Seeking Information about Different Ethnic Groups: The Role of Motivation and Confirmation1

Two factors were investigated in terms of their effects on information seeking about ethnic groups: degree to which the information confirmed one's stereotype, and motivation for seeking information. Forty-two English Canadians (Ss) were given the opportunity to seek up to 45 items of information about 18 individuals, 3 from each of six ethnic groups. The three members of each group either confirmed, partially disconfirmed, or totally disconfirmed the group stereotype. Results indicated that more information was sought about the confirming member of each group by the Ss instructed to seek information that interested them. Ss instructed to describe or evaluate ethnic group members sought information equally from all members. These results are discussed in terms of expectancy theory, and in relation to other findings on ethnic perception and ethnic interpersonal attraction.     

Preferred recall order and recall accuracy for two messages presented simultaneously over a single auditory channel

Ss in the dichotic listening task prefer, and are more accurate with, the channel-by-channel order of recall-recalling all information presented to one ear followed by the information presented to the other ear. Current explanations for these effects rely upon the fact that the two messages are presented over separate input channels. The present study tested this hypothesis directly by presenting two messages simultaneously to a single auditory channel. Groups of Ss were instructed to recall two pairs of digits presented simultaneously over a single channel (1) in any order (free recall), (2) in the order received (simultaneous order), or (3) in sequential groups (successive order). Ss in the free recall task preferred recalling items in successive order. However, Ss instructed to recall in simultaneous order were as accurate as those instructed to recall in successive order. These data imply that accuracy with, but not preference for, the successive order of recall depends upon whether input is to one or two channels.     

Ear asymmetry in a dichotic detection task

Pairs of consonant-vowel (CV) syllables were presented dichotically to Ss who were instructed to monitor for the presence of a target CV which could occur in either ear. Ss responded by depressing a response button ; reaction time (RT) was also recorded. Right ear targets were detected 6.2% more frequently, on the average, than left ear targets and had an average RT 50 msec quicker than their left ear counterparts. These results demonstrate the existence of a right ear superiority in dichotic listening when a nonverbal motor response measure is used, supporting the contention that the ear asymmetry phenomenon is truly perceptual in nature and not merely due to the lateralization of verbal output. Two alternative explanations of the RT difference between left and right ear targets are offered. One attributes this difference to the time necessary for intercortical transfer of right hemisphere information, while the second holds that it is due to the longer times needed by the right hemisphere to process information projected to it.     

The relationship between cognitive,motor-kinesthetic,and oculomotor adaptation

The literature concerning adaptation to prism indicates that several adaptive mechanisms may be important. The particular mechanism or mechanisms involved depends (at least in part) upon the type of adaptive exposure. In the present study. three adaptive mechanisms (cognitive. oculomotor, and motor-kinesthetic) were investigated. Ss were asked to point in the dark at an illuminated target. The target was seen displaced from its veridical position due to a wedge prism placed before S’s right eye. The left eye was occluded. Ss then viewed their visual target pointing errors through the displacing prism without seeing any part of their bodies. One group of Ss was instructed to ignore these prism-induced errors and to continue pointing at the target’s visual position. A second group of Ss was instructed to compensate fully for their errors and to at tempt to eliminate them on all future trials. For the latter group errors were completely eliminated, while for Ss instructed to ignore their errors, relatively small improvement in visual target settings occurred. This improvement was called cognitive adaptation, since it depended on the S’s conscious control. In addition. for both conditions. evidence was found that allowing Ss to view their prism-induced pointing errors resulted in some form of motor-kinesthetic adaptation. This adaptation was hypothesized to represent a change in the judged position of the pointing hand relative to its felt position. It was concluded that this motor-kinesthetic adaptation was dependent, in part, upon cognitive information concerning the effects of the prism and that it serves to reduce conflict between cognitive and visual cues, i.e., between what S believes and what he sees.     

Phase transitions and critical fluctuations in the visual coordination of rhythmic movements between people

By watching each other's lower oscillating leg, 2 seated Ss kept a common tempo and a particular phase relation of either 0 degrees (symmetric mode) or 180 degrees (alternate mode). This study investigated the differential stability of the 2 phase modes. In Experiment 1, in which Ss were instructed to remain in the initial phase mode, the alternate phase mode was found to be less stable as the frequency of oscillation increased. In addition, analysis of the nonsteady state cycles revealed evidence of a switching to the symmetric phase mode for the initial alternate phase mode trials. In Experiments 2 and 3, Ss were instructed to remain at a noninitial phase angle if it was found to be more comfortable. The transition observed between the 2 phase modes satisfies the criteria of a physical bifurcation--hysteresis, critical fluctuations, and divergence--and is consonant with previous findings on transitions in limb coordination within a person.     

