Sometimes you need a reminder: The effects of prompting self-regulation on regulatory processes, learning, and attrition.

Prompting self-regulation involves asking trainees reflective questions to stimulate self-regulatory engagement. Research has found positive effects for prompting self-regulation on learning, but a scarcity of evidence exists regarding whether self-regulatory processes mediate the effect of prompting self-regulation, whether the intervention reduces attrition, and the optimal timing of implementing the intervention. Using a longitudinal design, we found that prompting self-regulation throughout training increased learning and reduced attrition, relative to the control condition. Moreover, the effect on learning was fully mediated by time on task. The intervention also moderated the effect of learning on subsequent self-regulatory activity and attrition. Learning performance had less of a positive effect on subsequent self-regulatory activity and less of a negative effect on subsequent attrition when trainees were prompted to self-regulate. These results highlight the importance of adopting a longitudinal design to examine how self-regulatory interventions affect the cyclical relationships among self-regulatory processes, learning, and attrition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why do we trust new technology? A study of initial trust formation with organizational information systems

Recent trust research in the information systems (IS) field has described trust as a primary predictor of technology usage and a fundamental construct for understanding user perceptions of technology. Initial trust formation is particularly relevant in an IS context, as users must overcome perceptions of risk and uncertainty before using a novel technology. With initial trust in a more complex, organizational information system, there are a number of external determinants, trusting bases, that may explain trust formation and provide organizations with the needed levers to form or change individuals’ initial trust in technology. In this study, a research model of initial trust formation is developed and includes trusting bases, trusting beliefs, trusting attitude and subjective norm, and trusting intentions. Eight trusting base factors are assessed including personality, cognitive, calculative, and both technology and organizational factors of the institutional base. The model is empirically tested with 443 subjects in the context of initial trust in a national identity system (NID). The proposed model was supported and the results indicate that subjective norm and the cognitive–reputation, calculative, and organizational situational normality base factors significantly influence initial trusting beliefs and other downstream trust constructs. Factors from some of the more commonly investigated bases, personality and technology institutional, did not significantly affect trusting beliefs. The findings have strategic implications for agencies implementing e-government systems and organizational information systems in general.     

Focusing on weight is not the answer to America's obesity epidemic.

Current authors respond to two comments on their article Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer (see record 2007-04834-008). The two comments state opposing views of the validity and novelty of the articles conclusions. In his comment, Applebaum (see record 2008-03389-008) claimed that our conclusion is "provocative and unproven" (p. 200), whereas Herman, Van Strien, and Polivy (see record 2008-03389-009) generally agreed with our findings but stated that "this conclusion is hardly new" (p. 202). Research on obesity treatment often leads to polarizing views, and our aim was to present a dispassionate analysis of the methodological issues in the long-term studies of diets. We believe we accomplished this goal, and the conclusions we presented were based on this analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Don't mind if I do: Disinhibited eating under cognitive load.

Past research has shown that strong emotional or motivational states can cause normally restrained eaters to overeat. In this article it is argued that simple cognitive load can also disinhibit eating by restrained eaters. Two studies examined this disinhibition effect. In Study 1, restrained and unrestrained eaters were given the opportunity to consume high-calorie food while performing either a high cognitive-load or low cognitive-load task. Restrained eaters consumed more food when under high cognitive load than when under low cognitive load; unrestrained eaters showed the opposite pattern. Study 2 replicated the disinhibition effect and ruled out stress, diminished awareness of food consumption, and ironic rebound as probable mediators. Results suggest that cognitive load may disinhibit consumption by preventing restrained eaters from monitoring the dietary consequences of their eating behavior. Implications for theories of self-regulation are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic Labeling of Cells Allows Identification and Tracking of Transgenic Platelets in Mice

