Are there critical bands in kinesthesia?

The effect of changing the bandwidth of noise on the ability of human subjects to detect a 10-Hz sinusoidal movement signal was measured in two experiments. The objective of these studies was to investigate whether critical bands exist for the kinesthetic system, as has been demonstrated for the auditory and tactile systems. It was found that subjects' ability to detect a 10-Hz sinusoidal movement stimulus embedded in noise was not influenced by the bandwidth of the noise over a range of 4-10 Hz. These findings suggest that, if a critical filter does exist for this system, it would have to be greater than 10 Hz.     

Voices outside the camp: Some significant nonpastoral books in 1979–80

A review article of recent books in disciplines related to pastoral care which may increase the effectiveness of the pastor's care and counseling ministries. Books selected challenge prevailing assumptions, offer new ways to perceive the pastoral task, and provide new and significant information. Books are reviewed from personality and psychotherapy, family history, theory and therapy, studies of violence and victimization, psychology and theology, and general ministry theory.Dr. Hunter is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Book Review Editor ofPastoral Psychology. His address is: Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.     

The Matching of Facial Expressions by Deaf and Hearing Children and Their Production and Comprehension of Emotion Labels

This paper reports the results of three tasks comparing the development of the understanding of facial expressions of emotion in deaf and hearing children. Two groups of hearing and deaf children of elementary school age were tested for their ability to match photographs of facial expressions of emotion, and to produce and comprehend emotion labels for the expressions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise. Accuracy data showed comparable levels of performance for deaf and hearing children of the same age. Happiness and sadness were the most accurately matched expressions and the most accurately produced and comprehended labels. Anger was the least accurately matched expression and the most poorly comprehended emotion label. Disgust was the least accurately labeled expression; however, deaf children were more accurate at labeling this expression, and also at labeling fear, than hearing children. Error data revealed that children confused anger with disgust, and fear with surprise. However, the younger groups of deaf and hearing children also showed a tendency to confuse the negative expressions of anger, disgust, and fear with sadness. The results suggest that, despite possible differences in the early socialisation of emotion, deaf and hearing children share a common understanding of the emotions conveyed by distinctive facial expressions.     

Factorial validity of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale

The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was developed in previous research to measure a general dimension of alexithymia with three inter correlated factors. These three factors reflect distinct facets of the alexithymia construct: (1) difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing them from the bodily sensations of emotion, (2) difficulty describing feelings to others, and (3) an externally orientated style of thinking. This study tested the three-factor model for the TAS-20, using confirmatory factor analysis, in separate samples of young adults from Germany, Canada, and the United States. The previously established three-factor model was found to be replicable in all three samples. In addition, the full TAS-20 and its three factors demonstrated adequate internal reliability in all three samples. Although evaluation of the convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity of the TAS-20 is required in diverse cultural groups, the present results provide evidence for the factorial validity and internal reliability of the TAS-20.     

Human Response to Environmental Changes

A range of factors affect human response to environmental change. They include the information available, understanding of the phenomenon, the nature of the decision-making processes implied, and the motivation for change. One major factor affecting decision making is that scientific information is not fully and accurately disseminated through society. The media have an important role in this process, but cannot disseminate all the necessary information in the manner that is required and do not reliably present information that is safe from misinterpretation. Further, scientific uncertainty about and complexity of biosphere changes complicate the process of reaching a rational decision. The mental model that people have of their world tends to be maintained unless it is contradicted by experienced events, so global change is likely to be understood only to the extent that it impacts on everyday life. Much of human reasoning is essentially analogical rather than based on standard logic, and its validity depends on finding a suitable analogical model. It is suggested that risk, or defence situations may provide useful analogies. Finally, we need to consider the motivational problems created by the sacrifices that must be made to deal with the problem effectively.