Surrogate consent to non-beneficial research: erring on the right side when substituted judgments may be inaccurate

Part of the standard protection of decisionally incapacitated research subjects is a prohibition against enrolling them unless surrogate decision makers authorize it. A common view is that surrogates primarily ought to make their decisions based on what the decisionally incapacitated subject would have wanted regarding research participation. However, empirical studies indicate that surrogate predictions about such preferences are not very accurate. The focus of this article is the significance of surrogate accuracy in the context of research that is not expected to benefit the research subject. We identify three morally relevant asymmetries between being enrolled and not being enrolled in such non-beneficial research, and conclude that when there is a non-negligible probability that surrogates’ predictions are wrong, it will generally be better to err on the side of not authorizing enrollment.     

Housing design and people with severe mental illness: An observational approach to the investigation of supported housing facilities

An observational approach was employed to investigate the role played by architectural characteristics of supported housing facilities (SHF) in sustaining interactional behavior among people with severe mental illness (SMI) (N = 29) and staff (N = 27). The observations were carried out in dining areas, corridors and outdoor environments of SHF (N = 4). In order to test differences in the observed behaviors two SHFs with high physical‐environment quality (HQ) and two with low physical‐environment quality (LQ) according to the perception of people with SMI were chosen. Results showed that the dining areas of HQ better support social interactions between SHF users. No differences between the housing facilities were found concerning corridors areas, while housing facilities that provided proximity and accessibility to outdoor environments, such as those with HQ, were significantly more supportive for social interactional behavior than LQ housing. These results corroborate previous findings from this project and suggest that the characteristics of the housing design have a significant impact on the use of the environment and on the behavior patterns in the setting.     

AMULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING APPROACH TO THE PERCEPTION OF ART. II

G oude G. A multidimensional scaling approach to the perception of art. II. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1972, 13 , 272–284.—Three series of experiments with multidimensional scaling of art experiences (of eight paintings) were performed. In the first series groups which had followed lectures in art history were compared to otherwise similar groups without lecturing within this field. The second study compared four age-groups (8, 10, 12 and 14 years). The third series was a comparative study with a group of schizophrenic patients.     

A general approach to procrustes pattern rotation

A method is introduced for oblique rotation to a pattern target matrix specified in advance. The target matrix may have all or only some of its elements specified. Values are estimated by means of a general procedure for minimization with equality constraints. Results are shown using data from Harman and Browne.The author is indebted to K. G. Jöreskog and M. W. Browne for many helpful suggestions and comments throughout the course of this study. Thanks are also due P. H. Schönemann and H. Weiner.     

Vector analysis in visual perception of rolling motion

Summary The well-known visual effect of seeing an isolated, point on the rim of a rolling wheel as moving in a cycloidal track was used for a study of visual vector analysis under non-redundant conditions.Under actual experimental conditions a mean difference of about 20% was found between the mathematically predicted and the perceptual vector analysis. A considerable interperson variation in deviation from the analysis was found. Some Ss showed a deviation of only a few per cent from the mathematically correct response.This investigation was made possible by grants from the Swedish Council for Social Science Research.     

CATECHOLAMINE EXCRETION IN YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS AS RELATED TO BEHAVIOR

L ambert , W. W., J ohansson , G., F rankenhaeuser , M. & K lackenberg -L arsson , I. Catecholamine excretion in young children and their parents as related to behavior. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1969, 10, 306–318. — Catecholamine excretion in 100 children and their parents was examined in relation to the children's behavior and to data on the parents' disciplinary procedures: ( a ) children's adrenaline excretion was positively correlated with their intellectual level, ( b ) their noradrenaline excretion was positively correlated with that of their mothers, as well as with both parents' age at the birth of the child, ( c ) mothers' adrenaline excretion was positively correlated with the frequency at which the fathers punished their children by smacking, and ( d ) fathers' noradrenaline excretion was negatively correlated with their own as well as with their wives' frequency of smacking their children.     

Perceived direction of rotary motion

The starring point for this study was the rotating trapezoidal window. The aim was to reanalyze the problem of information about direction of rotation that is available in simplified proximal stimulations and to study empirically if the Ss utilized the possibilities demonstrated in the theoretical analyses. These analyses showed that a distal poin t moving in a horizontal circular path gives different proximal stimulations when moving clockwise and counterclockwise Further, a distal vertical line moving with its midpoint in the same path has a proximal change of length with different phase relations with the horizontal back-and-forth motion for the two directions. The proximal stimulation is ambiguous, however, unless some restrictions or “decoding principles” are introduced. In the first two experiments it was shown that the Ss could not report “correct” direction of motion of the point but were able to do so about the vertical line. In a third experiment a second vertical line was introduced. This necessitates a determination of relative distance to the two lines. It was shown that the proximally shorter line was usually perceived further away than the proximally longer one. The results are discussed with reference to the trapezoidal window. and some hypotheses are stated.     

A VERSATILE EYE-MOVEMENT RECORDER

A small, light eye-movement recorder, capable of registering eye movements from the smallest voluntary movements to movements of 20 degrees of arc, is described. A miniature light projector gives a beam of infrared (or blue) light, which is reflected by the cornea of the eye. The beam is deflected by any movement of the eye. An optical system transforms the motion of the beam into changes of light intensity. These are translated into magnified fluctuations of current in a multiplier phototube. The output is translated into graphic form by an ink-writer fitted with a D.C. amplifier. The apparatus, except for the writer but including a helmet, weighs about 300–500 g and is mounted on the subject's head without appreciably disturbing the field of vision.     

NOTE ON THE RETENTION OF CONNECTED DISCOURSE

Two sentences were constructed having roughly the same content but different predictability ( P -) scores. One or other of the sentences was presented auditorily once only to different groups of subjects who were instructed to listen carefully, without however, being informed of the learning character of the experiment. The groups were then tested for retention after one of the following intervals: IM, 3 min., 2 hours, 20 hours. The sentences were found to differ in memorability (amount recalled) in IM but not in LTM. The reproductions were also analysed with regard to synonym and non-synonym substitutions and the implications for the chunking hypothesis discussed.