Background: The use of knock-out mouse models is crucial to understand platelet activation and aggregation. Methods: Analysis of the global double fluorescent Cre reporter mouse mT/mG that has been crossbred with the megakaryocyte/platelet specific PF4-Cre mouse. Results: Platelets show bright mT (PF4-Cre negative) and mG (PF4-Cre positive) fluorescence. However, a small proportion of leukocytes was positive for mG fluorescence in PF4-Cre positive mice. In mT/mG;PF4-Cre mice, platelets, and megakaryocytes can be tracked by their specific fluorescence in blood smear, hematopoietic organs and upon thrombus formation. No differences in platelet activation and thrombus formation was observed between mT/mG;PF4-Cre positive and negative mice. Furthermore, hemostasis and in vivo thrombus formation was comparable between genotypes as analyzed by intravital microscopy. Transplantation studies revealed that bone marrow of mT/mG;PF4-Cre mice can be transferred to C57BL/6 mice. Conclusions: The mT/mG Cre reporter mouse is an appropriate model for real-time visualization of platelets, the analysis of cell morphology and the identification of non-recombined platelets. Thus, mT/mG;PF4-Cre mice are important for the analysis of platelet-specific knockout mice. However, a small proportion of leukocytes exhibit mG fluorescence. Therefore, the analysis of platelets beyond hemostasis and thrombosis should be critically evaluated when recombination of immune cells is increased.     

Effects of false weight feedback on mood, self-evaluation, and food intake in restrained and unrestrained eaters.

Restrained and unrestrained eaters were weighed 5 lb (2.27 kg) heavier or 5 lb lighter than their actual weight or were not weighed at all. Unrestrained eaters and restrained eaters who were told they weighed 5 lb less were not affected by the false weight feedback. However, restrained eaters who were informed that they weighed S lb more reported lower self-esteem, less positive moods, and more negative moods than did restrained eaters in the other 2 conditions. Furthermore, restrained eaters who were led to believe that they weighed heavier ate significantly more food during a subsequent "taste test" than did each of the other groups. Restrained eaters who believed that they were heavier experienced lowered self-worth and a worsening of mood that led them to relinquish their dietary restraint and overindulge in available food. lmplications for patients with eating disorders are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A 44-year-old patient with cardial carcinoma and paraneoplastic orbital disease

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: Bilateral orbital involvement with chemosis, protrusion and reduced vision developed in a 44-year-old man 12 weeks after carcinoma of the cardia with lymph node metastases and peritoneal carcinomatosis had been diagnosed and palliative chemotherapy with a cycle of leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil had been concluded. INVESTIGATIONS: Computed tomography excluded a retrobulbar metastasis. Thyroid hormone concentration was normal as was the thyroid autoantibody titre. There was also no evidence on sonography of endocrine orbital disease. These findings established the diagnosis of paraneoplastic orbital myositis. TREATMENT AND COURSE: The symptoms briefly regressed on initial treatment with systemically administered high doses of corticosteroids. Renewed marked eyeball protrusion with incipient visual loss was treated with conjunctival drainage and tarsorrhaphy, as well as radiotherapy to the retrobulbar space. This achieved significant improvement. Shortly thereafter the patients died of acute bleeding from the primary tumour. CONCLUSION: In patients with an underlying malignancy and symptoms of orbital myositis orbital involvement as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome should be diagnosed once other causes have been excluded.     

Dispositional Motivations and Message Framing: A Test of the Congruency Hypothesis in College Students.

The authors examined the congruency hypothesis that health messages framed to be concordant with dispositional motivations will be most effective in promoting health behaviors. Undergraduate students (N=63) completed a measure of approach/avoidance orientation (behavioral activation/inhibition system) and read a gain- or loss-framed message promoting flossing. Results support the congruency hypothesis: When given a loss-framed message, avoidance-oriented people reported flossing more than approach-oriented people, and when given a gain-framed message, approach-oriented people reported flossing more than avoidance-oriented people. Discussion centers on implications for health interventions and the route by which dispositional motivations affect health behaviors through message framing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)