Showing papers by "University of Texas at Austin published in 1992"

The aggression questionnaire.

Abstract: A new questionnaire on aggression was constructed Replicated factor analyses yielded 4 scales: Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility Correlational analysis revealed that anger is the bridge between both physical and verbal aggression and hostility The scales showed internal consistency and stability over time Men scored slightly higher on Verbal Aggression and Hostility and much higher on Physical Aggression There was no sex difference for Anger The various scales correlated differently with various personality traits Scale scores correlated with peer nominations of the various kinds of aggression These findings suggest the need to assess not only overall aggression but also its individual components

Explaining the Gibbs Sampler

Abstract: Computer-intensive algorithms, such as the Gibbs sampler, have become increasingly popular statistical tools, both in applied and theoretical work. The properties of such algorithms, however, may sometimes not be obvious. Here we give a simple explanation of how and why the Gibbs sampler works. We analytically establish its properties in a simple case and provide insight for more complicated cases. There are also a number of examples.

Linguistic experience alters phonetic perception in infants by 6 months of age

Abstract: Linguistic experience affects phonetic perception. However, the critical period during which experience affects perception and the mechanism responsible for these effects are unknown. This study of 6-month-old infants from two countries, the United States and Sweden, shows that exposure to a specific language in the first half year of life alters infants' phonetic perception.

Reconceptualizing the Determinants of Risk Behavior

Abstract: Past research has resulted in contradictory findings concerning the effect of risk on decision-making behavior in organizations. This article proposes a model that reconciles these unresolved contradictions by examining the usefulness of placing risk propensity and risk perception in a more central role than has been previously recognized. Based on this analysis, it is posited that risk propensity dominates both the actual and perceived characteristics of the situation as a determinant of risk behavior. Propositions derived from the conceptual model provide an agenda for future research on individual risk behavior in organizational settings.

Signal, Noise, and Reliability in Molecular Phylogenetic Analyses

Abstract: DNA sequences and other molecular data compared among organisms may contain phylogenetic signal, or they may be randomized with respect to phylogenetic history. Some method is needed to distinguish phylogenetic signal from random noise to avoid analysis of data that have been randomized with respect to the historical relationships of the taxa being compared. We analyzed 8,000 random data matrices consisting of 10-500 binary or four-state characters and 5-25 taxa to study several options for detecting signal in systematic data bases. Analysis of random data often yields a single most-parsimonious tree, especially if the number of characters examined is large and the number of taxa examined is small (both often true in molecular studies). The most-parsimonious tree inferred from random data may also be considerably shorter than the second-best alternative. The distribution of tree lengths of all tree topologies (or a random sample thereof) provides a sensitive measure of phylogenetic signal: data matrices with phylogenetic signal produce tree-length distributions that are strongly skewed to the left, whereas those composed of random noise are closer to symmetrical. In simulations of phylogeny with varying rates of mutation (up to levels that produce random variation among taxa), the skewness of tree-length distributions is closely related to the success of parsimony in finding the true phylogeny. Tables of critical values of a skewness test statistic, g1, are provided for binary and four-state characters for 10-500 characters and 5-25 taxa. These tables can be used in a rapid and efficient test for significant structure in data matrices for phylogenetic analysis.

Sympathetic overactivity in patients with chronic renal failure.

Abstract: Background. Hypertension is a frequent complication of chronic renal failure, but its causes are not fully understood. There is indirect evidence that increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system might contribute to hypertension in patients with end-stage renal disease, but sympathetic-nerve discharge has not been measured directly in patients or animals with chronic renal failure. Methods. We recorded the rate of postganglionic sympathetic-nerve discharge to the blood vessels in skeletal muscle by means of microelectrodes inserted into the peroneal nerve in 18 patients with native kidneys who were undergoing long-term treatment with hemodialysis (of whom 14 had hypertension), 5 patients receiving hemodialysis who had undergone bilateral nephrectomy (of whom 1 had hypertension), and 11 normal subjects. Results. The mean (±SE) rate of sympathetic-nerve discharge was 2.5 times higher in the patients receiving hemodialysis who had not undergone nephrectomy than in the normal subjects (58±3 v...

