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Recent research has provided consistent support for imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & Turner, 2012), a new indirect contact strategy for reducing prejudice. In the present review, we focus on the affective consequences of imagined contact. In particular, we review studies showing that imagined contact has powerful effects on reduced intergroup and performance anxiety, as well as increased trust and empathy toward outgroup members. Moreover, these effects extend to the affective part of intergroup attitudes tapped at both an explicit and at an implicit level. We also present evidence that some of these variables mediate the effects of imagined contact on reduced prejudice. Finally, we discuss the double nature, cognitive and affective, of imagined contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prejudices towards different groups are interrelated, but research has yet to find a way to promote tolerance towards multiple outgroups. We devise, develop and implement a new cognitive intervention for achieving generalized tolerance based on scientific studies of social categorization. In five laboratory experiments and one field study the intervention led to a reduction of prejudice towards multiple outgroups (elderly, disabled, asylum seekers, HIV patients, gay men), and fostered generalized tolerance and egalitarian beliefs. Importantly, these effects persisted outside the laboratory in a context marked by a history of violent ethnic conflict, increasing trust and reconciliatory tendencies towards multiple ethnic groups in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. We discuss the implications of these findings for intervention strategies focused on reducing conflict and promoting peaceful intergroup relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Could simply imagining positive interactions promote tolerance between different social groups? This imagined contact hypothesis (Crisp & Turner , 2009) is just one example of a range of psychological interventions that capitalize on people's capacity for mental simulation. The approach is controversial, perhaps because imagery appears somewhat insubstantial when set against the visceral realities of war , deep-rooted prejudices, or extreme acts of genocide. We counter that mental simulation is an essential element of the human experience and, as such, a correspondingly critical component of behavioral change strategies. This argument is supported by considering imagery's central role in advances spanning the breadth of psychological science--from studies of the biological correlates of motor control, mimicry, and theory of mind to the cognitions and emotions that characterize reasoning, self-regulation, planning, and goal pursuit. Mental simulation is not merely a proxy for real experience: It is a critical cognition that precedes and precipitates the full spectrum of human behavior . Thus, while imagery techniques may appear trivial next to pervasive problems like prejudice, this should not distract us from the power and potential they offer as tools for transforming social policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to establish if the presentation of two positive stereotypes would result in choking under pressure for identified male mathematics students. Seventy-five 16 year old men, who had just commenced their AS-level study, were either made aware of their gender group membership (single positive stereotype), their school group membership (single positive stereotype) or both group memberships (dual stereotype) before being given a maths test. Analysis revealed that male students who studied maths (identified) underperformed in the dual stereotype condition, compared to both single stereotyped conditions, in line with the choking under pressure hypothesis. In comparison, no such effect was found for male non-maths students (disidentified), suggesting that choking under pressure only occurs for individuals for whom the group membership is important to their self-perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the semiconductor memory bandwidth problem. Contention that conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) architectures have reached their practical upper limits; Description of the factors that contribute to the bandwidth problem; Possible solution to the bandwidth problem; Explanation of Direct RDRAM. INSETS: Definitions.;Compensating clock skews..

We investigated the effects of gender and group size on perceptions of group variability, using groups of students taking different majors that varied in the proportion of men and women (female-majority, parity, and male-majority). We found that both group size and gender had consistent effects on perceived out-group variability, even when potentially confounded alternative explanations were assessed. Men showed a stronger out-group homogeneity effect than women, except when women were in the majority (Studies One and Two), and women showed no in-group homogeneity effect. There was an association between out-group homogeneity and the tendency to generate more subgroups for the in-group than out-group (Study Two), but perceived variability was not associated with familiarity, distinctiveness, perceived group size, or perceived group status. These consistent effects qualify the conclusions of prior research in important ways, and cannot be explained in terms of differences in stereotype accuracy (Study Three), or a confound between the gender majority of a major and its perceived status (Study Four). We discuss our findings in terms of theoretical explanations for gender and size effects on out-group homogeneity, and methodological considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chloride and sodium ions in potable water enhance the fouling rate. • The presence of magnesium showed a variation in the inhibitory effect of fouling. • Sulphate ions have a minor influence on surface deposition. • Total organic carbon (TOC) significantly reduces the fouling resistance and scale mass. The effect of the most abundant constituents in potable water on fouling of aluminium surface has been studied systematically in this work. The role of sodium, chloride, magnesium and sulphate ions and total organic carbon (TOC) on the fouling kinetics and morphology was assessed using a once-through open flow cell. The findings showed that the fouling resistance to heat transfer increases with the concentration of chloride and sodium. A complex influence of magnesium was found on the scaling process, varying between inhibition and promotion of scale formation depending on the concentration. At high concentrations of Mg2+, the formed scale layer consists of needle-like aragonite coated by a crust of magnesium deposits. The inhibitory performance of sulphate SO 4 2− was found to be insignificant when compared with Mg2+ under similar conditions. Even though it is undesirable in potable water, inhibition efficiencies of TOC were 31.3% and 47.9% at concentrations of 2 and 4.3 mg/L respectively. The morphology observations illustrated that the presence of TOC produces a rough scale layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]