Teaching experimental psychology with on-line computers

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of on-line computers in the teaching of experimental methodology. Computer models are featured.     

Structural models and occupational aspirations: Black-white variations among deep-south adolescents

Multivariate techniques for attribute data and the backward elimination procedure developed in regression analysis were utilized in an analysis of the occupational aspirations of deep-south adolescents. An examination of the models constructed revealed that: (1) social class indicators accounted for the largest effect estimates; (2) residence was associated with a smaller, yet statistically significant portion of the variation; and (3) the effect of race was negligible when controls were applied. Application of the most efficient model to black and white subsamples revealed race variations in both composite effect estimates and the rank order of effect estimates. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the developmental model of occupational choice and suggestions for further research are presented.     

Masking of and by tactile pressure stimuli

Masking of and by tactile pressure stimuli was investigated in six Ss as a function of stimulus intensity (force) and stimulus onset asynchrony. Increase in the force of the masked stimulus and decrease in the force of the masking stimulus were inversely related to the magnitude of masking, as defined by either a relative or an absolute decrease in sensitivity. The introduction of stimulus onset asynchrony produced both forward and backward masking, the latter being of somewhat larger magnitude. Comparisons are made with results obtained in visual metacontrast masking.     

TIME CONSERVATION ACROSS CULTURES

L'auteur tente de determiner si les enfants appartenant à des cultures non occidentales perçoivent le temps de la même manière que les enfants occidentaux, s'ils se conforment aux stades de Piaget, et si L'âge auquel ces stades se réalisent correspond approximativement à ce que trouve Piaget. Les échantillons ont été tirés de sept cultures: anglo (Blancs), mexicaine-américaine, et indiennes (Hopis, Pimas, Papagos, Apaches et Navajos). Avec un total de 317 sujets, L'étude a porté, dans chaque groupe culturel, sur quinze enfants de sept, neuf et onze ans respectivement. Quatre épreuves ont été utilisées pour mettre en évidence la conservation du temps: deux épreuves sur la conservation de L'ordre des événements, et deux épreuves sur la conservation de la simultanéité. Les résultats font apparaître une très grande variabilité avec L'âge; dans le cas de la simultanéité, aucun groupe culturel n'atteint le critère, proposé par Piaget, de 3/4 de réponses correctes, même aux âges où cette capacité, selon Piaget, est atteinte. En ce qui concerne la conservation de L'ordre nécessaire des événements, seuls les enfants mexicains-américains, anglos et pimas ont acquis cette capacité à L'âge de onze ans. En ce qui concerne la conservation de L'ordre naturel, seuls les Navajos et les Apaches n'ont pas cette capacité à L'âge de onze ans.     

Aspirations for College

This study was conducted in an attempt to assess accurately the aspirations for college among a sample of male secondary school students over a 4-year period. 3 groups were identified—one composed of students who aspired to college and to occupations typically requiring a college degree, one composed of those not aspiring to college, and the other composed of students who indicated a disparity between their educational and occupational aspirations. These groups were investigated for differences in self-concept of ability, perceived parental evaluation, social class, and grade-point average. It was hypothesized that the college aspirers would be significantly higher than those not aspiring to college and the disparity group on each of the four variables. The results indicated that the hypotheses were tenable at each grade level from 7 to 10.     

The Declining course of recognition memory

Recognition memory for words can decline, sometimes precipitously, over the course of the recognition test. Decrements of as much as 75% in d’ have been observed from the first quarter of testing to the last. and decrements of 40%–50% are not uncommon. Proactive mechanisms, imperfectly understood, appear to underlie such declines: Processing early input renders late input less recognizable, and making early recognition judgments renders later judgments more difficult. At the same time, the processing of late-input words fails to inhibit the recognition of the words that preceded them.