The utility of verbal and behavioral assessments of value.

Subjects lived in a laboratory apartment for up to 30 days, engaging in ordinary activities such as reading, sewing, and artwork. The amount of time devoted to each activity was recorded and compared with periodic verbal ratings of the amount of time devoted to the activities. The verbal and observational assessments of the time distribution were very similar, but there were some discrepancies. Based on self-reports and on observation of time actually devoted to the activities, contingencies were arranged in which time devoted to one activity produced time available for a second activity. When the contingency relation was based on behavioral assessment, predictions of time redistribution were more accurate than when the relations were based on verbal assessment. The close correspondence between observed distributions of time and verbally assessed distributions was probably due to the well-specified situation and rigorous assessment methods. Contrary to some cognitive-behavioral accounts, the contingency results suggest that verbal assessment is not necessarily preferable to observation when the two make discrepant predictions. It is suggested that verbal reports might be used more often in behavior analysis in place of lengthy or difficult observations, and attention is drawn to a personality model that parallels important components of behavior analysis.     

Unification of models for choice between delayed reinforcers.

Two models for choice between delayed reinforcers, Fantino's delay-reduction theory and Killeen's incentive theory, are reviewed. Incentive theory is amended to incorporate the effects of arousal on alternate types of behavior that might block the reinforcement of the target behavior. This amended version is shown to differ from the delay-reduction theory in a term that is an exponential in incentive theory and a difference in delay-reduction theory. A power series approximation to the exponential generates a model that is formally identical with delay-reduction theory. Correlations between delay-reduction theory and the amended incentive theory show excellent congruence over a range of experimental conditions. Although the assumptions that gave rise to delay-reduction theory and incentive theory remain different and testable, the models deriving from the theories are unlikely to be discriminable by parametric experimental tests. This congruence of the models is recognized by naming the common model the delayed reinforcement model, which is then compared with other models of choice such as Killeen and Fetterman's (1988) behavioral theory of timing, Mazur's (1984) equivalence rule, and Vaughan's (1985) melioration theory.     

Metaphysics of causation

Conclusion The world contains not only causes and effects, but also causal relations holding between causes and effects. Because causal relations enter into the structure of the world, their presence has various modal and probabilistic consequences. Causation and necessary and sufficient conditions do often go hand in hand. Causation, however, is a robust ingredient within the world itself, whereas modalities and probabilities supervene on the nature of the world as a whole, and on the resulting relations between one possible world and others. Some modalities, therefore, are essentially causal; but causation is not essentially modal.¹⁹     

信号检测论方法引入集值统计试验

集值统计是模糊数学方法的应用,信号检测论之评价法与有无法实验满足集值统计条件,可用集值统计的程度函数表示辨别力或感受性的大小。本文提出两种计算程度函数的数学模型:(1)a=1/K[∑a_(k1·CP_(k1)(Y/SN)+∑a_(k2)·CP_(k2)(Y/N)],(2)f(u)=1/2[∑a_(k1)·P_(k1)(Y/SN)+∑a_(k2)·P_(k2)(Y/N)]。试验结果证实两种模型所计算的程度函数与信号检测论方法所计算的辨别力指数d’有高相关(r_(ad’)=0.842,r_f(u)d’=0.953、n=67),程度函数与d’一样,不仅可以作为辨别力的指标,而且可将判断标准与辨别力分开,不同的是程度函数用β=a_N/a_(SN)或β=f_N(u)/f_(SN)(U)计算的判断标准是一次性综合判断。此点不同于信号检测论可对每一个类别反应的判断标准进行计算。程度函数与d’的计算都利用了对信号与噪音的反应信息。除上述二者的共同之处外,程度函数比d’还具有以下一些优越性:(1)程度函数应用集值统计,无须信号检测论要求对信号与噪音的感觉分布为正态的基本假设,可认为是非参数的方法;(2)可克服信号检测论方法不同判断标准下d’不稳定又难以解释的困难;(3)可适当地减少试验次数;(4)程度函数取值在0-1之间,易于形成量表值方便比较,意义清晰、明确;(5)更符合心理判断的实际状态。     

词义赋值的模糊统计分析

本工作采用了一种称之为区间统计的模糊统计方法,对三个维度上的量词或分类词作了经验的赋值工作。它们分别涉及差异量词、及完好性和肯定性的分类词。差别量词有‘无’,‘几乎无’,‘较小’,‘中’,‘较大’,‘很大’,‘极大’。完好性分类词有‘劣’,‘差’,‘可’,‘良’,‘优’。有关肯定性的有‘少许’,‘基本’,‘坚决’。文中列出了若干统计的指数。它们相应于每个词义的模糊集隶属函数,心理量表值和模糊度。从所得结果中可以表征,所有给定的语词,除极个别外,都属模糊概念。还可看到:在它们之间有着严格的序关系。在心理量表上,相邻的有序词义之间的距离是不等的,而且各自都有不同的模糊度。     

双眼深度感知与图像元素数量的关系

用微机化的伪随机点立体图对发生器产生静态和动态随机点立体图对(RDS),显示在左右两个示波器上。RDS图形中的元素密度可以改变。具有正常立体视的10名被试通过立体镜观察这些图形,测量双眼融合能产生完整立体图形感知所需最小的元素密度,即密度容限。 设计了三个实验用以检测改变RDS图形的空间参数对密度客限的影响。第一个实验,在静、动态RDS图形下,改变视差图形面积;第二个实验,改变视差图形的形状;第三个实验,改变视差图形的周长。 实验结果表明,双眼深度感知要求一定的元素密度容限,视差图形的大小和形状对密度容限有一定程度的影响。静态和动态RDS图形的密度容限也不相同。 本文利用RDS的整体立体感知特性和空间频率通道理论对实验结果进行了讨论。     

汉语句子的多层次分析

本文试图建立一个中文句子分析的计算机模型。在该模型中,句法、语义信息对中文句子的多层次分析是同等重要的。为此,我们提出了一些语义规则,利用这些规则可将语义关系综合进句法和词典,使该模型能同时进行不同层次的加工。对汉语一些典型句型的应用表明,该模型是行之有效的。     

句子理解的实验研究

在三种不同的条件下,对人验证句子的过程作了比较研究。结果表明,无论在哪种条件下,验证不同类型句子的时间模式是一致的。在句子-图形验证任务中,不管这些图形是抽象的符号还是与常识有关的具体事物的图形,其加工所需的时问基本上是相同的。但是,句子-常识验证所需的时间,要比句子-图形验证的时间明显地短。实验还表明,否定词在句中的位置,对句子的理解有一定的影响。     

故事图式在故事理解中加工机制的初步实验研究

本实验利用两种不同回忆方式、两个双情节故事和小五、高一和大二共120名被试,初步研究了故事图式在故事理解中的加工机制。结果表明:(1)故事图式的加工机制主要表现为两级剪辑,特别是二级剪辑;(2)故事图式可以通过一定的方式来处理无关信息;(3)故事图式中与故事语法各类节点相对应的加工单元的力量是不同的,且因年龄而异。