A failure to differentiate

The K. J. Rust and T. S. Kendler paper (1987, Developmental Review, 7, 326–362) makes two claims to publication: (1) it claims to show (and implicitly, to show for the first time) that a nonselective learning model such as Spence's can fit the basic phenomenon of independent subproblem learning, and (2) it claims two experimental tests of the nonselective theory versus the differentiation theory interpretations of independent subproblem learning. Neither claim is valid and both claims reflect a failure to differentiate the literature. Moreover, Kendler's basic assumption of a developmental difference in the nature of learning is questionable.     

The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment: A comment on Zimmerman's critique

This paper is a reply to an article in this journal by M. Zimmerman titled “The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment: A Comment on Elardo and Bradley's Review”. We found Zimmerman's critique of our original review article (Developmental Review, 1981, 1, 113–145) to contain points which were well taken, and several which seemed pedantic. Specifically, we address his concerns about our discussion of the HOME scale's interrater reliability, test-retest stability, concurrent validity, and predictive validity; and we reply to his comments about the uses of the HOME scale for purposes of screening and matching environments.     

The dissociation of attention deficit disorder from reading disability: A reply to Share and Schwartz

In a study recently reported in this journal (R. H. Felton, F. B. Wood, I. B. Brown, S. K. Campbell, & M. R. Harter, 1987, Brain and Language, 31, 171–184), a 2 × 2 factorial design assessed the separable impact of presence vs. absence of reading disability (RD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) on 11 different measures of verbal processing ability, with picture vocabulary and age as covariates in the analysis. Share and Schwartz have objected to this analysis on the grounds that only the allegedly “pure” groups in the design (RD without ADD, and ADD without RD) should be compared. They then use the data in the article to compare those two groups directly, concluding that because only two of the measures were significant in a small sample t test, the hypothesis of differential cognitive impacts of ADD and RD is not supported. They further cite Chapman and Chapman (1973) to suggest that because the 11 dependent measures were not matched for discriminating power the analyses are meaningless. In this commentary we submit that the Share and Schwartz argument (1) shows serious misunderstanding of elementary statistical principles; (2) commits what we call the “Fallacy of the Pure Case”; and (3) misunderstands the Chapman and Chapman argument. Noting that our design was not intended to answer the question that bothers Share and Schwartz (that of a distinctive cognitive deficit associated with “pure” ADD) we conclude with some suggestions about the types of designs and data that would more directly speak to their question.     

Organizational factors and work involvement

The aim of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the influence of organizational factors on job involvement and specialization involvement. It was hypothesized that rank, self-expression, participation in decision making, and career factors affect job and specialization involvement. The independent variables were chosen by considering an extension of Schein's (1971, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 7, 401–426) “career cone” concept. The hypotheses were tested using a sample of Australian Army officers (N = 384) in a questionnaire survey. The results showed that job involvement is associated primarily with self-expression, although the latter is influenced in turn by participation in decision making, and that specialization involvement is associated with both self-expression and career factors. Rank does not affect either involvement variable. It was concluded that Schein's concept is a useful guide to theory and research on career attitudes. The results support the proposition that job and specialization involvement are distinct constructs. Implications for organizations are discussed.     

Lateral preferences and writing hand posture in left-handers: A reply to Levy

In reply to the commentary from J. Levy about a recent article of ours (A. Searleman, C. Porac, & S. Coren, 1984, Brain and Cognition, 3, 86–93), we find that she has shifted the level of analysis from between-sex comparisons (as demanded by our original hypothesis) to within-sex comparisons. Since she is addressing a different set of questions, we therefore find no compelling reasons to alter any of our conclusions or the confidence that we have in these conclusions.     

A consistency-based framework for merging knowledge bases

We present a framework for expressing various merging operators for belief sets. This framework generalises our earlier work on consistency-based belief revision and contraction. Two primary merging operators are identified: in the first approach, belief sources are consistently combined so that the result of merging knowledge bases K₁,…,K_n is a maximal consistent (if possible) set of formulas comprising the joint knowledge of the knowledge bases. This approach then accords with one's intuitions as to what a “merge” operator should do. The second approach is more akin to a generalised belief revision operator. Knowledge bases K₁,…,K_n are “projected” onto another (in the simplest case the knowledge base where only tautologies are known). Properties of these operators are investigated, primarily by comparing their properties with postulates that have been identified previously in the literature. Notably, the approach is independent of syntax, in that merging knowledge bases K₁,…,K_n is independent of how each K_i is expressed. As well, we investigate the role of entailment-based and consistency-based integrity constraints, the interrelationships between these approaches and belief revision, and the expression of further merging operators.     

