Scaling of apparent accentedness by magnitude estimation and sensory modality matching

In each of three experiments, 24 students judged the accentedness present in the speech of eight Spanish-English bilinguals.Ss gave magnitude estimations and also squeezed a hand dynamometer to indicate the amount of accentedness in the reading of an English passage by each of the speakers. There was significant agreement amongSs regarding the speech samples with each scaling method, and interscale agreement was good. Power functions fitted to the data had exponents falling in the range expected from earlier psychophysical studies. Scale values correlated significantly with the frequency of accented pronunciations by the speakers as judged by two independent judges. The use of these scaling methods for future research on linguistic features of accent and on the relation between accent and language attitudes is discussed.     

Extremely long-term persistence of the McCollough effect.

The question has been raised whether an associative mechanism is responsible for the persistence of the McCollough effect. Since current estimates of its rate of decay are derived from procedures in which subjects are repeatedly tested, it was hypothesized that the measured effects might be attenuated by the testing process. Accordingly, a comparison was made between repeated testing and time-elapse testing. A conventional group of 16 subjects had repeated testing at 0, 8, 24, 56, and 120 hr. after induction. Five other groups of 16 were run, each at one of the time delays, with no intervening tests; an additional measure was taken where appropriate at 120 hr. A magenta-green nulling procedure was used to assess the aftereffect. The repeated-test group showed a linear decrease of effect against the stated delays, reaching zero at 120 hr. In contrast, the time-elapse groups showed little decline up to 120 hr. Those groups retested at 120 hr. showed declines due to prior testing. When four more groups were subsequently tested at intervals up to 2,040 hr., the effect remained at better than half strength.     

Reciprocity counseling: A rapid learning-based procedure for marital counseling

Existing marital counseling procedures have not been experimentally evaluated or generally have not been based on an experimentally derived theory. The present study formulated a model of marital discord based on reinforcement theory, developed a marital counseling procedure based on that theory and experimentally evaluated its effectiveness. The model viewed marital discord as the resultant of non-reciprocated reinforcement. The counseling procedures attempted to establish general marital reciprocity of reinforcement by teaching reciprocity in several specific areas of marital unhappiness. The reciprocity procedure was conducted for about 3–4 weeks with 12 couples, after first conducting a catharsis-type counseling as a control procedure. The results showed that the reciprocity procedure increased reported marital happiness, whereas the control procedure did not. Once reciprocity was achieved in a specific problem area, the benefits generalized somewhat to other yet-to-be counseled areas. The increase in marital happiness occurred for each of the specific areas of marital interaction, for 96 per cent of the clients, and was maintained and increased during the available follow-up period. These results indicate that the procedure is an effective, rapid and enduring method of producing marital happiness.     

Delayed one-trial extinction of the McCollough effect

Initial tests of the McCollough effect were made on separate groups at delays of 4, 24 or 96 h after induction, with little apparent decrement. Subsequent tests were made at 4, 24 and 96 h after each initial test delay, again using separate subject groups in order to avoid test-induced extinction. All tests consisted of magentagreen nulling of the aftereffect. A single test session, whenever administered, seems to initiate a decay or extinction process lasting several days, resembling the time course shown by repeated testing. These results are difficult to reconcile with a perceptual conditioning model of the McCollough effect.     

An efficient,inexpensive food hopper for monitoring feeding habits of rats

An efficient food hopper designed for the constant monitoring of feeding patterns of rats is described. The apparatus is inexpensive and is designed to attach to standard rat housing cages.