Electronic Library of Scientific Literature
Electronic Library of Scientific Literature
Volume 41 / No. 1 / 1999
Eva SOVCIKOVA
Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Limbova 14, 833 01Bratislava, Slovak
Republic
Abstract: Chronic exposure to neurotoxins causes slow subtle deterioration in the CNS functioning level, which is initially manifested by changes in psychological functions. Methodological approaches focused on detecting these changes are continuously elaborated upon and validated, using subject samples from various countries. In the study presented, we used the NTCB neurobehavioral test battery which focuses, among other things, on the simple sensorimotor phenomena. The aim of the study was to determine, using neurobehavioral test batteries, subtle changes in reaction, attention and hand coordination in children living under the exposure of lead in the environment. Four groups of children were formed (9-10 years old) from differently polluted areas of Slovakia: Košice - inner city, n = 85; Košice - surroundings, n = 92; Krompachy, n = 97; control area, n = 130. The children's performances were compared in the Simple Reaction Time task, in the Complex Sensorimotor Reaction task (the Vienna test), in Tapping (psychomotor rate) and in the Hand Coordination task (the Bender test). The increase of lead concentration in the environment went along with the increase of lead in the children's blood and, at the same time, with significantly poorer performance in all of the above mentioned tasks. The worst performance was recorded in children from Košice - surroundings and Krompachy (areas polluted the most by lead). Dividing the children by sex revealed that boys had higher blood lead concentrations and poorer performance except in the speed of reaction in which they performed better than girls. These results correspond to the findings of other authors. They indicate that social environment plays an important role in the determination of neurotoxic effects of chronic exposure to low concentration of lead. This can, to a certain degree, conceal the effects of toxicity, even in the determination of the simple sensorimotor phenomena.
Key words: computerized sensorimotor tests, neurotoxicity of lead, children
pp. 3-14
Milica GOMZI, Jasminka BOBIC, Zeljko UGRENOVIC, Jasminka GOLDONI
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, 2, Ksaverska cesta, P. O. Box 291,
10001 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract: The complex relation between psychological characteristics of Video Display Terminals (VDT) operators, perceived health status, job demands, and objective ergonomic features were examined. On a sample of 44 VDT operators (mean age: 40.2 years) a questionnaire on health problems, psychological disturbances and occupational stress factors was administered. Ergonomic analysis of equipment and workstation was carried out. Psychological testing included short term memory, visual discrimination and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The obtained results showed that complaints concerning health status in all subjects are significantly related to the dimension of Neuroticism in the EPQ. Moreover, psychological characteristics, job task related features and objective ergonomic conditions all contribute to the perceived levels of job stress and health complaints. A significant predictor of the health status in women was predominantly the dimension Neuroticism, while in men the only significant predictor was "ergonomic conditions".
Key words: video display terminals, VDT operators, personality characteristics,
ergonomics
pp. 15-21
Edvard KONRAD, Zoran SUSANJ
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana,
Askerceva 2, Slovenia
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rijeka, 51 000 Rijeka, I.
Klobucarica 1, Croatia
Abstract: Construct or organizational culture is a powerful mean adopted by scholars to understand the functioning and changing of organizations. From the perspective of the unique European market the problem of the impact of cultural differences of organizations from different countries has a special significance, as the compatibility of organizational cultures can influence economic cooperation. The present study explores the hypothesis that organizational cultures are influenced by national culture. Data from the FOCUS-92 project including 33 organizations from 13 countries were analyzed. Results show that clusters of west and east European countries can be differentiated according to general employee satisfaction and rules orientation. Within each cluster the countries show different strategic aspirations and results orientation. Implications for development of economic cooperation between firms from different countries are discussed.
Key words: organizational culture, national culture, crosscultural study,
manufacturing organizations, strategic aspirations, results orientations
pp. 23-31
Jozef STEFANIK
Department of Slovak Language, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Gondova 2, 818 01
Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Abstract: The article provides information on a longitudinal study of the bilingual upbringing of the author's daughter, Natalie, up to the age of 5;9. Although they are both Slovaks, the mother has spoken Slovak with her and the father has used only English with her since she was born. For this type of Slovak-English bilingualism, the author uses the term intentional bilingualism. The type of bilingualism, the method of raising the child, the form of the research, the language situation in the family and, most of all, the results of the tests administered are discussed in the article. The same strategy has also been used by the parents with Natalie's younger brother, Martin, with similar results. There has not been any similar study on child Slovak-English bilingualism published yet.
