Current Search: Department of Psychology (x) » Florida Atlantic University (x)
View All Items
Pages
- Title
- "I distinctly remember you!": an investigation of memory for faces with unusual features.
- Creator
- Keif, Autumn., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Many errors in recognition are made because various features of a stimulus are attended inefficiently. Those features are not bound together and can then be confused with other information. One of the most common types of these errors is conjunction errors. These happen when mismatched features of memories are combined to form a composite memory. This study tests how likely conjunction errors, along with other recognition errors, occur when participants watch videos of people both with and...
Show moreMany errors in recognition are made because various features of a stimulus are attended inefficiently. Those features are not bound together and can then be confused with other information. One of the most common types of these errors is conjunction errors. These happen when mismatched features of memories are combined to form a composite memory. This study tests how likely conjunction errors, along with other recognition errors, occur when participants watch videos of people both with and without unusual facial features performing actions after a week time lag. It was hypothesized that participants would falsely recognize actresses in the conjunction item condition over the other conditions. The likelihood of falsely recognizing a new person increased when presented with a feature, but the conjunction items overall were most often falsely recognized.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342207
- Subject Headings
- Face perception, Human face recognition, Facial expression, Physiological aspects, Recollection (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Adolescent conflict with parents and friends: the role of negative affect and resolution strategy in predicting relationship impact.
- Creator
- Pursell, Gwen R., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
This study examined associations between conflict affect, resolution, and relationship impact in adolescent conflicts with mothers and friends. Participants included 231 adolescents who were on average 14 years of age. Over three consecutive days, participants completed a diary study in which they reported and described conflicts with mothers and friends. Path analyses were used to examine direct and indirect associations from negative affect and resolution to relationship impact contrasting...
Show moreThis study examined associations between conflict affect, resolution, and relationship impact in adolescent conflicts with mothers and friends. Participants included 231 adolescents who were on average 14 years of age. Over three consecutive days, participants completed a diary study in which they reported and described conflicts with mothers and friends. Path analyses were used to examine direct and indirect associations from negative affect and resolution to relationship impact contrasting disagreements with mothers and disagreements with friends. Moderator analyses examined whether patterns of association differed by gender or conflict topic. Findings revealed that lower levels of negative affect and higher levels of compromise were associated with improved relations for both adolescent conflicts with mothers and friends. Mediation analyses indicated that negative affect largely accounted for the association between compromise and relationship impact. There was no difference between mother-adolescent and friend-adolescent relationships in the strength of these associations. Gender and conflict topic did not moderate these associations. These findings are consistent with a larger body of research on marital relationships, which suggests that negative affect plays a key role in predicting relationship outcomes. Specifically, it appears that regardless of the amount of compromise, it is the expression of anger that determines whether a conflict improves or worsens a relationship.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/359927
- Subject Headings
- Interpersonal relationships in adolescence, Adjustment (Psychology) in adolescence, Attribution (Social psychology), Social conflict, Psychological aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Affective response and cognition in HIV.
- Creator
- McIntosh, Roger C., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Resource allocation theory, Polich (2007) suggests cortical measures may attenuate when processing demands increase. Thirteen HIV-negative women (M = 36.5) and 15 HIV-positive women (M = 36.1) infected were instructed to view neutral and negative IAPS images and then to detect rare tones in a subsequent auditory oddball task. A 2 x 2 ANOVA for the auditory P3 did not indicate a main effect for picture valence however an interaction was found between picture valence and serostatus at location...
Show moreResource allocation theory, Polich (2007) suggests cortical measures may attenuate when processing demands increase. Thirteen HIV-negative women (M = 36.5) and 15 HIV-positive women (M = 36.1) infected were instructed to view neutral and negative IAPS images and then to detect rare tones in a subsequent auditory oddball task. A 2 x 2 ANOVA for the auditory P3 did not indicate a main effect for picture valence however an interaction was found between picture valence and serostatus at location Fz, F(1,24) = 18.99, p<.001. During the visual ERP sequence an interaction between valence and serostatus was found at the Pz location, F(1,24) = 18.99, p<.001, meaning the late positive potential (LPP) was not modulated between viewing neutral and negative images in HIV-positive women. These findings suggest that the manifestation of HIV in women may alter the neural processing of emotions, though not to the detriment of a subsequent cognitive task.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2978989
- Subject Headings
- AIDS (Disease), Psychological aspects, HIV-positive persons, Mental health, Clinical health psychology, Psychophysiology, Motivation (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Age-related changes in executive function and the influence of processing speed.
