Live animals versus fancy toys - which do toddlers prefer?

Ignoring WC Fields' advice to "never work with children or animals", a team of researchers in the USA has done both at once in a research paper that compares children's interest in live animals against their interest in toys.

Older children have an obvious affinity for animals, betrayed through their love of pets and zoos. That very small children share this affection for creatures is usually taken as a given, but in fact it's an issue that's been subject to surprisingly little systematic research, particularly when it comes to real live animals as opposed to mere pictures.

Vanessa LoBue and her colleagues began by filming 38 toddlers (average age 24 months) as they played alone freely in a room that contained 14 "highly attractive" toys on the floor, including fire trucks and a ball, and two caged live animals: a tan Sentinel hamster and a blue and red Beta fish, each located on a shelf on opposite sides of the room. Each child's parent sat quietly in the corner during the 10-minute play session. The main finding here was that the toddlers initiated significantly more interactions with the two animals versus the two most popular toys - the doll and aeroplane. They also gestured more frequently at the animals, mentioned them more often and asked more questions about them.

A second study was similar, but this time there were four toys and four animals: the fish and hamster, plus a black Tarantula and an orange and black California Mountain King snake. Also, after the first five minutes play time, each child's parent was allowed to play with them. Thirty-eight new toddlers took part (average age 28 months) in this study and again they initiated more interactions with the animals than the toys, as did the parents. Both children and parents displayed slight caution in their interactions with the spider and snake, consistent with past research suggesting infants have an evolved fear for these creatures.

An obvious criticism of the research is that the animals were animated while the toys were inanimate. LoBue and her team acknowledged this, but they pointed out the cages were small and the animals were chosen for their relative inactivity. For instance, the hamster mostly sleeps in the day-time, which was when the testing occurred. The spider barely moved.

In a final study, the researchers sacrificed some of the realism of the set-up in favour of greater experimental control. This time toddlers were presented with a series of pairs of stimuli - a real caged animal alongside a toy version of that same animal, which was attached to the shelf. The animals used this time included the hamster and fish from before, plus a green gecko. Consistent with the findings from free play, the children spent more time interacting with the live animals. And when their parents joined them, they spent even more time interacting with the real animals, which suggests parents facilitate their children's preference for living creatures.

"Future research would be important in discovering why both children and adults show more interest in live animals than other objects," the researchers concluded, "and whether there are any potential benefits that can be gained by children's avid interest."

Source:

RESEARCH DIGEST : http://www.researchdigest.org.uk/

LoBue, V., Bloom Pickard, M., Sherman, K., Axford, C., and DeLoache, J. (2013). Young children's interest in live animals. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31 (1), 57-69 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-835X.2012.02078.x

Author weblinks: http://nwkpsych.rutgers.edu/~vlobue/

Short-term exercise boosts body image without making any physical difference

Many people find exercise adherence difficult after the first few weeks because the fun of something new has worn off, and yet their programme has yet to deliver any tangible changes in terms of body shape and weight. A new study offers a potential way to galvanise people's motivation during this tricky spell. Katherine Appleton reports that people's body image improves after just two weeks of moderate exercise, even though no physical change has yet materialised. The finding suggests a focus on body image changes could help novice exercisers enjoy early rewards during the early stages of a new programme.

Appleton recruited 34 people (16 men) to take part, all of whom led sedentary lifestyles prior to the study. The effects of two two-week programmes were compared. One involved 3 sessions of 40 minutes reading in a gym per week; the other involved the same time spent exercising in a gym at moderate intensity (getting sweaty and out of breath). Some participants did the reading fortnight first, others did the exercise fortnight first. There was a two-week gap between the intervention fortnights.

The participants filled out body image questionnaires and had their body weight and shape measured at the start and end of the exercise and reading fortnights (the results were hidden from them). The key result is that neither two weeks' exercise or reading made any difference to body weight and shape, but a fortnight of thrice weekly exercise did improve the participants' perceptions of their body. This was true for men and women.

Specifically, despite the lack of any objective change, both men and women reported feeling more satisfied with their looks; feeling more fit, toned and active; healthier; and happier with specific parts of their body (paradoxically, fat anxiety and weight vigilance did not change). In contrast, body image satisfaction dipped slightly after the reading fortnight.

