Bargaining Strategies with Asymmetric Initiation and Termination

Two experimental studies of bilateral bargaining were conducted, and this paper reports findings related to differences in the conditions under which bargaining began and ended. Asymmetric initiation affected the way the subjects bargained, but not, on the average, the deals they struck. Asymmetric termination affected both bargaining behavior and deals. One surprising conclusion was that following a relatively simple configuration of bargaining strategies increased both one's probability of making a deal and one's benefits from the deal itself.     

The effects of preexposure to a learning apparatus

ICR mice were given exposure to a one-way shuttle apparatus until locomotor activity had been habituated. When compared with nonexposed animals, the exposed animals displayed superior shuttle avoidance learning. Animals exposed to both the apparatus and the CS did not differ from the nonexposed group. It was concluded that preexposure to the learning apparatus facilitated acquisition, while preexposure to the apparatus in the presence of the CS did not. The relationship between this effect and habituation was considered.     

Intratrial proactive interference in pigeon short-term memory: Manipulation of stimulus dimension and dimensional similarity

Proactive interference was studied using an intratrial preparation in two delayed matching-to-sample experiments employing pigeons. On interference trials, an interfering sample and a target sample were presented successively and were followed by a test consisting of a choice between two stimuli, one associated with each sample. Control trials were identical to interference trials except that the interfering sample was not presented. On both types of trials, choice of the comparison corresponding to the target sample was defined as correct. Colored fields and line orientations were employed as sample stimuli in Experiment 1, and samples of food and no food and of number of pecks were employed in Experiment 2. Interference was found to be equally robust regardless of whether the interfering and target samples were each selected from any of the four dimensions (color, line orientation, food/no food, or number of pecks). Amount of interference was found to be independent of whether the interfering and target samples employed on a trial were selected from the same dimension or from different dimensions. Evidence was also obtained suggesting that line orientation comparison stimuli are more likely to elicit a response not based on memory than are color comparison stimuli.     

PROCTOR: An on-line student evaluation and monitoring system for use with PSI format courses

PROCTOR, an on-line interactive system for student evaluation and monitoring in courses employing the PSI format, is described. This system involves a tester module that assumes many of the routine managerial duties traditionally assigned to the student proctor, such as quiz administration and scoring, performance feedback, and complete record keeping. Also, PROCTOR includes a multipurpose editor that allows an instructor to enter, examine, or modify any information in the disk files accessed by the tester. Factors related to the implementation and use of this system are considered, and its advantages for management, quality control, and staffing in PSI courses are discussed.     

The relationship between plaintiff gender and just cause determination in Canadian dismissal cases

Widespread concern has been expressed recently over the differential treatment of women by the courts and various arbitration and adjudication proceedings. Based on data obtained by content analysing 367 Canadian dismissal cases from 1980 to 1993, this study examines the relationship between the plaintiff's gender and the court's ruling regarding the existence of just cause for termination. The results indicate that female plaintiffs are more likely than men to succeed in their court action. However, in comparison with their representation in the Canadian workforce, a relatively small percentage of women are plaintiffs in wrongful dismissal actions. Possible explanations for the study's findings are discussed.Funding for this study was provided by a Saint Mary's University Senate Research Grant to the first author. The very capable research assistance of Nancy Canavan and Jane MacNeil is gratefully acknowledged.