The use of rats as discriminative stimuli

A FREE OPERANT PROCEDURE WAS USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ONE RAT COULD DISCRIMINATE: (1) between the presence and absence of a second rat, and (2) between two other rats of the same species and sex. The subjects were four male Wistar rats. The discriminatory response was a bar press and food was used as reinforcement during training. Although there were wide individual differences in rate of learning, all subjects learned to make both discriminations.     

The true distributions of the range of rank totals in the two-way classification

This paper presents the results from an investigation of the true probability distributions of the range of rank totals. A procedure for generating an approximation to the true distributions is also given. A comparison of the results of this approximation with an extensive criterion of generated true and sample distributions, and with other approximations is indicated. Accurate estimates of the critical ranges necessary to reach significance at three commonly used alpha levels, where the number of judges and items is less than or equal to sixteen, are presented in tabular form.     

Wind as an aversive stimulus

Two monkeys were trained on an escape-avoidance procedure in which a lever press delayed exposure to wind by 20 sec. For 5 hr, subjects alternately worked 15 min and rested 15 min, and performed this schedule when the wind was 5, 10, and 20 mph and the temperatures were 50, 60, and 70° F. Analysis of variance showed that the percent of wind avoided was related to both the velocity of the wind and the temperature during the exposure. When the wind was 10 and 20 mph it was avoided almost continuously regardless of the temperature.     

Response

We argue that Shogan's critique, as well as that of Fox, fails to engage with the central focus of our article, which was to characterize and evaluate different approaches to lesbian ethics and to propose an alternative to the more familiar approaches.     

The imp of the reverse: A phenomenology of the unconscious

The debate regarding the unitary versus multiple nature of the human person is examined with special attention to the division between conscious and unconscious. The roots of the unconscious are traced to the experience of alienation or feeling divided within. An existential analysis is provided in order to shed light on the nature of the unconscious. The experience of feeling divided within is explained as a metaphor that is taken literally. An existential-phenomenological explanation of the unconscious is provided which preserves the essential unity of the human person.     

Social reactions to depictions of casual and steady acquaintance rape: The impact of AIDS exposure and stereotypic beliefs about women

While much of the early research on the social perception of sexual assault focused on instances of stranger rape, recent work has indicated that acquaintance rape occurs much more frequently. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine a gender role socialization analysis of acquaintance rape. The subjects in the present investigation, predominately Caucasian-American females (i.e., over 90% were nonminority), were first preclassified as either traditional or nontraditional in their gender role views about women. We then examined their perception of rape victims and rape perpetrators as a function of whether the rape occurred between casual dating partners vs. long-term steady daters, and also as a function of whether the assailant exposed the rape victim to the disease AIDS (vs. no exposure to AIDS). The results indicated that individuals who varied in their stereotypic views about women differed in their reactions, with more traditional subjects being more likely to negatively evaluate the rape victim and less likely to evaluate the rapist in an unfavorable manner. In addition, it was found that when rape victims were exposed to AIDS, the social perceptions of others were strongly influenced, with casual-dating rape acquaintances being more likely to bear the onus of a negative reaction from others.     

Gender differences in self-evaluations of information about current affairs

This study examines how gender is related to self-evaluations of information to discuss current social and political issues. The sample is one of predominantly white (96%) college graduates. Using alumni samples, we look at how members of four classes that span 20 years evaluate their knowledge to hold conversations on a variety of public affairs issues ranging from the Strategic Defense Initiative to government funding of abortion. We find gender differences, with men perceiving themselves more knowledgeable in conversations and women less so. We raise the possibility that they are “doing gender.” The implications of these findings are explored.     

IMPROVED CURVEBALL HITTING THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF VISUAL CUES

This study investigated the effectiveness of using visual cues to highlight the seams of baseballs to improve the hitting of curveballs. Five undergraduate varsity baseball team candidates served as subjects. Behavior change was assessed through an alternating treatments design involving unmarked balls and two treatment conditions that included baseballs with 1/4-in. and 1/8-in. orange stripes marking the seams of the baseballs. Results indicated that subjects hit a greater percentage of marked than unmarked balls. These results suggest that the addition of visual cues may be a significant and beneficial technique to enhance hitting performance. Further research is suggested regarding the training procedures, effect of feedback, rate of fading cues, generalization to live pitching, and generalization to other types of pitches.