On the perception of speech from time-varying acoustic information: contributions of amplitude variation

The cyclic variation in the energy envelope of the speech signal results from the production of speech in syllables. This acoustic property is often identified as a source of information in the perception of syllable attributes, though spectral variation can also provide this information reliably. In the present study of the relative contributions of the energy and spectral envelopes in speech perception, we employed sinusoidal replicas of utterances, which permitted us to examine the roles of these acoustic properties in establishing or maintaining time-varying perceptual coherence. Three experiments were carried out to assess the independent perceptual effects of variation in sinusoidal amplitude and frequency, using sentence-length signals. In Experiment 1, we found that the fine grain of amplitude variation was not necessary for the perception of segmental and suprasegmental linguistic attributes; in Experiment 2, we found that amplitude was nonetheless effective in influencing syllable perception, and that in some circumstances it was crucial to segmental perception; in Experiment 3, we observed that coarse-grain amplitude variation, above all, proved to be extremely important in phonetic perception. We conclude that in perceiving sinusoidal replicas, the perceiver derives much from following the coherent pattern of frequency variation and gross signal energy, but probably derives rather little from tracking the precise details of the energy envelope. These findings encourage the view that the perceiver uses time-varying acoustic properties selectively in understanding speech.     

Comparison of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children--revised in rural Native American and white children

The Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC--R) were administered to 46 Native American and white students who were suspected by their classroom teachers of having learning handicaps. Pearson correlations between these sets of IQs ranged from .42 (TONI and WISC--R Performance) to .89 (WISC--R Verbal and Full Scale).     

Automaticity in spelling competence

Two studies examined the speed with which good spellers and poor spellers spell easy and difficult words. At both the elementary school (Grades 3 and 4) and undergraduate levels, good spellers spelled words more quickly than poor spellers. This difference appeared even for very easy words that all subjects could spell. Implications for the importance of automaticity in spelling competence are discussed.     

Dealing with (bypassing) the difference

The author presents different psychoanalytic conceptualizations of gender difference. She reviews the controversy between Freud and Jones and discusses in detail the views put forward by Montrelay, a student of Lacan, who relates early linguistic development to gender-specific differences in closeness between the child and the "mother's body".     

The uses of moral ideas in the mastery of trauma and in adaptation, and the concept of superego severity

The power of moral ideas, here equated with superego strength, has been explained in increasingly complex terms over the course of the development of psychoanalysis. At first regarded mainly as useful in opposing oedipal instinctual demands, morality came to be seen also as opposed to aggressive wishes while at the same time capable of gratifying aggressive and libidinal forces. In this paper, I discuss the contribution to the strength of morality that comes from the effects of painful ("traumatic") experiences and from the use of moral ideas for social, adaptational purposes. In addition I consider the possibility that unchanging moral ideas can have changes in function in clinical work. A case is presented to illustrate these points.     

Effects of a forced institutional relocation on the mortality and morbidity of nursing home residents

Residents of a county nursing home underwent a forced, mass relocation. Gerontologists advised on preparation of staff and residents. No increase in residents' mortality or morbidity was found after the relocation. The highest death rate was in the anticipatory period, the year prior to the move.     

Measures of concurrent validity and alternate-form reliability of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence

The subjects, 60 undergraduate students, were administered the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI) individually. The Shipley Institute of Living Scale was administered in small groups. A Pearson correlation of .56 was obtained for TONI Quotients, Forms A and B. TONI Quotients, Forms A and B, correlated with Shipley estimated WAIS--R IQ .50 and .46, respectively, and correlated to .71 and .64, with Shipley Total T scores, .52 and .44, respectively (corrected to .71 and .61), with Shipley Abstraction T scores, .51 and .42, respectively (corrected, .63 and .52), and with Shipley Vocabulary T scores .26 and .32, respectively (corrected to .63 and .52). TONI scores seem more closely related to Shipley Total and Abstraction scores than to Shipley Vocabulary.     

Tachistoscopic and questionnaire methods for the measurement of psychological defences

Only few attempts have been made to compare different methods aiming at quantifying defensive strategies. In this study the tachistoscopic Defence Mechanism Test (Kragh, 1960b and 1985) is compared to paper-and-pencil tests of defence. There were virtually no correlations between the DMT and the other measures of defence. This may indicate that the concept of defence is a highly complex one. It is suggested that the Defence Mechanism Test may be measuring primary defence while defence questionnaires may be assessing more secondary forms of defence. The two questionnaires used for assessing defence correlated significantly, while a scale for social desirability showed no correlation with DMT or the two defence questionnaires.