Expectancy and stimulus frequency: A comparative analysis in rats and humans

We examined whether expectancy, one of several factors influencing attention, is similarly affected in rats and humans by manipulation of relative stimulus frequency, A two-choice reaction time (RT) task was developed for rats, and an analogous task was used for humans. Errors, RTs, discriminability, and response bias were measured. Both rats and humans shifted their response bias to the more frequent stimulus, with no change in overall discriminability. As stimulus probability or stimulus repetition increased, RTs and errors decreased. These results illustrate the similarity of expectancy in rats and humans. This two-choice RT task for rats can be used in future studies to examine the neuronal mechanisms of expectancy and attention.     

The effect of Method Variance on Relationships Between the Work Ethic and Individual Difference Variables

A great deal of research relating the work ethic to other individual difference variables has been conducted using questionnaires to measure all the variables. Many researchers believe that using a single method of measurement for multiple constructs results in artificially inflated correlations. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the work ethic, locus of control, and conscientiousness reveals that approximately 16% of the variance in measures of these constructs is a function of the method of measurement. This suggests that correlations in work ethic research based on only one method of measurement may be overstated.     

A Performance-Based Admissions Screening Program

The development of a competency-based admissions program for counselor education majors at James Madison University was begun in 1974. This program evolved as a result of dissatisfaction with traditional criteria used for selection of applicants to counselor training programs. The development progressed from a reference checklist to eventually include a career-goal essay, personality testing, and a required on-campus interview. Continued revision, including quantification of the various portions of the screening process, has led to its present state. Further refinement and change continue as additional research is completed.     

Intelligence and the processing of stimulus structure

It has been demonstrated in a number of experiments that the difficulty level of several performance type intelligence test tasks is determined directly by stimulus and task variables that vary the information to be processed. The variables are quantifiable. The implications of these findings for intelligence and the problems of an experimental approach to the measurement of intelligence are discussed.     

Social Misperception and Its Implications for Counseling

This article explores social misperception, a unique way of viewing the behavior problems of children. While the emotional-disturbance label is usually given to behaviorally disordered youngsters, it inaccurately reflects the social learning problems of children. Explored are the characteristics of social misperception (both verbal and nonverbal), its historical foundations (taken from the psychological and educational literature), and its relation to learning disabilities and to emotional disturbance; a differential diagnostic system is offered. Counselors are given techniques by which they can assist teachers with remediation, a task that helps the counselor to assist classroom teachers to become socially sensitive to the emotional needs of children.