Implementation of experimental procedures in the PACER system of on-line control

PACER comprises an Executive and associated routines that together provide the run-time facilities commonly needed by experiment control programs. Although the implementation is specific to a particular PDP-11 installation, the nature of the support provided is of more general interest. Simple experimental procedures are straightforwardly handled by direct program control of timing and of external apparatus, and by direct inspection of the states of input lines connected to such apparatus. For more complicated situations, where events may not occur in a strict sequence, it becomes more convenient to make use of priority interrupts to inititiate response to events. Tasks to be performed under interrupt control are coded by the user as special subroutines known as “Actions.” It is a feature of PACER that the user can arrange for the Executive to run Actions automatically at specified times. The main program is then able to carry out processing that it would not be able to undertake if it had to make repeated checks on the time.     

Developing Faculty Development Programs: A View From the Chair

The author describes a programmatic model offaculty development that can provide a framework for many of the activities and programs described in this special feature of the Journal of Counseling & Development. Building such an organizing structure around specific program activities can help a person identify the steps to be taken and set up a system that with each iteration places the department further on its way to building the faculty it seeks and the culture it needs to nurture and ensure effective faculty development.     

Description of a restricted randomization program (RRP)

A computer program, which produces restricted randomizations of numbers as an aid in counterbalancing large experimental designs, is described. The input to the program is a series of specifications for sampling a pool of random numbers. For example, it might be specified that each number in the pool be selected at least once and not more than twice in each replication of the experiment. The output would be a restricted randomization meeting these specifications. The program has been used in several memory experiments and could be used in other experimental paradigms in learning and perception.     

P-SPACE: A program for simulating spatial behavior in small groups

P-SPACE is a computer program that simulates spatial behavior in a small group of individuals. The program describes how interpersonal distances change through time as a result of changes in microlevel features, such as the minimization of local dissatisfaction. Agents are located in a two-dimensional lattice and can move some discrete space units at each discrete time unit within their neighborhood. A nonsymmetrical matrix of ideal distances between agents must be specified. Agents move in order to minimize their dissatisfaction, defined as a function of the discrepancy between possible future distances and ideal distances between agents. At each iteration, agents will move to those cells in their neighborhoods for which the function is minimized. Depending on the specific values in the ideal-distance matrix, different kinds of social dynamics can be simulated.     

Using Information from an Early Intervention Program to Enhance Literacy Goals on the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) be developed for each child that receives special education services. To develop the most effective IEP, information is gathered from everyone who has worked with the child. In many schools the child receives early intervention services prior to referral to special education. One early intervention program that is utilized for first grade children falling behind in reading and writing is Reading Recovery®. The detailed information gathered as part of this program provides invaluable information that may facilitate development of appropriate literacy goals. This article discusses the information that is collected in the Reading Recovery program and provides an example of how this information can be utilized to support the development of IEP literacy goals.     

Introducing Novice Therapists to “Go-Between” Techniques of Family Therapy

The training of family therapists requires that learning objectives and expectations be specified in empirical terms so that the trainer and trainee can achieve clear goals, identify areas of progress, and meet the special needs of the trainee. This paper articulates the competencies, objectives, and criteria for evaluation used during a time-limited training program for therapists involved in family therapy research conducted at Centennial School of Lehigh University.     

Automatic attraction of attention to former targets in visual displays of letters

Shiffrin and Schneider (1977, Experiment 4d) reported that after consistent training in search for particular alphanumeric characters, presentation of one of these characters (former targets) as a distractor impeded detection of simultaneously presented current targets. Even if presented in an irrelevant display location, the former target appeared to attract attention. Here, we analyze weaknesses in the design of Experiment 4d and report four follow-up experiments ranging from a fairly close replication of the original multiframe experiment to a rather conventional single-frame search study. In each experiment, presentation of former targets consistently impeded detection of simultaneously presented current targets. The results suggest that automatic attention attraction to individual alphanumeric characters develops not only in the special experimental paradigm used by Shiffrin and Schneider, but also in standard visual search tasks. The fact that attention appeared to be attracted by shapes as complex as individual letters supports the assumption that simultaneously presented visual stimuli can be compared in parallel against memory representations of alphanumeric characters.     

