Inhibitory discriminative control is specific to both the response and the reinforcer

In two experiments an S delta was established which signalled the absence of an instrumental contingency between a particular response, R1, and a particular reinforcer, Rf1. The S delta suppressed operant responding, and the specificity of this suppression to the elements of the response-reinforcer association, R1 and Rf1, was explored. Experiment 1 showed that the S delta suppressed performance of R1 more effectively than it suppressed performance of a second response, R2. Experiment 2 showed that the S delta suppressed performance of a response rewarded with Rf1 more effectively than it suppressed performance of a response that had been rewarded with a second reinforcer, Rf2. These results suggest that an S delta's suppressive effects are specific to the particular response and reinforcer, which were uncorrelated in its presence during training. The implications of these results for theories of inhibitory discriminative control and for theories of occasion setting are discussed.     

Not all same-different discriminations are created equal: Evidence contrary to a unidimensional account of same-different learning

In Experiment 1, we trained four pigeons to concurrently discriminate displays of 16 same icons (16S) from displays of 16 different icons (16D) as well as between displays of same icons (16S) from displays that contained 15 same icons and one different icon (15S:1D). The birds rapidly learned to discriminate 16S vs. 16D displays, but they failed to learn to discriminate 16S vs. 15S:1D displays. In Experiment 2, the same pigeons acquired the 16S vs. 15S:1D task after being required to locate and peck at the odd-item in the 15S:1D displays. Acquisition of the 16S vs. 15S:1D task had little effect on discriminative performance in the concurrent 16S:16D task, suggesting that a unidimensional entropy explanation for mastery of these two same-different tasks is not viable. During testing, the birds transferred discriminative performance in both tasks to displays composed of different visual stimuli. Such concurrent discrimination learning, performance, and transfer suggest that pigeons are flexible in the way they process the displays seen in these two same-different tasks.     

CULTURAL RELATIVITY IN ACTION: A COMPARISON OF SELF-RATINGS MADE BY CHINESE AND U.S. WORKERS

Using a sample of 982 leader-subordinate dyads drawn from nine different organizations in the Republic of China (i.e., Taiwan), self-ratings of performance were compared with supervisory ratings of subordinate performance. Results indicated that Chinese employees rated their job performance less favorably than did their supervisors (i.e., they exhibited a modesty bias). This modesty bias occurred relatively uniformly across gender, various educational levels, and age groups. These results are contrary to the typically reported U.S. finding that self-ratings of performance are more lenient than are supervisory ratings. A further comparison of the means of supervisory and self-ratings between this study and previous U.S. research revealed that the modesty bias appeared to be produced by the lower self-ratings made by Chinese workers as compared to their U.S. counterparts. The findings suggest that culture plays a critical role in shaping workers' perceptions of their own work performance. Results of this study are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and practice in international human resource management.     

Automatic motor activation by mere instruction

Previous behavioral studies have shown that instructions about stimulus–response (S-R) mappings can influence task performance even when these instructions are irrelevant for the current task. In the present study, we tested whether automatic effects of S–R instructions occur because the instructed stimuli automatically activate their corresponding responses. We registered the lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) that were evoked by the instructed stimuli while participants were performing a task for which those mappings were irrelevant. Instructed S–R mappings clearly affected task performance in electrophysiological and behavioral measures. The LRP was found to deflect in the direction of the response tendency that corresponded with the instructed S–R mapping. Early activation of the instructed response was observed but occurred predominantly on slow trials. In contrast, response conflict evoked by instructed S–R mappings did not modulate the N2 amplitude. The results strongly suggest that, like experienced S–R mappings, instructed S–R mappings can lead to automatic response activation, but possibly via a different route.     

CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS BY JAPANESE AND AMERICAN MOTHERS AND CHILDREN ABOUT PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS*

In this study we examined the possibility that causal inferences about performance may help explain the relatively superior achievement of Japanese students in mathematics. Data from mothers and children in Japan and the U.S. were examined for (a) attributions about causes of performance in math; (b) intra-family transmission of beliefs; and (c) effect of sex of child on attributions. Results showed that Japanese mothers and children emphasized effort, particularly for low performance, while American mothers and children emphasized ability. Beliefs of mothers and children were similar within country but not within family, suggesting that transmission is diffuse. Differences in attributions about performance of boys and girls did not appear in Japan and in the U.S. appeared for mothers only. The emphasis placed on attributions to effort seems to offer a highly motivating context for Japanese students.     

