ELECTROCORTICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF EVALUATIVE AND NONEVALUATIVE CATEGORIZATIONS

Abstract— The evaluative categorizations that underlie affective and attitudinal judgments have often been equated with non-evaluative categorizations despite the central importance of evaluative processes for survival In the present experiment, a late positive potential (LPP) of the event-related brain potential elicited when participants evaluatively categorized food items as positive or nonpositive was compared with the LPP elicited when participants semantically (i e., nonevaluatively) categorized food items as vegetable or nonvegetable Results revealed that evaluative categorizations evoked an LPP that was relatively larger over the right than the left scalp regions compared with the LPP evoked by nonevaluative categorizations. This finding provides evidence regarding the differences in neural and cognitive processes involved in evaluative and nonevaluative categorizations.     

EFFECTS OF RATER-CONCEPT-SCALE INTERACTIONS AND USE OF DIFFERENT FACTORING PROCEDURES UPON EVALUATIVE FACTOR STRUCTURE

Subjects (N=225) drawn from ten subpopulations were asked to rate nine different concepts on 39 evaluative semantic differential scales plus the “strong-weak” and “fast-slow” scales. Nineteen separate factor analyses (principal factoring with iteration followed by Varimax rotation) were performed for: (1) all subjects rating all concepts, (2–10) all subjects rating each concept, (11) adult males rating all concepts, (12) adult females rating all concepts, (13) college students rating all concepts, (14) nonstudents rating all concepts, (15) fifth grade students rating all concepts, (16) all males rating “Liz Taylor,” (17) all females rating “Liz Taylor,” (18) all males rating “your father,” and (19) all females rating “your father.” Rotated factor loadings greater than .50 are displayed for all analyses. There is little apparent similarity among the factor structures. In addition, oblique (Oblimin) and Quartimax rotations are performed for two of the analyses (all subjects rating “LBJ” and “U.S. Government”). The three rotated factor structures for each concept differ radically.     

AN EVALUATIVE REVIEW OF FAMILY INTERACTION RESEARCH

This article will review in detail the current status of quantifiable family interaction research. It will concentrate on the work done since 1960. An extensive reference list and glossary covering key workers and their concepts are appended.