Why learning and development can lead to poorer recognition memory

Current models of inductive reasoning in children and adults assume a central role for categorical knowledge. A recent paper by Sloutsky and Fisher challenges this assumption, showing that children are more likely than adults to rely on perceptual similarity as a basis for induction, and introduces a more direct method for examining the representations activated during induction. This method has the potential to constrain models of induction in novel ways, although there are still important challenges.     

The Influence of Anticipatory Processing on Attentional Biases in Social Anxiety

Research on cognitive theories of social anxiety disorder (SAD) has identified individual processes that influence this condition (e.g., cognitive biases, repetitive negative thinking), but few studies have attempted to examine the interaction between these processes. For example, attentional biases and anticipatory processing are theoretically related and have been found to influence symptoms of SAD, but they rarely have been studied together (i.e., Clark & Wells, 1995). Therefore, the goal of the current study was to examine the effect of anticipatory processing on attentional bias for internal (i.e., heart rate feedback) and external (i.e., emotional faces) threat information. A sample of 59 participants high (HSA) and low (LSA) in social anxiety symptoms engaged in a modified dot-probe task prior to (Time 1) and after (Time 2) an anticipatory processing or distraction task. HSAs who anticipated experienced an increase in attentional bias for internal information from Time 1 to Time 2, whereas HSAs in the distraction condition and LSAs in either condition experienced no changes. No changes in biases were found for HSAs for external biases, but LSAs who engaged in the distraction task became less avoidant of emotional faces from Time 1 to Time 2. This suggests that anticipatory processing results in an activation of attentional biases for physiological information as suggested by Clark and Wells.     

Bulk metallic glass formation near the TiCu–TiNi pseudo-binary eutectic composition

No bulk metallic glass (BMG) has been observed so far in the Ti–Cu binary system. It has been found that by choosing a pseudo-binary eutectic (L?→?TiCu +TiNi) deeper than that in the binary, reachable via only small substitution of Cu with Ni, the glass-forming ability can be effectively elevated. BMGs of 1–1.5 mm diameter have been formed over a composition range around Ti₅₀Cu₄₃Ni₇. The new BMGs are reproducibly malleable with significant compressive plastic strains.     

What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events

Four studies examined the intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of seeking out others when good things happen (i.e., capitalization). Two studies showed that communicating personal positive events with others was associated with increased daily positive affect and well-being, above and beyond the impact of the positive event itself and other daily events. Moreover, when others were perceived to respond actively and constructively (and not passively or destructively) to capitalization attempts, the benefits were further enhanced. Two studies found that close relationships in which one's partner typically responds to capitalization attempts enthusiastically were associated with higher relationship well-being (e.g., intimacy, daily marital satisfaction). The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical and empirical importance of understanding how people "cope" with positive events, cultivate positive emotions, and enhance social bonds.     

Nonmonotonic extrapolation in function learning

This article reports the results of an experiment addressing extrapolation in function learning, in particular the issue of whether participants can extrapolate in a nonmonotonic manner. Existing models of function learning, including the extrapolation association model of function learning (EXAM; E. L. DeLosh, J. R. Busemeyer, & M. A. McDaniel, 1997), cannot account for this type of extrapolation pattern. We present the results of an experiment in which participants were shown a series of paired stimulus-response magnitudes where the relationship between these 2 dimensions conformed to a cyclic function. Participants were shown to extrapolate from these training data in a nonmonotonic way, contrary to predictions from EXAM. A new model of function learning is presented, which predicts responses more accurately than EXAM.     

Ad hoc category restructuring

Participants learned to classify seemingly arbitrary words into categories that also corresponded to ad hoc categories (see, e.g., Barsalou, 1983). By adapting experimental mechanisms previously used to study knowledge restructuring in perceptual categorization, we provide a novel account of how experimental and preexperimental knowledge interact. Participants were told of the existence of the ad hoc categories either at the beginning or the end of training. When the ad hoc labels were revealed at the end of training, participants switched from categorization based on experimental learning to categorization based on preexperimental knowledge in some, but not all, circumstances. Important mediators of the extent of that switch were the amount of performance error experienced during prior learning and whether or not prior knowledge was in conflict with experimental learning. We present a computational model of the trade-off between preexperimental knowledge and experimental learning that accounts for the main results.     

ESI: Easy software interfacing tools for Turbo Pascal programming of digital input-output devices

We describe some programming tools for real-time monitoring and control of digital laboratory devices. These create several interrupt-driven processes that operate in the “background” of the user’s program. An event buffer logs switch closures, thus helping the user’s program keep up with events. Other simple commands (e.g., TurnOn) take a line number and a time argument as parameters; they are automatically executed at the time specified. Applications to operant conditioning are discussed.     

Gender-role classification and demographic relationships: A function of type of scoring procedures

This study investigated the effect of different median split (combined-sex, single-sex, weighted, and unweighted) procedures on Bem Sex Role Inventory gender-role classifications and the effect of these procedures on demographic relationships. Results revealed significantly different gender-role classifications for all procedures except single-sex weighted and unweighted. No significant demographic relationships were found for men as a function of type of scoring procedures, but significant relationships for SES and marital status were found for women when single-sex weighted and unweighted median splits were used. Discussion focused on recommendations for further research using various median split procedures.