The perceived duration of gratings.

Since visible persistence of grating patterns increases with spatial frequency, it is often inferred that the perceived duration of a grating is also longer at higher spatial frequencies. However, other work has demonstrated that the perceived onset of a grating is also delayed at higher spatial frequencies. Thus it is impossible to infer the subjective duration from the results of visible persistence studies alone. In order to estimate perceived duration in the present study, reaction times (RTs) to grating onsets and offsets were measured for a range of spatial frequencies. The results indicate that although the perceived duration (ie the difference between offset and onset RTs) was consistently longer than the physical duration, the estimates of perceived duration did not vary with changes in spatial frequency. Differences between the present results and earlier findings are interpreted in the context of the different methods used to measure perceived offset.     

THE DISEMPOWERING EFFECTS OF MEDIA VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ON COLLEGE WOMEN

This study investigated the disempowering effect of exposure to media violence against women on female students. An initial study involving 284 female students described the development and evaluation of two forms of a scale measuring disempowerment. The second study investigated the effect of media violence using a Solomon Four-Group experimental design. Fifty-seven female students were divided into four groups that were shown video clips depicting scenes of violence directed either toward female or male victims. Half the groups completed the first form of the disempowerment scale prior to the viewing. All groups completed the second form of the scale after the viewing. Analysis confirmed that completion of the pretest scale did not differentially affect the participants viewing the female-victim clips. The results of the main analysis revealed that exposure to media aggression against women heightens feelings of disempowerment in female viewers.     

Predictors and Outcomes of Psychiatric Hospitalization in Youth Presenting to the Emergency Department with Suicidality

Youth suicide attempters presenting to the emergency department (ED) are frequently admitted to psychiatric inpatient hospitals, yet little is known about how clinicians decide which youths to admit versus discharge to outpatient care. We examine predictors of inpatient hospitalization and describe service use outcomes associated with hospitalization in 181 youths drawn from consecutive ED admissions for suicidality. Predictors of hospitalization include ED site, suicide plan, and parent report of problems. Hospitalization was associated with improved linkage to outpatient treatment and more intensive service use. Future research is needed to understand the best service delivery and treatments for these high‐risk youth.     

Effects of chlordiazepoxide on pausing during rich-to-lean transitions

Extended pausing during discriminable transitions from rich-to-lean conditions can be viewed as escape (i.e., rich-to-lean transitions function aversively). Thus, an anxiolytic drug would be predicted to mitigate the aversiveness and decrease pausing. In the current experiment, pigeons' key pecking was maintained by a multiple fixed-ratio fixed-ratio schedule of rich (i.e., larger) or lean (i.e., smaller) reinforcers. Intermediate doses (3.0-10.0 mg/kg) of chlordiazepoxide differentially decreased median pauses during rich-to-lean transitions. Relatively small decreases in pauses occurred during lean-to-lean and rich-to-rich transitions. Effects of chlordiazepoxide on pausing occurred without appreciable effects on run rates. These findings suggest that signaled rich-to-lean transitions function aversively.