Appleton believes this is the first time body image effects such as this have been documented in the absence of any physical changes. She said this suggests "a focus on body image [rather than other goals] ... may be more rewarding for those embarking on an exercise programme," although she stressed that this needs to be tested. It's a complex issue, she explained, because people can vary in their body image ideals, and in some cases an excess focus on body image can backfire, especially if exercise newbies start comparing themselves to trim regulars at the gym.

There are also some issues with the study methodology. The sample was small and the researcher can't be 100 per cent sure that the participants didn't exercise outside of the allotted gym time (although this wouldn't undermine the main finding of body image change in the absence of physical change). More problematic are the potential effects of researcher contact, and the possibility the participants were giving the answers they thought were expected of them after the exercise fortnight, especially as they were told the study was about the effects of exercise on "various body-related parameters."

_________________________________ 

Source:

RESEARCH DIGEST : http://www.researchdigest.org.uk/

Appleton, K. (2012). 6 x 40 mins exercise improves body image, even though body weight and shape do not change. Journal of Health Psychology, 18 (1), 110-120 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359105311434756

Author weblink: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/psy/Staff/VisitingResearchers/Appleton/

Οι μαμάδες των παραισθήσεων: Όταν η μαμά «καθαρίζει» για τους βαθμούς

Φωτογραφία: Π. Τζάμαρος @fosphotos.com

Μαθητής, που κινείται στα όρια της επάρκειας για να παρακολουθήσει Γενικό Λύκειο, παίρνει βαθμούς μεταξύ 15 και 19 , σε όλα τα μαθήματα. Η μαμά του επισκέπτεται συχνά το σχολείο, "πρήζει" τους καθηγητές κι αυτοί για να μη μπλέξουν περισσότερο, βάζουν ό τι θέλει ο «πελάτης».... Προσοχή! Το σχολείο δεν είναι ιδιωτικό. Δημόσιο είναι! Έτσι, όλοι μένουν ευχαριστημένοι και πιο πολύ η μαμά που κάνει όνειρα για πανεπιστήμια και μεγαλεία! Να λοιπόν, από που ξεκινάει το μεγάλο παραμύθι. Πάντα βρίσκεται κάποιος να κρύψει την αλήθεια. Πάντα κάποιος θα πουλήσει "φαντασιακή" προστασία για να μη βρει το μπελά του. Να γιατί εκλιπαρούν όλοι για λίγο ψέμα, μια όμορφη ιστορία κι ας είναι φανταστική, μια υπόσχεση κι ας μη γίνει πραγματικότητα. Να γιατί το πολιτικό σύστημα γέμισε «θαυματοποιούς». Μια ολόκληρη χώρα ζει μέσα στο ψέμα και εμπορεύεται τις «παραισθήσεις της».

Η αρχή της δίκαιης και ειλικρινούς αξιολόγησης δυστυχώς, δεν λειτουργεί όσο θα έπρεπε στα ελληνικά σχολεία. Όπως και στην υπόλοιπη κοινωνία, έτσι κι εδώ, τα εμπλεκόμενα μέρη, δάσκαλος, γονέας, μαθητής δεν θέλουν ή δε μπορούν να συμμετάσχουν, επί ίσοις όροις, στη δίκαιη διαδικασία. Οι λόγοι είναι πολιτικοί και κοινωνικοί. Από τη μία, υφέρπει ένας «πολιτικός» λαικισμός που θέλει το μαθητή να εμφανίζεται πάντα αδικούμενος, από την εξουσία του καθηγητή. Από την άλλη το σύμπλεγμα των κοινωνικών συγκρίσεων καταδυναστεύει την οικογένεια που εκλαμβάνει την ικανότητα ως «δώρο» που χαρίζει ένας άλλος παράγοντας και όχι ως κατάκτηση του εαυτού μας. Είναι σαφές ότι τα παραπάνω, σε συνδυασμό με την έλλειψη παιδείας των γονέων, οδηγούν στη αδυναμία του νέου ανθρώπου να κατανοήσει τις δυνάμεις του και να φτάσει στην αυτογνωσία. Εύκολα καταλαβαίνει κανείς ότι δεν υπάρχει πιο «σίγουρος» δρόμος για να γίνεις δυστυχισμένος στη ζωή σου, κάνοντας πάντα λάθος επιλογές.

