Interest as a predeterminer of the GSR index of the orienting reflex

Participants in the experiment were selected from among the membership of three university recreational clubs, surfing, fishing, and chess. Participants were further restricted to those having an exclusive recreational interest. Sixteen students selected in this manner were shown slides depicting scenes related to each of the three interests as well as unrelated filler slides. Students displayed significantly larger GSRs to slides depicting their recreational interest as compared to the other recreations and the filler slides. Results were interpreted as reflecting the expression of an OR induced by a significant stimulus.     

Semantic distance as a predictor of metaphor selection

Empirical research on metaphor has focused on the interpretation and comprehension of figurative language, while ignoring the production or encoding of metaphors. This research presents a basic model that attempts to explain the encoding of metaphors in expressive communication. A basic premise of the model is that similarity in connotative meaning, measured as proximity in semantic space, leads to metaphor selection. Two experiments that tested the premise are described here. The first utilized a semantic differential based on Osgood's work, while the second utilized a specially developed instrument. Results of both experiments supported the hypothesis.     

Sleep and overextinction of the GSR component of the orienting response

Overextinction of the GSR component of the orienting response was examined in a sample of 68 socially disturbed adolescents. Continued stimulus repetition beyond the point of habituation resulted in GSR return after 50–60 stimulus presentations. However, division of Ss into sleep and non-sleep groups using behavioral and self-report criteria, failed to support Sokolov’s (1963) notion that overextinction is accompanied by drowsiness. A possible explanation of these results is discussed.     

Proactive inhibition as a function of orienting task characteristics

Two release from proactive inhibition experiments were conducted, in which orienting tasks were employed to direct subjects' attention to particular features of words. Experiment 1 employed two such tasks which emphasized either semantic or nonsemantic features, while both orienting tasks in Experiment 2 directed attention to semantic features of words. Although significant release was obtained with a change in task in these experiments, the level was considerably lower in Experiment 2 than in Experiment 1. The data were interpreted in terms of a theoretical orientation that emphasizes item differentiation as a major determinant of retrieval probability. It was argued that the degree of differentiation depends to some extent on the specific tasks employed and the extent to which they direct attention to different word features.