Evidence for a visuo-spatial scratch-pad in working memory

Experiments are reported which address the nature of the working memory system. Articulatory suppression (continuous recital of the digits 1 to 4) disrupted concurrent performance of a verbal reasoning task, but had no effect upon performance of a spatial reasoning task. In contrast, spatial suppression (continuous sequential tapping) produced reliable interference only with spatial reasoning. These findings are taken as consistent with Baddeley's argument for two slave systems in working memory: the articulatory loop and the more controversial visuo-spatial scratch-pad.     

Developmental picture norms: Relationships between name agreement,familiarity, and visual complexity for child and adult ratings of two sets of line drawings

Developmental differences in name agreement, familiarity, and visual complexity in response to line drawings of common objects were obtained from children and adults. Sixty-one pictures were taken from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised and 259 pictures were taken from the set normed for adults by Snodgrass and Vanderwart (1980). Although there were some differences between the two sets of pictures, the present results replicated the relative independence of these three measures, which was reported by Snodgrass and Vanderwart for adults. Children and adults showed substantial agreement on the names of the pictures. Although the children’s ratings were lower on all measures, the differences were trivial for most pictures. We concluded that judgments of familiarity, complexity, and the names of line drawings of common objects are based primarily on information processing accomplished prior to age 7.     

Validation of the P. D. I. Employment Inventory in a retail chain

Conclusions The Performance Score of the P. D. I. Employment Inventory appears to be a useful predictor of adaptive performance behavior of retail store employees at the non-management level. The findings of Personnel Decisions Inc. would indicate that the test is generalizable to mass merchandising organizations nationwide. Since this is a new test, further research is indicated.     

The double standard of aging and the social situation: Judgments of attractiveness of the middle-aged woman

Two hundred male and 200 female undergraduates judged pictures of middle-aged women and middle-aged men for their immediate emotional appeal. Pictures had been selected to be of middle attractiveness and to represent individuals who appeared to be between 35 and 55 years old. Subjects made judgments under one of the following social conditions: in private, or in small groups which were all male, all female, or half male and half female. Social condition and subjects' sex affected judgments significantly, and there were some significant complex interactions between these two variables and the sex of the stimulus picture. Male and female subjects privately judged middle-aged women to be more attractive than middle-aged men, but the effect was reversed when judgments were made publicly in groups. As predicted, members of all-male groups judged middle-aged women to be considerably less attractive than middle-aged men. Members of all-female groups, and both the men and the women in mixed-sex groups, judged middle-aged women to be only slightly less attractive than middle-aged men.The authors wish to thank Linda Andrews, Dayna Buskirk, Anne Grealy and Lori Monda for their assistance.     

Contrast effects and their relationship to subsequent behavior

The present study attempted to apply social judgment theories to the effects of context on judgments of the importance of a social issue and on subsequent issue-related behavior. Subjects judged the importance of a target issue (recycling) in the context of either important or unimportant social issues and were subsequently asked in a separate setting for help on a local recycling project. Context produced contrast effects on rating scale judgments of the importance of recycling. These judgments, if salient, were then used as a basis for subsequent support of the recycling project. When either the initial judgment was not salient or no prior judgment of recycling was made, the importance of the context had a positive effect on amount of support for recycling, such that more help was given in the important context conditions. Results indicate that contrast effects on the ratings are response base rather than perceptual in nature, but that the rating, if salient, can serve as subsequent behavior and attitudes.     

Gender and situational differences in children's smiles,touch, and proxemics

It was hypothesized that gender differences in nonverbal behaviors which are often considered to be affiliative may represent systematic differences between males and females in self-presentation. Smiling, touching, and interpersonal distance were studied with 256 White adolescents and preadolescents, who were randomly assigned to same-sex grade-level pairs. Self-presentation was made more salient by asking each subject pair to pose for a picture depicting a social situation. Each pair illustrated one of two situations — a neutral situation and a “male-appropriate” situation that emphasized team spirit in an athletic competition. Girls smiled significantly more often than boys did and mutually touched each other more often, but there were no differences between the sexes in the overall amount of touching or proxemics. Instead, the social situation significantly determined the amount of touch and proxemics. Subjects' age and experimenter's sex were not significant variables.     

Sexuality as a treatment issue with a special population of adolescents

The handicapped adolescent population heretofore has not been properly identified or serviced. These adolescents have to deal with body image and sexual identity problems. Working with the adolescent individually, in groups, and in a therapeutic community setting, we have developed methods of dealing with the issue of sexuality.