The Glass Escalator: Hidden Advantages for Men in the “Female” Professions

Abstract: This paper addresses men's underrepresentation in four predominantly female professions: nursing, elementary school teaching, librarianship, and social work. Specifically, it examines the degree to which discrimination disadvantages men in hiring and promotion decisions, the work place culture, and in interactions with clients. In-depth interviews were conducted with 99 men and women in these professions in four major U.S. cities. The interview data suggest that men do not face discrimination in these occupations; however, they do encounter prejudice from individuals outside their professions. In contrast to the experience of women who enter male-dominated professions, men generally encounter structural advantages in these occupations which tend to enhance their careers. Because men face different barriers to integrating nontraditional occupations than women face, the need for different remedies to dismantle segregation in predominantly female jobs is emphasized.

Percolation, statistical topography, and transport in random media

Abstract: A review of classical percolation theory is presented, with an emphasis on novel applications to statistical topography, turbulent diffusion, and heterogeneous media. Statistical topography involves the geometrical properties of the isosets (contour lines or surfaces) of a random potential $\ensuremath{\psi}(\mathrm{x})$. For rapidly decaying correlations of $\ensuremath{\psi}$, the isopotentials fall into the same universality class as the perimeters of percolation clusters. The topography of long-range correlated potentials involves many length scales and is associated either with the correlated percolation problem or with Mandelbrot's fractional Brownian reliefs. In all cases, the concept of fractal dimension is particularly fruitful in characterizing the geometry of random fields. The physical applications of statistical topography include diffusion in random velocity fields, heat and particle transport in turbulent plasmas, quantum Hall effect, magnetoresistance in inhomogeneous conductors with the classical Hall effect, and many others where random isopotentials are relevant. A geometrical approach to studying transport in random media, which captures essential qualitative features of the described phenomena, is advocated.

First-Mover Advantage: A Synthesis, Conceptual Framework, and Research Propositions:

Abstract: Numerous conceptual and empirical studies advance the notion that first movers achieve long-term competitive advantages. These studies purport to demonstrate the presence of a systematic direct rel...

Research Notes. The Past is the Past—Or is it? The Use of Retrospective Accounts as Indicators of Past Strategy

Abstract: This study challenges the common assumption that retrospective accounts of business strategy are reliable and valid. Chief executives reported their firms’ current strategies, and two years later, ...

Apolipoprotein(a) gene accounts for greater than 90 % of the variation in plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations

Abstract: Plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a low density lipoprotein particle with an attached apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)], varies widely in concentration between individuals. These concentration differences are heritable and inversely related to the number of kringle 4 repeats in the apo(a) gene. To define the genetic determinants of plasma Lp(a) levels, plasma Lp(a) concentrations and apo(a) genotypes were examined in 48 nuclear Caucasian families. Apo(a) genotypes were determined using a newly developed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis method which distinguished 19 different genotypes at the apo(a) locus. The apo(a) gene itself was found to account for virtually all the genetic variability in plasma Lp(a) levels. This conclusion was reached by analyzing plasma Lp(a) levels in siblings who shared zero, one, or two apo(a) genes that were identical by descent (ibd). Siblings with both apo(a) alleles ibd (n = 72) have strikingly similar plasma Lp(a) levels (r = 0.95), whereas those who shared no apo(a) alleles (n = 52), had dissimilar concentrations (r = -0.23). The apo(a) gene was estimated to be responsible for 91% of the variance of plasma Lp(a) concentration. The number of kringle 4 repeats in the apo(a) gene accounted for 69% of the variation, and yet to be defined cis-acting sequences at the apo(a) locus accounted for the remaining 22% of the inter-individual variation in plasma Lp(a) levels. During the course of these studies we observed the de novo generation of a new apo(a) allele, an event that occurred once in 376 meioses.