Αν συνειδητοποιήσουμε τις επιπτώσεις αυτής της κατάστασης στην ανωριμότητα των Ελλήνων, θα αναγκαστούμε να αλλάξουμε και το σύστημα αξιολόγησης στα σχολεία. Πρώτον, ο μαθητής πρέπει να αποκτήσει τον προσωπικό του ηλεκτρονικό φάκελο αξιολόγησης από την Α΄Δημοτικού έως την Γ΄Λυκείου. Σχόλια και βαθμολογίες θα εμπλουτίζουν την εικόνα του, από τους δασκάλους του, ανά έτος, χωρίς να ξέρουν τις επιδόσεις της προηγούμενης χρονιάς. Δεύτερον, ανά τρεις μήνες, μπορούν να διενεργούνται εξετάσεις σε όλα τα μαθήματα και τα γραπτά να βαθμολογούνται από καθηγητές άλλου σχολείου. Για την ευκολία της διαδικασίας, υπάρχει η δυνατότητα της ηλεκτρονικής εξέτασης με ερωτήσεις πολλαπλής επιλογής. Τρίτον, επιβάλλεται η αποσύνδεση της μεσης εκπαίδευσης από την εισαγωγή στα πανεπιστήμια. Τελευταίο και σημαντικότερο, είναι ο διαχωρισμός των μαθητών με εξετάσεις, σε Γενικό Λύκειο και ΕΠΑΛ. Θα διενεργούνται δύο φορές στην Γ΄ Γυμνασίου, σε πανελλαδικό επίπεδο, στέλνοντας το 70% των μαθητών στα οργανωμένα...επαγγελματικά Λύκεια, για να προετοιμαστούν για μία «αληθινή» επαγγελματική ζωή. Από την Α΄Γυμνασίου , βέβαια, θα πρέπει να ξεκινήσει ένας σωστός επαγγελματικός προσανατολισμός.

Όλα τα παραπάνω δεν είναι ασφαλώς και τόσο πρωτότυπες επινοήσεις. Εφαρμόζονται εδώ και χρόνια, σε πολλές πολιτισμένες χώρες του κόσμου. Απλά εμείς, «φτιαχνόμαστε» με τις ίντριγκες, τα παραμύθια και τη «δραματοποίηση» της ζωής μας, απ΄όπου κι αν προέρχεται.

Αυτό το παιχνίδι της απόρριψης του ορθολογισμού πρέπει να σταματήσει. Η «συναισθηματοκρατία» , η αναξιοκρατία και ο λαικισμός είναι αρρώστιες που τρώνε λίγο λίγο, τη συνείδηση του νεοέλληνα. Μπορεί να είμαστε λαός που έκανε το «μύθο» πολιτισμό αλλά ζούμε πλέον, σ΄έναν κόσμο που η δύναμη του ανθρώπου είναι η λογική και η εσωτερική αλήθεια. Γι΄αυτό το λόγο έχει χρέος το σχολείο να καλλιεργεί συνειδήσεις και όχι να προετοιμάζει φαντασιόπληκτους «φοβιτσιάρηδες» ή «τυχοδιώκτες». Αυτοί είναι που αργότερα δεν θα ανέχονται την αλήθεια και θα «γουστάρουν» το ψέμα από τη γυναίκα τους, τον εργοδότη τους, τους φίλους τους και βέβαια, τους πολιτικούς.

Έχω βαρεθεί να βλέπω μίζερους «αδυνάτους» , επαίτες μιας οποιασδήποτε «ντόπας», να συναγωνίζονται ποιος θα εισπράξει πρώτος το καλύτερο ψέμα. Και δεν είναι μόνο, στις αξιολογήσεις, είναι παντού. Στα πανεπιστήμια, στις ερωτικές σχέσεις, στο δημόσιο λόγο, ακόμα και στην εσωτερική ζωή, οι νεοέλληνες ζουν σ΄ένα «παράλληλο σύμπαν» μιας ψυχεδελικής ευτυχίας. Κάποιοι που ξέρουν τον εαυτό τους βιώνουν δυναμικά την πραγματικότητα αλλά οι περισσότεροι εγκλωβίζονται στις φοβίες τους. Υποθέτω ότι το σχολείο και οι «παραισθήσεις» των μαμάδων τους θα έχουν παίξει το ρόλο τους. Και σκέφτομαι πάντα τα λόγια του Nietzche : «Η πλάνη δεν είναι τύφλωση, ανανδρία είναι».

