Dual effects of ‘losses disguised as wins’ and near-misses in a slot machine game

Individually, both near-misses and losses disguised as wins (LDWs) have been seen to exert pro-motivational effects on gambling. However, it is not clear whether both structural characteristics are effective within the same game. Participants (n = 40) played a slot machine simulation. The simulation delivered near-misses, wins and ‘full-misses’. Half the participants also received LDWs that occurred independently of the outcomes on the payline. Valence and motivation ratings were collected after each round. Results showed that the LDW group reported increased valence ratings compared to the no-LDW group. Within the LDW group, trials with LDWs also resulted in increased enjoyment compared to trials without LDWs. We distinguished near-misses falling either side of the payline. Near-misses before the payline (NMB) were rated as more motivational than near-misses after the payline (NMA), whereas NMAs were rated as more aversive than NMBs. These differences between the two near-miss types were exacerbated by LDWs. Results demonstrate LDWs increase the trial-by-trial enjoyment of non-win outcomes. The motivational and hedonic effects of near-misses differed for events either side of the payline, and these differences were exaggerated by the presence of LDWs. Thus, near-misses can retain their effectiveness in complex forms of gambling that also deliver LDWs.     

Selected health behaviors that influence college freshman weight change

OBJECTIVE AND PARTICIPANTS: The authors investigated the effect of physical activity (PA), fruit and vegetable intake, and alcohol use on 6-month weight change in 193 college freshmen (78.8% white, 88.2% women, 94.5% on a meal plan). METHODS: The authors administered a Web-based survey in fall 2002 (baseline) and spring 2003 (follow-up). RESULTS: There was an overall average weight gain of 2.5 lbs (p < .05), although only 57% reported weight gain (M = 7.1 lbs). Fruit and vegetable intake decreased (p = .034), alcohol use increased (p > .05), and PA was unchanged. Weight gain for students with body mass indexes (BMI) > or =25 kg/m2 was nearly twice that of students with BMIs < 25 (p < .05). Students with low-frequency baseline PA were twice as likely to be overweight. Follow-up data showed that students reporting > or = 4 sessions per week (ie, high frequency) of low-intensity PA were twice as likely to have healthy BMIs as students engaging in low- and moderate-frequency PA. CONCLUSIONS: PA interventions should target freshmen with BMIs > or = 25.     

An Investigation Of A Brief Life Satisfaction Scale With Elementary School Children

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Brief Multidmensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS: Seligson et al., 2003) with elementary school children. The participants included 518 elementary school students in grades three through five in a Southeastern US state. The students completed the following measures: the BMSLSS, the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS: Huebner, 1991a), the Children’s Social Desirability Questionnaire (CSDQ: Crandall et al., 1965), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Children’s Version (PANAS-C: Laurent et al., 1999). The results revealed acceptable internal consistency reliability, construct validity and concurrent validity for the BMSLSS. Overall, the use of the BMSLSS for research purposes was supported on a preliminary basis for this age group for research purposes. The study also investigated the usefulness of weighted importance ratings in the prediction of global life satisfaction judgments. Children’s ratings of the importance of the specific domains, whether viewed separately or combined with ratings of levels of life satisfaction, did not enhance the prediction of global life satisfaction. The usefulness of such a brief measure for the assessment of positive indicators of well-being in large-scale national and international studies is highlighted. Recommendations for future research are delineated.     

A Latent Growth Curve Analysis of the Structure of Aggression,Drug Use,and Delinquent Behaviors and Their Interrelations Over Time in Urban and Rural Adolescents

Latent growth curve analysis was used to examine the structure and interrelations among aggression, drug use, and delinquent behavior during early adolescence. Five waves of data were collected from 667 students at three urban middle schools serving a predominantly African American population, and from a more ethnically diverse sample of 950 students at four rural middle schools. One set of models focused on changes in individual behaviors; the other on changes in a global problem behavior factor. Models with separate growth trajectories for aggression, drug use, and delinquent behavior provided the best fit for both samples and revealed relations between initial levels of aggression and subsequent changes in the other behaviors. Boys and girls differed in their initial levels of these behaviors, but not their patterns of change. Differences in growth curve trajectories were found across samples. These findings have important implications for assessment and prevention of problem behaviors in adolescents.     

A Review of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale

There are few psychometrically sound measures of life satisfaction suitable for children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale, development, and psychometric properties of a brief multidimensional life satisfaction scale appropriate for use with children of ages 8–18. The paper summarizes extant studies of its reliability and validity and discusses essential future research. Additionally, the potential uses of the BMSLSS in research and practice are elaborated.     