- Creator
- Jurado Noboa, Maria Beatriz., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Healthy aging has been associated with declines in executive functioning (EF) but it remains unclear how different subprocesses of EF are affected by age and by other possibly mediating variables. The principal aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of age and processing speed on three executive functions: set-shifting, planning, and attentional control. Four age groups (20-29 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80-89 years) were compared on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ...
Show moreHealthy aging has been associated with declines in executive functioning (EF) but it remains unclear how different subprocesses of EF are affected by age and by other possibly mediating variables. The principal aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of age and processing speed on three executive functions: set-shifting, planning, and attentional control. Four age groups (20-29 years, 60-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80-89 years) were compared on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the DKEFS Tower Test, the Conner's Continuous Performance Test, and a Letter comparison test of processing speed. Results suggested that increased age was associated with decreased performance on most of the studied executive measures, but not all EF are equally affected by age. A slowdown in processing speed mediates some, but not all, decrements in executive performance. The results are interpreted in light of recent neuroimaging data on age-related changes in brain functioning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/187213
- Subject Headings
- Aging, Psychological aspects, Cognitive psychology, Memory disorders in old age, Ability, Influence of age on, Context effects (Psychology), Cognition, Age factors
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Age-related differences in friend similarity of delinquent behavior.
- Creator
- Richmond, Ashley D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
During a period of increased independence from parents, youth turn to peers for support, and consequently become more vulnerable to peer pressure (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986). During middle adolescence, vulnerability to peer influence begins to decline (Steinberg & Monahan, 2007). Empirical research has documented this trend in vulnerability to peer pressure across adolescence, but less attention has been afforded to the age-related changes in similarity. To address this, age-related...
Show moreDuring a period of increased independence from parents, youth turn to peers for support, and consequently become more vulnerable to peer pressure (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986). During middle adolescence, vulnerability to peer influence begins to decline (Steinberg & Monahan, 2007). Empirical research has documented this trend in vulnerability to peer pressure across adolescence, but less attention has been afforded to the age-related changes in similarity. To address this, age-related changes in peer similarity in delinquency across the adolescent years were examinded using intraclass correlations. Moderating variables, including gender, reciprocity, and closeness, and control variables, including friendship stability and romantic partner status, were examined. Results indicated an increase in friend similarity in delinquency from 5th to 7th grade and a decrease in similarity from 7th to 9th grade. Implications of this study are discussed in terms of contribution to the field and implementation of the findings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352828
- Subject Headings
- Juvenile delinquency, Social aspects, Criminal behavior, Social aspects, Interpersonal relationships in adolescence, Friendship in adolescence, Peer pressure in adolescence
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The application of the less is more hypothesis in foreign language learning.
- Creator
- Chin, Simone L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
This study tests Newports Less is More hypothesis with a language teaching experiment. Computerized French language lessons were presented to forty-two adults over two one-hour sessions. Learning trials were presented either in full sentences to resemble the adult learning environment, or in small increments that gradually increased to full sentences, resembling the steadily expanding processing capabilities of children. Trials were also presented randomly or ordered such that multiple...
Show moreThis study tests Newports Less is More hypothesis with a language teaching experiment. Computerized French language lessons were presented to forty-two adults over two one-hour sessions. Learning trials were presented either in full sentences to resemble the adult learning environment, or in small increments that gradually increased to full sentences, resembling the steadily expanding processing capabilities of children. Trials were also presented randomly or ordered such that multiple examples of the same objects and verbs were presented consecutively. Language proficiency tests were administered after the lessons. A 2 (Presentation: incremental or full sentence) x 2 (Order of presentation: blocked or random) mixed ANOVA was used to analyze the data. The incremental conditions outperformed the sentence conditions on all proficiency measures. There was no significant effect of the blocking manipulation. This outcome suggests that a teaching method based on Newport's Less is More hypothesis can be advantageous in learning a foreign language.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/368254
- Subject Headings
- Second language acquisition, Methodology, Language and languages, Study and teaching, Cognitive grammar, Biolinguistics, Human information processing
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Attachment styles and aggressor-victim relationships in preadolescence.
