Factorial rotation to simple structure and maximum similarity

When the regression of factored variates on variates defining subpopulations (or experimental groups) is (a) nonlinear or (b) heteroscedastic, an existing solution to the problem of factorial invariance does not apply. This paper presents an approach which can be used in place of the existing solution and derives a method for obtaining maximally similar orthogonal simple structure factor pattern matrices across subpopulations. The method is applied to data from three experimental groups.The writer wishes to express his gratitude to Professor Paul Horst for his many helpful suggestions in the development presented here. Credit is also due to William Meredith and Michael Browne for their helpful comments. The study was supported in part by Office of Naval Research Contract Nonr-477(33) and USPHS Research Grant MH00743-08 (Principal Investigator: Paul Horst).     

Paired comparison scaling of reaction potential in two different experiments on habituation

Thurstone’s method of paired comparisons was employed to obtain scaled values of reaction potential from two completely different experimental situations involving response decrement. The first was one in which the GSR was measured on 10 repeated presentations of a visual stimulus (N= 89). The second involved 80 presentations of ordinary visual scenes; the S looked at each scene as long as he wished before switching to the next (i.e., looking time was measured. N=80). Scaling reaction potential by Thurstone’s method provided a common operational definition for both sets of data and permitted their direct comparison in identical units. Both measures showed substantial decrement in reaction potential across stages, with the GSR scale values dropping steeply from the first to the second trial and. thereafter, following a course of decline similar to the looking time scale values. Tlie correlation of the two sets of scale values was essentially linear and equalled 0.90.     

Issues in the psychology of religious conversion

Conclusion Such are the issues that two psychologists with theological training and ministerial ordination draw from social science literature as it relates to religious conversion. Few, if any, of these issues are settled definitively. There is a great need for solid, responsible research, not to prove or disprove, but simply to understand, predict, and, where desirable, control. For these are the goals of science. Before research can be productive, however, these are the goals of science. Before research can be productive, however, there is need for theoretical development. Inadequate conceptualization, especially of necessary distinctions and discriminations, has handicapped the scientific investigation of religion almost as much as a limited tool kit. But the signs of the times regarding social scientific investigation of conversion are hopeful. Especially to be recommended for further research by someone well acquainted with the field of religious conversion is the vast literature in social psychology on opinions, attitudes, and beliefs. Perhaps we can continue the process of knowledge-building that began so promisingly in the first three decades of the century and then stopped on a plateau.This article is a revision of a paper presented at The First National Faith and Order Colloquium of the National Council of Churches, Chicago, June 12–17, 1966.     

Book reviews

Machine Intelligence. Edited by N. L. Collins and D. Michie. Edinburgh: Oliver & Body. 1967. Pp x + 278. 63s.

Mechanisms of Animal behavior. By P. R. Marler and W. J. Hamilton III. London and New York: Wiley. 1966. Pp. xi + 740. 113s.

Animal Behaviour: A Synthesis of Ethology and Comparative Psychology. By Robert A. Hinde. London: McGraw-Hill. 1966. Pp. x + 534. 84s.

Manual of Psychophysiological Methods. Edited by P.H Venables and Irene Martin. Amsterdam: North-Holland publishing Co. 1967. Pp ix + 557. £4 10s. od.

The Senses. By Lowenstein. London: Penguin Books. Pelican Original. 1966. Pp. 217. 5s.

Human Spatial Orientation. By I. P. Howard and W. B. Templeton. London and New York: Wiley. 1966. Pp. 553. 84s. net.

Attention: An Enduring Problem in Psychology. Edited by Paul Baskan. London: van Nostrand. Insight book No. 34. 1966. Pp. iv + 225. 14s. $1.75.

Amnesia. Edited by C. W. M. Whitty and O. L. Zangwill. London: Butterworths. 1967. Pp. x + 217. 64s.

Brain Function. Volume III: Speech, Language and Communication. Edited by Edward C. Carterette, UCLA Forum in Medical Sciences. No. 4. University of California Press. London: Cambridge University press. 1967. Pp. xiii + 279. 96s.

Annual review of Psychology. Volume 18. Edited by P. R. Farnsworth, O. McNemar and O. McNemar. Palo Alto, California: Annual Reviews Inc. 1967. PP. 606. $9.00 ($8.50 in U.S.A.).

Contemporary Approaches to Psychology. Edited by H. helson and W. bevan. Princeton, New Jersey and London: Van Nostrand Company. 1967. Pp. xii + 596. £5 16s.

