Temperament in Childhood Predicts Body Mass in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

This study examined associations of temperament at ages 6 to 12 with body-mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) at ages 24 to 30 years. The participants were 619 men and women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Temperament was operationalized as (negative) emotionality, sociability, and activity. High emotionality predicted increased BMI, independently of WC, and independently of childhood and adulthood risk factors for adult obesity. None of the temperament dimensions had any associations with WC after controlling for BMI. The findings suggest that temperamental difficulty in childhood may be a useful risk indicator for general body mass in adulthood, and the mechanisms relating temperament with body mass should be further explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment status passages and psychosocial well-being.

Medical students entering the labor market were studied to find out whether the improvement of psychosocial well-being depends on characteristics of their careers. Psychosocial well-being was described on the basis of psychosomatic stress symptoms, psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire), and strain resistance resources (Sense of Coherence). The 3-year follow-up showed that among women the improvement of strain resistance resources was delayed in the group with several entries into work. Among men the findings suggested associations between stress symptoms and career characteristics. Most of the results, however, did not support the hypothesis about the division of the participants into those with a stable career and improving well-being and those with a fragmented career and low well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptability of genetically modified cheese presented as real product alternative

European consumers, in general, have negative attitudes towards the use of gene technology in food production. The objective of this study was to examine whether taste and health benefits influence the acceptability of genetically modified (gm) products when they are presented as real product alternatives. Consumers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden (n=738) assessed two cheeses: one was labelled as genetically modified (preferred in an earlier product test) and the other as conventional (neutral in an earlier product test). A smaller control group received two cheeses with blind codes. Labelling decreased consumers' intentions to buy the originally preferred gm-labelled cheese, but still the intentions were at the same level with the conventionally labelled option. Participants chose two gm cheeses out of five possible when given the option to take cheese home after tasting. Intentions to buy gm cheese could best be explained by respondents' attitudes towards gene technology and perceived taste benefits. General health interest was also a reinforcer of intentions for gm cheese with reduced fat content.     

Suboptimal Exposure to Facial Expressions When Viewing Video Messages From a Small Screen: Effects on Emotion, Attention, and Memory.

The authors examined the effects of suboptimally presented facial expressions on emotional and attentional responses and memory among 39 young adults viewing video (business news) messages from a small screen. Facial electromyography (EMG) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were used as physiological measures of emotion and attention, respectively. Several congruency priming effects were found. In particular, happy facial primes prompted increased (a) pleasure ratings, (b) orbicularis oculi EMG activity, (c) perceived trustworthiness, and (d) recognition memory for video messages with a positive emotional tone. Emotional and other responses to video messages presented on a small screen can be modified with suboptimal affective primes, but even small differences in the emotional tone of the messages should be allowed for. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What levels of moral reasoning and values explain adherence to information security rules? An empirical study

It is widely agreed that employee non-adherence to information security policies poses a major problem for organizations. Previous research has pointed to the potential of theories of moral reasoning to better understand this problem. However, we find no empirical studies that examine the influence of moral reasoning on compliance with information security policies. We address this research gap by proposing a theoretical model that explains non-compliance in terms of moral reasoning and values. The model integrates two well-known psychological theories: the Theory of Cognitive Moral Development by Kohlberg and the Theory of Motivational Types of Values by Schwartz. Our empirical findings largely support the proposed model and suggest implications for practice and research on how to improve information security policy compliance.     

Visually Perceived Distance Judgments: Tablet-Based Augmented Reality Versus the Real World

Does visually perceived distance differ when objects are viewed in augmented reality (AR), as opposed to the real world? What are the differences? These questions are theoretically interesting, and the answers are important for the development of many tablet- and phone-based AR applications, including mobile AR navigation systems. This article presents a thorough literature review of distance judgment experimental protocols, and results from several areas of perceptual psychology. In addition to distance judgments of real and virtual objects, this section also discusses previous work in measuring the geometry of virtual picture space and considers how this work might be relevant to tablet AR. Then, the article presents the results of two experiments. In each experiment, observers bisected egocentric distances of 15 and 30 m in tablet-based AR and in the real world, in both indoor corridor and outdoor field environments. In AR, observers bisected the distances to virtual humans, while in the real world, they bisected the distances to real humans. This is the first reported research that directly compares distance judgments of real and virtual objects in a tablet AR system. Four key findings were: (1) In AR, observers expanded midpoint intervals at 15 m, but compressed midpoints at 30 m. (2) Observers were accurate in the real world. (3) The environmental setting—corridor or open field—had no effect. (4) The picture perception literature is important in understanding how distances are likely judged in tablet-based AR. Taken together, these findings suggest the depth distortions that AR application developers should expect with mobile and especially tablet-based AR.