Intertrial sources of stimulus control and delayed matching-to-sample performance in humans

Two experiments compared delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) accuracy under 2 procedures in adults with mental retardation. In the trial-unique procedure, every trial in a session contained different stimuli. Thus, comparison stimuli that were correct on one trial were never incorrect on other trials in that session (or vice versa). In the 2-sample DMTS procedure, the same 2 comparison stimuli were presented on each trial, and their function changed quasi-randomly across trials conditional upon the sample stimulus. Across 2 experiments, 7 of 8 subjects showed the highest overall accuracy under the trial-unique procedure, and no subject showed consistently higher accuracy under the 2-sample procedure. Negative, exponential decay functions fit to logit p values showed that this difference was due largely to the steeper delay-mediated decline in sample control for the 2-sample procedure. Stimulus-control analyses indicated that, under the 2-sample procedure, the selection of the comparison stimulus on Trial N was often controlled by the comparison stimulus selection on Trial N-1 rather than the Trial-N sample stimulus. This source of competing stimulus control is not present in trial-unique procedures. Experiment 2 manipulated intertrial interval duration. There was a small but consistent increase in accuracy as a function of intertrial interval duration under the 2-sample procedure, but not under the trial-unique procedure.     

Shape correlates of visual and tactual size judgments: A contrast with complexity

Pattern correlates of perceived size were studied by obtaining category judgments of the size of 100 random forms from 40 Ss who explored the forms visually and 40 Ss who explored them factually. Comparison of the modalities and contrasts with perceived complexity were made via intercorrelations of judgments and latencies, multiple regression analyses using factored form dimensions, and correlations with original form measures. By holding area of the forms constant, it was shown that perceived size can be related to characteristics of shape.     

Scholastic Aptitudes and Vocational Needs of Original Thinkers and Good Elaborators

This study seeks to expand the concept of creativity by investigating the scholastic aptitudes and vocational needs of highly creative public high school seniors. Torrance's (1962) Minnesota Tests of Creative Thinking were administered to 708 seniors. Students scoring highest and lowest on two scales, originality and elaboration, were divided into 12 criterion groups (N = 311) among boys and girls. Significant differences were obtained on the Minnesota Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) (Weiss, Dawis, England & Lofquist, 1964). Highly original seniors had significantly stronger needs than good elaborators on four MIQ scales. Students highest in both abilities had stronger needs than either high originals or good elaborators on five other MIQ scales.     

What Is “I”?

Two responses to the nature-nurture-will issue are set forth in this essay. A devil's-advocate defense of the reductionist position is built on the thesis that the nature of a person is entirely a reflection of genetic and environmental influences; thus, eventually all thought, emotions, and actions would be explained by physicochemical effects of genes and environmental influences. The second position is based on subjective, though non-scientific, truth revealed experientially. This produces a paradox: objectively I am part of a determinism, but subjectively I can have a revelation that there is a Creator who has made me creative and given me a spirit. Subjective truth cannot be explained by science.     

What is it Like to be a Phenomenologist?

In a recent paper, 'On the Persistence of Phenomenology' (in T. Metzinger (ed.), Conscious Experience , Paderborn, 1995), Diana Raffman presents a new argument for qualia, an argument that provides new focus for the qualia debate. We think Raffman's work relocates the debate to a better neighbourhood, a neighbourhood in which what tempts us to think that there must be qualia or phenomenal information is highlighted. Raffman, we argue, locates the core thought shared by many of the friends of qualia, namely, that our conceptual resources are inadequate for capturing the richness of experience. Experience is ineffably determinate. Moreover, Raffman's argument in support of this thought seems especially embarrassing to scientific-minded materialists, since the argument relies largely on well established empirical facts. We show, however, that Raffman's argument fails. So, if we are correct that her argument highlights what is tempting about qualia, then we have also shown that it is not tempting.     

Improving Juror Comprehension of Judicial Instructions on the Entrapment Defense1

When the defense of entrapment is raised, the legal and psychological question is not whether the defendant committed some illegal act, but rather why the defendant behaved as he or she did and whether government agents' actions provoked the defendant to commit the same crime. The subjective test of entrapment focuses on the predisposition of the defendant to commit a particular crime, while the objective test focuses on situational forces. In Study 1, type of entrapment defense (subjective, objective) and the defendant's prior record (no prior record, prior record) were experimentally manipulated. As expected, superior comprehension of the judge's instructions was found for jurors who heard subjective test instructions. Study 2 was designed to improve the comprehension and judgments of jurors who received 1 of 3 versions of the objective test. Juror comprehension of key legal concepts and subsequent judgments improved if jurors heard one of the rewritten versions of the objective test.     

Presidents' wives and First Ladies: On achieving eminence within a traditional gender role

Women sometimes attain distinction through their relationships with highly successful men. This association may entail some combination of several individual and dyadic processes. Possible processes were explored in the lives of 48 wives and First Ladies associated with 39 U.S. Presidents. Three primary dimensions of the women's performance were used to determine the connection between their eminence and that of the President. Although a reflected-glory effect was apparent in the unreciprocated influence of the President's reputation on his First Lady's reputation, the woman's reputation was independently determined by (a) her performance as the President's political colleague and (b) her success at establishing her own distinct personality. On the other hand, her reputation was not influenced by her expertise in fulfilling more traditional gender role responsibilities. Some biographical antecedents of the women's performance were also identified.The following research assistants made this project possible: Bergen Achtel, Pamela Akins, Jill Allen, Gazelle Babaee, Paige Black, Nancy Bouffard, Pendra Boyd, Steve Castellón, David Clemons, Jennifer Cohen, Suzanne Dahnert, Ann del Forge, Stephanie Fisher, Fernanda Formel, John Gotelli, Janelle Gray, Kim Haralson, Erin Harrington, Miguel Herrera, Danny Herz, Michele Hill, Alexander Hughes, Elizabeth Judy, Jacques Koujoumajian, Anneliese Makely, Bettina Murphy, Monica Murray, Ryan Nguyen, Tereza Pena-Hibberd, Steven Sacks, Dan Samsky, Todd Sasano, Melissa Schneider, Brian Victor, and Henry Wong. I also thank Niels Waller for his advice and consultation.