Bulk chemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter in the ocean

Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the largest reservoir of reduced carbon in the oceans. The nature of DOM is poorly understood, in part, because it has been difficult to isolate sufficient amounts of representative material for analysis. Tangential-flow ultrafiltration was shown to recover milligram amounts of >1000 daltons of DOM from seawater collected at three depths in the North Pacific Ocean. These isolates represented 22 to 33 percent of the total DOM and included essentially all colloidal material. The elemental, carbohydrate, and carbon-type (by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance) compositions of the isolates indicated that the relative abundance of polysaccharides was high (∼50 percent) in surface water and decreased to ∼25 percent in deeper samples. Polysaccharides thus appear to be more abundant and reactive components of seawater DOM than has been recognized.

Workaholism: Definition, Measurement, and Preliminary Results

Abstract: Questionnaires were developed to assess the concept of workaholism, defined in terms of high scores on measures of work involvement and driveness and low scores on a measure of enjoyment of work, and to contrast this profile with work enthusiasm, defined as high work involvement and enjoyment and low driveness. Additional scales were devised to test several predictions about the correlates of workaholism. A test battery including these scales was given in a mail survey to a national sample of male (n = 134) and female (n = 157) social workers with academic positions. The psychometric properties of the scales are described. Cluster analyses for each sex revealed groups who corresponded to the workaholic and work enthusiast profiles as well as several other profiles. As predicted, workaholics were higher than work enthusiasts (among other groups) on measures of perfectionism, nondelegation of responsibility, and job stress. They were also higher on a measure of health complaints. Investigations are being in...

Influence of graded dehydration on hyperthermia and cardiovascular drift during exercise.

Abstract: This investigation determined the effect of different rates of dehydration, induced by ingesting different volumes of fluid during prolonged exercise, on hyperthermia, heart rate (HR), and stroke v...

Method slurring: the grounded theory/phenomenology example

Abstract: Increasingly, qualitative research methods are being embraced by nurse researchers because these approaches allow exploration of human experience. Failure to explicate qualitative methodologies is resulting in a body of nursing research that is either mislabelled or is classified broadly as qualitative and subject to charges that qualitative research lacks rigour. In this paper, the authors discuss the importance of specificity in methodology and distinguish between phenomenology and grounded theory, two frequently misused terms in the description of qualitative methodology.

Sea-surface temperature from coral skeletal strontium/calcium ratios.

Abstract: Seasonal records of tropical sea-surface temperature (SST) over the past 10(5) years can be recovered from high-precision measurements of coral strontium/calcium ratios with the use of thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The temperature dependence of these ratios was calibrated with corals collected at SST recording stations and by (18)O/(16)O thermometry. The results suggest that mean monthly SST may be determined with an apparent accuracy of better than 0.5 degrees C. Measurements on a fossil coral indicate that 10,200 years ago mean annual SSTs near Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific Ocean were about 5 degrees C colder than today and that seasonal variations in SST were larger. These data suggest that tropical climate zones were compressed toward the equator during deglaciation.

Uniprocessor Garbage Collection Techniques

Abstract: We survey basic garbage collection algorithms, and variations such as incremental and generational collection. The basic algorithms include reference counting, mark-sweep, mark-compact, copying, and treadmill collection. Incremental techniques can keep garbage collection pause times short, by interleaving small amounts of collection work with program execution. Generational schemes improve efficiency and locality by garbage collecting a smaller area more often, while exploiting typical lifetime characteristics to avoid undue overhead from long-lived objects.

Spin squeezing and reduced quantum noise in spectroscopy.

Abstract: We investigate the quantum-mechanical noise in spectroscopic experiments on ensembles of N two-level (or spin-1/2) systems where transitions are detected by measuring changes in state population. By preparing correlated states, here called squeezed spin states, we can increase the signal-to-noise ratio in spectroscopy (by approximately ${\mathit{N}}^{1/2}$ in certain cases) over that found in experiments using uncorrelated states. Possible experimental demonstrations of this enhancement are discussed.