The PC tachistoscope has 32 pages

Page switching is the basis of the PC tachistoscope, and usual accounts of page switching on the PC refer to a maximum of 8 available pages. This article shows how to achieve up to 16 pages in 40-column text mode and up to 32 pages in low-resolution graphics mode using conventional page switching combined with the bit-plane layering technique described by Bokhorst (1995). A high level C program is presented to show how this is done. When 32 pages are in use, the images must be monochrome.     

Decomposable Models: A New Look at Interdependence and Dependence Structures in Psychological Research

Decomposable models represent interdependence structures for observable variables. Each model is fully characterized by a set of conditional independence restrictions, and can be visualized with an undirected as well as a special type of a directed graph. As a consequence each decomposable model can be interpreted either in terms of interdependencies only or as a particular kind of dependence structure, as a recursive system or path analysis model. Under the assumption of normally distributed variables, decomposable models determine the structure of correlation matrices, and maximum-likelihood estimates of these can be calculated with the help of ordinary least squares estimation. Using several examples from psychological research, we discuss the interpretation of decomposable models. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how recursive dependence structures can be specified with the help of decomposable models in a hypothesis generating (exploratory) as well as in a hypothesis testing (confirmatory) manner.     

Cross‐Cultural Examination of the Tripartite Model in Adults

Abstract

Operant conditioning was applied to a total of 32 female anorexia nervosa patients in order to restore their normal weight. A comparative study was carried out on two groups of 16 patients each, who were treated with two different therapeutic procedures. The group having informational feedback, more flexible contacts with their family and a special psychomotor program (Group B), achieved a greater rate of weight gain compared to the other group (Group A), with an average of 1.75 versus 1.30 per week. The differences in weight evolution and problems during treatment are discussed. The fact that the study only is a short-term one concerning a limited aspect of the treatment of anorexia nervosa, and also the need for further follow-up research is strongly emphasized.     

Returning special education students to regular classes

Students are often placed in school special education classes, but they are seldom returned to regular classes. This study of 30 students who were returned points out that by careful screening and orientation such students can be academically successful. The role of the counselor in dealing with special education students has been badly neglected in educational literature, yet he is in an excellent position to correct some of the abuses that exist in schools where the special education program is considered terminal.     

Fast-dm: A free program for efficient diffusion model analysis

In the present article, a flexible and fast computer program, called fast-dm, for diffusion model data analysis is introduced. Fast-dm is free software that can be downloaded from the authors' websites. The program allows estimating all parameters of Ratcliff's (1978) diffusion model from the empirical response time distributions of any binary classification task. Fast-dm is easy to use: it reads input data from simple text files, while program settings are specified by commands in a control file. With fast-dm, complex models can be fitted, where some parameters may vary between experimental conditions, while other parameters are constrained to be equal across conditions. Detailed directions for use of fast-dm are presented, as well as results from three short simulation studies exemplifying the utility of fast-dm.     

Computer dialogue system (CDS): A system for capturing computer-mediated dialogue

In the process of studying human tutoring sessions as a basis for building an intelligent tutoring system, we developed a computer dialogue system (CDS) that allows two PC users to communicate with each other over a telephone line by typing at a computer keyboard. CDS records the content of dialogue on a disk in a specified, well-formatted way. It also makes available a way to mimic some of the characteristics of face-to-face dialogue such as repair. It was developed in the Smartcom III (Hayes Communication package) environment. Thus, it is fast, portable, and easy to use. In addition, to help us study the recorded dialogues, we have also written a numbering program to label each turn and each sentence within each turn. Although CDS was originally designed for the study of tutorial dialogues between students and teachers, it can be used to conduct and record dialogues of any kind.     