ΠΗΓΗ:

Ο Ανδρέας Ζαμπούκας είναι Καθηγητής Κλασικής Φιλολογίας

Protagon.gr : ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑ 16 Φεβρουαρίου 201

http://www.protagon.gr/?i=protagon.el.paideia&id=22110

Οι καλοί σχολικοί βαθμοί είναι... μεταδοτικοί

Οι καλές επιδόσεις στο σχολείο, κοντολογίς, οι καλοί βαθμοί, είναι μεταδοτικές. Αυτό προκύπτει από νέα έρευνα Αμερικανών επιστημόνων. Σύμφωνα με τους συντάκτες της έρευνας, μαθητές που κάνουν παρέα με φίλους που έχουν καλύτερους βαθμούς από τους ίδιους, βλέπουν και τους δικούς τους βαθμούς να ανεβαίνουν την επόμενη σχολική χρονιά. Μετά λοιπόν από προηγούμενες έρευνες που κατέγραψαν ότι η παχυσαρκία είναι κοινωνικά κολλητική, φαίνεται ότι και τα κοινωνικά δίκτυα μεταδίδουν τα «μικρόβια» των καλών βαθμών. Αυτό υποστηρίζουν ερευνητές του πολιτειακού πανεπιστημίου της Νέας Υόρκης (SUNY).

Οι σχολικές επιδόσεις των μαθητών μπορούν να επηρεαστούν από τις επιδόσεις συμμαθητών που είναι φίλοι τους. «Οσο πιο έξυπνοι είναι οι φίλοι σου σήμερα, τόσο μεγαλύτερη είναι η πιθανότητα να γίνεις κι εσύ πιο έξυπνος αύριο», δήλωσε ο Χιρόκο Σαγιάμα, επικεφαλής των επιστημόνων της έρευνας.

Οι ερευνητές ασχολήθηκαν με τους μαθητές γυμνασίου, τους οποίους κατέταξαν ανάλογα με τη βαθμολογία τους. Παράλληλα, έκαναν τον συσχετισμό με τον μέσο όρο της βαθμολογίας που είχαν οι φίλοι κάθε μαθητή. Οπως έδειξε η στατιστική ανάλυση, οι μαθητές που είχαν φίλους με υψηλότερη μέση βαθμολογία έτειναν να παίρνουν υψηλότερους βαθμούς την επόμενη χρονιά. Σύμφωνα με τους ερευνητές, στη διαμόρφωση αυτού του φαινομένου παίζει ρόλο η υποσυνείδητη επιθυμία των μαθητών να μη χάσουν επαφή με τους φίλους τους. «Αν οι φίλοι σου αριστεύσουν στο διαγώνισμα, μπορεί να σκεφτείς ότι πρέπει και εσύ την επόμενη φορά να διαβάσεις περισσότερο, προκειμένου να μη μείνεις πίσω σε σχέση με την υπόλοιπη παρέα», τόνισε ο Σαγιάμα. Επίσης, όσοι μαθητές ελπίζουν να τα πάνε καλύτερα στην τάξη, έχουν την τάση να επιλέγουν καλύτερους μαθητές ως φίλους, επειδή τους θαυμάζουν. Τέλος, οι καλύτεροι μαθητές της τάξης δεν βλέπουν τους βαθμούς τους να χειροτερεύουν παρότι εκ των πραγμάτων κάνουν παρέα με φίλους που έχουν χειρότερους βαθμούς. Οι άριστοι δηλαδή εμφανίζουν κάποιου είδους «ανοσία» στο «μικρόβιο» των κακών σχολικών επιδόσεων.

ΠΗΓΗ:

Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ 15/2/13

http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_world_2_15/02/2013_511355

The science of sleep

We spend a third of our lives doing it.