The past is the past--or is it? The use of retrospective accounts as indicators of past strategy.

Abstract: This study challenges the common assumption that retrospective accounts of business strategy are reliable and valid. Chief executives reported their firms' current strategies, and two years later, they reported their firms' strategies of two years earlier. Of these retrospective accounts, 58 percent did not agree with the previous and validated reports of past strategy. Retrospective errors appear to occur systematically and may be attributable to faulty memory or to attempts to cast past behaviors in a positive light.

Measuring customer satisfaction: Fact and artifact

Abstract: Self-reports of customer satisfaction invariably possess distributions that are negatively skewed and exhibit a positivity bias. Examination of the customer satisfaction literature and empirical investigations reveal that measurements of customer satisfaction exhibit tendencies of confounding and methodological contamination and appear to reflect numerous artifacts. Implications and suggestions for research and practice are discussed.

Genes and environment in personality development

Abstract: Introduction Behavior Genetic Methods Application to Extraversion Genes, Environment, and the `Big Five' Personality Traits Levels of Analysis General or Specific? Heredity, Environment, and Change Complexities and Contexts

The design and implementation of hierarchical software systems with reusable components

Abstract: We present a domain-independent model of hierarchical software system design and construction that is based on interchangeable software components and large-scale reuse. The model unifies the conceptualizations of two independent projects, Genesis and Avoca, that are successful examples of software component/building-block technologies and domain modeling. Building-block technologies exploit large-scale reuse, rely on open architecture software, and elevate the granularity of programming to the subsystem level. Domain modeling formalizes the similarities and differences among systems of a domain. We believe our model is a blueprint for achieving software component technologies in many domains.

Directional patterns of female mate choice and the role of sensory biases

Abstract: A review of the literature reveals that, if females prefer traits that deviate from the population mean, they usually prefer traits of greater quantity. In cases in which the sensory bases of these preferences are identified, females prefer traits of greater quantity because these traits elicit greater sensory stimulation. However, two caveats apply. First, the studies surveyed might not represent an unbiased sample of mate choice, because researchers usually study systems characterized by exaggerated traits. Second, a preference for traits of greater quantity does not suggest that preference for average traits is unimportant; it might be more usual than preference for exaggerated traits. Phylogenetic comparisons sometimes allow one to distinguish among competing hypotheses for the evolution of female mating preferences. Two hypotheses, Fisher's theory of "runaway" sexual selection and the "good genes" hypothesis, predict that traits and preferences coevolve, whereas the "sensory exploitation" hypothesis ...

Why people self-verify.

Abstract: Why do people choose interaction partners who see them as they see themselves? Self-verification theorists propose that a desire to bolster perceptions of predictability and control underlies such activities. In contrast, advocates of positivity strivings argue that people choose such interaction partners in the hope of making themselves feel good. Two studies tested these competing explanations by examining the spontaneous verbalizations of participants as they chose interaction partners. The results suggested that positivity as well as self-verification strivings caused participants with positive self-views to choose partners who appraised them favorably. The epistemic considerations underlying self-verification processes, however, best explained why people with negative self-views chose partners who appraised them unfavorably.

Attachment Styles and the "Big Five" Personality Traits: Their Connections with Each Other and with Romantic Relationship Outcomes

Abstract: Hazan and Shaver have identified three adult attachment styles corresponding to the infant-mother attachment patterns observed by Ainsworth and associates in the first year of life: secure, avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent. These three styles are related to a wide variety of close relationship processes and outcomes. To date, however; little research has focused on relations between attachment styles and major personality constructs. Such re-search can clarify, the nature of attachment styles and ensure that they are not simply redundant with existing constructs. The present research examined associations between attachment measures, relationship quality and outcome measures, and the 'Big Five"personality traits assessed by the NEO Personality Inventory. Attachment styles were related in theoretically predictable ways to the Big Five dimensions and especially to some of their 'facet' subscales but were not simply redundant with them. The NEO scales were generally not as powerful as the attachment style me...