Attempts to predict intelligent behavior: II. A study of problem solving

In Experiment I a group of pupils from a secondary school was given a test of general intelligence, a test of the ability to categorize objects in a flexible way, and five different problem-solving tasks. Subjects who were successful on the problems had higher scores on the intelligence test than the rest. The Categorizing Test was not, however, a good indicator of success. In Experiment II a comparison was made between scores on different parts of the so-called Family Test. With high school pupils and university students as subjects, correlation coefficients in the neighborhood of 0.40 were found between scores when suggesting possible classifications of objects, and scores when choosing a classification to fit different sets of objects. The triangular form of the scatterplots was taken as an indication that an ability to present different interpretations of one's experience is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for success in problem-solving tasks.     

Effect of mode of presentation on performance in a familiar task

Contrasting interpretations of the role of overt, exploratory activity in problem solving was evaluated by presenting a task that could be solved by the application of a familiar physical principle under abstract and concrete conditions. Contrary to what is found under unfamiliar task conditions, superior problem solving performance was obtained under the abstract condition. The findings support the hypothesis that the utility of overt, exploratory activity is related to the degree of novelty of the task.     

Attempts to predict intelligent behavior: III. The relative importance of divergent and convergent production

Scores on a test built on Raaheim's (1974) theory of problem solving and intelligence (the Family Test, Part I) were correlated with scores of divergent and convergent production within the same ideational area (the Family Test, Parts II and III). The results indicate that both divergent and convergent production contribute to the solution of the problem-solving tasks. To expand the findings to a broader field of intelligence research scores on the tests of divergent and convergent production were correlated with school achievement. Multiple correlations of 0.61 (males) and 0.67 (females) were found between school achievement and the two tests. Comparisons of groups with scores above and below the means of the two tests show that school achievement depends on the combination of divergent and convergent production, suggesting that, although the two types of production reflect two different aspects of intellectual activity, as a rule they work together in the process of intelligent adjustment.     

A functional interpretation of the modality effect

A functional conceptualization of the modality effect is presented, i. e. of the empirical finding showing a superior short-term retention of auditorily as opposed to visually presented verbal information. This theoretical view proposes that memory performance should be regarded as a function of an interaction between specific demands of the memory task and available cognitive capabilities. This notion is contrasted with two existing interpretations of the modality effect stating larger processing or storage capacities for a hypothetical memory system when information is auditorily as opposed to visually presented. Four experiments are reported, which all demonstrate the viability of the present view: The nature of the recall difference between modalities varies as a function of the interaction between task demands and cognitive capabilities and not as a function of certain properties of a hypothetical memory system.     

Boundary conditions for the modality effect: Type of material and time of test

Recall of auditory and visually presented information was studied using three different types of material. Although auditory presentation was superior for all three types of material, the size and pattern of the effect depended upon whether the visual presentation was successive or simultaneous. Successive visual presentation reduced recall performance compared to auditory presentation considerably for real sentences, while smaller effects were obtained for noun sequences and scrambled sentences. The overall supremacy in recall of auditory presented items was reduced further when compared to a simultaneous visual presentation. In the last two experiments, all effects of modality of presentation obtained in immediate recall were replicated, but were eliminated in delayed recall. The finding that this modality effect is eliminated in delayed recall is taken to indicate that semantic aspects of the material to be remembered are by and large unaffected by mode of presentation, while more superficial aspects are the ones influenced.     

Schizophrenic reactions in the Serial Spiral After-Effect Test

A group of 52 schizophrenics, 13 neurotics and 30 normals were studied by means of the Serial Spiral After-Effect Test. Schizophrenics with classical overt symptoms showed significantly higher values compared to neurotics, normals and latent schizophrenics on the residual variability in ten consecutive durations of the after-effect, i.e. the total variability minus the variability ascribable to linear change. Significant correlations were obtained between residnal variability in the Serial Spiral After-Effect Test and psychosis, as assessed by a psychiatric rating scale for the schizophrenics with classical overt symptoms, when the mean level in the Serial Spiral After-Effect Test was checked.     

动态面孔表情优势效应的心理机制及神经基础

动态面孔表情优势效应是指较静态面孔表情而言, 个体在识别动态的面孔表情时表现出较好的识别能力。动态面孔表情优势效应的心理机制主要涉及增强的构形加工、补偿角色和面孔模仿能力。此外, 该优势效应的神经网络则由核心的神经网络和扩展的神经网络组成, 前者主要负责早期的知觉编码和刺激的运动加工, 而后者与个体的面孔模仿能力、刺激的动态表征等有关。今后的研究应集中在完善延伸的神经网络、拓展其心理机制; 开展动态面孔表情优势效应的发展性研究; 考察面孔表情的刚性运动特征; 注重在虚拟现实环境下研究动态面孔表情的优势效应。     

Critical Factors Associated with Early Postpartum Depression among Turkish Women

The main objective of this study was to examine the associated factors of the early postpartum depression, in a Turkish sample of 151 postnatal women. Besides positive and negative affect and marital adjustment measures, demographic and labor related variables, which may affect the postpartum depression, were also included into the study. To reveal the critical factors associated with the early postnatal depressive mood, a regression analysis was conducted. After controlling for the variance accounted for by age and number of children, negative affect and marital maladjustment measures were found to be significant associates of postpartum depression. These findings are discussed in the light of the literature.This work has been supported by the Turkish Academy of Sciences, in the framework of the Young Scientist Award Program. (TG-TUBA-GEBIP/2002-1-11).