Summation of punishment suppression

In two experiments, eight rats were trained to lever press with food on a variable-interval schedule. Bar pressing produced shock on a variable-interval schedule in the presence of two independently presented stimuli, a light and a tone. Two rats in each experiment received alternative presentations of the light and the tone and were consequently always in the presence of a stimulus that signalled variable-interval punishment. The other two rats in each experiment were treated similarly except that they received periods in which neither light nor tone was present. During these periods, bar pressing was not punished. The two stimuli that signalled punishment were then presented simultaneously to evaluate the effect of stimulus compounding on response suppression. The subjects trained without punishment-free periods did not show summation to the compound stimulus; the subjects trained with punishment-free periods showed summation of suppression. The major difference between the two experiments was the longer mean interval of variable-interval punishment used in the second experiment. This manipulation made the summation effect more resistant to extinction and thus increased its magnitude.     

Delayed timeout as a procedure for reducing disruptive classroom behavior: a case study

The disruptive behavior of a 9-yr-old boy was eliminated by the illumination of a light on the subject's desk, which represented the loss of free time later in the day. Instructions alone failed to reduce the frequency of disruptive behavior. When the light was removed and disruptive behavior no longer resulted in a loss of free time, disruptive behavior returned to its previous level.     

Reduction of dangerously aggressive behavior in a severely retarded resident through a combination of positive reinforcement procedures

A severely retarded resident was released from a timeout chair only occasionally for brief periods of time. Under the timeout contingency alone, the subject made a choke response within minutes of being released. Attention, such as hugs, smiles, and candy was then increased, first by providing it non-contingently and continuously as long as there were no aggressive responses and then, by making it contingent upon incompatible responses. Under conditions of timeout plus increased attention, choking decreased aburptly. Grabbing responses, which increased when choking was reduced, were also reduced under conditions of timeout plus attention. Unrestrained time was gradually increased and all extra attention, i.e., more scheduled attention than provided other residents, was gradually withdrawn. When the resident was unrestrained all day and all extra attention was withdrawn, grabs and, to a lesser extent, chokes increased. Both were again reduced to a manageable level by scheduling several brief periods of attention each day. Hence, the program resulted in quick reductions that endured when the program was largely withdrawn. The changes in aggressive responding as a function of the presence and absence of extra attention suggest the importance of extra "positive reinforcement" in programs based upon positive reinforcement procedures and dealing with retarded residents for whom positive reinforcers may be scarce.     

The teacher as observer and experimenter in the modification of disputing and talking-out behaviors

Disputing and talking-out behaviors of individual pupils and entire classroom groups in special education classes and regular classes from white middle-class areas and from all black poverty areas ranging from the first grade to junior high school were studied. The classroom teacher in each case acted as the experimenter and as an observer. Various means of recording behaviors were used and reliability of observation was checked by an outside observer, another teacher, a teacher-aide, a student, or by using a tape recorder. Observation sessions varied from 15 min to an entire school day. After baseline rates were obtained, extinction of inappropriate disputing or talking-out behaviors and reinforcement of appropriate behavior with teacher attention, praise and in some cases a desired classroom activity or a surprise at the end of the week brought a decrease in undesired verbalizations. A reversal of contingencies brought a return to high levels of inappropriate talking with a return to low levels when reinforcement for appropriate talking was reinstated. The experiments demonstrated that teachers in a variety of classroom settings could obtain reliable observational records and carry out experimental manipulations successfully using resources available in most schools.     

Visual signal detection and the locus of foreperiod effects

The effect of alertness on S's sensitivity to external signals was determined by varying the foreperiod in a visual signal detection task. Discriminability increased with increasing foreperiods up to an optimal foreperiod, beyond which it decreased slightly. This pattern of results parallels closely that of many foreperiod studies in which reaction time was the dependent variable. Because no speeded response was required in this signal detection task, it was concluded that alertness must be affecting an information processing stage prior to those associated with responding. Other evidence indicates that alertness does not affect sensory stages either. Alertness, by elimination, must be affecting the operation of a central stage, Posner's view of alertness which implicates the central stages is discussed.     

沈阳市回民大办人民公社

沈阳市的回族人民通过整风运动和在党的建設社会主义总路綫的鼓舞下,解放了思想,他們在各个不同战线上都表現了为实現建設社会主义总路线而努力奋斗的冲天干劲。当全市开展大办公社的高潮中,广大回民群众和汉族人民一道积极的投入了这一豪迈的偉大事业里斯缁氖惮F,早日达到人类最幸福的共产主义乐园;他們提出了“要树立共产主义风格和集体主义精神,有人出人,有錢出钱,积极参加人民公社”的响亮口号。在公社化的过程中,广大回民群众和伊斯兰教界的阿洪、乡老們,除了积极申請入社外,北市区的回民群众并且还主动献出了各种物     

霍尔巴赫的无神论

“人民的古典丛书”正在不断地丰富起来,特别在关于被我们的高等教育界的传统所蔑视如此之久的18世纪法国哲学家方面。专为选录“启蒙时期”法国著作的这部丛书的第17卷最近出版了,就是霍尔巴赫男爵选集第一卷。卷首有巴莱特·夏波耐尔的序言,并附有他的评注,其引证之审慎再加上他自己的精湛的见解使这本书对那些轻信教科书,只读过伏尔泰、卢梭和狄德罗的几部小说就自以为充分认识18世纪法国思想的人们将有很多的启发。霍尔巴赫的哲学巨著“自然的体系”一书的摘录     

人民群众在社会主义社会发展中的创造作用

最近几十年来世界上所起的深刻变化显著地证明了人民群众在历史过程中所起的决定性的作用。由于俄国的工人和农民在共产党领导下取得了伟大十月社会主义革命的胜利,世界资本主义阵线破天荒第一次被冲破了。在与资本主义顽强的斗争中,新的社会主义制度在我国确立了,并且无比地巩固起来了。第二次世界大战的结果是:苏联在这次大战中取得了伟大的胜利,欧洲和亚洲许多国家的人民,在苏联人民兄弟般的援助下摆脱了帝国主义的羁绊。包括大约欧洲人口的一半和稍少于亚洲人口的一半的强大的社会主义和民主阵营形成了。苏联、中华人民共和国和其他人民民主国家的人民代表着现代人类的领导力量,作为世界历史的先锋队     

西方道教研究编年史(1950-1990)[选译十]

八、中国域外道教 道教是与中国乡村和皇家制度有密切关系的本土宗教。道教活动对于非中国的文化从未表现出传教的态度,也许只有它们分担全中国的职责去“化胡”时除外。道教从没有正式外传,其它国家出现道教在多数情况下是与移居国外的中国人团体联系在一起的。然而,道教以某些形式不仅传播到中亚,而且传播到所有邻近中国的地区：中亚,越南,柬埔寨,朝鲜和日本。正如亚洲研究的诸多领域一样,道教研究具有区域性,过于专业化,结果对于中国域外文化中的道教,西方鲜有研究。 上面（四１）提到过,七世纪时《道德经》曾被译为梵语。但…     

致卡尔纳普

卡尔纳普这位杰出的人物,在我看来,是自30年代起哲学界最有影响的一位哲学家,就像罗素在此之前几十年中占据着支配地位一样。罗素应得的荣誉随着史料的日趋丰富而与日俱增;但随之而来的领导者却是卡尔纳普。有些哲学家把这个作用归功于维特根斯坦;然而许多人与我有类似的看法。