Birth Order and Sex Differences In Complexity-Simplicity,Color-Form Preference and Personality

With 196 undergraduate Ss it was found that (a) females preferred more complexity than males, and first-born males and later-born females preferred more complexity than their respective sex groups; (b) first-born males and later-born females checked adjectives which were like those of independent Ss in a conformity study; (c) there were no significant differences with the Internal-External Control Scale; (d) males preferred more form than females. These significant findings were related to previous research in personality and in creativity.     

Pitch and pitch change interact in auditory displays

Designing auditory displays requires understanding how different attributes of sound are processed. Operators must often listen to a particular stimulus dimension and make control actions contingent on the auditory information. Three experiments used a selective-listening paradigm to examine interactions between auditory dimensions. Participants were instructed to attend to either relative pitch or direction of pitch change of dynamic stimuli. With vertically arranged keypress responses, reactions to both dimensions showed stimulus-response compatibility effects, indicating that pitch is treated spatially. Direction of pitch change affected responses to pitch; level of pitch more strongly affected responses to pitch change. To reduce deleterious effects of irrelevant pitch information, auditory display designers can restrict the pitch range used to display dynamic data.     

Parallel perceptual processing and decisional strategies: A reinterpretation of the Shaw and LaBerge effect

A reinterpretation is offered for an effect found by Shaw and LaBerge (1971) in a tachistoscopic detection paradigm. Their Ss were instructed to “scan” the letters of a multiletter stimulus array in a particular sequence. The Ss were more accurate in identifying a target letter if it occurred earlier rather than later in the instructed sequence. Although Shaw and LaBerge interpreted this result as supporting a limited-capacity attentional mechanism, the result is also consistent with a nonattentional parallel processing conception: the payoff incentives used to encourage the correct “scanning sequence” could alter Ss’ postperceptual decisional strategy so as to produce the results obtained. Given the compatibility of a parallel processing conception with the results of Shaw and LaBerge and the results of other detection experiments, the need for postulating a spatial capacity limit or attentional mechanism is questioned.     

Some determinants of looking time under different instructional sets

Four groups of Ss were asked to look at sets of figures whose members differed in degree of complexity and asymmetry. Ss instructed to look as long as the figures were pleasing did so for a significantly shorter time than did Ss who were instructed to look as long as they cared to, as long as the figures were interesting, or until they could recognize the figures in a large group of similar figures. Results indicated that looking time was affected by both the complexity and the asymmetry/symmetry dimensions and led to the conclusion that looking time is primarily a measure of exploratory behavior.     

A comparison of ranking and rating procedures for value system measurement

Compared the validity and reliability of 2 value measurement techniques. 296 Ss (161 females and 135 males) in introductory psychology filled out the 2 measurement techniques and an attitude survey. The Rokeach Value Survey instructed Ss to separately rank 2 sets of 18 values in order of importance. A rating version of the Value Survey instructed Ss to rate the same 36 values from 1 to 99. 236 Sreturned 6 weeks later and again filled out both measurement techniques. Results of the multimethod factor analysis indicate very good convergent validity among the 4 measures of a given value (2 techniques × 2 sessions) and very good discriminant validity between measures of different values. Probably due to the ipsative nature of the ranking procedure, the test-retest reliabilities were higher for the ranked measurements than for the rated measurements. The construct validity of both measurement techniques, as determined by multiple regression and analysis of variance, were similar. Despite criticisms of ranking procedures, both the ranked and the rated versions were of equal reliability and validity.     

The effects of depression on structural aspects of the recall of prose

Investigated depressed patients' memory for stories. This indicated that although normal Ss showed particularly good recall for units central to the structure of the story, this did not hold for depressed Ss. In contrast, effects of centrality were comparable in high- and low-IQ Ss and effects of imageability of story units were comparable in both depressed and normal Ss. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that depressed patients do not use structure to organize stories when encoding them. A failure to identify central aspects of material and selectively recall them is likely to be a handicap to everyday functioning.     

Some Comments on the Methodological Significance of the Definition of a Response

Evidence in the present study, in conjunction with evidence in previous studies, indicates that sensory or perceptual factors do not account for the slowing that occurs in later life. Elderly Ss are slower than young adult Ss, but, up to the point of fairly weak stimulation (55 db), they are as slow in relation to auditory stimuli that are loud and easy to perceive as they are to stimuli more difficult to perceive. An unanticipated interaction involving stimulus intensity was observed which warrants further attention. When, in the course of the study, the intensity of stimulation was systematically decreased, reaction times (RTs) of older Ss with a .5 second preparatory interval (PI) were much slower than when the intensity of stimulation was systematically increased.

An exploratory study was also carried out. In this study, the pacing of stimulus events was predictable, and Ss were instructed to take advantage of this. RTs were quicker with this procedure than with traditional RT procedures, but not significantly more for old adult Ss than for younger ones. However, the level of significance was such as to suggest that timing may be an important clue to the slowing in later life.     

