Is the inversion effect in rhesus monkeys face-specific?

This study investigated the face inversion effect in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Face stimuli consisted of ten black-and-white examples of unfamiliar rhesus monkey faces, brown capuchin faces, and human faces. Two non-face categories included ten examples of automobiles and abstract shapes. All stimuli were presented in a sequential matching-to-sample format using an automated joystick-testing paradigm. Subjects performed significantly better on upright than on inverted presentations of automobiles, rhesus monkey and capuchin faces, but not human faces or abstract shapes. These results are inconsistent with data from humans and chimpanzees that show the inversion effect only for categories of stimuli for which subjects have developed expertise. The inversion effect in rhesus monkeys does not appear to be face-specific, and should therefore not be used as a marker of specialized face processing in this species. Received: 18 November 1998 / Accepted after revision: 9 May 1999     

Alberta's suicide prevention training programs: a retrospective comparison with Rothman's developmental research model

Developmental research is used to transform existing knowledge into applied programs. A social research and development (R&D) method, developed by Rothman for the human service professions, is compared with the method used to develop the Suicide Prevention Training Programs in Alberta, Canada. A retrospective review compares the development of these programs, which have since been implemented both nationally and internationally, with Rothman's model; discusses social R&D as a transformation methodology; and draws conclusions about the probable success of using developmental research methods in the human services. The review finds that the Alberta method closely paralleled the phases of Rothman's model. Results show that the transformation of knowledge about suicide into widely disseminated suicide prevention training programs can be attributed to the application of social R&D principles. The study concludes that the use of developmental research methods to establish human service programs should increase the probability of their success.     

On the distinction between artifacts and information

Sperling, Landy, Dosher, and Perkins (1989) argued that all previous research on the kinetic depth effect has been contaminated by stimulus artifacts, and they developed a new task that they believe can successfully overcome this problem. The present discussion offers a counter-argument that artifacts are not as pervasive in previous research as Sperling et al. imply and that their proposed method is subject to precisely the same limitations as earlier studies. Also discussed are some general guidelines of experimental design in this type of research to minimize the possibility that subjects will adopt an inappropriate response strategy that does not truly reflect their visual perceptions of three-dimensional form.     

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.     

The control of visual attention using multiple target features

An experiment was conducted to determine how visual attention is allocated in response to pairwise combinations of location, color, and size cues. Subjects viewed displays of eight letters arranged into an 'X' pattern emanating from a central fixation point. The letters varied on the dimensions of location (foveal or parafoveal positions), size (large or small), and color (red or blue). Seven of the letters were 'X's and the remaining, critical letter was either an 'R' or an 'L'. Subjects were given advance cues about characteristics of the critical letter on two of the three dimensions (location size, and color). The cues varied in their validity such that on any trial either both dimensions were validly cued, one dimension was validly cued while the other was invalidly cued, or both cues were invalid. Subjects were instructed to try to use the cues to find the critical letter, and response times to identify it as an 'R' or an 'L' served as the main dependent measure. Two models were evaluated against the data; in one, location cues are viewed as having distinct effects on an early stage of attention whereas color and size cues operate only in a later, selection stage. In the other model, all cues are used in a similar way to select display items for serial, focal attention. In general, the serial processing model provides a more complete account of the data.     

Visual perception of smoothly curved surfaces from double-projected contour patterns

This research was designed to examine how human observers are able to perceive the 3-dimensional structure of smoothly curved surfaces from projected patterns of surface contours. Displays were generated by using a method of double projection that made it possible to cover a surface with a wide range of contour patterns of varying geometric structure and to eliminate systematic variations of image shading. The compelling impression of 3-dimensional form from these patterns provides strong evidence that the ability of observers to perceptually interpret surface contours is considerably less restrictive than would be reasonable to expect on the basis of existing computational models. Results suggest that the perceptual analysis of surface contours is able to exploit statistical regularities of contour structure over appropriately large regions of visual space.     

Athletic self-concept and mathematics achievement in girls

Several researchers have suggested that girls' mathematics performance may be mediated by an assertive sex role or "masculine interest." The present study made the assumption that girls' athletic self-confidence reflects "masculine interest" so girls' test scores for perceived athletic competence would be related to their mathematics achievement scores. A total of 207 boys and girls in Grades 4, 5, and 6 were tested for their perceived athletic ability using the Athletic Competence subscale of Harter's 1985 Self-perception Profile, and these scores were correlated with their mathematics achievement as measured on the Metropolitan Achievement Test and term grades. A low but significant correlation with Athletic Competence scores was found for girls on both measures of mathematics achievement. Although boys scored higher on the Athletic Competence subscale, there were no sex differences on either measure of mathematics achievement. Results are discussed in terms of both sex-role theory and cognitive development.     

Processing of persuasive in-group messages

Two studies investigated the processes mediating the persuasive impact of messages representing in-group opinions. In the 1st study, subjects read either a strong or a weak message attributed to either an in-group member or to another group. Subjects were more persuaded by a strong message from the in-group than a weak one, suggesting content-focused processing of the in-group message. Subjects were equally unpersuaded by either a strong or a weak message from the other group, and showed little sign of message processing. In the 2nd study, Ss listened to in-group or other-group messages about issues that varied in their relevance to in-group membership. When the issue was relevant to the in-group, subjects were persuaded by a strong message from the in-group, unpersuaded by a weak message from the in-group, and equally unimpressed by strong and weak messages from the other group. When the issue was irrelevant to the in-group, subjects accepted the position advocated by the in-group regardless of message quality, and again ignored messages from the other group. These results suggest that increased message processing, and not merely the impact of source persuasion cues, can underlie in-group-mediated attitude change.     

What does the cook and medley hostility scale measure? Affect, behavior, and attributions in the marital context

The Cook and Medley (1954) Hostility (Ho) scale has been used in several important studies evaluating potential health consequences of hostility. A relative lack of compelling information about the construct validity of the Ho scale, however, has raised concerns about the appropriate interpretation of previous research. In this study, 60 married couples discussed a low conflict topic, a high conflict topic, and then a second low conflict topic. High Ho men responded to the high conflict topic with significant increases in self-reported anger and anxiety and overt hostile behavior, but low Ho men did not. Furthermore, compared to low Ho men, high Ho men blamed their wives more for their usual disagreements on the high conflict topic and saw their disagreement-engendering behavior as more intentional. Among women, Ho scores were weakly related only to overt hostile behavior. Finally, couples consisting of two low Ho persons displayed a uniquely agreeable interactional style.