Napoleon, Florence Nightingale and Margaret Thatcher got by on four hours a night.

Thomas Edison claimed it was waste of time.

Why do we sleep?

So why do we sleep? This is a question that has baffled scientists for centuries and the answer is, no one is really sure. Some believe that sleep gives the body a chance to recuperate from the day's activities but in reality, the amount of energy saved by sleeping for even eight hours is miniscule - about 50 kCal, the same amount of energy in a piece of toast.

We have to sleep because it is essential to maintaining normal levels of cognitive skills such as speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking. In other words, sleep plays a significant role in brain development.

What would happen if we didn't sleep?

A good way to understand the role of sleep is to look at what would happen if we didn't sleep. Lack of sleep has serious effects on our brain's ability to function. If you've ever pulled an all-nighter, you'll be familiar with the following after-effects: grumpiness, grogginess, irritability and forgetfulness. After just one night without sleep, concentration becomes more difficult and attention span shortens considerably.

With continued lack of sufficient sleep, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05% (two glasses of wine). This is the legal drink driving limit in the UK.

Research also shows that sleep-deprived individuals often have difficulty in responding to rapidly changing situations and making rational judgements. In real life situations, the consequences are grave and lack of sleep is said to have been be a contributory factor to a number of international disasters such as Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Challenger shuttle explosion.

Sleep deprivation not only has a major impact on cognitive functioning but also on emotional and physical health. Disorders such as sleep apnoea which result in excessive daytime sleepiness have been linked to stress and high blood pressure. Research has also suggested that sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity because chemicals and hormones that play a key role in controlling appetite and weight gain are released during sleep.

What happens when we sleep?

What happens every time we get a bit of shut eye? Sleep occurs in a recurring cycle of 90 to 110 minutes and is divided into two categories: non-REM (which is further split into four stages) and REM sleep.

Non-REM sleep

Stage one: Light Sleep

During the first stage of sleep, we're half awake and half asleep. Our muscle activity slows down and slight twitching may occur. This is a period of light sleep, meaning we can be awakened easily at this stage.

Stage two: True Sleep

Within ten minutes of light sleep, we enter stage two, which lasts around 20 minutes. The breathing pattern and heart rate start to slow down. This period accounts for the largest part of human sleep.

Stages three and four: Deep Sleep

During stage three, the brain begins to produce delta waves, a type of wave that is large (high amplitude) and slow (low frequency). Breathing and heart rate are at their lowest levels.

Stage four is characterised by rhythmic breathing and limited muscle activity. If we are awakened during deep sleep we do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after waking up. Some children experience bed-wetting, night terrors, or sleepwalking during this stage.

REM sleep

The first rapid eye movement (REM) period usually begins about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. We have around three to five REM episodes a night.

Although we are not conscious, the brain is very active - often more so than when we are awake. This is the period when most dreams occur. Our eyes dart around (hence the name), our breathing rate and blood pressure rise. However, our bodies are effectively paralysed, said to be nature's way of preventing us from acting out our dreams.

After REM sleep, the whole cycle begins again.

How much sleep is required?

There is no set amount of time that everyone needs to sleep, since it varies from person to person. Results from the sleep profiler indicate that people like to sleep anywhere between 5 and 11 hours, with the average being 7.75 hours.

Jim Horne from Loughborough University's Sleep Research Centre has a simple answer though: "The amount of sleep we require is what we need not to be sleepy in the daytime."


Even animals require varied amounts of sleep:
Species Average total sleep time per day
Python 18 hrs
Tiger 15.8 hrs
Cat 12.1 hrs
Chimpanzee 9.7 hrs
Sheep 3.8 hrs
African elephant 3.3 hrs
Giraffe 1.9 hr


The current world record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days, set by Randy Gardner in 1965. Four days into the research, he began hallucinating. This was followed by a delusion where he thought he was a famous footballer. Surprisingly, Randy was actually functioning quite well at the end of his research and he could still beat the scientist at pinball.




