Transitivity for height versus speed: To what extent do the under-7s really have a transitive capacity?

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2011 Psychology Press.Transitive inference underpins many human reasoning competencies. The dominant task (the “extensive training paradigm”) employs many items and large amounts of training, instilling an ordered series in the reasoner's mind. But findings from an alternative “three-term paradigm” suggest transitivity is not present until 7 + years. Interestingly, a second alternative paradigm (the “spatial task”), using simultaneously displayed height relationships to form premise pairs, can uphold the 4-year estimate. However, this paradigm risks cueing children and hence is problematic. We investigated whether a height-task variant might correspond to a more ecologically valid three-term task. A total of 222 4–6-year-olds either completed a modified height task, including an increased familiarisation phase, or a computer-animated task about cartoon characters running a race in pairs. Findings confirmed that both tasks were functionally identical. Crucially, 4-year-olds were at chance on both, whereas 6-year-olds performed competently. These findings contrast with estimates from all three paradigms considered. A theoretical evaluation of our tasks and procedures against previous ones, leads us to two conclusions. First, our estimate slightly amends the 7-year estimate offered by the three-term paradigm, with the difference explained in terms of its greater relevance to child experiences. Second, our estimate can coexist alongside the 4-year estimate from the extensive training paradigm. This is because, applying a recently developed “dual-process” conception of reasoning, anticipates that extensive training benefits a species-general associative system, while the spatial paradigm and three-term paradigm can potentially index a genuinely deductive system, which has always been the target of transitive research

Comparison of two nicotine dependence measures for use with Korean American Women: The FTND and AUTOS

This study compares psychometric properties of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and Autonomy over Tobacco Scale (AUTOS), which are measures of nicotine dependence. This study is a secondary analysis of data obtained from a smoking cessation study conducted with 49 Korean American women. We compared the FTND and AUTOS assessed at baseline regarding their internal consistency reliability and concurrent and predictive validities. The AUTOS outperformed the FTND in reliability and concurrent validity by yielding a higher Cronbach’s alpha and having significant relationships with smoking-related variables such as age at smoking onset, perceived risks of quitting, and self-efficacy in quitting. In contrast, there was no relationship between the FTND and any of the variables. Both measures had a significant relationship with post-quit nicotine withdrawal symptoms but failed to predict abstinence at follow-ups. The AUTOS seems to be a better assessment tool for Korean American women than the FTND. Before fully adopting the AUTOS as a measure of nicotine dependence for this group, factor structure of the scale should be tested with a larger sample of Korean American women

Improving single-photon sources via linear optics and photodetection

Published versio

Incorporating remote visits into an outpatient clinic

Copyright @ 2009 Operational Research Society Ltd. This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Simulation. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Eatock and Eldabi (2009), "Incorporating remote visits into an outpatient clinic", Journal of Simulation, 3, 179–188 is available online at the link below.Most telemedicine studies are concerned with either the technological or diagnostic comparisons, rather than assessing the impact on clinic management. This has attributed to the retrospective nature of the studies, with lack of data being the main cause for not using simulation for prospective analysis. This article demonstrates the use of simulation to assess the impact of prospective systems by utilising data generated from clinical trials. The example used here is the introduction of remote consultations into an outpatient's clinic. The article addresses the issues of using secondary data, in terms of the differences between the trial, the model and future reality. The result of running the simulation model show that exchanging the mode of service delivery does not improve patient wait times as expected, and that a protocol change in association with the introduction of remote visits is necessary to provide a substantial reduction in patient wait times

Unique Appearance of Lamellar Cleavage Patterns on Fracture Surfaces of Ti-Based Amorphous Matrix Composite

In order to improve mechanical properties of Ti-based amorphous matrix composites basically composed of ductile beta-Ti dendrites and brittle amorphous matrix by overcoming their inherent brittle nature, their fracture mechanisms should be verified in relation with microstructure, stress intensity factor level, and crack growth rate. In this study, thus, detailed fractographic observations including the unique appearance of lamellar cleavage patterns, which has not been reported in previous studies on conventional metals and alloys, were conducted. According to fractographic results, lamellar cleavage patterns were formed by repeated interruptions of crack propagation on {100} cleavage planes by difference between dendrite orientation and loading direction. Ductile-to-brittle transition phenomenon (ductile dimpled fracture -> lamellar cleavage fracture -> ordinary cleavage fracture in dendrite areas, and vein pattern -> smooth pattern in amorphous matrix areas) occurred with increasing crack growth rate was also plausibly explained by the concept of time required for crack growth as well as dendrite orientation.open1122sciescopu