- Creator
- Miller, Ashley M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
The current study investigated the change in relationship between an aggressor's attachment style (avoidant or preoccupied) and a series of characteristics in their victims' over a school year. Once a semester, participants rated themselves and their classmates on 16 personality characteristics and their aggression levels against other students. Only avoidant girls significantly refined their targets over the course of a school year. They increased their aggression towards girls with low...
Show moreThe current study investigated the change in relationship between an aggressor's attachment style (avoidant or preoccupied) and a series of characteristics in their victims' over a school year. Once a semester, participants rated themselves and their classmates on 16 personality characteristics and their aggression levels against other students. Only avoidant girls significantly refined their targets over the course of a school year. They increased their aggression towards girls with low appearance self-efficacy, a high avoidance attachment, high depression, high cross-gender typed behavior, high internalizing behavior, and low global self-worth.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3358753
- Subject Headings
- Bullying in schools, Aggressiveness in children, Interpersonal conflict in children, Social interaction in children, Interaction analysis in education
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Attitude and valence dynamics in response to changes in perceived similarity vs. difference: implications for human conflict.
- Creator
- Michaels, Jay L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Despite extensive research in conflict, relatively little is known about how psychological processes evolve over time in response to a dispute. The present research examines how cognitive and affective processes react to cooperative, competitive, or mixed cooperative-competitive interactions. Experimental predictions were derived from a model of two-actor interaction (Liebovitch, Naudot, Vallacher, Nowak, Bu--Wrzosinksa & Coleman, 2008). Specifically, it was expected that attitudes and...
Show moreDespite extensive research in conflict, relatively little is known about how psychological processes evolve over time in response to a dispute. The present research examines how cognitive and affective processes react to cooperative, competitive, or mixed cooperative-competitive interactions. Experimental predictions were derived from a model of two-actor interaction (Liebovitch, Naudot, Vallacher, Nowak, Bu--Wrzosinksa & Coleman, 2008). Specifically, it was expected that attitudes and emotional valence would exhibit stable dynamics when people encountered a neutral, continually cooperative, or continually competitive interaction. However, attitudes and emotional valence were expected to exhibit perturbation in response to transitions from cooperation to competition and vice-versa. These predictions were tested in four experiments. The first study verified most predictions, finding that people have little attitude or valence reaction to interactions that are neutral, continually coo perative or continually competitive. This study also established that people's attitudes are significantly unstable when faced with an interaction shifting from cooperation to competition, and this is experienced with negative emotions. However, interactions shifting from competition to cooperation resulted in stable attitudes and emotional valence. The remaining three experiments sought to explain the lack of psychological reaction to the development of cooperation in a previously competitive interaction. In Study 2, interaction expectancy was ruled out as a factor. Study 3 demonstrated that the reactivity to sudden competition and lack of reactivity to sudden cooperation developed regardless of interaction history. Finally, Study 4 offers evidence indicating that the lack of reaction to sudden cooperation results from factors other than the duration of cooperative feedback. The research has several important implications. First, the results provide evidence that competition is, not necessarily a key factor in promoting heightened psychological reaction in conflict. Rather, transitions between peace and conflict likely hold greater influence on psychological processes in disputes. Furthermore, the experimental evidence provides the first empirical test of the model predictions and offers insight into how the model may be improved. By combining experimental results with the model, the research provides much needed information about how mental dynamics unfold and differ in response to cooperation versus competition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342236
- Subject Headings
- Conflict management, Collective behavior, Social psychology, Interpersonal relations, Emotional intelligence, Self-management (Psychology), Motivation (Psychology), Affect (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Attitudes towards multilanguage use among Latino and Asian immigrants in the United States.
- Creator
- Le, Cuong T., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
This study was designed to measure the relation of education and ethnic identity to attitudes towards bilingualism in two different ethnic groups, Asian and Latinos in the United States. In order to do this, an instrument was developed to measure attitudes towards bilingualism. No significant relations were found among education or ethnic identity and attitudes towards bilingualism in either group, but analyses revealed several other significant relationships. The two subscales of ethnic...