Run length, visit duration, and reinforcers per visit in concurrent performance

The contingencies in each alternative of concurrent procedures consist of reinforcement for staying and reinforcement for switching. For the stay contingency, behavior directed at one alternative earns and obtains reinforcers. For the switch contingency, behavior directed at one alternative earns reinforcers but behavior directed at the other alternative obtains them. In Experiment 1, responses on the main lever, in S1, incremented stay and switch schedules and obtained a stay reinforcer when it became available. Responses on the switch lever changed S1 to S2 and obtained switch reinforcers when available. In S2, neither responses on the main lever nor on the switch lever were reinforced, but a switch response changed S2 to S1. Run lengths and visit durations were a function of the ratio of the scheduled probabilities of reinforcement (staying/switching). From run lengths and visit durations, traditional concurrent performance was synthesized, and that synthesized performance was consistent with the generalized matching law. Experiment 2 replicated and extended this analysis to concurrent variable-interval schedules. The synthesized results challenge any theory of matching that requires a comparison among the alternatives.     

A Bayesian prediction of four-look recognition performance from one-look data

The hypothesis that a human O’s (S’s) performance in a visual recognition task can be modelled by Bayes’ theorem was investigated. Two Ss were run for 40 experimental sessions each. Their task was to specify the direction of the gap of tachistoscopically presented Landolt rings (Cs). There were four possible gap directions, and two experimental conditions. In one condition, S responded after each stimulus presentation. In the other, a fixed-observation condition, Ss responded after four consecutive presentations of a C. Exposure durations were such that performance under both conditions was greater than chance, but less than unity. Predictions of four-look performance from one-look data were made. Overall hit rates were predicted closely. The entire pattern of each S’s four-look data was also predicted reasonably well. Further tests of the model are currently under way.     

Speech Intelligibility and Recall of Spoken Material Heard at Different Signal‐to‐noise Ratios and the Role Played by Working Memory Capacity

We studied speech intelligibility and memory performance for speech material heard under different signal‐to‐noise (S/N) ratios. Pre‐experimental measures of working memory capacity (WMC) were taken to explore individual susceptibility to the disruptive effects of noise. Thirty‐five participants first completed a WMC‐operation span task in quiet and later listened to spoken word lists containing 11 one‐syllable phonetically balanced words presented at four different S/N ratios (+12, +9, +6, and +3). Participants repeated each word aloud immediately after its presentation, to establish speech intelligibility and later on performed a free recall task for those words. The speech intelligibility function decreased linearly with increasing S/N levels for both the high‐WMC and low‐WMC groups. However, only the low‐WMC group had decreasing memory performance with increasing S/N levels. The memory of the high‐WMC individuals was not affected by increased S/N levels. Our results suggest that individual differences in WMC counteract some of the negative effects of speech noise. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Declining medical decision-making capacity in mild AD: a two-year longitudinal study

This is a report of a two-year longitudinal study comparing healthy older adult subjects (n = 15) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (n = 20) using an objective performance measure of medical decision-making capacity (MDC). Capacity to consent to medical treatment was measured using the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument (CCTI). The CCTI is a psychometric measure that tests MDC using a series of four core capacity standards: S1 (evidencing/communicating choice), S3 (appreciating consequences), S4 (providing rational reasons), and S5 (understanding treatment situation), and one experimental standard [S2] (making the reasonable treatment choice). For each standard, mild AD patients were assigned one of three capacity outcomes (capable, marginally capable, or incapable) based on cut-off scores derived from control group performance.At baseline, mild AD patients performed equivalently with controls on simple standards of evidencing a choice (S1) and making the reasonable choice ([S2]), but significantly below controls on complex standards of appreciation, reasoning, and understanding (S3, S4, and S5) (p < 0.02). Control performance was stable over time on all capacity standards. At one-year follow-up, the mild AD group did not show significant decline from baseline on any capacity standard. However, at two-year follow-up the mild AD group showed significant declines from baseline on the three complex standards (S3, S4, and S5) (p < 0.02), and a trend on one of the simple standards (S1). Over the two-year period, the proportion of marginally capable and incapable outcomes in the AD group increased substantially for four of the five standards (S1, S3, S4, and S5). Performance on [S2] remained stable over time in the AD group.We conclude that mild AD patients have impaired MDC at baseline, and demonstrate significant additional decline on complex consent abilities of appreciation, reasoning, and understanding over a two-year period. AD patients also show emerging impairment on the simple consent ability of evidencing choice at two-year follow-up. Capacity outcome data reflect similar declines over time for these four consent standards. The findings suggest the value of early assessment and regular monitoring at two-year intervals of MDC in patients with mild AD.     

