Starting low but ending high: A reversal of the anchoring effect in auctions.

Counter to the "start high, end high" effect of anchors in individual judgments and dyadic negotiations, 6 studies using a diverse set of methodologies document how and why, in the social setting of auctions, lower starting prices result in higher final prices. Three processes contribute to this effect. First, lower starting prices reduce barriers to entry, which increase traffic and generate higher final prices. Second, lower starting prices entice bidders to invest time and energy (creating sunk costs) and, consequently, escalate their commitments. Third, the traffic generated by lower starting prices can lead bidders to infer value in the item, thereby explaining previous findings that traffic begets more traffic. The authors show that barriers to entry that limit traffic (e.g., a misspelled brand name) lead to anchoring's normal assimilative effect rather than its reversal. By broadening the understanding of anchors to extended social interactions and open markets, the authors identify when and why starting prices anchor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Benefits of all work and no play: The relationship between neuroticism and performance as a function of resource allocation.

The authors evaluate a model suggesting that the performance of highly neurotic individuals, relative to their stable counterparts, is more strongly influenced by factors relating to the allocation of attentional resources. First, an air traffic control simulation was used to examine the interaction between effort intensity and scores on the Anxiety subscale of Eysenck Personality Profiler Neuroticism in the prediction of task performance. Overall effort intensity enhanced performance for highly anxious individuals more so than for individuals with low anxiety. Second, a longitudinal field study was used to examine the interaction between office busyness and Eysenck Personality Inventory Neuroticism in the prediction of telesales performance. Changes in office busyness were associated with greater performance improvements for highly neurotic individuals compared with less neurotic individuals. These studies suggest that highly neurotic individuals outperform their stable counterparts in a busy work environment or if they are expending a high level of effort. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergent validity of the CORE measures with measures of depression for clients in cognitive therapy for depression.

Clients (N = 77) undergoing cognitive therapy for depression were assessed before treatment with the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), which encompasses domains of subjective well-being, problems, functioning, and risk of harming self or others, along with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and a measure of avoidant (Cluster C) personality problems (Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Avoidant [IIP-Av]). The CORE-OM and the BDI-II were strongly correlated with each other and showed coherent and similar patterns of correlations with the HRSD, the BHS, and the IIP-Av. Sixty-one of the clients were repeatedly assessed during treatment with alternating versions of the CORE Short Form and with the BDI-II. Results strongly supported the convergent validity of the CORE measures with the BDI-II in across-clients comparisons of means scores and rates of improvement and in across-sessions comparisons within clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rational Coefficients for Steeply Sloped Watersheds

When computing peak discharges for the design of drainage systems using the rational method, it is important to have an accurate value for the rational coefficient (C). For steeply sloped watersheds the origin of values of the rational coefficient are unknown and lack even modeling verification. A model that shows the relationship between the rational coefficient and watershed slope was developed for steeply sloped watersheds. Using Horton’s infiltration equation, Manning’s equation, the velocity method for computing times of concentration, and generalized intensity-duration-frequency curves, a model was developed to test the effect of variation of several watershed characteristics on the relationship between slope and the rational coefficient. Analyses with the model showed that both Manning’s coefficient and land use had the greatest effect on the relationship between C and slope. A mathematical function was then developed from data generated from the Horton–Manning model. This model allows C to be estimated for a given slope and a value of Manning’s coefficient for the land cover. A rational coefficient at a 6% slope is also required input. The model was tested using several watersheds with moderate to steep slopes. This relationship should be used to better estimate values of C on steep slopes, and thereby, lead to more accurately hydrologic designs.     

Social skills training for withdrawn unpopular children with physical disabilities: A preliminary evaluation.

Examined changes in self-concept, perceptions of support from close friends and classmates, and loneliness in 11 8.6–14.6 yr old withdrawn unpopular children with cerebral palsy or spina bifida who had been involved in a social skills training program. The program targeted 5 basic skills: interpersonal problem solving, verbal and nonverbal communication, initiating interactions with peers, conversational skills, and coping with difficult others. To assess the impact of the program, Ss were evaluated before the intervention, after the 10-wk intervention, and at a 6-mo follow-up. Findings indicate that group social skills training may be effective in decreasing feelings of loneliness and increasing perceptions of social acceptance in children who are withdrawn and unpopular at school. Ss' feelings of loneliness were associated with lower ratings of social acceptance and lower ratings of classmate support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reading and arithmetic in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: Peaks and dips in attainment.

