The perception of continuous curves in dot stimuli

Two categorisation experiments are reported in which the perceptual phenomenon that some simple arrays of discrete dots appear as a continuous curve whereas others are perceived as an angular contour or as consisting of separate groups of dots was investigated. Triplets of dots were presented in the first experiment, and complete or incomplete regular dot polygons (ie dots positioned on the vertices of imaginary regular polygons) in the second. In both experiments the perception of a curve versus an angle was determined mainly by the relative orientations of the dots, ie by the angles between successive virtual lines, whereas the lengths of the virtual lines had relatively little influence. In experiment 2 the number of displayed dots was shown to be a second independent factor for perceiving continuity. These results are in agreement with results from experiments on dipole textures discrimination, and suggest the psychological existence and importance of virtual lines in the visual processing of dot stimuli.     

Individual differences and measures of aggression in laboratory studies

After inducing hostility toward a confederate by threatening subjects' self-esteem, subjects were then given the opportunity either to deliver shocks (Experiment 1) or to withhold rewards (Experiment 2) from their confederate. Physiological measures were taken prior to the hostility induction, shortly after the induction and, finally, after the opportunity to aggress. Measures of individual differences relating to aggressive behavior were also considered. While the experimental manipulation was the best predictor in the ‘withholding rewards’ condition, measures of dissipation-rumination tendencies and emotional vulnerability were the best predictors in the ‘shock administration’ condition. In both conditions, systolic blood pressure seemed to reflect differences in arousal as a function of the hostility induction procedure, while subjects in the withhold rewards procedure also showed a decrease in systolic pressure after having an opportunity to aggress toward the confederate. It was concluded that not only is the withholding of rewards a more ethically acceptable procedure than shock administration, but it is also more likely to reflect experimental rather than individual difference affects.     

Parental preferences regarding sex education topics for sixth graders

The purpose of this study was to ascertain which sex education topics parents of preadolescents regarded as appropriate for their children. The sample was comprised of 146 respondents randomly selected from a class list of sixth graders in a suburban school district. A mailed, self-administered questionnaire listing 48 possible topics was used to elicit parental response. Pretesting found the questionnaire to be highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha = .95). Overall, parents strongly supported the inclusion of a broad range of sex education topics regardless of parental age, sex, marital status, income, education, or child's sex. Moreover, parents were largely in agreement with the inclusion of sensitive topics in addition to those which were more physiological or behavioral. Catholics more often than Protestants agreed with the inclusion of birth control, abortion, and sterilization even after controlling for income and education. Thus, the findings suggest that parents of sixth graders find a broad sex education program in the school appropriate. To this end, school officials and sex educators should not overlook the needs of preadolescents for sex education solely on the basis of perceived parental opposition.     

Working together separately: clarifying the relationship between college therapist and dean of students

The authors, a college psychotherapist and dean of students, describe the relationship between these college personnel. They describe the dynamics of their interaction and the importance of communication and mutual understanding. They define counseling and therapy, discuss the issues of agency and confidentiality, suggest methods of referral and consultation, and emphasize the need for support and trust within a school community. Finally, they present case studies that illustrate the benefits of mutual trust, understanding, and respect.     

Evidence for a general category of oblique orientations in four-month-old infants

Recent work on orientation perception and memory in infants suggest that oblique stimulus orientations are treated as members of a category. The two studies in this report support this hypothesis and extend previous findings by demonstrating that this category includes obliques on either side of vertical even when infants are previously exposed to obliques on only one side.     

Facilitation in letter detection with sequentially presented homophonic strings

A consistent phonology between sequentially presented pseudoword quadrigrams was found to improve performance in a letter-detection task. Each of 8 subjects was required to judge whether an M appeared in either the initial or terminal position of letter strings. The letter N was used as a foil. For each presentation, two quadrigrams appeared sequentially, the first for 20 ms and the second for a duration that allowed approximately 75% overall accuracy. The strings differed only by the letter next to the one on the opposite end of the string from the M or N. Subjects were not told that two strings were exposed on each presentation, and when asked, none reported having been aware of this. Nevertheless, detection was significantly better when the two strings were homophones (e.g., SERM, SIRM) than when they were not (e.g., SARM, SORM). Results are discussed in terms of phonological access to the mental lexicon.