Stimulus repetition effects and the dimension-feature distinction in alternative targets

The negative repetition effect (NRE) refers to a poorer perception of the target in noise-same-as-target than in noise-alternative-target displays. Using the parenthesis as target and noise that are either identical or different in orientation, we tested predictions derived from a feature-specific inhibition model (Bjork & Murray, 1977) that explains the NRE as arising from inhibitory interactions among channels handling identical inputs. Contrary to our expectation of evidence for orientation-specific inhibition, a positive repetition effect (PRE) was observed. We also found a PRE for the dimension target sets whose stimuli differ only in orientation and an NRE for the feature target sets whose stimuli differ in the number of elements. Further experiments that systematically varied relationships between alternative targets indicate that these basic findings, termed the stimulus attributes effects, do not arise from pattern masking, perceptual strategies, or response bias.     

Transparent layer constancy

Perceived transparency was studied as a constancy problem. In the episcotister (E-) model of scission, luminances are partitioned into layer and background components; four luminances determine values of two layer parameters that specify constancy of a transparent layer on different backgrounds. The E-model was tested in an experiment in which 12 Ss matched 24 pairs of four-luminance patterns by adjusting two luminances of the comparison pattern. Both the standard and the comparison were perceived as a transparent layer on a checkerboard. The E-model predicts matches when layer values are identical in the two patterns. One parameter was constant, constraining the adjustment along the second dimension. Obtained values corresponded well with E-predictions. Alternative models based on local luminance or average contrast ratios accounted for less variability. Results indicate that transparency models should utilize luminance, not reflectance, as the independent variable.     

On the relation between metacontrast masking and suppression of visible persistence

Does the introduction of additional contours in a display sequence (an operation known to reduce the strength of suppression in metacontrast) also reduce suppression of visible persistence? In three experiments, duration of visible persistence was estimated by a method in which successful performance depends on the temporal integration of a pattern whose elements are displayed in two successive frames. In this procedure, the arrival of the trailing frame is known to exert a suppressive influence on the visible persistence of the leading frame. Embedding the elements of the leading frame within additional contours (a line grid) reduced the degree of suppression exerted by the trailing frame. This did not occur when the grid was part of the trailing display. We conclude that suppression of visible persistence and metacontrast masking belong to the same class of events.     

A kinematic analysis of anticipatory coarticulation in the speech of anterior aphasic subjects using electromagnetic articulography

An investigation was made into the extent and time course of anticipatory coarticulation in the speech of two normal and two anterior aphasic, German-speaking subjects. Both labial and velar coarticulation gestures were investigated. Subjects produced sentences containing target words contrasting in postconsonantal vowel rounding (e.g., [geli:ge]/[gely:gel]) and in nasality (e.g., [ti:de]/[ti:ne]). Speech kinematics were monitored by means of electromagnetic articulography. The data revealed that for correct productions, aphasic speakers' coarticulatory patterns were more highly variable than those of control subjects. These differences, however, were found chiefly for spatial displacement characteristics, while the temporal aspects of articulator movement necessary for anticipatory coarticulation appeared largely intact. Articulator mistiming did not appear to explain a small corpus of stop/nasal substitution errors produced by one of the aphasic speakers.     

Glucose and physostigmine effects on morphine- and amphetamine-induced increases in locomotor activity in mice

Recent findings indicate that glucose antagonizes several behavioral effects of cholinergic antagonists and augments those of cholinergic agonists. For example, scopolamine elicits increased locomotor activity, an action which is attenuated by glucose and by combined treatment with glucose and physostigmine at doses which are individually without effect. Opiate and catecholamine agonists, such as morphine and amphetamine, also elicit hyperactivity. The present study examined interactions of glucose and physostigmine with morphine- and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Mice received saline, morphine (10 mg/kg), or amphetamine (1 mg/kg) 50 min prior to testing, followed by saline, physostigmine (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 mg/kg), or glucose (10, 50, 100, or 500 mg/kg) administered 20 min prior to activity testing in an open field. Physostigmine significantly attenuated both morphine- and amphetamine-induced increases in activity, but higher doses were required to attenuate the effects of amphetamine. Like physostigmine, glucose significantly attenuated morphine-induced activity levels, but unlike physostigmine, glucose did not attenuate amphetamine-induced activity. Thus, the behavioral effects of morphine were more susceptible to modification by physostigmine and glucose than were the effects of amphetamine. The attenuation of morphine-induced hyperactivity demonstrates a similarity between glucose and cholinergic agonists, and also indicates that glucose may inhibit, directly or indirectly, opiate functions. More generally, these findings add to the evidence that circulating glucose levels selectively influence a growing list of behavioral and neurobiological functions.     