Facilitating Local Implementation of Special Education Program Evaluation

The results of a project assessing the applicability of four program evaluation models is described. Survey data from districts documented an interest in local-level special education evaluation models. A training institute for local staff was therefore established to provide staff with competency in four evaluation models. Subsequently, the models were replicated in eight local sites from which representatives had expressed an interest in using the models. All sites completed evaluation planning and implementation activities. Findings suggest that each of the four models in the project can be used with minimal levels of outside assistance and can be readily adapted to local needs. However, each model places somewhat different demands on local staff; and some models may be more appropriate for particular evaluation purposes.     

汉字正字法家族效应的ERP研究

以汉字为实验材料,自变量为汉字正字法笔画家族大小,采用延迟反应的同一字判断任务,记录并研究大学生被试对刺激字的脑电(EEG)。本文对笔画家族的定义是,通过改变1~5笔笔画得到刺激字的正字法家族成员,改变的笔画不构成部件。脑电结果显示:大家族刺激字比小家族刺激字诱发更负的N400和N250成分、更低的P200,其中N400的结果与基于交互激活模型的二阶段理论的预期一致。     

Nesselroade and Molenaar's Measurement Concerns and Proposals: An Introduction

In this special section Nesselroade and Molenaar (N & M) propose a provocative new approach to measurement invariance. When measures are collected repeatedly over time (e.g., daily diary studies), a potentially unique measurement model relating the items to the underlying construct can be created for each individual. If hypothesized causal paths specified between constructs (e.g., frustration → aggression) can be constrained to be equal across the individuals, a model with idiographic measurement of the constructs, but with nomothetic structural relationships can be specified. Three commentaries react to N & M's proposal. Revelle and Wilt challenge the priority given by N & M to unique individual measurement structures, arguing that between subjects differences in structural relationships are empirically important and meaningful. Markus's uses David Hume's framework to raise philosophy of science challenges for N & M's approach. Maydeu-Olivares challenges the incremental validity of N & M's approach, arguing that N & M's approach is unlikely to improve the prediction of between subjects criteria. Finally, N & M present a rejoinder to the three commentaries.     

Graze: A program to analyze recordings of the jaw movements of ruminants

Graze is a user friendly, Microsoft Windows 95/NT program for analyzing jaw movement recordings taken with the IGER Behavior Recorder. The program displays a plot of the jaw movement amplitude (vertical axis) against time (horizontal axis). Individual jaw movements can be automatically identified, using amplitude and frequency criteria specified by the user. Bouts of jaw movements can then be analyzed and are automatically identified as either grazing or ruminating. Behaviors other than grazing and ruminating (such as drinking or eating supplements) can also be identified and marked by the user. Identified jaw movements and bouts of behavior are superimposed on the jaw data display. Finally, the user can perform a bout analysis, which discriminates between bites and chews during eating and generates a summary file.     

Computer production of punched paper tapes for controlling experiments

Controlling experiments with paper-tape readers often requires the production of complex paper tapes. A program was written to allow automatic production and checking of complex punched paper tapes using a small computer. The user first defines the punches or punch sets to be used. He then specifies, for each successive block of tape to be punched, the number of punch sets of each type to occur and whether those punch sets should be copied in order or automatically randomized. The specified tape is then produced using a two-pass procedure, after which the tape may be automatically checked for punching errors if desired. The program has facilities for retention or modification of user commands from previous runs, simplifying the production of a large number of tapes with similar characteristics.     

Program of training in solution of practical problems applied to people with intellectual disability

The lack of programs to train people in practical problem-solving is one of the challenges that professionals who attend people with mental deficiency must cope with. The main goal of this study is to assess the effects of a program designed to improve these skills, aimed at people with intellectual discapacity. The sample was made up of 66 subjects, aged between 17 and 36 years old. The program was based on the use of examples of fictitious characters who undergo situations that are similar to those of the subjects to whom the program is administered, and techniques to improve skills were generated from these situations. In order to achieve the goal, a classic pre- posttest design was used, with an experimental and a control group. The results show positive effects in most of the variables considered as a consequence of the administration of the program.