Mechanisms of aural encoding: IV. Hear-see,say-write interactions for vowels

Six vowel sounds were presented in rondom orders for recall from short-term memory. Four groups of 25 Ss each in a2by 2 design either heard or saw the words, and either had to say them or write them. In general, accuracy was greater when the sounds were seen rather than heard, especially when they were verbatty reported. The major concern was the degree to which the major distinctive feature systems could predict the intrusion errors in each of the four conditions. The best prediction occurred in the auditory-input/verbal-output condition, as would be expected from the models on which distinctive feature specifications are based. However, as in a previous study by these authors, the most accurate predictions were not always made by the same combination of distinctive features. It is concluded that distinctive features are identifled in the initial encoding bef ore any retrieval processes are activated and that further errors made at the time of retrieval are aho related to distinctive features. Most importantly, however, both at initial registration and at retrieval, different features are implicated, depending upon the sound presented for recall and the input-output modalities involved.     

The amount seen in brief exposures

The experiments reported are a series of attempts to test the consequences of assuming that a subject exposed to briefly presented tachistoscopic information does not have access to a visual image. The partial report procedure is examined under several conditions with the letter row cues immediately following stimulus exposure, and at different levels of cue delay.

The results of eye movement monitoring, and of instructing subjects where to look, agree with the guessing data of a previous experiment in showing a sharp decline in the number of letters correctly reported when the subject is looking at the wrong row, in conformity with the anticipative selection hypothesis. The result of varying the subject's uncertainty about what is to be reported is to vary the slope of the delay curve; with the implication that inefficient strategies of rehearsal, rather than visual image decay, are responsible for the reported delay effects.     

Audio analgesia: Lack of a cross-masking effect on taste

The effects of intense acoustic stimulation on the sense of taste were examined in two experiments. In the first, a yes-no psychophysical method was used to obtain psychometric functions for the discriminability of weak solutions of NaCl or sucrose from distilled water. The functions for NaCl were about 10 times steeper than those for sucrose. In the second experiment, suprathreshold concentrations of these substances were used in conjunction with a magnitude-estimation technique. With neither technique were there any systematic differences in the data taken with and without audio analgesia.     

Predicting state anxiety: A comparison of multidimensional and unidimensional trait approaches

Endler has proposed that trait anxiety is multidimensional, with individual differences varying across several dimensions of stressing situations. Despite empirical support for the independence of some dimensions, some researchers have employed a single score on a multidimensional measure of trait anxiety, summed from the dimension scale scores, as a singular measure of generalized trait anxiety. This violates the theoretical underpinnings of the approach. This study examined whether a total score on a multidimensional measure of trait anxiety could supplement the ability of individual dimension scale scores in predicting state anxiety responses to dimension-congruent stress. Thirty-two female college students who scored at differing levels of dimensional and general anxiety were required to perform two laboratory stress tasks under conditions of stress representing different dimensions of trait anxiety. The results provide support for a multidimensional approach to general trait anxiety but indicate some value of a total score in supplementing predictions based on individual scale scores. The data provide a cautionary note that a total score on a multidimensional measure is of little value unless full consideration is given to the profile of dimension scale scores.     

The roles of contour and luminance distribution in determining perceived centers within shapes

Two sources of visual information that likely could be employed by the perceptual system in locating the centers of bounded shapes—boundary configuration and luminance distribution—have been perfectly confounded in every study thus far aimed at investigating perceived centters. Observers, using either a revolving or stationary x-y plotter, made judgments on the location of centers within either revolving or stationary shapes of both uniform and varied luminance distributions. Results indicate that the location of perceived centers depended predominantly upon boundary contour and was affected by the distribution of luminance within these edges to a much lesser degree.     

The effect of self- vs. external-monitoring and locus of control upon the pacing and general adjustment of psychiatric inpatients

Ninety-six psychiatric inpatients with a history of problematic pacing were identified as internal or external (Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale) and assigned to one of four monitoring categories: (1) self-monitoring, in which participants recorded their pacing on wrist counters, (2) external-monitoring, in which ward staff informed participants of their pacing, (3) social demand, in which participants were pressured not to pace, but without specific feedback concerning their pacing and (4) no treatment. Dependent measures included the number of cycles paced, distance paced, and staff rated general social adjustment (MACC scale). As hypothesized, internals showed greater reductions in pacing and increases in general adjustment scores in the self-monitoring condition and externals reducing pacing and improved general adjustment on the external monitoring condition. Both of the treatment conditions created greater positive change than the social demand condition.     

When experiences of failure promote expectations of success: The impact of attribution failure to ineffective strategies1

This experiment examined the effects of attributing initial failure to ineffective strategies on performance expectancies. Subjects were induced to attribute performance at a persuasion task to either their strategies (a controllable factor) or abilities (an uncontrollable factor). Subjects then failed at their initial persuasion attempt. Following failure, strategy subjects expected more successes in future attempts than did ability subjects. Strategy subjects also expected to improve with practice, while ability subjects did not. Comparisons to control subjects, who received no attribution manipulation prior to success or failure, clarify these results. Findings suggest that subjects attributing task outcomes to strategies monitored the effectiveness of their strategies and concluded that by modifying their strategies they would become more successful. In contrast, subjects attributing task outcome to abilities failed to attend to strategic features and concluded that they could not improve. Implications of this overlooked factor for attribution theory and learned helplessness are discussed.     

Capacity and strategy for syntactic comprehension after left or right hemidecortication

The left and right hemispheres perform different encoding and decoding operations on a syntactically complex sentence in order to identify its meaning. Hemispheric asymmetry for syntax involves not only variations in capacity, but also differences in the strategy used to effect similar language performance.