In describing academic attainment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), results are typically reported at the group mean level. This may mask subgroups of individuals for whom academic achievement is incommensurate with intellectual ability. The authors tested the IQ, literacy, and mathematical abilities of a large group (N = 100) of adolescents (14–16 years old) with ASD. Seventy-three percent of the sample had at least one area of literacy or mathematical achievement that was highly discrepant (approximately 14 standard score points) from full-scale IQ (FSIQ). The authors focused on four subgroups with either word reading (“Reading Peak” and “Reading Dip”) or arithmetic (“Arithmetic Peak” and “Arithmetic Dip”) higher or lower than FSIQ. These subgroups were largely mutually exclusive and were characterized by distinct intellectual profiles. The largest was the “Arithmetic Peak” subgroup of participants, who presented with average intellectual ability alongside superior arithmetic skills and who were predominantly in a mainstream educational setting. Overall, the most pervasive profile was discrepantly poor reading comprehension, which associated with severity of social and communication difficulties. The high rate of uneven academic attainment in ASD has implications for educational practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sudden Gains in Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Replication and Extension.

Of 76 clients receiving 8-20 sessions of cognitive therapy (CT) in a joint university and a national health service clinic, 31 experienced sudden gains that appeared very similar to those first reported in clinical trials of CT by T. Z. Tang and R. J. DeRubeis (1999) and subsequently replicated in other studies. The sudden gains appeared less stable in the present study's more routine clinical practice settings than they were in the clinical trials. Life events did not appear to account for sudden gains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Secondary debris impact damage and environment study

All long-duration spacecraft, such as Space Station Freedom (SSF), are subject to impacts by micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MM/OD) particles in low Earth orbit. The secondary effects of such impacts on SSF was the subject of the Secondary Debris Impact Damage and Environment Study. The primary objective was the assessment of possible damage to SSF hardware in the vicinity of large surface areas impacted by typical MM/OD particles. Several SSF components were evaluated that showed varying degrees of damage due to secondary ejecta. A comparison of the results from 45° and 60° MM/OD impacts revealed that penetration ejecta had greater damage potential at 45° and ricochet ejecta had greater damage potential at 60°. The significant ricochet damage was concentrated within an angle of 15° with respect to the primary target. The impact distribution data was evaluated further using a previous math model. The comparison was inconclusive due to insufficient data within the bounds of the model. Preliminary results of the study showed that secondary debris has the potential to penetrate and induce some damage to SSF hardware. The failure of hardware due to the damage is unknown. Further testing with larger MM/OD particle sizes and varying impact angles is recommended.     

Determination of sugarcane deterioration at the factory: Development of a rapid,easy and inexpensive enzymatic method to measure mannitol

Mannitol, formed mainly by Leuconostoc mesenteroides bacteria, is a very sensitive indicator of sugarcane deterioration that directly affects processing and can predict problems from dextran and levan polysaccharides. An enzymatic method has been developed to measure mannitol in juice pressed from consignments of sugarcane delivered to the factory. This screening tool will allow factory staff to rapidly know which consignments of cane will affect processing negatively or reject consignments that will cause unacceptable processing problems. Mannitol is directly measured on a spectrophotometer using mannitol dehydrogenase as the enzyme catalyst. The stability of the reagents, limited cane juice preparation and linearity are described. This method is accurate, comparing favorably with an ion chromatography method, and can be easily performed using existing equipment in sugarcane factories. The coefficient of variation (CV) for cane juices ranged from 1.73% to 5.13% with the highest CVs occurring for low mannitol concentrations in undeteriorated cane. Mannitol can be measured after ∼7 min at room temperature and within 4 min if a 40 °C waterbath is used. The method is highly specific for mannitol and was not affected by the presence of sucrose, glucose, fructose, or dextran. The current cost is only ∼60 US cents per analysis. Further studies on the viability of the method at the factory, and as a screening tool for breeding programs for cane freeze tolerance, are being undertaken.