Social Motives,Emotional Feelings,and Smiling

Previous research has established that the facial displays of those who listen to stories are influenced by the social context in which this happens. H owever, experienced affect was not measured in these studies, and the story stimuli were not systematically manipulated. We report a study in which participants listened to stories that varied in rated funniness, and that were told by either a friend or a stranger via one of the following channels: Tape recorder, telephone, or face-to-face. D ependent measures included facial activity, subjective feelings, and social motives. We anticipated that facial displays would be influenced by story type and by social context, and that the former effects would be mediated by experienced affect, whereas the latter effects would be mediated by social motives. The funnier story elicited more smiling, but this was not mediated by experienced affect. Social context also influenced smiling, and this effect appeared to be mediated by social motives.     

What is the “front” of a simple geometric form?

A total of 670 undergraduate Ss were tested in three studies conducted in an attempt to define a set of cues that minimally specify perceived “frontness” and “backness” of objects. In Experiment I, Ss were instructed to identify the “front” and “back” of printed squares to which no, one, or two circles were attached. In Experiment II, different Ss made the same kind of judgment to a wider range of geometric forms. In Experiment III, different Ss judged the direction of “imagined” movement of forms from Experiment I. The results indicated that the “front” and “back” are asymmetric opposite sides, with “front” the side most different from the rest and the side toward which the form is imagined to be moving.     

Effect of locus of warning tone on auditory choice reaction time

Forty Ss pressed a left- or right-hand key depending on the ear in which they heard a 500-Hz stimulus tone. Half of the Ss were instructed to press the key on the same side as the ear stimulated (corresponding condition), while the other half pressed the key on the opposite side (noncorresponding condition). A 200-Hz warning tone preceded the stimulus tone by either 200 or 400 msec. The warning tone was presented to the left ear, the right ear, or to both ears in a predetermined random sequence. The locus of the warning tone affected RT on noncorresponding trials but not on corresponding trials. The effect consisted of a significant slowing of information processing on trials where the warning tone was contralateral to the response. Results were explained in terms of an initial tendency to respond toward the source of the warning tone.     

The influence of sex versus sex-related traits on long-term memory for gist and detail from an emotional story

Recent findings demonstrate sex-related differences in the neurobiological mechanisms by which emotional arousal influences memory, and raise questions about the extent to which memory for emotional events may differ between males and females. Here we examine whether sex-related differences exist in the recall of central (gist) information and peripheral detail from an emotional story. Healthy subjects viewed a brief, narrated slide-show containing emotional elements in its middle section. One week later, they received an incidental multiple-choice recognition test for the story. Following the test, each subject completed the BEM Sex-Role Inventory, an assessment of sex-related masculine and feminine traits. The results reveal no differences in recall of either central or peripheral story information when considering the performance of actual men and women, but a significant difference when considering male and females as determined by their BEM test scores. "BEM" males (subjects with net male BEM scores) showed significantly enhanced recall of central emotional information. "BEM" females did not. Both groups showed significantly enhanced recall of peripheral emotional information, although this effect appeared larger in BEM females than in BEM males. The influences of "BEM" sex and type of information (central, peripheral) significantly interacted to influence emotional memory performance. These findings confirm the existence of sex-related influences in the recall of emotional information, and suggest that sex-related traits, rather than actual sex per se, may be a more sensitive indicator of these influences.     

Listening for rhetorical truth

Associations are rarely as free as theory assumes; at the same time, they may tell us more than what appears on the surface. Memories, on the other hand, are rarely as reliable as they might appear. We are overtrained to listen to the unfolding story and to the narrative truth of the moment; much harder to capture is what might be called its rhetorical truth. Learning to listen for sequence, repetition, and co-occurrence tends to minimize the importance of the narrative thread and clarify instead the more suppressed meanings. In rare cases, we can even sense something of what the analysand is saying before it comes into awareness.     

Semantic processing and organization in free recall

It was hypothesized that both semantic processing and organizational activity are necessary for optimal free recall performance. In a series of three experiments, subjects were presented with a list of randomly selected nouns and were asked to make up a meaningful sentence for each noun. The subjects also rated the difficulty of using each noun. The subjects were instructed to try to remember words that were labeled "remember" words. For words that were labeled "story" words, the subjects were instructed only to make each sentence, using the word, part of an ongoing story which each subject was to make up. A test of retention for all presented words, using retention intervals of both 1 min and 24 h, showed that the story words were always recalled better than were the remember words. However, the amount of sequential organization was the same for both the story and the remember words. Recognition performance was found to be the same for both types of words. In addition, the story words were rated as being more difficult than the remember words. It was concluded that extensive semantic processing without organization is not sufficient for optimal recall.