Show moreThis study was designed to measure the relation of education and ethnic identity to attitudes towards bilingualism in two different ethnic groups, Asian and Latinos in the United States. In order to do this, an instrument was developed to measure attitudes towards bilingualism. No significant relations were found among education or ethnic identity and attitudes towards bilingualism in either group, but analyses revealed several other significant relationships. The two subscales of ethnic identity, MEIM-R Commitment and Exploration, were related to each other both within Asian and Latino groups and in all participants combined. In the combined sample, education levels of participants' mothers was correlated with the MEIM-R subscale of Exploration. In addition, participants with a Bachelors Degree or above were found to have significantly higher ethnic identity levels of MEIM-R Commitment than participants with an Associates Degree or below. Participants with mothers who possess a Bachelors Degree or above were found to have significantly higher ethnic identity levels of MEIM-R Exploration than participants with mothers who possess an Associates Degree or below. Finally, Asian participants were found to have lower levels of MEIM-R Commitment when compared to Latino participants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360953
- Subject Headings
- Second language acquisition, Bilingualism in children, Education, Bilingual, Social aspects, Group identity, Languages in contact, English language, Study and teaching, Foreign speakers, Ethnic relations
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Best friend influence over adolescent problem behaviors: the role of perceived friendship quality.
- Creator
- Hiatt, Cody, Laursen, Brett, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Close friends have been shown to influence adolescent problem behaviors, especially alcohol abuse (Urberg, Degirmencioglu, and Pilgrim, 1997). The degree of influence, however varies as a function of individual characteristics such as peer acceptance (Laursen, Hafen, Kerr, and Stattin, 2012) and age (Popp et al., 2008). The present study examines whether differences in influence extend to perceptions of friendship quality. Using a sample of 764 Swedish adolescents involved in stable samesex...
Show moreClose friends have been shown to influence adolescent problem behaviors, especially alcohol abuse (Urberg, Degirmencioglu, and Pilgrim, 1997). The degree of influence, however varies as a function of individual characteristics such as peer acceptance (Laursen, Hafen, Kerr, and Stattin, 2012) and age (Popp et al., 2008). The present study examines whether differences in influence extend to perceptions of friendship quality. Using a sample of 764 Swedish adolescents involved in stable samesex reciprocal best friend relationships that lasted at least one year, analyses used distinguishable dyad actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analyses (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) to track influence over two years of the friendship. More satisfied friends were more influential than less satisfied friends on intoxication frequency and truancy. The findings of this study indicate that influence accompanies perceptions of quality. Those with higher perceptions of quality exhibit more influence on friends who perceive relatively lower quality.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004025
- Subject Headings
- Adolescent psychology, Friendship in adolescence, Interpersonal relationships in adolescence, Peer pressure in adolescence, Web services -- Management
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Bullying in schools: the role of empathy, temperament, and emotion regulation.
- Creator
- Gagnon, Chantal M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Peer aggression and bullying are significant problems for children in American schools. While a large body of research has been conducted in this area, none to date has examined the combined roles of temperament (behavioral activation system, or BAS, and behavioral inhibition system, or BIS), and empathy in predicting participation in bullying interactions. Previous research has found that low empathy facilitates aggressive behavior, while high empathy inhibits it, and has linked poor emotion...
Show morePeer aggression and bullying are significant problems for children in American schools. While a large body of research has been conducted in this area, none to date has examined the combined roles of temperament (behavioral activation system, or BAS, and behavioral inhibition system, or BIS), and empathy in predicting participation in bullying interactions. Previous research has found that low empathy facilitates aggressive behavior, while high empathy inhibits it, and has linked poor emotion regulation to conduct disorders. Thus, if these factors can predict behaviors towards peers, they may also predict (independently and in combination) involvement in bullying, specifically the roles assumed in those interactions - that is: bully, victim, bully-victim (a child who is both bully and victim), or defender/protector. The present study tested 226 middle school students on a measure of empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and a measure of temperament (BIS/BAS Scales). The students also completed a Peer Nomination Inventory to identify children who were aggressive toward others, victimized by peers, and/or protected peers from bullies. Although not all predictions were supported, results showed that certain sub-components of empathy, such as empathic concern (affective empathy) and personal distress (a measure of emotion regulation) predicted the behavior of "pure bullies" (bullies who are not themselves victimized), but not of other aggressive children such as bully-victims. High BAS drive and low BIS were significant predictors of aggressive behavior, and BAS reward responsiveness predicted protective behavior. Victimized children had higher fantasy (ability to identify with fictional characters) and lower perspective-taking (cognitive empathy) skills, and tended not to have overlapping characteristics and behaviors with protective children., These characteristics did not interact significantly with each other or with age, gender, ethnicity, or SES of students. It was concluded that pure bullies lack affective empathy, and victims lack cognitive empathy. That is, empathy is multidimensional and empathy deficits vary in type, but all lead to some form of socioemotional impairment. Furthermore, aggressive victims are a unique sub-group of children with unique characteristics.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342106
- Subject Headings
- Bullying in schools, Prevention, Bullying, Prevention, School violence, Prevention, Aggressiveness in children, Violence, Psychological aspects, Violence, Social aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Cardiac patterns during another infant's cry sound in neonates of depressed mothers.