SOURCE:


BBC Sciece: Human body & Mind

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/articles/whatissleep.shtml

Λιγότερο άγχος μετά το κόψιμο του τσιγάρου

Επιστημονική έρευνα απαντά στις φήμες που θέλουν αγχωμένους όσους σταματούν το κάπνισμα
ΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ: 02/01/2013 10:31

Μια νέα μελέτη αποδεικνύει πως η διακοπή του καπνίσματος είναι τελικώς... αγχολυτική




Απάντηση στις φήμες περί χαλάρωσης μέσω του τσιγάρου σπεύδει να δώσει νέα βρετανική μελέτη. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματά της, οι καπνιστές που κόβουν τη συνήθεια, έχουν λιγότερο άγχος στη ζωή τους.


Οι ερευνητές των πανεπιστημίων του Κέιμπριτζ, της Οξφόρδης, του King's College του Λονδίνου και άλλων ακαδημαϊκών ιδρυμάτων, που έκαναν τη σχετική δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό Ψυχιατρικής «The British Journal of Psychiatry» μελέτησαν περίπου 500 καπνιστές που παρακολουθούσαν προγράμματα διακοπής του καπνίσματος σε κλινικές της Βρετανίας.


Σημαντικά μειωμένα επίπεδα άγχους


Οι επιστήμονες διαπίστωσαν σημαντικά μειωμένα επίπεδα άγχους στους 68 ανθρώπους που είχαν καταφέρει να κόψουν το τσιγάρο μετά από έξι μήνες προσπαθειών, σύμφωνα με το BBC. Μάλιστα η μείωση του άγχους μετά τη διακοπή του καπνίσματος ήταν ακόμα μεγαλύτερη μεταξύ όσων είχαν εξαρχής αγχώδεις και άλλες ψυχολογικές διαταραχές, σε σχέση με όσους κάπνιζαν απλώς από ευχαρίστηση.


Οι βρετανοί ερευνητές τόνισαν ότι η μελέτη τους πρέπει να καθησυχάσει όσους καπνιστές φοβούνται πως αν το κόψουν, θα αισθάνονται μεγαλύτερο άγχος στη ζωή τους.


Αντίθετα, οι επιστήμονες επεσήμαναν πως μια τυχόν αποτυχημένη απόπειρα κοψίματος του τσιγάρου φαίνεται να αυξάνει σε μέτριο βαθμό το επίπεδο του άγχους του καπνιστή. Αυτό ισχύει κυρίως για όσους εκ των προτέρων είχαν αυξημένο άγχος.


Η μελέτη έδειξε ότι όσοι καπνίζουν κατά κύριο λόγο για να βρουν ένα ψυχολογικό στήριγμα στο άγχος που τους κατακλύζει, είναι αυτοί που συνήθως αναζητούν να ανάψουν ένα τσιγάρο μόλις ξυπνούν το πρωί. Όταν όμως το κόβουν, τελικά νιώθουν λιγότερο αγχωμένοι, σύμφωνα με την έρευνα.


ΠΗΓΗ:


ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ Science : http://www.tovima.gr/science/psychology-sociology/

The children of securely attached mothers think that God is close

Children's sense of God's closeness is apparently related, not to their mother's religiosity, but to their mother's attachment style - that is, whether the mother is calm and confident in her relationships or anxious and uncertain. Specifically, Rosalinda Cassibba and her colleagues have shown that the children of securely attached mothers (religious or not) tend to think that God is closer, as compared with the children of insecurely attached mothers.

The new finding builds on claims made last century by the British psychoanalyst John Bowlby that attachment style is transmitted from generation to generation (via non-genetic means). The new result suggests that a mother's attachment style affects the kind of attachment her child forms not just with her, but with other potential caring figures, even non-corporeal ones.

Seventy-one Italian mothers were classified as having a secure or insecure attachment style based on a short interview. They also answered questions about their religious faith and attachment to God. Meanwhile, their children (average age 7; 29 boys, 42 girls) were presented with a felt board depicting a child and were told six stories involving that child: some were neutral (e.g. he sits at a table and reads), others were more distressing (e.g. his dog died). For each story, the children were asked to place a felt character to show where God was located. The children were able to choose from 10 possible felt figures to represent God - most chose a man or a heart.

The children of securely attached mothers tended to place God nearer to the child in both the neutral and distressing stories. By contrast, the children's placement of God was unrelated to their mother's religiosity. Cassibba and her colleagues aren't certain of the mechanism underlying the relationship between mothers' attachment and children's sense of God's closeness, but they think it probably has to do with the mothers' care-giving style, or possibly a personality style shared with the parent. 

