On the nature of perceptual limits in vision

Summary Studies of attention have generally assumed that the principal limit to visual perception involves the capacity to identify a stimulus. Analyses of responses in visual tasks, however, suggest that errors can arise from a loss of position information, as well as a loss of identity information, and that these two types of errors may be affected by different variables. Based on this, we have proposed that the difficult aspect of perception is not that of recognizing the form of the stimulus but rather determining its position relative to other items in the field. To demonstrate this, we conducted a series of experiments on lateral masking that showed that the failure to perceive a parafoveal stimulus surrounded by other items is due to two quite separate components: a loss of identity information induced by the immediately adjacent items and a loss of position information induced by both adjacent and non-adjacent items.This research was supported by grant A-9581 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to the senior author. The first two experiments were reported in a paper to the annual meeting of the Psychonomics Society, San Antonio, 1984     

The relationship between temperament and personality: An exploratory study

Although the terms temperament and personality are often used interchangeably in the literature and clearly are conceptually related, there is little empirical data to illuminate their relationship. In this exploratory study we measured temperament (using the Dimensions of Temperament Survey), and personality (using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire), in young adolescents and in adults. Some age and sex differences in relationships between the measures and their correlations were found. The temperament dimension of adaptability was clearly related to Eysenck's Extraversion factor and reactivity to Neuroticism in females. More substantial relationships emerged in the adult sample than in the adolescent group, Our data, combined with that of a 1984 Australian study using different techniques, provides substantial support for measurable overlap between some dimensions of temperament derived largely from the developmental literature, and Eysenck's personality theory.     

Reviews

S tein , M urray . Jung's Treatment of Christianity: The Psychotherapy of a Religious Tradition
R ycroft , C harles . Psychoanalysis and Beyond
C hasseguet -S mirgel , J anine . The Ego Ideal: A Psychoanalytic Essay on the Malady of the Ideal
R othstein , A rnold . The Narcissistic Pursuit of Perfection     

Reviews

J acoby , M ario . Longing for Paradise. Psychological Perspectives on an Archetype
S amuels , A ndrew (Ed.). The Father: Contemporary Jungian Perspectives
W heelwright , J. H. For Women Growing Older-the Animus
F rustration /G ratification . Rivista di Psicologia Analitica
I zutsu , T oshihiko . The Interior and Exterior in Zen Buddhism     

A DIRECT PROMPTING STRATEGY FOR INCREASING RECIPROCAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN HANDICAPPED AND NONHANDICAPPED SIBLINGS

We investigated the effects of a sibling training procedure, consisting of direct prompting and modeling, on the occurrence of reciprocal interactions between nonhandicapped and handicapped siblings. Data were obtained for training, generalization, and follow-up. Results of a multiple-baseline design across three pairs of siblings showed that: (a) direct prompting of interactions was an effective strategy for increasing reciprocal interactions between handicapped and nonhandicapped siblings; (b) the training procedure resulted in increased levels of initiations and responsiveness to initiations; (c) reciprocal interactions between siblings generalized to larger play groups or across settings; (d) reciprocal interactions between handicapped subjects and untrained, nonhandicapped peers increased without direct training; (e) the siblings' levels of interactions were maintained at 6 mo follow-up; and (f) these findings were judged socially valid by the siblings' parents.     

CONTINGENT PAYMENT PROCEDURES FOR SMOKING REDUCTION AND CESSATION

We assessed the ability of a combined contingent reinforcement and intensive monitoring procedure to promote and sustain temporary smoking cessation among 34 hired research volunteers, and the ability of a smoking reduction test to predict the subsequent initiation of abstinence. During the 5-day cutdown test, subjects were paid from $0 to $6 per day depending on the extent of reduction from baseline CO levels. During the abstinence test, breath samples were obtained three times daily and subjects were paid $4 for each CO reading ≤11 ppm. Sixty-eight percent of subjects initiated abstinence. Of the breath samples collected during the abstinence test (91% of scheduled samples), 96.5% were ≤11 ppm and 80.5% were ≤8 ppm. Subjects who earned more money during the cutdown test were more likely to abstain (r = ?0.51, p < .001). Contingent reinforcement and intensive monitoring procedures appear to have usefulness for analog studies of smoking reduction and cessation.     

Sensory extinction of stereotyped object-dropping: Identification of a reinforcer for skill training

Stereotyped motor behavior, resistant to treatment by nonaversive means, can be effectively reduced by sensory extinction. Sensory extinction is a procedure which can identify the powerful sensory reinforcers maintaining stereotyped behavior. In this single-subject, multiple-baseline experiment, the elimination of auditory feedback to a workshop trainee who was blind and profoundly retarded, extinguished stereotyped object-dropping. Contingent auditory stimulation delivered for a fixed ratio of correct object placements increased correct responding. Results were discussed in terms of the utility of selecting reinforcers on the basis of empirical manipulations, such as sensory extinction, and in terms of self-control versus contingency functions of sensory reinforcement.     

Sex differences in endorsement of influence tactics and political behavior tendencies

Sex differences in the endorsement of influence tactics and political behavior tendencies were surveyed among 337 employees (176 males and 161 females). The sample was composed of managers, business owners, and professional, technical, sales, and office support workers from a variety of organizations. No significant differences were found between males and females with respect to scores on the Political Orientation Questionnaire, preference for teamwork, exchange of favors, and upward appeal. However, women were significantly less likely than men to perceive themselves as relying on charm, manipulative tactics, and personal appearance to achieve results and gain advantage. None of the sex differences could be attributed to years of job experience.