Delayed matching by fornix-transected monkeys: The sample, the push and the bait

In the acquisition event of ordinary delayed matching to sample the monkey sees a sample, displaces it, and finds a food reward underneath; subsequently the retention test consists of a choice between that sample and a distractor, and the strength of the memory laid down by the acquisition event may be assessed by the correctness of choice at the retention test. The present experiments varied the acquisition events and examined the effect of those variations on normal and fornix-transected monkeys' memory. One variation was to proceed as normally but never to bait the sample at acquisition; this variation allowed assessment of the role of the food reward in ordinary matching. Another was to present the sample, baited and to be displaced, as normally, but to present also the distractor, baited but not requiring to be displaced, in a second acquisition event; this “push-match” variation allowed assessment of memory for the displacement. The main result from normal monkeys was that matching to unbaited samples was learned much faster than matching to baited samples. Following fornix transection, final performance levels in matching to baited and to unbaited samples were unimpaired but push-match showed a permanent deficit. These results support earlier indications that fornix-transected monkeys have normal sensory memory but are deficient in the memory of instrumental responses.     

A Study of Husbands and Wives from Dual-Career and Traditional-Career Families

Husbands and wives of dual-career families were compared with husbands and wives of traditional-career families on the variables of inner-directedness, self-actualizing values, existentiality, self-regard, and self-acceptance. Also, comparisons between the two sets of couples were made on shared and unshared interests. Our findings indicate that the husbands and wives in our sample of dual-career families do not differ in major ways from our sample of husbands and wives of traditional-career families; however, in every instance of difference, the direction of difference supports the view that husbands and wives of dual-career families are more inner-directed and flexible in applying personal values than husbands and wives of traditional-career families.     

Reliability in Dream Research: A Methodological Note

The coefficients of internal consistency and retest reliability had been rarely investigated within the methodology of dream content analysis. Analyzing a dream series of elderly, healthy persons obtained from weekly telephone interviews, the internal consistency of a series of 20 dreams and retests after 4 or 22 weeks, respectively, had been computed. The findings indicate that dream recall and dream length are quite stable, but dream characteristics such as bizarreness and emotional tone underlie large intraindividual fluctuations. In order to obtain reliable measures for these variables which will be important for correlational studies, including waking-life trait measures, one has to obtain as many dreams as possible (about 20) in a very short time period. Further research is needed to extend the present findings to diary dreams and laboratory dreams.     

Presidential Address: 21st International Congress of Applied Psychology

In 1920, 66 years ago, in Geneva, on Claparede's initiative, 16 psychologists coming from 7 countries met to discuss "Nature and Nurture in Aptitude Development". They had a fruitful meeting, decided to create IAAP, and immediately started to organise the second Congress of Applied Psychology which took place in Barcelona in 1921. IAAP is, therefore, the oldest international association of psychologists. Thirty-five years later, and after a period of inactivity due to the war, there was a big step forward. Five hundred psychologists from 29 countries met in London for the 12th IAAP Congress, and Dr. Frisby, opening the Congress, could already take pride in the diversification of our field, quoting educational, clinical and social issues.