Visual perception of surface curvature: psychophysics of curvature detection induced by motion parallax

The continuous approach to optic-flow processing shows that the curvature of a moving surface is related to a second spatial derivative of the velocity field, the spin variation (Droulez & Cornilleau-Pérès, 1989). With this approach as a theoretical framework, visual sensitivity to the curvature of a cylinder in motion was measured using a task of discrimination between cylindrical and planar patches. The results confirm the predictions suggested by the theory: (1) Sensitivity to curvature was always greater when the cylinder axis and the frontal translation were parallel than when they were orthogonal. The ratio of curvature detection thresholds in the two cases was between 1.3 and 2.5; the value predicted from the spin variation theory is about 2. (2) Sensitivity to curvature increased strongly with the velocity of the motion but was only weakly affected by its amplitude and the duration of viewing for the range of values used in our experiments.     

The Role of Sympathy and Altruistic Personality Traits in Helping: A Reexamination

The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the role of social evaluative concerns in the self-report of sympathy and in the relation of sympathy to helping; and (b) to determine the role of "altruistic personality" traits and situationally induced vicarious emotional responses in the intention to help. Dispositional and situational self-reports of sympathy and other vicarious emotional reactions were obtained for persons who also were given the opportunity to assist a needy other. Moreover, dispositional measures of concern with social evaluation and an altruistic orientation were obtained, and a bogus pipeline manipulation was instituted for half the study participants. Both dispositional and situational self-reported sympathy were positively related to helping, as were other personality indices viewed as reflecting altruistic characteristics. The relations for the dispositional indices of sympathy were not due solely to social evaluative concerns or to other egoistic concerns. The effects on intended helping of dispositional sympathy, perspective taking, and the tendency to ascribe responsibility for others to the self appeared to be both direct and mediated by situational sympathetic responding. Finally, situational sadness did not mediate the effects of sympathetic responsiveness.     

Comparative clinicogenetic study of schizophrenic psychoses

The author diagnoses 350 carefully selected schizophrenic subjects, their parents and their siblings during parallel studies using three different clinical classification systems and analyzes the results by multiple threshold analysis and the multifactorial inheritance model. The results suggest that, of the three classifications the author studied, Leonhard's and Sneshnewski's system yield relatively homogeneous subgroups; this indicates the future significance of these nosological systems for the planning of biopsychiatric research.     

On structural equation modeling with data that are not missing completely at random

A general latent variable model is given which includes the specification of a missing data mechanism. This framework allows for an elucidating discussion of existing general multivariate theory bearing on maximum likelihood estimation with missing data. Here, missing completely at random is not a prerequisite for unbiased estimation in large samples, as when using the traditional listwise or pairwise present data approaches. The theory is connected with old and new results in the area of selection and factorial invariance. It is pointed out that in many applications, maximum likelihood estimation with missing data may be carried out by existing structural equation modeling software, such as LISREL and LISCOMP. Several sets of artifical data are generated within the general model framework. The proposed estimator is compared to the two traditional ones and found superior.The research of the first author was supported by grant No. SES-8312583 from the National Science Foundation and by a Spencer Foundation grant. We wish to thank Chuen-Rong Chan for drawing the path diagram.     

Some problems of genetic counseling in schizophrenic psychoses

The authors sum up the most important basic principles of diagnostics and genetics of the schizophrenic psychoses from the viewpoint of genetic counseling for the practising psychiatrist and medical geneticist. Regarding genetic counselling strategy, in addition to nosological considerations, they stress the importance of socio-cultural and social psychological factors and of the emotional atmosphere in the family, which should all be taken into account together. Because of the special situation of schizophrenic (and in general, psychiatric) patients and their families, they regard it as advisable to set up a separate psychiatric genetic counselling service.     

A general structural equation model with dichotomous,ordered categorical,and continuous latent variable indicators

A structural equation model is proposed with a generalized measurement part, allowing for dichotomous and ordered categorical variables (indicators) in addition to continuous ones. A computationally feasible three-stage estimator is proposed for any combination of observed variable types. This approach provides large-sample chi-square tests of fit and standard errors of estimates for situations not previously covered. Two multiple-indicator modeling examples are given. One is a simultaneous analysis of two groups with a structural equation model underlying skewed Likert variables. The second is a longitudinal model with a structural model for multivariate probit regressions.This research was supported by Grant No. 81-IJ-CX-0015 from the National Institute of Justice, by Grant No. DA 01070 from the U.S. Public Health Service, and by Grant No. SES-8312583 from the National Science Foundation. I thank Julie Honig for drawing the figures. Requests for reprints should be sent to Bengt Muthén, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024.     

Sheldon Smith on Newton’s Derivative: Retrospective Assignation,Externalism and the History of Mathematics

To illustrate the view that a speaker can have a partial understanding of a concept, Burge uses the example of Leibniz’s and Newton’s understanding of the concept of derivative. In a recent article, Sheldon Smith criticizes this example and maintains that Newton’s and Leibniz’s use of their derivative symbols does not univocally determine their references. The present article aims at challenging Smith’s analysis. It first shows that Smith misconstrues Burge’s position. It second suggests that the philosophical lessons one should draw from the practice of the historians of philosophy are more ambivalent than what Smith thinks.

     

Llamas use social information from conspecifics and humans to solve a spatial detour task

Animal Cognition - Learning by observing others (i.e. social learning) is an important mechanism to reduce the costs of individual learning. Social learning can occur between conspecifics but also...