The importance of pattern information for the resolution of depth-ambiguous apparent motion

A single apparent motion display can result in the perception of a rigid three-dimensional motion or a plastic, two-dimensional motion. Previous studies have found that the principal determinant of the perceptual outcome is the temporal properties of the apparent motion stimulus. Here it is shown that the form properties of the stimulus are another determinant and that, in some situations, they may become a more powerful determinant than the temporal properties.     

Self-Enhancement and Social Responsibility: On Caring More, but Doing Less, Than Others

Self-enhancement biases have been found in a variety of self-rated skills, traits, and abilities, yet past research has not examined whether people show such biases in ratings of their social concern and activism. In the present paper, we report the results of two surveys on this question. In the first survey, 549 adults rated their level of concern and activism on one of six different issues (e.g., homelessness). The results showed a general pattern of self-enhancement in professed concern but self-deprecation in activism. In the second survey, a random-digit dialing method was used to contact a representative sample of the general public. A total of 817 respondents rated their level of concern and activism on the issues of environmental protection, animal welfare, and world hunger. The second survey also explored two techniques for debiasing self-enhancement in concern: one based on a cognitive consistency model, and one based on the salience of others' actions. Findings from the second survey replicated those of the first, and both debiasing techniques failed to reduce self-ratings of concern. Moreover, a sizable number of respondents said that they would do more if others showed more concern. These results are consistent with a social dilemma in which citizens feel a personal sense of concern, but are reluctant to act until others show greater concern.     

Physicians' Reactions to Uncertainty: Refining the constructs and scales

The Physicians' Reactions to Uncertainty (PRU) scales were developed to measure physicians' affective reactions to uncertainty. However, the structural (factor) model for the two PRU scales has not been cross validated on an independent sample of physicians. We surveyed 337 physicians in internal medicine at Indiana University to test the structural model for the PRU scales using confirmatory factor analysis and, if necessary, to refine the constructs and scales. The structural model of the original PRU scales did not fit the data (X²=559.26,p<.001) provided by the 265 (79%) respondents. Based on models suggested by 15 volunteers, we refined the constructs and scales. The four new scales are Anxiety Due to Uncertainty (five items,=.85), Concern about Bad Outcomes (three items,=.74), Reluctance to Disclose Uncertainty to Patients (five items,=.76), and Reluctance to Disclose Mistakes to Physicians (two items,=.75). The revised structural models have greater conceptual clarity, better fit to the data, and shorter scale measures than the original PRU model.This research was supported in part by National Research Service Award HS00032 from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.     

CHOICE MAKING TO PROMOTE ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES

Two analyses investigated the effects of choice making on the responding of elementary school students with emotional and behavioral challenges. In the first analysis, 2 participants were given choices from menus of academic tasks, all of which were pertinent to their educational objectives in English and spelling, respectively. Reversal designs showed that the choice-making conditions increased task engagement and reduced disruptive behavior for both students. An additional analysis was performed with a 3rd student in an effort to further distinguish the effects of choice making from preference. In this study, one of the no-choice phases was yoked to a previous choice-making condition. This analysis demonstrated that the choice-making condition was superior to baseline and yoked control phases as determined by levels of task engagement and disruptive behavior. The findings of the two analyses contribute information relevant to students with emotional and behavioral disorders, and to a growing literature on the desirable effects of choice making for students with disabilities and challenging behaviors.     

The impact of race and ethnicity on transference and countertransference in combined individual/group therapy

Interracial group psychotherapy is workable. Psychodynamics get cathected onto race; as this paper will show, the group process elicits feelings about racial and ethnic differences with greater intensity than in individual therapy. Analysis of race/ethnicity can be both problematic and growth enhancing for treatment. The process of identifying conscious and unconscious feelings and thoughts of race/ ethnicity can stimulate major resistance, which can engender difficulties in maintenance of a working alliance. However, the working through of these feelings/thoughts may have a catalytic effect and lead to a more rapid unfolding of core psychodynamic issues. Case material from a multi-racial/multi-ethnic therapy group illustrate these issues.The author wants to thank Drs. Nina Fieldsteel, Bob Addison, and Judith Caligor for their support and critical commentary, and Helene Kylen for her editorial assistance. An earlier version of this paper was presented in 1986 at Culture, Race, and Ethnicity in Group and Family Therapy, sponsored by Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, New York University, and the University of Puerto Rico.     

Play Therapy With Abused Children: A Review of the Literature

The authors present a review and critique of the play therapy literature related to abused and neglected children, and they discuss seven characteristic play behaviors of maltreated children along with two common play themes. Recommendations for future research are also presented.     

Overvaluation and undervaluation of women job applicants: How general are the vagaries of sex bias?

Using a realistic managerial task, 288 college students evaluated a man or woman who was applying for a male sex-typed job: stockbroker or football photographer. Applicants were either demonstrably skilled or unknown in ability. Contrary to expectations, skilled women were not overvalued when compared with similarly skilled men. Additionally, women with inadequate information about their ability were not undervalued compared with men. No differences attributable to applicant sex were obtained. Ability information significantly improved ratings of stockbroker applicants, but did not effect football photographer applicants. The generality of prior overvaluation findings obtained by Heilman, Martell, and Simon (1988) is reexamined.     

A replication of preference displacement research in children with autism spectrum disorder

The purpose of this paper was to replicate previous research on preference displacement with edible and leisure stimuli. In the present study, the experimenters evaluated preference displacement in 25 children with autism spectrum disorder using combined multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessments that consisted of highly preferred edible and leisure stimuli. In addition, the experimenters used a block randomization procedure to evaluate if assessment order influenced displacement outcomes. The experimenters observed patterns of complete displacement by edible stimuli for four participants and complete displacement by leisure stimuli for two participants; assessment order did not influence outcomes. The results and implications are discussed.