The relation of field dependence to signal detection while imaging

Twelve field-dependent (FD) and 12 field-independent (FI) males were administered 260 trials of a signal detection task in four phases. Signal type (auditory, visual, or no signal) was crossed with four sets of imaging treatments (pure visual representations, pure sounds without visual counterparts, and two sets representing sounds with visual counterparts). Detection of a signal in isolation was 90% accurate, as was the detection of no signal while imaging. Cross-modality imaging interfered with detection of the stimulus but to a significantly lesser extent than did same-modality imaging. In all detection/imaging treatments, FIs were significantly more sensitive to the signal than were FDs; however, FDs and FIs did not differ in accuracy of detecting isolated signals. The results are discussed in terms of the commonalities shared by perception and imaging as they appear in the Perky effect and cognitive style.     

Assessment of social skills using a Thurstone Equal-Appearing Interval scale

Although Likert ratings of social skill are widely used in behavioral assessment, such ratings may have limited replicability potential and social validity. The present study compared the reliability of Likert and Thurstone Equal-Appearing Interval scales. The Thurstone-derived scale was slightly more reliable than its Likert counterpart. Moreover, the empirical and clinical potential of Thurstone scaling substantially exceeds that of Likert and other rating methods.     

Frequency of attack in shock-elicited aggression as a function of the performance of individual rats

Fighting rates between paired rats were investigated as a function of the probability of attack by a single animal. Animals from stable high-fighting and low-fighting frequency pairs were intermatched to detect individual high-fighting and low-fighting rats. Pairs of high-fighting animals then received saline or different chlorpromazine dosages during successive sessions. Finally, single high-fighting members of each pair also received the different drug dosages. The chief findings were that: (a) rats showing high fighting rates when matched against each other revealed low fighting rates when matched against one, but not the other member of a low-fighting pair; and (b) high-fighting rats decreased their fighting rates as their own or their opponent's chlorpromazine dosage increased. These results indicated that a low rate of fighting on the part of one rat results in a low fighting rate on the part of its opponent.     

Conditional reflexes and sensory-evoked epilepsy: The nature of the therapeutic process

Studies of conditional reflex therapy for patients with sensory-evoked epilepsy are reviewed and experimental studies in animals reported. The behavioral methods employed in the therapy are reviewed. They are of a conditioning nature and are defined as clinical therapeutic conditioning. Sensory-evoked epilepsy can be induced in animals by conditioning techniques, provided the animal brain has been rendered epileptogenic. Sensory-evoked epilepsy in patients can be made worse by conditioning, and can be changed from one type to another. However, sensory-evoked seizures in humans are not the result of conditional reflexes.     

Behavioral and electrophysiological measures of click audibility compared in the cat

Cats were trained to make an avoidance response to clicks in the presence of different levels of white masking noise. The audibility of the clicks at different masking intensities could be determined from the percentage of CRs made by the animals. Click-evoked responses were also recorded from the left inferior colliculus of each cat in the presence of several intensities of masking noise. The results showed that the noise level that just obscured the click-evoked response was quite close in intensity to the noise level that produced threshold click detection in the behavioral situation. While both behavioral and electrophysiological methods yielded similar measures of auditory sensitivity, the electrophysiological measure was obtained in a fraction of the time required to obtain the behavioral measure.     

Validity of rating scales in assessing aggressive behavior in classroom settings

The teachers of 35 boys attending a Lehigh University-based laboratory school for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children completed rating scales designed to assess aggressive behavior in children. Children also completed similar self-report instruments. Frequency counts of aggressive outbursts and outburst durations were recorded by teachers over a 4-week period. The results of the study found significant correlations among teacher-completed and child-completed measures. The relationships between child-completed measures, one of the teacher measures, and the direct observation measure were not significant. One teacher-completed measure, but no child-completed measures, had significant correlations with aggressive outbursts and durations. The implications for behavioral assessment are discussed.