An analysis of college students' anonymous questions about human sexuality

This study analyzed the frequency and type of questions about sex and sexuality that were anonymously submitted by college undergraduates enrolled in personal health education courses at three universities. More than 1,300 queries were submitted by 626 students (249 men and 377 women) from an original pool of 644 possible subjects. Questions asked most often fell into six general categories: sexual arousal/response, general anatomy/physiology, contraception, dating/relationships, pregnancy/fertility, and sexually transmitted diseases. Queries concerning sexual arousal/response accounted for just over 30% of the questions from men and 25% of the questions from women. Women asked nearly twice as many questions about pregnancy and contraception as men did, and men asked far more about general anatomy/physiology and sexually transmitted diseases than women did. Chi-square analysis identified a significant association (p less than .001) between the sex of the questioner and the categories of sexual arousal/response and pregnancy/fertility. Physicians, psychologists, nurses, counselors, and educators should be aware that a considerable degree of sexual uncertainty still exists among college undergraduates. The authors concluded that the anonymous-submission technique was an effective means of enhancing the learning process and meeting student needs in sexuality education.     

Contents of Volume 66

Volume Contents

Contents of Volume 66     

Opportunity for Adult Bonding/Meaningful Neighborhood Roles and Life-Satisfaction among USA Middle School Students

This study investigated the relationship between adolescent life- satisfaction and bonding to adults/developing meaningful roles in the neighborhood within a pilot study of slightly modified version of the CDC Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MSYRBS) in a southern state in the USA. Overall, 43% of students reported that they were satisfied with their lives overall, and 34% reported that they experienced positive adult relationships and meaningful roles in their neighborhoods. After adjusting for socioeconomic status and family structure, differential associations were found between adolescent life satisfaction and bonding to adults/developing meaningful roles. Opportunities for adult bonding and meaningful roles in the neighborhood related to increased life satisfaction more strongly for Caucasian students than African-American students. Post-Hoc analyses suggest that the explanation for these differential relationships may involve socioeconomic status. *This research was conducted via the South Carolina Middle School Youth Risk Behaviour Survey funded by the CDC/Legacy Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, Columbia, South Carolina.     

Preliminary Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS)

Two studies investigated the psychometricproperties of the Brief MultidimensionalStudents' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994). In Study 1, 221 middle schoolstudents completed the Brief MultidimensionalStudents' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS),Multidimensional Students' Life SatisfactionScale, Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS:Huebner, 1991a), Positive and Negative AffectSchedule-Children's Version (Laurent et al.,1999), Children's Social Desirability Scale(Crandall et al., 1965), and a one-item globallife satisfaction rating (GLLS). Students alsorated the importance of the BMSLSS five lifesatisfaction domains (Family, Friends, School,Self, Living Environment). The results revealedacceptable internal consistency reliability,criterion-related validity, and constructvalidity for the BMSLSS Total score forresearch purposes. Furthermore, evidence ofconvergent and discriminant validity for theBMSLSS domain scores was also obtained throughmultitrait-multimethod analyses. Finally, theresults failed to provide strong support forthe usefulness of importance scores inpredicting overall life satisfaction;unweighted BMSLSS scores were highly related toglobal life satisfaction (GLLS) scores. InStudy 2, 46 high school students completed theBMSLSS and MSLSS to test the generalizabilityof the convergent and discriminant validityfindings with older adolescents. The findingsrevealed stronger evidence of validity withthis age group. Overall, the findings offered preliminary support for the reliability andvalidity of the BMSLSS, suggesting that it canserve as a useful alternative to the longerMSLSS in studies with adolescents in whichbrevity is an important consideration.     

A Cross-cultural Comparison of the Dimensions of Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction Reports

The factorial invariance of theMultidimensional Students' Life SatisfactionScale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994) across twodivergent cultures (collectivistic vs.individualistic) was investigated with 835Korean and 822 US students in elementary,middle, and high schools. Psychometricproperties of the Korean version of the MSLSSwere acceptable. A series ofmultisample-confirmatory factor analyses (MCFA)demonstrated the cross-cultural similarity ofthe five-factor model for students' lifesatisfaction. The similar structure of MSLSSacross cultural groups provides the basis formeaningful international comparisons of lifesatisfaction among children and adolescents. Further cross-cultural research includingvarious culturally sensitive life satisfactiondomains may enhance understanding of culturaldifferences in the structure, correlates, andconsequences related to students' lifesatisfaction.