CAPACITY AND DELAYED SPEECH

The experiment tests a hypothesis based on limited capacity under conditions of normal and delayed auditory feedback. Three predictions are tested on reading material in which syntax and coherent meaning are introduced as separate constraints. The hypothesis predicts that the difference between normal and delayed speech rates will be inversely related to the redundancy of the material but that the ratio of delayed/normal readings will remain constant across the passages since this measure also takes account of reading speed. A third measure, based on a selective analysis of speech disturbances, also confirms a prediction that the likelihood of speech disturbances increase throughout a sentence unit. The effects of delayed feedback are briefly discussed within the context of two recent models of information processing.     

Catecholamine output in school children as related to performance and adjustment

Johansson, G. Frankenhaeuser, M. & Magnusson, D. Catecholamine output in school children as related to performance and adjustment. Scand. J. Psychol., 1973, 14, 20–28.-Excretion of two catecholamines, adrenaline and noradrenaline, was studied in a group of 240 children, sampled from a longitudinal study, during a "passive" period (viewing a film) and a subsequent "active" period (performing an arithmetic test). In the group of boys the mean adrenaline excretion increased significantly during the active as compared with the passive period. Among the children of both sexes, those who increased their adrenaline output during the arithmetic test as compared with the preceding passive period, performed better on the test in terms of speed and endurance, than did children who did not respond to mental work by adrenaline increase. Significant positive correlations were found between the secretion of both catecholamines and teachers' ratings indicating good social adjustment and emotional stability, as well as with measures of the pupils' subjective satisfaction with their school environment.     

Chronic Smoking and Emotionality1

Self-report data were gathered on the chronic emotionality of smokers and nonsmokers in a number of samples. The results were discussed relative to the literature on sociopathy and recent studies that found smokers to be more emotional than nonsmokers. It was argued that an S's own emotional feelings must be distinguished from the behavioral observations of others, and that the smoking habit might well lead to a generally lowered level of felt emotionality.     

Observations Of Conjointly Hospitalized “Alcoholic Couples” During Sobriety And Intoxication: Implications For Theory and Therapy

This paper presents clinical data from a research study designed to examine the relation between alcohol consumption and interactional behavior in “alcoholic couples.” The central innovative feature of the study was the simultaneous admission to an inpatient setting of up to three couples, one or both members of which was alcoholic. The in-patient experience was part of an intensive, six-week, multiple-couples, group-therapy program. During hospitalization couples were encouraged to reproduce as closely as possible their usual drinking patterns and interactional behavior. Therapists utilized observations of interactional behavior during intoxication and sobriety to formulate central interactional and psychological issues for each couple. The authors utilized these same observations to develop the interactional model of alcoholism in families that is presented in detail in this paper. This model is an extension of earlier work delimiting an interactional theory of alcoholism based on general systems concepts. Two extensive case histories are presented to illustrate both theoretical issues and the treatment process.     

EMPLOYING CONJOINT ANALYSIS IN MAKING COMPENSATION DECISIONS

A method employing conjoint analysis that generates utility/cost ratios for various elements of the compensation package is described. Its superiority to simple preference surveys is examined relative to optimizing the level of employee satisfaction at any given expenditure level. Results of a study of the use of this method in fringe benefit planning in a large financial institution are reported.     

How One Family Perceives Another: The Relationship Between Social Constructions and Problem-Solving Competence

This paper delineates a rarely studied but important family process: how a family perceives and understands the relationships in other families it knows. We hypothesize that these perceptions of other families are fundamental components of a family's shared construing of its social world. Families differ in how they perceive other families, specifically, and in their approach to construing or apprehending their social world, generally. We have hypothesized that these general differences also play a crucial role in shaping the style and competence of family problem-solving. A family's approach to any problem depends upon how it construes or interprets the social context of that problem. Using these general concepts of family life, we construct specific hypotheses linking family problem-solving and interfamily perception. We describe methods for measuring both family problem-solving and how a family perceives other families. Findings confirm our major hypothesis: A family that searches for underlying and subtle patterns in a problem-solving situation will develop a more differentiated and organized conception of other families.