- Creator
- Cotler, Joseph, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Past research indicates there is a link between physiological responses and adaptive social responses to another individual's distress. Scholars have theorized that humans may be predisposed, both physiologically and behaviorally to responding to others, especially those who are in distress. Maternal depression has been associated with dysregulated emotional development and may possibly affect the physiological and behavioral responses of a neonate. The present research examined the...
Show morePast research indicates there is a link between physiological responses and adaptive social responses to another individual's distress. Scholars have theorized that humans may be predisposed, both physiologically and behaviorally to responding to others, especially those who are in distress. Maternal depression has been associated with dysregulated emotional development and may possibly affect the physiological and behavioral responses of a neonate. The present research examined the relationship between neonates' physiological and behavioral responses to naturally generated (compared to artificial) stimuli of other neonates, as well as the role of maternal depression in the responses. Specifically, heart rate, heart period, and heart period variability were measured to assess the newborns' reaction to cries generated by both other newborns and digitally modulated sources. This study found that newborns of depressed mothers had higher heart period variability and showed less behavioral distress when hearing the cry of another infant.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3360769
- Subject Headings
- Heart sounds, Auscultation, Human physiology, Depression in children, Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Changes in components of children’s self-reported gender identity over time.
- Creator
- Jackson, Emily, Perry, David G., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
In past gender identity research, little attention has been paid to the determinants of the various dimensions of gender identity (felt pressure for gender differentiation, gender contentedness, and within-gender typicality). This study examined whether children’s self-perceptions and social behaviors influence changes in gender identity over time. One hundred and ninety-five fourth- through seventh-graders completed self-report and peer-report questionnaires during the fall and spring of a...
Show moreIn past gender identity research, little attention has been paid to the determinants of the various dimensions of gender identity (felt pressure for gender differentiation, gender contentedness, and within-gender typicality). This study examined whether children’s self-perceptions and social behaviors influence changes in gender identity over time. One hundred and ninety-five fourth- through seventh-graders completed self-report and peer-report questionnaires during the fall and spring of a school year. This study found that both felt pressure for gender differentiation and within-gender typicality are fluid, rather than stable, constructs during childhood. It also found that sex plays a significant role in not only which constructs influence gender identity, but which components of gender identity are influenced.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004027
- Subject Headings
- Gender identity -- Psychological aspects, Self perception in adolescence, Sex (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Changing cooperation to competition disrupts attitudes and valence: first test of a dynamical model.
- Creator
- Michaels, Jay L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
With the cessation of cooperation between groups or individuals comes the threat that temporary competition transforms into destructive intractable conflict. To better understand how intractable conflicts develop, Liebovitch, Naudot, Vallacher, Nowak, Bui-Wrzosinksa, and Coleman (2008) recently developed a non-linear model of two-actor cooperation-competition incorporating interaction feedback and valence. This study tested their model's predictions by investigating attitude and valence...
