The role of low-spatial frequencies in lexical decision and masked priming

Spatial frequency filtering was used to test the hypotheses that low-spatial frequency information in printed text can: (1) lead to a rapid lexical decision or (2) facilitate word recognition. Adult proficient readers made lexical decisions in unprimed and masked repetition priming experiments with unfiltered, low-pass, high-pass and notch filtered letter strings. In the unprimed experiments, a filtered target was presented for 105 or 400 ms followed by a pattern mask. Sensitivity (d′) was lowest for the low-pass filtered targets at both durations with a bias towards a ‘non-word’ response. Sensitivity was higher in the high-pass and notch filter conditions. In the priming experiments, a forward mask was followed by a filtered prime then an unfiltered target. Primed words, but not non-words, were identified faster than unprimed words in both the low-pass and high-pass filtered conditions. These results do not support a unique role for low-spatial frequency information in either facilitating or making rapid lexical decisions.     

Effect of delay on children's delay-execute prospective memory performance

To date, little work has been done investigating prospective memory in children, particularly using a delay-execute paradigm. Two experiments were conducted to investigate this issue with children aged 5–11 years. While playing a computer driving game, children's ability to carry out a delayed intention either immediately a target cue appeared or after an additional delay, was assessed. These findings supported the few previous studies in this area by showing that preschool children are able to perform event-based prospective memory tasks. The results also extended these findings by demonstrating the impact of briefly delaying the execution of a retrieved intention, and revealing that there were important improvements in prospective memory performance from early to late childhood. The suggestion is made that executive resources may be responsible for this pattern of performance.     

Variables in abortion counselling

Five variables involved in abortion counselling are examined: the religioethical beliefs of the counsellor, the religio-ethical beliefs of the counselee, the status of abortion laws, the available techniques for abortion, and the counsellor's assumptions about the 'sequellae' of abortion. Illustrations are drawn from both the recently published Lane Report and a set of medical case-studies. An attempt is made to assess the relative importance of the five variables.     

A computer-controlled language training system for investigating the language skills of young apes

A computer-controlled language training system was designed and constructed to enhance the objectivity and efficiency of inquiry into the language-relevant behaviors of apes. The system allows the S to gain control over the events of the 24-h day in direct correspondence with its competence in using a keyboard on which each key represents a word. Various incentives can be obtained through the selection and depression of appropriate keys in accordance with rules of sentence structure monitored by a computer. The system is flexible and allows for eventual conversation between man and ape, with the computer as the intermediary. A Teletype records all that transpires. Achievements of the chimpanzee S over the course of the first 8 months of the system’s operation attest to the worth of the system and training methods.     

Finger tapping: effects of trials and sessions

18 normal, self-reported dextral subjects (9 men, 9 women) were assessed with a Halstead Manual Finger Tapping device, with 10 trials per hand for 10 consecutive wk. The test-retest reliability of the 10-trial average between the 10 sessions averaged .94 for men and .86 for women, for both preferred and nonpreferred hands. There were no statistically significant effects of increases in performance over sessions or effects of fatigue over trials for either sex or hand. There were, however, significant increases over trials for men for both preferred and nonpreferred hands.