Individual differences in reported visual imagery and memory performance.

Seventy high school students completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ). Two months later, the 16 highest scores (low visualizers) and the 16 lowest scores (high visualizers) took part in a memory experiment involving abstract words, concrete words and pictures. Analyses of variance showed that high visualizers were superior to low visualizers on all three kinds of item in short-term recall, whereas they were only superior on the concrete words and pictures in long-term recall. Finally, both groups performed equally well on a subsequent recognition test. The results were interpreted as providing support for the validity of the VVIQ.     

Negative recency and measurement of primary memory.

The technique of Waugh & Norman (1965) is widely used in measuring the capacity of primary memory. Watkins (1974) has proposed a modification of the technique which takes into account registration failure. A further modification is proposed which takes into account findings of negative recency in delayed recall.     

Dual effects of response blocking following avoidance learning

It was shown that either enhanced or decreased avoidance responding by rats could be produced by the same response blocking procedure occurring after avoidance training. The particular result produced depended on (1) the duration of the blocking trial and (2) when during the retention interval the blocking trial occurred. Results were interpreted in terms of a memory reactivation explanation and implications for the therapeutic uses of extinction were discussed.     

The effects of self-exposure instructions on agoraphobic outpatients

Nineteen agoraphobic outpatients were randomly assigned to four sessions of either (1) Exposure: planning and discussion of exposure homework tasks requiring patients to enter and remain in phobic situations hitherto avoided; or (2) Control: discussion of marital, family and social difficulties and strategies for dealing with these.A small but significant effect was found at post-test and at one month follow-up in favour of the exposure condition. It is suggested that this variable should be controlled in future relevant experiments and is worth including as an inexpensive expedient of active treatment of phobias.     

The effects of instructions, level of fear, duration of exposure and repeated measures on the Behavioral Avoidance Test

This research studied the effects of level of fear, instructions, duration of each step and the effect of retest on the performance of subjects on a Behavioral Avoidance Test of a harmless snake. Results showed a significant effect of the level of fear. instructions, and effect of retest on the performance of these subjects. An interaction between level of fear and instructions was also found for a proportion of subjects manipulating the snake. This interaction indicated that moderately afraid subjects were relatively more influenced by the instructions than very afraid subjects.