Valerie K Sims
Biographic Data
| ID | 79703 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Valerie K Sims |
| GIVEN NAMES | Valerie K |
| FAMILY NAME | Sims |
| SIGNATURE | SIMS V K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Central Florida |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 35 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Virtual interactions trigger caregiving attributions: Using a simulation to examine perceived control
An Implicit – Not Explicit – Understanding of Hurricane Storms
The goal of this research was to examine students’ risk perception of hurricanes and hurricane-related storms to address a critical gap in the literature. Participants were asked to rate their perceptions of a tropical storm, tropical depression, and category 1 through 5 hurricanes on five dimensions and define the storms based on wind speed. Lastly, individual differences in sex and growing up on the coast were examined to determine whether they…
Texting as a multidimensional behavior: Individual differences and measurement of texting behaviors
Two studies were conducted to develop and confirm a generalized measure of texting behavior, the Texting Behaviors Index, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on samples of undergraduate students. A solution containing 6 factors for texting behaviors was supported, which were named social connection, escapist, distracted, audacious, nurtured communication, and driving. The characteristics of these factors were explored using individ…
Predictors of Views about Punishing Animal Abuse
The current study used scenarios of animal cruelty based on actual events to explore what factors predict perceptions of punishments for animal cruelty. Five hundred thirty-eight university undergraduates participated in the study. Participants read scenarios based on an actual event of animal cruelty and with information on statutes addressing animal cruelty in their state. Participants were then asked to give ratings for punishment of the anima…
Examining the Relationship Between Conspiracy Theories, Paranormal Beliefs, and Pseudoscience Acceptance Among a University Population
Very little research has investigated whether believing in paranormal, conspiracy, and pseudoscientific claims are related, even though they share the property of having no epistemic warrant. The present study investigated the association between these categories of epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Results revealed moderate to strong positive correlations between the three categories of epistemically unwarranted beliefs, suggesting that believe…
Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with High Functioning Autism and Children with Social Phobia
The Relationship Between Parents’ and Children’s Automatic Thoughts in a College Student Sample
Relating Low Perceived Control and Attitudes toward Animal Training: An Exploratory Study
The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between perceived control and views of animal training practices. Four hundred and thirty-seven participants completed a measure of perceived control in caregiving situations (Parent Attribution Test) and a 55-item questionnaire assessing attitudes toward a variety of animal training techniques used with dogs, circus animals, and livestock. A factor analysis of the items on the animal …
Go, Dog, Go: Maze Training Aibo vs. a Live Dog, An Exploratory Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in interaction and attribution when participants directed either a robotic dog (AIBO) or a live dog. Twenty-nine participants (20 female, 9 male) directed one of the two entities, a live dog or AIBO, through a complex maze from a remote location by providing voice commands. Participants were given identical feedback regarding the entity's performance during the maze task. While directing th…
Don't Be Cruel: Assessing Beliefs About Punishments for Crimes Against Animals
Hypothetical scenarios depicting an act of animal abuse were given to 438 participants who rated the appropriateness of eight types of punishments. The predictive value of sex of participant, animal type, crime type (acute abuse or neglect), crime outcome (victim lives or dies), and sex of perpetrator for ratings of appropriate punishments was evaluated using a canonical correlation analysis. Sex of participant and animal type emerged as the two …
Responsiveness and perceived intelligence as predictors of speech addressed to cats
Speech addressed to a cat was examined to test whether the use of child-directed language (CDL) with a companion animal is related to perceived intelligence of a listener and/or listener responsiveness. Fifty-one undergraduates briefly entertained a cat using a toy, and the vast majority of these participants spoke to the animal. The language used was similar to CDL, and two aspects of this language (number of questions and attribution of thought…
Development of the Attitudes Toward Vegetarians Scale
Studies have explored the motivations behind the decision to become vegetarian, and have explored the well being of vegetarians. However, little research has focused on the social psychological and interpersonal aspects of vegetarianism. The focus of this study was to develop a scale designed to measure attitudes toward vegetarians (ATVS). This scale measures a one-factor construct with adequate internal consistency. The ATVS correlated significa…
For whom is a picture worth a thousand words? Extensions of a dual-coding theory of multimedia learning.
In 2 experiments, high- and low-spatial ability students viewed a computer-gener ated animation and listened simultaneously (concurrent group) or successively (successive group) to a narration that explained the workings either of a bicycle tire pump (Experiment 1) or of the human respiratory system (Experiment 2). The concurrent group generated more creative solutions to subsequent transfer problems than did the successive group; this contiguity…
Development of the Attitudes Toward Vegetarians Scale
Studies have explored the motivations behind the decision to become vegetarian, and have explored the well being of vegetarians. However, little research has focused on the social psychological and interpersonal aspects of vegetarianism. The focus of this study was to develop a scale designed to measure attitudes toward vegetarians (ATVS). This scale measures a one-factor construct with adequate internal consistency. The ATVS correlated significa…
Don't Be Cruel: Assessing Beliefs About Punishments for Crimes Against Animals
Hypothetical scenarios depicting an act of animal abuse were given to 438 participants who rated the appropriateness of eight types of punishments. The predictive value of sex of participant, animal type, crime type (acute abuse or neglect), crime outcome (victim lives or dies), and sex of perpetrator for ratings of appropriate punishments was evaluated using a canonical correlation analysis. Sex of participant and animal type emerged as the two …
Go, Dog, Go: Maze Training Aibo vs. a Live Dog, An Exploratory Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in interaction and attribution when participants directed either a robotic dog (AIBO) or a live dog. Twenty-nine participants (20 female, 9 male) directed one of the two entities, a live dog or AIBO, through a complex maze from a remote location by providing voice commands. Participants were given identical feedback regarding the entity's performance during the maze task. While directing th…
Predictors of Views about Punishing Animal Abuse
The current study used scenarios of animal cruelty based on actual events to explore what factors predict perceptions of punishments for animal cruelty. Five hundred thirty-eight university undergraduates participated in the study. Participants read scenarios based on an actual event of animal cruelty and with information on statutes addressing animal cruelty in their state. Participants were then asked to give ratings for punishment of the anima…
Relating Low Perceived Control and Attitudes toward Animal Training: An Exploratory Study
The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between perceived control and views of animal training practices. Four hundred and thirty-seven participants completed a measure of perceived control in caregiving situations (Parent Attribution Test) and a 55-item questionnaire assessing attitudes toward a variety of animal training techniques used with dogs, circus animals, and livestock. A factor analysis of the items on the animal …
Responsiveness and perceived intelligence as predictors of speech addressed to cats
Speech addressed to a cat was examined to test whether the use of child-directed language (CDL) with a companion animal is related to perceived intelligence of a listener and/or listener responsiveness. Fifty-one undergraduates briefly entertained a cat using a toy, and the vast majority of these participants spoke to the animal. The language used was similar to CDL, and two aspects of this language (number of questions and attribution of thought…
For whom is a picture worth a thousand words? Extensions of a dual-coding theory of multimedia learning.