The study has a number of short-comings including the fact that the children were locating God's closeness to a fictional child, not to themselves. Also, we don't know how specific this is - would they, for instance, have located a child's teddy bear as nearer? Notwithstanding these issues, the researchers said their finding "is important both for attachment research in developmental psychology and the psychology of religion."

Somewhat strangely for an article published in a psychology journal, Cassibba and her colleagues ended with the following advice for the pious: "A caregiver who desires his or her children to come to view God as a close relational partner may do well in placing a high priority on the children's own needs for support and closeness. The caregiver's implicit teachings about relationships is likely to be far more important than his or her explicit preaching about God."

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SOURCE:

RESEARCH DIGEST: http://www.researchdigest.org.uk/

Cassibba R, Granqvist P, and Costantini A (2013). Mothers' attachment security predicts their children's sense of God's closeness. Attachment and human development, 15 (1), 51-64 PMID: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23216392

Author weblinks: http://www.fasf.uniba.it/area_pubblica/dettaglio_docente.php?id=42

Drunk eyewitnesses more reliable than expected

Imagine you are on a jury: would you trust the testimony of a drunk eyewitness? In a surprising new study, Angelica Hagsand and her colleagues report that drunk witnesses performed just as reliably as sober witnesses at picking out a criminal in a line-up.

One hundred and twenty-three students (60 per cent were women; average age 25) were split into three groups - one third drank orange juice for 15 minutes; another group drank enough orange juice mixed with vodka to reach a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .04 per cent; the final group drank enough vodka and orange to reach a BAC level of .07 per cent. This last value is just below the legal drink driving limit in the UK and USA, and is approximately equivalent to an average-sized man drinking two or three shots of vodka in that time.

Five minutes after they'd finished drinking, the participants watched a five-minute video of a man kidnapping two women at a bus stop, shot from the perspective of a witness. Close views of the man's face were available for a total 31 seconds during the film.

A week later, the participants were invited back and completed a surprise identification task. In a sober state, they saw an 8-man line-up on a computer screen that either did, or did not, feature the kidnapper who they'd seen in the film. The test administrator didn't know which condition participants were in, nor whether the culprit was present. Each participant had to say whether the culprit was in the line-up, answering either "yes", "no the culprit is not present" or "do not remember".

Although better than chance, overall performance was poor, consistent with a great deal of past research showing the limited accuracy of eyewitness memory. Crucially, for both the culprit-present and culprit-absent conditions, there was no difference in accuracy across the different participant groups. This result held even after excluding participants who answered that they could not remember.

In fact, although not a statistically significant difference, the most intoxicated (.07 per cent BAC) participants actually achieved a higher accuracy percentage than the controls in both the culprit-present (47.1 per cent vs. 38.5 per cent) and culprit-absent (56.3 per cent vs. 41.7 per cent) line-up conditions. These results contradicted the researchers' expectations. Based on alcoholic myopia theory (a loss of memory for peripheral details), they predicted that the intoxicated participants would match the controls when the culprit was present, but would make more incorrect identifications when he was absent.

The results also clash with the common sense beliefs of the general public that drunk witnesses will be less reliable than sober witnesses. Given how common it is for witnesses to crimes to be toxicated, there's been surprisingly little research on how alcohol affects eyewitness performance. Sure, this study has its limitations - the alcohol levels used were only moderate and the crime wasn't a real event - but it makes a welcome contribution to a neglected research area.
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SOURCE:

 

RESEARCH DIGEST : http://www.researchdigest.org.uk/

Angelica Hagsand, Emma Roos-af-Hjelmsäter, Pär Anders Granhag, Claudia Fahlke, and Anna Söderpalm-Gordh (2013). DO SOBER EYEWITNESSES OUTPERFORM ALCOHOL INTOXICATED EYEWITNESSES IN A LINEUP? The European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context: http://www.usc.es/sepjf/images/documentos/Volumen_5/hagsand%20et%20al.pdf

Author weblink: http://www.psy.gu.se/english/contact/Staff/hagsand--angelica/