The Hypnotic Investigation of Dereams. By C. scott Moss. London and New York: Wiley. 1967. Pp. xi + 290. 60s.

The Dynamics of Behavior Development: An Epigenetic View. By Zing-Yang Kuo. Random House Studies In Psychology (Consulting Editor, L. J. Stone) New York: Random House. 1967. Pp. xii + 240. $2.45.

Self-Evaluation: Concepts and Studies. By James C. Diggory. London and New York: Wiley. 1966. Pp. xiii + 477. 80s.

The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour. by Michael Argyle. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd. 1967. Pp. 223. 4s. 6d.

The Causes of Behaviour II. Second edition. Edited by Judy F. Rosenblith and Wesley Allinsmith. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1966. Pp. xv + 608. $6.95.     

The rolling totals method of computing sums,sums of squares,and sums of cross-products

The rolling totals method of computing sums, sums of squares, and sums of cross-products appears to have several advantages over usual methods, in that it saves time and requires less equipment. Only an IBM sorter and a tabulator equipped with Card Cycle Total Transfer Device are used. The method provides an immediate independent visual check on the accuracy of the sums of cross-products of each successive variable as it is run. Since controlling is done by sorting, the necessity for re-wiring after each run on the tabulator is eliminated. The wiring, illustrated by a diagram, is simple and straightforward.ABITIBI POWER AND PAPER COMPANY     

Methylphenidate in hyperactive children: Differential effects of dose on academic,learning, and social behavior

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) has been shown to have differential effects on hyperactive children's behavior as a function of dose level. In the present investigation, a triple-blind, placebo-control, within-subject (crossover) experimental design was employed in which 12 hyperactive boys between 6 and 10 years received three different dosages of methylphenidate (5, 10, and 15 mg) in a randomly assigned sequence. Dosage effects were assessed on clinic(PAL-Paired Associates Learning test) and school-(percent on task, teacher ratings, work completion rates, and accuracy) related behaviors. For 10 of the children, classified as responders to medication by the PAL using the criteria of Swanson, Kinsbourne, and colleagues, a series of ANCOVAs with repeated measures showed significant dosage effects on teacher ratings (p 01), percent on task (p 01), academic accuracy (p 05), and assignment completion rates (p 05). PAL performance was also significantly enhanced (p 01) after optimal dose levels were considered. Subsequent trend analysis showed a significant positive linear relationship between dose and each of the dependent variables. A comparison of fixed-dose and miligram-per-kilogram plots showed that children's performance across the different dosages were clearly individualistic and task-specific, even when similar body weights were compared. The implications of using clinic-based testing to determine optimal medication responsivity were discussed.We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following pediatricians for their valuable assistance: W. H. McDermott, D. J. Chronley, R. B. Trivett, F. J. Jehle, P. M. Small, and F. T. Leong. Grateful acknowledgement is also extended to the two anonymous reviewers whose comments contributed to the content of this paper, and to the undergraduate and graduate student members of the Children's Learning Clinic.     

Chronic self-destructiveness: Conceptualization,measurement, and initial validation of the construct

Individual differences in various behaviors suggest that those who are primarily motivated by current emotional factors are more likely than those motivated by more distant cognitive considerations to engage in acts that are ultimately self-destructive. To assess and explore these behavioral differences, 12 samples of undergraduate subjects, totaling 864 (527 females, 337 males), a group of 15 businesswomen, and 111 male VA patients were used to develop a measure of this construct in a series of reliability and construct validity studies. By means of internal-consistency item analyses, two cross-validated 52-item measures of chronic self-destructiveness were constructed for males and females. Reliability was established with respect to internal consistency (alpha coefficients range from .73 to .97) and temporal consistency over a 1-month period (test-retest correlations range from .90 to .98). There is a slight drop in chronic self-destructiveness scores across age groups. Test scores were found to be positively related to external locus of control, negatively related to Type A coronary-prone behavior, and unrelated to either social desirability response set or need for achievement. Individuals high in chronic self-destructiveness, compared to those with low scores, are more likely to be in treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, to report having cheated in courses, to have had traffic violations, to report having gone through a rebellious stage in adolescence, and to postpone obtaining a medical test for cancer. Chronic self-destructiveness appears to be a personality dimension that affects behavior across a wide range of ages and situations.We wish to thank John Wapner for his assistance in obtaining data in the clinical sample.