Detecting memory impairment with a modified test procedure: Manipulating retention interval with centrally presented event items.

Suggests that detecting memory impairment with the modified test relies on long retention intervals that provide the necessary forgetting of event information for impairing effects of postevent misinformation to occur. 288 Ss were tested in 4 experiments that presented event items centrally, introduced verbal postevent items to a misled condition, and used the modified test, but differed by using either short (15 min) or long (5–7 days) retention intervals. As evidenced by poorer misled than control test performances, memory impairment only occurred with long retention intervals. Retrieval- and storage-based versions of memory-impairment hypotheses are assessed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the nature of self-monitoring: Matters of assessment, matters of validity.

Notes that an extensive network of empirical relations has been identified in research on the psychological construct of self-monitoring. Nevertheless, in recent years some concerns have been expressed about the instrument used for the assessment of self-monitoring propensities, the Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS) developed by the 1st author (see record 1975-03047-001). Both the extent to which the SMS taps an interpretable and meaningful causal variable and the extent to which the self-monitoring construct provides an appropriate theoretical understanding of this causal variable have been questioned. An examination of reanalyses of studies of self-monitoring, analyses of the internal structure of the SMS, and further relevant data suggests that the measure does tap a meaningful and interpretable causal variable with pervasive influences on social behavior, a variable reflected as a general self-monitoring factor. The evaluation and furthering of the interpretation of this latent causal variable are discussed, criteria for evaluating alternative measures of self-monitoring are offered, and a new 18-item SMS is presented. (88 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic Policy-Based Network Management for a Secure Coalition Environment

This article reports the latest results of an R&D effort to develop a prototype implementation of a dynamic policy-based network management (PBNM) system that can be used to configure and manage a secure network for a coalition environment across an unsecured wide area network. The prototype, based on a distributed architecture, includes capabilities for policy creation and management, dynamic policy negotiation, and dynamic policy provisioning. The policy negotiation facilitates the rapid deployment of a coalition network while the dynamic policy provisioning automates the configuration and management of network services including firewalls, virtual private network connections, routing, quality of service (QoS), and domain name services. Such a PBNM system enhances an organization's ability to react to network incidents identified by a network situational awareness assessment. Although the focus of the current research is a military coalition environment, the system can be used in any distributed enterprise or collaborative environment     

Disentangling achievement orientation and goal setting: Effects on self-regulatory processes.

H. Heckhausen and J. Kuhl's (1985) goal typology provided the conceptual foundation for this research, which examined the independent and integrated effects of achievement orientation and goal-setting approaches on trainees' self-regulatory activity. Using a complex computer-based simulation, the authors examined the effects of 3 training design factors--goal frame, goal content, and goal proximity--cutting across these 2 theoretical domains on the nature, focus, and quality of the self-regulatory activities of 524 trainees. Results revealed that all 3 factors had a significant influence on self-regulation, with goal content exhibiting the greatest influence. In line with expectations, congruent learning frame and content compared with congruent performance frame and content was beneficial for trainees' self-regulatory activity, incongruent combinations of goal frame and content were better than congruent performance frames and content, and effects for the incongruent combinations cutting across the domains were asymmetrical. Theoretical extensions for further disentangling these distinct domains and training design implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improving Information Quality Through it Alignment Planning: A Case Study

This article describes how a medium-sized, Midwestern power company implemented an IT alignment planning process. the IT alignment planning process was a successful four-year activity that involved, first, a pilot implementation and then a companywide implementation of the IT alignment planning process. Designed to be flexible and to dovetail with corporate strategic planning processes, IT alignment planning achieved acknowledgment and approval in all divisions of the company. the IT alignment planning process improved and facilitated communication on IT and IT projects throughout the company, from the executive level to the operational level, and brought the IT and client units closer together.     

Moving towards a fuel cell vision for the UK

A new national initiative, Fuel Cells UK, has been established to act as a focus for the development of a fuel cell industry in Britain, and to liaise and partner more effectively with national and regional initiatives around the world. The first step is to create a ‘unified vision’ for the UK fuel cell sector, for both the short term and the long term, to guide industry, academia and government on the way to a world-class fuel cell industry.     

Stress in Dairy Farming and the Adoption of New Technology.

Previous studies have identified a number of different farm stressors and have reported gender and age differences in levels of stress. This study aimed to determine stress experienced by New Zealand dairy farmers, particularly in relation to adoption of new technology and its relationship to age and gender. Measures of farm stress and adoption of technology were completed by 985 dairy farmers. The highest levels of stress were reported for time pressures, machinery breakdown, weather, and government policies. Stress related to new technologies occurred rarely. Women reported more stress and higher levels of stress for understanding new technologies. There was also an increase in severity of stress with age related to new technologies. Overall, stress levels were moderate and may reflect favorable economic conditions. The findings suggest a need to tailor stress interventions to meet specific needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality of manual data collection in Java software: an empirical investigation

Data collection, both automatic and manual, lies at the heart of all empirical studies. The quality of data collected from software informs decisions on maintenance, testing and wider issues such as the need for system re-engineering. While of the two types stated, automatic data collection is preferable, there are numerous occasions when manual data collection is unavoidable. Yet, very little evidence exists to assess the error-proneness of the latter. Herein, we investigate the extent to which manual data collection for Java software compared with its automatic counterpart for the same data. We investigate three hypotheses relating to the difference between automated and manual data collection. Five Java systems were used to support our investigation. Results showed that, as expected, manual data collection was error-prone, but nowhere near the extent we had initially envisaged. Key indicators of mistakes in manual data collection were found to be poor developer coding style, poor adherence to sound OO coding principles, and the existence of relatively large classes in some systems. Some interesting results were found relating to the collection of public class features and the types of error made during manual data collection. The study thus offers an insight into some of the typical problems associated with collecting data manually; more significantly, it highlights the problems that poorly written systems have on the quality of visually extracted data.     

Network and device-level impacts: performance and reliability of active I/O storage systems

Distributed active storage architectures are designed to offload user-level processing to the peripheral from the host servers. In this paper, we report preliminary investigation on performance and fault recovery designs, as impacted by emerging storage interconnect protocols and state-of-the-art storage devices. Empirical results obtained using validated device-level and interconnect data demonstrate the significance of the said parameters on the overall system performance and reliability.     

Lateral hyperstriatal lesions disrupt simultaneous but not successive conditional discrimination learning of pigeons (Columba livia).

Explored, in 2 experiments, the effects of lateral vs medial laminar lesions of the hyperstriatum in pigeons; medial lesions were largely confined to the hyperstriatum accessorium, and lateral lesions to the hyperstriatum dorsale and hyperstriatum ventrale. In Exp 1, lateral, but not medial, lesions disrupted acquisition of a simultaneous conditional discrimination; both medial and lateral lesions disrupted reversal of the discrimination. The reversal deficits of the medial and lateral groups were quantitatively similar, and both groups showed exaggerated positional responding. In Exp 2, neither medial nor lateral lesions disrupted acquisition of a successive conditional discrimination. Lateral hyperstriatal damage does not obtain a general disruption of conditional learning; it is speculated that the lateral hyperstriatum may play a critical role in configural learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)