Causal Inference in Psychological Data in the Case of Aggression

We carried out an empirical study of aggression in relation to different personal traits. In this article we present results obtained for different forms of aggression, including results of machine-learning experiments with the AQJSM method. The method distinguishes several classes with different levels of aggression defined with a special form, as well as making causal inferences with AQ preprocessing and the first stage of JSM method of extraction of cause and effect relationships. The proposed method produces acceptable results for both small datasets and big data with incomplete information.     

Films and Film-Makings: The Current Scene

I.C. Jarie's Movies and Society (Basic Books, $10.00)

Gone Youngblood's Expanded Cinema (Dutton, $9.95)

Robert Gessner's The Moving Image (Dutton $8.95)

Robert Richardson's Literature and Film (University of Indiana Press, $4.95)

Wolf Rilla's A-Z of Movie-Making (Viking/Studio Press Book, $6.95)     

Book reviews

Access Denied in the Information Age edited by S. Lax, Palgrave, 2001, 236 pages, ISBN: 0 333 92019 8, http://www.palgrave.com/

Managing in the Media written by Peter Block (editor), W. Houseley, T. Nicholls, R. Southwell. Focal Press 2001, 388 pages, ISBN 0240515994, http://www.focalpress.com

Mobilising the Information Society: Strategies for Growth and Opportunity written by Robin Mansell and W. Edward Steinmueller, Oxford University Press, 2000, 516 pages, ISBN 0198295561, http://www.oup.com

Electronic Media Law and Regulation 3rd edition written by Kenneth C. Creech, Focal Press, 2000, 336 pages, ISBN 0240803590, http://www.focalpress.com     

Basic research in the Novosibirsk oblast’: Bibliometrical analysis for 2004–2009

The results from analyzing the scientific output of scientists from the Novosibirsk oblast’ are given based on works published in 2005–2009. The analysis was carried out using the data and potential of the Web of Science (WoS) and, in particular, information about domestic and foreign science foundations that supported particular studies, Journal Citation Reports, HistCite software, and certain additional data that included official statistics from Rosstat and involved indicators derived from the journal impact factor and the aggregate impact factor of the WoS knowledge category. The publications by the scientists from the oblast’ were distributed according to 133 WoS knowledge categories. Research in certain trends in 48 WoS knowledge categories carried out in the oblast’ is in no way inferior to and very often is even better than the global science standards. More than 50% of the publications were sponsored by domestic and foreign science foundations: the scientific quality of these works was considerably higher than that of the unsponsored studies. The coauthors of the articles published by scientists of the oblast’ in the period were their colleagues from 83 countries. R & D costs in the Novosibirsk oblast’ are used quite efficiently: in 2009 the publications by the scientists of the oblast’ accounted for more than 9% of the entire amount of works published all over Russia, while internal research and development expenses were only 2.5% of such expenses nationwide.     

The ISI Web of Knowledge,a modern system for the information support of scientific research: a review

This paper describes an automated system for information support of scientific research, the ISI Web of Knowledge, which is one of the largest systems in the modern world; approximately 150000 users turn to it each day. The system was created in 1992 based on the experience and achievements of the well-known American information firm Institute for Scientific Information, which was purchased by Thomson Corp., a Canadian information-publishing firm. The main principles of the building of this system, the information resources used in it, and the main directions of its development are characterized.     

Literary studies: Information consumers,databases, principles of informal processing,and search strategies

This paper describes the problem-thematic structure of the database on literary studies that is formed at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION). The principles and properties of analytical synthetic processing of documents and queries based on a set of linguistic means of the system are described. The strategies for information searches by queries of different complexity are considered. It is noted that it is necessary to improve the quality of access to electronic information resources on literary studies.     

Relations among basic psychological needs,PE-motivation and fundamental movement skills in 9–12-year-old boys and girls in Physical Education

Background: Many children aged 9–12 appear to have low levels of fundamental movement skills (FMS). Physical education (PE) is important because PE-teachers can teach children a variety of FMS and can influence PE-motivation. However, declined levels of PE-motivation are reported in the final grades of elementary school. Therefore, more insight in the relations between PE-motivation and FMS is needed.

Purposes: In the first phase, instruments to measure the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, classmate relatedness and teacher relatedness) and PE-motivation (autonomous and controlled) in 9–12-year-old children were developed and validated. The purpose of the second phase was to examine the influence of basic psychological needs on PE-motivation, the influence of PE-motivation on locomotor skills, object control skills and balance skills, and the direct influence of basic psychological needs on FMS for boys and girls aged 9–12.

Participants and data collection: In the first phase, 172 children (82 boys, 90 girls, M?=?10.72 years?±?0.77) filled out questionnaires assessing the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs and motivation for PE. Forty-eight children completed the questionnaires again 4 weeks later. In the second phase, a total of 138 children (66 boys, 72 girls, 10.8 years?±?.79) (three schools from phase 1 and one new school) participated. Children from the new school also completed the questionnaires and all children conducted the subtest for speed and agility, upper limb coordination and balance of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2.

Data analysis: In phase 1, linear weighted Kappa's and the Mokken Scale Program for polychotomous items were used to test reliability and validity. In phase 2, Pearson's correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relations.

Findings: Regarding phase 1, all subscales were reliable and the validity was considered moderate to strong except for the autonomy subscale, which was not reliable and valid. With respect to phase 2, all basic psychological needs, except autonomy among girls, had moderate to strong correlations with autonomous PE-motivation. Teacher relatedness was the most important predictor for boys and girls, while the second predictor was classmate relatedness for boys and competence for girls. No positive significant relations between basic psychological needs and FMS and between PE-motivation and FMS were found. In contrary, moderate but negative relations between teacher relatedness and balance skills and between autonomous PE-motivation and balance skills were found for boys.

Conclusions: The results confirmed the importance of the basic psychological needs in the prediction of autonomous PE-motivation in 9–12-year-old children. Although all needs should be supported by the PE-teacher, it is important to be aware of the different impact of the needs on autonomous PE-motivation for boys and girls. Despite the missing relations with FMS, PE-teachers seem to be able to autonomously motivate children for PE regardless of their FMS proficiency.     

An analytical model for flat-ski friction in steady horizontal gliding

This paper addresses sliding friction of a ski during steady horizontal gliding on snow. A simple mathematical theory accounting for both dry and wet friction is developed. The water film evolution along a ski is calculated with a lumped-element thermal model. An analytical solution is obtained for the ski friction force. Representative calculation results are demonstrated for a range of ski velocity, contact surface area fraction, snow temperature, and ski aspect ratio.