Does the testing effect impact favorability judgments?

Delayed recall of material is better when the material is retrieved on a previous occasion relative to when the material is restudied -- a phenomenon known as the testing effect. The studies reported here aimed to better understand the link between a person's memory and favorability judgments through the testing effect. Both memory and favorability judgments can be enhanced through persuasive messages, but both weaken over time. Considering that being tested decreases forgetting of the material and aids delayed retention, would being tested on a material decrease the decay in favorability judgments? I provided participants with a set of arguments that made the case for a topic and asked them to learn the arguments either through test or restudy. Either an immediate or 2 day delayed favorability judgment task was then given. A marginal testing effect was found in the memory tests. However, there was no testing effect found in favorability judgments

Is the plausibility account of the illusion of truth effect plausible?

Repeated statements are more likely to be judged as true compared to statements that have not been repeated. This phenomenon in known as the Illusion of Truth effect. The most studied theory is that fluency induced by repetition gives an illusion that otherwise ambiguous statements are truthful. The two experiments in this dissertation tested the possibility that fluency might be supplemented by information about plausibility – that is, the presence or absence of relevant information in memory. The main dependent variable for the experiments was truth-confidence rating, which was a composite of the truth value and the confidence level for each rating reaction time. Various measures and manipulations of fluency (e.g., clarity, number of propositions, repetition) and plausibility (e.g., proposition plausibility, content valence) were included. Experiment 1 showed that despite repeated exposure of similar lexical features, contents that contradicted the target statement decreased truth-confidence ratings. Experiment 2 showed that the minimum plausibility rating of the propositions was a better predictor of veracity judgments compared to any of the reaction time measures. The results suggest that plausibility could be an important contributing factor in the Illusion of Truth effect, and possibly other related effects as well

Theoretical and computational analysis of spectrally hyperviscous models of turbulent flow.

Computing turbulent flow is very difficult but forms the basis for computational ex- periments in Meteorology and Oceanography. To overcome the difficulty and complexity in turbulence computation, a spectrally hyperviscous version of Navier-Stokes equations (SHNSE) has been suggested(see [4] and the references contained therein). My PhD research has been focusing on the theoretical and computational analysis for the SHNSE. This dissertation bases on my research under the advise of Dr. Avrin and Dr. Deng [5,7,8,77]. The theoretical results that we obtained are the convergence of Galerkin solutions and the continuous dependence on data for the SHNSE [5], the estimates for the number of determining nodes and determining modes [8], and the inviscid limit ? ? 0 in the case of unforced turbulence [7]. Let uN denote the Galerkin solutions which approximate the solution u, and let wN = u - uN then by spectral decomposition, we have wN = PmwN + QmwN where Pm is the projection onto the first m eigenspaces of A = -? and Qm = I - Pm. For assumptions on ?m that compare well with those in previous results, the convergence of ?QmwN(t)?Hß depends linearly on key parameters (and on negative powers of ?m), which is reflective of Kolmogorov-theory predictions that in high wavenumber modes vis- cous (i.e. linear) effects dominate. Meanwhile ?PmwN(t)?Hß satisfies a more standard exponential estimate, but with fractional dependence on ?m. Similar results demonstrate continuous dependence on data. The estimates for the number of determining nodes of the three dimensional SHNSE are proportional to G3, where G denotes the Grashof number, comparing well with the exponential determining-node results for the two dimensional no-slip NSE. The estimates for the number of determining modes also compare well with previous results, and in par- ticular as long as a > 9/4 these estimates are less than those for the two dimensional space-periodic NSE. If a = 5/2, explicit non-exponential estimates for the dependence of the high-wavenumber modes on the determining modes can be obtained with improved computationally utility. We discuss these results in the context of physical and compu- tational experiments, and in terms of the potential of the SHNSE to reduce the number of degrees of freedom required for physical and computational experiments. We can use the pairing of the 3-D Euler system with spectrally applied hyperviscous terms and the SHNSE as a platform to study the inviscid limit ? ? 0 in the case of unforced turbulence. Let u? be the solution of the SHNSE, let u be the solution of the spectrally-hyperviscous Euler equations, and let w? = u - u?, then we will show that w? ? 0 strongly. The characteristic feature of our convergence methodology is its multiscale approach, which seems to optimize the results and yields behavior in each regime suggested by experiments and physical theory. The computational analysis implements the SHNSE for a periodic box by using pseudo- spectral methods, and numerical results obtained from large eddy simulations for the decaying turbulence are compared with those obtained by direct numerical simulation [77]. Numerical experiments are conducted to validate some of the theoretical properties of the SHNSE and to investigate optimal parameter choices. Numerical results indicate that the SHNSE model has strong potential to be a highly robust platform for studying turbulence which can retain spectral accuracy while significantly reducing the number of degrees of freedom needed for accurate simulation

An investigation of self-concept, clothing selection, and life satisfaction among disabled consumers