E-wave and heart rate responses during anticipation of nonmotor events

This study concentrated on three main questions: 1) can anticipatory late negative shift (expectancy wave, E-wave) be elicited in nonmotor S1-S2 paradigm, 2) is it sensitive to variation of emotional aspects of the task and 3) is there a connection between heart rate (HR) responses and E-wave. S1 was a letter row that was replaced tachistoscopically by another letter row (S2). The task of the subjects (n=12) was to detect if the critical aspects of S2 were similar to S1. After their delayed response they received feedback of their performance. The emotional aspects of the task were varied by presenting aversive noise bursts at the end of the feedback period either always, contingently to their performance or not at all. A negative shift was present both before S2 and aversive noise (when presented). Varying the emotional aspects of the task had an effect on the amplitude of the E-wave. There was also a connection between E-wave and heart rate responses: heart rate response seemed to be a precondition for E-wave elicitation. The results support Simons’s conclusion that nonmotor E-wave reflects specifically emotional anticipation.     

Cognitive Moral Development and the Impact of Perceived Organizational Ethical Climate on the Search for Sales Force Excellence: A Cross-Cultural Study

An empirical study using moral ethical development, perceived ethical climate, and outcomes of perceived ethical climate was conducted in Mexico and compared to an existing U.S. sample of salespeople. Across the two national cultures, it appears there is consistency in a positive significant relationship between ethical climate and individual commitment to quality, and organizational commitment and salesperson performance. However, whereas moral ethical development is negatively associated with perceived organizational ethical climate for Mexican salespeople, there is no such relationship for U.S. salespeople. Ethical climate positively influences organizational commitment for the U.S. salespeople but has no influence for Mexican salespeople. Similarly, individual commitment to quality positively affects performance for the U.S. salespeople but has no impact for the Mexican salespeople. Hofstede’s (1983; 1984) cultural dimensions are used to help explain the findings, and implications for practitioners are offered.     

Evaluation of unconstrained sorting data

Two statistics are offered for evaluating unconstrained sorting performance in a specific task when categories are E-defined. One statistic is based upon empirically estimated sampling distributions and can be used for determining sorting performance significantly deviant from chance for any number of S-defined categories; the second statistic can be used to evaluate consistencies between S- and E-defined categories, regardless of the number of categories used by S. The present procedure provides a statistical basis for evaluation of performance where no adequate evaluation procedures are now available.     

On the discriminability of stimulus duration.

The performance of pigeons trained to detect differences in the duration of stimuli was analysed using a matching model of signal detection. Two white stimuli, S1 and S2, differing in duration, were arranged with equal probability on the center key of a three-key chamber. S1 was systematically varied from 5 seconds to 25 seconds while S2 remained constant at 30 seconds. On completion of the center-key stimulus, a peck on the center key turned on the two red side keys. A left-key response was "correct" when S1 had been in effect on the center key and a right-key response was "correct" on S2 trials. A correct response produced a 3-second magazine light accompanied intermittently by food. Incorrect responses produced 3-second blackouts. Detection performance was measured under two procedures. In the first, the obtained reinforcement ratio was uncontrolled by allowing the number of food reinforcements obtained for correct left- and right-key responses to vary as the stimuli were changed. In the second procedure, the presentation of food reinforcement was controlled by holding the obtained reinforcement ratio constant. Discriminability changed as a function of stimulus differences under both procedures. No such trend was found in response bias.     

Choice for others and the perception of control

There has been an increasing emphasis in psychology on the perception of control over one's environment and its effect on behavior and performance. In the present experiment, subjects were allowed to choose material they would like to learn if given the opportunity, or allowed to choose material for others to learn. Their learning of a nonchosen (forced) set of materials was then examined and compared with that of subjects given no opportunity to choose at all. It was found that the choice-for-self condition led to better performance than either the choice-for-other condition or the nochoice (forced) condition. However, when an additional group of subjects was given the opportunity to choose for others and their personal involvement was augmented by emphasizing their willingness to choose, their performance was enhanced relative to subjects offered no choice. The results were discussed in terms of motivational benefits stemming from perceived control.This report is based on a thesis submitted by the first author to the Graduate School at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree. The research was supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Army Research Office to the second author and by the Behavioral Research Directorate of the U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory. It may be reproduced in full or in part for any purpose of the United States Government.     