Time stamp in conditioned place avoidance can be set to different circadian phases

We have reported that the expression of conditioned place avoidance (CPA) in the golden hamster is regulated in a circadian pattern such that the preference is exhibited strongly at the circadian time of prior training but not at other circadian times [Cain, S. W., Chou, T., & Ralph, M. R. (2004a). Circadian modulation of performance on an aversion-based place learning task in hamsters. Behavioural Brain Research, 150(1–2), 201–205]. In that study, animals that were trained at a specific circadian time to discriminate between a “safe” context and one paired with foot shock, showed strong avoidance of the paired context at 24 and 48 h following the last training session, and showed no avoidance at 32 and 40 h following training. In the present study, we hypothesized that this “time stamp” effect is settable to any circadian phase. This was tested by training animals at one of two times of day (ZT13 or ZT4) and testing whether a time stamp would be observed, with avoidance occurring only when training and testing times match. Results confirmed our hypothesis, suggesting that the time stamp in the performance of learned tasks can be set to any circadian phase. Such an ability may allow animals in nature to predict the recurrence of 24 h events, regardless of the time of day the event was encountered.     

Is gerontology a branch of astrology? The role of advanced age in scientific explanation

Although gerontologists have been troubled by meta-scientific problems such as the proper definition of their discipline, the nature of time and age, and the lack of a nonarbitrary distinction between the old and the not old [e.g., Baltes & Goulet (1970) In Life-span developmental psychology (pp. 4–23). New York: Academic Press; Birren (1959) In Handbook of aging and theindividual (pp. 3–42). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; McKee (1982) Philosophical foundations of gerontology. New York: Human Sciences Press; Reese & Overton (1970) In Life-span developmental psychology (pp. 116–149). New York: Academic Press; Wohlwill (1970) Psychological Review, 77, 49–647], philosophers of science have paid little attention to the meta-scientific problems of gerontology. In this paper some philosophical problems in gerontology are examined through an analysis of the nature of scientific explanation. An argument is presented that claims that gerontology avoids many of the meta-scientific problems associated with time and advanced chronological age because these terms will tend to be obviated or “screened off” in scientific explanations in gerontology.     

Possible effects of forced report order on tachistoscopic recognition of bilaterally presented stimuli: A response to Young and Ellis

Comparing visual field asymmetries for bilaterally presented words and corresponding line drawings, we found an RVF advantage for words and no visual field asymmetry for line drawings. We suggested that the RVF advantage previously obtained by Young, Bion, and Ellis (Brain and Language, 11, 54–65, 1980) for bilaterally presented line drawings may have resulted from a forced order of report procedure, noting that the RVF advantage was greater on trials on which subjects were forced to report in the nonpreferred right-to-left order. Young and Ellis (Brain and Language, 20, 166–171, 1983) attempt to discredit this claim and maintain their hypothesis that the RVF advantage for line drawings is attributable to better temporary storage of these stimuli by the left than the right hemisphere. In the present article, we present in greater detail our arguments for the effects of forced order of report on the perception of bilaterally presented stimuli and refute Young and Ellis's ibid. criticisms of this proposal.     

Unilateral versus bilateral presentation methods in the reaction time paradigm

The use of bilateral presentation in lateralized tachistoscopic reaction time (RT) tasks has been precluded by problems of how to instruct the subject to respond to the left visual field (LVF) or right visual field (RVF) stimulus and by the necessity of fixation control with bilateral presentation. Schmuller and Goodman, 1979 and Schmuller and Goodman, 1980, Brain and Language, 11, 12–18) offered a method, applied to date only in recognition accuracy studies, which can overcome these problems. They used an “arrowhead pointer” at fixation. This instructs the subject as to which stimulus to report first and also controls fixation. We adapted the method to the RT paradigm by having subjects report only the stimulus indicated and applied it in a bilateral presentation version of the Object Naming Latency Task (W. F. McKeever & T. L. Jackson, 1979, Brain and Language, 7, 175–190). Fifty subjects received the unilateral task and 50 received the bilateral task. The bilateral task yielded right visual field superiority in 98% of the subjects and the magnitude of the superiority was over three times as large as in the unilateral task. Different sex × familial sinistrality × VHF interactions obtained on the tasks. Combining the advantages of reaction time and bilateral presentation methods may substantially increase the resolving power of lateralized tachistoscopic tasks.     

Rearing in response to a visual conditioned stimulus: An index of associative strength or of associability?

