Jacques Juhel

Spatial abilities and individual differences in visual information processing

Abstract This study explores individual differences in perfromance in visual memory and recognition tasks as a function of performance in spatial tests. One hundred students underwent a battery of spatial tests and laboratory tasks. Factor analysis conducted on the data followed by a Schmid-Leiman transformation (Schmid & Leiman, 1957) support (a) the validity of the distinction between a spatial visualization factor and a speeded rotation factor, and (b) the assumption of a relatively low overlap between spatial tests and cognitive tasks. Different groups of subjects were then contrasted according to visual memory and spatial visualization dimensions: Study of mean latencies of these groups in visual-spatial computerized tasks established that efficiency of encoding and information organization processes were reflected by the first dimension. The second dimension would particularly correspond with the quality of information processes as well with strategic selections.

Should we take the shape of reaction time distributions into account when studying the relationship between RT and psychometric intelligence

Abstract The negative correlation between psychometric intelligence and variability of reaction time (RT) in elementary cognitive tasks (ECTs) is now well established. However, there has been relatively littlw research aimed at describing distributions of RT trials other than with mean, median and standard deviation. The present study was designed to examine the relationship between measured intelligence and parameters yielded by exGaussian analysis of RT distributions. Fifty two subjects were administered a computerized discrimination task and five intelligence tests. Data collected indicated that the skewness of RT was more correlated with psychometric intelligence than intraindividual variability in RT was. In addition, and though the exGaussian analysis provided a good description of RT distributions, the results showed that the parameters of the analysis did not correlate significantly with measured intelligence.

Language evaluation and use during early childhood: Adhesion to social norms or integration of environmental regularities?

Abstract Whether social uses of language, in concert with their acquisition, are driven by the awareness of the social value assigned to linguistic variants remains unanswered. The present study examines how 185 French native speakers, aged from 2 to 6 years from different social backgrounds, produce and evaluate a well-known French phonological alternation, the liaison: obligatory liaisons, which are categorical and do not vary sociolinguistically for adults, and variable liaisons, which are a sociolinguistic variable and are more frequently produced by higher-class adults. Different developmental and social patterns were found for obligatory and variable liaisons. Childrens productions of obligatory liaisons were related to their judgments when 3–4 years old, regardless of the childrens social backgrounds. However, a developmental gap was observed between higher- and lower-class children that appeared earlier in production than in evaluation. For variable liaisons, childrens productions were related to their judgments, irrespective of their social backgrounds, at 4–5 years. Social differences appeared in both childrens productions and judgments a year later. Although the ability to evaluate different linguistic forms emerges at an early developmental stage, the awareness of the social value of the variants does not seem to precede the ability to select the standard varieties in formal situations.

The illusory movement sensation paradigm: some personality correlates

Abstract The present research was conducted to investigate the relationship between Eysenckian dimensions of personality (as measured by a French version of the EPQ-R) with two measurements of illusory kinaesthetic movement sensations induced by tendinous vibratory stimulations in a sample of 52 students (3 males and 49 females). The latency of illusory sensation evocation and slope measurement as an evaluation of both intensity and continuity of illusory movement sensations were evaluated. Positive significant correlations were observed between neuroticism and evocation latencies. In addition, intensity and continuity of the illusory sensations were significantly described with more amplitude by extraverts than by introverts. The obtained results are encouraging and prove the potential usefulness of the technique for studying illusory movement sensation and its relationship with personality.

Sex Differences in Language Across Early Childhood: Family Socioeconomic Status does not Impact Boys and Girls Equally

Child sex and family socioeconomic status (SES) have been repeatedly identified as a source of inter-individual variation in language development; yet their interactions have rarely been explored. While sex differences are the focus of a renewed interest concerning emerging language skills, data remain scarce and are not consistent across preschool years. The questions of whether family SES impacts boys and girls equally, as well as of the consistency of these differences throughout early childhood, remain open. We evaluated consistency of sex differences across SES and age by focusing on how children (N = 262), from 2;6 to 6;4 years old, from two contrasting social backgrounds, acquire a frequent phonological alternation in French – the liaison. By using a picture naming task eliciting the production of obligatory liaisons, we found evidence of sex differences over the preschool years in low-SES children, but not between high-SES boys and girls whose performances were very similar. Low-SES boys’ performances were the poorest whereas low-SES girls’ performances were intermediate, that is, lower than those of high-SES children of both sexes but higher than those of low-SES boys. Although all children’s mastery of obligatory liaisons progressed with age, our findings showed a significant impeding effect of low-SES, especially for boys.