Show moreWith the cessation of cooperation between groups or individuals comes the threat that temporary competition transforms into destructive intractable conflict. To better understand how intractable conflicts develop, Liebovitch, Naudot, Vallacher, Nowak, Bui-Wrzosinksa, and Coleman (2008) recently developed a non-linear model of two-actor cooperation-competition incorporating interaction feedback and valence. This study tested their model's predictions by investigating attitude and valence change depending on whether a social exchange was cooperative or competitive. Participants experiencing an exchange that switched from cooperation to competition exhibited greater attitude change than participants in the control or the continuously competitive interaction condition and more valence change than the control or competition switching to cooperation condition. These results support the model's prediction that greater attitude and valence fluctuation manifests in interactions transitioning from cooperation to competition, providing the first verification of the model. These findings offer new insights into how human cooperation and competition evolve over time.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/369196
- Subject Headings
- Conflict management, Power (Social sciences), Social psychology, Collective behavior, Interpersonal relations
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Children's adaptave strategies in a tool use task.
- Creator
- Weinstein, Allison., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Problem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance....
Show moreProblem solving and strategy adaptation was assessed in 47 children ranging from 36 to 67 months. This was evaluated through problem sets in which participants were given tools that failed to reach given goal states, and then instructed to select appropriate tools in order to reach desired results. Analyses revealed that when participants were given a choice of tools to solve a given problem, they were more likely to select a correct tool when options were similar in function and appearance. Additionally, participants were more likely to verbalize the need for a new tool when there was a lack of novel tool choices. However, the presence of a novel tool choice was linked to longer problem solving time. Findings are congruent with literature that suggests children possess the ability to select tools based on functional, not superficial, qualities, and can be easily distracted by the presence of novel stimuli.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3356896
- Subject Headings
- Learning, Psychology of, Educational tests and measurements, Cognition in children, Cognitive styles in children, Human information processing in children, Individual differences in children
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Children's conceptual understanding of growth.
- Creator
- Copeland, Aquilla D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Growth is a property that is unique to living things. Studies demonstrate that even preschool children use growth to determine whether objects are alive. However, little identifies explanations that children use to attribute growth. The goal of the present study was to investigate how people reason about growth. We hypothesized that older children would outperform younger children in understanding that growth is inevitable for living things, while adults would consistently perform at ceiling...
Show moreGrowth is a property that is unique to living things. Studies demonstrate that even preschool children use growth to determine whether objects are alive. However, little identifies explanations that children use to attribute growth. The goal of the present study was to investigate how people reason about growth. We hypothesized that older children would outperform younger children in understanding that growth is inevitable for living things, while adults would consistently perform at ceiling levels. Our hypothesis was partially supported. Although adults consistently outperformed children, older children rarely outperformed younger children. Still, both younger and older children performed above chance in attributing growth. Moreover, all participants were more likely to use biological explanations to explain growth. Taken together, this research qualifies the early hypotheses of Piaget (1929) and Carey (1985) that children lack a well developed biological domain before age nine, but suggests that a biological domain, though less developed, is present. Based on these findings, implications for more efficient approaches to science education are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2974434
- Subject Headings
- Cognition in children, Imagery (Psychology) in children, Child development, Identity (Psychology) in children
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Chimpanzee alarm communications: a zoosemiotic study.
- Creator
- Raymond, Alyssa M., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Evidence for conceptual semantics is well established in monkeys, however this basis of human language is less evident in the great apes. In order to study semantic communications in chimpanzees, I analyzed alarm calls produced towards a blimp as it was flying overhead. I then replayed a set of these alarm calls to the chimps on a different day. The chimps appeared to act in a manner consistent with the presence of the blimp. The calls they produced in response to the playback stimuli were...
Show moreEvidence for conceptual semantics is well established in monkeys, however this basis of human language is less evident in the great apes. In order to study semantic communications in chimpanzees, I analyzed alarm calls produced towards a blimp as it was flying overhead. I then replayed a set of these alarm calls to the chimps on a different day. The chimps appeared to act in a manner consistent with the presence of the blimp. The calls they produced in response to the playback stimuli were nearly identical to the calls that were produced during the actual flyover. Though the data collected were not sufficient to support a definitive claim, it does appear that the chimpanzees of the study have a meaning-laden vocalization for the aerial stimuli. Whether this call is specific to the blimp or generalizable to other aerial threats is yet to be determined.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3352278
- Subject Headings
- Animal communication, Social behavior in animals, Cognition in animals, Chimpanzees, Behavior, Chimpanzees, Psychology
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Choosing and using tools: type of prior experience and task difficulty influence preschoolers' choices and actions.