“Drive On”: The Relationship Between Psychological Variables and Effective Squad Leadership

The U.S. Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC) conducts systematic assessments of cadets’ leadership abilities during field training exercises (FTX) to assess their leadership abilities. While cadets in ROTC programs learn specific tactical operation procedures to augment FTX performances, much less is known about the relationship between psychological variables and squad leadership performance. To this end, 220 cadets completed self-efficacy, psychological flexibility, and grit questionnaires, which were then compared to FTX performance scores. Results underscored that only self-efficacy was significantly related to cadets’ squad leadership ability. Furthermore, prior service in the U.S. Army had no effect on the performance score one attained, highlighting an interesting paradox. Therefore, while self-efficacy can be cultivated through prior experiences, it seems more prudent to educate ROTC cadets on how to apply psychological skills to bolster self-efficacy in preparation for upcoming challenging leadership experiences.     

Test of a Model Incorporating Stress,Strain, and Disintegration in the Cohesion-Performance Relation1

This study proposes that stress, strain, and group disintegration are important concepts in studying cohesion's relation to performance. Data were obtained from 9,013 U.S. Army soldiers (in the ranks of Private through Staff Sergeant) in 112 companies representing units in both the U.S. and Europe. Results showed that stress, strain, and disintegration added significant, albeit small amounts of variance to perceived individual and group combat performance. The cohesion component, team task support as opposed to peer emotional support, showed the strongest relation to perceived individual and group combat performance, and showed the strongest buffering and mediating effects on the relation of stress to perceived combat performance.     

认知训练对不同类型考试焦虑的作用

以163名高中一年级学生为被试,采用现场实验法考察了认知训练对认知主导型考试焦虑(C型)、生理唤醒主导型考试焦虑(P型)和学习技能缺乏型考试焦虑(S型)的作用效果.结果表明:认知训练能显著地降低三种考试焦虑类型的状态考试焦虑,提高C型和P型的考试成绩.认知训练在降低考试焦虑和提高考试成绩两方面对C型考试焦虑者作用尤为明显.认知训练没有表明对S型考试焦虑者有提高考试成绩的作用.     

Correlates of Vocational Success in Refugee Work Adaptation1

Past research on Indochinese refugees has shown that status inconsistency (loss of socioeconomic status from their last job in Indochina to their most recent job in the United States) has a strong negative effect on acculturation. This study examines refugee adaptation to working in America and the effect of status inconsistency on work performance. After three years in the U.S., there was great improvement in job performance. We had predicted that greater status inconsistency would be associated with poorer vocational performance. The status inconsistency effect was found for those refugees who previously held high-prestige positions in their homeland, but only during the time before they had spent 3 years in America. Previous high-prestige refugees who had lived in the U.S. for less than three years did not stay on their jobs as long as former low-prestige refugees. After three years, however, the former high-prestige refugees outlasted the former low-prestige refugees.     

Laterality of Champion Athletes

Certain experimental designs are based upon the assumption that performance level becomes stabilized after a prolonged period of practice. This assumption was tested by taking a long series of repeated measurements upon a single S for the performance of each of several constant tasks, each task being tested singly in a separate series of measurements. Results showed that after thousands of practice trials on a simple task S may still be learning or showing other sequential effects in performance. These effects may disappear on one day only to reappear on the next. Therefore it is extremely doubtful that “practice to an asymptote” should be regarded as either an efficient or an effective method of eliminating sequential effects from an experiment proper.     

Audiogenic Seizures: Insulin and High Blood Sugar

Inverted black-white photographs of the faces of highly familiar peers (classmates, fraternity brothers, etc.) were presented to 350 Ss ranging from 3 to 20 years of age. In an untimed test session, S tried to identify the person in the inverted photograph. Success in this task was positively correlated with age up to approximately 14 years, but performance deteriorated after this age; college-age S s and preschool Ss' performances were approximately equal. This finding contrasts with the current view that the effects of disorientation on perception becomes less potent with age. A cognitive explanation is offered for the early rise in the performance curve; the subsequent reduction in level of performance is attributed to rigidity of the perceptual mechanism as a function of overlearning of a mono-oriented configuration.