Two procedures for observing rearing behavior during a localized visual CS paired with an appetitive US were compared within subjects during classical conditioning and extinction procedures. When rearing was observed using the method and response definition described by P. C. Holland (1977, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 3, 77–104), responding was acquired and maintained during conditioning trials in rats receiving paired presentations of the CS and US, but not in rats receiving the stimuli according to a “truly random” procedure. When rearing of the same rats was observed using the method and response definition described by H. Kaye and J. M. Pearce (1984, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 10, 90–109), responding declined across conditioning trials in both groups. Furthermore, in extinction, rearing during the CS declined according to Holland's scoring method but was temporarily restored according to Kaye and Pearce's scoring. Observations of a second behavior, magazine responding, revealed essentially the same pattern of responding for both methods of scoring. These results support the position that the response criteria used by Holland and by Kaye and Pearce assess different components of behavior that occur in response to a visual CS, reflecting associative strength (i.e., a CR) and associability of the CS (i.e., an OR), respectively.     

Impulsivity,neuroticism, and caffeine: Do they have additive effects on arousal?

The personality dimensions of impulsivity and neuroticism have been linked to differences in basal arousal. The hypothesis tested was whether these personality variables and caffeine have additive effects on arousal. All subjects received three paired-associate trials on each of two neutral control lists, two lists with semantically similar stimuli, and two lists with acoustically similar stimuli. Half of the subjects received caffeine and half placebo. Although significant interactions with personality and drug condition were obtained, the ordering of the conditions was inconsistent with the assumption that the arousal performance curve is single peaked. Further, S. Schwartz's (Journal of Research in Personality, 1975, 9, 217–225) hypothesis that in paired-associate learning high arousal and low arousal subjects process semantic and physical information differentially was not supported. The general issue of how to determine whether individual differences in performance are caused by differences in arousal is discussed.     

“Consistency” and “contradiction” in the development of gender role characteristics

There is currently an increasing amount of theoretical and empirical work arguing that stereotyped sex role behavior is maladaptive in our culture and that “androgyny” or “sex role transcendence” is a preferred mode of being. The latter, however, seems to require individual inconsistency and self-contradiction in behaviors and attitudes (since the individual is both active and passive, both independent and dependent, etc.). Theories of cognitive consistency maintain that individuals avoid self-contradiction and inconsistency, and therefore that androgyny runs counter to important motivational principles. This article examines this issue in some detail, and concludes that theories of cognitive dissonance and consistency reflect particular socio-cultural conditions rather than universal motivation principles. There is nothing inherently uncomfortable or “inconsistent” about androgyny and sex role transcendence.     

Levels of experienced dimensionality in children and adults

This work presents a new conceptualization of the contrast between holistic and differentiated perception of multidimensional stimuli. Specifically, two hypotheses about the experiential status of dimensions within holistic perception are proposed and tested as explanations of young children's general perceptual mode and adults' integral mode. The major result is that three levels of dimensional status are realized: (1) the hypothesis of nonprimary axes characterizes adult “integral” perception of saturation and brightness relations, (2) the hypothesis of primary but not mandatory axes characterizes kindergarteners' “integral” perception of size and shade relations, and (3) the notion of mandatory axes characterizes adults' separable perception of size and shade relations. These results indicate a new interpretation of the integrality-separability distinction and the derivative developmental hypothesis. It is specifically hypothesized that the developmental history of most dimensional combinations includes these three levels.     

Affordances and infant learning: A reply to Horowitz

We reply to three major points made by F. Horowitz (1983, Developmental Review, 3, 405–409) in her commentary on the ecological approach to infant knowing presented by E. Goldfield (1983, Developmental Review, 3, 371–404). We first clarify the relation between perceiving and acting from an ecological perspective, and distinguish between affordances as environmental properties scaled to the perceiver/performer and representations as mental structures. We then present a critique of the process of association offered by Horowitz as an explanation of infant learning. Association fails to specify the constraints on what is learned, while the ecological process of noticing affordances, presented by Goldfield, considers such constraints. We conclude by presenting operational criteria for measuring affordances and evidence that perception is scaled to the perceiver/performer.     

A reexamination of the faithful subject role

Fillenbaum (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1966, 4, 532–537; Fillenbaum & Frey, Journal of Personality, 1970, 38, 43–51) has proposed that a relatively large number of subjects within certain experiments will adopt a faithful subject role, that is, they will intentionally avoid basing their behavior on any suspicions they may have regarding the experimenter's hypothesis. However, examination of the studies on which this conclusion was based casts doubt on whether Fillenbaum's subjects were truly faithful or whether they may have become aware of the nature of the deception after all opportunity for awareness to influence their responses had passed. To test this hypothesis, awareness measures were administered to subjects either before they took an incidental learning test or (as in Fillenbaum's studies) after the test. As predicted, fewer subjects were classified as faithful in the first condition than in the second. It was concluded that, in fact, very few if any subjects are actively faithful. Discussion also concerned the problems associated with role analyses of subject behavior.     

