Learning to be prejudiced: A test of unidirectional and bidirectional models of parent–offspring socialization

According to Allport's (1954) model of socialization of prejudice the level of prejudice of parents and their offspring should co-vary due to the offspring's adaptation to the parents’ attitudes. Available empirical studies and literature reviews support Allport's assumption. Modern models of socialization give reason to extend Allport's unidirectional influence model to a bidirectional perspective which assumes that parents influence their offspring's attitudes and are simultaneously influenced by them. In a cross-sectional study, 408 parent–offspring dyads (64% female parents, 55% female offspring, mean age of children = 16.47 years, SD 1.87, parents = 42.08 years, SD 7.08) from the ethnic majority population in Costa Rica were asked about their prejudice towards immigrants and ethnic minorities in Costa Rica. Using structural equation modelling, unidirectional and bidirectional models of prejudice determination were tested. The data clearly support the unidirectional model of prejudice transmission from parents to offspring, even if moderator effects of sex, age, and importance of contact are taken into account.     

Measurement and analysis of soil nitrogen and organic matter content using near-infrared spectroscopy techniques

Near infrared reflectance （N1R） spectroscopy is as a rapid, convenient and simple nondestructive technique useful for quantifying several soil properties. This method was used to estimate nitrogen （N） and organic matter （OM） content in a soil of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou County. A total of 125 soil samples were taken from the field. Ninety-five samples spectra were used during the calibration and cross validation stage. Thirty samples spectra were used to predict N and OM concentration. NIR spectra of these samples were correlated using partial least square regression. The regression coefficients between measured and predicted values of N and OM was 0.92 and 0.93, and SEP （standard error of prediction） were 3.28 and 0.06, respectively, which showed that NIR method had potential to accurately predict these constituents in this soil. The results showed that NIR spectroscopy could be a good tool for precision farming application.     

Impact in the school system of a strategy for identifying and selecting academically talented students: the experience of Program PENTA‐UC

The study explores the consequences, for participating schools, of the implementation of a system for the identification and selection of academically talented students, in the context of an extracurricular enrichment program operating at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The participants were 73 students, 50 teachers, and seven members of the school administration, in seven schools. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups. The results indicated that the identification and selection processes have mostly positive effects on teachers and students. Some potentially negative effects were also detected for the classmates of the talented students, which relate mainly to the manner in which information was handled. Possible implications of these findings for this program for talented children and other similar programs are discussed.     

Effect of different recovery patterns on repeated-sprint ability and neuromuscular responses

We examined the effect of recovery pattern on mechanical and neuromuscular responses in active men during three repeated-sprint ability tests consisting of ten 6-s cycling sprints. Within each test, the recovery duration was manipulated: constant, increasing, and decreasing recovery pattern. Maximal voluntary contractions of the knee extensors were performed before and after the repeated-sprint ability tests to assess strength and electromyographic activity [root mean square (RMS)] of the quadriceps muscle. We observed different fatigue patterns for peak and mean power output between recovery patterns, with earlier decrements recorded during the increasing recovery pattern. Total work performed over the ten sprints was also lower in the increasing recovery pattern (43.8 +/- 5.4 kJ; P < 0.05). However, the decreasing recovery pattern induced a greater overall power output decrement across the sprints (-15.8%; P < 0.05), compared with the increasing recovery pattern (-5.1%) but not the constant recovery pattern (-10.1%). The decreasing recovery pattern was also associated with higher post-sprint RMS values (+16.2%; P < 0.05). Therefore, the recovery pattern within successive short sprints may influence repeated-sprint ability, and may lead to greater post-sprint neuromuscular adjustments when recovery intervals decrease between sprints. We conclude that peripheral impairments caused the major differences in repeated-sprint ability between recovery patterns.     

How should cultural diversity be measured? An application using the French publishing industry

Despite the lack of a clear definition of the concept, “cultural diversity” has remained a core issue for more than a decade (WTO, UNESCO, etc.). The aim of this paper is to begin to fill this gap. We argue that cultural diversity is a multi-dimensional concept and that accurate metrics must rely on three criteria: variety, balance and disparity. We also stress that supplied and consumed diversity have to be distinguished. We apply this set of multiple measures of diversity to publishing data for France over the period 1990–2003. Our main result is that the situation of the publishing industry in terms of cultural diversity is highly dependent on the dimension considered. Hence, diversity increases when variety is the sole consideration, whereas taking balance or disparity into account leads to the opposite conclusion. This issue raises a series of questions about the use of diversity measures in a policy debate concerned with furthering cultural diversity.

