The effects of different types of retrieval cues on the recall of names of famous faces

The present study investigated the effects of cues on subjects’ abilities to retrieve the names of famous faces that they had previously been unable to recall. In Experiment 1 subjects were presented with a second photograph of the celebrity, or biographical information about the celebrity, or the celebrity’s initials. Each type of cue produced a quite different pattern of recall. Biographical information was least likely to elicit the name when the subject already knew the celebrity’s occupation, and most likely when subjects found the face familiar only. Conversely, initials were more likely to elicit the name when the occupation was already known than when the face was at first found unfamiliar or familiar only. Rather surprisingly, no significant differences were observed when a new photograph was used as a cue. In Experiment 2, the effects of a new photograph were compared with a condition in which the same photograph was presented twice. A new photograph was beneficial when subjects had previously found the face unfamiliar and when they found the face familiar only, but not when they knew the occupation. It is argued that these, as well as other aspects of the results, generally support the view that successive, but distinct stages are involved in face recognition, consistent with the model put forward by Bruce and Young (1986).     

A developmental study of visual search behavior

Children in second, fourth and sixth grades and college sophomores were compared on a visual search and scanning task under three experimental conditions. In Condition I, a single target letter was sought in a list of letters of low visual confusability. In Condition II, two target letters were sought but only one appeared in a given list. In Condition III, a single target letter was sought in a list of letters of high confusability. Search time decreased with age in all three tasks. Searching for two targets was no harder than searching for one. A highly confusable visual context increased search time at all age levels.     

Exploring Heteronormativity in the Public Discourse of Jamaican Legislators

In Jamaica the public discourse on homosexuality is voluminous, however little or no empirical research or suitably detached policy-oriented discussion is in evidence. This multidisciplinary qualitative paper uses the content analysis of publicly available information to explore the posture of key public-policy actors on homosexuals and homosexuality. The observable implications of the findings for society and the rights of homosexuals are articulated. The paper concludes that this discourse evinces a settled heteronormative value system, reflecting a consensus on either side of the political divide and applauded by popular culture and popular opinion. At a time when most of the western world is embracing sexual diversity, these conclusions carry profound implications for legal reform, employment relations, social justice and public policy in Jamaica.