Does salary discussion hurt the developmental performance appraisal?

The “split roles of performance appraisal” perspective introduced by H. H. Meyer and associates in 1965 (H. H. Meyer, E. Kay, J. R. P. French, Jr. Harvard Business Review, 43, 123–129) argues that discussing salary has a negative impact on the developmental aspects of performance appraisal (PA). This research provides the first empirical evaluation of that proposition. Of key interest is the relationship between salary discussion and process characteristics (e.g., participation), content characteristics (e.g., work planning), and the outcomes (e.g., utility) of PA. Also, several contingency factors are investigated to see if they moderate the impact of discussing salary. The results indicate that salary discussion has either no impact or a positive impact on PA process, content, and outcomes. Of the five contingency factors, only performance level has a consistent moderating impact. Low performers, compared to high performers, evidence a stronger positive relationship between salary discussion and key PA variables.     

Central auditory processing : IV. Ear dominance—Spatial and temporal complexity

Ear dominance for dichotically presented tones was measured in 63 right-handed subjects when the frequency difference (Δf) was small compared to the center frequency (f_c) and again when it was large. Although two-thirds of the population exhibited a left-ear dominance in both conditions, a shift toward right-ear dominance occurred when the Δf was increased. An additional study, employing the alternating tone illusion described by Deutsch, revealed the same general effect, i.e., a shift toward right-ear dominance with increasing values of Δf/f_c. The results of these experiments, coupled with a review of previously published data of other dichotic experiments, indicate that as the ratio of Δf/f_c increases, the subjective complexity of the sound image increases, and there is a progressive emergence of a “right-ear advantage” (or ear dominance). A tentative explanation relates these results to the effects of anatomical asymmetries of primary and auditory association cortex and the efferent temporal lobe enhancement mechanism described by R. Efron, P. H. Crandall, B. Koss, P. L. Divenyi, and E. W. Yund (Brain and Language, 1983, 19, 254–263.     

Contextual control of negative transfer produced by prior CS-US pairings

When a conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly paired with a weak unconditioned stimulus (US) prior to being paired with a stronger US in a second conditioning phase, interference, or negative transfer, is often observed during Phase 2. Two conditioned suppression experiments with rat subjects examined the effect of a context switch between phases in this “Hall-Pearce negative transfer paradigm.” In Experiment 1, negative transfer was obtained when the context remained the same for both phases, but there was no evidence of negative transfer when the context was switched between phases. Experiment 2 was designed to control for familiarity with the Phase 2 context, and showed that a context switch between phases again attenuated negative transfer. The effect of context on negative transfer was also similar to its effect on latent inhibition produced under comparable conditions. The results are not consistent with a model proposed by J. M. Pearce and G. Hall (Psychological Review, 87, 532–555, 1980), which ascribes no major role to the context in this situation, but are consistent with A. R. Wagner's (In S. H. Hulse, H. Fowler, & W. K. Honig, Eds., Cognitive Processes in Animal Behavior, pp. 177–209. Hillsdale NJ: Erlbaum, 1978) short-term memory model of conditioning, or with the view that contexts may signal specific CS-US relations. The results extend previous research on other interference paradigms, like latent inhibition and extinction, where context may play a similar role.     

Gradations of awareness in a modified sequence learning task

We argue performance in the serial reaction time (SRT) task is associated with gradations of awareness that provide examples of fringe consciousness [Mangan, B. (1993b). Taking phenomenology seriously: the “fringe” and its implications for cognitive research. Consciousness and Cognition, 2, 89–108, Mangan, B. (2003). The conscious “fringe”: Bringing William James up to date. In B. J. Baars, W. P. Banks & J. B. Newman (Eds.), Essential sources in the scientific study of consciousness (pp. 741–759). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.], and address limitations of the traditional SRT procedure, including criticism of exclusion generation tasks. Two experiments are conducted with a modified SRT procedure where irrelevant stimulus attributes obscure the sequence rule. Our modified paradigm, which includes a novel exclusion task, makes it easier to demonstrate a previously controversial influence of response stimulus interval (RSI) on awareness. It also allows identification of participants showing fringe consciousness rather than explicit sequence knowledge, as reflected by dissociations between different awareness measures. The NEO-PI-R variable Openness to Feelings influenced the diversity of subjective feelings reported during two awareness measures, but not the degree of learning and awareness as previously found with traditional SRT tasks [Norman, E., Price, M. C., & Duff, S. C. (2006). Fringe consciousness in sequence learning: the influence of individual differences. Consciousness and Cognition, 15(4), 723–760.]. This suggests possible distinctions between two components of fringe consciousness.