Conceptual contributions of Kantor's interbehavioral psychology

Kantor's interbehavioral psychology may be characterized by its conceptual emphases upon (a) naturalism, (b) scientific pluralism, (c) organism-environment interactions, and (d) integrated event fields of continuously interrelated and interrelating factors. Despite differences between Skinnerian and Kantorian classification schemes, the conceptual features of interbehaviorism are compatible with those of Skinner's behaviorism, and taken together the two provide a firm theoretical foundation for an authenticially behavioristic psychology.     

Hemispheric alpha asymmetries during an electromyographic biofeedback procedure for stuttering: A single-subject experimental design

A single-subject “double-reversal” experimental design was used to investigate the use of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback on the dysfluent behaviors of a right-handed male stutterer. A systematic decrease in EMG amplitude accompanied a progressive approximation of increased verbal complexity resulting in increased fluent behavior. Electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha data (8–12 Hz) gathered during baseline and pre- and post- treatment sessions appeared to co-vary with changes in fluency with right hemispheric suppression associated with greater dysfluencies and left hemispheric alpha suppression with decreased dysfluencies. The results are discussed relative to stutterer's adoption of differing behavioral production strategies for fluent speech that are associated with hemispheric information processing strategies.     

Effects of type of center fixation stimulus on visual-field preferences: a preliminary study

60 normal subjects (30 males and 30 females) viewed bilateral presentations of pairs of CVC or CVVC English words high in imagery. Three types of central fixation stimuli were studied: numbers, letters, and geometric forms. A significant main effect for kind of fixation was found, but not for sex, visual fields, or their interactions. Results are discussed relative to the processing of high imagery words by both the left and right hemispheres.     

Bilateral tachistoscopic word perception of stutterers and normal subjects

Bilateral tachistoscopic procedures were utilized to investigate the visual half-field preferences of 15 stutterers and a group of 15 normal controls. Statistical analyses indicated a right visual half-field preference for the control group. In contrast, a significant visual half-field preference was not revealed for the stuttering group. However, further analysis revealed that a significantly larger proportion of stutterers, compared to controls, demonstrated a left visual half-field preference. Results indicated reversed cerebral processing for the stuttering group as compared with the control group.     

The coordination of visual and tactual input in infants

Traditionally it has been taught that “touch teaches vision” in ontogeny. Recent experiments have shown that in judgment situations vision dominates touch, a finding that has been taken to weaken the traditional argument. The force of the finding is vitiated to some extent by the functional dominance of touch. Developmental experiments show that initially in ontogeny vision is functionally dominant, strengthening the case against the traditional argument.     

Lessons on the utilization of research from nine case experiences in the natural hazards field

Research-funding organizations and research investigators can take several steps to improve the utilization of scientific research. These steps were derived from nine case studies of research projects in the natural hazards field, representing three academic fields of study: physical science, social science, and architecture. The case studies investigated the extent to which these projects corroborated the conditions associated with specific theories of research utilization. Following a replication research design, the cross-case conclusions were that greater utilization will result where research investigators and users maintain a rich set of professional communications over time, leading to research that is: academically excellent, addresses practical problems, can be modified in the early stages to be responsive to users’ needs, and produces usable products. Robert K. Yin is President of COSMOS Corporation, which specializes in both social science research and in information systems development. Dr. Yin also serves as a visiting professor, department of Computer Science and Information Systems, American University, Washington, D.C. 20016. Gwendolyn B. Moore is a senior manager for Nolan, Norton, & Co., an information technology affiliate of Peat Marwick. She specializes in information technology and strategic planning projects, and holds an MBA in Business Policy from the University of Massachusetts.     

Choice and segmented interreinforcement intervals

Pigeons were trained on a two-key concurrent schedule, where food reinforcers on one key were arranged by a simple variable-interval schedule and on the other key by a chain variable-interval variable-interval schedule. When the initial link of the chain was in effect, the pigeons tended to respond more on the simple variable-interval schedule, and hence less on the chain, than would be expected from a comparison of both the local and overall rates of reinforcement of the two schedules. When the terminal link of the chain was in effect, the pigeons responded more on the chain than would be expected from a comparison of the rates of reinforcement of the schedules then in effect. Overall responding on the chain was not proportional to overall reinforcement on the chain but rather was a by-product of responding during initial- and terminal-link phases.