a multifactor analysis of variance on the difference scores is suggested. When 1 of the factors is a quantitative variable, and a trend analysis which includes the control condition is desired, a procedure which involves an artificial crossing of the control conditions with the other factors in the design by splitting the control condition into several groups is recommended. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What matters? What does not? Five perspectives on the association between marital transitions and children's adjustment.

This article presents an analysis of 5 views of factors that contribute to the adjustment of children in divorced families or stepfamilies. These perspectives are those that emphasize (a) individual vulnerability and risk; (b) family composition; (c) stress, including socioeconomic disadvantage; (d) parental distress; and (e) disrupted family process. It is concluded that all of these factors contribute to children's adjustment in divorced and remarried families and that a transactional model examining multiple trajectories of interacting risk and protective factors is the most fruitful in predicting the well-being of children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does the patient known about risks of abortion and what does the law know?

According to Danish law, all abortion seekers must be informed about possible side effects and complications prior to the operation. A study shows that many women who undergo abortion have very little knowledge about the operation. Abortion seekers more frequently want to know about all possible complications of the operation. In order to inform patients better, a division should be made between immediate and long-term complications, and complications of abortions performed before and after the 12th week of pregnancy. Studies show that the rate of serious complications of abortion range between .5% and 2%. The abortion mortality rate is 1-2 per 100,000 women, compared to 6 per 100,000 women for pregnancy and childbirth.     

Effects of number of facts studied on recognition versus sensibility judgments.

The effect of memory representation on the ease of cognitive judgments can vary depending on the nature of the judgment required. In three experiments, subjects studied sets of sentences and in later phases made recognition judgments or sensibility judgments on these sentences and others constructed from the words in the sentences they had studied. In Experiments 1 and 2, the studied sentences were sensible, whereas in Experiment 3 the studied sentences were nonsensical. Judgment times varied with the fan of the concepts in the sentence (i.e., the number of facts known about each concept). Subjects were slowed by fan in retrieving a specific fact but speeded by fan in making a sensibility judgment. In all experiments, subjects were faster at making a judgment in conditions where judgments could be made either by a memory retrieval process or a semantic sensibility process. This implies that subjects can sometimes recognize that they have studied a sentence before they can judge its sensibility. This result calls into question the view that language processing is a faculty that occupies a place separate from memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What does the future hold for the ANCA?

In the new century there will probably be more long spaceflights and fewer short spaceflights. There will probably be several flights to Mars, flights that (if chemical rockets are used) will involve one year to get there, a second year on Mars, and a third year to return. The three-year Mars scenario will probably include rotation of the spacecraft to provide artificial gravity. If nuclear thermal rockets are used, a manned exploration of Mars could be accomplished in less than one year. Vestibular research will be directed towards ensuring that astronauts, upon landing on Mars, will be able to walk with confidence and without delay. Research will be required to investigate vestibular adaptation in spaceflight, motion sickness, and the vestibular effects of rotation in spaceflight.     

What doesn't kill me makes me stronger: The effects of resisting persuasion on attitude certainty.

The present research proposes a metacognitive framework for understanding resistance to persuasion. It is suggested that when people resist persuasion, they can become more certain of their initial attitudes. Several experiments demonstrated that when participants resisted persuasion, attitude certainty increased, but only when the attack was believed to be strong. For attacks believed to be weak, certainty was unchanged. It was also demonstrated that attitude certainty only increased when people actually perceived that persuasion had been resisted. This increased certainty was shown to have implications for resistance to subsequent attacks and the correspondence between attitudes and behavioral intentions, These findings suggest that when people perceive their own resistance, they form inferences about their attitudes that adjust for situational factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What drug information does the general practitioner need?

There is a great need for imporved drug information services within the Australian medical community. The need has been only partly assessed and should be more objectively surveyed as part of any development of drug information services. Whatever service is established, it should be easily accessible, pay particular attention to the language used in communication, and have a significant ongoing educational component.     

What does the Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale really measure? A cognitive interpretation.

The Least Preferred Co-Worker Scale (LPC) has been variously interpreted as a measure of leadership style or as a measure of the cognitive complexity of the leader. In this study, using 112 Ss including business students, managers, and systems analysts, the LPC scale scores were correlated with 2 other measures of differentiation and with 3 cognitive measures in an attempt to assess the interpretation of the scale as a cognitive measure. Results show that while the low end of the LPC seems to be associated with cognitive simplicity, the high-least preferred co-worker S was not unequivocally cognitively complex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Myths and facts about breastfeeding: does it prevent later atopic disease?

Exclusive human milk feeding during the first 6 months of life, with delayed introduction of solids, is the recommended feeding for human infants. Human milk reduces the incidence and morbidity related to infection and allergy to cow's milk proteins. Dietary maternal restrictions during (late) pregnancy or lactation cannot be recommended, but may be advised in special cases. A maternal elimination diet seems more effective if associated with environmental hypoallergenic intervention(s). Milk from mothers consuming cow's milk proteins contains small amounts of beta-lactoglobulin, which appear to introduce in the majority of infants both atopic and non-atopic tolerance rather than sensitization. However, it is uncertain whether breastfeeding also reduces the incidence of later atopic disease, since its aetiology is multifactorial.     

Anxiety or pain: What does the scale measure?

E. R. Katz et al (see record 1980-22464-001) report the development of an observational scale to measure distress behavior in children with cancer. They discuss this scale as if it measured anxiety, but the present authors suggest that the scale probably reflects both anxiety and pain. The terms are difficult to distinguish because they refer to constructs. Therefore, future research should build upon the work of Katz et al by elaborating the theoretical definition of anxiety and pain and by using a somewhat altered rating methodology. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)