In 2 experiments, high- and low-spatial ability students viewed a computer-gener ated animation and listened simultaneously (concurrent group) or successively (successive group) to a narration that explained the workings either of a bicycle tire pump (Experiment 1) or of the human respiratory system (Experiment 2). The concurrent group generated more creative solutions to subsequent transfer problems than did the successive group; this contiguity…
Responsiveness and perceived intelligence as predictors of speech addressed to cats
Speech addressed to a cat was examined to test whether the use of child-directed language (CDL) with a companion animal is related to perceived intelligence of a listener and/or listener responsiveness. Fifty-one undergraduates briefly entertained a cat using a toy, and the vast majority of these participants spoke to the animal. The language used was similar to CDL, and two aspects of this language (number of questions and attribution of thought…
Development of the Attitudes Toward Vegetarians Scale
Studies have explored the motivations behind the decision to become vegetarian, and have explored the well being of vegetarians. However, little research has focused on the social psychological and interpersonal aspects of vegetarianism. The focus of this study was to develop a scale designed to measure attitudes toward vegetarians (ATVS). This scale measures a one-factor construct with adequate internal consistency. The ATVS correlated significa…
Don't Be Cruel: Assessing Beliefs About Punishments for Crimes Against Animals
Hypothetical scenarios depicting an act of animal abuse were given to 438 participants who rated the appropriateness of eight types of punishments. The predictive value of sex of participant, animal type, crime type (acute abuse or neglect), crime outcome (victim lives or dies), and sex of perpetrator for ratings of appropriate punishments was evaluated using a canonical correlation analysis. Sex of participant and animal type emerged as the two …
Relating Low Perceived Control and Attitudes toward Animal Training: An Exploratory Study
The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between perceived control and views of animal training practices. Four hundred and thirty-seven participants completed a measure of perceived control in caregiving situations (Parent Attribution Test) and a 55-item questionnaire assessing attitudes toward a variety of animal training techniques used with dogs, circus animals, and livestock. A factor analysis of the items on the animal …
Go, Dog, Go: Maze Training Aibo vs. a Live Dog, An Exploratory Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in interaction and attribution when participants directed either a robotic dog (AIBO) or a live dog. Twenty-nine participants (20 female, 9 male) directed one of the two entities, a live dog or AIBO, through a complex maze from a remote location by providing voice commands. Participants were given identical feedback regarding the entity's performance during the maze task. While directing th…
The Relationship Between Parents’ and Children’s Automatic Thoughts in a College Student Sample
Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with High Functioning Autism and Children with Social Phobia
Examining the Relationship Between Conspiracy Theories, Paranormal Beliefs, and Pseudoscience Acceptance Among a University Population
Very little research has investigated whether believing in paranormal, conspiracy, and pseudoscientific claims are related, even though they share the property of having no epistemic warrant. The present study investigated the association between these categories of epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Results revealed moderate to strong positive correlations between the three categories of epistemically unwarranted beliefs, suggesting that believe…
Predictors of Views about Punishing Animal Abuse
The current study used scenarios of animal cruelty based on actual events to explore what factors predict perceptions of punishments for animal cruelty. Five hundred thirty-eight university undergraduates participated in the study. Participants read scenarios based on an actual event of animal cruelty and with information on statutes addressing animal cruelty in their state. Participants were then asked to give ratings for punishment of the anima…
Texting as a multidimensional behavior: Individual differences and measurement of texting behaviors
Two studies were conducted to develop and confirm a generalized measure of texting behavior, the Texting Behaviors Index, using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on samples of undergraduate students. A solution containing 6 factors for texting behaviors was supported, which were named social connection, escapist, distracted, audacious, nurtured communication, and driving. The characteristics of these factors were explored using individ…
An Implicit – Not Explicit – Understanding of Hurricane Storms
The goal of this research was to examine students’ risk perception of hurricanes and hurricane-related storms to address a critical gap in the literature. Participants were asked to rate their perceptions of a tropical storm, tropical depression, and category 1 through 5 hurricanes on five dimensions and define the storms based on wind speed. Lastly, individual differences in sex and growing up on the coast were examined to determine whether they…
Virtual interactions trigger caregiving attributions: Using a simulation to examine perceived control
Psychology (12 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Human-Animal Interaction Studies (5 works) · Animal welfare (4 works) · Social Psychology (4 works) · Clinical Psychology (3 works) · Cognitive psychology (3 works) · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment (3 works) · Animal-assisted therapy (2 works)