- Creator
- Gardiner, Amy K., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Two and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation....
Show moreTwo and 3 year-old children's understanding of tool affordances was investigated by measuring their tool choice decisions and tool use behaviors. Children attempted six toy retrieval tasks of three different levels of structural complexity. Children were assigned to one of four conditions in which exposure to task materials varied according to the way in which the information was presented: no experience / no observation, experience only, observation only, and experience and observation. Three year- olds consistently made more correct choices and used more working tools successfully than 2-year-olds. Tool choice was affected primarily by task difficulty and age. Tool use was influenced by task difficulty, order of task difficulty, age, and condition. The observation condition was most beneficial to children, while experience was least helpful, particularly for tasks at the hard level of difficulty.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/165940
- Subject Headings
- Learning, Psychology of, Developmental psychology, Educational tests and measurements, Constructivism (Education)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Conscious and non-conscious bases of social judgement: mindset and implicit attitudes in the perception of intergroup conflict.
- Creator
- Sullivan, Susan D., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Research on social judgment typically emphasizes one of three processes that enable unequivocal understanding of events with ambiguous causality. In the social influence perspective, people are susceptible to the interpretations offered by others. In the explicit attitudes perspective, people interpret events in line with their consciously held attitudes and values. In the implicit attitudes perspective, people interpret events in line with unconscious biases. The model investigated in the...
Show moreResearch on social judgment typically emphasizes one of three processes that enable unequivocal understanding of events with ambiguous causality. In the social influence perspective, people are susceptible to the interpretations offered by others. In the explicit attitudes perspective, people interpret events in line with their consciously held attitudes and values. In the implicit attitudes perspective, people interpret events in line with unconscious biases. The model investigated in the present study assumes that these processes vary in salience depending on people's mindset. Participants with low versus high implicit racial bias toward Blacks read a narrative concerning this altercation under either a lowlevel or a high-level mindset and then read a summary that blamed one of the parties or they did not read a summary. As predicted, low-level participants allocated responsibility to the African-American if they had a high implicit racial bias and to the White if they had a low implicit racial bias, regardless of the summary manipulation. Contrary to prediction, however, high-level participants' allocation of responsibility did not reflect their explicit prejudicial attitudes. Instead, they corrected for their implicit biases in their trait inferences and affective reactions, in line with research suggesting that a high-level mindset promotes self-regulatory processes in social judgment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3361259
- Subject Headings
- Interpersonal relations, Social perception, Persuasion (Psychology), Social aspects, Subconsciousness, Stereotypes (Social psychology), Self-management (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Correlates of interpersonal conflict.
- Creator
- Vazquez, Karinna., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
- Abstract/Description
-
Evidence suggests that self-reports of the frequency of an event, the most common way of measuring rates of conflict, are an unreliable source of data and that minor changes in question format can result in major changes in the results obtained (Bless, Bohner, Hild & Schwarz 1992; Schwarz, 1991; Schwarz, 1999; Winkielman, Knauper & Schwarz, 1998). In the conflict literature, different studies report different rates of conflict and different associations between conflict frequency and...
Show moreEvidence suggests that self-reports of the frequency of an event, the most common way of measuring rates of conflict, are an unreliable source of data and that minor changes in question format can result in major changes in the results obtained (Bless, Bohner, Hild & Schwarz 1992; Schwarz, 1991; Schwarz, 1999; Winkielman, Knauper & Schwarz, 1998). In the conflict literature, different studies report different rates of conflict and different associations between conflict frequency and individual adjustment. Therefore, the present study examined how alterations in the measurement of conflict frequency affected how many conflicts participants reported and whether different measures of conflict were differentially associated with psychological adjustment outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, drug use, depression, delinquency, and interpersonal support). Response scales, reference periods, and question formats of conflict measures were manipulated to examine differences in conflict frequency reports. Results indicate that the changes in conflict measurement produce varied amounts of conflict across conditions and that changes in the measurement of conflict frequency change the associations between conflict frequency and adjustment outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3322511
- Subject Headings
- Interpersonal conflict, Conflict (Psychology), Interpersonal relations, Psychological aspects, Adjustment (Psychology), Stress (Psychology)
- Format
- Document (PDF)