Do achievement goals mediate stereotype threat?: an investigation on females' soccer performance

This research investigated stereotype threat effects on women's performance in sports and examined the mediation of this effect by achievement goals. The influence of two stereotypes-relative to the poor athletic ability and the poor technical soccer ability of women-were studied. Fifty-one female soccer players were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, introducing the task as diagnostic of athletic ability, technical soccer ability, or sports psychology. Next, they filled out a questionnaire measuring achievement goals and performed a soccer dribbling task. Results showed that compared with the control condition, females' performance significantly decreased in the athletic ability condition and tended to decrease in the technical soccer ability condition. Moreover, participants endorsed a performance-avoidance (relative to performance-approach) goal when the stereotypes were activated. However, this goal endorsement was not related to performance. The implications of these results for understanding the role of stereotypes in gender inequalities in sports are discussed.     

Demand for culture in Spain and the 2012 VAT rise

This paper analyzes the effects that the 2012 VAT rise in Spain had on household’ demand for cultural goods and services. Household’ demands are modeled as a two-stage QUAIDS. After estimating price and expenditure elasticities, and the pass-through parameter associated with the reform, our results show that the individual welfare loss and the increment in the tax bill increase, but less than proportionately, with income. Consequently, the reform can be considered as regressive. Relating the effects of the VAT reform to households’ incomes also implies a low quantitative effect, because of the low proportion of total household expenditure that cultural expenditure represents. From a social perspective, the size of the induced welfare loss would positively depend on society’s inequality aversion. Regardless of the latter, it cannot be concluded whether the reform would have increased or reduced inequality in the distribution of cultural spending. Our results prove qualitatively robust to alternative values of the pass-through parameter.     

Sprint kayaking and canoeing performance prediction based on the relationship between maturity status,anthropometry and physical fitness in young elite paddlers

This study aimed to identify the maturity-related differences and its influence on the physical fitness, morphological and performance characteristics of young elite paddlers. In total, 89 kayakers and 82 canoeists, aged 13.69 ± 0.57 years (mean ± s), were allocated in three groups depending on their age relative to the age at peak height velocity (pre-APHV, circum-APHV and post-APHV) and discipline (kayak and canoe). Nine anthropometric variables, a battery of four physical fitness tests (overhead medicine ball throw, countermovement jump, sit-and-reach test and 20 m multistage shuttle run test) and three specific performance tests (1000, 500 and 200 m) were assessed. Both disciplines presented significant maturity-based differences in all anthropometric parameters (except for fat and muscle mass percentage), overhead medicine ball throw and all performance times (pre > circum > post; P < 0.05). Negative and significant correlations (P < 0.01) were detected between performance times, chronological age and anthropometry (body mass, height, sitting height and maturity status), overhead medicine ball throw and sit and reach for all distances. These findings confirm the importance of maturity status in sprint kayaking and canoeing since the more mature paddlers were also those who revealed largest body size, physical fitness level and best paddling performance. Additionally, the most important variables predicting performance times in kayaking and canoeing were maturity status and chronological age, respectively.     

Optimal sampling frequency in recording of resistance training exercises

The purpose of this study was to analyse the raw lifting speed collected during four different resistance training exercises to assess the optimal sampling frequency. Eight physically active participants performed sets of Squat Jumps, Countermovement Jumps, Squats and Bench Presses at a maximal lifting speed. A linear encoder was used to measure the instantaneous speed at a 200 Hz sampling rate. Subsequently, the power spectrum of the signal was computed by evaluating its Discrete Fourier Transform. The sampling frequency needed to reconstruct the signals with an error of less than 0.1% was f_99.9 = 11.615 ± 2.680 Hz for the exercise exhibiting the largest bandwidth, with the absolute highest individual value being 17.467 Hz. There was no difference between sets in any of the exercises. Using the closest integer sampling frequency value (25 Hz) yielded a reconstruction of the signal up to 99.975 ± 0.025% of its total in the worst case. In conclusion, a sampling rate of 25 Hz or above is more than adequate to record raw speed data and compute power during resistance training exercises, even under the most extreme circumstances during explosive exercises. Higher sampling frequencies provide no increase in the recording precision and may instead have adverse effects on the overall data quality.