Dependent processing in dichotic listening as a function of word meaning attributes

Single dichotic word pairs were presented for immediate identification. Recognition probability was greater and response latencies shorter for high- than for low-frequency words. Both recognition measures were also affected by the frequency of the word accompanying the target word, performance being facilitated by a high-frequency partner and sometimes impaired by a low-frequency partner. Associative meaningfulness had similar, though less reliable, effects whereas the effects of word concreteness-abstractness were inconsistent. Recognition accuracy was generally superior for right-ear inputs, but recognition latency did not show consistent ear effects. Similar results were obtained under both unrestricted (Experiment 1) and controlled (Experiment 2) ear order of report instructions. The findings are consistent with a limited capacity interpretation of secondary processing in word perception.     

Primacy Effects in Justice Judgments: Testing Predictions from Fairness Heuristic Theory

We tested predictions from fairness heuristic theory that justice judgments are more sensitive to early fairness-relevant information than to later fairness-relevant information and that this primacy effect is more evident when group identification is higher. Participants working on a series of three tasks experienced resource failures that interfered with their productivity and always had the possibility of explaining problems to a supervisor. In a manipulation of the timing of fairness-relevant experiences, the supervisor refused to consider explanations on the first, second, or third of three work trials (but did consider explanations on the other two trials) or the supervisor never refused to hear the explanations. Prior to the work periods, the participants either had or had not undergone a manipulation designed to induce greater identification with the work group. As predicted, the timing of fairness-relevant experiences showed a primacy effect on fairness judgments and acceptance of authority in the high identification conditions and no evidence of such an effect in the low identification conditions. The implications of the findings for understanding the psychology of justice and for real-world justice phenomena are discussed.     

Oscillatory motion induces change blindness

Change blindness is the relative inability of normally sighted observers to detect large changes in scenes when the low-level signals associated with those changes are either masked or of extremely low magnitude. Change detection can be inhibited by saccadic eye movements, artificial saccades or blinks, and 'mud splashes'. We now show that change detection is also inhibited by whole image motion in the form of sinusoidal oscillations. The degree of disruption depends upon the frequency of oscillation, which at 3 Hz is equivalent to that produced by artificial blinks. Image motion causes the retinal image to be blurred and this is known to affect object recognition. However, our results are inconsistent with good change detection followed by a delay due to poor recognition of the changing object. Oscillatory motion can induce eye movements that potentially mask or inhibit the low-level signals related to changes in the scene, but we show that eye movements promote rather than inhibit change detection when the image is moving.     

The location and interpretation of the bisection point

In atemporal bisectiontask with humans, the observer is required to decide whether a probe duration ( t ) is more similar to the short referent (S), an R S response, or to the long referent (L), an R L response. Temporal bisection yields a psychometric function relating the proportion of long responses, P(R L ), to probe duration t . The value of t at which R S and R L occur with equal frequency, P(RL) = .5, is referred to as the bisection point, T 1/2 . Bisection models usually interpret T 1/2 as identifying the value of t that is equally confusable with S and L, but they differ in their predictions for the location of T 1/2 . The present paper presents new data relevant to the location and interpretation of T 1/2 . The data indicate that the empirical values usually are biased, the biases being influenced by duration range, L:S ratio, and probe spacing. Moreover, the biases often are not consistent across observers. It is concluded that empirical values of T 1/2 should not be interpreted as indicating the value of t that is equally confusable with S and L.     

Exploring epistemological beliefs of bilingual Filipino preservice teachers in the Filipino and English languages

In this study, the author investigated the epistemological beliefs of 864 bilingual Filipino preservice teachers using Filipino and English versions of the Schommer Epistemological Questionnaire (M. Schommer, 1998). The author conducted confirmatory factor analyses to determine the dimensions and structure of the epistemological beliefs. The results revealed two factors: Simple Learning and Structured Learning. The same factors were found using the Filipino and English versions of the questionnaire. The author discusses the results in terms of how they contribute to the growing evidence regarding the possible problems with particular multidimensional theories and quantitative measures of epistemological beliefs. The results also indicate how the specific epistemological beliefs of the Filipino preservice teachers may reflect features of the Philippine educational system and its tensions regarding pedagogy.     

Longitudinal Changes in Intellectual Development in Children with Fragile X Syndrome

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the development of intellectual functioning in 145 school-age pairs of siblings. Each pair included one child with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and one unaffected sibling. All pairs of children were evaluated on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) at time 1 and 80 pairs of children received a second evaluation at time 2 approximately 4 years later. Compared to their unaffected siblings, children with FXS obtained significantly lower percentage correct scores on all subtests of the WISC at both time points. During the time between the first and second assessments, the annual rate of intellectual development was approximately 2.2 times faster in the unaffected children compared to the children with FXS. Levels of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) were highly associated with intellectual ability scores of the children with FXS at both time points (r=0.55 and 0.64 respectively). However, when gender, age, and the time between assessments were included as covariates in the structural equation model, FMRP accounted for only 5% of the variance in intellectual ability scores at time 1 and 13% of the variance at time 2. The results of this study suggest that slower learning contributes to the low and declining standardized IQ scores observed in children with FXS.     

Absent minds and absent agents: Attention-lapse induced alienation of agency

We report a novel task designed to elicit transient attention-lapse induced alienation (ALIA) of agency experiences in normal participants. When attention-related action slips occur during the task, participants reported substantially decreased self control as well as a high degree of perceived agency attributed to the errant hand. In addition, participants reported being surprised by, and annoyed with, the actions of the errant hand. We argue that ALIA experiences occur because of constraints imposed by the close and precise temporal relations between intention formation and a contrary action employed in this paradigm. We note similarities between ALIA experiences and anarchic hand sign (AHS) and argue that, despite important differences, both ALIA experiences and AHS phenomenology reflect failures of executive control to intervene and cancel contrary affordance-driven habitual motor plans.     

Psychosocial Impact of Familial Adenomatous Polyposis on Young Adults: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study was to explore in detail the psychosocial impact of either having familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or being at risk for FAP amongst young adults. In-depth interviews were conducted with eleven individuals aged 18–35 with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of, or at risk of developing FAP. While being at risk did not seem to have a major psychosocial impact upon clinically unaffected participants, clinically affected individuals discussed a number of major stressors including issues in relation to changes in body image and physical functioning as a result of surgery, concerns about discussing FAP with new partners, difficulties in relation to childbearing decision-making, and impact on employment. Genetic counseling was described as being highly effective in providing support, but most participants were not aware of any other support services. Providing longer-term support through ongoing genetic counseling appears necessary to adequately address the ongoing challenges faced by young adults who are dealing with FAP.     

Affect, Social Behavior, and the Brain in Williams Syndrome

ABSTRACT— Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual impairment and a distinctive physical and neuropsychological profile. Relative to their level of intellectual functioning, individuals with WS exhibit strengths in language and face recognition, with deficits in visual-spatial cognition. A heightened appetitive drive toward social interaction is a strong behavioral feature. Relative to other neurodevelopmental disorders, WS has a clearly defined genetic basis, together with a consistent neurocognitive profile of strengths and deficits. Thus, this disorder offers unique opportunities for elucidating gene–brain–behavior relationships. We focus on manifestations of the unusual social profile in WS, by examining data within and across levels of cognition, brain, and molecular genetics.