Impression formation: The role of expressive behavior.

35 female and 27 male undergraduates completed the Personality Research Form, Eysenck Personality Inventory, and Self-Monitoring Scale. Ss were also assessed on posed emotional sending ability and on physical attractiveness. Ss were then videotaped while giving a spontaneous "explanation." Trained coders measured 5 separate nonverbal cue factors displayed by the Ss in the videotapes. Groups of untrained judges viewed the tapes and rated their impressions of the Ss on scales of likability, speaking effectiveness, and expressivity-confidence. Males who were nonverbally skilled and extraverted tended to display more outwardly focused and fluid expressive behaviors, and made more favorable impressions on judges, than did males who scored low on the measures of nonverbal skills and extraversion. Females who were nonverbally skilled displayed more facial expressiveness, which led to more favorable initial impressions. It is suggested that these sex differences may reflect basic differences in the acquisition and use of expressive nonverbal cues by males and females. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of reciprocal peer tutoring on academic achievement and psychological adjustment: A component analysis.

A component analysis of the reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) strategy was performed, which previous research had demonstrated to be effective in producing cognitive gains, lowering subjective distress, and enhancing course satisfaction. One hundred students were randomly assigned to one of four groups designed to systematically compare the RPT strategy with its hypothesized components: dyadic, mutual exchange, and structured-learning format. Pretest analyses revealed no significant group differences in demographic variables or pretest scores on course examinations and self-report inventories of subjective distress. Further analyses supported past findings on the superiority of the RPT strategy. This superiority was attributed to the RPT group's unique combination of elements: preparing to teach a peer teaching a peer, and accountability for this process. We discuss implications for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of social and emotional communication skills in leader emergence and effectiveness.

Three studies explored the role that basic social/communication skills play in leader emergence and effectiveness. In Study 1, 218 undergraduate students were administered self-report measures of social/communication skills and extraversion, worked in small groups on a problem-solving task, and elected leaders at task midpoint. Coders measured leaders' verbal communication. Groups elected leaders who spoke most and were extraverted but were not more socially skilled. In Study 2, leaders were selected on the basis of their possession of communication skills and led small groups in 2 tasks. More skilled communicators were rated as more effective leaders, but they did not lead more productive groups. Study 3 examined fire service leaders. Social skills were related to satisfaction with the leader but related to leader performance only for higher level leaders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of polymerase chain reaction and culture methods for detection of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples

In a formerly drug-dependent patient of 35 years of age suffering from an advanced HIV infection there was a development within a period of a few months of rapid weight loss amounting to 12 kg, persistent subfebrile temperatures and progressive dyspnoea on exercise. The histological pattern obtained via bronchoscopy revealed not only pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which had already been suspected clinically, but also a not very differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung with lymphangiosis carcinomatosa. The patient died three months after tis diagnosis was established, which had been followed by the usual pneumocystosis therapy and palliative treatment with glucocorticoids.     

Introduction to special issue on defining and measuring character in leadership.

This article introduces the background and need for this special issue of the Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research on “Defining and Measuring Character in Leadership.” The introduction reviews some of the history of the concept of character in leadership, presents the major themes of the special issue, and briefly describes the 6 papers related to 3 models of character in leadership (ethical/virtuous leadership, authentic transformational leadership, and worthy leadership) and the specific elements of integrity, ethics, virtues, and moral potency. The introduction notes that each article in the special issue indicates how character in leadership can be defined, operationalized, and assessed. The implications of each model for the practice of consulting psychology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preexposure to a nonaggressive opponent prevents low-intensity, social conflict analgesia in mice.

In a first experiment, exposure of DBA/2 mice to a small number of attack bites by a C57BL/6 mouse resulted in a low-intensity analgesia as assessed by the tail-flick test. The analgesia dissipated within 10 min and was insensitive to naloxone (10 mg/kg, sc) but was antagonized by the irreversible opioid antagonist beta-chlornaltrexamine (5 mg/kg, sc). In a second experiment, preexposure to a nonaggressive C57BL/6 opponent prevented low-intensity analgesia induced by a small number of attack bites 24 hr later. The preexposure effect was abolished by naloxone (10 mg/kg, sc) given before the nonaggressive confrontation. This suggests that the release of endogenous opioids during preexposure interferes with the subsequent activation of endogenous opioid-mediated pain control mechanisms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Herbivore- and Elicitor-Induced Resistance in Rice to the Rice Water Weevil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus</Emphasis> Kuschel) in the Laboratory and Field

Feeding by herbivores can change plants in ways that make them more resistant to subsequent herbivory. Such induced responses are better-studied in a number of model dicots than in rice and other cereals. In a series of greenhouse and field experiments, we assessed the effects of prior herbivory by the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and of exogenous applications of jasmonic acid (JA) on the resistance of rice plants to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Kuschel), the major pest of rice in the United States. Prior feeding by S. frugiperda and treatment of plants with exogenous JA resulted in increases in the resistance of plants to the weevil. Increases in resistance were manifested as reduced numbers of eggs and first-instars associated with armyworm-injured or JA-treated plants relative to control plants. In field experiments, there was a transient but significant reduction in the number of immature L. oryzophilus on JA-treated plants relative to untreated plants. To our knowledge, this is the first example of direct induced resistance in rice demonstrated in small-plot field experiments. We discuss the potential for the use of elicitor induced resistance in rice.     

Understanding and assessing nonverbal expressiveness: The Affective Communication Test.

577 undergraduates participated in an investigation of the concept of nonverbal emotional expressiveness. Ss were administered a 13-item self-report Affective Communication Test (ACT) and a battery of other tests, including the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Results show the ACT to be a reliable and valid measure of individual differences in expressiveness/charisma, which is (a) a likely element of social influence in face-to-face interaction, (b) a logical extension of past approaches to a basic element of personality (exhibition), and (c) a valuable construct in approaching current problems in nonverbal communication research. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)