This dissertation investigates the relationships between various aspects of self-concept (i.e., generalized self-efficacy, public self-consciousness, state hope, and self-esteem), clothing selection (i.e., clothing that expresses individuality, clothing that improves the emotional state, clothing that camouflages the body), and life satisfaction among disabled consumers. This study aims to examine the impact that such aspects of disabled consumers' self-concept have on the type of clothing they choose to wear and their life satisfaction. A two-step research design was employed. Step one consisted of a qualitative preliminary study. In step two, a survey questionnaire was developed based on a review of existing literature and the findings of the preliminary study. A total of five hypotheses were developed based on constructs defined in the literature on self-concept, life satisfaction and clothing selection. Existing measurements were selected from the literature to assess each construct and to test the hypotheses. The survey was disseminated at universities and community disability organizations. A total of 318 usable questionnaires were collected from 113 females and 199 males whose ages ranged from 18 to 81 years, with an average age of 38 years. Most of the respondents were Caucasian/White. The majority of the participants had a mobility impairment or a visual impairment, and have had their disabilities for over 10 years. Structural equation modeling was employed via Lisrel 8.8 to test the hypotheses. Results for the main effects of the conceptual model revealed a X2 of 2873.37 (df = 1023; p < .000), GFI of .72, CFI of .94, RMSEA of .076, NFI of .90, and X2/df = 2.80. Based on the inclusion of the two additional paths suggested by the modification indices, the adjusted model had a X2 of 2285.51 (df = 932; p < .000), GFI of .76, CFI of .95, RMSEA of .068, NFI of .91, and X2/df = 2.45. The model was deemed to be an acceptable fit for the data. Results indicate that for disabled consumers, self-esteem is related to two aspects of their multifaceted self-concept, public self-consciousness and state hope, and that self-esteem positively influences life satisfaction. Findings suggest that disabled individuals who are satisfied with their lives are more likely to choose clothing to express their distinctive identities. Positive relationships between state hope and life satisfaction and between public self-consciousness and the assurance dimension of clothing choice were identified. Additionally, significant relationships were found between generalized self-efficacy and self-esteem, and between self-esteem and the assurance dimension of clothing choice. This study provides a theoretical framework that describes the relationships between disabled consumers' self-concept, life satisfaction, and clothing choice. Results shed light on the social-psychological factors influencing clothing choices of disabled consumers and thereby address a gap in the literature by considering the use of clothing by this often overlooked consumer segment. More research is needed to provide further empirical support for the relationships between self-concept, clothing choice, and life satisfaction found in this study

Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship between Acute Resistance Exercise Intensity and Cognitive Function

The primary purpose of the present research was to explore the dose-response relationship between acute resistance exercise intensity and cognitive performance. A secondary purpose of this study was to use directly statistical techniques to explore the role of exercise-induced arousal as a mediator of the relationship. Sixty-eight participants were recruited and randomly assigned into rest, 40%, 70% or 100% of 10 repetition maximal (10-RM) groups. One-way ANOVA was computed for demographic variables and baseline measures, and regression analyses were computed to examine the effect of exercise intensity as well as exercise-induced arousal on cognitive performance. In addition, mediation analysis was applied to examine exercise-induced arousal as a mediator of this relationship. The results indicated that a 30-minute bout of resistance exercise has a positive impact on both information processing speed and executive function. Specifically, there is a significant linear relationship between exercise intensity and information processing speed. On the other hand, a significant quadratic trend for both exercise intensity and exercise-induced arousal was observed for executive function measures that assess inhibition, selective attention, working memory and attentional flexibility. Exercise-induced arousal was a significant mediator when tested using one of the heart-rate indexes and for one measure of executive function performance. Thus, an acute bout of resistance exercise benefits cognitive performance and there is a dose-response effect of both exercise intensity and exercise-induced arousal on cognitive performance. Future research should explore other potential mediators of the relationship to further our understanding of mechanisms

A study of the effects of calcium and phosphorus supplements on the mineral metabolism of young rats fed high levels of zinc

Young male rats were used to investigate the effect of zinc toxicity on the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, and iron in the presence and the absence of calcium and phosphorus supplements. Results of the study indicated that calcium and phosphorus supplementation prevents the marked decreases in the retention of calcium and phosphorus in young rats associated with zinc toxicity. The data suggest that calcium and phosphorus supplements furnish sufficient amounts of these minerals to replace the amounts lost by the adverse action of zinc and facilitate the removal of some of the excess zinc from the animal body

Effect of acute aerobic exercise on cognitive performance: Role of cardiovascular fitness

Objectives: To determine whether fitness and cognitive task type moderate the relationship between acute exercise and cognition. Methods: Thirty-six healthy college-aged adults completed a maximal graded exercise test and were categorized as low, moderate, or high in cardiovascular fitness. Participants then performed the Stroop Test prior to and after an acute bout of cycling exercise that consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 20 min of exercise at moderate intensity (65% VO2max), and a 5-min cool-down. Results: Individuals of all fitness levels improved in cognitive performance following exercise. With regards to fitness, while no differences were observed on the congruent condition as a function of fitness, high fit individuals showed the longest response time on the Stroop incongruent condition.ConclusionThe beneficial relationship between performance of an acute bout of exercise and cognitive performance were observed for both cognitive task types and for participants of all fitness levels. However, a curvilinear relationship was observed between fitness and cognitive task type performance such that participants who were moderately fit performed the best on the incongruent trials, implying that maintaining fitness at a moderate level is associated with better executive functio