Working Memory in Children Predicts Performance on a Gambling Task

ABSTRACT. The authors investigated whether working memory (WM) plays a significant role in the development of decision making in children, operationalized by the Childrens Gambling Task (CGT). A total of 105 children aged 6–7, 8–9, and 10–11 years old carried out the CGT. Children aged 6–7 years old were found to have a lower performance than older children, which shows that the CGT is sensitive to participants age. The hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making was then tested following two approaches: (a) an experimental approach, comparing between groups the performance on the CGT in a control condition (the CGT only was administered) to that in a double task condition (participants had to carry out a recall task in addition to the CGT); (b) an interindividual approach, probing the relationship between CGT performance and performance on tasks measuring WM efficiency. The between-groups approach evidenced a better performance in the control group. Moreover, the interindividual approach showed that the higher the participants’ WM efficiency was, the higher their performance in the CGT was. Taken together, these two approaches yield converging results that support the hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making in children.

Measurement, ontology, and epistemology: Psychology needs pragmatism-realism

Measurement in psychology is at the heart of a major debate in the academic literature. We aim to contribute to a critical discussion of this issue. We propose to reposition the object of this type of measure, namely a mental attribute as measured by mental tests. Mental attributes should be considered not as a true object independent of the knower, but as an emergent property of a person dependent on the social context. On the basis of this clarified ontology, we consider that an empirical approach to measuring a mental attribute is possible. This approach must be resolutely pragmatist and realist. In practical terms, this means that a test needs to be renegotiated relative to the context. The validation of quantitative measures requires verification of a certain number of criteria. Consequently, our work critically explores measures as they are usually implemented in the area of psychometrics.

Multilevel influences of team identification and transactive memory on team effectiveness

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of transactive memory between team identification and two outcomes of team effectiveness (i.e. team member satisfaction and team performance). Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from a survey among 502 employees working in 53 teams, and analyzed by Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling. Findings Results showed that transactive memory partially mediated the relationship between team identification and team effectiveness at the individual level. Moreover, transactive memory, specifically the coordination component, fully mediated the relationship between team identification and team effectiveness at the team level. Research limitations/implications The study used a cross-sectional design for the questionnaire and no objective measure of team performance. Practical implications Managers who want to develop effective work teams may be advised to organize team-building activities to strengthen both affective and cognitive aspects. Originality value This is the first empirical study to examine the relationships between team identification, transactive memory and team effectiveness from a multilevel perspective.

Modulation de l’expression de l’identité professionnelle par l’utilisation d’appellations synonymes : « chômeur », « demandeur d’emploi » et « chercheur d’emploi »

Resume L’objectif de ce travail est d’evaluer les effets des termes « chomeur », « demandeur d’emploi » et « chercheur d’emploi » sur l’expression du concept de soi professionnel et celle de la representation d’autrui egalement au chomage. L’Investigateur Multistades de l’Identite Sociale (Zavalloni & Louis- Guerin, 1984) a ete utilise pour recueillir ces informations aupres d’inscrits a Pole emploi. Les resultats montrent que ces appellations modulent l’expression de l’identite professionnelle. Les termes « chomeurs » et « demandeurs d’emploi » conduisent les individus a se decrire et a percevoir autrui negativement alors que l’expression « chercheur d’emploi » les amene a proposer des elements positifs de leur concept de soi professionnel et une representation moins negative d’autrui. Nous discutons de l’utilisation d’appellations moins stigmatisantes afin d’eviter le desengagement de l’activite de recherche d’emploi.

Comparaisons sociales et temporelles, estime de soi et activité de recherche d’emploi en situation de chômage de longue durée

Resume Cette etude concerne le role des comparaisons temporelles a soi et des comparaisons sociales dans la regulation de l’estime de soi et des comportements de recherche d’emploi chez 85 personnes sans travail depuis au moins un an. Les resultats, bases sur la modelisation d’equations structurelles par l’approche des moindres carres partiels, revelent d’une part que la frequence des comparaisons sociales ascendantes aux personnes actives contribue negativement a l’estime de soi des participants. Ils indiquent d’autre part que l’estime de soi et l’investissement dans l’activite de recherche d’emploi sont d’autant plus eleves que la frequence des comparaisons temporelles ascendantes au futur est grande. En revanche, les frequences des comparaisons sociales (ascendantes et descendantes) a l’endogroupe des chomeurs ne predisent ni l’estime de soi, ni les comportements de recherche d’emploi des participants. Ces resultats sont notamment discutes au regard de ceux obtenus aupres d’autres populations desavantagees.