Our findings support the sensitivity of virtual reality-based measures in detecting cognitive impairment. They highlight the possibility of using virtual reality measures for neuropsychological assessment in research applications, as well as in clinical practice.

Virtual-reality-based assessment may be a good alternative to classical or computerized neuropsychological assessment due to increased ecological validity. ClinicaVR: Classroom-CPT (VC) is a neuropsychological test embedded in virtual reality that is designed to assess attention deficits in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other conditions associated with impaired attention. The present study aimed to (1) investigate the diagnostic validity of VC in comparison to a traditional continuous performance test (CPT), (2) explore the task difficulty of VC, (3) address the effect of distractors on the performance of ADHD participants and typically-developing (TD) controls, and (4) compare the two measures on cognitive absorption. A total of 33 children diagnosed with ADHD and 42 TD children, aged between 7 and 13 years, participated in the study and were tested with a traditional CPT or with VC, along with several cognitive measures and an adapted version of the Cognitive Absorption Scale. A mixed multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that the children with ADHD performed worse on correct responses had more commissions and omissions errors than the TD children, as well as slower target reaction times . The results showed significant differences between performance in the virtual environment and the traditional computerized one, with longer reaction times in virtual reality. The data analysis highlighted the negative influence of auditory distractors on attention performance in the case of the children with ADHD, but not for the TD children. Finally, the two measures did not differ on the cognitive absorption perceived by the children.

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The main objective of this research was examining the dynamics of stereotype activation in rock and hip-hop music, through the exposure of participants to priming (specific information of stereotypical nature, about the two music genres). The comparative experimental research was performed on a sample of 72 participants, aged between 19 and 21, using The Multidimensional Iowa Suggestibility Scale (short form) and The Lyrics Evaluation Scale. The research used a one-factorial experimental design with the two experimental conditions (absence or presence of priming) realized between groups. In the experiment, participants listened to eight songs belonging to the two music genres and evaluated the lyrics of the songs. The results have shown that stereotype activation occurs in the experimental group, through the more negative evaluation of the songs listened to, in comparison with the control group. The dynamics of stereotype activation is discussed in relation to theories postulated in the field. The implications of these results are discussed, pointing out the idea that the negative outcomes related to these music genres might owe more to the negative stereotypes associated with them than to the music itself.

Stereotype Content Model (SCM) emphasizes the content rather than the underlying processes of the stereotypes and the content might be influenced by several cultural dimensions (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism). The main dimensions of SCM-namely warmth and competence-underlying various contents are assumed to be universal. However, from a cognitive science paradigm, we argue that different research methods (i.e., data collections and data analysis) might also yield different stereotype contents that might impact the universality versus specificity problem in the SCM. Indeed, using a sample from a collectivistic country (i.e., Romania), we found that using different methods in data collection (i.e., unstructured vs. semi-structured vs. structured interview) and different methods of data analysis (i.e., availability vs. accessibility scores) might be an important research strategy to counter artefacts and confusions in the universality versus specificity problem related to the SCM. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This research investigated the psychometric properties and the convergent and divergent validity of the Romanian version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) at the factor-level. The ZKPQ assesses the five basic factors of Zuckerman’s alternative five-factor model (AFFM). Study 1 (n = 449) assessed the psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the ZKPQ and verified its factorial structure. The factors reliability ranged from .69 to .88, and gender differences were similar to those found in the Spanish, French, and Chinese samples. Exploratory factor analysis supported the replicability of the original five-factor structure, and correlations between the scales showed that the five basic factors of the AFFM are relatively independent. Study 2 (n = 238) verified the convergent and divergent validity of the Romanian version of the ZKPQ, by testing its links with DECAS, a personality inventory based on the five-factor model, developed and well-validated on the Romanian population. The results showed good convergent and divergent validity, with all identified correlations supporting the correspondence between the two personality models. Overall, the present findings showed that the Romanian version of the ZKPQ is a valid tool for assessing personality traits according to the AFFM.

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