Key words: bilingualism, intentional bilingualism, child Slovak-English
bilingualism, bilingual upbringing
pp. 33-39
Julio M. AZCURRA, Gabriela SANTA CRUZ, Ema A. ARNDT
Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de
Buenos Aires (UBA), Pabellon II. Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Abstract: A sample of 59 infants (10-36 months of age) were studied in their motor response to pick up a desired reward. Two different setups were used looking for the most appropriate instrument for testing working memory in screening conditions. The first setup, (Paradigm A) required to pickup a detachable lid from one of two individual containers. The second one (Paradigm B) required sliding out one of the two flat lids from a box. The paired study showed that in the case of Paradigm B the infants of all studied ages have more difficulties to answer with complete motor sequence. We explained the results in terms of a differential difficulty to integrate in a motor plan of action picking and sliding. Furthermore, the results show the importance of an appropriate setup when evaluation of a cognitive skill in infants is intended using paradigms which involve a motor action.
Key words: infants, development, motor response, looking behavior, working
memory
pp. 41-48
Vesna VLAHOVIC STETIC
Department of Psychology, University of Zagreb, I. Lucica 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the performance of first graders on various types of mathematical addition and subtraction problems with neutral and familiar situational context, as well as with drawing the elements of the task. The experiment was carried out with repeated measures on the same subjects. The data show that compare problems were more difficult for the first grade children than combine problems. Data analysis reveals that the average performance in neutral situational context is somewhat poorer than the one in familiar context but only performance in compare problems is significantly better in familiar situational context. There was no difference in the children's performance with or without drawing task elements. The analysis of the children's errors shows that a "wrong operation" is the most frequent kind of error in all types of problems but it is more usual in the compare than in the combine and change problems. The results of the study are interpreted as congruent to Reusser's model of the word problem solving.
Key words: mathematics, word-problems, situational context in problems,
first-grade students
pp. 49-62
Iva STUCHLIKOVA, Frantisek MAN
Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Jeronymova 10, 371 15 Ceske Budejovice,
Czech Republic
Abstract: This study investigates relations between motivational structure and action versus state orientation with patients diagnosed with alcoholism. Multidimensional scaling revealed a "failure" cluster of variables for state oriented alcoholics. Their states of preoccupation and hesitation could be associated with feelings of ineffectiveness, hopelessness and emotional ambivalence, with higher passivity and with tendency to choose disproportionally higher extent of aversive goals. No such marked cluster was revealed for action oriented alcoholics. Action orientation after failure, the tendency to "forget" failure, is associated with higher inappropriate commitment which could be seen as a part of their avoidant coping strategy. Action orientation in decision making (AOD) and the ability to become immersed in ongoing activity (AOC) are for this sample associated with subjective importance of goals. Both concepts, the motivational structure and the action/state orientation seem to be complementary rather than competitive.
Key words: motivational structure, action versus state orientation, alcoholics
pp. 63-72
Ivan SARMANY SCHULLER
Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 813
64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Abstract: Using questionnaire methods, we studied the relationship and possible effect of optimal level of stimulation (sensation seeking) on the delay in the decision making process - procrastination. A sample of 138 subjects, university students from the Technical University (75 men and 63 women, mean age 20.3 yrs.), received the following questionnaires: The Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire (MDMQ, Mann et al., 1997); Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS - form V, Zuckerman, 1994); Need for Cognition Scale (NCS, Cacioppo et al., 1982, 1984); Procrastination Scale for students (Lay, 1996). The results confirmed our hypothesis that high procrastination will correlate positively with sensation seeking (except socially accepted TAS) and, on the other hand, that procrastination will correlate with low need for cognition, low self-esteem as a decision maker, high score for hypervigilance and high buck-passing. The results are discussed in terms of the needed and preferred negative stimulation in subjects marked as high seekers.
Key words: sensation seeking, procrastination, decision making
pp. 73-85