Counselor Responsiveness to Client Religiousness

An understanding of the degree and Quality of client religiousness and the connections between client issues and religion can enhance counselor resposiveness to the potentially religious dimension of client issues.     

PASTORAL PSYCHOTHERAPY: IS IT UNIQUE?

Proponents and practitioners of pastoral psychotherapy hold to the idea that it is a unique form of psychotherapy. Little empirical or procedural evidence seems to exist to substantiate that viewpoint. Indeed, the data suggest that pastoral psychotherapy is a close kin to secular psychotherapy, not only in practice, but in the opinion of those who seek it out for help. This article takes the viewpoint that pastoral psychotherapy should be unique and attempts to show how it can be. The author stresses that it is ordination that makes pastoral psychotherapy unique, because the ordained pastor is both a theologian and a representative of the church. These two elements provide unique “lenses” for doing psychotherapy. To the extent that these lenses are not being used, the author issues a challenge to pastoral psychotherapists to bring this uniqueness to the forefront.     

The relevance of Ellis's neurohormonal theory of crime and delinquency to suicide

Ellis's neurohormonal theory of criminality is briefly reviewed, and its relevance for understanding suicidal behavior is explored. It was found that many variables identified by Ellis as characteristic of criminals are also characteristic of suicidal individuals. In addition, Ellis's perspective identified many issues that have been explored only cursorily or not at all by suicidologists. Ellis's theory may, therefore, have heuristic value for suicidology.     

Sources of difficulty in deductive reasoning: The THOG task

The THOG task presents four designs constructed from two shapes and two colours. Subjects are told that the experimenter has written down one of the shapes and one of the colours and are provided the rule that if, and only if, any design has either the shape or the colour, but not both, written down, then it is a THOG. Finally, they are given an exemplar and are asked to classify the remaining designs. Successful solution requires construction of hypotheses, reasoning under each hypothesis, and comparison of the results under each to reach a final conclusion. Few subjects are able to provide adequate responses on the standard version of the task. We present the results of four experiments, with 160 undergraduates each presented with one of eight versions of the task. Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that (1) some subjects think that the properties that are written down are identical to those of the exemplar, although these are not the same subjects who exhibit the modal error pattern, (2) many subjects correctly understand the disjunction of the rule but fail to consider the hypotheses, and (3) poor initial encoding of the problem is not easily corrected. Experiment 3 investigates the sufficiency of the claim of Griggs and Newstead (1982) that appropriate problem solution follows from explicit presentation of all problem information (including use of positive labels for properties that are not written down), and Experiment 4 investigates the necessity of the claim. The results of Experiments 3 and 4 show that presenting positive category labels does increase the frequency of correct solution; however, positive category labels are not necessary for such improvement. Separation of the labels of the THOG rule from those of the exemplar, or informing subjects that only one other design is a THOG, also increases the frequency of successful solution. The results suggest that many people have some fairly sophisticated reasoning skills. but application of these skills is easily discouraged when the features of the task lead to poor initial encoding.     

Detectability as a function of target location: effects of spatial configuration

Marked differences in detectability as a function of spatial location, a "detectability gradient," are observed when subjects are required to detect a briefly exposed target pattern of uncertain location in the presence of a number of nontarget patterns. Target detectability also is inversely related to the number of nontarget patterns which are present in this search paradigm. These previous findings provide strong evidence for a serial process in which increasing probability of error occurs during a scan of a rapidly degrading neural representation of the visual image following a brief exposure to the stimuli. It is not yet established whether this scan is attentional or perceptual in nature. The present experiments test the hypothesis of an attentional scan by presenting the target and nontarget patterns in spatially segregated groups. If the scan is attentional, then target detectability under these circumstances would be expected to exhibit the characteristic phenomenon of "group processing"--a close clustering of detection performance for targets located within a group and large differences in detectability across groups. As no evidence for group processing was observed, the results fail to support the view that the scan is attentional in nature but are fully consistent with a nonattentional scan.